Honey Balsamic Pork Roast - #11 TS Eatwell Choices

Another crock-pot meal.  A blessing in this heat.  Roast was very tender - and the leftovers . . . we will be eating french dip sandwiches.  Yummy!  Our sides were potatoes and broccoli.

Ingredients:  

2-3 lbs pork shoulder roast

salt & pepper to taste

14.5 oz can beef broth

1/4 c Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 C Honey Teriyaki Sauce

3-4 green onions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp water

Assembly Instructions:  Combine first seven ingredients in a gallon resealable freezer bag; squish to mix.  Seal well, label and freeze.

Cooking instructions:  Thaw completely.  Place in greased slow cooker on low for 8-9 hours.  When roast is done, remove from slow cooker.  Combine cornstarch and water.  Pour by small amounts into slow cooker sauce until you reach desired consistency.  Pour over roast.  Makes 6 servings.

We used a beef roast and I didn't freeze anything.  The gravy was a little thinner than desired but we were hungry.  Will work perfect for using as au jus for the french dip sandwiches.

You can place your Tastefully Simple order at my website.

Smokin' Chipotle Burgers - #10 TS Eatwell Choices Pack

So many varieties of burgers . . .quick mixing.  Wholesome & Hearty.   

Substitutions were done - no pineapple; added grated Parmesan cheese in the mix; and used a slice of cheese.  We also used gluten-free English muffins for buns.  



Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey
2 Tbsp Chipotle Seasoning
1 fresh pineapple cut into 1/2-inch thick rings
6 onion or whole wheat hamburger buns
6 lettuce leaves
plain Greek yogurt (optional)

Assembly Instructions:  Combine first 2 ingredients; form into 6 patties and place between wax paper in gallon resealable bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:  Thaw completely.  Grill or fry to desired doneness.  In the meantime, grill pineapple slices 1-2 minutes per side.  Toast buns, if desired.  On bun bottom place lettuce, then burger and pineapple slice.  Cover with bun top.  Makes 6 servings.

Add Chipotle sauce to burgers if desired.  Mix yogurt and Chipotle Seasoning, a little at a time, to taste.

For me, I used the Dill Pickle Dip as a spread on the buns.  Also used sweet pickle relish.

Slow Cooker Simply Salsa Chicken Recipe - #9 of TS Eatwell Choices 28 day menu

This was Monday night's dinner.  We had to have a quick meal as there was a niece's soccer game to watch that evening.  I don't get home from work until 6 and the game started at 7:30 (a half-hour drive from our house).  This met the need.

This recipe came from Tastefully Simple's recipe section.  We enjoyed it very much.  And I had a very full crock-pot.  Serves 6-8 (I actually got 8 servings!).  No modifications this time (sorry to disappoint you).  My chicken was still frozen so I cooked it a little longer (probably wasn't necessary as the chicken started be a little bit dry).

Ingredients:
1/4 C Simply Salsa Mix
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (I had no salt added)
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 C uncooked instant rice
1 C water
1/2 C cheese (I used low fat)

Directions:  Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, cook on low 8-10 hours.

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Blueberry Acai Mixed Green Salad - #8 of TS Eatwell Choices

We had a family reunion last weekend that required a potluck item (and nothing with peanuts).   Hmm . . . what should I take?  Meat was provided.  I know . . . a green salad.  Must have a TS product.  Yep, have the answer . . . and it was a hit.

Here is the original recipe from the Tastefully Simple website:

Ingredients:
12-16 oz pkg mixed greens
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 pint strawberries or blueberries, sliced
3 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 c crumbled goat or blue cheese
Blueberry Acai Vinaigrette

Directions:  Layer first 6 ingredients in order listed on a large platter or individual salad plates. Drizzle Blueberry Acai Vinaigrette over salad just before serving.

You should know me by now . . . I never follow recipes exactly.  So, for the reunion, all fresh ingredients - leaf lettuce, shelled peas, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, mushrooms, carrots, zuchini, cucumber, and kohlrabi.  No nuts or meat.

Pictured below is the salad I make for my lunches with 2 oz sliced honey deli ham.

both salads used the vinaigrette as a dressing.  YUM!

Honey Teriyaki Vegetable Stir Fry - #7

Do you like stir fry?  this is a fairly quick meal to make and is one of the meals from the TS Eatwell Choices Pack/Wholesome & Hearty.  I did several modifications to the original recipe and this came out great.  Look at the colors - all fresh vegetables courtesy of Pigman's Produce, a local organic farm. 

 Here's the original recipe:

Ingredients: 

1/2 c Honey Teriyaki Sauce

1/4 c natural peanut butter

8 oz whole wheat linguine noodles, cooked

2 lb bag frozen stir fry vegetables

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 c chopped, fresh cilantro

1/2 c cashews

2 limes, cut into wedges

Assembly Instructions:  Combine Honey Teriyaki Sauce and peanut butter in a quart resealable freezer bag; squish to mix.  Place noodles, vegetables, salt and pepper in a gallon freezer bag.  Place both bags in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:  Thaw completely.  Combine all ingredients in large skillet until heated through.  Top with cilantro and cashews.  Serve with a few lime slices.  Makes 6 servings.

Now - the changes I did:

Fresh vegetables equaling 2 pounds - snow peas, carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower (purple & white), broccoli, onion, zucchini, and kohlrabi.  You can add green peppers & celery (my hubby doesn't care for those).

I eliminated the salt & pepper.  I used unsalted crunchy peanut butter.  I cooked it fresh so that I can freeze the leftovers.

I used instant brown rice instead of the linguine noodles and I added shrimp (deveined & tailless).

this was a big hit and we will definitely be eating it more often.

You can order your meal kit at my website, www.tastefullysimple.com/web/mbelles1 or subscribe to TS to You to get a shipment every other month with recipes & grocery list.

Rustic Herb Turkey Burgers - #6 TS EatWell Choices Pack

Perfect time of year for fixing burgers on the BBQ.  Since this makes 6 servings, I made up all the patties and froze those we didn't grill.

I never thought of adding carrots to a burger.  Lots of flavor.  Quick & easy to make too!  Dinner was ready in about 15 minutes!

Hubby ate his like a burger and I went "naked" (as shown in picture).  We added a slice of cheese.

Ingredients:  

2 Tbsp Rustic Herb Seasoning

2 lbs ground turkey

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 C shredded carrots

2 Tbsp olive oil

6 hamburger buns

6 lettuce leaves

1 tomato, sliced

Directions:  Combine first 4 ingredients; form into 6 large patties.  Brush patties with olive oil.  Cook over medium heat in a nonstick skillet, about 7 minutes per side.  Serve on buns with lettuce and tomato slices.

suggested sides:  Coleslaw, sweet potato fries, fresh fruit.

Tip:  Combine 2 Tbsp Bayou Bourbon Glaze with 1/2 cup mayonnaise to make a burger sauce.

Grilled Flank Steak with Pineapple Salsa - #5 TS Eatwell Choices Pack

"What's for dinner?"  Do you hear that often, well there is a solution for you . . . TS to You from Tastefully Simple.  You get products, menus, grocery list, & recipes every other month to make exciting meals like this. 

Tonight's dinner was grilled flank steak that was so unbelievably tender.  So here you go . . . the original recipe.

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 lbs flank steak

1 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp Chipotle Seasoning

1/2 tsp pepper

8 (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas or wraps

1 fresh pineapple, cut into 1/2-inch thick rings

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 c finely diced red onion

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Assembly Instructions:  Combine first 4 ingredients in a gallon resealable freezer bag; squish to mix.  Seal well, label and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:  Thaw completely.  Grill or broil steak 4-6 minutes a side. Let steak rest 8 minutes before slicing crosswise into very thin strips.  In the meantime, grill pineapple slices 1-2 minutes per side.   To prepare salsa, dice the pineapple, add red pepper, onion, cilantro and vinegar and a pinch of Chipotle Seasoning, if desired.  Serve steak with the pineapple salsa in warmed tortillas or wraps.  Makes 6 servings.

That was the original recipe.  Now, I customize to meet my family's tastes.  I only used 1 Tbsp of the Chipotle seasoning on the meat, used Avocado Oil instead of the olive oil, eliminated the bell pepper, used Walla Walla sweet onion instead of the red onion, used 1 tsp of dried cilantro instead of fresh, and finally, used Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar of Modena instead of the red wine vinegar. 

One thing we learned, the steak was too rare so we had to zap it in the microwave.

I served it over brown rice instead of using the tortillas.  Fresh steamed broccoli as a side.

Are you interested in meals like this?  Check out my website, www.tastefullysimple.com/web/mbelles1.  Find the TS to You and click on Subscribe - pick your choice of 10 Meals or 30 Meals or Party and have it shipped to you every other month.  New recipes every time.

Simple Sloppy Joes - #4 TS Eatwell Choices Pack

Just as the title implies, simple.  Because the ground turkey I used was a little bit more than a pound (and it was extra lean), it was a little dry.   We had fresh steamed green beans as a side.  Oh, and we used Gluten-free hamburger buns, which we toasted on the BBQ.  

Ingredients:


1 lb lean ground beef
2 Tbsp Onion Onion seasoning
1 tsp mustard
3/4 c ketchup
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Seasoned Salt (to taste)
4-5 hamburger buns

Cooking directions:  Brown ground beef and Onion Onion in a skillet over medium heat; drain.  Add mustard, ketchup, brown sugar and Seasoned Salt.  reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.  Serve on buns.  Makes 4-5 servings.

Prep Time:  10 minutes
Chill/Cook Time:  30 minutes

Approximately 6 points plus on Weight Watchers program.

Hummus Crusted Chicken - #3 from TS Eatwell Product Pack

Talk about easy!  I put this together this morning while my breakfast was cooking.  Hubby cooked it on the grill this evening.  Moist, tender, yummy!

I did a few modifications.  I used Avocado Oil instead of olive oil.  I also used Garlic Pepper Seasoning instead of regular salt and pepper.  We left out the red onion and the paprika (we don't like the heat of the onions and my husband can't handle too much spice).  The package of frozen vegetables was smaller so I added fresh broccoli to make up the difference (I think next time I will use fresh vegetables only & maybe add rice as well).

You can make adjustments/substitutions yourself as well.  When we cooked it on the grill, we used the time as a guide but made sure the chicken was at the internal temperature.

This makes 6 servings, so we froze the leftovers.

Ingredients:


6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp + 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp pepper, divided
16 oz pkg frozen California Blend vegetables
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 c chopped red onion
1 Tbsp + 1/4 c olive oil, divided
15-16 oz can chickpeas, drained (reserve 1/3 c liquid)
1 packet Red Bell Pepper Hummus Mix
1/2-1 tsp paprika

Assembly Instructions:  Season chicken with 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper.  Place in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  In another gallon resealable freezer bag put the vegetables, remaining salt & pepper, lemon juice, onion, and 1 Tbsp olive oil.  In a quart resealable freezer bag combine the chickpeas with reserved liquid, remaining olive oil and Red Bell Pepper Hummus mix.  Squish ingredients to mash.  Place all bags together in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:  Thaw completely.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In greased 9x13 baking pan, place vegetables, then chicken breasts.  Divide the hummus over the chicken breasts; sprinkle with paprika.  Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Nutritional Information:  this is estimated using MyFitnessPal and Weight Watchers recipe builder.

Calories:  212
Carbs:  27g
Fat 5g
Protein 30 g
Cholest:  65mg
Sodium 3,226 mg
Sugar 3g
Fiber 4 g
WW PointsPlus:  9

All Tastefully Simple products can be purchased online at my website:  www.tastefullysimple.com/web/mbelles1.  All major credit cards accepted.

Stuffed Apricot Pork Tenderloin

This is the second meal from the TS Eatwell Choices Product Pack.  Unfortunately, the pack is no longer available.  However, you can still purchase the individual items.

As always, feel free to do substitutions.  With it being so hot, I didn't want to cook in the house.  So, we grilled it on the BBQ.


Moist, tender, full of flavor . . . yummy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 lbs pork tenderloin
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 Tbsp + 1-2 tsp Chipotle Seasoning, divided
1/3 c chopped dried apricots 
3 Tbsp hot water
1 lime, cut in half
3 oz Greek yogurt cream cheese or light cream cheese
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Assembly Instructions:  Cut tenderloin horizontally to open like a book, not cutting through all the way.  Sprinkle with 3/4 Tbsp Chipotle Seasoning (I only used 1/2 Tbsp and it was still too spicy for hubby, so feel free to use less) and fold shut.  Pepper the outside of tenderloin and place in a gallon resealable freezer bag.  Seal well, label and freeze.  (I didn't freeze it but went on to the cooking instructions).

Cooking Instructions:  Thaw completely.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir together the apricots, hot water and juice from half a lime.  Let stand 15 minutes; drain.  In the meantime, stir together cream cheese, green onions and remaining Chipotle Seasoning (here again I only used 1 tsp but you can use less if you are sensitive to spicy heat).  Fold open tenderloin, place the apricot mixture on one side and cream cheese mixture on the other side.  Fold shut; double-wrap in foil and place on baking sheet; bake for 40 minutes.  Unwrap and bake an additional 20-35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.  Squeeze some of the remaining lime juice on top of tenderloin.  Slice and serve.  Makes 6 servings.

As you can tell from the photo, we didn't use the green onions either.