Apricot Salad with Grilled Pork Tenderloin

In this simple grilled recipe, the apricots are the stars. The juicy pork and tender salad are complemented by the delicious flavor of the grilled apricots, it’s an elegant dish to add to your summer table. Serve with your favorite chilled beverage to pair nicely with the smoky-sweetness of the grilled apricots. 

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 1/2 Tablespoon apricot preserves
• 1/2 Tablespoon finely chopped scallions
• Pinch salt
• Pinch freshly ground pepper

• cooking spray
• 12 ounces cut into 4 slices pork tenderloin, thin cut, trimmed
• 2-3 fresh apricots, halved and pitted

• 1 4- to 5-ounce bag mixed greens or baby arugula (about 8 cups) cleaned and dried
• 1-2 Tablespoons toasted sliced almonds (optional)

1. Prepare the dressing by combining the olive oil, vinegar, apricot preserves, scallions, salt and pepper in a small container with a lid. Shake up well and set aside. 

2. Preheat nonstick grill to high. Spray grill with cooking spray. Grill the pork, turning occasionally, 2-3 minutes per side depending on the thickness. Check doneness by inserting a thermometer into the thickest part of the chop. It should register 145 F when done. Grill apricot halves on the coolest part of the grill, turning occasionally, until tender and marked, about 4 minutes. Transfer the pork and apricots to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. 

3. Mix the dressing up well if settled.  Then, toss the salad gently with a couple tablespoons of the dressing. Cut the apricots into wedges and place on top of the salad. Thinly slice the pork and serve alongside the salad. Top with toasted almonds if desired. 

Garnished with a little fresh thyme

Shape Up America!

Patriot Parfait

How about a nice red, white, and blue summer parfait? Protein from the yogurt, and the beneficial antioxidants from the blueberries and cherries combine to produce this sweet and healthy snack. It is also a beautiful dessert for your Memorial Day or Fourth of July party. Not only do the colors of the fruits and yogurt remind us of an American flag, but both blueberries and cherries are rooted in history.  Everyone associates cherries with George Washington chopping down the cherry tree. But did you know blueberries were an important fruit for American Indians in the northeast?

This parfait is best with fresh summer fruit, but if you cannot find fresh fruit you can use frozen ones in the off-season. With minimal preparation and ingredients needed, you will find this is a perfect snack or dessert for those hot summer nights. 

The parfait can be made without any cooking. You can also choose to macerate the cherries in the Kirsch and marinate the blueberries in the honey ahead of time. Then just begin layering the fruits and yogurt.

We suggest brief cooking, though, so the cherries and blueberries can release their juices. The combination of warm fruits on the cold yogurt is also a very interesting option. 

Serving hint: Use small interesting cordial or wine glasses to reduce the portion size and calories but still present a visually enticing “sweet.”

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cup low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cup fresh cherries, pitted
• 1-2 Tablespoons honey
• 1-2 Tablespoons water
• 1 Tablespoons Kirsch, cherry brandy, or brandy (optional)
• 8 ladyfingers, or granola
• 4 fresh cherries with their stems, for garnish
• 1-2 ounces dark chocolate shavings for garnish (optional)  

1. Cherry sauce: In a small sauce pan, heat the pitted cherries for about 5 minutes on low heat, or until the cherries exude their juices. If cherries are very fresh add 1 tablespoon water before heating. Add the Kirsch or brandy after the cherries have been cooked and cooled somewhat. Taste and if too tart, add 1 tablespoon honey. Set aside. 

You can also choose to use the cherries fresh, if they are sweet, plump, and easy to separate from the seed. Earth Treats cherries are! Go to Shapeup.org to order.

2. Blueberry sauce: In another small sauce pan, heat the blueberries with 1 Tablespoon water, on gentle heat, just until a few blueberries burst, about 5 minutes. Set aside. (These sauces can be made 2 days in advance, cooled, covered, and refrigerated.) 

3.  Add 1 tablespoon honey to the Greek yogurt and stir thoroughly.

4. Assemble the parfaits, starting with the blueberry sauce. Then, top with yogurt, and finally cherry sauce. If using smaller glasses, repeat and end with a dollop of yogurt. Top with a few dark chocolate shavings, 1 cherry with its stem, and serve with 2 ladyfingers or a sprinkling of granola. When layering, make sure to spread yogurt and sauces evenly out to the sides of the glass and make layers generous for a strong red-white-and-blue effect. 

Blueberries first

Use smaller serving cups to reduce calories and still enjoy a sweet bite!

Shape Up America!

Mini-Meatball Soup

This soup was inspired by Italian Wedding Soup (minestra maritata). The name is a reference to the fact that the greens and the meats marry well together in the soup. Eventually, pasta was added as an ingredient when it became more readily available. You may choose to add other greens such as kale, cabbage, or escarole in rustic Italian style. Look for the freshest seasonal green in your local supermarket or farmer's market and just cut it down to bite size, so tougher greens cook quickly.

With the addition of pasta, this soup serves as a complete meal, and it is a quick and easy dinner! The mini-meatballs are a real “kid-pleaser.”  Use lean ground turkey or lean ground beef or half and half. The soup is not only low fat, but a good source of protein and vegetables as well. You can try it with tofu or shredded chicken for a quick variation. We hope you enjoy this one-pot dinner!

Ingredients (makes approximately 38 meatballs), Serves 12-14)

• 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey or beef (93% lean or above)
• 1 1/4 cups water, divided
• 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white
• 1 cup finely minced onion
• 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon fresh herbs (oregano, parsley, or thyme)
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 1 (6-oz) package fresh baby spinach

1. Peel and chop the carrots, and place in a large pot. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey (and/or beef), 1/4 cup cold water, 1 whole egg and 1 egg white, onion, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, ground pepper, and herbs. Mix well with a fork. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls or smaller. (Tip: use a very small ice cream style scoop for fast uniform meatballs.) Keep meatballs in refrigerator until ready toad to soup. 

3. Add the chicken broth and 1 cup water to the pot with the carrots. Bring to a boil, then add the orzo and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

4. Add the meatballs after the 5 minutes and continue to gently simmer for 10 minutes with lid partially covering the pot. Then, add the spinach and stir into soup until wilted, about 1 minute. Turn off heat and serve hot. 

Be sure to use a bigger pot than this one!

Shape Up America!

Made with ground turkey and 7% fat Made with ground beef and 5% fat

The calories, fat, cholesterol, protein and sodium are very similar for both the ground turkey and ground beef options.  What is less obvious is the difference in iron content between the two options.  It should be noted that the heme iron in the ground beef option will make the iron content in the spinach more bio-available and more easily used by your body.  If you have a tendency to anemia, this can be an important difference to be considered between the two options.

Light Chili

This is a fairly simple, lighter version of the classic recipe for chili. With lean ground beef, and doubling up on the beans, you are cutting down on fat, without cutting out flavor! All those spices make it vibrant and provide that signature chili flavor. You can tone down or turn up the heat by adding more or less of the chili powder and cayenne pepper. I prefer it spicy with some light sour cream and low-fat cheese on the side to balance the heat.

Because it’s easy to prepare and stores well in the refrigerator overnight, it's a great dish to serve your guests. Serve alongside some cornbread and light salad and you have a light, very flavorful meal!

Ingredients (6-8 servings)

• 2 ounces of Canadian bacon, diced small*
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 pound lean ground beef (96% lean or up, ground turkey or bison can be substituted)
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp to 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (use less if you are sensitive to spice)
• 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed fire-roasted tomatoes or regular crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef stock
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) low-sodium black beans, drained

Low-fat sour cream, sliced scallions, and/or grated low-sodium cheddar for topping

*Turkey bacon can also be used in place of Canadian bacon.

Ingredients

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil. Once hot, add the Canadian bacon and onions and cook just until onions and bacon begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir while cooking. Then, lower heat, stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute.

2. Increase the heat to medium-high and add ground beef, turkey or bison. Break up the meat with a spoon and stir gently until it loses its pink color, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the spices, tomato sauce, tomatoes, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially and cook 30 minutes.

3. Add drained beans and cook 10 minutes, uncovered. Serve warm, with toppings on the side.

The chili also freezes well, but if planning to freeze, don't add the beans. Add the beans once you reheat the chili.

Shape Up America!