Glazed Roast Pork Loin

I love this marinade/glaze/sauce. A bit of a bbq flavor with soy and ginger.

Ingredients:
1 1/2-3 lb double loin pork roast
3/4 cup red wine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon soy
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon curry
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

• Combine wine through pepper in a large zip-lock baggie. Add pork and marinade 6 hours or overnight. Reserve 1 1/4 cups marinade and refrigerate
• Pat meat dry with paper towels. Place on roasting rack. Insert meat thermometer and roast in a 325 degree (300 degree convection roast) oven for approximately 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours for a 1 1/2 pound roast, or until internal temperature is 160 degrees.
• Heat marinade and cornstarch. Stir until thick and bubbly. Cook two minutes more. Brush meat frequently after one hour of roasting.
• Boil remaining sauce and pass with pork.

Servings 5-10

Orange Sugar Cookies

This is a Weight Watcher recipe, but you'd never know it. These bite-sized sugar cookies are only 1 point!

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup Egg Beaters, or one egg

Directions:

• In a small bowl, combine flour and baking soda with a whisk; set aside
• In medium bowl at medium speed, cream 3/4 cup sugar, butter, peel and vanilla until creamy. Add Egg Beaters and beat one minute.
• Gradually stir in flour mixture until blended
• Cover; refrigerate one hour
• Shape dough into 42 (3/4 inch) balls; roll in remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
• Bake on lightly grased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart, for 8-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Servings: 3 1/2 dozen--WW 1 point

Scalloped Potatoes

For even cooking, use a mandoline or very sharp knife to slice potatoes to 1/8 inch thickness.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cream
3 bay leaves
5 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

• Melt butter in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and stir about 30 seconds.
• Stir in broth, cream and bay leaves. Add potatoes and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, stir often and cook until potatoes are mostly tender, about 15 minutes
• Discard bay leaves. Pour mixture into 9'x13" baking dish and press gently.
• Sprinkle with cheese, cover with foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
• Can freeze before adding cheese. Cover with plastic wrap, cut vents. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or wrap in foil and freeze for up to one month. If frozen, thaw completely in refrigerator for 24 hours. Bake covered with foil for 20-40 minutes; remove foil and bake 30 minutes more.

Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cookies

These cookies are big and chewy!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream butter with sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
• Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa; add to butter mixture and whip, about one minute
• Add the nuts and chips. Stir well.
• Drop by plum-sized balls of dough on ungreased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart
• Bake 12-15 minutes, until cookies look puffy with cracks, but underbaked. They will fall a and flatten when removed from oven. Do not overbake.
• Cool one minute on cookie sheet and then transfer to rack to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container in cool place.

Lasagna

I really like this lasagna, and it freezes well. Be sure to use whole-milk ricotta and mozzarella--especially if freezing. Both will retain more moisture and be creamier than part-skim cheeses. Eat a smaller piece if you're worried about the extra calories!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound meat (1/2 pound ground pork, 1/2 pound ground beef)
1/4 cup cream
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
3 cups whole-milk ricotta
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
12 flat no-boil lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

• Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and stir, 3o seconds. Stir in meat, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, breaking meat into small pieces, about 4 minutes.
• Stir in cream, bring to simmer and cook until liquid evaporates and only fat remains. Stir in puree and tomatoes. Bring to simmer and cook about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir together ricotta, Parmesan, basil, egg, salt and pepper until combined. Set aside.
• Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of 9'x13" baking dish. Place 3 noodles in single layer atop sauce. Spread 1/3 cup ricotta mixture over each noodle, then sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon one cup sauce over cheeses. Repeat twice more. Top with 3 noodles, remaining sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Cover with foil that is coated with cooking spray. Bake in a 400 degree oven 15-20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 25-30 minutes longer. Cool 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
• To freeze. Wrap unbaked casserole in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw completely 24 hours in refrigerator. Remove plastic wrap and replace foil before baking. Increase covered baking time to 30-40 minutes.

Servings: 8