Sometime during my second or maybe third teenage diet, I realized that there were no calories in pepper. And that doubling or tripling the amount of ground black pepper in a recipe might overpower the other herbs and spices, but it would render a guilt-free intense flavor that I relished.

So without thinking, I tripled the rub mixture for the Pork Sliders with Raspberry Mustard Sauce. With more than enough spices to provide a good cover for the meat, I now had to take extra care when searing the loin – burnt spices are not tasty! But cooked, the spiced meat with the raspberry sauce was a taste bud tantalizer – sweet raspberries, combined with the acidity of the canola mayonnaise, the bitterness of the mustard, and the heat from the pepper and dried pepper flakes guaranteed that this dish would easily become a family favorite.

Pork Sliders with Raspberry Mustard Sauce

Pork Sliders
1/2 tsp garlic powder 2 mL
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves 2 mL
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper 2 mL
1 lb pork tenderloin 500 g
1 Tbsp canola oil 15 mL
Canola oil cooking spray
12 wheat or multigrain mini rolls, halved

Sauce
1/4 cup raspberry fruit spread 60 mL
2 Tbsp coarse-grain Dijon mustard 30 mL
2 Tbsp canola mayonnaise 30 mL
1 tsp pourable sugar substitute 5 mL
1/4 tsp ground allspice 1 mL
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes (optional) 0.5 mL

1. Preheat oven to 425 °F (220 °C). In small bowl, combine garlic powder, thyme and black pepper. Sprinkle both sides of pork tenderloin with garlic powder mixture. In large nonstick skillet, heat canola oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, cook 3 minutes, turn and cook 2 more minutes or until richly browned. Remove from heat.

2. Coat foil-lined baking sheet with canola oil cooking spray, place pork on baking sheet and cook 18-20 minutes, until barely pink in center. Place on cutting board and let stand 5 minutes before thinly slicing. If desired, wrap rolls in foil and place in oven 5 minutes to warm before serving.

3. Place fruit spread in microwave-safe small bowl. Cover and microwave on high power for 20 seconds or until slightly melted. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients until well blended.

4. To serve, place pork on serving platter and sauce in another small bowl. Serve with rolls.

Yield: 12 servings. Serving size: 2 sliders.

Nutrional Analysis Per Serving :                                       

Calories                                 140        

Total Fat                                 4           g

Saturated Fat                          1             g

Cholesterol                            20             mg

Sodium                                  210         mg

Carbohydrates                        17           g

Fiber                                      2             g

Protein                                   10             g

One of the most devastating moments of my life in food, particularly since I’m Italian, was discovering that I’m lactose intolerant. “Blast!” I thought. “All of my favorite foods are out the window.” While I can’t say that I specifically mourned the loss of beef stroganoff, it is nevertheless a delicious comfort dish in which I could not partake – until I found the Creamy Beef, Mushrooms, and Noodles recipe in “The Heart-Smart Diabetes Kitchen,” which uses canola mayonnaise and is therefore completely dairy-free.

If you happen to eat beef stroganoff daily, you might be able to distinguish a difference between the richness of the dairy in the original version and the texture of the canola mayonnaise in this version. I, however, was pleasantly surprised that the flavor and mouth-feel of the dish was just as good as a regular beef stroganoff and it was considerably healthier to boot. Because there is very little added salt, the beef bouillon granules are key to the flavor. Instead of the sherry, I went with the balsamic vinegar and water substitution suggested in the recipe because I had those ingredients on hand, at no detriment to the recipe. And, since I like my beef a bit more done, I cooked it for around 5 minutes instead of the suggested 3 minutes.

All in all, this is the perfect winter comfort dish for anyone, but I would especially recommend it for those dairy-free cooks who still like to make traditional dishes.

Creamy Beef, Mushrooms, and Noodles

1 cup (4 oz/125 g) dry no-yolk egg noodles 250 mL
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise 60 mL
1/4 cup dry sherry 60 mL (or 1/4 cup/60 mL water and 1-2 tsp/5-10 mL balsamic vinegar)
2 tsp beef bouillon granules 10 mL
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 5 mL
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper, or to taste 2 mL
3 tsp canola oil, divided 15 mL
3/4 lb boneless sirloin steak, very thinly sliced 350 g
1 cup thinly sliced onions 250 mL
1 package (8 oz) sliced mushrooms 250 g

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting any salt or fat.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together canola mayonnaise, sherry, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Heat 1 tsp (5 mL) canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Tilt skillet to coat bottom lightly. Cook beef 3 minutes, and set aside on a separate plate. Heat 1 tsp (5 mL) canola oil, add onions, and cook 5 minutes or until just beginning to richly brown, stirring frequently. Scrape onions to one side of the skillet, add remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) canola oil, and add mushrooms. Cook 4 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown on the edges, stirring frequently. Add beef and any accumulated juices. Cook 30 seconds or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

4. Remove from heat and stir in canola mayonnaise mixture until well blended. Serve over drained noodles. Sprinkle with additional black pepper, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings. Serving size: 3/4 cup (175 mL) beef mixture and 1/2 cup (125 mL).

Nutrional Analysis Per Serving :                                       

Calories                                 320        

Total Fat                                 12           g

Saturated Fat                          1.5             g

Cholesterol                            30             mg

Sodium                                  615         mg

Carbohydrates                        27           g

Fiber                                      2             g

Protein                                   23             g

For a unique variation on pork tenderloin, try the Pork Medallions with Rich Onion Sauce, which calls for quickly cooking thin slices of tenderloin in a skillet. This is a time-saving recipe, especially compared to traditionally baking whole tenderloins.

However, I must confess that for Thanksgiving dinner, I took the liberty of making the sauce separately, drizzling it over a whole pork tenderloin and then baking the “sauced up” pork in the oven. My family loved it (and they no longer think I am a novice in the kitchen).

The combination of robust sauce ingredients – salt-free grill seasonings, onions, garlic, Dijon mustard, low-sodium beef bouillon – puts the “rich” in the recipe title, but not in bad fat calories. The rich texture simply comes from a few teaspoons of low saturated canola oil and white whole-wheat flour.

A red zinfandel or syrah complements the rich onion sauce. After that, as the French say, whatever will be, will be (que “syrah, syrah”) …

Pork Medallions with Rich Onion Sauce

Tender, thin slices of pork tenderloin are offset by the robust taste of the sauce.

1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 8 slices, pounded to 1/8-inch thickness 500 g
1 tsp salt-free grill seasoning blend 5 mL
3 tsp canola oil, divided 15 mL
1 cup thinly slices onion 250 mL
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard 4 mL
2 tsp white whole-wheat flour 10 mL
1/2 cup water 125 mL
2 tsp low-sodium beef bouillon granules 10 mL

1. Sprinkle both sides of pork with seasoning blend.
2. Heat 1 tsp (5 mL) canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Tilt skillet to coat bottom. Add half of pork slices and cook 2 minutes; then turn and cook 1 minute or until juices run clear. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with 1 tsp (5 mL) canola oil and remaining pork and place on the plate.
3. Heat remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) canola oil, tilt skillet, and add onions. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes or until onions are translucent. Stir in garlic. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining ingredients until well blended.
4. Return to heat and add pork and any accumulated juices. Turn pieces over several times to coat with onion mixture, reduce to medium-low heat, cover tightly, and simmer 10 minutes or until pork is very tender and juices run clear.

Yield: 4 servings. Serving Size: 2 slices pork.

Nutrional Analysis Per Serving :                                       

Calories                                 170        

Total Fat                                 6           g

Saturated Fat                          1             g

Cholesterol                            60             mg

Sodium                                  515         mg

Carbohydrates                        5           g

Fiber                                      1             g

Protein                                   23             g