Glorified Boston Butt

• 1 (3 1/2 to 4 lb) butt roast
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 (10 3/4 oz) Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, quartered
• 4 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1. Brown roast in hot oil in large Dutch oven. Pour off fat.
2. Combine soup and next 7 ingredients. Pour over roast. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Add potatoes, carrots, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf.
4. Remove pot roast and vegetables to a serving platter, reserving drippings. Cook pan drippings over medium heat until slightly reduced. Serve gravy with roast.

Comments: Boston Butts were on sale this week so we got an eight pounder and cut it in half for this recipe. I really like the flavor, especially the gravy that it made. It tasted great over the vegetables and pork. The problem with Boston Butts is they have a lot of fat, so you really have to peal a lot of it away. We recently purchased a new stovetop Dutch oven that is really good for recipes like this. It cooks the meat as tender as a slow cooker, but in less than half the time.

Barbecued Turkey Pizza

Prep/Total Time: 20 minutes + standing prep, 25 minutes bake

Yield: 8 servings

• 1 cup water (70 to 80 degrees)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed
• 1 small red onion, julienned
• 1 small green pepper, julienned
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded park-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a bread machine pan, place the first six ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).
2. When cycle is complete, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Punch down; cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Roll dough into a 14-in. circle. Transfer to a 14-in. pizza pan coated with cooking spray; build up edges slightly.
3. Spread barbecue sauce over crust. Layer with half of the turkey, corn, onion, green pepper, garlic and cheese. Repeat layers. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Nutrition: (1 slice) 366 calories, 9 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 38 mg cholesterol, 663 mg sodium, 52 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 20 g protein.

Comments: This is the first time I’ve tried making pizza and it turned out great. The dough was perfect, and we’ll use that recipe to make other kinds of pizza. We didn’t have cubed turkey breast so I used about 5 chicken tenders that I grilled and chopped up.

Ham Mushroom Fettuccine

Prep/Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

• 12 ounces uncooked fettuccine
• 3/4 pound fully cooked lean ham, cubed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté ham in oil until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onion to skillet; sauté for 4 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté three minutes longer.
2. Stir in the flour, rosemary and pepper until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; add peas and sour cream. Cook 2 minutes longer. Drain fettuccine; stir into the mushroom mixture. Add ham; heat through.

Nutrition: (1 1/3 cups) 334 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 29 mg cholesterol, 876 mg sodium, 46 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 21 g protein.

Comments: A great way to use up leftover ham and a nice alternative to other fettuccine recipes. We used turkey ham for the recipe.

Oven-Fried Chicken

Prep/Total Time: 10 minutes prep, 40 minutes bake

Yield: 6 servings

• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 bone-in chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
• Refrigerated butter-flavored spray

1. In a shallow bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another shallow bowl, combine egg whites and milk. Place flour in a third shallow bowl. Coat chicken with flour; dip in the egg white mixture, then roll in cornmeal mixture.
2. Place in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 2-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 40 minutes. Spritz with butter-flavored spray. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

Nutrition: (1 chicken breast) 248 calories, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 63 mg cholesterol, 375 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber 30 g protein.

Comments: Not a huge fan of oven-fried chicken compared to normal fried chicken. The tastes don’t even compare. This wouldn’t be at the top of the list for low-fat meals to prepare with bone-in chicken breasts.

Refried Bean Enchiladas

Prep/Total Time: 20 minutes prep, 20 minutes bake

Yield: 6 servings

• 2 cups vegetarian refried beans
• 1 cup (8 ounces) 1% cottage cheese
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 12 flour tortillas (6 inches)

1. In a large bowl, combine the beans, cottage cheese and 1 cup cheddar cheese; set aside. For sauce, in a large nonstick skillet, whisk the oil, flour, chili powder, garlic powder and salt until smooth. Gradually stir in the water, vinegar and onion. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat.
2. Dip both sides of each tortilla into sauce. Place about 1/2 cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour remaining sauce over top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Nutrition: (2 enchiladas) 384 calories, 11 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 22 mg cholesterol, 729 mg sodium, 48 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 24 g protein.

Comments: Another flavorful and delicious vegetarian meal that is easy to make. This is another meal that could be prepared ahead of time.

Pork Chops with Red Cabbage

Prep/Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 5 servings

• 5 boneless pork loin chops (4 ounces each)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 jar (16 ounces) shredded sweet-and-sour red cabbage, undrained
• 1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• Dash celery seed
• 1 small onion, peeled and halved

1. In a large nonstick skillet, brown pork chops on both sides in oil. In a bowl, combine the cabbage, pineapple, parsley, dried onion, oregano, pepper and celery seed. Cut each onion half into eight wedges; place over pork chops. Top with cabbage mixture.
2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until meat juices run clear and onions are tender.

Nutrition: (1 pork chop with 1/2 cup cabbage mixture) 336 calories, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 57 mg cholesterol, 67 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 23 g protein.

Comments: This complete meal has a lot of sweet and salty taste with the cabbage and pineapple combined with the pork chop. We cut out the bone from our pork loin chops to make them boneless.

Five-Veggie Stir-Fry

Prep/Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cups cauliflowerets
• 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup quartered fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup fresh or frozen snow peas
• 4 cups hot cooked rice

1. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, sugar and ginger. Stir in orange juice, soy sauce and garlic until blended; set aside.
2. In a nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry the carrots, broccoli and cauliflower in 3 teaspoons oil for 4-5 minutes. Add mushrooms, peas and remaining oil; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Stir orange juice mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Serve over rice.

Nutrition: (1 cup) 382 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 648 mg sodium, 74 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 9 g protein.

Comments: A good stir fry minus the meat. We used sugar snap peas instead of snow peas. The orange juice gave it a nice citrus flavor.