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.

Foolproof Standing Rib Roast

This past holiday season Pete and I hosted our first Christmas dinner. We made our first prime rib. We did a lot of research online before picking out this Paula Deen recipe. We didn't want to mass it up because the cut of the meat was so expensive. Everything turned out perfectly. One thing we learned from reading the reviews of this recipe is no matter how big the cut of the meat we should still follow the cooking directions. We don't need to adjust the cooking time to the weight of the meat. 

Ingredients:

1 (10-pound) standing rib roast

1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Directions:

1. Allow roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Rub roast with House Seasoning; place roast on a rack in the pan with the rib side down and the fatty side up. 

3. Roast for 1 hour. Turn off oven. Leave roast in oven but do not open oven door for 3 hours. About 30 to 40 minutes before serving time, turn oven to 375 degrees F and reheat the roast. Important: Do not remove roast or re-open the oven door from time roast is put in until ready to serve.