Yum!

One of the joys of cooking is utilizing seasonal ingredients and both of these recipes fit the bill. The Holiday Green Beans, because hey, what's more holiday than to make green beans into a (usually) unhealthy version of themselves? (This recipe, however is nutritionally smartened up- but you'd never know it by the flavors!!) And Pork Chops & Acorn Squash- I know the squash is definitely a seasonal item but the pork chops are seasonal as well for us- since Miss Little Piggy took all summer to grow and with the Fall took up new residence in our freezer. I have never tasted pork so good as this homegrown (well, not our house but a friend of the family's) pig!!! Hopefully no one is feeling too squeamish to actually enjoy these recipes now!!! :)

Holiday Green Beans Serves 12

8 c. (about 2 lb.) cut fresh green beans
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 Tblsp. butter
2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. fat-free milk
1 c. reduced-fat sour cream
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 c. (6 oz.) shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
TOPPING:
1/3 c. slivered almonds
1/3 c. crushed cornflakes
1 Tblsp. butter, melted

1. Place beans in a Dutch oven and cover with water, bring to boil. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set aside.
2. In large skillet, saute mushrooms in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, onion and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in beans and cheese until blended.
3. Transfer to 11x7-in. (I used 9x13-in.) baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 12-16 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.


Pork Chops and Acorn Squash (Crockpot) Serves 6

6 (4 oz. ea.) boneless pork loin chops (I used 4 bone-in)
2 medium acorn squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 Tblsp. butter, melted
1 Tblsp. orange juice (I squeezed juice out of the orange I grated)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. grated orange peel
3/4 tsp. browning sauce, optional

1. Place pork chops in a 5-qt. slow cooker; add the squash. Combine the brown sugar, butter, orange juice, salt, orange peel and browning sauce if desired; pour over squash.
2. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until meat and squash are tender. **May take longer/need to switch to high heat if husband accidentally unplugs crockpot instead of coffeepot at unknown time.**

The Quick and the De...licious....

Since Mike has been struggling to rid himself of his new affliction (picture the Mucinex bugs, proliferating like fruit flies, sliding through his colon like the fastest roller coaster at Thrillville), I am under strict Doctor's orders to feed him food of the bland variety. I generally try to liven up my dishes with whatever spices I think might blend together so this is a big step for me in the opposite direction. He has assured me he does not want to exist on plain organic yogurt and applesauce for the next ten days, so I am stuck trying to figure out some exciting new dishes devoid of flavor. This being said, I prepared this meal last night and it was absolutely fabulous! I decreased the amount of red pepper and took it easy on some of the other spices so it wouldn't be *too* flavorful per Doctor's orders but it still tasted great!! It also took about 10-15 minutes total from start to serve so I wanted to share such a great find!! I served these with a fresh baked sweet potato on the side (scrub, poke with fork, bake at 375 for 1 1/4 hrs). Mike told me this is in his top six for favorites (he is still unsure what the other five are).

Panko-Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Herb Dressing
Pork:
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. each salt, onion powder, ground cumin and chili powder
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 large egg white
1/3 c. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 (4 oz) boneless center-cut loin pork chops
1 tsp. canola oil
Dressing:
1 Tblsp. chopped green onions
1 Tblsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I omitted)
2 Tblsp. fat-free sour cream
1 Tblsp. fat-free milk
1 Tblsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1) Preheat oven to 450. Comnine first 6 ingredients in shallow dish. Combine soy sauce and eggwhite in a medium bowl, stirring with whisk. Place panko in shallow dish.
2) Dredge pork in flour mixture; dip in egg mixture. Dredge in panko. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 1 minute on each side. Place pork on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for 6minutes or until done.
3) To prepare dressing, combine onions and the remaining ingredients. Serve dressing with pork. Serves:2
*You can make this meal gluten-free by substituting cornflakes for the panko.*