Spiced Pork Tenderloins with Mango Salsa

Lots of pork recipes in rotation in our house! 


Spiced Pork Tenderloins with Mango Salsa
Mango Salsa:

2 medium ripe mangos, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 medium kiwifruit, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon(s) seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon(s) grated, peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon(s) minced fresh cilantro leaves

Spiced Pork Tenderloins:
2 (about 1 pound each) whole pork tenderloins
3 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon(s) salt
1 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
1 teaspoon(s) ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground ginger
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Directions
1.Prepare Mango Salsa: In medium bowl, combine mangoes, kiwifruit, vinegar, fresh ginger, and cilantro. If not serving right away, cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours. Makes about 4 cups.

2.Prepare charcoal fire or preheat gas grill for covered direct grilling over medium heat.

3.Meanwhile, cut each pork tenderloin lengthwise almost in half, being careful not to cut all the way through. Open and spread flat. Place each tenderloin between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; with meat mallet or rolling pin, pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut each tenderloin into 4 pieces.

4.On waxed paper, mix flour, salt, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and ground ginger. Add pork to spice mixture and turn to coat evenly.

5.Place pork on hot grill rack. Cover grill and cook pork 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides and pork just loses its pink color throughout, turning pork over once. Pass Mango Salsa to spoon over pork to serve.

Nutritional Information
(per serving)
Calories 215; Total Fat 6g; Saturated Fat 2g; Cholesterol 71mg; Sodium 455mg; Total Carbohydrate 15g; Dietary Fiber 1g; Sugars -- ;Protein 23g; Calcium --

Mojito-Rubbed Chicken with Grilled Pineapple

Grill much?  This was refreshingly yummy.  This had me at "grilled pineapple", but it's simple and has so much flavor with just a few ingredients.  We haven't changed a thing in the few times we've made this, except for maybe letting the lime/mint mixture sit on the chicken for a bit before cooking.  This was more out of timing on our part with an active 3-yr old!  When our schedules don't allow for a family dinner every night, sometimes we have to eat after she goes to bed.


Mojito-Rubbed Chicken with Grilled Pineapple
(Source:  delish.com)

4 medium (1 1/2 pounds) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves

2 limes
1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 medium (3 1/2 pounds) pineapple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup(s) loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper

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Directions
1.Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling on medium, or preheat large ridged grill pan on medium.

2.Meanwhile, with meat mallet, pound chicken (placed between 2 sheets plastic wrap) to an even 1/2-inch thickness.

3.From 1 lime, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice. Cut remaining lime into 4 wedges; set aside. In small bowl, combine oil, lime peel, and juice. Lightly brush pineapple on both sides with lime mixture; set aside remaining lime mixture in bowl. Place pineapple slices on hot grill rack and cook 10 minutes or until browned on both sides, turning over once.

4.Stir mint into remaining lime mixture and pat onto both sides of chicken. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to season both sides. Place chicken on hot grill rack and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is browned on both sides and no longer pink throughout, turning over once. Serve chicken with pineapple and lime wedges.

Nutritional Information
(per serving)
Calories 320 ; Total Fat 6g; Saturated Fat 1g; Cholesterol 99mg;  Sodium 385mg; Total Carbohydrate 27g;  Dietary Fiber 3g; Sugars --;  Protein 40g ; Calcium --

Grilled Eggplant with Ricotta Salata

Another winner!  I love love love grilled eggplant, this was a nice addition to our growing list of go-to preparations.  We did make some deviations based on what we were having with this...like subbing reduced-fat feta cheese for the ricotta salata, to make it a little more "South Beach" friendly; and leaving out the tomato. 

Grilled Eggplant with Ricotta Salata

2 tablespoon(s) extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoon(s) fresh oregano leaves
2 (about 1 1/2 pounds each) eggplants, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch- thick slices
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground pepper
1 ounce(s) (1/4 cup) ricotta salata or feta cheese, crumbled
2 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Lemon wedges
Oregano sprigs, for garnish

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Directions
1.Prepare charcoal fire or preheat gas grill for covered direct grilling over medium-high heat.

2.Meanwhile, in small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Remove saucepan from heat; add 2 teaspoons oregano. Let steep until ready to serve.

3.Lightly spray both sides of eggplant slices with nonstick spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place eggplant on hot grill rack. Cover grill and cook eggplant 7 to 10 minutes or until tender and browned, turning over once.
4.Transfer eggplant to platter; drizzle with oregano oil and top with ricotta salata and tomatoes. Serve with lemon wedges. Garnish with oregano sprigs.

Nutritional Information

(per serving)
Calories 85 ; Total Fat 5g ;Saturated Fat 1g; Cholesterol 3mg; Sodium 210mg; Total Carbohydrate 10g; Dietary Fiber 4g; Sugars --; Protein 2g

Ginger Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Sauce

Yeah, It's been a long time.  Ridiculously long.  We've been cooking so great stuff...and some not so great stuff.  I am not going to try to catch up on everything, just the recipes I have within my reach.  So here it goes!

First up, this ginger-garlic shrimp dish - found on delish.com.  Since its summer, we have been grilling a lot.  This is quick to put together, and is delicious!  We had it with grilled eggplant and some quinoa.  We did make some modifications, as I used a can of chopped tomatoes, because it's what I had on hand.  Still good :)

Ginger Garlic Shrimp with Tangy Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup(s) vegetable oil

1/4 cup(s) finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoon(s) minced garlic
2 tablespoon(s) finely chopped basil
1 tablespoon(s) minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
1 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper
2 1/2pound(s) large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil
1 tablespoon(s) minced fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 stalk(s) fresh lemongrass, tender inner bulb only minced
1 1/2pound(s) tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon(s) fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon(s) chopped cilantro
Kosher salt

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Directions
1.Marinate the shrimp: In a large bowl, mix the vegetable oil with the parsley, garlic, basil, ginger, lemon juice, salt, and crushed red pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.

2.Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Stir in the ginger, garlic, and lemongrass and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt. Transfer the sauce to ramekins.

3.Light a grill. Loosely thread the shrimp onto 10 skewers. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to plates and serve with the tomato sauce.

Five-Spice Pork Kabobs

After losing the recipe over and over, as it was torn out of a magazine and tucked into God-knows-where, I am finally posting this.  FINALLY. 

During the week, we never have enough time to prep fancy dinners.  This is quick and easy, not to mention delicious.  I can't say enough about how much I love this sauce, it's soooooo good.  I keep telling myself that I need to make some extra for dipping after the pork is cooked...next time :)

We had this with some stir-fried snap peas and lo-mein noodles.

Five-Spice Pork Kabobs

Source:  http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pork/five-spice-pork-kabobs/

Ingredients
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
8 bamboo or metal skewers (soak bamboo skewers in water to prevent scorching)
1/4 cup peanuts
1/4 cup cilantro sprigs
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions

1. For sauce, in a small bowl combine ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and five-spice powder. For kabobs, trim tenderloin, slice thinly, and thread slices onto skewers. Brush skewered meat with some of the sauce.

2. Grill kabobs on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium-hot coals for 3 to 4 minutes. Brush with remaining sauce. Turn kabobs; grill 3 to 4 minutes more or until fully cooked. To serve, sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro. If desired, serve lime wedges alongside.


Nutrition Facts (Five-Spice Pork Kabobs)
Servings Per Recipe 4,cal. (kcal) 280,Fat, total (g) 11,chol. (mg) 111,sat. fat (g) 3,carb. (g) 7,Monosaturated fat (g) 5,Polyunsaturated fat (g) 2,fiber (g) 1,sugar (g) 4,pro. (g) 38,vit. A (IU) 389,vit. C (mg) 6,Thiamin (mg) 0,Riboflavin (mg) 1,Niacin (mg) 13,Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 1,Folate (µg) 16,Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 1,sodium (mg) 458,Potassium (mg) 804,calcium (mg) 30,iron (mg) 2,Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Halibut Kabobs

This was a recipe that used up some fish from the freezer and veggies from the fridge that needed to go. It was super easy to put together, and cooked quickly...which is always a plus on a weeknight! Served with whole wheat orzo mixed with mushrooms - that were sauteed with garlic, wine and parsley - and a tablespoon of parmesan cheese.

HALIBUT KABOBS
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 T fresh parsley, minced
1 t minced garlic
8 oz halibut or other meaty whitefish suitable for grilling; cut into 1 inch cubes
1 small zucchini, rinsed and ends trimmed; cut lengthwise and slice into 1/2 inch slices
1 C grape tomatoes, rinsed
1 bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 package 6 or 8-inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

In a large mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and oregano, parsley and garlic. Add halibut, zucchini, pepper, onion, tomatoes, toss until well coated. Let marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.

Sidenote: since the peppers, zucchini and onion need to cook longer than the fish and tomatoes...I skewered them seperately from the fish/tomatoes and put them on the grill for a few minutes earlier than the rest.

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill skewers and baste with remaining marinade, turning once after several minutes on the first side, until fish is just cooked through but not flaking apart, about 7 to 9 minutes total. Serve immediately.

Grilled Tequila-Lime Chicken

Someone's back!

Posting some random recipes that I found that I want to be sure that I keep track of before they get lost in the depths of my email folders and/or recipe box!

This was yummy...served on whole wheat tortillas, with the usual "taco night" toppings: shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, red pepper, avocado, black beans, sliced olives, sour cream, and of course lots of hot sauce!

Grilled Tequila-Lime Chicken
1 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chilies
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 boneless chicken breast halves with skin

Mix first 8 ingredients in bowl. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover; chill overnight. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Brush grill rack with oil. Grill chicken until cooked through, turning occasionally, about 18 minutes. Transfer to platter.
Bon AppétitAugust 2000

Chorizo and Shrimp Kebabs

Norm was the one that found the recipe for, and whipped up this marinade for some chorizo that we had stashed in the freezer. It was skewered with some shrimp and grape tomatoes - before the big samonella scare!

Here's what he did...
18 shrimp
1 link of sausage, cut into 1/2" rounds
12 grape tomatoes

Juice of one lemon
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Skewer shrimp, sausage and tomatoes. Grill over direct heat for a few minutes, turning once.

Grilled Pizza

We've been wanting to try grilling pizza for a while...but things came up, other dishes to try took precedent over a simple pizza and this went on the proverbial back burner for a while.

A couple of years ago, Norm bought a Weber Grill cookbook (Weber's Real Grilling) that had a couple of pizza recipes in it that looked fantastic. By the way, this cookbook is gorgeous...lots of pictures (a big plus for a visual person like me) and loaded with pro grilling tips and of course some outstanding recipes.

For the holiday weekend, we decided we'd try a grilled pizza. And holy cow, it was delicious! I was going to try my hand at a homemade crust, but opted for the ready-made whole wheat pizza dough that I found at Trader Joes. The pics I took came out blurry so I figured I wouldn't post them...but here's the recipe!

Barbecued Chicken Pizza
(Source: Webers Real Grilling)

Dough:
1 envelope active dry yeast
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling dough
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt

Sauce:
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 C finely chopped yellow onion
2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 C ketchup
1/4 C dry red wine
1/4 C dijon mustard
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, 5-6 oz each
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
ground black pepper
2 C grated smoked Gouda cheese
1/4 C finely chopped fresh chives

To prepare dough: In a medium bowl, combine the yeast and sugar with 3/4 C warm water (105-115 degrees F). Stir once and let stand until foamy, 5-10 min. Add 2 1/2 C flour, 3 T of olive oil and salt. Stir until the dough holds together. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 4-6 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn the ball to cover the surface with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, 1-1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough in the bowl. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Cut parchment paper into 9-inch squares and lightly oil each sheet on one side. Roll or press dough flat on the oiled side of the paper into circles about 8" in diameter, leaving the dough a little thicker at the edges. Then lightly oil the top side of the dough.

To make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over med-high hear, melt butter. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until light brown, about 1 min, stirring occasionally. Add remaining sauce ingredients. Whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Pour 1/2 the sauce into a small bowl, reserving the other half in the saucepan.

Lightly brush or spray chicken on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Lightly coat the chicken on both sides with the sauce in the bowl. Grill the chicken over direct medium heat until meat is firm to the touch and no longer pink in the center, 8-12 minutes, turning once. Finely chop or shred the chicken and moisten with same reserved sauce in the saucepan (you may not need all of it).

Lay dough on the grate, with the paper facing up. Grab one corner of the paper with tongs and peel it off. Grill over direct medium heat until they are marked on the underside, 2-3 minutes, rotating the crusts occasionally for even cooking. Don't worry if crusts bubble, they will deflat when turned over. Transfer the crusts from the cooking grate to the back of a baking sheet, with the grilled sides facing up.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese over each pizza, leaving 1/2 inch border around the edges. Arrange the chicken and chives over the cheese. transfer the pizzas from the baking sheets to the cooking grate. Grill until the crusts are crisp and the cheese is melted, 4-5 minutes, rotating the pizzas occasionally for even cooking. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into wedges. Serve warm.