Beer Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Spicy Green Beans

How crazy is this? I make a post yesterday about how while I normally make chicken, pork chops were calling to me and then today I also post another pork dish.

This meal was absolutely delicious. While it may not photograph extraordinarily, I really wish there was a way to transfer flavors via the internet. The flavors of the beer, onions, mushroom, and pork melded together so well with the spicy taste of the green beans.

I served the meal with just a plain noodle. It was definitely good to do that, because there was lots of sauce going on that soaked up in the noodles.

Beer Pork Chops with Mushrooms

Ingredients

4 pork chops

1 10-oz can cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic

1/2 cup beer of your choice

1 cup mushroom pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a skillet brown the pork chops on both sides. Place in a baking dish.

3. Mix together the cream of mushroom soup and beer. Pour over the pork chops.

4. Arrange the mushrooms and onions over the pork chops.

5. Bake for 45 minutes.

* serves 4

CALORIES: 202 calories

Spicy Green Beans

Ingredients

4 slices bacon

1/2 onion, diced

1 tsp adobo sauce

1 lb fresh green beans

1 8-oz can petite diced tomatoes

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon and place on paper towels to drain. In the bacon fat, add the onion and garlic, cooking until fragrant. Add the adobo sauce and tomatoes, cooking for 2 minutes. Stir in the green beans, water, honey, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan, lowering heat to medium-low. Simmer until the green beans are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

2. Crumble the bacon. Sprinkle the bacon pieces and lemon juice over the green beans.

* serves 4

CALORIES: 89 calories

Spicy Chicken Spaghetti and Green Bean Casserole

Like the title indicates, this spaghetti definitely has a kick that most spaghetti's are missing. This spaghetti not only has an array of goodies hidden in the sauce, has chicken to add to the substance, but also has a spice that is really pleasant amongst the other flavors. I made this dinner one night and Matt's initial response was: I hate olives. Blarrgh.

But you know, when dinner was done he had eaten all his black olives, so I guess he didn't mind them too much. Then he asked if I'd make this recipe in the future. Maybe I broke his olive hatred?

Spicy Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper, to taste
24 oz spaghetti sauce with mushrooms
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 jalapenos, diced
1 10-oz can sliced black olives
2 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
16-oz spaghetti noodles

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Once the oil is hot add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the juices run clear.

2. In a saucepan add the pasta sauce, tomatoes, red bell pepper, jalapenos, black olives, and corn. Bring to a boil. Once boiling season with garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper. Add the chicken and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.

4. Toss the pasta with the sauce.

CALORIES: 393 calories

CHOLESTEROL: 23 milligrams
FAT: 10 grams

The vegetable dish, the green bean casserole, is a classic. I mean, it's based on a classic. For Thanksgiving every

year my mom makes the classic green bean casserole, consisting of cream of mushroom soup to give the green beans an unhealthy cream delicious. When it comes to Thanksgiving I could eat green bean casserole and mashed potatoes and whatever dessert there was and be in heaven. Oh wait, and the stuffing, I need that too.

But Thanksgiving lacks something my body has been craving, which is the health factor.

This green bean casserole provides a great side dish either for a Thanksgiving meal or just a normal day (like today!) The cornstarch adds the creaminess to the dish without all the actual cream. I'm going to suggest my family go with the lower cal style green bean casserole for Thanksgiving this year.

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

2 cups frozen green beans
4 oz sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground mustard
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp Brummel&Brown
3/4 cup french fried onions

Directions

1. In a greased baking dish, combine the beans and mushrooms. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and mustard; gradually stir in the broth until smooth. Pour over vegetables. Dot with butter. Bake uncovered at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with onions and bake 5 minutes longer.

CALORIES: 235 calories

CHOLESTEROL: 0 milligrams
FAT: 13 grams

Hoisin Noodles with Turkey and Green Beans

If I had actually followed the recipe for tonight's dinner, the calories in this meal would have been significantly lower. Also, if I had followed the recipe, this dinner would have qualified as a dish requested by one of my MFP pals: a meal involving pasta and chicken.

Here is where the problem lay.. My grocery store didn't have ground chicken and I really wasn't in the mood to travel around to different stores to find a place that did. I decided to settle for turkey, because I figured it would be closer in calories to chicken than like.. beef. I mean, that's still probably right, but holy shoot did it rocket my initial estimate really high.

I use the website myfitnesspal and I asked my friends over there to tell me what they wanted to see me cook. Every suggestion I got has been worked into my meal plans for the next two weeks. Every day I'll be posting at least one dish. At least one dish will be something I made per the request of an MFP friend.

Today's dish.. well, just pretend there's chicken in it instead. If you can find ground chicken that is. It's obviously not the easiest thing to find in the whole world. The flavor was really yummy, kind of spicy, but generally just good.

Today's dish is going to be entered to Presto Pasta hosted by Simona of Briciole.

Hoisin Noodles with Turkey and Green Beans

Ingredients

1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut in half

3 packages ramen noodles, with the spice pack discarded

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

juice from 1 small lime

3 tbsp garlic chili paste

1 tsp olive oil

1 lb ground turkey (or chicken)

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 stalks green onion, chopped

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the green beans for 6 minutes. Add the ramen and boil for 4 more minutes. Drain.

2. In small bowl combine the hoisin sauce, lime juice, and chili paste.

3. In a skillet heat the olive oil. Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add the garlic and cook until tender. Add the green beans and ramen and stir to combine. Add the green onions and combine more.