Mixed Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin with Shallot-Port Reduction

A balance of deep flavor and sweetness that makes this dish perfect to go with your mashed potatoes or boiled rice!

Ingredients BEEF: 1 (2-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 tablespoons cracked mixed peppercorns Cooking spray

REDUCTION: 2 cups ruby port or other sweet red wine 1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 sprigs fresh parsley 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Steps 1Preheat oven to 450°. 2To prepare beef, sprinkle beef evenly with 1 teaspoon salt and peppercorns, pressing firmly to adhere. Place beef in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 33 minutes or until a thermometer registers 135° or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.  3To prepare reduction, combine port and next 5 ingredients (through thyme) in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1 1/4 cups (about 15 minutes). Strain port mixture through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Combine flour and 3 tablespoons water. Return port mixture to pan; add flour mixture to pan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vinegar.

Tuscan Pork Loin

Roasted pork loin is a staple of Italian cooking. In this recipe we coat the lean meat with garlic, rosemary and aromatic lemon zest before it goes in the oven, and then deglaze the pan with vermouth to make a savory gravy. The roast is perfect for entertaining but equally at home for a Sunday family supper. About 10 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes (including 1 hour marinating time)

Ingredients 1 3-pound pork loin, trimmed 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest 3/4 cup dry vermouth, or white wine 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar.

Preparation 1.Tie kitchen string around pork in three places so it doesn’t flatten while roasting. Place salt and garlic in a small bowl and mash with the back of a spoon to form a paste. Stir in oil, rosemary and lemon zest; rub the mixture into the pork. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 hour. 2.Preheat oven to 375°F. 3.Place the pork in a roasting pan. Roast, turning once or twice, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°F, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes. 4.Meanwhile, add vermouth (or wine) and vinegar to the roasting pan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the sauce is reduced by half, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the string and slice the roast. Add any accumulated juices to the sauce and serve with the pork.

Tips & Notes Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: Kitchen string

Nutrition

Per 3-ounce serving: 221 calories; 11 g fat ( 3 g sat , 6 g mono ); 69 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 24 g protein; 0 g fiber; 156 mg sodium; 368 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Thiamin (58% daily value), Selenium (50% dv).

Baked salmon with Southeast Asian marinade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dietitian’s tip: Salmon works well on the grill. After you’ve wrapped the fish in aluminum foil, grill until firm and opaque throughout, about 10 minutes on each side. Serve on couscous with steamed green beans on the side.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Serves 2

Ingredients

1/2 cup pineapple juice 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 2 salmon fillets, each 4 ounces 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 cup diced fresh fruit, such as pineapple, mango and papaya

Directions

In a small bowl, add the pineapple juice, garlic, soy sauce and ginger. Stir to mix evenly.

Arrange the salmon fillets in a small baking dish. Pour the pineapple juice mixture over the top. Put in the refrigerator and marinate for 1 hour. Turn the salmon periodically as needed.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly coat 2 squares of aluminum foil with cooking spray. Place the marinated salmon fillets on the aluminum foil. Drizzle each with 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil. Sprinkle with pepper and top each with 1/2 cup diced fruit.

Wrap the foil around the salmon, folding the edges down to seal. Bake until the fish is opaque throughout when tested with the tip of a knife, about 10 minutes on each side. Transfer the salmon to warmed individual plates and serve immediately.

Nutritional Analysis

(per serving)

Serving size: 1 fillet
Calories	310	Cholesterol	67 mg
Protein	23 g	Sodium	174 mg
Carbohydrate	24 g	Fiber	1 g
Total fat	13 g	Potassium	591 mg
Saturated fat	3 g	Calcium	37 mg
Monounsaturated fat	4 g

Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid Servings

Fiesta Bowl Salad

 

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  black beans
• 1/4  cup  cubed avocados
• 1/4  cup  corn
• 1/4  cup  cherry tomatoes
• 1/2  lime,  juiced
• 2  cups  romaine lettuce

Directions

Combine 1/4 cup each canned black beans (rinsed and drained), chopped avocado, canned corn (drained) and chopped cherry tomatoes with the juice of 1/2 fresh lime and salt to taste. Serve on top of 2 cups romaine.

Mussels South of two borders

This is for you Jammer I hope you enjoy!!

 

 Mussels South of two borders

 

Ingredients

1/3 cup diced Spanish chorizo, (see Ingredient note)

1 medium onion, diced

1 small plum tomato, diced

2 tablespoons chopped canned green chiles, drained

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup beer, preferably dark Mexican beer, such as Negra Modelo

2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded if necessary (see Tip)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Cook chorizo in a large saucepan over medium heat until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato, chiles, cumin and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato begins to break down, about 3 minutes. Pour in beer, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.

2. Stir in mussels and return to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook just until the mussels have opened, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro. (Discard any unopened mussels.) Serve the mussels with the sauce.

Tips:
Ingredient note: For this recipe we use fully cooked Spanish-style chorizo–spicy pork sausage seasoned with smoked paprika and chile–recognizable for its characteristic red color. Find it near other cured sausages in well-stocked supermarkets, specialty-food stores or online at tienda.com.

Tip: To clean mussels, scrub with a stiff brush under cold running water. Scrape off any barnacles using the shell of another mussel. Pull off the fuzzy “beard” from each one (some mussels may not have a beard).

Nutrition Facts

Calories 212, Total Fat 4 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 24 mg, Sodium 439 mg, Carbohydrate 17 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 18 g, Potassium 451 mg. Daily Values: Vitamin C 35%, Iron 25%. Exchanges: Vegetable 1,Lean Meat 2.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Maple Salmon with Greens, Edamame, and Walnuts

Maple Salmon with Greens, Edamame, and Walnuts

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary
4 5-ounce fresh or frozen skinless salmon fillets, about 1 inch thick
1 6-ounce package fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup cooked shelled edamame
1/2 cup red bell pepper strips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions
1. In a small saucepan, combine maple syrup, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, shallot, salt, and pepper. For dressing, in a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup mixture and the olive oil; set aside.
2. For glaze, heat the remaining maple syrup mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes, or until syrupy. Remove from heat; stir in rosemary.
3. Preheat broiler. Place fish on the greased, unheated rack of a broiler pan and brush with half the glaze. Broil 6 to 7 inches from heat for 5 minutes. Turn fish over; brush with remaining glaze. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes more, or until fish begins to flake when tested with a fork.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine spinach, edamame, pepper strips, and nuts. Drizzle spinach mixture with dressing; toss to coat. Spoon salad onto plates; top with fish.

Nutrition facts per serving: 460 calories, 33g protein, 18g carbohydrate, 28g fat (5g saturated), 3g fiber

Lemon-Walnut Chicken

Lemon-Walnut Chicken
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons very finely chopped parsley*
2 tablespoons very finely chopped toasted walnuts*
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons diced shallots
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 1/4 cups brown basmati rice, steamed

Directions
1. In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, walnuts, and lemon zest. Dust the chicken with the flour and season with the salt and black pepper.
2. In a very large skillet (or two medium-large skillets), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until they begin to turn translucent, 1 minute. Push the shallots to one side of the pan, add the chicken breasts, and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
3. Pour the chicken broth and lemon juice into the pan. Cover, and let simmer over low heat until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced, 3 to 4 more minutes.
4. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a serving dish, leaving the liquid and shallots in the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat and stir until thickened, 1 minute. Stir in the parsley mixture. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve over the rice with the lemon wedges.
*Use a mini food processor to reduce chopping time.

Nutrition facts per serving: 293 calories, 36g protein, 19g carbohydrate, 8g fat (1.3g saturated), 2g fiber

Shrimp & Plum Kebabs

Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 35 mins
Total: 35 mins

 Ingredients
3 tablespoons canola oil, or toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 raw shrimp, (8-12 per pound), peeled and deveined
3 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and quartered lengthwise
2 plums, pitted and cut into sixths
Directions
1. Whisk oil, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and salt in a large bowl. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the mixture in a small bowl to use as dressing. Add shrimp, jalapenos and plums to the remaining marinade; toss to coat.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high.
3. Make 4 kebabs, alternating shrimp, jalapenos and plums evenly among four 10-inch skewers. (Discard the marinade.) Grill the kebabs, turning once, until the shrimp are cooked through, about 8 minutes total. Drizzle with the reserved dressing.
Tip:
Equipment: Four 10-inch skewers
Nutrition Facts
Calories 194, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 221 mg, Sodium 446 mg, Carbohydrate 5 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 24 g, Potassium 292 mg. Daily Values: Vitamin C 20%, Iron 20%. Exchanges: Vegetable 1,Lean Meat 3,Fat 1
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Cajun Chicken with dirty rice

Cajun Chicken With Dirty Rice
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried Cajun seasoning
4 ounces chicken breast
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Few dashes Tabasco sauce, to taste
3/4 cup precooked brown rice
Make it: Sprinkle Cajun seasoning on chicken and bake or grill. Add oil to skillet; saute garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomato paste and Tabasco for 2 to 3 minutes. Add pre-cooked rice and saute for 5 more minutes. Serve chicken on rice.

Tuscan Tuna Wrap

It’s time for a little healthy food hope you enjoy!

Tuscan Tuna Wrap

 Ingredients:

 3 ounces light tuna, drained

 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

 1/2 lemon, juiced

 1 tablespoon olive oil

 1/2 cup diced tomatoes

 Dash of salt and pepper

 2 whole-grain tortillas

 1/2 cup baby spinach

 Make it:

Combine tuna with parsley, lemon, oil, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Wrap in tortillas and top with spinach.