Spiralized Greek Cucumber Salad with Lemon and Feta

This light cucumber Greek salad is the perfect meatless summer dish. Trust me, you're going to want to make this all summer long! Fresh cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, red onion, oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh feta – it's filling, high in fiber and protein, perfect for lunch or dinner!

I had some fresh Feta leftover from my Lemon Feta Drumsticks, and I've been craving a good Greek Salad, but I wanted to make it without the lettuce and make cucumber the star of the show. This turned out better than I could have imagined! I used my favorite cooking gadget – my the Paderno Spiral Vegetable Slicer with the chipper blade to quickly whip this up into beautiful spirals and the results were a salad that's crunchy and bright, and not weighed down by a heavy dressing. This took me less than 10 minutes start to finish – win!

If you don't own a spiralizer you can just dice the cucumbers with knife and make it a chopped Greek salad instead. I highly recommend using a decent Feta cheese, not a fat free Feta.

A great Meatless Monday meal. If you are making this ahead for lunch for work, you can leave the lemon juice and olive oil out, and pack it on the side, then just add it when you're ready to eat. Enjoy!

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Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Roast

I love making pork in the slow cooker, it's so easy and literally falls apart once cooked. Here it's cooked with balsamic and honey which gives it a slight tang that I thought was lovely.

Whenever I happen to see a small pork roast in the supermarket, I always pick one up because I know it's an easy dinner. I usually find myself gravitating to the Slow Cooker Kalua Pork each and every time because it's so good and easy to make, but I wanted to switch things up and came across a slow cooker recipe for this balsamic pork recipe on Add A Pinch.

I met Robin just a few months ago while I was in Oregon so I was happy to try one of her recipes. This was so easy to make, and although my husband generally isn't much of a balsamic fan, my toddler and I thought it was great! This recipe is slightly modified from her original but for the most part I followed it pretty close.

I served this with Broccoli and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes but this would also be great with Roasted Parmesan Green Beans.

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Mexican Adobo Rubbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin

A lean pork tenderloin, rubbed with Mexican adobo and grilled or broiled to give you a great tasting, smoky, tender piece of meat.

Pork tenderloin is the leanest cut of pork, in fact it's just as lean as a skinless chicken breast, and it doesn't take long to cook, which makes it perfect for busy weeknights. If you're tired of making the same 'ole thing for dinner, this is the answer (and bonus, it's totally man-friendly).

I was really in the mood for some Cilantro Lime Rice, and I thought it was the perfect compliment; I used some lime wedges to squeeze over the pork - delish! I was craving white rice, but I often use brown rice too as a whole grain option. For an even healthier side, last week's Fiesta Bean Salad would also be fabulous!

This recipe is from the cookbook Simple Food, Big Flavor, by Aarón Sánchez (you may know him as one of the judges on Chopped). Yesterday I made a batch of Aaron's Adobo with full intentions of making this pork dish. I still have a lot of adobo left, so I'm going to use the rest to grill some pork chops this weekend. It was pretty chilly yesterday, so rather than making this on my grill, I used my broiler instead.


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Slow Cooked Jerk Pork with Caribbean Salsa

Pork roast, marinated overnight with fresh citrus juice, garlic, and jerk seasoning, then slow cooked all day while you're away. Topped with a bright, fresh Caribbean salsa of fresh mangos, avocado and cilantro. If I told you how good this dish was, would you believe me?

The kind of good that your husband tells you how much he loves you while eating it... yeah that good! This dish is officially going into my regular rotation. 

One of my friends turned me on to Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning, turns out it's the #1 Best Seller in Gourmet rubs on Amazon! It's actually made in Jamaica, so it's the real deal and only cost about $4. It comes in mild and hot, so being the wimp that I am, I went with mild. I served this over brown rice with some cucumbers on the side for a complete meal.

Since a lot of you ask, I have the Hamilton Beach Set It and Forget It Slow Cooker, I've had nothing but great results since purchasing it if you're in the market for a slow cooker. I've had really bad results with other slow cookers, so they are not all created equal!

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Spinach Prosciutto and Mozzarella Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin stuffed with prosciutto, mozzarella, baby spinach and sun dried tomatoes; a wonderful dish for the Holidays. Serve this with potato parsnip mash, skinny garlic mashed potatoes, or creamy cauliflower puree and some roasted vegetables on the side.

Are you ready for the holidays? I'm so behind but I did get around to seeing Santa this weekend. A very excited Madison didn't cry and even gave Santa a list of what she wanted (which included a pony). I just love this innocent age, I wish I could freeze time.

These next few weeks I'm going to focus on Holiday dishes, sides, appetizers and desserts. I'm still running my mile a day until the New Year (lost track of how many days it's been), it's a nice balance to some of the baking that's happening around here.

Pork tenderloin is perfect for the holidays, and it's just as lean as chicken breast. I love how the colors of the spinach and sundried tomatoes look so festive when you cut it open. You can easily double this recipe to serve eight. If you've never butterflied a tenderloin, it's not very hard. I found this video on how to cut a pork tenderloin which you may find helpful, although I cut mine a little different as described below. Either way is fine.

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Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham

When I want a hearty bowl of split pea soup in a hurry, my pressure cooker is my best friend! Split pea soup is loaded with fiber, and it's a comforting meal on a chilly night. I usually serve this with a slice of crusty bread, toasted and rubbed with a little garlic.

This soup is also my favorite way to use up leftover ham or a ham bone. It's super easy, but not always super quick... unless you use a pressure cooker! 

Using a pressure cooker cuts the cooking time by less than half and everything always tastes better for some reason. I've been using my pressure cooker for years; in South America it is widely popular to make soups, beans, and stews because it's quick and saves on gas. I own a fancy electric one, but for some reason I still rather use my old stove top Presto.

When making soups and stews in the pressure cooker, very little  liquid evaporates, so I usually cut the liquid down a bit. I found a great Pressure Cooker Cheat Sheet on Pressure Cooker For Dummies, if you own one and are scared of it, you might find this interesting.

I used Better than Bouillon, I love the flavor it adds to soups, but you can use chicken broth in it's place if you prefer.

A few notes: Today is my 3rd day doing the Holiday Runner's Streak (run at least 1 mile everyday until the Holidays, see 2012 Holiday Running Streak from Runner's World). It was really hard to get out of bed this morning, but I am happy I got it out of the way. How are you doing, still with me?

By the way, this soup freezes well, leftovers are perfect for lunch or make a batch for once a month cooking.

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Crock Pot Kalua Pork

Kalua Pig is popular at Hawaiian luaus where a whole pig is smoked in a sand pit with sea salt, banana leaves and koa wood. This simple crock pot method mimics the smoked flavor of using natural liquid smoke and the results are an easy, mouth-watering, juicy pork recipe anyone can make at home. Perfect for your next Luau!

Dad's love pork so even if you're not having a Hawaiian themed party anytime soon, you could make this for Father's day with very little effort, and Dad will think you went all out! You can serve this over rice but I thought it would be fun to make lettuce wraps with a little white rice and hoisin sauce. My husband opted for just the rice so it's really up to you. Next time I'm thinking pineapple brown fried rice would be great with this!
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Slow Cooker Pork and Green Chile Stew

Chunks of lean pork, slow cooked in the crock pot with tomatoes, green chiles and jalapeño for a delicious weeknight meal with a little bit of heat!

Serve this with tortillas, or over brown rice with a little light sour cream and a slice of avocado if you wish and you'll have a delicious meal.

This recipe is really so versatile – you can add more broth if you want more liquid, you can also add tomatillos, cilantro, and make it your own. For speed and convenience I used canned green chiles and jalapeno, but you can certainly use fresh and roast your own. This has a little bit of kick, but you can certainly turn it up by adding more jalapeños or chile powder.

I bought a boneless loin roast and trimmed quite a bit of the fat off before cooking, so keep it in mind that you'll lose some meat.  I like to brown the meat before adding it to the crock pot for best results and add a little flour to pork as it browns before adding it to the crock pot so that it thickens a bit. If you have gluten allergies, you can skip this step. If you don't have time to brown your meat no worries, it will still work out fine. Enjoy!


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Slow Cooker Filipino Adobo Pulled Pork

We love Filipino Adobo Chicken in my home, I make it at least once a month because it's just so darn easy to make and everyone loves it.

Adobo pork is also commonly made the same way, so I decided to test it out in the crock pot with a lean pork loin which is not so exactly the traditional method, but I love making pork in my slow cooker, so why not!

I left the pork whole rather than cutting it up in small chunks to make more of a Filipino pulled pork (and because I'm a bit lazy) but cutting it into small cubes would work out fine as well.

Served it over jasmine rice topped with fresh scallions and with some garden tomatoes on the side and it was a wonderful, simple meal.  Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Warning: this smells incredible while it slow cooks all day!

Pulled pork is one of those dishes you can serve all year round. It's perfect for pot lucks or large gatherings because you can feed a crowd without slaving in the kitchen. I came up with this leaner version using boneless pork tenderloin and homemade BBQ sauce which gave me complete control of what was added.

I'm not a fan of pulled pork that is swimming in sauce, so I use just enough to flavor the pork along with the reserved juices of the pork and serve the extra sauce on the side. I found these delicious whole wheat potato rolls, only 100 calories/2 points plus by Martin's. and made a simple slaw with a little vinegar, salt and a touch of olive oil and it was a perfect meal.

I used the smallest loin I could find since I was making this for my family. Depending on the size of your pork loin, you will have to alter how much BBQ sauce to add. Keep in mind the pork shrinks after it is cooked, so you will want to weigh it cooked. I basically added 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce for every 3 ounces of cooked pork along with some of the reserved juices from the pork. (If your kids don't like BBQ sauce, set some of the pork on the side for them before adding it back to the crock pot)

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Sweet and Fiery Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa

Chinese New Year is January 23rd, the start of a 15-day celebration celebrating the Chinese New Year – This year it's the Year of The Dragon. I thought this Asian inspired fiery pork dish would be a great way to celebrate!

Roasted pork tenderloin with a sweet and spicy glaze topped with a fresh mango salsa. Your taste buds will be tantilized with each bite you take.

How good does this look...

Even if you have no intentions of celebrating the Chinese New Year, this is a tasty way to make a pork tenderloin if you are looking for something different.

Could you make this with chicken? Sure! This would be fabulous over a chicken breast if pork is not your thing.

I served this with my own coconut rice creation that my husband loves (recipe coming soon) and he literally cleaned his plate! You could also serve this over steamed jasmine rice for a simple side dish. Enjoy!


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Pork Chops and Applesauce

Pork loin chops, seasoned with paprika, sage, thyme and spices then lightly pan fried and served with homemade applesauce. When my applesauce was simmering in the crock pot, I knew I would be serving it with pork chops. I served them with buttermilk mashed potatoes and an Autumn Salad with Pears on the side.

You can make this with boneless or bone-in pork chops; center cut pork loin chops are a good option because they are pretty lean, just be sure not to over-cook them so they don't dry out. According to the USDA, cooking pork to 145° F and letting it rest for three minutes will give you juicy chops that are safe to eat.


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Crock Pot Asian Pork with Mushrooms

Boneless pork roast slow cooked in Asian spices creates a aromatic pork dish with mushrooms and broth, perfect over noodles or rice with fresh chopped green onions, cilantro and sriracha.

I'm liking my crock pot more and more lately because I am understanding how to make it work and what not to do from some crock pot disasters in my past. Food cooked in the crock pot is blander than dishes made on the stove. To compensate, I learned to boost the seasoning and I usually have to add more at the very end to taste. Fresh herbs should always be added at the end of cooking. Searing the pork before adding it to the crock pot is a must, so don't skip this step. If you want to do this the night before, you can set it all up and leave it refrigerated, then turn it on in the morning.

Because this makes a lot, I enjoyed this two nights with leftovers to spare. The first night we enjoyed it over rice noodles, soba or buckwheat noodles  would also be great.

The second night, I reheated some of the pork and broth on the stove and though in some handfuls of baby spinach to it and let it wilt. We had this over rice and my husband couldn't stop raving. Next time I make this I will try adding chopped carrots, baby corn, or bok choy in the end for extra vegetables.

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Slow Cooked Sweet Barbacoa Pork

Sweet Barbacoa Pork over Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans

Sweet and spicy slow cooked pork sweetened with brown sugar, cola, chipotle chilies, green chilies, cumin and spices. Delicious over cilantro lime rice and black beans.

This was a recipe request to make over Cafe Rio's sweet pork recipe, only problem is I've never eaten at Cafe Rio. After reading dozens of copycat recipes, I came up with my own lightened up version, which was a huge hit in my home. We had enough for several meals, and made a burrito bowl out of the leftovers with cilantro lime rice, black beans (recipe coming soon), pico de gallo, lettuce, avocado and a little low fat cheese. But this was also great served over rice.

Sweet Pork Burrito Bowl

The crock pot is parked on my counter lately, it's so helpful on the days I have to go in to work. What can beat coming home from work and smelling dinner just about ready!

Since the marinade gets tossed after it cooks, I wasn't sure how to calculate, so I counted half the sugar and cola from the marinade just to be sure. Adjust the heat to your liking, this is medium heat, if you like it hot, add more chilies, if you prefer it mild, use less. Enjoy!

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Skinny Slow Cooked Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork)

Slow cooked pork marinated in garlic, citrus juices, cumin and oregano.

Pernil is a typical pork dish in the Latin Caribbean islands such as Puerto Rico and Cuba, served with rice and beans during the holidays or whenever there's a reason to celebrate. My husband loves pernil, especially my cousin Katia's recipe from Food For Every Season. I decided to lighten up her recipe, and bravely against my husband's wishes, I opted to use my crock pot.

A typical Pernil recipe is slow roasted in the oven with a huge slab of fat on top, which gets crispy as it cooks. My lightened version is a lean boneless shoulder blade roast, trimmed of all fat and slow cooked in the crock pot to make this easy enough to make as a weeknight meal.

Be sure to buy the boneless pork shoulder blade roast, as it is leaner than the pork shoulder picnic. Season the meat the day before and refrigerate it in the crock pot. Then when you wake up, take it out and plug it in and come home to a home cooked meal.

And by the way, when I got home from work, my house smelled wonderful, but I was still worried about my husband's opinion. I finished the last steps of shredding the pork and went into another room. My husband must have tasted the pork, because he called me in to tell me the Pernil was slamming (that's a good thing by the way!)Leftovers are great for Cuban sandwiches!

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Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Shallots

These pork chops are juicy and flavorful, perfect with a side of roasted cauliflower. This was adapted from one of my favorite pork chop recipes, Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce. The addition of mushrooms and shallots were delicious and my daughter decided she finally likes mushrooms. Fresh thyme would make a great substitution for parsley.

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Honey Baked Spiral Ham

Spiral hams are perfect for the Holidays because they are precooked and sliced which makes for easy serving when it comes out of the oven. This simple homemade glaze is made with fresh orange juice, honey, pineapple juice, dijon mustard and a touch of brown sugar reduced down until it thickens.

Honey Baked Spiral Ham
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: about 12 • Serving Size: 3 oz • Points: 4 pts
Calories: 170.6 • Fat: 7g • Protein: 16.1 g • Carb: 13.1 g • Fiber: 0 g  

• 8-9 lbs (fully cooked) spiral bone-in ham

Glaze:

• 1/3 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 orange, juice of
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 275°. Place ham in a roasting pan, cut side down. Cover tightly with foil or place in a baking bag. Bake ham in oven at 275° 12-15 minutes per pound, depending on the size of your ham. (Approximately 2 hours)

In a small sauce pan combine brown sugar, honey, orange juice, pineapple juice and dijon. Whisk well and simmer on low 8-10 minutes, stirring often until it reduces down and thickens into a glaze.

Remove ham from oven 15 minutes before the ham is ready and brush the glaze onto the ham. Finish cooking the ham for the last 15 minutes uncovered.

Mexican Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas

I know a lot of you share my love for Mexican food, so I think you will agree this is the most amazing pork recipe for the crock pot. Coming home from work and smelling this when you walk in the door is heavenly.

Browning the pork first is essential so don't skip this step. Pork shoulder is very inexpensive and you can make a few meals out of this. Be sure to buy the boneless pork shoulder blade roast, as it is leaner than the pork shoulder picnic. The prep for this is about 15 minutes the night before. Get it ready and refrigerate it so you simply take it out and plug it in when you get up. Serve this with tortillas, use in burritos, or simply have this with cilantro lime rice. You can make your own Chipotles burrito bowl with lettuce, sour cream, corn salsa, guacamole, or whatever else you usually put in yours!

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Garlic Lime Marinated Pork Chops

The lime zest gives these chops an extra zing. Adjust the seasoning to your liking. Make these in the broiler or on the grill. Serve this with cilantro lime rice on the side.

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Filipino BBQ Pork Skewers

If you want to make a delicious recipe at your next BBQ that will wow everyone, this is it.
I have tried this marinade on beef, pork and chicken and it's great on everything.

Filipino BBQ Pork Skewers
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: about 16 skewers • Serving Size: 4 oz • Points: 4 pts

• 2.5 lb pork country style ribs, all fat trimmed, cut into 1" x 1" cubes
  

For the marinade:

• 6 oz 7-up
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp black pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a large non-reactive bowl and marinate the meat overnight.
If using wooden skewers, soak in water at least an hour so they don't burn on the grill.
Thread the meat onto skewers and grill. Discard unused marinade. Enjoy!!