Feta & Spinach Stuffed Pork Chops

recipe courtesy of HFPN

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
5 sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, diced
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops, trimmed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 

Preparation:

Preheat broiler.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Coat pan with cooking spray.
Add 2 garlic cloves; sauté 1 minute.
Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, tomatoes, and spinach; sauté until moisture evaporates.
Remove from heat; stir in cheeses and rind.
Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each pork chop to form a pocket.
Stuff about 1/4 cup spinach mixture into each pocket.
Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper over pork.
Arrange pork on the rack of a broiler pan or roasting pan coated with cooking spray; place rack in pan. Combine remaining 2 garlic cloves, juice, mustard, and oregano in a bowl; stir well.
Brush half of mustard mixture over pork.
Broil 6 minutes; turn pork.
Brush remaining mixture over pork; broil 2 minutes or until done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 pork chop)

Nutrition Facts (per serving) 

Calories	232
Fat (g)	8.6
Saturated Fat (g)	3.4
Cholesterol (mg)	73
Sodium (mg)	640
Carbohydrate (g)	7.2
Fiber (g)	2.8
Protein (g)	32.1
Calcium (mg)	186

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Cilantro Pesto

recipe courtesy of HFPN

Ingredients: 

Nonstick cooking spray
8 large portobello mushrooms (5-6 in. diameter)
1 cup zucchini, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, shredded
3 green onions, thinly sliced
4 Tablespoons unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup loosely packed spinach leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon fat-free parmesan cheese
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1-2 Tablespoons water
Salt and pepper to taste 

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients except olive oil, lemon juice and water in a blender and pulse blend until coarsely chopped. Gradually add olive oil and lemon juice until mixture is finely chopped. Add enough water to make a paste. Stir in salt and pepper and use at room temperature. Spinach-Cilantro Pesto is also great with pasta and other vegetables. Remove mushroom stems and chop. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms stems, zucchini, carrots and green onions and sauté until crisp-tender (8-10 minutes). Stir in breadcrumbs and Pesto and season with salt and pepper. Spoon vegetable mixture into caps. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange mushrooms on pan and roast at 425 degrees until mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle mushrooms with cheese and continue roasting for 5 minutes.

Makes: 4 Servings
Serving Size: 2 Stuffed Mushrooms
 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Calories       185
Fat (g)     4
Saturated Fat (g)     1
Cholesterol (mg)     7
Sodium (mg)     206
Carbohydrate (g)     19
Fiber (g)     6
Protein (g)     16
Calcium (mg)     0

Spinach & Japanese Ginger Salad

This week's recipe is courtesy of preventcancer.org

Add shrimp or chicken for lunch or a light supper.

4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients

    * 3 tablespoons minced onion
    * 3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
    * 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
    * 1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
    * 1 tablespoon ketchup
    * 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
    * 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
    * 1/4 teaspoon saltFreshly ground pepper, to taste
    * 10 ounces fresh spinach, (see Note)
    * 1 large carrot, grated
    * 1 medium red bell pepper, very thinly sliced

Preparation

   1. Combine onion, oil, vinegar, ginger, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender. Process until combined.
   2. Toss spinach, carrot and bell pepper with the dressing in a large bowl until evenly coated.

Nutrition

Per serving : 135 Calories; 11 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 9 g Carbohydrates; 3 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 407 mg Sodium; 559 mg Potassium

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 2 fat

Tips & Notes

    * Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the dressing (Step 1) for up to 5 days.

    * Note: Baby spinach is immature or young spinach—it's harvested earlier than large-leaved mature spinach. We like the sturdy texture of mature spinach in cooked dishes and serve tender, mild-flavored baby spinach raw or lightly wilted. Baby and mature spinach can be used interchangeably in these recipes (yields may vary slightly); be sure to remove the tough stems from mature spinach before using.
    * Weights & Measures
    * 10 ounces trimmed mature spinach=about 10 cups raw
    * 10 ounces baby spinach=about 8 cups raw