Caribbean Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Salsa

This year we had two Christmas dinners, as well as a light supper Christmas Eve. I feel like I can try different things for Christmas while Thanksgiving tends to be more set.  For one of our Christmas meal,  I made a delicious and flavorful Pork tenderloin crusted with Caribbean spice.

I prefer to keep Christmas time meals easy to prepare and I don’t want to be in the kitchen all day.  This Tenderloin recipe is quite simple and fast yet feels festive and tastes wonderful! I made this for our 2^nd Christmas dinner…again our honorary “daughter”, Litto, had to work over Christmas and so we had another dinner for her and our family. We had Sweet potato and maple sausage hash for late Christmas Eve supper after church with our son. Then we had ham with the family on Christmas day. I was wondering about cooking chicken or beef but Litto loves pork so tenderloin won and my, was it a winner!! Every last morsel was snatched up and everyone wanted to know how to make it. I was glad to be able to share a recipe that even these busy, full time working people can make for a special dinner on a weeknight.

I served this roast with an awesome pineapple salsa. I saw a avocado -pineapple salsa on the Martha Stewart Website, and that gave me the idea to add avocado to my regular pineapple salsa. I really liked the result!

I also made my favorite rice with dates, pecans and raisins. For our vegetable, I made broccoli topped with cheese. It was such a wonderful and relaxed meal.

So basically this tenderloin is coated in a sweet, spice rub. You can make this rub as spicy or mild as you like. If you are not into spicy, use the sugar, salt, cinnamon with just a pinch of cumin and allspice or whatever combo you choose.

Tenderloin cooks quickly. I like to start it in a very hot oven and lower the heat a bit. The sugar in this rub can burn quickly so watch it. The juices can smoke and if this is a problem, you can turn the oven down or even take the pan out and move the roasts to another foil lined pan and put back in a cooler oven. You want to cook this to a temperature of about 155 and then let it rest.

Caribbean Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Salsa

¼ cup light-brown sugar

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

½ teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼  teaspoon ground red pepper

¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

2 pork tenderloins ( one package)

 

Heat oven to 475 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine all the spices and sugar. Remember these spices are optional- use what you have and what you like!

Rinse and pat dry the tenderloins. Put foil over a large rectangular baking sheet and place tenderloin on it. Pat the spice rub onto meat. Place into oven.

Immediately turn heat down to 450. Keep a close eye on the roast and if the glaze is smoking or over browning, turn oven down a bit. After 5 minutes, you can turn this down to 425.

After 15 minutes, check with an instant-read thermometer to see if pork is 150 degrees, or after about 20 minutes, turn oven down to 375 degrees. Let pork roast another 5-7 minutes until temp is around 155.

Remove to rest for 8 minutes. The pork can still be pink in the center or  it may be cooked to white throughout but do not let it dry out

Slice into ½ inch medallions and serve with rice and a fruity salsa, such as this pineapple-avocado salsa or try a mango or peach salsa.

Grilled pineapple salsa

4 large fresh pineapple spears

 Place on foil and spritz or brush with oil and broil for 7 or so minutes, turning to each side, until beginning to turn golden brown.

Juice of one orange or lime

½ red onion, minced

1 small jalapeno, minced

1 tsp each sugar

1 tsp of salt, sea salt preferred

Optional add-in’s-

1 tsp ginger paste or pressed ginger

1 diced avocado

 1/3cup cilantro, chopped

Mix everything together and chill for a bit. Serve alongside pork.

 

 

 

 

Out of photo space but hopefully I will be back

Hello readers, I just want to let you know that the reason I have not posted much is that I am out of photo space on blogger and I am trying to figure out the best solution. I hope I will have one soon. Hopefully, I will be back!
Denise

Banana muffins or Banana Bread

 

 

Banana bread is an old standard I still love to bake! I have several variations of this old favorite. Today I will share the basic recipe I use with a couple flour options.
 

This week, I had a dilemma. We were going to celebrate the fifth birthday of the little guy I take care of and when I asked what kind of cake he wanted he said “Banana bread muffins with frosting on top!” Well, that sounded easy until I realized I had not stocked up on over ripe bananas in my new freezer. I used to always have a few bananas that had gotten past their prime for eating but were perfectly soft and mushy for banana bread stashed away in my freezer. But now, most bananas disappear just before that overripe stage because my mom loves to eat them that way. Good for using up all the bananas but -What to do? I checked out the internet to see if there were any tips and found that you could indeed get bananas ready for the batter in less than an hour!! See my notes at the bottom of the recipe for this tip!

I whipped up these muffins while the boys were at school and Zephyr helped to frost them when he got home. He even wore his birthday crown that his teacher made for him. The muffins were a hit!

Okay, here is the recipe for our banana muffins. Perhaps next time I make my blue ribbon tropical banana bread I will take some pictures and share that variation with you J  

Banana Muffins or Bread

3 eggs

1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

1/2 cup coconut oil

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

 

2 cups mashed banana, very ripe—see notes

1/3 cup applesauce

½ cup or so, canned pineapple, crushed or minced , drained

1 ¼ cup  flour, white ** See notes for other flour options

¾ cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 to 1 ½ cups butterscotch morsels, optional ( If you don’t use, add an extra ¼ cup brown sugar)

Preheat oven to 350F

Beat together eggs and oil. Once they are well mixed, add sugar and vanilla. Mix it in and let it sit for a couple minutes then beat together. Add bananas, applesauce, and pinapple.

In another bowl mix flours, soda and salt. Add half to banana mixture and blend lightly. Mix in the rest and then the butterscotch morsels if using, gently mix until fully combined.

Muffins:  use paper liners or grease in a muffin pan and fill ¾ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F.

Loaf: Parchment line and grease a loaf pan and bake for about 45-50 minutes at 350
Cool.  

Notes:

*Applesauce reduces need for as much oil. If you don’t use applesauce, use ½ cup of oil instead of 1/3.

** I change up flour options depending on what is on hand or what I feel like.

Option two for flour:    1 ¼ cup flour, white

                  ½ cup whole wheat flour

           ¼ cup coconut flour  (Add extra 1-2 TBSP coconut oil & 1 TBSP water for this option)

OR:

Option Three for flour:    2 cups flour, white

 Note on bananas: You must use very ripe or better yet, overripe bananas, for banana bread. I wait until bananas are soft and peel and mash and freeze in 2 cup containers.

 If you do not have any ripe bananas, you can use these methods to obtain soft, sweet, “ripened “fruit. If you have 24 hours, place a bunch of bananas in a closed brown paper bag. Perhaps an apple thrown in as well would increase the speed of ripening. Check bananas often.

 

Need them even faster?  Turn on the oven to 300. Place bananas (with peels on) on a foil lined sheet and place in oven until skin begins to blacken, about 45 minutes to an hour. Don't worry about the blackened outside, they will be nicely softened inside.  

Let them cool then peel and use for banana bread or smoothies. This does not really ripen bananas but makes them soft, sweet and great for baking! I found this tip on a few different websites such as wikipedia and e-how.

Broccoli topped with Toasted Cheese

I am sure you have noticed I have a plethora of vegetable dishes that I like to make. I tend to eat a lot more veggies than meat, although, at this time, I am not a vegetarian. But I think good vegetable recipes can be a great side dish and even the star of our dinners. This Broccoli recipe was one I came up with many years ago, back when I was first cooking.  Some of my more sophisticated family members were coming to dinner one night and I wanted to have a special side dish.

 

 There was a recipe for grilled tomatoes that I loved, but it was not tomato season. Broccoli was available and inexpensive so I tried to top the broccoli with the same mixture I put on my tomatoes in the summer. I added some curry powder to give it more flavor and a new family favorite was born. My son has been eating this broccoli with cheese since he was a wee one (he is now 6’3”!) and he still loves it. He requested I make it again at our last get together and his lovely girlfriend, a vegetarian, loved it, too!

I have to tell you, when I first tried this cheese topping on the tomatoes, I was skeptical. It has a secret ingredient –mayonnaise!  When I was younger, I really disliked mayonnaise. I am afraid I grew up having my school lunch sack filled with bologna on white bread slathered in mayonnaise—ugh, I actually feel sick just remembering that! Needless to say, I did everything I could to keep from eating lunch and as soon as I was allowed I made my own lunch sack-my signature of fruit, cheese, nuts, raw veggies and cookies.

Okay, my early bad experiences aside, mayonnaise can be great. I now enjoy it lightly spread on a BLT sandwich or in a salad. But what it does in this dish is exceptional! It really makes the cheese creamier and is much better than cheese alone. Even if you are a mayo-hater like I was, you should try this. I hid this secret ingredient for years thinking people would not eat it, but I have found that mayonnaise is not as despised as I thought it was J

This dish is easy to make and can be done partially ahead of time. Just remember to KEEP CLOSE WATCH WHILE IT IS IN THE BROILER!!  The toasting of the cheese is a fine art- it should be bubbly and browned but not burnt and the line between the two is very close- just a few seconds can turn this from perfect to burnt! Have someone remind you to keep checking.

One other note, I really don’t measure for this recipe. I buy however much broccoli I think we need and mix up the topping so I have enough to cover. We like the topping to completely cover but you could just dot it on for less calories.

I really love this dish and it is still a favorite request of family and friends!

Broccoli topped with Toasted Cheese

Recipe by Denise Birdsall

About 4 cups Broccoli, cut into bite- sized pieces, about 1” (I don’t measure it, just adjust topping to amount of broccoli)

  ½ cup light mayonnaise, may use up to 2/3 (Kraft reduced fat w/ olive oil works well)

 1- 1 ½   tsp. curry powder, may substitute Italian herbs or more cumin for curry

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and/or dash of cumin

 ½ tsp.  onion powder

 ½   tsp.  Garlic salt or garlic herb seasoning and/ or one clove garlic

Dash of salt and pepper to taste

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, may use more

1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

More cheese to sprinkle on top, optional

Steam broccoli until just tender-crisp. If you don’t have a steamer, you may boil it in a little water or cook anyway you prefer. You may also cook frozen broccoli to be used, though the texture is sometimes mushy. You could sauté the broccoli in a little olive oil instead- that would be tasty!  Just don’t overcook, leave it slightly undercooked as it may cook a bit more in the oven.

 Drain well. Layer into an 8 by 8 baking dish or something of comparable size.

In a medium bowl, mix mayonnaise and seasonings. Add cheese and mix well. You may wish to vary the amount of cheese or mayonnaise as desired for spreading consistency and personal taste. I never measure for this recipe.

Dot and spread mixture over broccoli. I like to cover broccoli. If the topping is not enough for you, you may add extra cheese.

At this point, you could refrigerate or set this on the counter for a bit until you are ready to sit down to eat. Don’t finish this in the broiler until just before serving.

Turn broiler on low and broil until very bubbly and beginning to brown to a golden-brown speckle. You may turn broiler on High for the last 30-60 seconds. 

Watch constantly so it does not burn but, does get thoroughly melted, bubbly and browned in spots.

 

Okay, I have to post a few photos of the puppy. We named her Sophie.

 

Check out photos on Never Live Silent

I wanted to share a link to a great blog, Never Live Sillent  lest you think I am no longer cooking and simply taking mountain drives and playing with our new puppy. We had our friends over to dinner. Bailey took some wonderful photos and posted them on her blog. It was a lovely evening and I am glad to be able to share it with you on Bailey's blog! Go check it out!

I have been having folks to dinner several times a week, but it seems I am mostly making recipes that are already on my blog. I guess all my creativity is going to our house remodel, which is close to being done! Maybe it will be done enough in December.

I hope to post a vegetarian chili and some other warming fall dishes soon! Now I am off to play with the puppy!!

Puppy!

 

So I just wanted to let you all know that I am getting a puppy!! She comes home tomorrow. She is a maltese yorkie mix. We are not sure what we will name her. Any thoughts?

 

Quinoa Tabouli

I am often asked about how to use Quinoa. I like to prepare it with dried fruits and nuts, with roasted vegetables and especially in salads like this tabouli. Quinoa is a great source of complete protein and is gluten-free, cholesterol-free and low in fat. It is also a great source of iron, calcium, and magnesium among other things. It is a super food for vegetarians and omnivores! It is a seed, not a grain, and only has about 220 calories per whole cup!

Okay, here is a refreshing and potentially simple salad. I know some want fewer items to add and this salad is great with a lemon and olive oil dressing and just some parsley, tomato, cucumber! Quinoa does not have a lot of flavor on its own but it great when flavorful ingredients like these are added.

 

I also have a list of optional ingredients you can add. I like to use a few of these optional items but it is your choice! I love adding onion, mint, green onions and garlic. I have tried all of the optional ingredients and I prefer to use at least a few of them!



Here I used Tri colored Quinoa on a lettuce leaf

I hope you will consider trying this simple salad, it is really good!  I did not get any comments on my tabouli salad here but there are rave reviews when I serve it!

 

Quinoa Tabouli

 

   Recipe By Denise Birdsall

    Prep time: about an hour

 

1 cup quinoa ( Use tri colored, white or any kind you prefer)

2 cups water 

*****

¼- 1/3 cup  Fresh Lemon Juice ( About 2 small lemons worth)

 1/3-  1/2  cup  Olive Oil (use quality one with a nice flavor!)

Salt to taste, tiny pinch of sugar if desired

          ************             

 2/3-3/4   Cup  Chopped Parsley, curly or flat*

2-3 Plum Tomatoes, Chopped

1 -2 Cucumber, Peeled, Seeded And Diced**

              

 Optional add-ins --  

2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

1/3-½  cup Red Onion, minced

1-2   Cloves  Garlic, pressed  

  1 tsp  Lemon Pepper

½ tsp Garlic powder

½  tsp  Greek seasoning ( Mint etc)

2TBSP Chopped Fresh Mint, -- Or 2 tsp  Dried mint

              1/3-½  cup  Sliced Green Onions

            1/3 cup bell pepper, minced

            ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

                                        

Start by rinsing quinoa. I buy pre rinsed but still make sure to rinse well to remove the bitter residue that is a naturally occurring pest and mildew deterrent.

 I use the finest mesh sieve and place it in a bowl to soak and rinse. Some quinoa may fall through, but the bowl will catch it. Rinse several times and then you are ready to cook.

Next it is time to cook the quinoa. Here are three ways you can cook quinoa for any recipe.

Method 1- My favorite is to use a rice cooker and cook as you would rice. The rice cooker works wonderfully with little effort or guessing when it is done, making nice fluffy “grains.”

Method 2-Another way is to cook it according to package instructions in a good sized pot with a tight lid. I bring salted water to a boil, stir in quinoa, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Some varieties may take up to 20 minutes.  This is my second choice for how to cook it.

May I share one more way to cook quinoa? I saw this on a Rachel Ray cooking show years ago but I am not sure which one. It takes a bit more work but comes out as nice as it does in the rice cooker and is my preferred method without rice cooker.

Method 3- Rinse quinoa  in a fine-mesh sieve then pour it into a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook until almost tender, about 12 minutes; drain in the sieve. In the same pot, bring enough water to reach about 2 inch to a simmer over medium heat. Set the sieve with quinoa in the pot. Cover with a kitchen towel, then the lid, and steam until tender, about 10 minutes.

Whatever method you use: DO NOT OVERCOOK Quinoa! Check it just before it is supposed to be done and only use the amount of water specified. If there is any water left after quinoa is cooked, try draining it with a sieve. You want it dry and fluffy for this recipe.

Mix fresh (NOT bottled) lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl and add cooked quinoa.  Let it sit for 20 minutes and then fluff and add everything else. Blend well and adjust seasonings as desired. Let stand, covered, for about 15 minutes.

*While I usually prefer flat leaf or Italian parsley, for Quinoa Tabouli,  I like to use the curly variety, because it adds a nice texture with the quinoa. Use fresh, crunchy parsley, as it is a star of this recipe.

** To seed cucumbers, cut into quarters lengthwise and then slice off the seed sections…very easy!