Low-Fat Carrot Cake Muffins, Roasted Potato Salad, Rosemary and Garlic Grilled Pork Loin

Hi everyone! I don't want to jinx anything but it is sunny out right now. I can't believe it! Could it be that winter might come to an end??? Yes, it's only 65 degrees out but here that's almost a heat wave!

Tomorrow night, we're eating at a BoyScout BBQ (my baby is old enough for Cub Scouts) so I don't have to cook. But, it is Friday, so I'm making a dessert. For dessert, I'm making Carrot Cake Muffins and they're low fat to boot. I know, it sounds kind of boring for dessert but my family won't mind something healthy. Now, if you don't want to make these healthy, you can use all purpose flour instead of the whole wheat. I like muffins with whole wheat flour though. They do taste different from a Costco muffin so be expecting that. Since we are nut free, I'll be leaving those out but otherwise I'm following as written. These are really moist with the carrots and pineapple and the raisins keep it very sweet. I like to use golden raisins in muffin recipes but regular old raisins will work great too!

Low-Fat Carrot Cake Muffins
Katie (Katiedid) From Recipezaar
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (or use half white and whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar (can use more or less)
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well drained
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (squeeze out some of the moisture with hands)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
Set oven to 350 degrees.


Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners or spray tins with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl mix together first 7 ingredients. In a small bowl whisk together egg, oil, milk and vanilla. In a medium bowl mix the shredded carrots with the crushed pineapple. Add in the oil/egg mixture into the carrot/pineapple mixture; mix well to combine, then add to the dry ingredients; mix JUST until combined. Add in the raisins and chopped nuts. Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin tins. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the muffins test done.




I've included a recipe for a roasted potato salad that we really enjoy. I actually leave the green beans out of it most times I make it but it's good either way. This is a nice alternative to your typical mayo potato salad. The second recipe is for a pork loin that is delicious! I actually got it from the Weight Watchers website. It's a Core recipe so I don't know the points. We're not huge rosemary fans but we really liked this. Remember, pork loins come prepackaged in the meat department and it comes with two. You decide how much of the meat you need for your family!


Roasted Potato Salad
Carrie (henryjsmama)

½ lb. Fresh green beans, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
1 large whole garlic bulb
2 lbs. small red potatoes, quartered
2 med. Red peppers, cut into large chunks
2 green onions, sliced
¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. rosemary
½ tsp. salt

In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add beans; bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place beans in ice water; drain and pat dry. Remove papery outer skin from garlic (do not peel or separate cloves). Cut to off garlic bulb. Place cut side up in a greased 15 X 10 baking dish. Add the potatoes, peppers, onions and beans; drizzle with broth. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until garlic is softened. Remove garlic; set aside. Bake veggies 30-35 min. longer or until tender. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze softened garlic into a large bowl. Stir in the vinegar, oil, sugar, rosemary and salt. Add veggies; toss to coat. Serve warm or cold. 9 servings.

Rosemary and Garlic Grilled Pork Loin
Amy – amylz
Recipe from Weight Watchers

Core Recipe
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 12 min
Cooking Time: 25 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

The intense flavors of garlic and rosemary complement tender pork loin in this recipe. It's easy enough to make last minute, and nice enough for special occasions.

Ingredients
• 1 pound lean pork tenderloin, use one whole loin
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 medium garlic clove(s), crushed
• 2 Tbsp rosemary, fresh
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 cup arugula
• 1/2 cup fat-free red wine vinaigrette

Instructions
• Prepare grill for medium-hot indirect cooking, or preheat oven to 425°F.
• Place pork on a large sheet of plastic wrap. In a small bowl, mix together oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper, crushing rosemary slightly with a spoon as you mix; spread mixture over pork, covering entire surface. Wrap loin tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour (and up to overnight).
• Remove plastic wrap and place pork on grill. Grill outdoors over indirect heat, turning occasionally, until a meat thermometer inserted in center reads 160°F, about 25 minutes. Or indoors, place tenderloin in a shallow roasting pan and roast until internal temperature reaches 160°F, about 20 minutes. (Note: Pork loin can be pink and juicy inside and be fully cooked, but it is important that the internal temperature be at least 160°F.)
• Remove pork from grill or oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Toss arugula with vinaigrette and serve with pork. Yields about 3 ounces of pork and 1 cup of arugula per serving.

Amy