Spicy Pork Chops with Mango Lime Salsa

Salsa:
1 mango - small diced
2 plum tomatoes
1/4 cup red onion, fine diced
2 scallions (white and green parts)
3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp tabasco or hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs. peanut or canola oil

Chops:
1 Tbs. cumin seeds
1 Tbs freshly cracked coriander seeds (I used the spice jar to crush them, it's way easy)
1 Tbs ground dried chili powder
1 Tbs salt
4 bone in center cut pork chops (1-1 1/2 inches thick)
2 Tbs. olive oil

Make the salsa, combine all ingredients and drizzle with oil and salt and pepper.
Combine all the spices in a small bowl. Pat the pork chops with a paper towel to dry them, and then rub the spice mixture over all the surfaces.
Heat skillet over medium heat with olive oil, when pan is hot, add chops. Cook about 9 minutes, flipping once during the cooking process. Let rest for at least 5 minutes after cooking, serve with salsa!

Easy Salmon Cakes

Low Fat Version - 100 calories for 2 cakes and 2 teaspoons of sauce!

Sauce:
1 lime
1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat free sour cream

Salmon Cakes:
2 cans (6 oz) skinless/boneless pink salmon packed in water, drained and flaked
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion (white and green parts)
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro
3/4 cup dried unseasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup fat free mayonnaise
1 egg white

Instructions:
1. Zest lime into small bowl for the sauce, then squeeze 2 teaspoons of sauce into the bowl. Add mayo and sour cream, mix well, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Combine bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, mayo, egg white and salmon. Mix well.
3. Sprinkle remaining bread crumbs onto plate. Form salmon cakes from mixture and turn in remaining crumbs to form an even coat.
4. Heat skillet over medium heat until hot, cook salmon cakes 6-8 minutes or until golden brown, turn once half way through cook time.
Serve with sauce and enjoy!

Lots of Fat way:
I don't use low-fat anything, I also added 1/2 an onion and sauteed all the veggies before I added them to the mixture. I also used italian style bread crumbs and skipped the cilantro because I personally am not a fan. Really easy and even my husband liked it, and he hates fish!

Leslie's Birthday Caramels

Golden Caramels

recipe from Martha Stewart

makes 150

• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 4 cups light corn syrup
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Vegetable-oil cooking spray

1. Spray an 11 3/4-by-16 1/2-inch baking pan (this is a half-sheet pan) with vegetable-oil spray. Set aside in a spot where it will not be moved. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine cream and sweetened condensed milk; set aside.
2. In a heavy 6- to 8-quart saucepan, combine corn syrup, 1 cup water, sugar, and salt. Clip on candy thermometer. Over high heat, cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring with a wooden spoon, 8 to 12 minutes. Brush down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals.
3. Stop stirring, reduce heat to medium, and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until temperature reaches 250 degrees (hard-ball stage), 45 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, cook cream mixture over low heat until it is just warm. Do not boil. When sugar reaches 250 degrees. slowly stir in butter and warmed cream mixture, keeping mixture boiling at all times. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until thermometer reaches 244 degrees (firm-ball stage), 55 to 75 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Immediately pour into prepared pan without scraping pot. Let stand uncovered at room temperature for 24 hours without moving.
4. To cut, spray a large cutting board generously with vegetable-oil spray. Unmold caramel from pan onto sprayed surface. Cut into 1-by-1 1/4-inch pieces, or other shapes. Wrap each in cellophane or waxed paper.