Pork Chop Skillet Gone Hawaiian

I used to make this skillet quite often when I had a sweetness craving that needed to be tamed. I "skinnied" this one up a little from the last time I made it. Unfortunately, I don't remember the source for this one. I've been making it off and on for years. I am guessing it came from Kraft.com because of the dressing in the recipe, but I'm not entirely sure. This one only takes about 5 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking. It's a quick, easy, and tasty weeknight meal.

Ingredients

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 medium bell peppers (you choose the colors) cut into chunks
2 cans of pineapple tidbits or chunks, drained
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup fat free Catalina dressing
1 1/2 cups instant rice (make sure it is instant; I didn't check that the first time I made it. Oops!)
1 lb boneless, lean pork chops (you could use bone-in, but that may change the nutritional information)
**If this looks too sweet, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes**

Directions
-heat oil in skillet at medium heat
-place chops in skillet and season to taste; cook each side until browned (4 min each side or so)
-add fruit, veggies, broth, dressing, ginger, and garlic powder. Mix well and bring to boil. Takes about 5 minutes
-stir in rice and cover
-reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes
-turn off heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes
-serve and enjoy!

Each serving is one chop and about a cup and a half of rice mixture

Nutritional Information
This makes four servings. Each serving has about420 calories, 4.9 grams of fat, 14.8 grams of fiber, and 33.7 grams protein

Chicken and Berry Nutty Rice

I absolutely loved this rice!! The mixture of salty and sweet with a bit of crunch was surprising and delicious. This was quick, easy, and tasty. The recipe was adapted from one called Creamy Chicken and Cranberry-Pecan Wild Rice found in the Fall 2007 Kraft Food and Family magazine.

Ingredients

2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp each dried savory and black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup copped walnuts
1 pkg (6 0z) long grain & wild rice side dish (I used Uncle Ben's)

Directions

-- Prepare packaged rice. While it is cooking work on the chicken.
-- Add flour and seasoning in a gallon zip top bag.
-- Add oil to large skillet and heat on medium high.
-- Coat chicken with flour and add to pan. Cook 6 minutes each side, or until cooked through. Set aside, but keep warm.
-- After rice is prepared, add cranberries and nuts.
-- Serve chicken either on top of or beside chicken.

Nutritional information
Some of these numbers seem high, but the most of the fats are healthy fats from the olive oil and walnuts. This makes 4 servings. Each serving has about 550 calories, 18.8 g fat, 2.4 g fiber, and 43.5 g protein

Firecracker Chicken Stir-fry

This is a really quick and tasty dinner! Don't be turned off by the name. You make it as much of a "firecracker" as you want based on the crushed red pepper flakes. This recipe was taken from a Kraft Foods & Family magazine.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into strips
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 cup of snow peas or sugar-snap peas
1 cup prepared broccoli (optional)
1/3 cup Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups hot, prepared white rice

Directions

-Heat oil in a nonstick skillet on med-high heat
-Add chicken and garlic to pat and cook for about 5 min, until chicken is evenly browned
-Add veggies to the pan and cook 3-4 minutes, until peppers are crisp and tender and the chicken is done
-Add water chestnuts, dressing and flakes. Cook about 2 minutes until everything is heated through.
-Serve over white rice

Nutritional Information
This makes four servings. Each serving has approximately 356 calories, 9 g of fat, 3.4 g fiber, and 27.2 g protein

Cilantro Lime Rice

If you enjoy the rice in the Chipotle burritos, then this is an excellent side dish for you! It is tasty on its own and complements a variety of meats. I prefer to team it up with grilled meats like chicken and pork. It's fun to play around with marinades that really bring out the lime and cilantro in the rice. This recipe is also a nice way to get in some of your healthy oils.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
3 cups low-sodium, 99% fat free chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
grated/zest of one lime
juice of one lime (I add more to taste)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro/at least a tbsp dried cilantro (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Then add rice and stir to coat.
Add broth and salt. Leave it alone until it boils, then stir it once.
Reduce the heat to med-low (on our stove it is low), cover, and let cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, and allow it to sit for 10 minutes still covered.
Fluff the rice with a fork and then stir in the zest, juice and cilantro.
Let the rice sit for about 3 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
This recipe makes nine half-cup servings. Each serving has about 145 calories, 3.4 g fat, 3.3 g protein, and .5 g fiber. Goes well with grilled chicken, pork, and seafood.