Egg, Broccoli, and Ham Ring - 9 points

This lovely little ring was my offering for Easter dinner. I first started seeing these a few years ago at  Pampered Chef parties. They are fabulous dishes for showing off the wonders of stonewear. I first tried this particular recipe for Simon's baptism a couple of years ago; it was a big hit at the brunch following the service. The filling is reminiscent of a classic ham quiche, with those salty ham, cheese, and egg flavors that I associate with a good breakfast casserole. The crescent wrap adds a buttery lightness to the dish that makes it easy to justify a second piece. 

Egg, Broccoli, and Ham Ring - From Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2008

1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 oz Neufchatel cheese

3 eggs

6 egg whites

1/4 cup fat free milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

3/4 cup cubed ham

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 cans reduced fat, refridgerated crescent rolls
1/8 cup fat free cheddar, shredded

1. Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Cook broccoli and onion 2-3 minutes, until tender.

2. In a medium bowl, beat Neufchatel cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs, egg whites, milk, salt, and pepper until well combined. Add egg mixture to vegetables in skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally from outside edge to center until eggs are set but still moist. Stir in ham and cheese.

3. Unroll both cans of dough; separate into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles on a baking stone with short sides of triangles toward the center, overlapping wreath shape. Lightly press short sides to flatten dough.

4. Spoon egg mixture onto widest part of dough. Pull end points of triangle over filling, pressing tips together in the center to hold the shape.

5. Bake 25-30 minutes at 375F or until deep, golden brown. (Sprinkle with 1/8 cup fat free cheddar when five minutes remain).

6. Yields 8, 9 point servings

I realize this would have photographed better on a pretty serving plate. Forgive me for wanting to show off my baking stone. As you know, I am seeking treatment for my mild stonewear obsession;)

Twice Cooked Pork - 5 points

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments on yesterday's post. I was really humbled and overwhelmed by your support and am grateful to be part of this lovely, affirming blogging community. It was not easy for me to post something so emotional, which is part of why it took me so far into the month to participate in the challenge. You made me feel very comfortable sharing my feelings.  Much love to you all. 

Here is a fantastic pork recipe that I hope you will love. It takes planning, time, and a bit of work but it is worth it. The combination of boiling and stir frying yields moist, tender pork that soaks up the sweet and spice of the sauce.

This recipe is adapted from the fabulous book Yan-Kit's Classic Chinese Cook Book.

Twice Cooked Pork

32 oz lean pork loin

2 medium onions, cut in strips

3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1 tsp chili oil

2 tsp hot sauce

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp honey

2 tbsp white wine

1 cube chicken bouillon

1. Place the pork on a large saucepan; add boiling water to cover. Simmer over medium heat for 20-25 minutes.

2. Place pork on the fridge for at least 2 hours to firm (can be left overnight, covered).  Slice into 1/2" strips.

3. In a small bowl, mix together hot sauce, salt, honey, wine, and chicken bouillon.

4. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add chili oil and spread to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onions; stir fry until translucent. Remove the onions from the pan and set them aside.

5. Add garlic to skillet and stir fry for 1 minute. Add pork; stir fry until any fat on the pork is translucent and pork ins lightly browned.

6. Return onions to the skillet along with sauce. Stir until the onions and sauce have heated.

7. Yields 8, 5 point servings

Linking to Hearth and Soul Hop 
What's on the Menu Wednesday
Welcome Wednesdays 

Cypriot Pork in Tomato Sauce - 4 points

This recipe is adapted from the book Cyprian Cooking by Despina Tskiri which a friend purchased for me while she was living on the island. I have had great success with this book, especially with this recipe. The pork is succulent and rich


Cypriot Pork in Tomato Sauce

3 lean pork chops, sliced into 1/2" strips

2 tsp olive oil

2 cups diced tomatoes

1 cup white wine

1 tbsp lemon pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add pork; fry until brown.

2. Pour tomatoes, wine, and lemon pepper over pork. Simmer until the wine is almost completely evaporated.

3. Yields 3, 4 point servings

I recently finished a book which I would recommend to anyone with a child in his/her life: Reading Magic, by Mem Fox. It is an excellent little volume extolling the virtues of reading aloud.

Pork Meatballs - 1 Point Each

Time for the final piece of Valentine's Day dinner - the meatballs. I love to make huge batches of homemade meatballs and keep a bag in the freezer. I can pull out a few at a time for sandwiches, sweet and sour, Swedish, Italian - whatever my heart desires. This is my go-to meatball recipe. I don't always use pork, but ground pork was the cheapest meat for sale in the grocery store this past week.

Pork Meatballs
2 lb ground pork
1 cup steel cut oats
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 egg whites
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp pepper

1. In a large bowl, mixed all ingredients until well combined (I use my hands). Shape mixture into 50 meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches each).
2. Place meatballs on in an ungreased cast iron skillet or baking dish.
3. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes
4. Yields 50, 1 point meatballs

Second on my list tonight, I wish you a very happy Pink Saturday. Here is my pink pictures for the week; embroidery detail from a quilt my grandmother made many moons before I was born. Because the quilt includes several pieces of fabric taken from dresses my mother wore in high school, my grandmother gave the quilt to me a few years ago. I cherish it. (For good measure I decided to show you another piece of the quilt - a sunbonnet girl made from some of my mother's high school clothes.)

For the Pink Saturday challenge, I have chosen one of my favorite posts from last week. Check out this decadent recipe for pumpkin soup!

Finally, I always leave you with a Friday Song, randomly selected by the DJ on my Zen. I do have very eclectic tastes so we are going from British folk alternative to Christian hip hop to this week's offering - country. Raul Malo, lead singer of The Mavericks and talented solo artist, has one of the sexiest voices in the world. Here is "I Should Know" by The Mavericks.

Fini Dini Pork - 3 points

I had a friend, in college, who spent a summer in Guam doing mission work. When she came back, she had this recipe she called fini dini sauce. She made fini dini everything. Fini dini chicken, fini dini shrimp, fini dini pork - you get the idea. No one complained about her obsession because whatever she decided to place in the fini dini sauce was delicious! I finally asked her how she made it and was pleased to find out that it is super easy!

You can use the sauce as a marinade for just about any meat, but pork chops were on sale, so that was the protein du jour. It was incredibly tender (thanks to the vinegar) and tasted deliciously savory. I made basmati rice to accompany it because that is my carb of choice when I have points left.

Fini Dini Pork
18 oz pork chops
For sauce:
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 onion, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced (I used three, because I really like garlic)

1. Place all ingredients into a large Ziploc bag or sealable container. Place in the fridge at least overnight, up to 24 hours.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pork with sauce. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until pork is cooked through.
3. Yields 6, 3 point servings

Yum! I wish I had some leftovers to nosh on.

Ann at Apples and Twinkies (a fabulous blog full of oh-so-yummy recipes) was generous enough to pass on a Stylish blogger award to me. She is so kind! I love being thought of as stylish and was tickled pink that Ann thought of my blog for this award! Here it is:

Now, the first requirement for accepting this award is that I am supposed to tell you 7 things about myself. This part intimidates me because I want to have fabulously interesting things to tell you and feel that I am rather unglamorous. I shall do my best.

1. One of my favorite flowers is the Tennessee State Flower, the bearded iris. Here are some that I planted in my front yard.

2. I love museums. I could spend the rest of my life going between the British Museum and the Smithsonian. I am a big dork, but it's okay. I have embraced it. Here is a pic from a trip to the Smithsonian.

3. I have an adorable nephew, Simon, with whom I love to spend time.

4. One of my favorite treats is an apple dipped in caramel, chocolate, nuts, and whatever else Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory can come up with.

5. Every Christmas, I make egg's Benedict.

6. I love really cool bathrooms in restaurants and businesses. I will wait until I am alone, and then take pictures.

7. I have always been interested in architecture. This past year, I stopped by this interesting house in Kentucky - one of the few brick, octagonal houses in the United States.

The second requirement is that I am to give you a list of 15 blogs which I enjoy. Here they are! All were chosen for one or more of the following reasons: 1)fabulous food, 2)great writing, and 3) being inspirational.

http://chubzilla.blogspot.com/

http://sizingdowndiva.com/

http://www.chowandchatter.com/

http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/ 

http://weightingfor50.wordpress.com/

http://food-hound.blogspot.com/

http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/

http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/

http://brownievillegirl.blogspot.com/

http://takinglessspace.blogspot.com/

http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/

http://indulginglife.blogspot.com/

http://kitchenswathi.blogspot.com/

http://alison-trials.blogspot.com/  

http://www.mykindofcooking.com/

Whew... I am ready for bed now! Ya'll have a great night:)

Sour Cream Pork Chops - 7 points, "Rotisserie" Chicken #2 - 3 + points

For dinner, I decided to try pork in a sour cream sauce. Now, this is a recipe I had to majorly overhaul to fit with my new Weight Watcher's lifestyle. I was not expecting great things. I was not even expecting good things. Imagine my surprise when this turned out to be better than the high fat version I was craving! Leaving out the breading and the butter seemed to allow the flavors of the pork and the paprika to come out even more beautifully.

Sour Cream Pork Chops
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2, 4 ounce pork chops
1 cube chicken bouillon
8 oz canned, sliced mushrooms, drained
1 tsp djon mustard
2 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp paprika
1 small onion, sliced into rings
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 cup water

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, cooking just to brown on both sides.
2. Mix remaining ingredients, save sour cream and onions, in a small bowl.
3. Layer onion rings over pork; place remaining onions directly on the skillet. Pour the sauce over the chops.
4. Simmer for 1 hour, or until pork is very tender.
5. Add sour cream; reheat.
6. Yields 2, 7 point servings

I also made a "Rotisserie" chicken tonight. I will use the meat this week, and it is much easier to roast a chicken on a Sunday afternoon than to try and fix one after work. Instead of my usual seasonings, I used an incredible rub from A Year of Slow Cooking. I didn't skin my chicken. I rubbed the spices both under and over the skin as well as placing some on the cavity. I highly recommend it; it does taste just like the rotisserie chicken that I love from Sam's Club. Stone - former best friend and new boyfriend -  obviously approves as well, since I just caught him leaning over the stone with an empty fork and a full mouth.

Pork Chop Dinner - 7 points

Today started out with a 4 point omelet - 3 egg whites, 1 slice of low fat ham, 1 slice of mozzarella cheese, topped with fat free salsa. Yum.  Since I am still battling my cold, it was crock pot dinner again tonight. I haven't been to the store in a long time and didn't want to get out today (another snow day), so I looked around for something to throw in the crock pot and hoped for the best. It was fantastic - the veggies reminded me of Southern style squash casserole but without the butter and sugar that usually add hefty calories to that dish.

Pork Chop Dinner
4, 6 oz pork chops
1 can Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Celery soup
1 apple, diced
3 large zucchini, chopped
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp peppercorns
1 cube chicken bouillon

1. Mix soup with honey, mustard, peppercorns, and bouillon in a small bowl.
2. Place pork chops in the bottom of a slow cooker. Top with soup mixture, followed by apple and zucchini.
3. Cook on high for 5-7 hours, or until pork is very tender.
4. Yields 4, 7 point servings

I was too hungry to get a picture that would really do this justice, so this will have to do.

It is back to work tomorrow, so I have put some rice pudding (low fat style) in the crock pot for a motivational breakfast. Here's hoping it turns out to be delicious!

Boston Butt Roast Stew - 6 points

Sick again today - yuck! Lucky for me, Stone came over to make biscuits for breakfast. I can't get him to give up his recipe (Southerners are protective of their biscuit recipes) but I will keep working on him. We stuffed them with All Fruit Apricot Spread with Fiber and topped them with Fat Free Cool Whip. 5 points for 2. Yum!

He helped me put dinner in the crock pot before he left.

Boston Butt Roast Stew
3 lb Boston butt roast (pork shoulder)
2 onions, sliced
10 Roma tomatoes, grated (I used a food processor attachment)
1 1/2 glasses red wine
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place all ingredients in crock pot. Cook over high heat for 8 -10 hours. Before serving, use a fork to break apart the meat - it should fall of the bone into stew sized pieces.
2. Makes 12, 6 point servings

Rice is one of my comfort foods, so I had my 1/3 serving over a cup of basmati rice (which I cooked in my Pampered Chef microwave rice cooker).

Now I am off to drink my 4th cup of Breathe Easy tea with honey and then to get a good night's sleep.

Sausage and Potato Casserole - 9 points

See the chicken with roasted potatoes? Well, it left me with a problem. Reheated roasted potatoes do not taste particularly good, and I had a lot of leftover roasted potatoes. I couldn't think of a thing to do with them that was not going to cost me a whole bunch of  Weight Watchers points. Lucky for me, I have a Sunday school class made up of people who - for the most part - are not counting points. Since I still had a few holiday ingredients that needed to get out of my fridge before temptation overtook me, I threw them in there too. I had one tiny bite when the casserole was done and it was awfully good. If you have the points, go for it!

Sausage and Potato Casserole
1 lb roasted potatoes, cubed
1 lb sage sausage
1 onion, chopped
10.5 oz goat cheese
6 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet, cook sausage and onion over low heat until sausage is cooked through. Stir frequently to keep sausage from clumping.
2. Add potatoes to the skillet, just to mix. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into a baking pan or stone.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs yolks and whites are blended. Pour eggs over potato mixture. Top the casserole with crumbled goat cheese.
4. Bake, covered, in a 350F oven for 30 minutes. Remove cover and broil for an additional 3 minutes to brown cheese.
5. Yields 10, 9 point servings

Deviled Pork Loin - 3 points

I was a little bit nervous about cooking with this cut of meat because I wasn't sure I could get something delicious out of it without blowing all of my points. I was so happy to see that a recipe I have been using for years was easily adaptable to the Weight Watchers system! Yum!

Deviled Pork Loin
6, 3oz slices of pork loin
1 tbsp beer mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Mix mustard, sauce, and garlic in a small bowl.
2. Place pork chops in a broiling pan or baking stone. Brush with mustard mixture.
3. Place pan under broiler for 3 minutes, or until pork is browned.
4. Turn pork, brush with remaining sauce. Broil for 3 minutes more or until cooked through.
5. Yields 6, 3 point servings.

This is a great meal for leftovers. The loin slices turn are a  fantastic sandwich meat when cold.