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It’s no secret that the average person consumes more than the recommended amount of sugar. With so many choices to tempt our sweet tooth, it can be a challenge to meet the recommendation from the 2016 Dietary Guidelines for Americans to limit added sugars to no more than 10% of daily calories. In an effort to reduce our reliance on sweetness, a surge of savory flavors is beginning to take the stage in some unexpected ways.

From yogurts to snack bars, you’ll find some interesting new combinations hitting the shelves.  Ingredients with a mild flavor, like oats, rice and white beans, are the perfect vessels to carry any type of flavor profile. Food types traditionally reserved for breakfast or dessert lend themselves to the crossover. 

Pancakes can be re-invented by tossing cheddar and bacon bits into the batter and serving topped with an egg instead of syrup. Re-purpose a waffle maker to create hash brown waffles, topped with chives.  Go beyond the brown sugar and treat your oats to avocado slices and a dash of Everything Bagel seasoning. Plain yogurt is a blank slate; add olives and cucumber or chopped tomatoes and basil.

Fruits like watermelon and citrus make refreshing sorbet-like treats with the addition of ginger, basil or mint. Bread pudding can go savory with ingredients like ham and caramelized onion. Scones go beyond breakfast with a hint of rosemary and garlic to become a savory accompaniment to afternoon tea.

Borrowing ideas from other cultures is a great way to get inspired. Think Greek tzatziki, Korean red bean ice cream, Mexican mole, or Indian yogurt curry.  At first glance, recipes that introduce a new pairing may seem strange, but by exploring flavors, your taste buds may just meet a new favorite.

Greek Stuffed Pork Chops

Serves 8

All you need

• 1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach

• 1½ tbsp chopped fresh oregano

• 2 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley

• 2 tsp chopped fresh mint

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• 1/3 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives

• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

• 2½ lbs boneless pork top-loin roast

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Freshly cracked sea salt and additional cracked black pepper, to taste

All you do

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine spinach, oregano, parsley, mint, garlic, black pepper, olives and cheese.

3. Slice pork loin into 1-inch chops. Make a pocket in each chop by cutting from fat side almost to, but not through, the opposite side.

4. Spoon about 1½ tablespoons spinach mixture into pocket of each chop. 5. If necessary, secure with wooden toothpicks.

6. Place stuffed chops on a rack in a shallow pan. Brush each chop with lemon juice and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until pork and stuffing reach 165 degrees.

Recipe source:  www.hy-vee.com/recipes-ideas/recipes/greek-stuffed-pork-chops

The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.