Healthy Corn Chowder

I have read that if you eat soup before a meal, you tend to eat less during the meal (and this can lead to weight loss). Of course, by soup, this is probably referring to a broth like soup as opposed to a creamy soup like Cream of Mushroom, or New England Clam Chowder (yup, that's the white one).

Now I have nothing against broth based soups, but I just love the texture and heartiness of a nice, creamy soup. But, if you are watching your waistline this new year, perhaps a cream filled soup isn't the best option.

Never fear! Creamy textured soups don't have to contain cream! They can be just as healthy and full of good stuff like a broth based soup. And the best part about soup is that you can make a big batch and freeze it!

Chinese Steamed Pork with Salted Egg

I'll be honest with you... it's not a dish that looks super appetizing to the untrained eye. However, I am telling you, Chinese Steamed Pork with Salted Egg is delicious and so so simple.

My mom used to make this dish all the time. We usually eat it with steamed white rice and some kind of stir fried vegetable. In theory, it's basically meat that is mixed with egg so that when it steams, it stays together. But in actuality, it is so much more than that.

Think of it as Chinese meatloaf. Except that the seasoning comes from the simply beautiful salted duck eggs.

Chocolate-Orange Tart

Dark chocolate and orange really is a winning combination. Reminds me of those chocolates that my grandma used to buy as a kid that were large and round like an orange and wrapped in orange foil. I remember slamming that round orange chocolate on the table and it would break into segments just like an orange. The flavor... chocolate and orange of course!

I use this combination a lot. For example, my Decadent Chocolate Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting and my Dark Chocolate Dipped Citrus Biscotti.

Today was no exception. A chocolate tart with orange liqueur and orange zest. Delicious.

Mom's Other Pork Chop Recipe (and Chicken too!)

My mom is a perfectionist just like me. If there is a chance that some kind of tweak can make a recipe even better, she will try it. In this case, the subject matter was pork chops.

My mom made some simple and fantastic pork chops which I shared with you in November (Mom Miranda's Crispy Pork Chops). At that time, she also made some similar pork chops that I will share with you today. Now, there is some debate amongst us as to which pork chops we like better, but the bottom line is, they are both delicious. The main difference is that the ones I will share today are wet marinated, which some may argue is just more work. Others however, will say that this makes the pork chops taste better and stay moist.

So, I leave it to you to decide which ones you like better. And please, if you do happen to try them both, I would love to know what you think...

P.S. I did use this recipe to make chicken too, which was delicious!