Sesame Crusted Pork Chops, from Rachael

Sesame Crusted Pork Chops

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
4 boneless center cut pork chops
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds (I am leaving these out)
1 teaspoon orange marmalade, divided
2 tablespoons peanut oil

Preheat oven to 375. Mix salt with five spice powder and sprinkle on both sides of pork chops. Combine both types of sesame seeds in a shallow dish. Brush one side of each chop with marmalade and coat that side in seed mixture. Saute chops, seedside down, in oil in a large oven proof sautee pan over medium heat. Cook until golden, 3-4 minutes, then turn chops over and trasfer pan to the oven and roast until cooked through, 8-10 minutes.

Suggested by Rachael - Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Tonight we are trying out Asian Pulled Pork Sandwiches from the latest issue of Family Fun. I am subbing beef though because that's what I had.

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger (I am subbing ground ginger)
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
4 pounds boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 2 inch chunks (I am subbing beef and only using 2 pounds of meat)
10 buns

Add everything but meat and buns to crockpot and whisk to combine. Add meat and coat. Cover and cook meat on low 8 hours.Remove meat from crockpot with a slotted spoon and shred. Return meat to the crockpot, stir in sauce, then serve on buns.

I am making slaw and corn with it.

Suggested by Heather - Spicy South Asian Roasted Fish

Spicy South Asian Roasted Fish
Jaime Harder, MA, RD , Cooking Light, APRIL 2008

Even though salmon garners the most attention for omega-3 fats, one serving of this halibut entrée has about 0.6 grams, about half the amount of one's daily intake goal.

Ingredients
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh lemongrass
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless halibut fillets

Preparation1. Preheat oven to 425°.2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a food processor or blender; pulse 30 seconds or until well combined.3. Arrange fillets in a single layer in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish. Pour lemongrass mixture over fish; turn fillets to coat evenly. Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Serve sauce with fish.

Yield4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and about 1 tablespoon sauce)

Nutritional InformationCALORIES 213(22% from fat); FAT 5.3g (sat 2g,mono 1.3g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 35g; CHOLESTEROL 52mg; CALCIUM 84mg; SODIUM 710mg; FIBER 0.1g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5g

Suggested by Rachael - Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I'm making Sweet and Sour Meatballs tonight.

I got the recipe from that Kraft Foods magazine, my grandma gets it, but the sauce is the same thing I've put on chicken wings before using an Allrecipes recipe.

12 oz frozen meatballs
16 oz stir fry veggies (they called for frozen but I use fresh, pre-chopped and cleaned from the produce section)
1/4 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup Catalina dressing
2 tbsps soy sauce

Combine all ingredients in large skillet. Cook over medium/high heat until heated, serve over rice or noodles.

I got reduced fat dressing and sugar free preserves so I will likely add some hoisin sauce or something to help jazz it up. I will also add some red onion to the veggies, wish I had thought to pick up some mushrooms too. The pre-chopped veggies are snow peas, carrots, red cabbage, and broccoli. I'm serving it over Chinese noodles. I have some frozen egg rolls to go with it. Don't judge me, I've made homemade egg rolls and some of the frozen are just as good.

Suggested by Michelle - Wonton Soup

The Food Network's Wonton Soup from Robin Miller.

Michelle says:
Here's the verdict on the soup: Stuffing and sealing the wontons took about 3x longer than I expected; I needed 8 cups of stock (not 6 per the recipe); and DH said it tasted like "sexed up chicken noodle soup." I don't mind that description b/c it's kinda right (except it was pork, not chicken).

Thai Squash Soup, from the internet

Thai squash soup~feeds about 6

1 good sized butternut squash~prick with a fork a few time and roast it in the oven on a cookie sheet. It takes 45 min-1 hour depending on squash

In a big soup pot:
1 onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated

Add the above to pot with 2 TBS butter.

4 medium potates, cubed - add to onions, cook until onions are clear
4-6 cups veggie broth
cover and cook until potatoes are done

With a hand blender/food processor/blender puree potatoe mixture
Seed/peel squash and puree~ add to potatoes mixture

Add 1 can coconut milk, salt and pepper to taste and curry paste to taste. (some like it spicey others not so much) If you don't have curry paste you can always do your favorite curry blend.

reduce temp to low and let simmer 15 min or so to let the flavors mingle.

Enjoy with naan or crusty bread....sourdough is good too!
Freeze in freezer bags/lay them flat for easier storage

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, from Carrie

I made this for dinner the night before last. It only took about 20 minutes to make and was sooooo good!

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

3 Packages (6 oz each) grilled chicken breast strips, Tysons
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint
1/4 cup chili sauce, Heinz
2 teaspoons shredded lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice, Real Lime
1 tablespoon of soy sauce, Kikkoman
1 1/2 teaspoon Thai seasoning, Spice Islands
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 head of Boston or Bibb lettuce, separated into leaves

1. In food processor fitted with a metal blade (or a blender using pulse mode in very small batches) combine chicken strips, cilantro, red onion, and chopped mint. Pulse until coarsely minced.

2. Transfer chicken mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in chili sauce, lime zest, lime juice, Thai seasoning, and garlic.

3. Serve with lettuce leaves for cup or wrappers. Garnish with fresh mint or cilantro sprig (optional)