PS: Belgian White Ale rules

Seriously, I had five bottles of Shock Top Belgian White this weekend, and DAMN is that stuff good.  I seriously have a thing for Belgian Whites.  Yummo!

Dijon Porkchops with Carmelized Onions & Succotash

Just 9 WW points per plate!

And easy, too.

4 pork chops

2 T italian dressing

3 T dijon (I used coarse)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 chopped or sliced onion

Brown the chops and remove from the pan.

Sautee the onions until carmelized, and remove.

Return chops to pan and spread the mixture of the remaining ingredients. Cook about 10-15 minutes over medium heat until cooked through. Layer onions over the chops to serve.

Serve with brown rice and succotash. 

Ina Garten's Prosciutto/Arugula Pizza

My mother once told me she liked Ina Garten because you "couldn't trust a skinny cook", and thus, I was won over to her show. I love that she makes meals for her gay friends and they do all the decorating. It cracks me up the way they fictionalize her life into her cooking show, as if she isn't really living like that.  I think it's more real than you'd believe. Anyways...

I've also been recently introduced to arugula. I'm not one who usually strays from the standard leafy greens, but when this was on sale at Fresh & Easy, I thought I'd give it a try. WW (Weight Watchers) had a recipe for milanese chicken with arugula salad, so I bought it to attempt. Then I found this pizza recipe and I combined it with my Trattoria Grappolo dough recipe and YUM! 

So here it is! Check out the process photos below. Recipe can be found HERE.

Bacon-Cheddar Frittatta

Living with persons (Dan) who don't like vegetables, it's important that you work around it or you will be stuck eating everything by yourself. Thus, the 1/2 n' 1/2 bacon-cheddar frittatta.  My side has green peppers; boys side, nope. 

• Ingredients
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Pour into a greased 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with onions, bacon and cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean

Roasted Pork Loin with Mashed Red Skin Potatoes & Vegetable Medley

This afternoon, I had an early day, so post state-testing I stopped at the grocery store & did a little shopping; I also re-joined Weight Watchers today, so the shopping was necessary to prepare for the change in dietary habits required of my new quest to lose weight, drop my blood sugar & blood pressure, move to whole grains and less gluten, and finally, to make food that still tastes good! 


I located this recipe for Roasted Pork Loin, and it was stellar!  It gave me the opportunity to utilize the overgrown rosemary bush shrub (still can't say 'bush' with a straight face!) and try the wine I bought recently- a moscato called DOON BUGGY from the central coast. 

www.doonbuggywine.com

It smelled so good whilst cooking that I napped dreamily through the grey afternoon sprinkles like it were a chilly November; the smells of roast meat and herbs wafted by my nose and lulled me further into REM.  Thank goodness for the timer buzzer!


The true test? The little man.  He ate 3 oz of it for dinner and said, "is this garlic? I taste some garlic. I might have some more of this pork."  I'm continuing to be amazed by his discerning palate...so different from his father's lack of appetit. 


Here's the photo of tonight's fare.  I highly recommend this; the wine sauce reduction was outstanding!  I found myself dipping pieces off the sliced roast directly into the roasting pan at the end! 

Note: beans, peas, corn succotash sauteed by my child!