Brining makes things so very moist and flavorful – and this is no exception. Super easy method that turns out perfect results time and again !

Brined Pork Loin

8 servings
251 calories per serving

8 c cold water
1/2 c kosher salt
2 1 lb. pork tenderloins, trimmed
1 T olive oil
1/2 t black pepper

Combine water and salt in a 13×9 glass baking dish and add pork. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, turning halfway through. Heat grill. Drain pork and pat it dry then brush with oil and sprinkle with pepper. Grill ½ hour or until desired doneness. Let stand 1 minutes before slicing.

I love mixing red wine and brown gravy mix – it gives you such an awesome gravy – definitely restaurant worthy !

Burgundy Pork

4 servings
400 calories per serving

2 lb. pork tenderloin
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 c red wine (I used cooking wine and it came out great!)
.75 oz. packet dry brown gravy mix
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with Pam. Sprinkle pork with spices and then top with onions and celery. Pour wine over pork. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until done. Let meat rest and then cut into thin slices. Pour gravy mix into pan with the cooking juices and stir until thick – serve over the sliced meat.

Use tart plums if you don’t want this dish to be too sweet. Fruity yet savory and plums just go so well in fruited dishes !

Pork and Plums

4 servings
287 calories per serving

1 T oil
1 lb. pork tenderloin cut into thin, short strips
1 T plus 1 ½ t cornstarch
1 carrot thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. plums cut into ½ inch slices
1 c chicken broth
2 T plum jam
1 T cider vinegar
1 T soy sauce
½ t ground ginger

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Mix pork with 1 T cornstarch and rub it in. A good way to do this is place both in a Ziploc bag, seal and then mush it around repeatedly. Cook the meat 5 minutes and then transfer to a plate. Reduce heat to medium and cook the carrot, scallions and garlic for 1 minute and then add the plums and cook for another 5 minutes or until they start to get soft.

Whisk broth, jam, vinegar, soy, ginger and the rest of the cornstarch and pour into the pan and bring to a boil and cook 1 minute then lower the heat and place the pork back in the pan and cool 3 minutes or until all is heated.

Great chops grilled to perfection ! The Hawaiian marinade is world class.

Grilled Hawaiian Pork Chops

4 servings
219 calories per serving

2 lb. bone in pork chops (4 chops)
3 oz. pineapple juice
3 T soy sauce
4 T water
½ t pepper
½ t ground mustard seed
2 t minced garlic

Prepare marinade and let pork chops marinate for at least ½ hour. Heat grill and cook pork chops until done.

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Rich, buttery, zesty, tangy – this one is a real treat for your mouth !

Ham and Swiss with Tangy Sauce

1 serving
355 calories per serving

1 small club roll
8 slices thin deli sliced lean ham (Oscar Mayer pre-packaged meats are great)
1 slice low fat swiss cheese
1 t butter
1 T sliced scallions
1/8 t pepper
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t horseradish

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, mustard, pepper, horseradish and scallions. Brush butter mix onto the insides of both sides of the roll. Add ham and cheese to roll. Wrap in foil and bake 15 minutes.

Placing these in the oven for 10 minutes transforms these from good sandwiches to GREAT sandwiches. All the flavors combine so nicely and the garlic and pepper give it just a little bite. These are definitely in my top 10 sandwiches !

Ham and Provolone Melt

1 serving
357 calories per serving

1 Arnold Sandwich Thin bun
4 slices thin sliced deli ham (Oscar Mayer pre-packaged meats are great)
1 slice low fat provolone cheese
1 T olive oil
½ clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 slice tomato
½ green pepper in thin slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mid together garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Place ham, peppers and tomato on bun. Drizzle with garlic and oil mix and top with cheese. Wrap sandwich in foil and bake 10 minutes.

The simplest recipes often turn out the biggest flavors and this is no exception. A great sear, lemon pepper and a balsamic glaze make this the perfect pork dish.

Balsamic Pork Medallions

4 servings
210 calories per serving

4 4 oz. boneless pork chops
2 t lemon pepper
Pam
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1/3 c fat free vegetable broth

Sprinkle meat with seasoning. Spray a nonstick skillet with Pam and place over medium high heat. Add meat and cook 4 minutes each side or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Wipe pan clean and then add vinegar and broth. Cook 6-7 minutes or until sauce has reduced and thickened. Spoon over chops and serve immediately.

I made just a few variations to Emeril’s original recipe. This is just OUTSTANDING ! The flavor is so big and I like the texture of this so much better than the pureed versions of split pea soup.

Emeril's Ham and Split Pea Soup

6 servings
268 calories per serving

1 pound dried split peas
1 ham bone (leftover from a baked ham meal)
3 T butter
1 c finely chopped onions
¾ c finely chopped celery
½ c finely chopped carrots
2 t minced garlic
1 lb. lean ham cut into small cubes (leftover from baked ham meal)
1 t salt
1 t pepper
¼ t red pepper flakes
8 c water
1 bay leaf
1 t thyme flakes

Even if the package says that no soaking is necessary, soak the peas over night in a large bowl with water at least 2 inches over the peas. Drain and set aside.

Melt butter and cook onion 2-3 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook another 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in peas, water, ham, and spices. Add in ham bone. Cover and cook 1 hour or until peas are tender. Remove ham bone and bay leaf, leave uncovered and cook another ½ hour to thicken. If it gets too thick, add extra water.

The apples added to the stuffing make all the difference in this meal – it is special and memorable ! Try serving with Buttery Carrots.

Pork Chops and Apple Stuffing

6 servings
290 calories per serving

6 boneless pork chops, about 1 1/2 lb.
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 T oil
2 medium apples, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c water
6 oz. Stove Top stuffing

Heat oil in skillet and cook onion 3 minutes then add pork and cook 4 minutes per side or until done. Move meat to a plate and keep warm. Add apples and water and bring to a boil and then stir in stuffing and place on top. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.

This couldn’t be easier and it turns out a great healthy meal that the whole family will enjoy. I love one dish meals ! If you don’t have leftover ham on hand, try using Canadian bacon.

Ham, Broccoli and Rice

4 servings
290 calories per serving

2 t margarine
½ c chopped onion
4.3 oz. package of long grain and wild rice mix
1 2/3 c water
2 c frozen broccoli florets
1 ½ c diced cooked ham
1 cup shredded low fat cheddar cheese

Melt margarine in a skillet on medium heat and cook onion and rice from the mix for 2-3 minutes them pour in water and seasoning packet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook 10 minutes then lay broccoli and ham over the rice and bring back to a boil before lowering heat to medium low. Then cover and cook another 10-15 minutes or until rice is tender. Uncover and add cheese to top – let simmer 5 minutes to melt cheese. Serve immediately.