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I'm all about Cooking Light recipes all the time. Hopefully you will find something that peaks your interest and inspires you to use Cooking Light everyday!
Showing posts with label nuts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nuts. Show all posts

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Fruit and Walnut-stuffed Pork Loin


I love a roulade.  It's like a special surprise wrapped up in the middle.  This one calls for dried fruits, rehydrated in red wine and triple sec (um, YUM!).  Luckily, we found the perfect sized pork loin at Wegman's, so we were on our way.  I had dried cherries and apricots, so instead of the additional dried plums, just added in more of those two fruits.  For the wine, we used Red Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine you can easily find at your grocery store (if your state permits the sale of alcohol in grocery stores).  Since we had most of the ingredients on-hand, and tag-teamed this recipe, it came together quickly.

Instead of cutting the pork into the recommended 16 slices, we decided to cut into 8 larger slices instead.  Our pork looks pink in the picture but I can assure you as an infectious disease aficionado, we cooked our pork to the appropriate 155 degree temperature.  We served a mint pea puree (not Cooking Light but Claire Robinson from Food Network) and Roasted potatoes with a roasted garlic vinaigrette (recipe in the next post).

In the end, this was delicious.  The combination of fruits and nuts and pork with a crunchy outside was a great combination.  I think we liked it and would definitely make it again.

As of this post, 13 people gave this an average rating of four out of 5.

Recipe by Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light, September 2008


Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 slices)

Ingredients

  • 1/2  cup  dry red wine
  • 1/4  cup  dried sour cherries
  • 1/4  cup  chopped dried apricots
  • 1/4  cup  chopped dried plums
  • 2  tablespoons  Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
  • 1/3  cup  finely chopped walnuts
  • 2  tablespoons  chopped shallots
  • 1 1/4  teaspoons  salt, divided
  • 1/2  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
  • 2  (1-ounce) slices French bread
  • 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • 2  garlic cloves, minced
  • 1  (2 1/2-pound) boneless center-cut pork loin roast, trimmed
  • 2  tablespoons  Dijon mustard
  • Cooking spray
  • Parsley sprigs (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 2 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes or until fruit is plump. Drain mixture through a sieve, reserving fruit mixture. Combine fruit mixture, walnuts, shallots, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and rind.
3. Combine 3/4 teaspoon salt, French bread, and next 3 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; process until fine crumbs form.
4. Cut pork in half lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side; open halves, laying the pork flat. Starting from center, cut each half lengthwise, cutting to, but not through, other side; open halves, laying pork flat. Cover with plastic wrap; pound to an even thickness. Discard plastic wrap. Spread fruit mixture over pork, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll up pork, jelly-roll fashion, starting with one long side. Secure with wooden picks. Sprinkle outside of pork evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; brush evenly with mustard. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over pork; press gently to adhere. Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 55 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 155°. Let pork stand 10 minutes. Remove wooden picks. Cut into 16 (1/2-inch-thick) slices. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 323 (35% from fat)
Fat: 12.4g (sat 3.7g,mono 4.5g,poly 3.1g)
Protein: 29.7g
Carbohydrate: 18.9g
Fiber: 1.4g
Cholesterol: 79mg
Iron: 1.9mg
Sodium: 573mg
Calcium: 41mg

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Candied-Walnut, Pear and Leafy Green Salad


Ok so I've had this for lunch two weeks in a row, can you say delicious?  I'm normally not a walnut person but these candied walnuts provide such a sweet crunch that's to die for.  The balsamic really complements the pears and walnuts really well.

I did make two lazy changes, which was to use Wegman's white balsamic dressing instead of making the dressing in the recipe, and to use a pre-mixed salad bag instead of mixing it at home(who has time for that).  Since I'm from NY, I love everything Wegman's and I had it in my fridge so I figured why make things more difficult for myself.  If you can find it, this dressing is excellent! 

We also had this on the side for dinner on Saturday with the in-laws (other recipes to come). I will be doing as the author suggests and make extra batches of the nuts around the holidays to give out!  I didn't try the wine paring with this but I'll have to next time.

As of today's post, 7 people gave this an average rating of 5 out of 5!

I hope you enjoy this in your home as much as we did in ours!

Recipe by Cooking Light, November 2009
The sweet, crunchy nuts are great on their own--make a double batch, and give some as a gift.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients

  • 1/3  cup  sugar
  • 2/3  cup  chopped walnuts, toasted
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt, divided
  • 2  tablespoons  white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/2  teaspoons  Dijon mustard
  • 3  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1  tablespoon  capers, chopped
  • 4  cups  torn green leaf lettuce
  • 4  cups  chopped romaine lettuce
  • 4  cups  chopped radicchio
  • 1  ripe red Anjou pear, thinly sliced
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Place sugar in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring gently as needed to dissolve sugar evenly (about 1 minute). Continue cooking 1 minute or until golden (do not stir). Remove from heat; carefully stir in nuts to coat evenly. Spread nuts on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; separate nuts quickly. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside until cool; break into small pieces.
2. Combine vinegar and mustard, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in capers.
3. Combine lettuces and radicchio; top with pear and candied walnuts. Drizzle dressing evenly over salad; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
Wine note: I favor a crisp white with almost any green salad, and Candied Walnut, Pear, and Leafy Green Salad is no exception. 2007 Pinon Vouvray Cuvée Tradition ($16) has a gorgeous nose of honey and lemon peel that resonates perfectly with the candied nuts and pears. --Gary Vaynerchuck

Nutritional Information

Calories: 171
Fat: 11.6g (sat 1.3g,mono 4.6g,poly 5.2g)
Protein: 2.7g
Carbohydrate: 16.3g
Fiber: 2.6g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Iron: 1mg
Sodium: 177mg
Calcium: 37mg


Saturday, May 1, 2010

Chicken and Wild Rice Salad with Almonds

As soon as I read the December 2009 issue of Cooking Light, this was the recipe I knew I had to make.  We were spending the holidays with my family in Atlanta and I happened to stumble upon fig vinegar while at Publix.  So I carted it back home and made this recipe. I've made it several times since and it seems to only get better with time.  

I haven't seen fig vinegar yet in the north (or semi-north since we are still below the Mason-Dixon line in DC) at Wegman's, but I'm sure one of the grocery stores must carry it.  Otherwise, I'll just have to bribe my mom to bring some with her when she visits. :)  They say you can sub other vinegar if you don't have the fig vinegar, but I think it's worth looking for.

We didn't make any changes to this recipe, except to cut the amount of rice to 1 cup instead of 1.5 cups.  But looking at the picture on myrecipes.com their rice is 100% wild while we used a wild/brown mix.  You could even use rotisserie chicken to make this a quick meal.  It's a very flavorful and tasty recipe and the portion sizes are generous. 


As of today's post, 14 reviewers rated it on average a 5 out of 5!


I hope you enjoy this in your home as much as we do in ours!

Recipe by Ashley Bone, Spring Hill, Tennessee, Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2009

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients

  • Dressing:
  • 1/4  cup  fig vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 2  teaspoons  sugar
  • 1  teaspoon  Dijon mustard
  • 1/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1  garlic clove, minced
  • 2  tablespoons  canola oil

  • Remaining ingredients:
  • 2  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2  cups  uncooked wild rice
  • 1  tablespoon  butter
  • Cooking spray
  • 1  pound  skinless, boneless chicken breast
  • 1/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/8  teaspoon  black pepper
  • 1  cup  chopped celery
  • 1/2  cup  shredded carrots
  • 1/3  cup  dried cranberries
  • 1/4  cup  chopped almonds, toasted
  • 2  tablespoons  minced red onion

Preparation

1. To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Gradually add oil, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Cover and chill.
2. Combine broth, rice, and butter in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove rice mixture from heat; cool.
3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 8 minutes on each side or until done. Cool; cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
4. Combine cooked rice, chicken, celery, carrots, cranberries, almonds, and red onion in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 352
Fat: 10.3g (sat 2g,mono 5g,poly 2.5g)
Protein: 25g
Carbohydrate: 40.6g
Fiber: 4g
Cholesterol: 49mg
Iron: 1.6mg
Sodium: 357mg
Calcium: 42mg