April Mystery Box: Rosemary-Garlic-Beer Focaccia with Smoked Gouda and Ham

This month, the Mystery Ingredient Challenge box included beer, rosemary and ham. I wanted to make a pizza but in the end I settled on a simple rosemary-garlic-beer Focaccia topped with smoked Gouda and ham. The serving size for this recipe is decent sized appetizers and pairs great with a cold Newcastle.

1.25 cups bread flour
1.25 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tbsp garlic olive oil (I use Garlic Gold, more on this fabulous company in the coming week... consider this a preview)
1 tbsp Garlic Gold Italian Herb Nuggets
1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
6 oz beer (I used Newcastle because I LOVE it's flavor!)
2.5 oz diced smoked Gouda
3 oz diced ham

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients together until blended, then add remaining ingredients through the beer. Once dough is blended, place on greased baking pans (or pizza stone) and press out with your fingers until desired thickness. Bake for 5-10 minutes until crust starts to set. Remove from oven and sprinkle gouda and ham over top. Bake for another 8-15 minutes until cheese starts to brown. Slice into small triangles with pizza cutter and enjoy!

Nutritional Information: 212 calories/6 grams of fat/2 grams of fiber/10 grams of protein

There is still a couple days to get your entry in for a chance to win!
Click on the icon above to learn more!

April Mystery Box Challenge

Less than a month ago, my boyfriend challenged me to a mystery box cook-off. After watching one too many episodes of the Food Network show "Chopped" I was up for the challenge! So he got to pick three random ingredients and it resulted in Baked Stuffed Peppers.

I was asked to do it again but rather than let Doug have free rein, I asked three people to pick two ingredients off the top of their head. Then I asked them if they liked odd or even better in order to select one of the mystery ingredients from another person. I still let Doug play along since he inspired the challenge.

Sarah over at Mom on the Run picked beer and green chilis, Doug picked odd and so beer became our first ingredient

Zara over at Crazy Mom picked eggplant and rosemary, Sarah picked even so rosemary made the list

Doug, the boyfriend and non-food blogger over at A black man's grammatical chaos, picked ham and beets, Zara picked odd so ham made this list

APRIL MYSTERY BOX: HAM, BEER, ROSEMARY

Since I introduced the March challenge a bit later in the month, a number of bloggers told me they would have to wait until April. So here is your chance! The $10 Starbucks gift card is up for grabs again!

I invite you all to join me on this monthly adventure. Each month I will post the mystery box of ingredients. Your job is to create a dish that utilizes all of these ingredients and document the preparation and final product as well as a review of how it turned out. Post a link to your documentation in the comment section of the mystery box post. At the end of the month, all eligible entries will be entered to win a fabulous prize! The contest closes the last day of the month at midnight. While you can use other ingredients from your pantry, the dish must include the mystery ingredients.

Reminders:

1. All of the mystery ingredients must be used in one dish.

2. You may use other ingredients to complete the dish.

3. Post the link to your blog in the comments section of THIS post in order to be counted for the contest by April 30th at midnight.

4. Your entry should have the Mystery Box logo and a link back to this post in order to be eligible.

Good luck and get cooking!!!!

Cereal Crusted Pork Fingers

I like faux-breading recipes but most of the recipes use cereals I can't eat. So I took my favorite cereal and tried out my own version.

When makings meat dishes, unless I am not up to it, I prefer to slice my meat into smaller pieces. It allows for better portion control. And in this case, it also means more coating!

I got 6 center cut pork chops from work for an awesome price. So I took four, and slice the meat off the bone. I wasn't very careful to get the meat off the bone because I have some ideas for the remaining meat on the bone.

For this particular recipe, you can get more picky about points based on measuring the cereal coating you make and then subtracting how much is leftover in the end (same with eggbeaters). My count is the whole mix, even though there was a fair bit left over. Finally, make sure to measure out your pork. The points will vary depending on the weight of your meat.

12 ounces raw pork chop sliced into strips (3 strips per chop)
1.5 cups Kashi Go Lean cereal blended into almost dust
Chili Powder, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Italian Seasoning, to taste
Mrs. Dash Hot and Spicy Blend, to taste
1 cup egg beaters

Preheat oven to 425. Spray baking sheet with coking spray of choice.

Mix all ingredients except pork and eggbeaters together. Note that the cereal is on the sweeter side, so taste the coating occasionally as you add seasonings to ensure flavor is up to par.

Dredge pork into eggbeaters one at a time and lay into bowl of coating. I recommend using one hand to deal with wet pork and one to sprinkle breading over the top of the pork. This will prevent either hand from getting caked up with egg and breading.

Bake for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

My recipe yielded 4 servings at 3pts each. However it would probably go lower if you take the measures I mention above. It will also vary based on the meat you choose to use.

Black Eye Peas and Ham

I made a very large slow cooker pot of this New Year's meal. The amount of ham and the type of ham you use will affect your points! I weighed the ham on the bone before cooking, and the bones after to figure out how much meat was in the pot. I used Hillshire Farms spiral cut ham with bone that my company had for employees. It had a sugary type glaze on it that probably upped the calories.

I freeze and reheat smaller portions for the next month. It is a hearty meal and one that is sure to please!

44 oz ham on bone
2 cans of low sodium, fat free chicken broth
1 lb dry black eye peas
1 medium yellow onion, diced
italian seasoning, to taste (a couple of tbsp I think)
garlic salt, to taste (a couple tsp?)
pepper, to taste (a couple tsp?)

Soak beans in water overnight to soften and reduce gas.

Put ham on bone in slow cooker. Add a layer of beans, layer onions and seasonings, add remaining beans. Pour broth over the beans. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Makes 22 half cup servings at 2 points each. NI for the ham, broth and beans: 144/5/5

Red Pork and Winter Squash

1.5 lbs of pork loin cubed
3 cups cubed acorn squash
2 sticks of cinnamon
1/3 cup grated fresh ginger
2 minced garlic cloves
6 scallions
1.5 cups chicken broth
6 tbsp ketchup
6 tbsp soy sauce

Put everything through scallions in the crockpot. Whisk last three ingredients together and pour over rest of ingredients. Mix together. High 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours. 6 servings (1 and 1/4 cup).

I love to pour this over brown rice (add points).

Pinchitos (Spanish Shish Kabobs)

Be sure to marinate them overnight for the best flavor.

Ingredients:
2 pounds loin of pork
6 lemons, cut and squeezed, with the rinds included in the marinade
3 tbsp cumin
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of pressed garlic
1 tsp ancho chili pepper
1 ample pinch of saffron soaked in 1/8 cup of warm water

Preparation:
Cube pork into 1" pieces, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the pork pieces to the bowl, mix well and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
Soak wooden skewers in water before using. 10 minutes before grilling, skewer the pork pieces. Place directly on hot grill, turning frequently until fullly cooked. Remove and serve.

16 skewers = 2 points per skewer (approx 4 pieces of meat per skewer)