Maple-Chili Glazed Pork Medallions

Maple-Chili Glazed Pork Medallions

Photo by EatingWell

I wanted to try something different than I normally do with Pork Tenderloin.  So I searched on-line to find a recipe that was easy and looked really good.  The above photo is what I came up with, the recipe below (with a few of my own modifications) turned out delicious.  The entire family enjoyed it.  I will definately repeat this recipe in the near future.

This is how it went..........
The recipe calls for a one pound pork tenderloin....

Cut into 1" medallions.  Okay, this is NOT going to be enough meat for our family of four (at least not with Dominic in the mix).....

So I added a second pork tenderloin.  This should be enough.  Dominic is usually very hungry at dinner time.  We very rarely have leftovers.

Ingredients (see recipe below).........

Mix the dry ingredients.........

Sprinkle on both sides of medallions.........

Heat olive oil to medium heat in a skillet............

Place a layer of the medallions in the skillet............

Brown 1-2 minutes each side........

Add in liquid ingredients (see below) Bring to a boil then cook on medium heat for around 3 minutes................

Serve drizzled with remaining glaze........

Ingredients
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (I used fresh ground black pepper)
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick medallions
2 teaspoons canola oil (I used olive oil)
1/4 cup apple cider (or apple juice for a sweeter taste)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Preparation
1.Mix chili powder, salt and ground chipotle in a small bowl. Sprinkle over both sides of pork.

2.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Add cider, syrup and vinegar to the pan. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, turning the pork occasionally to coat, until the sauce is reduced to a thick glaze, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve the pork drizzled with the glaze.

Nutrition
Per serving: 180 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 74 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 3 g added sugars; 24 g protein; 0 g fiber; 354 mg sodium; 441 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (47% daily value), Zinc (20% dv).

Happy Sunday!

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Dairy Myths VS. Fact & Chicken Parmesan Sub

Sunnyside in Fairfield, CA is one of the milk processing plants our milk is delivered to after it's picked up by DFA (Dairy Farmers of America). I snapped a couple of photos of it on our way home from our snow trip yesterday....
Dairy Myths VS. Fact 
Myth: The reason the price of milk is going up in the grocery store is so dairy farmers can get rich. 
Fact: On average, dairy farmers receive 30 cents of every retail dollar. 


Myth: Large farms aren’t family farms.
Fact: According to USDA, about 99 percent of all U.S. dairy farms are family-owned and operated. 


Myth: Large, “corporate farms” force small, family farms out of business. 
Fact: There are approximately more than 60,000 dairy farms in America and the approximate average herd size is 150 cows. According to USDA, the majority (77 percent) of all U.S. dairy farms have less than 100 cows. 
Myth: Pesticides are overused and end up in milk.


Fact: Pesticides are not a health concern in any milk products. Thorough testing and stringent government standards ensure that all milk is safe, pure and nutritious. Dairy farmers consistently meet or exceed safety regulations on pesticide use. 


Myth: All milk – except organic milk – contains antibiotics.
Fact: All milk is carefully tested for antibiotics. Any milk that tests positive is disposed of immediately, and does not enter into the food supply. Before the milk can be unloaded at the processing plant, each load is tested for antibiotic residues. If the milk shows no evidence of antibiotics, it is pumped into the plant's holding tanks for further processing. If the milk does not pass antibiotic testing, the entire truck load of milk is discarded and the farm samples are tested to find the source of the antibiotic residues. Regulatory action is taken against the farm with the positive antibiotic test. Positive antibiotic tests are rare, and account for far less than 1% of the tank loads of milk delivered to processing plants. 


Myth: Today’s dairy cow is treated like nothing more than a milk machine. 
Fact: Dairy cows must be healthy and well cared for in order to produce pure, wholesome milk.


Myth: Dairy cows are kept in cramped, dirty quarters without access to the outdoors.
Fact: Cow comfort is very important to dairy farmers. Ensuring that clean, dry bedding is available to cows at all times, in addition to providing healthy living conditions, are top priorities to dairy farmers. 


Myth: Baby calves are mistreated and don’t receive proper attention.
Fact: To help protect calves, dairy farmers place them in clean, dry, individual pens shortly after birth to control their environment, administer proper nutrition and vaccinations, and get them off to a healthy start. 


Myth: Modern dairy farmers don’t practice sustainable agriculture.
Fact: Dairy farmers depend on land, air and water as part of their livelihood. In fact, dairy farms must follow strict state and local water quality regulations, and meet standards for manure storage, handling and recycling per guidelines from state and federal agencies.


Chicken Parmesan Sub
Ingredients 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts cut into 4 portions or 4 small breasts), (2 large breasts cut into 4 portions or 4 small breasts) 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 6-ounce bags baby spinach 1 cup marinara sauce, preferably low-sodium (see Tip) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella 4 soft whole-wheat sandwich rolls, toasted


Preparation Position oven rack in top position; preheat broiler. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Place chicken between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with the smooth side of a meat mallet or a heavy saucepan until the chicken is an even 1/4-inch thickness. Dip the chicken in the flour mixture and turn to coat.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach and cook, stirring often, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add half the chicken and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and chicken; transfer to the baking sheet.
Top each piece of chicken with the wilted spinach, marinara sauce and Parmesan. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Broil until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Serve on rolls.


Tips & Notes Tip: Refrigerate leftover marinara sauce for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.


Nutrition Per serving: 467 calories; 13 g fat (4 g sat, 5 g mono); 78 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrates; 42 g protein; 5 g fiber; 762 mg sodium; 791 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (160% daily value), Vitamin C (46% dv) Folate (43% dv), Magnesium (26% dv).

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A Wild Fox Girls Night Out~ and Tomato-Herb Flank Steak Recipe

I had the pleasure of celebrating my friend Kellie's birthday with her and three other really great girlfriends last night at Wild Fox Restaurant.
We started out with what I think is going to be my 'new favorite cocktail'....the 'Woo Hoo' I think it's actually called a Woo Woo but after a couple of these, it quickly became renamed to the Woo Hoo! The cocktail is a blend of vodka, grapefruit juice, peach schnapps and cranberry juice......absolutely delicious! Woo Hoo!! I have always had a great dining experience at Wild Fox and I just love the atmosphere. There's a nice long bar, an outdoor patio with fireplace, and it's all dark wood and cozy on the inside. There are a bunch of meat eaters in this group. Three of us had the Flat Iron Steak special, all with different sides. Kellie's with a side of mash potatoes and butternut squash.... Devi's with a side of swiss chard and asparagus..... And Jody's with a side of green beans and butternut squash....... Debbie ordered a Pesto Pizza with tomatoes and pine nuts.......Yum! I ordered Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry which was so good. They served a huge portion so I was able to eat the remaining half for lunch today...... Dinner paired so wonderfully with this fabulous bottle of Ledson Zinfandel that Jody brought to share......thanks Jody! Kellie's gooey smore-like birthday dessert (yes, those are toasted marshmallows you see emerging from the glass)..... Apricot, chocolate chip bread pudding with a scoop of mocha ice cream on top we ordered to share..... We all had a fantastic time and an even better visit. Nothing like a Girls Night Out... Flat iron steak makes me think of this recipe..... Tomato-Herb Marinated Flank Steak In this recipe, a dual-purpose sauce is made from garden-fresh tomatoes, shallot, marjoram and rosemary. Using half the sauce to marinate the steak and the other half as a basting sauce. Pasture-raised, grass-fed beef is gentler on the environment, free from growth-promoting hormones and typically lower in fat and calories than grain-fed beef. Marinating grass-fed beef for a full day helps make it tender. Look for it at natural-foods markets or find it online - Grossi Natural Beef. 


Ingredients 1 medium tomato, 
chopped 1 shallot, 
peeled and quartered 
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed 


Preparation 
1.Puree tomato, shallot, vinegar, marjoram, rosemary, salt and pepper in a blender until smooth. Set aside 1/2 cup, covered, in the refrigerator. Scrape the remaining puree into a large, sealable plastic bag. Add steak and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 24hours. 


 2.Preheat grill to medium-high. Remove the steak from the marinade (discard the marinade). Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the steak 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare or 6 to 7 minutes per side for medium, turning once and brushing the cooked side with some of the reserved sauce. When the steak is cooked, turn it over again and brush with more sauce. Transfer to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak crosswise and serve with any remaining sauce spooned on top. 


Tips & 


Notes Make Ahead Tip: Marinate steak for up to 24 hours. 


Kitchen Tip: To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) Nutrition Per serving: 169 calories; 7 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 47 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 0 g fiber; 275 mg sodium; 440 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (29% daily value). Exchanges: 3 lean meat


Happy Friday! Cheers!

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