The Everyday DASH Diet Cookbook (17 page)

Broccoli Ziti (
here
)

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the ground sirloin with the side of the spoon, until the meat loses its raw look, about 7 minutes. Stir in the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, and hot pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce has reduced slightly, about 45 minutes.

Divide the hot Broccoli Ziti among six deep bowls. Top each with an equal amount of sauce and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, if using. Serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving without cheese) 325 calories, 23 g protein, 38 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 6 g fiber, 47 mg cholesterol, 124 mg sodium, 1,087 mg potassium. Food groups: 3 ounces meat, 1 grain, 3 vegetables.

Tomato Time

You might be surprised to find that many tomato products—including tomatoes in juice, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste—are available without additional salt; check the labels. In many cases, the small amount of sodium is occurring naturally from the tomatoes themselves. And tomatoes are loaded with potassium, and potassium-rich foods lower blood pressure by helping to excrete excess sodium.

Pork Chops in Mustard Sauce

All dinner entrées should be this easy and tasty. Remember that boneless pork chops should be cooked over medium heat and not overcooked. Keep that trick in mind and you will have a main course that you could serve to company. The herbs are optional, but a nice touch.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS (1½ CHOPS EACH)

Canola oil in a pump sprayer

6 (4-ounce) boneless pork loin chops, about ½ inch thick

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons cornstarch

½ cup Homemade Chicken Broth (
here
) or canned low-sodium chicken broth

½ cup low-fat (1%) milk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons minced shallots

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon, rosemary, or chives

Spray a large nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Season the pork with the salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook until the undersides are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the pork and cook until the other sides are golden brown and the meat feels firm when pressed in the thickest part with a fingertip, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk the cornstarch into the broth. Add the milk and mustard and whisk again; set aside.

Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 2 minutes. Whisk the broth mixture again, pour into the skillet, and bring to a boil. Return the pork and any juices on the plate to the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Transfer the pork to a deep platter and cut each chop in half. Pour the sauce over the pork chops and sprinkle with the tarragon. Serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 207 calories, 25 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 0 g fiber, 73 mg cholesterol, 323 mg sodium, 418 mg potassium. Food groups: 3½ ounces lean meat.

Pork Chops with Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage

I love sweet-and-sour red cabbage, especially when simmered with pork. It takes at least an hour of simmering to become tender and marry the flavors, so don’t skimp on the time. This recipe makes a generous amount of cabbage, so you might have leftovers to serve at another meal.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Red Cabbage

1 slice reduced-sodium bacon, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 small red cabbage (1¼ pounds), cored and thinly sliced

¼ cup cider vinegar

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into ½-inch dice

¼ cup water

3 tablespoons grade B maple syrup (see “Maple Syrup,”
here
)

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pork Chops

Canola oil in a pump sprayer

4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork chops, excess fat trimmed

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To prepare the red cabbage: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon in the oil, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. In three or four additions, stir in the cabbage, sprinkling each addition with a tablespoon or so of the vinegar. Stir in the apples, water, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover tightly. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is very tender, about 1 hour. If the liquid cooks away, add a couple of tablespoons of water.

To prepare the pork: Spray a large nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Season the pork with the salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook until the undersides are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the pork and cook until the other sides are golden brown and the meat feels firm when pressed in the thickest part with a fingertip, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Increase the heat under the skillet to high. Add the red cabbage mixture and any liquid to the skillet and cook, scraping up the browned bits in the skillet with a wooden spoon. Cook until the juices are thickened, about 3 minutes. Return the pork and any juices on the plate to the skillet. Serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 356 calories, 29 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 6 g fiber, 66 mg cholesterol, 377 mg sodium, 1,062 mg potassium. Food groups: 3½ ounces meat, 2 vegetables, 1 fat, ½ fruit, 1 sugar.

Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is even more American than apple pie and was a sweetener on these shores long before sugar arrived. For the strongest maple flavor, buy grade B syrup (or “dark,” its Canadian equivalent). This has a richer, deeper taste than grade A syrup (or Canadian no. 1 or no. 2), which should be reserved for topping pancakes and the like. The grades are not an indication of quality; they refer only to the syrup’s depth of color and flavor. Grade B syrup is easy to find at natural food markets and many wholesale clubs.

Rosemary Pork Chops with Balsamic Glaze

Cooking with fresh herbs is one of the best ways to improve your everyday meals. There are many times when dried herbs will do, but this dish relies on just a few ingredients, so the bracing flavor of fresh rosemary is key. To keep the lean chops moist, cook them with medium heat so they brown at a steady pace without burning.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Olive oil in a pump sprayer

4 (4-ounce) boneless pork loin chops, about ½ inch thick

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Spray a large nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Season the pork with the rosemary, salt, and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook until the undersides are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the pork and cook, adjusting the heat as needed so the pork cooks steadily without burning, until the other sides are browned and the pork feels firm when pressed in the center with a fingertip, about 3 minutes more. Transfer each chop to a dinner plate.

Off heat, add the vinegar to the skillet. (Do not inhale the fumes, as they are strong.) Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits in the bottom of the skillet. The residual heat of the skillet should be enough to evaporate the vinegar to about 2 tablespoons. If necessary, return the skillet to medium heat to reduce the vinegar slightly. Drizzle the glaze over each chop and serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 178 calories, 24 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 0 g fiber, 67 mg cholesterol, 579 mg sodium, 376 mg potassium. Food groups: 3 ounces meat.

Cooking Pork

For decades, the USDA insisted that pork be cooked to 160°F for safe consumption, a temperature that most professional cooks believed caused overcooking and tough, dry meat. Recently, the recommended internal temperature for doneness has been lowered to 145°F, with a waiting period of 3 minutes before serving so the residual heat can raise the temperature a few more degrees. This yields pork that is juicy and tender, with a slightly pink cast to the meat.

Pork Chops with White Beans

A perfect warming rustic dish for an autumn evening; just serve a green salad on the side to make a substantial meal. This recipe is very high in soluble fiber, which is especially beneficial for helping to lower cholesterol.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

3 teaspoons olive oil

4 (4-ounce) boneless pork loin chops, about ½ inch thick

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, cut into ½-inch dice

1 medium celery rib, cut into ½-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup Homemade Chicken Broth (
here
) or canned low-sodium chicken broth

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 ripe plum (Roma) tomatoes, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice

½ teaspoon herbes de Provence, Italian Seasoning (
here
), or dried rosemary

Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season the pork with the salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook until the undersides are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the chops and cook until the other sides are browned, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the skillet. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer, stirring up the browned bits in the skillet with a wooden spoon. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and herbes de Provence. Cover and simmer to blend the flavors, about 15 minutes.

Return the pork and any juices on the plate to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, until the pork feels firm when pressed in the center with a fingertip, about 3 minutes.

Divide the bean mixture evenly among four large soup bowls and top each with a pork chop. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 458 calories, 33 g protein, 34 g carbohydrates, 21 g fat, 8 g fiber, 78 mg cholesterol, 357 mg sodium, 1,229 mg potassium. Food groups: 3 ounces meat, 2 beans, 1 vegetable, 2 fats.

NOTE:
Many pork products that look natural are actually injected with salty liquid to help keep them moist during cooking. (The pork can still be labeled “all natural” because sodium is not chemically produced.) Look carefully at meat labels to be sure that you aren’t buying pork that has been salted, or if you do buy these meats, include the sodium in your daily intake total.