My favorite thing to make lately is pan seared anything. Mostly because it is super easy, but another reason is I love the flavor! First, I preheat my oven to 450 degrees. I take the meat and lubricate it in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Then I sprinkle on some salt and pepper. The next part varies depending on the type of meat I am making, but it is completely up to your own personal tastes. There are so many different combinations you could use and lots of other spices as well! Have fun with it!

 

Anyway, the last spice I sprinkle on is always one of McCormick’s Grill Mates Seasonings. I LOVE their spice combinations!! They taste great and they flavor things really well. The Garlic and Onion seasoning is my go to spice for chicken. This is also great to add to the water you cook your potatoes in for mashed potatoes. The potatoes absorb the flavor and you get these really great, subtle garlic-and-onion-flavored mashed potatoes. I love it because then I don’t feel the need to add tons of butter or gravy to my mashed potatoes, so I can keep them as healthy as possible. For steak, I use the Montreal Steak seasoning and for pork I always grab the Barbeque seasoning. I am not usually a big fan of barbeque because it is messy and the flavor is a little overwhelming and detracts from the taste of the meat. However, with this seasoning, I don’t have either one of those problems. If you have used these spices you should definitely check them out, as well as some of the other combinations made by McCormick’s.

 

Anyway, after you season the meat on both sides, you cook it in a preheated skillet on medium high heat. You will have to transfer this skillet to the oven in a minute, so make sure it is an oven compatible. I use a cast iron skillet. Cook the meat for about 2-3 minutes on each side until it is browned and then put the skillet into the preheated oven. I usually cook it for about 10- 15 minutes, turning it over every 5 minutes until the meat is fully cooked.

 

The best part about this is the calories. The only calories added to that of the meat are the 120 from the EVOO and 16 from the pepper. Although, if you use the Montreal Steak Seasoning, add 5 calories as well.

 

Great flavor, easy and low calories. Can’t be any better than that!