Pork Chops Alfredo

Tried this recipe last night, and we really, really enjoyed it!


Pork Chops Alfredo

Ingredients:
2 pork chops
1 tablespoon butter
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1 16-oz jar Parmesan alfredo sauce
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Sprinkle the chops on both sides with salt and pepper and garlic powder.
2. Melt butter and brown chops on both sides. Arrange chops in a baking dish.
3. Pour the alfredo sauce into the skillet and stir around to loosen any browned bits. Add parmesan cheese to sauce. Pour half sauce  over chops. 
4. Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with low carb pasta, use the left over Alfredo sauce over the pasta.

We really enjoyed this recipe, sorry, no pictures! 

Italian Pork Tenderloin

I bought one of these double packs of pork tenderloins, you know the ones that you get at Sams Club and then think-- how will we ever eat it all?! But the freezer is my friend, and today I used up the rest of the pork tenderloin in a yummy "Italian" dish that all began when I read this recipe. But, since I didn't have some of the ingredients and wanted to add others-- this is what I came up with:

It's hard to photograph food... but trust me, it tasted great!

Italian Pork Tenderloin


Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup chopped Bacon, pre-cooked 
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp dried Sage
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning (herbs)
• 1 Tbs Sun Dried tomato paste
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 2 Tbs. Shallots, chopped
• 1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloins, cut into 1/2" strips
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 C. heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, saute bacon, sage, herbs, tomatoes, tomato paste and shallots, until the shallots are tender.
2. Mix the pork strips into the skillet, and brown about 10 minutes, turning once.
3. Remove the pork strips from the skillet. 
4. Stir the broth, wine,  and heavy cream into the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. 
5. Bring to a boil and reduce by about 1/3.
6. Add the pork back to the sauce.
7. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pork reaches a minimum temperature of 160 degrees F and sauce is thickened.

I served this with a green salad and over low carb linguine, it was very good!

nutrition for the recipe alone:

Calories 473.3   Total Fat 25.6 g       Saturated Fat 10.6 g       Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g       Monounsaturated Fat 7.5 g   Cholesterol 175.8 mg   Sodium 300.0 mg   Potassium 840.4 mg   Total Carbohydrate 3.7 g       Dietary Fiber 4.5 g       Sugars 0.8 g   Protein 51.4 




Linked up at these parties:
While He Was Napping Recipe Exchange


  

Baked Meatballs

I have seen various versions of this recipe. The original came from the Atkins website, but I have tweaked it to make it "mine", and I have to say that they turned out mighty tasty! I had made the recipe to the "letter" from Atkins a long time ago, and remember that they weren't very flavorful, but with my "tweaks" they surely aren't short on flavor!

BAKED MEATBALLS
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground pork
1 Tbs.  dried chopped onion
2 Tbs. Garli Garni
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, (I used the kind in a can)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon onion salt (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon pepper (to taste, I probably used more)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. (and I lined my baking sheet with foil)

2. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl using your fingers. Mix until the meat no long feels slimy from the eggs.

3. Shape in golf ball size meatballs and place on a large baking sheet with sides. Bake at 375� for 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are done all the way through. (and I turned on the broiler once they were cooked and broiled them until they browned up a bit-- about 5 minutes).

Ready to bake

Makes about 20-30 meatballs  (I got 24)
Can be frozen

Ok, so I have to warn you that mine flattened out on the bottom-- didn't bother us any, and sure didn't impact the flavor.... here's a pic, I am sorry-- I know it's not the best.


Bake meatballs, the cheese sort of leaks out of them... oh well, if you really care you could remove it, we didn't!


I served these with a Trader Joe's spaghetti sauce (4 net carbs), shirataki noodles (1 net carb) and a salad. Very Yummy! Look for my post on  shirataki noodles for more details.

Per meatball: 92 Calories; 7g Fat; 6g Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; .5g Net Carbs


Products mentioned in the post:
 Shirataki Noodles (Pack of 5)
 Garlic Festival Garli Garni - All Purpose Garlic Seasoning 2.8 Ounce

 Kraft Grated Parmesan, Reduced Fat, 8-Ounce Canister (Pack of 3)

Pork Capri

What to do with Ricotta Cheese when you don't want to make lasagna? This is the question that I pondered as I searched the web. I finally stumbled upon a recipe for Chicken Capri from Fatsecret.com. I thought, hmmmm.... sounds good. But, you know me-- time to tweak it to fit my ingredients at hand. Armed with ricotta cheese, and pork chops I created my own version of this recipe:


Pork Capri


1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

• 1 cup ricotta, whole milk
• 1/2 tsp Garli garni (could use garlic powder)
• 1/2 tsp ground oregano
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp onion salt
• 2 tbsps virgin olive oil
• 4 pork chops (bone removed would be easiest.... but I was lazy)
• 1 cup fire roasted tomatoes, canned
• 
  
• Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, combine the ricotta with the oregano, onion salt, and pepper. Process to blend.
2. Rub the pork with the Garli  Garni . Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook for 1-2 minutes per side.
3. Place the pork chops, side by side, in a large baking dish and allow to cool. (I didn't really let them cool too long... we were hungry)
4. Preheat the oven to 350° F .
5. Spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and 1/4 cup tomatoes onto each pork chop. Top each pork chop with 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of a pork chop registers 160 °F° F (75° C) and the juices run clear.

This recipe serves 4, and has about 6 net carbs.

 This recipe is Induction friendly! 

We loved this recipe and will definitely make it again.

Products used:

Garlic Festival Garli Garni - All Purpose Garlic Seasoning 2.8 Ounce

Pizza Pita Pockets

So, I blame this recipe on too many pizza commercials on TV! :) But, every now and then I get a craving for pizza, and my husband would eat it nearly every day if I let him! Last night was one of those nights, besides I had just received our order from netrition.com with Joseph's Middle East Bakery Low Carb Pita Pockets.... and so I went online to find a recipe. I found one from Cooks.com (here), and tweaked it to make it more "our style".

Pizza Pita Pockets

1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil

2-3 Tbs. Garli Garni
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 c. commercially prepared pizza sauce (lowest carb you can find, ours had 3 net carbs)
1/2-1 tsp. Italian seasoning (dried herbs)

1 Tbs. dried onions
1/2 tsp. + 1/8 tsp. salt (I used onion salt)
1/8 tsp. pepper

2 mushrooms, sliced

1/3 c. diced Mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 (7") pita bread (Joseph's Middle East Bakery Low Carb Pita Pockets)

In a skillet heat oil over moderate heat.  Add meat, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Spoon off and discard any fat. Add pizza sauce, garli garni, onions, italian seasoning, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Simmer 3 minutes. Stir in cheeses; cook a few seconds, stirring constantly, until Mozzarella begins to melt; remove from heat. Cut about a 1" slice off one edge of each bread, and open the pockets. Spoon meat mixture into pita breads. Heat a nonstick skillet over moderate high heat. When hot, add stuffed pitas. Cover and heat 30 seconds longer. Serve hot. Makes 2 servings.

Served with a salad, it was a great dinner! :) I will definitely make this again!