Lemony White Bean And Arugula Salad

This is definitely a go to side dish. It has a wonderful dressing that could go with many things from fish to chicken to pork. Our market was out of arugula so we substituted mixed greens. It was still delicious! Give it a try... quick, easy, and just down right delicious!

Ingredients

Salad:

• 5 packed cups (5 ounces) arugula
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Salad: In a large salad bowl, combine the arugula, beans, red onion, and capers.

Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, maple syrup and lemon zest. Slowly whisk in the oil until smooth and combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat. Serve.

Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Reduction

Recipe By :Cooking Light June 2001
Serving Size : 4
Categories : Main Dish

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ ------------------------------

1 1/4 Pounds Pork Tenderloin
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorns -- coarsely chopped or crushed
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Salt -- to taste
1/2 Cup Dry Red Wine


Slice tenderloin lengthwise, being careful not to cut through to other side. Split meat into one large, flat piece. Spread mustard over both sides of the meat and rub in pepper, pressing gently so it adheres well.
Cut meat crosswise into 4 even portions. In large skillet, heat oil over medium flame. Put tenderloin in the pan and cook for about 10 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 155 degrees, turning once.

Transfer meat to a plate and tent with foil to keep it warm. Add chicken broth and wine to pan and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until sauce is reduced to about � cup. Pour sauce over meat, season with salt, and serve

Coconut Bread Pudding with Chocolate Sauce

Adapted from the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

1/2 c sweetened shredded coconut
1 (20 0z can) pineapple chunks in juice,
drained
3 large eggs
2 egg whites
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 c fat free milk
1 c light coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups french bread cubes
2 ounces of bitter sweet or semi-sweet chocolate
chopped
2 tsp coco powder

1. Preheat the broiler. Place the coconut in the baking pan and broke, 5 inches from the heat, until lightly browned, 1 minute. Transfer the coconut to a plate to cool. Place the pineapple chucnks in the baking pan in a single layer and broil until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, eggwhites, sugar, and salt until combined. Blend in 2 cups of the milk, the coconut milk, and vanilla. Stir in the bread cubes and let sit for 10 minutes. Stire in the toasted coconut, and pineapple; pour into a 7x11-inch glass baking dish. Bake until the pudding is puffed and lightly browned, 40-50 minutes. Let cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile, in a 1-cup glass measure, combine the remaining milk, the chocolate, and cocoa. Microwave on high 45 seconds, then stir until well blended. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the pudding and serve.

We have made this dessert a few times now and it is awesome and a great light version of bread pudding. The first time we made it we made it without the chocolate sauce and it was delicious. We have also used store bought fudge ice cream topping which is also amazing; heat in microwave and drizzle over the top.

Per serving (1/8 of pudding): 283 Cal, 10g Fat, 6g Sat Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 81mg Chol, 512 mg Sod, 41g Carb, 2 g Fib, 8g Prot, 131 mg Calc.

Peaches on Pound Cake

We were looking for a simple dessert for New Year's Eve and did not want to purchase a dessert. The compromise ended up being simple and delicious.

Peaches on Pound Cake

1 small bag frozen peaches (equivalent to about 2 peaches)
1 frozen pound cake
1 tub whipped cream
1 tsp ground cinnamon (+ some for topping)
1 TBSP butter
3 TBSP brown sugar

Melt butter in on the stove top, add thawed peaches, and brown sugar. Cook until peaches start to lose some juice approximately 4 minutes on medium high heat. Slice the pound cake and lightly toast it. Serve warm peaches on top of toasted pound cake. Top with whipped topping and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Beef Sandwiches with horseradish sauce

We made these delicious little sandwiches for my 34th birthday bash! We had a simple gathering with good friends and of course GOOD FOOD! We had a variety of appetizers and served these little sandwiches with a salad of beets and greens and bean salad.


* 2 to 4 pound beef chuck pot roast
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

For the sandwich:


* Dinner rolls for smaller sandwiches
* Mustard Horseradish Sauce, recipe follows
* 1 bunch arugula
* Kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper


Directions

The night before cooking we patted the outside of the roast dry with a paper towel. Mix the unsalted butter and mustard together in a small bowl and spread the mixture over the beef with your hands. Sprinkle evenly with the salt and pepper.

Place the beef in a roasting pan on a bed of carrots, onions, and herbs(this was not listed above in the ingredient list). Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake for approximately until internal temp (thickest part of the meat) reads 130 degrees for medium rare.

Remove the beef from the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. We sliced the meat thinly.

Spread the Mustard Horseradish Sauce on the top half of the rolls. Top with slices of beef and arugula and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mustard Horseradish Sauce:

3/4 cup good mayonnaise (light BestFoods)

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

1/2 tablespoon prepared horseradish (Mark added about 5xs this amount)

2 tablespoons sour cream (light)(Mark only used 1 TBSP)

Kosher salt

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, horseradish, sour cream, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: 1 cup

Additional modifications: Allison made the BEST Au jus by de-glazing the baking pan with beef broth. Yum! Allison what is your secret?! :) More info to follow.

Recipe modified from Ina Garten's recipe on the Food Network.

Orzo Pasta Salad

Mark and I signed up for a wine tasting class a couple years ago and this salad was fabulously paired with a vino verde. It is a great salad and seemed to appeal to everyone in the class! Enjoy!

Orzo Pasta Salad

* 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound orzo pasta, cooked al dente, drained
* 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
* 1 large yellow pepper, finely diced
* 1 large red pepper, finely diced
* 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and quartered
* 2 scallions, finely sliced
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano

Whisk together the zest, juice, oil, dill, and garlic, then season with salt and pepper, to taste. Mix the pasta, cheese, peppers, olives, and scallions together in a bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over and mix to combine. Add the oregano and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Recipe compliments of: The Food Network and Bobby Flay
*If you follow the link above there is also a wonderful recipe for grilled shrimp with lemon-dill butter.

Chicken Pasta Bake

Quick, easy, and kid friendly! I must say quite lovely with a green salad and glass of Syrah.

* 8 oz. penne pasta (whole wheat)
* 1 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
* 1 28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce (I used our homemade batch from the garden!)
* 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
* 1 3 oz. package cream cheese (fat free)
* 2 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and patted dry with a paper towel
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (part skim)
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions for "al dente." Drain. Pour into prepared baking dish.

3. Heat oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. While oil is heating, cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.

4. Brown chicken in oil. Add Italian seasoning, half of the spaghetti sauce and the drained tomatoes. Let simmer 2-3 minutes.

5. Cut cream cheese into small chunks. Add to chicken and tomato sauce mixture. Simmer until cream cheese is melted.

6. Stir in spinach. Cook another minute, until spinach wilts slightly.

7. Pour chicken mixture over pasta. Top with one cup of the shredded mozzarella. Top with the remaining spaghetti sauce, remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

8. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until bubbly.