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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Yummy, easy, healthy dinner idea!

One of the most important things Matt and I work to teach Q is to be a healthy eater. We've worked our hardest to expose her to primarily unprocessed foods (fruits, vegetables, etc.) and when we do use processed foods (she LOVES crackers!) we look for whole grains. Not to say we never let the girl eat junk food, but we are very intentional about what nourishes our family. My parents taught me this at a young age and that's why I am a healthy eater today!
We also have the expectation that Q eats whatever we're eating at mealtimes. We don't make special food for her or give her other choices. Because this has been our routine from day one, she has no problem with it. She will even try spicy foods! She eats virtually every fruit and vegetable, and there's rarely a food she turns down (except sometime cold, plain cheese). We don't give her any juices (per our pediatrician and several nutritionists' recommendations because of the empty calories from sugar--even with 100% juice) and she gets her fruit servings from real fruit--eaten raw, mixed in her oatmeal or yogurt or in smoothies.

Anyhow, here is a great recipe we tried this week out of Everyday Food Magazine (March 2010 issue). All three of us gobbled it up, and the extra portion I had planned to freeze for another meal--it disappeared! :)

Ingredients:
-1 butternut squash (peeled with veggie peeler, quartered, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch slices)
-1 large red onion, cut into wedges
-2 T. olive oil
-fresh sage (I didn't have any so I used dried savory and it was delicious--dried or fresh thyme or rosemary would also be good)
-course salt and ground pepper
-2 pork tenderloins (I used boneless pork chops)
-1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
-1 orange, halved (all our oranges had already been eaten so I used a splash of orange juice)

*Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
*On rimmed cookie sheet, toss together squash, onion, oil, and sage and season with salt and pepper.
*roast 10 minutes.
*MEANWHILE....Season pork generously on both sides with salt, pepper and oregano. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides, about 8-10 minutes (I used olive oil cooking spray)
*Nestle pork into vegetables on cookie sheet; roast until veggies are tender and pork is cooked through
*transfer pork to seperate plate to rest.
*squeeze orange juice over veggies.
*with wooden spoon stir and scrape up any browned bits.
*Transfer to serving bowl and add sliced pork. Top with any juices from pan.

YUMMMMMMM!

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