Sweet Potato and Pork Chili

Found this chili recipe from Fitness Magazine. Why This Recipe Works for Weight Loss: A diet that includes plenty of lean protein has been linked in studies to successful long-term weight loss. Foods high in water volume, such as chili and soup, have fewer calories but still satisfy and fill you up. Beans are loaded with fiber, which helps to keep you feeling full longer.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
1 medium carrot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
3/4 pound boneless center-cut pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon unsweetened dark-chocolate powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 15 ounce can navy beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and sweet potato; cook 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Season the pork with the salt and black pepper; add the meat to pot and cook until browned, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix in the chili powder, cumin, dark-chocolate powder, oregano and cinnamon; cook 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce; stir, then bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork is tender, about 1 hour. Stir in the navy beans and cilantro; cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Slow-Cooked Carnitas Tacos

This is my all time favorite taco recipe. It's super simple and tasty.

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs or pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1/2 large onion, cut into 4 pieces
1 avocado, halved, pitted, sliced
Fresh cilantro springs
Corn tortillas

Directions:
1. Toss pork in bowl of slow cooker with salt, black pepper, and dried oregano to coat. Place onion pieces atop pork. Cover slow cooker and cook pork on low setting until meat is very tender and falling apart, about 6 hours.
2. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to cutting board. Discard onion pieces. Using fingers, shred pork; transfer carnitas to platter. Place avocado slices, cilantro sprigs, and sliced red bell peppers, if desired, alongside.
3. Wrap corn tortillas in damp kitchen towel; microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Serve carnitas with warm tortillas and tomatillo salsa.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro Stir-fried Spicy Eggplant

I found all the P.F. Chang's recipes online!

Ingredients:
1 lb eggplant, peeled, cut into 1" dice
1 lb ground pork
1 tspn garlic
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water to make a paste
Canola oil for deep-frying

Spicy sauce:
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce (or substitute oyster sauce)
2 tbsp Lite soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tspn chili paste
½ tspn ground bean sauce
½ tspn sesame oil

Directions:
1. Combine all Spicy Sauce ingredients and mix well.
2. In a wok, deep-fry eggplant at 350°F for 1 minute. Remove eggplant and drain on paper towels.
3. Meanwhile remove all but ½ tspn of oil from wok. On high heat, stir-fry garlic for 5 seconds then add Spicy Sauce. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer 20 seconds. Add eggplant and simmer for another 10 seconds.
4. Stir in cornstarch paste a little at a time until desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Roasted Pork Chops and Butternut Squash With Kale

This recipe was from the January issue of Real Simple. I still love all of their recipes. I started trying other cook books and magazines and they were not as healthy. I'll post some of those here later with my updated version. I keep coming back to Real Simple recipes because they taste good, ingredients simple and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds)—peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1⁄2-inch pieces
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
4 bone-in pork chops (each 1 inch thick; about 2 pounds total)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large bunch kale, thick ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped (about 14 cups)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with the sage, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
2. When the squash has cooked for 20 minutes, heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the pork with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Transfer the pork to the baking sheet with the squash and roast until the pork is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the kale, ¼ cup water, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, tossing the kale and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet, until the kale is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with the pork and squash.

Tortellini with Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Mushrooms

I can't wait to eat my left over for lunch tomorrow. I just tried this new tortellini recipe tonight and I love it. It's got so many things I like in it. If you don't like fennel you can substitute with an onion. Also here is quick tip, to crush the fennel seeds, enclose the seeds in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag, then pound them with a meat mallet or a small heavy skillet. Here is how you make it...

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved through core, thinly sliced lengthwise (about 3 cups), fronds chopped
1 pound spicy Italian sausages, casings removed, sausage coarsely crumbled
1 8-ounce package sliced fresh crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 16-ounce package dried tortellini with pesto filling or fresh tortellini with 3-cheese filling
1 5-ounce package fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional (for serving)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced fennel bulb, sausage, and mushrooms; sauté until sausage is brown and cooked through and fennel is almost tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds; stir 1 minute. Stir in cream, then 1 cup broth; boil until liquid is reduced and very slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook tortellini in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain tortellini; return to same pot.
3. Add sausage mixture to tortellini in pot. Toss over medium heat until blended. Add spinach; toss gently until spinach wilts. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese; add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten if dry. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds, and serve, passing additional cheese.

Gemelli with Broccoli Rabe, Bacon, and Chickpeas

This is a recipe from the September issue of the Cooking Light Magazine. This is one of my favorite cooking magazine other than Real Simple. I think the ingredients goes really well together. I would have never thought about adding chickpeas into a pasta dish. Adding a little red hot pepper makes the dish even better.

Ingredients:
1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed and coarsely chopped
8 ounces uncooked gemelli pasta
6 slices center-cut bacon
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

Directions:
1. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add broccoli rabe to pan; cook 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well. Coarsely chop.
2. Return water to a boil. Add pasta to pan; cook according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl; reserve 3/4 cup pasta water.
3. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and crumble bacon. 4. Increase heat to medium-high. Add garlic and chickpeas to drippings in pan; sauté 2 minutes or until garlic is golden. Stir in broccoli rabe, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; cook 3 minutes or until broccoli rabe is heated. Stir in pasta, 3/4 cup pasta water, and bacon; toss well.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Asian Pork Shoulder

This is a great slow cooker recipe I found on Real Simple. I made it 3 times so far and each time turned out with great result. I tried this recipe with the meat cut into 2 inch pieces and with the whole piece of the meat. The best way to cook was to place the whole 2 ½ lb pork shoulder into the slow cooker. The meat was able to retain the juice and stay very tender that way. The timing to place the bok choy into the slow cooker was also tricky. I over cooked the bok choy once. The best time to place the bok choy in the slow cooker is when it's still cooking on low around 15 to 20 minutes before severing.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 medium head bok choy, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
2 scallions, sliced

Directions:
1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the soy sauce, sugar, chili-garlic sauce, ginger, and five-spice powder. Add the pork and toss to coat. Cook, covered, until the pork is tender, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
2. Twenty-five minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
3. Meanwhile, skim off and discard any fat from the pork. Gently fold the bok choy into the pork and cook, covered, until heated through, 15 minutes. Serve with the rice and sprinkle with the scallions.

Slow-Cooker Spicy Country Ribs

This recipe was from Real Simple. I love slow cooker recipes. I can just put all the ingredients together in the morning and turn the slow cooker on before I leave for work. When I get home from work dinner will be ready. This recipe was super easy and taste amazing.

Ingredients:
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 pounds pork country ribs

Directions:
1. Combine the onion, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, Worcestershire, chili powder, and oregano in slow cooker. Stir in the ribs. Cook on low heat for 6 hours, or on high for 3 1/2 hours.
2. Using tongs, remove the ribs from the cooker and arrange on a broiler pan. Heat the broiler. Broil the ribs about 6 inches from the heat until browned. Serve with the sauce.