Souvlaki Style Pork with Vegetables and Sauce

This dish was inspired by something I found in a magazine a few weeks ago.  It is kind of an easy version of one of my favorite Greek dishes, Pork Souvlaki.  But here there is no messing with the barbecue or kebabs… it’s just a lean pork loin roast (or a tenderloin if you prefer) and some veggies.

It is a simple matter of browning the pork roast in a pan with some olive oil, and then baking it in the oven while the veggies are cooking in the same pan you used to brown the roast.  It all comes together pretty quickly and it is quite delectable.

I used a mixture of white and sweet potatoes. I would have used all sweet for me, but The Captain prefers white.  And the sauce is very garlicky… just the way we both like it!

This meal fed the 2 of us on three different occasions so I only made up two servings of the sauce each time... one for each of us.  I prepared it first and let the garlic work its magic in the yogurt while I prepared the main dish. Of course you will omit the sauce if you follow a Paleo diet.

Souvlaki Style Pork with Vegetables
Makes 6 servings

• 1-1/2 lb lean pork loin or tenderloin
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced vertically (about 3/4 cup)
• 8 ounces sweet potato, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 8 ounces white or yellow potato, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 dried oregano

1. Trim any fat from the pork roast and then rub about 1 tsp of dried oregano all over the surface.
2. Place 1 tsp of olive oil into a large non-stick pan set it over MEDIUM heat. 
3. Set your oven to 425°F to preheat.
4. Put the roast in the warm pan and cook it a couple of minutes on each side until browned.
5. Place the roast on a baking sheet and bake in hot oven about 20 to 25 minutes.
6. When the roast is cooked through, remove to cutting board and allow to rest for a few minutes until slicing into 18 slices.
7. Meanwhile, add the other 1 tsp of olive oil to the same non-stick pan and add the potatoes, onion, and garlic, and cook about 6 minutes till the potatoes begin to soften and the onions are lightly browned.
8. Add the chicken broth and water, and bring to a boil.
9. Reduce the heat and simmer till the potatoes are almost cooked through. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
10. Add the remaining vegetables and 1 tsp of oregano.  Cook about 5 minutes until the zucchini and the pepper are tender.
11. Remove from heat and serve with Souvlaki Sauce on the top. Garnish with more oregano if desired.

Souvlaki Sauce
For each serving

• 2 Tbs fat free plain Greek yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, peeled, smashed, and minced

1. Mix together and refrigerate while preparing the roast and vegetables.

If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers new Simple Start program, or the Simply Filling Technique, there is no counting to be done here… these are all Power Foods. But I did calculate the N.I. for those of you who count Points Plus Values.

Per serving, without Souvlaki Sauce
Weight Watchers P+ = 7.
Calories 266; Protein 27g; Carbohydrate 21g; Fat 8g; Fibre 3g.

Per serving, with Souvlaki Sauce
Weight Watchers P+ = 7.
Calories 287; Protein 30g; Carbohydrate 23g; Fat 8g; Fibre 3g.

Printable Recipe

Are you a Greek food fan?  What is your favorite dish?

Green Pepper Boats with Egg and Avocado

I have come to really enjoy a few slices of perfectly ripe avocado along with my morning eggs...  ever since I first made these Avocado and Egg Boats.

I was having a hankering for them again when came across a green pepper in the crisper that was looking a little neglected.  So, I decided to use that too and ended up with Green Pepper and Egg Boats with Avocado.

If you are a vegetarian, just leave the bacon out.  But it does add a distinct flavor burst to the whole meal.

This is a big breakfast that will easily keep you going till noon... or it could certainly pass for lunch or even dinner, too.

Green Pepper Boats with Egg and Avocado
Makes 2 servings

• 1 large green pepper, cut in half vertically and cleaned
• 2 eggs
• 3 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut in slices (about 4 oz net)
• crumbled bacon
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Place the green pepper halves on a baking sheet, cut side up.
3. Crack an egg into each ‘boat’.
4. Bake for 15  minutes.
5. Place 3 pieces of cherry tomato in each boat and return them to the oven. Bake for another 5 minutes.
6. Remove to serving plates.
7. Spread the avocado slices onto each boat, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon, salt and pepper before serving.

Per boat, with 1 tsp bacon.
Weight Watchers P+ = 5.
Calories 203; Protein 9g; Carbohydrate 11g; Fat 15g; Fibre 5g.

You could easily cook 2 eggs in each if the pepper halves are large enough.

After 15 minutes the eggs will still be slightly runny.

Mmmmmm… This is just so good.  Lots of my favorite flavors, all mixed together.

Printable Recipe

Are you a runny egg fan?  

What about avocados.... love 'em or leave 'em?

White Bean and Kale Veggie Sauce

My simple pasta sauce, which is really more of a stew, took on a life of its own!

I started out wanting just to chop some veggies and then stir in some canned tomatoes, to make a quick and simple pasta sauce for our dinner.  It turned out to be so much more and so much better!

When I got out my large skillet and began cleaning and chopping vegetables, I decided to make enough sauce to have a few portions to freeze for future meals. It's always good to have something on hand to thaw for quick dinners or lunches, don't you think?

Then, when I decided to add some torn pieces of kale to the mix, I recalled a really nice kale and white bean soup that one of my Weight Watchers buddies told me about a few months back.  So I got out a can of white kidney beans, rinsed them,  and added them to my sauce pot.  By the time it was all cooked and ready to eat, I realized it was as thick as a stew.... and it was delicious.

I served it over pasta for The Captain, and cooked spaghetti squash for me, but I can easily envision it over cooked quinoa, or rice or even by itself with some cooked chicken or beef strips added to i,or on top of scrambled eggs or omelets.  It would probably even be good cold with cooked and cooled quinoa.

 



Kale and White Bean Veggie Sauce
Makes 13 half-cup servings

• 5 cloves garlic, peedled, smashed and minced
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion
• 1 medium green pepper, cut into small pieces
• 1 medium red pepper, cut into small pieces
• 2 mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup diced zucchini
• 3/4 cup torn kale leaves
• 1 - 15 oz. can of white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 - 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1-1/2 Tbs Italian herbs
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Coat a large skillet with non-stick spray and place over MEDIUM-HIGH heat.
2. Add garlic, onions, peppers and cook still translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms, zucchini and cook another 8 or 10 minutes till all veggies are cooked through.  You may need to turn heat to MEDIUM during this time so veggies do not burn. Add a bit of water to pan if things are sticking.
4. Add the kale leaves and beans, and cook a few minutes more till the kale leaves are limp.
5. Stir in the tomatoes and the Italian herbs,  Bring to a light boil then turn down to simmer and cover.  Meanwhile cook the pasta and the spaghetti squash - this will take about 10 minutes.
6. Plate the pasta and the spaghetti squash and then top with 2 or 3 ladles of the sauce.  If you like, garnish with a tablespoon of shredded parmesan cheese.

Per 1 cup serving, sauce only.
Weight Watchers P+ - 3.  *
Calories 122;  Protein 7g;  Carbohydrate 23g;  Fat 0g; Fibre 6g.

*The amount of beans in a 1 cup serving of this sauce works out to Calories 68, Protein 5g; Carbohydrate 11g; Fat 0g; Fibre 3g and is equal to only 1 P+ value in the N,.I. calculation.  It is up to you as to how you want to count this in your program.

This is such a filling and delicious sauce! 

Cooking the vegetables.

 

 

Adding the beans and tomatoes.

 

Served over spaghettini and topped with freshly grated parmesan.

 

And over spaghettti squash.  Enjoy!

 

 

Printable Recipe

Quinoa and Bean Salad... Easily Portable and Gluten-Free

When were were living on the sailboat, all of our dishes were made of white melamine.  They were very practical and serviceable and I brightened our salon table with a variety of colorful linens.  Now that we are land-based, it has been fun for me to collect a few brightly colored dishes.  I was really pleased when The Captain spotted some cute,  shallow ceramic bowls in an antique store window while we were out for a walk last week, and insisted that we bring them home.

I have been thinking about coming up with something new to serve in them and decided to kill 2 birds with one stone... so to speak!

Things have finally started to feel somewhat normal to me now that we have mostly finished furnishing and  decorating our new apartment.  It seems that we have a couple of days coming up with no planned commitments and so finally have a chance to get out and do some golfing... good thing the hot Summery days are due to last for a few more weeks!

We always take a cooler with lunch and snacks along with us when we head off in the car for the day.  I prefer to know what we are going to eat, rather than be at the mercy of a fast food vendor or a convenience store, or even worse yet... go hungry!

When we were travelling around the Maritimes a few years ago, I got into the habit of making up lunch boxes for us each day... I like to call them bento boxes.    They usually consisted of some grain-based salad mixture, a hard-boiled egg, and some veggie sticks.

So, I decided to make a salad that would look good in my new colorful bowls, and also keep well in the fridge overnight to put in the next day's bento boxes.  Here is what I came up with... a salad that is very easy to throw together, and you likely have the ingredients already on hand.   Use any kind of beans you like.  It is gluten-free, too, which is a nice bonus.

The dressing is a bit different... I mixed ingredients together till I liked the taste!  If you have dijon mustard, use it certainly.

I used chunks of ripe yellow tomatoes, freshly picked from our balcony container garden for garnish, and I toasted and buttered a couple of small slices of dark rye bread for The Captain.

 



Quinoa and Bean Salad
Makes 6 cups (4 servings of 1-1/2 cups each)

• 1/2 cup dry quinoa
• 1 medium bell pepper,  your choice of color, diced
• 2 green onions, sliced thin
• 1 can dry red kidney beans, rinsed and drained - approx 2 cups
• 2 mini cucumbers, halved lengthwise and then sliced
• 2 Tbs cilantro chopped coarsely
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs white vinegar
• 1 Tbs dark balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp mustard
• Dash of  Splenda or sugar or honey

1. Cook the quinoa in a small covered saucepan in 1 cup boiling water for 15 minutes and then turn off heat.  Leave for 5 minutes, then remove lid and fluff with a fork.  Allow to cool to room temperature before using.
2. Meanwhile mix the diced bell pepper, sliced green onions, rinsed kidney beans and chopped cilantro in a medium to large bowl.
3. Add the cooked quinoa and stir to combine.
4. In a small bowl, mix the oil, vinegars, mustard and sweetener of your choice.  Pour over the salad and chill for at least an hour before serving.

Per serving of 1-1/2 cups.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 239; Protein 11g; Carbhohydrate 38g; Fat 6g; Fibre 9g.

Mix the vegetables together...

 

and stir in the cooked and cooled quinoa.

 

The Captain's plate.

 

Lunch is served on the balcony.

 

 

Bon apetit!

 

With an egg and some veggies for a take-along cooler lunch... don't forget the forks!

 

Lunch before heading out to play golf.

 

 



Printable Recipe

Enjoying Summer's Bounty

It has been such glorious weather these past few weeks so we have been enjoying lunch on our balcony as often as we can.  It is nice to be able to sit out and enjoy the bustle of the city passing us by and watch the herons, turtles and other waterfowl in the park across the street.

We walked to a different neighborhood market on Saturday morning, and, inspired by all the lovely fresh local produce, I came home and made us a cold gazpacho for lunch... and decided to dress up our balcony surroundings a bit, by turning it into an Italian Trattoria!

I used our red checked linens on the table, and The Captain poured us each a cold glass of Pino Grigio to go with the soup that I whipped up in few short minutes, with the food processor.  It was really nice to sit out and watch the turtles come and go from a log in the lake at the park across the street and while away some time....

The soup is just a bunch of ingredients that you already likely have on hand... and it has very few calories, lots of vitamins and antioxidants.!  You can certainly improvise and add what you like for seasonings.  If you have more time than I did, you may want to leave it chill in the fridge for an hour or more before you eat it. And, if you like you can add a bit of olive oil to it if you haven't had your healthy oil servings for the day.

I would suggest this easily makes an appetizer course for 4 people or a lunch for 2.



My Summery Gazpacho
Makes about 4 cups

• 2 cups canned diced tomatoes, including some juice
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1/2 medium green pepper
• 6 inch piece of long English cucumber
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• Fresh basil, 4 or 5 large leaves, or 1 Tbs dried basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place all of the vegetables inthe bowl of a food processor.  Add 3 basil leaves and a few dashes of salt and pepper.
2. Puree about 30 seconds.
3. Remove to fridge and chill thoroughly.
4. Divide into bowls and garnish with the other basil leaves and a bit of parmesan cheese and tomato pieces.
5. Serve chilled.

The whole batch only has 145 calories and is made up of vegetables so I didn't bother to break down the nutritional information for this recipe.

Simply puree everything in the food processor.

 

The table, set and waiting for us!

Buon Appetito!



 

Printable Recipe

Sizzling Turkey Chili Con Carne

Is the weather too hot for chili?

No matter!  I wanted to make some anyway. I like to have a few meals in the freezer so I can come home and put together something quickly after a day on the boat, or running errands.  And chili can be used in so many different ways.

I made this batch with a lovely extra lean ground turkey and it turned out really nicely.  We had some for dinner tonight on top of a mound of brown rice, and some steamed green beans.  Sometimes we like it as a topping on a baked potato.  Of course it is great on its own too, or on pasta, or even with quinoa.  It is a very thick chili, which is the way we like it.

I think chili tastes better after leaving the flavors to meld for at least a day... and because The Captain doesn't like it too spicy hot, I only added 1 Tbs of chili powder to the mixture.  When we eat it, I add a bit of hot sauce to my own serving.



Turkey Chili Con Carne
Makes 15 cups

• 1 tsp canola-olive oil blend
• 1 lb. extra lean ground turkey
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1/2 medium white onion, thinly sliced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 1 medium green pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 can mushrooms, drained
• 2 15-oz. cans (540 ml each) dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 28-oz. can (796 ml) diced tomatoes
• 1 28-oz. can (796 ml) crushed tomatoes
• dash of red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 - 2 Tbs chili powder, to taste

1. Place oil in a large saucepan over MEDIUM heat.
2. Add the turkey and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.
3. Add the garlic, onion and carrots and cook about 10 minutes till soft.
4. Add the mushrooms, beans, canned tomatoes and seasonings and stir well.
5. Turn up heat till mixture comes to a soft boil and then lower heat and allow to simmer for about an hour and a half.
6. Cool and then refrigerate/freeze in batches.

Per serving of 1 cup.
Weight Watchers P+ = 3.
Calories 140; Protein 12g; Carbohydrate 17g; Fat 3g; Fibre 5g.



Printable Recipe

Are you a chili fan?

What is your favorite way to eat chili?

Eggplant? Here is a Great Idea For a Pasta Topping

Have you ever picked up a piece of fruit or a vegetable in your local market and brought it home and then wondered what you are going to do with it?

That happened to me this past week... my favorite little produce market had eggplants on sale for 99 cents each so I chose one without really thinking.  When I arrived home, I set it in a bowl on the table along with some tomatoes and an avocado... and sorta forgot about it.

Then on Saturday, I decided I wanted to have pasta for dinner and thought I should use that eggplant in my sauce.  I remembered that the Weight Watchers web site has a RECIPE FINDER feature in the e-tools section so I had a look.  I don't often think to use it but we had just been discussing it at a meeting during the week so I thought I would give it a try.

You can enter up to 3 items that you would like your dish to contain so I typed  eggplant, tomatoes, and then pasta in the 3 search fields... and the first recipe returned looked so good to me that I didn't pay any attention to any others.

I didn't follow the recipe as it was written so I will share what I did actually make.  It was wonderful!  And The Captain specifically requested we have it again so that is win for sure.

I find it easier, when preparing a recipe that has a few steps, to make sure all my ingredients are ready to use so I begin by slicing, chopping, measuring.... before I start cooking...  particularly now when we are eating 2 different kinds of pasta.  For this dish I cooked linguini for The Captain and gluten-free brown rice rotini for me.

Of course, if you ARE a Weight Watcher, you can change up the amount of cheese if you want to alter the number of P+ involved.  The Laughing Cow wedges I use are 1 P+ each.

And one more thing... I think this would freeze very nicely.  So make extra to have on hand for a quick meal.  It's that good!



Eggplant and Tomatoes For Pasta
Makes 2 servings

• 1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/3 to 1/2 inch-thick rounds
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 8 strips
• 1 spritz olive oil  
• 1/2 tsp table salt, divided
• 1 clove garlic peeled, smashed and minced
• 2 medium fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes
• dash black pepper
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• 4 Laughing Cow cheese wedges, each cut into 5 or 6 pieces
• 2 Tbs freshly shredded parmesan cheese
• 4 ounces dry pasta of your choice (or measure the amount that you would like to have - we normally eat 2 ounces each)

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
2. Place the eggplant slices and yellow pepper strips on a baking sheet that has been coated with a non-stick spray.  Spritz them very lightly with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt. 
3. Roast the veggies for 20 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the veggies cool to room temperature.
4. Cook the pasta to al dente while you are making the vegetable sauce.
5. Lightly coat a medium-large skillet with non-stick spray and set over MEDIUM heat.
6. Saute the minced garlic for about 2 minutes.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till soft, about 5 minutes.
8. While the tomatoes are cooking, cut the roasted eggplant and peppers into bite-size pieces.  Add them to the skillet when tomatoes are cooked.
9. Add the red pepper flakes, dash of black pepper, chopped basil and chopped chives, and stir well.
10. Allow to cook till all veggies are heated through.
11. Drain and plate the pasta, then top each plate with half of the veggie mixture.
12. Dot the pieces of Laughing Cow cheese over the vegetables and then sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.
13. Serve while hot.

Per serving, without the pasta.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 210; Protein 10g; Carbohydrate 29g; Fat 9g; Fibre 9g.

The pasta we use is 4P+ for 2 ounces dry, but yours might be different so I haven't included that in the N.I. here.. of course you will add that number to this sauce to get the total for the meal. 

And I do understand that there is always a bit of controversy about including the zero point vegetables in the overall P+ count.  The only things that really count here are the spritz of olive oil and the cheeses.  Those items add up to 3 P+ in each serving.  Use your own discretion.

Roast the eggplant and pepper in the oven for 20 minutes.

I just happen to have chives and basil growing on my balcony.

Let the roasted eggplant and pepper cool while you start the pasta and sauce.

Roughly chopped tomatoes.

Cut the eggplant and pepper into bite-size chunks.

Add them to the skillet with the seasonings and herbs.

Drain and plate the pasta.

Put the veggie mixture and cheeses on top to serve while still hot.

Allow each diner to mix in the cheeses to at the table... they will melt and get gooey in the hot pasta and veggies... Mmmm!



Printable Recipe

  

Beautiful Bok Choy Stir Fry

I put this bok choy stir fry together for dinner recently when I needed something quick! We have been having incredibly busy days lately... still furnishing and decorating our new apartment, and organizing, and also spending time at the marina getting the Spring cleaning done on the sloop.  We are driving back and forth and all over the city and meal prep is taking a back seat.

Luckily, I had a pork loin cooked and chilling in the refrigerator and The Captain sliced it up for me while I cut some bok choy from our container garden, and got some other ingredients ready.

This Asian-flavored dish turned out really well... I love sesame oil and the smokiness it brings to any stir fry dish or salad dressing.  I don't cook with it, but add it at the end just to heat it up.

Of course you could lighten it up by using fewer cashews or even less oil, but don't forget that we need healthy oils along with our veggies to help absorb the antioxidants they provide.

I hope this will inspire you to ty some bok choy in your own kitchen soon.  It is so nutritious!

Beautiful Bok  Choy Stir Fry

Makes 2 servings

• 6 ounces pork loin, cooked, chilled and cut into narrow slivers
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 3 bunches bok choy, washed and separated
• 1/4 cup onions, sliced
• 3 medium mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, slivered
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, and minced
• 2 Tbs reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Few red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 ounce salted cashews

1. Prepare bok choy by cutting the white stems into 1/2 to 3/4 inch lengths, and the leaves in half.
2. Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and ginger together in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Heat 2 tsp vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok on MEDIUM.
4. Add sliced onion and cook till tender, about 3 or 4 minutes.
5. Add the chunks of white bok choy stems, the mushroom and pepper slices, and the minced garlic.
6. Cook, stirring frequently till tender, about 3 or 4 minutes.
7. Add the bok choy leaves  and cook another minute till leaves have wilted.
8. Add pork slivers and stir so they warm through.
9. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir well.
10. Remove from heat and divide between 2 plates.
11. Top each plate with 1/2 ounce of cashews.
12. Serve while hot.

Per serving.

Weight Watchers P+ = 10.

Calories 363; Protein 31g; Carbohydrate 18g; Fat 20g; Fibre 4g.

Add bok choy leaves after the other veggies are cooked...

and stir to combine.

Stir in pork and sauce and heat through.  Beautiful!



Printable Recipe

B is For Bell Peppers

A few weeks ago I purchased a popular cookbook at my Weight Watchers meeting called Fruits & Vegetables A-Z. 

I have really been enjoying the simple and delicious recipes in it.

I love sweet bell peppers of all colors. I am always on the lookout for them and stock up whenever they are a good price.  Peppers can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week, or diced and seeded and stored frozen for up to 3 months.

They can be eaten raw, or roasted, or grilled, or even stir-fried.  Peppers become sweeter tasting with roasting.

This simple soup is one of the recipes that Weight Watchers offers in the book and we tried it for lunch recently.  It was wonderful!  The original recipe in the book is for a single serving, which would easily become 2 if used as an appetizer course.

I doubled the recipe for our lunch, and used a dash of dried basil as I had no fresh on hand.  Without giving all of the details away....

Red Pepper Soup

Makes 1 serving

Weight Watchers P+ = 3

Chop the small red bell peppers and saute in  olive oil in a small nonstick saucepan until tender.  Add  low-sodium fat-free chicken broth and some canned diced tomatoes. 

Puree in food processor.  Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil.

For 2 servings, I used 2 large red peppers.

You can cut them into fairly large chunks.

Saute in olive oil until soft, about 15 miniutes.

I like to serve veggie soups with a bit of sour cream or yogurt on top.

This soup makes up very quickly and is quite lovely... not quite as much flavor as a roasted red pepper soup, but a good substitute when you are pressed for time. 

I used my immersion blender in the saucepan, setting it in the sink in case I made a mess!  But it turned out all right... only a few small splatters to clean up.  Well worth it.

A few other great recipes that I have posted using bell peppers...

Fresh Homemade Salsa

Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

Roasted Red Peppers.... and a Soup Recipe

What is your favorite way to eat and enjoy bell peppers... would love to hear from you.