Shrimp and Pork Wonton Soup

Yesterday at work I had to eat out with the guys as we were in an all day meeting launching a new financial project.  I had brought my lunch to work but ended up eating with them and while I only had a blacken salmon sandwich, all the bread made me feel guilty. Because of this I wanted to eat lighter today but not miss out on the flavor. Wonton soup is one of my favorite dishes as I have made Spicy Chicken Wonton Soup many times over. Today I thought it was time to make wonton soup with the traditional pork but mix in shrimp as well.  What I like about this soup is it is thicker and heartier than the traditional version.  The subtle flavor of shrimp really takes the pork to a new level complimented with a kick of fresh ginger. I did not use lean pork because the flavor would have been compromised, but overall the dish is still low in fat.  This is a favorite of mine now, just like the chicken version. It is so satisfying to have two great wonton soup recipes under my belt.

Ingredients

8 oz ground pork
4 oz minced shelled shrimp
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce, reduced sodium, divided
4 Tbsp minced scallions, divided
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
30 wonton wrappers
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, reduced sodium
1 1/2 cups beef stock, reduced sodium
3 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 oz shredded carrots
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts
1 pinch white pepper

Preparation

In a bowl, thoroughly mix ground pork and shrimp with sugar, vinegar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp scallions, and ginger. Place in the refrigerator for 25 to 30 minutes for the flavors to blend.

Place 1 tsp of pork mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper.

Wet the edges of each filled wontons wrapper with a little water and press them together with your fingers to seal. Fold each wonton bundle over.

Heat a wok and add chicken and beef stock. Heat stock to a rolling boil. Add the wontons, mushrooms, carrots, 2 Tbsp scallions and boil for 3 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp soy sauce, bean sprouts and white pepper. Boil for an additional minute.

Serve in soup bowls while hot.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1/4 of recipe (14 ounces).
Calories 390.04

% Daily Value
Calories From Fat  109.18  28%
Total Fat 12.24g 19%
Saturated Fat 4.16g 21%

Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad

The Super Bowl is Sunday and while my favorite team, The Pittsburgh Steelers, are not in it this year I still have cravings for football party food.  I have been so on point with my healthy eating that I know a plate of spicy hot wings with blue cheese will kill my weekly efforts. As a result, I decided to make my own recipe for Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad. Encompassing the flavors of Tabasco hot sauce, blue cheese, bacon, and potatoes, this dish is perfectly light and suites my tastes for hot sauce and blue cheese. While I do have a recipe for killer blue cheese dip, which is actually healthy, I still am trying to create the perfect lighter hot wing, so I opted to go with my potato salad.  Don’t forget to add a few dashes of Tabasco hot sauce on top of your serving, as this perfectly balances this dish.

Ingredients

2 lbs red potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
2 ounces light cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp mayonnaise, reduced fat
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/4 cup sour cream, reduced fat
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Tabasco hot sauce, plus extra for topping
3 slices bacon
4 green onions, chopped
3/4 cup celery, finely chopped

Preparation

Place potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Boil until very tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove from the heat and drain.  While warm, cut the potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

In a skillet on medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp, and cut into one inch pieces. Set aside pieces and rendered fat.

In a bowl, combine cheeses, mayonnaise, lemon juice, sour cream, vinegar, salt, and Tabasco.

Fold in green onions, potatoes, rendered fat, and celery.

Refrigerate for up to 24 hours and serve. You can immediately serve but if you let it refrigerate the potatoes will absorb the flavor.

 Serve each salad topped with a few dashes of Tabasco hot sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 6
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (8.2 ounces).
Calories: 227.1

% Daily Value
Calories From Fat (40%) 91.71
Total Fat (16%) 10.3g
Saturated Fat (22%) 4.42g

Sweet and Sour Pork

I must have been Chinese in a former life. I say this because I love Chinese food. It is my goal to get to China someday. I have been abroad quite a few times but never to Asia. I will get there and when I do, I will sample every piece of food insight. Anyway, I often try to find ways to eat my favorite Chinese foods without all the extra oily and breaded restaurant calories. This dish is perfect for my needs and I think you will like it too.

Normally, I have to alter recipes to make them low fat, well this recipe came from a fabulous book I received as a birthday gift and there was not much to change. I used peanut oil for greater flavor, added shredded carrots for more nutrition and color, and used a larger can of pineapple, as I love the natural sweetness.

Ingredients

1 lb lean pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup organic ketchup
3 Tbs cider vinegar
3 Tbs sugar
15.5 oz 1 can pineapple chunks in juice, drained and juice reserved
5 tsp peanut oil
4 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
2 cups hot cooked brown or white rice

Preparation

Combine the pork, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a large bowl. Toss well.

Combine the ketchup, vinegar, sugar, reserved pineapple juice, the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and the remaining tablespoon soy sauce in a small bowl.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, stirring often, until the pink is almost gone, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the bell peppers, onion, carrot, and pineapple. Cook until crisp tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the ketchup mixture. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Serve over rice.

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (17 ounces).
Calories 451.66

Tips
You can use regular ketchup, but we prefer organic ketchup because it has natural sugar and does not contain high fructose corn syrup.
Use a potato peeler to shred into thin ribbons.

Source

Original Author: Liz Vaccariello
Original Source: 400 Calorie Fix

Pork Pho

When I lived in NYC, I would spend my whole lunch hour in line with the rest of Wall Street to eat soup at a Vietnamese restaurant. You ask, “Why stand in line for soup?”.  Well, it was for the best Pho I have ever had.  I ate countless bowls of this stuff with coworkers and then when I returned to Atlanta, I missed it so much.  Yes, there are restaurants in my area far and few between who make Pho, but venturing out to these other parts of town is a little time-consuming. I am almost in the heart of ATL and such restaurants are outside the perimeter. Anyway, I finally solved the problem by making my own Pho! I was soooo excited and it was ultra yummy. Pho can be made with beef, chicken, or pork.  Pork is my favorite so that is what I used, along with udon noodles. Pho typically has rice noodles, but I opted for a heartier noodle. This recipe is now on our list of favorites.

Ingredients

1 pound sirloin pork (fat trimmed), cut into 1-2 inch strips
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon hoisen sauce
1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce
2 green onions, chopped (white and green separated)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce, reduced sodium
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
6 cups chicken stock, reduced sodium
1 star anise
4 cups bok choy (1 small head, about 1 pound), chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
5 oz udon noodles, dry

Preparation

• In a medium bowl, toss pork with teriyaki and hoisen sauces. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, brown pork with marinade, frequently stirring for 5 to 7 minutes. Add chili sauce, whites of green onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add chicken stock and star anise. Bring to a boil. Add bok choy and mushrooms. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir in udon noodles and simmer until noodles are tender, about 5 minutes. Ladle into large soup bowls. Garnish with green onions.

Servings: 4

Calories: about 440 per serving.

Baked Cheesy Ham Deli Sandwich

I am often on the prowl to find good meals for lunch.  This meal definitely qualified as good, as I gobbled it up at work. You can serve with marinara sauce or eat by itself, like I do. Easy to make and can eat it for a few days.  Also, try it with different toppings inside for many more yummy lunches.

Ingredients

1 loaf (1 pound) bread dough or wheat pizza dough
1 1/2 tablespoons light butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon basil, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 pound sliced deli ham, reduced sodium
6 thin slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
6 thin slices cheddar cheese
Marinara sauce, warmed, optional

Preparation

• On a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, roll dough into a small rectangle. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the butter and seasonings. Roll out dough into a 14-in. x 10-in. rectangle. Brush with half of the butter mixture. Layer ham, mozzarella cheese, turkey and cheddar cheese lengthwise over half of the dough to within 1/2 in. of edges. Fold dough over and pinch firmly to seal. Brush with remaining butter mixture.
• Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into 8  1-in. slices. Serve immediately with pizza sauce if desired.

Servings: 8 servings.
Calories: About 300.

Apple and Pineapple Burgers

These burgers are easy to make and tasty. I liked them very much and instead of serving on buns, I served on a whole wheat english muffin. I topped mine with provolone cheese but you can top with whatever you like. The sweet fruit with the salty soy sauce is a great mixture. Grill till firm, as the pork can get soft if not cooked long enough.

Ingredients

1/2 cup shredded peeled apple
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup drained unsweetened crushed pineapple
4 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground pork
4 hamburger buns, split
Lettuce leaves, sliced cheese, ketchup, optional

Preparation

• In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble pork over mixture and mix well. Shape into patties.
• Grill, covered, over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°. Serve on buns with toppings.

Servings: 4 servings, 4 oz each.
Calories: About 300, without bun.

Mustard Pork Loin Chops with Caramelized Red Onions

I am so fascinated with fresh herbs, so when I came across this recipe for mustard pork with fresh thyme, I had to try it. I used coarse-grained mustard which was perfect, so do not substitute with smooth mustard. After marinating the pork loin chops, the preparation was easy.  If you do not like onions, skip this recipe because the flavor of caramelized red onions is a must and like gold when paired with the chops.  Absolutely delicious! I served my chops with red onions drizzled on top, which looked like an image out of a gourmet magazine. The red color of the onions just made the meal so pretty I almost could not eat it. But, of course I did and enjoyed every minute. Super yummy!! What I love about onions is when you caramelize them, they become really sweet, which made this meal just right. Note: For a light pork chop, be sure to purchase pork loin with the bone in it (for flavor) and trim as much fat off as you can before marinating and cooking.

Ingredients

4 (6 to 8 ounce) bone-in pork chops, cut 1-inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons coarse-grained mustard
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Leaves from a few sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sea Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

• In a shallow dish, mix together olive oil, mustard, salt, and pepper. Toss the chops with remaining ingredients and let marinate 1 hour or up to overnight covered in the refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
• Heat broiler or grill. Cook pork until nicely browned on both sides, about 6 minutes on each side.
• While the chops are finishing, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large, skillet. Add onions and cook for 4 minutes. Drizzle onions with honey and vinegar. Cook until softened and lightly caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve chops with little heap of onions.

Servings: 4 servings.
Calories: About 600*

*The calories seem high but the onions are the side dish, so do not serve with anything else and it will be a light meal.

Original recipe cited from Foodnetwork.com, Dave Lieberman.