Grilled Pork with Avacado Salsa

WOW, was this delicious!! Usually I'm gracious, and let DH take the leftovers to work for his lunch, because being at home, I have a much wider variety to choose from - whatever is in the fridge/pantry! But this time, I claimed seconds for myself.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c chopped sweet onion (I used sweet vidalia)
• 1/2 c lime juice
• 1/4 c chopped seeded jalapeno peppers
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 4 tsp ground cumin
• boneless pork chops - enough to feed your family (6 chops is about right for this, or you will need to double the marinade)

Salsa

• 2 medium ripe avocados, peeled and chopped
• 2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 TBS minced fresh cilantro
• 1 TBS honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 TBS jalapeno pepper jelly

Directions

1. In a small bow, combine the first five ingredients. Pour 1/2 c. marinade into a large Ziploc bag; add the pork. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 45 minutes to 2 hours. Reserve 1/3 cup of remaining marinade. Place the rest of the marinade in a large bowl and add the avocados, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, cilantro, honey, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the jelly and reserved marinade. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
3. Prepare your grill. Drain and discard marinade from pork. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear, brushing occasionally with jelly mixture. Serve with avocado salsa. Yields 6 servings.

Grilled Basil Chicken and Tomatoes

My biggest challenging with eating better is vegetables. I am simply not a fan of them. I have a few that I like (and the odd ones at that) but for the most part, if I never eat another veggie, I would be fine with that. That, of course, will not help my weight go down. So I'm looking for meals that actually taste good, veggies and all.

Which is why this recipe is fantastic!! I wasn't sure, but I decided to try it. Delicious. Not only did I enjoy it, but the kids AND the DH gave it a thumbs up. How often does that happen?

8 plum tomatoes
3/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. tightly backed fresh basil - no substitutions
2 TBS olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 TSP salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

1. Cut four tomatoes into quarters and place in a food processor. Add vinegar, basil, oil, garlic and salt; cover and process until blended.

2. Pour 1/2 c. dressing into a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until serving. Pour remaining dressing into a large Ziploc bag; add chicken. Refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

3. Prepare grill rack. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Cut remaining tomatoes in half; grill for 2-3 minutes on each side or until tender. Serve with chicken and reserved dressing.

Lemon Loaf

Despite the fact that I am working dilligently on loosing weight, I still enjoy a cup of coffee and a sweet treat on occasion in the morning. I've found I do much better treating myself on occasion, than I do with depriving myself. This is a yummy recipe I found that tastes almost identical to Starbucks Lemon Loaf!

• 1 1/2 c. flour **
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 TBS butter (no substitutes)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
• 1/3 c. lemon juice
• 1/2 c. canola oil

Lemon Icing:

• 1 cup plus 
• 1 TBS powdered sugar
• 2 TBS milk
• 1 tsp lemon extract

Instructions:

1. preheat oven to 350
2. combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. in a medium mixing bowl, blend eggs, sugar, extracts, butter, and lemon juice.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients in the large mixing bowl. Blend well. Add canola oil. Blend until smooth.
5. Pour ingredients into a greased loaf pan (9x5 is what I use) Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. While the loaf is baking, mix the ingredients for the icing. Use an electric mixer to blend until smooth. After the lemon loaf has cooled, remove it from the pan and top with the icing. After the icing has set up, slice and enjoy!

Caribbean Grilled Chicken

1 limed, juiced
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Dole Peach Orange Mango Juice
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 TSP salt
1 TSP pepper
1 TBS chili powder
1 1/2 TSP onion powder
1 1/2 TSP garlic powder
1 TBS paprika
1/2 TSP ground cumin
1 TSP ground ginger
1 pinch red pepper flakes
3 TBS olive or canola oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Whisk together lime juice, vinegar, fruit juice, wine, and honey in a bowl until the honey dissolves. Add salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, ginger, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and olive oils; whisk to mix. Place chicken breasts into a resealable plastic bag, pour in marinade, and coat well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil grate. (I use a Foreman Grill sometimes!)

3. Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess. Use remaining marinade to baste chicken on grill. Cook chicken on preheated grill approximately 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until juices run clear and there is no signs of pink in the meat.

Chicken with Fresh Tomato Sauce

This was AMAZING! I was expecting it be sort of italian tasting, which is ok, but this was way better. Again, even my kids enjoyed it. High praise indeed.

Chicken with Fresh Tomato Sauce (WW recipe)

1 tsp. olive oil4
(1/4 lb) skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 tsp. chopped
/2 tsp. salt
1 large shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 T. balsamic vinegar
6 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 c. chopped basil

Directions:
Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the rosemary and salt, then add to the skillet. Saute the chicken until browned and cooked through, 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Let stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the shallot and garlic to the same skillet. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar, stirring to scrape up the browned bits and cook until the vinegar is almost evaporated.Stir in the tomatoes and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the tomatoes just begin to soften,about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 167 calories and 4 points5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 62 mg cholesterol, 360 mg sodium, 5g total carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 26 g protein, 31 mg calcium