Hi Thought I would share a few recipes with you today. One is a real favorite because it's easy to make and can be really low fat - that's my asparagus soup. The other is an old, easy recipe that sounds weird but people and kids usually love. It makes for a great hors d'Oeuvre or is good over egg noodles. That recipe is for sweet and sour meatballs. I was speaking with someone today and the conversation reminded me of this last recipe, which I haven't made in years. It was given to me many years ago and it was for a Puerto Rican Pork Chop/Eggplant recipe. Really great for the winter. My husband melts for this one. ASPARAGUS SOUP Easy soup to make and low fat. 1 tablespoon butter 1 small onion, chopped 1 tablespoon all purpose flour 2 14 1/2-ounce cans chicken broth 1 pound asparagus, tough ends discarded, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 teaspoon dried summer savory Sour cream or plain yogurt (optional) Melt 1 tablespoon butter in soup pan, over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender and translucent. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Mix in chicken broth. Bring to boil. Add asparagus pieces and summer savory and cook till the asparagus is really soft. Puree asparagus in food processor, or blender, or if use one of the hand blenders. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Top with some sour cream or yogurt, if you wish. (I have never done so). This recipe is easily doubled or tripled. You can also leave some of the asparagus whole and you can also leave a few chunks of asparagus - depends on how silky and smooth you want the soup to be. Coffee Granita - Pi's version 2 ½ cups water ½ cup espresso coffee - finely ground 1 teaspoon orange zest 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier ¾ cup sugar or Splenda ½ cup water Whipped cream, chocolate curls and or cookie for garnish Put 2 ½ cups water and ½ cup espresso coffee in saucepan (I doubled these amounts). Bring to a boil. Immediately turn off heat. Strain coffee through filter. Stir sugar or splenda in water with orange zest over low heat till sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil 5 minutes. Mix in strained coffee (2 ½ cups coffee) and Grand Marnier. Put in refrigerator to cool. Pour into loaf pan and place in freezer. When slightly hardened (about 1 hour) rake coffee with a fork to loosen it up, break up the frozen pieces and fluff it up. Put back in freezer. Repeat this procedure every 30 minutes or so to keep the pieces fluffy and frozen. Serve with whipped cream and cookie or chocolate curls. Pork Chops with Eggplant 4-6 Pork Chops 1 Eggplant - washed, sliced in 1/2 inch rounds breadcrumbs egg 2 16 ounce cans tomato sauce 1 small carrot diced garlic clove - crushed olive oil salt and pepper to taste season with salt and pepper at each stage Brown pork chops on both sides in saute pan. No need to add oil if using cast iron pan. Otherwise add a bit of olive oil so that chops don't stick. Just get the chops a bit of color. You are not cooking them. Remove from pan and put aside. Take eggplant rounds, dip in egg wash then in bread crumbs. Saute rounds till brown on both sides. Use olive oil. If you wish you can do this in oven so that you do not use as much oil or you can do this in cast iron pan which will allow you to use less oil. Put rounds on side, when done. In a separate pot, on medium heat, add a bit of olive oil, about a tbsp. and saute carrot then add garlic. Cook about a minute. Do not overcook. Add tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper. If you wish to add other herbs or seasonings (oregano, basil, etc.). By all means go for it. Now back to the saute pan - place pork chops in pan and add at least one eggplant round on top. If all chops do not fit on one level the put the other chops over the first level. Just be sure to have at least one eggplant round or more on top of each chop. Add tomato sauce to pan. Cover and cook on low heat. Cook at least 30 -40 minutes. The chops should be really soft and almost fall off the bone.definitelydefinetly can be made the day before. Tastes great. Especially with a salad vinaigrette. speak to you soon. pi