Southwest-Style Slow-Cooker Pork Chops

Thank you Pillsbury.com for today’s recipe….I know crockpot season may almost be over at least for me since I really only use it during the winter month BUT this looked too good to pass up. It’s not the same old pork chops! Tender chops slow-cooked with flavorful creamy mashed pinto beans make a tasty dinner for four.

Prep:  10 minutes     Cook time: 4 hours & 10 minutes     Servings:  4

Ingredients

4 – bone-in center-cut pork loin chops, 3/4 inch thick (about 2 lb)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup salsa

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

2 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans, drained, rinsed

Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Directions

1. Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork chops with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the seasoning. Cook pork chops in skillet 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, until brown.
2. In 3- to 4 1/2- quart slow cooker, mix remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon seasoning, the salsa, corn and beans until well blended. Top with pork chops, overlapping as necessary, pressing gently into bean mixture.
3. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 5 hours.
4. Remove pork chops to serving platter. Cover to keep warm. With fork or potato masher, mash beans slightly until slightly thickened. Serve pork chops over beans. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Additional Tips

• Browning the pork chops before placing them in the slow cooker adds flavor to this dish.
• Substitute black beans or red beans for pinto beans in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts:  Calories 360, Total Fat 11g, Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Cholesterol 85 mg Sodium 1110mg, Potassium 760mg, Total Carbohydrate 32g, Dietary Fiber 7g, Sugars 9g, Protein 33g.  Daily Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 4 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 0 Fat;

Since I am the Queen of leftovers – LOL.  I love when there are 4 servings because it ensures I have a meal or two to freeze for hubby’s dinner.  Since he works the swing shift, he uses Thirty One’s Picnic Thermal.  It holds his dinner, snacks  and LOTS of other stuff. We actually weighed it one day and it was 35 pounds! So whether you are headed to the beach, campground or family picnic with your favorite foods. The Picnic Thermal Tote has a Leak Lock^® thermal lining to hold ice when you need to keep things cool for a longer time. A removable, adjustable shoulder strap makes it easy to carry when you have your hands full, and the zip-around closure ensures everything stays put while you’re transporting it from the car.

Share your favorite recipe with us, and if I publish it….YOU will get a FREE gift from me.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday: Restaurant Style Salsa

I don’t know about you but I LOVE salsa…. all kinds.  Thick and chunky, black bean, peach, mango, pineapple – yes, I could go on forever since there are so many different kinds.  I use it on everything – dressing on my salad, on my burgers, and with my eggs.  You get the picture, right?  Salsa is delish! And there’s nothing better than restaurant salsa – hot and spicy.

I am always looking for a healthy, fresh, easy recipe for salsa.  I like salsa with fresh veggies when I am putting it on a salad or a burger BUT when it comes to dipping chips, I want it to taste like the yummy kind I find in my favorite Mexican restaurant.

This is a great recipe because you use ingredients you can keep in your pantry.  So, when friends drop by for a visit or you need a quick snack for family, you can whip this up. You can mix it up in a food processor, a blender or I have even used my Magic Bullet.

Thank you to Creating My Happiness for sharing this recipe with us:

Ingredients

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
2 10 oz can Rotel Original
1 jalepeno pepper
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tbsp cilantro

Directions:

• Slice jalepeno, set aside (keep as many seeds as you like)
• Strain the tomatoes, and the Rotel.  Dump in a colander and let the excess juice drain.  DO NOT rinse them
• Place all ingredients in Ninja (or processor, blender).  Pour the lime juice over the top, then add cilantro.
• Blend for 20 seconds.
• Chill 1-2 hours before serving.   It tastes better cold!

Now you have amazing salsa, let’s serve it on Thirty One’s Close to Home Tray.  Place a small bowl with salsa on it along with some chips and let the fun begin.  Add a dash of style to your home with this beautiful mango wood tray. It’s perfect for serving small snacks and makes a great decoration when not in use! Personalize it with a Simply Etched design to create a special keepsake. Dimensions: Approx. 7.25″H x 20″L x .75″D

What is your favorite salsa recipe?  Or better yet, what is your favorite recipe?  Share it with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

 

 

 

Tasty Tuesday: Swap and Save Calories

The LONG week-end is over.  There is still time to shed a few pounds before the summer season kicks off for real on July 4th.  Try some of these swaps courtesy of Hungry Girl.

1. Go egg-whites only for your morning scramble or omelette. A 3/4-cup serving of liquid egg whites (the equivalent of 3 eggs) is about 100 calories, and 3 whole large eggs are about 215 calories. I like the nutrients from the yolk so I only keep 1 yolk if I am having more than 1 eff.

2. Opt for English muffins over bagels.  The average whole-wheat English muffin has around 130 calories; a wheat bagel has closer to 300.

3. Three words: Powdered. Peanut. Butter. I LOVE Peanut butter. I mean who doesn’t right but who wants all of the calories (or points), right?  PB2 is good and can take the place of PB for less than half the calories.  Want it to be a little creamier?  Add a few extra drops of water.

4. Trade doughy rolls for flat sandwich buns.  These come in lots of flavors including bagels.  These slim 100-calorie versions are really good.

5. Making tuna or chicken salad, use fat-free plain Greek yogurt in place of regular mayo. For every 2 tbsp., you’ll slash over 150 calories!  I am a Miracle Whip Light kind of girl since I can’t have dairy and slash the calories as well.

6. Exchange rice for cauliflower rice.  I will admit, I love this swap BUT I do buy the frozen or bits since I never got it right with my blender.  Mash it up with your potatoes to cut the calories too.

7. Use nonstick spray on your skillet instead of oil. The spray is practically calorie-free, while a 1-tbsp. “glug” of oil runs about 120 calories.

8. Combine finely chopped brown mushrooms with ground beef to cut calories! Replace 4 oz. raw extra-lean ground beef with 2 cups of the mushrooms to save around 100 calories — just think if you were swapping out the fattier stuff!  I need to try this.

9. Spaghetti squash! Zucchini noodles! Veggie noodles are a great calorie saver — ditch conventional carby pasta, and you’ll save around 160 calories per cup.

 10. Eat an orange (or clementines) instead drinking orange juice. OJ has around 112 calories per cup, while a medium orange has just over 60 cals, plus filling fiber.

11. Switch from sugary sodas to zero-calorie carbonated water or seltzer. Or eliminate carbonated beverages totally.  Save about 120 calories per can!

12. Got dip? Use veggies instead of chips to scoop it up. An ounce (about 9 chips) of tortilla chips has around 140 calories and will be gone in no time.  Eat an entire large red bell pepper or about 14 baby carrots instead for around 50 calories.

13. Choose popcorn over chips — you get more volume! A single-serving baggie of Lay’s Classic has 160 calories. You can have 5 whole cups of 94% fat-free popcorn for 100 calories or less.

14. Having a chocolate craving? Why not have a fudge-flavored Enlightened The-Good-for-You Ice Cream Bar for 70 calories (plus 8g protein!).

15. Want something refreshing and sweet? Give fruity ice cream the cold shoulder. A measly 1/2 cup of strawberry ice cream has around 130 calories; have an entire cup of frozen berries for half the calories.

16. Halve the cheese. Cheese is great, but we’re generally served way more than we need. At a restaurant, ask for half of the usual amount to save calories without sacrificing flavor.

17. Request a to-go box right when your meal arrives. Keep a reasonable serving, put the rest in the box, and set it aside for another meal. (Or just split one entrée with a pal when dining out — save calories AND cash!)

18. When at the sandwich shop, opt for mustard over mayo. A tablespoon of full-fat mayo has around 100 calories, while standard yellow mustard has closer to 5. Yes, 5!

19. Trade dressing for salsa. Salad dressing can add hundreds of fatty calories to a healthy meal; 10 – 20 calories’ worth of salsa is a total bargain in comparison!

20. Choose broth-based soups over creamy ones. Fun fact: Yeah, you’ll save calories by selecting a lighter soup option — around 100 vs. 200 — but studies have shown starting a meal with a brothy soup leads people to take in fewer calories overall!

21. Lettuce buns. It’s gotten pretty trendy for restaurants to offer lettuce in place of traditional sandwich and burger buns; this is a stellar way to easily ditch around 200 – 300 calories. Don’t want to be extreme?  Take off the top, and eat the sandwich open faced.

22. Skip whole-milk morning lattes and sugary cappuccinos; grab a coffee with skim milk instead. We’ve been known to carry packets of our favorite natural no-calorie sweetener around for this very purpose.

What are your best tips for cutting calories?  Share them with us.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday – Easy Enchilada Soup

It is ELECTION DAY!  No matter who you are for (or against) please be sure to get out and vote.

Thank you Sommer for this YUMMY recipe…

The salsa is the key ingredient to giving this enchilada soup a wide array of flavors. It offers a pop of freshness to offset the slow-cooked depth of the enchilada sauce.

PREP TIME:  10 Minutes          DIFFICULTY:  Easy
COOK TIME:  25 Minutes         SERVINGS:  5 Servings

INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Onion, Peeled And Chopped
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
1-1/2 pound Boneless Chicken Breast
2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
4 cups Chicken Broth
2 cans (10 Oz. Size) Red Enchilada Sauce
2 cups Frozen Corn
1 can (15 Oz. Size) Black Beans, Drained
1-1/2 cup Fresh Tomato Salsa
Your Favorite Toppings (See Note Below)

INSTRUCTIONS
1.  Add oil, chopped onion, and garlic to a large sauce pot. Place over medium heat and sauté for 3–5 minutes to soften.

2.  Place chicken breasts in the pot along with cumin, chicken broth, and enchilada sauce. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

3.  Remove chicken from pot and place on a cutting board. Add corn, black beans, and salsa to the soup. Chop or shred the chicken breasts and place back into the pot. Stir well, and salt and pepper to taste.

4.  When ready to serve, ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with fresh toppings.

Note: Possible toppings include shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped scallions, chopped avocado, cilantro, and tortilla chips.

Want to share your favorite recipe with us?  I would love to share it with my readers, fill out the form below:

Name(required)

Email(required)

Recipe(required)

Submit

Δ

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!