Archive for Category: Sponsored Post
All About Pork | Greek Salad with Pork Cutlets
When I told everyone that I was making Greek Salad with Pork (which we call Souvlaki) for dinner, they were all super-ecstatic.
“With Tzatziki, Mama?” I was asked.
“How could we have it without?” I questioned rhetorically.
It’s definitely one of our family’s favorite comfort foods. And, it holds a special place in my heart (Michael’s, too), because it was the first meal we had together, way back when, in 1994, at a little Greek Dive one town over from where I was raised.
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This past month has been so fun with all the different recipes I’ve tried. There’s been Baked Pork Egg Rolls, Braised Pork with Peppers and Onions, Pork Pita Pockets, and today’s Greek Salad with Pork Cutlets! The common thread that has gone through all of them is that they were healthful and flavorful. Not to mention they were a hit, through-and-through. I encourage you to try these recipes or look for other great recipes on Pork Be Inspired.
When I asked everyone which Pork Be Inspired meal was there favorite, they all said that this one was, hands down. So, if you want to impress your family head over to your local Publix, tomorrow, and pick up a pack of their Pork Sirloin Cutlets (that are on sale right now!)
Earlier today, when I was cashing out, there was a man behind me, in the check-out line, checking out my cutlets. He asked what I was going to make and when I told him “Pork Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce” he responded that he didn’t know what that was but that it sounded fantastic. And, boy-oh-boy, was he right!
Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds pork loin cutlets, 1/8″ thick
Greek-Style Dressing (buy it or make it, it’s up to you!)
Tzatziki Sauce (make it, you’ll be glad you did!)
8 cups romaine lettuce
Cherry tomatoes, halved
2 1/2 teaspoons Greek seasoning (Look in the spice section of the supermarket for a pre-blended Greek seasoning blend; I used McCormick brand. If unavailable, substitute 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, 1/8 teaspoon onion powder and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt for the 2 1/2 teaspoons Greek seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. )
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Nonstick cooking spray
black pepper, freshly ground
Directions
Make Tzatziki Sauce, cover and refrigerate until serving.
Place lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber slices (if you like) in very large salad bowl. Gently toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate while preparing pork.
Combine Greek seasoning and salt; sprinkle and rub evenly over pork. Cook the cutlets over medium-high heat in large skillet coated with nonstick cooking for 2-3 minutes or until tender.
Transfer cutlets to cutting board.
To serve, divide lettuce mixture among plates. Arrange 1/4 of pork on each salad. Drizzle 2 tablespoons dressing over each salad. Sprinkle with black pepper, if desired. Serve with Tzatziki and warm, toasty pita.
A Giveaway For YOU!
Since this is the last week of the “Good and Good for You Challenge” I’m giving one of my readers some of the same items I’ve been using during the challenge:
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8 $5 pork coupons for Publix ($40 worth of free pork!)
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Water bottle
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Reusable grocery bag
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Meat thermometer
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Pedometer
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Recipe book
All you have to do is:
Leave a comment on this post, and tell me what you love about pork and what your favorite pork dish is!
For an extra entry:
Share this post on Facebook, and make sure you tag me in your post!
This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 22.
[This post is the last of a series of posts that I have shared over the last four weeks. Please enter the giveaway as a thank you for letting me share my pork recipes with you, and head to your local Publix for some great deals on pork. To keep up with the “Good and Good for You Challenge”, follow @allaboutpork on Twitter, and look out for the #Publix4Pork hashtag. You can also connect with Pork Be Inspired on Facebook. I have partnered with The Motherhood to bring you these awesome recipes, information, and all things pork. As a part of this campaign, I am compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions remain my own, as always.]
All About Pork | Pork Pita Pockets
I have been loving the whole process of putting together these weekly Pork Be Inspired posts. Today—after BodyFlow—Olivia, Davey, and I headed out for a shopping excursion. Before hitting Publix to buy this week’s pork that was on sale, we went to a new restaurant that recently opened, one town over, called Cheddars. The whole day, from my morning coffee with Michael, on the love-seat, with Pepper in between us, sunshine flooding in through our windows, to this very minute (writing this post up to share), has been thoroughly delightful. There’s something about those days that are just filled with love, and today was one of them for me.
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This week I decided to make “Heart-y and Healthy” Pork Pita Pockets that were inspired by this recipe. I wanted to use this week’s special from Publix, Bone-in Pork Loin Roast, for my adaptation of Amelia’s Italian Pork Pockets, but the local Publix that I went to was out of them (obviously because of the awesome sale: $3.39 per pound!)
So, I got another cut that was on special…the bone-in pork loin chops! I figured it would work super in the recipe that I picked to make for my family. And, it did!
Ingredients
4 bone-in pork loin chops
2 bell peppers, each cut into strips, lengthwise
6 mushrooms, cut into slices
1/2 red onion, cut into wedges, separated
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, crushed
8 pita pocket bread halves
Colby-jack cheese slices
Cooking Directions
Heat oven to broil. Coat a large baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange pork chops and vegetables in a single layer on baking pan. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil, Italian seasoning, & red pepper flakes. Brush mixture on both sides of pork. Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat for about 5-6 minutes, or until pork has internal temperature on a thermometer reads 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a 3-minute rest time and vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from oven; divide pork and vegetables among pita pocket breads. Add slices of cheese to each pocket.
TIP: Today’s leaner pork can be enjoyed medium rare for optimal enjoyment. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that pork can be safely cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a three-minute rest time, resulting in juicy and tender pork that’s more delicious than ever.
There are so many aspects to getting healthy, and eating healthy is half the battle. If you need more motivation please visit Facebook.com/PorkBeInspired, and pledge to eat healthy with pork. By doing that you’ll be entered for a chance to win free pork tenderloin.
[This post is part of a series of posts that I will be sharing over the next four weeks. Please come back to see next week's delicious and healthy recipe, and head to your local Publix for some great deals on Pork. To keep up with the “Good and Good for You Challenge”, follow @allaboutpork on Twitter, and look out for the #PublixforPork hashtag. You can also connect with Pork Be Inspired on Facebook. I have partnered with The Motherhood to bring you recipes, information, and all things pork. As a part of this campaign, I am compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions remain my own, as always.]
All About Pork | Braised Pork with Peppers and Onions
The boys are all excited for Game Day tomorrow, but, all this week, I’ve been excited about something else: This week’s pork dish recipe that I found on Pork Be Inspired, for the “Good and Good For You Challenge”. There are a so many recipes that I wanted to make for this week’s theme, but I settled on this one because (really?) peppers and onions and garlic, oh my! I served it up with Cous Cous and Green Bean Casserole (Michael’s request) and the dinner took me less than 40 minutes from start to finish.
Publix is running some awesome deals on boneless pork loin chops this week, through February 8th. You can find some fabulous recipes to spice up your game day, tomorrow, over at Pork Be Inspired. Or you can make what I made for dinner tonight. There’s one piece of pork left-over in the kitchen, and I think there’s gonna be some coin-tossing to figure out who’ll get to eat it for lunch tomorrow!
Ingredients
4-6 boneless pork loin chops, about 1-inch thick, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 small red bell peppers, or yellow bell peppers, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 small red or yellow onion, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 cloves garlic , thinly sliced (I used minced garlic in this recipe)
1/2 cup chicken broth (you can use red wine if you want)
Cooking Directions
1) In a large nonstick skillet (I used my large electric skillet) over medium heat, warm oil.
2) Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
3) Remove chops to a plate and set aside.
4) Add tomato paste to skillet and cook, stirring, for 15 seconds.
5) Add bell peppers and onion to skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
6) Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.
7) Add chicken broth (or wine) and bring to a boil, scraping up and stirring in any browned bits in the skillet.
8) Return chops to skillet, nestling them in the liquid, and reduce to a simmer.
9) Cover and cook 4 minutes. Turn chops, cover, and cook until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a 3-minute rest time.
10) Serve pork with pepper and onion mixture spooned over top (Warning: you may need some bread to sop up the lovely juices in the skillet!)
[This post is part of a series of posts that I will be sharing over the next four weeks. Please come back to see all the delicious and healthy recipes and head to your local Publix for some great deals on Pork. To keep up with the “Good and Good for You Challenge”, follow @allaboutpork on Twitter, and look out for the #PublixforPork hashtag. You can also connect with Pork Be Inspired on Facebook. I have partnered with The Motherhood to bring you recipes, information, and all things pork. As a part of this campaign, I am compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions remain my own, as always.]
All About Pork | Healthy Baked Pork Egg Rolls
I was so excited when I was recently contacted by the National Pork Board to help spread the word about the great deals that Publix is offering on one of my favorite meats. Honestly, I’ve never met a cut of pork that I didn’t like, so this campaign is right up my alley. For the next four weeks, I will be sharing my journey of discovering different, healthy, and tasty recipes using pork that can be found, on sale, at your local Publix.
This week’s theme is “Good and Good For You” and there are some pretty awesome recipes over at Pork Be Inspired and I totally encourage you to check them out.
The other day, when my family asked what was for dinner they were relieved that it wasn’t that other white meat, and they were even more excited when I told them we were having EGG ROLLS! Because, really? Who doesn’t love to eat their dinner with their fingers?
These Baked Pork Egg Rolls take very little preparation and cooking time. They are easy and fun to make, and while I was making them I asked myself why I don’t make these all the time.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
1 cooked pork tenderloin, (1 pound), trimmed
cooking spray
4 cups coleslaw mix
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
16 egg roll wrappers
Cooking The Tenderloin:
1) Season the tenderloin. I chose to use Kosher Salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic powder.
2) Heat 2 TBSP oil in a skillet at medium-high.
3) Place pork in skillet; do not cover.
4) Brown all sides of the tenderloin (just a few minutes, really.)
5) Transfer to 425* preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes (internal temperature should reach 145*)
Egg Roll Preparation & Cooking Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2) Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray.
3) Place the coleslaw mix and green onions in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover with wax paper and microwave on high until softened, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly.
4) Finely chop the tenderloin. Combine tenderloin, coleslaw mixture, cilantro, and Hoisin sauce in a large bowl and toss to mix well.
5) Working with one 1 egg roll wrapper at a time (keep the remaining wrappers covered to prevent drying), place the wrapper on a work surface with one corner pointing toward you. Brush edge of wrapper with water. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the pork tenderloin mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper over the filling. Fold in the sides and roll up. Place the egg rolls seam side down on a plate and cover with damp paper towels to prevent drying. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
6) Arrange egg rolls in a single layer seam side down in the prepared baking pan. Lightly spray egg rolls with cooking spray.
7) Bake until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Turn the egg rolls and bake until tops are lightly browned, about 3 minutes longer. Serve hot or warm.
& ENJOY!
You can serve these as an appetizer, at your next party, or as part of a meal that includes rice noodles and/or hot and sour soup (take my word!)
[This post is part of a series of posts that I will be sharing over the next four weeks. Please come back to see all the delicious and healthy recipes and head to your local Publix for some great deals on Pork. To keep up with the “Good and Good for You Challenge”, follow @allaboutpork on Twitter, and look out for the #PublixforPork hashtag. You can also connect with Pork Be Inspired on Facebook. I have partnered with The Motherhood to bring you recipes, information, and all things pork. As a part of this campaign, I am compensated for my time. All thoughts and opinions remain my own, as always.]
Great iPad App for Students
Thank you to who?Comics for sponsoring this post and encouraging my children to read biographies in comic book form! Please click here to learn more about the app. And, you can follow who?Comics on Twitter for updates.
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As the mother of two boys, ages 11 and 13, who are absolute history buffs, this app was an absolute welcomed addition to the “kids page” on my iPad. The app itself is free, but the biographies are available for purchase. Upon downloading the app you receive two free biographies, and you can also get one, on loan, for two weeks, all for sharing who?Comics Biography Comics with Facebook or Twitter friends.
Here’s the official description of what they are all about:
“Read about the lives and achievements of some of the greatest people in history, both past and present, in a 150 page long comic book form. These comics are educational and fun to read. Instead of boring plain text, give your children a new, enjoyable reading experience that is light and easy to read in comic book form. But even before the children can start, parents won’t be able to stop turning the pages, too.
Who?Comics series contains the life stories of 10 of our greatest leaders of today and 19 historical figures of the past. Read and learn about the amazing lives of Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Steven Spielberg, Joanne Rowling, Barack Obama, Warren Buffett, Stephen Hawking, Nelson Mandela, Jane Goodall, Bill Gates and much, much more.
You can even collect badges easily as you read the comic books and even try to find and collect hidden badges for each great figure. Who?Comics provides a fun badge collecting experience that both children and parents will enjoy. Everyone can get caught up in the fun of badge collecting and eventually discover and develop their new found reading habit.”
I downloaded the app, went to buy the complete collection (29 books for $29.00), but I forgot to update my iTunes account with my new bank account information. So, I have to wait until tomorrow to purchase the whole sha-bang. Tomorrow, though? It’s on, and they are all going to be a part of our collection; especially after seeing Mikey and Benny delve into the first few on our “Bookshelf”.
They both read Bill Gates biography, and they both said it was really cool. Since they are both self proclaimed computer geeks, it was really awesome for them to lean about “The Computer Genius Who Changed the World.” Mikey said it was an easy and fun way to learn about him. Benny said he thought it was funny and way easier than reading an encyclopedia or a boring book about the person. At one point, while reading, Benny exclaimed, “I got the Flipping Master Badge!”
Before I let the boys get into them, though, I read the Oprah Winfrey comic. I absolutely loved the way her story was told. There is obviously some stuff in Oprah’s personal story that is touchy (like molestation, teen pregnancy, and drug use), but who?Comics did a really great job at telling it in such a way that was very respectful and straightforward. They even put a warning out there, for parents, and I totally appreciated their honesty and integrity. That right there solidified my desire to purchase the complete set. I thought about letting the kids each pick a set, but it’s way cheaper to just buy all twenty-nine.
This page, in Oprah’s “The Most influential Talk Show Queen in the World” is one of those lessons that all children could stand to learn. What kind of person do you want to be?
Who?Comics definitely hit the nail on the head with this great way for children to learn about historical figures. TWO HUGE THUMBS UP!
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Thank you again to who? Comics for sponsoring my post. Please click here to learn more about the app. Visit who? Comics for updates.
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