Pork and Beans But Different Like!

Last night I was a little on the ill side and just wanted something very comforting for dinner. My friend also came over too so this was the perfect opportunity to cook something warm and delicious.

I made Pork Chops with Stewed Cannelinni Beans (aka White Kidney Beans). Delicious it was! I really love new kitchen toys and last night I got to use two of new toys. This recipe had sliced onions and as you all know by now, onions and I are mortal enemies or were. I peeled the onion and through into my food processor -- all sliced in like four seconds! It was most awesome! I also got to use my new indoor grill for the pork chops. I loved that I was able to put them on the grill and didn't have to keep flipping them or what not. This allowed me to focus on making the beans.

The stewed beans actually had more in them than just the beans. There was also kale, onions, canned diced tomatoes, carrots, and garlic. This was very easy to make. I basically just heated some oil, added the garlic, and then the onions. I cooked the onions for about five minutes and then added the chopped kale, carrots, tomatoes and beans with about 1/4 cup of water and cooked them for about ten minutes until the kale was wilted through. After you serve the vegetables, you can season them with salt and pepper or you can do it while they are still cooking. What I love about these recipes is that you can mix things up, so this recipe would work well with just about any vegetable -- so long as you cut the pieces up small enough to cook all the way through or you can used canned vegetables too.

I will be posting links to all of these recipes next week, so hang tight if you have been wanting to try them! I just found out they will be available next week. Also, in the coming weeks I am going to try my hand at recipes that are designed for people with diabetes, heart issues, and other things like that as I have to change a few of my eating habits. So, I will be looking around for some new recipes to try that address those issues. Happy eating!

Pork Chop and Stewed Cannelinni Beans:

My Love Affair With Paul Newman

I love Paul Newman! And not for the reason you think. While I enjoy watching him in movies (like "Butch and Sundance" - fantastic movie; highly recommended), I enjoy his food better!

Paul Newman's company, "Newman's Own" makes quality, all organic products. They make everything from Salad Dressing to Salsa to cookies! Probably the line of products I buy the most are the salad dressings and pasta sauces. But I have also tried the salsa and few other things. I have yet to have one of their products that I hate. I love everything! The best part is that all of their products are organic and all natural which means there are no fillers, no preservatives, and no artificial ingredients. And the products are no more expensive than the non-organic counterparts.

What I love about Newman's Own is that the food products are very versatile and can be used for other things than the original intended purpose. For example, tonight when I got home from spinning class I wanted a delicious dinner, but I didn't want to put much effort into it! This is where Paul Newman comes in! He gives inspiration! His salad dressings make great marinades! I thawed out a boneless pork chop and marinated it (actually, I put the pork chop in the pan and dumped the dressing on top) in Newman's Own Lighten Up Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing! It's like eating Chinese food and I didn't have to go out! I paired the pork chop with some peas and some pasta (you know the Pasta Roni kind).

I could go on about my love affair with Paul Newman. I like this love affair because it is healthy (literally).

I have decided to add yet another "section" to my blog. It will be a question about something food related. It will be something open for discussion and I would love ideas and comments. So to start off, I have been thinking a lot about healthy eating. I know a lot of us get discouraged and kind of groan when someone mentions healthy eating, but really we all need to do it to live a long life. And it makes us feel better overall. So, my question is, how do you find ways to eat healthy, while still enjoying the foods you love? Newman's Own is one way I eat healthy!