Raspberry Chipotle Pork Medallions

This is way overdue, but here as promised. I hope you like them as much as I did.

Sauce:
1/2 C chicken broth
1/2 C low-sugar raspberry fruit spread
2 T white balsamic vinegar
3 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large chipotle pepper seeded and chopped

2 lbs lean cut pork chops
2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 T olive oil

1. Place all sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix well. Set aside.

2. Rinse pork chops with cool water, pat dry with paper towels. Use the palm of your hand or a meat mallet to flatten each piece to 1/2-inch thickness. Combine remaining ingredients and rub into both sides of each pork chop.

3. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil into a large nonstick skillet and preheat over medium-high heat. Add the chops and cook a couple of minutes on each side or until nicely browned and no longer pink inside. Remove the meat from teh skillet and set aside to rest. Cover to keep warm.

4. Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for a couple of minutes, or until sauce is reduced by almost half and is syrupy.

5. To serve, place your beautiful piece of pork-licious on a serving plate. Drizzle each serving with some of the sauce.This is adapted from a lovely recipe found in Secrets of Good-Carb/Low-Carb Living by Sandra L. Woodruff.

Blueberry Vanilla Oatmeal

Here's my new favorite breakfast for you to sample. It's quick to make and will keep you satisfied for hours.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Bob'sw Red Mill Scottish Oatmeal
1 cup water
frozen blueberries
vanilla protein powder
cinnamon
skim milk

1 - Combine the oatmeal and water in a microwavable bowl. Cook on high for about 2-3 minutes. This will vary depending on your microwave. Watch it the first time to make sure it doesn't boil over.
(very messy)

2 - Remove bowl and stir thoroughly, breaking up the clumps on the bottom. Add a dash of cinnamon and 1/2 a scoop of the protein powder. Mix well and let sit for a couple minutes.

3 - Add a small handful of blueberries and stir. Microwave on high for one more minute.

4 - Remove. Stir. Add a dash of milk and enjoy a hearty/healthy bowl of yum.

If you want to really mix it up you can try it with chopped peaches or mangos... mmm.

Red Potato Salad

Here's the salad I took to our ward picnic. I wanted something different that was a healthier alternative than your typical potato salad. This was fantastic and easy to make.

INGREDIENTS: 12 servings

2 lbs small red potatoes

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped

1/3 c chopped fresh basil

1 small red onion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c balsamic vinegar

3 Tbs Dijon mustard

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1/2 c EVOO

DIRECTIONS:

Place the potatoes in a large pot, and just cover with water. Bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes. Add in the green beans and cook 5 minutes more. Drain and cool. Cut potatoes into quarters, or bite size pieces. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with basil, onion, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and oil. Whisk together until they are blended together and look milky. Pour this mixture over the salad and stir gently to coat. Salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve at room temperature.

It was definitely a hit and will be added to our family rotation.