Garbanzo Beans and Greens & Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloins

Wow- what a crazy busy couple of days I have had. And tomorrow is my son's b-day, so it is going to continue.

I wanted to share these 2 recipes, even though both of the pictures are horrid. That's what happens sometimes when there is no natural light and you put things in the fridge until the next morning and then try to get a picture! Oh, well. Just trust me when I say that these were both fabulous.

I served the garbanzo bean dish on a weeknight it was delicious. Really easy too.

I served the pork tenderloin a few days after Christmas, when we had company over. Pork loin is an easy one to serve to a crowd and this Barefoot Contessa recipe was wonderfully easy and tasty.

Sorry this is a just a quick post, but I have b-day stuff to organize!



Garbanzo Beans and Greens from Cooking Light Magazine

2 center-cut bacon slices
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 (15-ounce) cans organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
4 cups chopped fresh kale
1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
4 lemon wedges (optional)

1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan using a slotted spoon, and crumble. Add 1 cup carrot and chopped onion to drippings in pan, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cumin, and red pepper; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth, 1 cup water, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add 4 cups kale to bean mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring occasionally. Ladle about 1 1/4 cups bean mixture into each of 4 bowls, and top each serving with 2 tablespoons yogurt. Sprinkle with bacon, and serve with lemon wedges, if desired

Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloins from Ina Garten- The Barefoot Contessa

• 1 lemon, zest grated
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
• Good olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  
• Kosher salt
  
• 3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork tenderloins on all sides until golden brown.

Place the saute pan in the oven and roast the tenderloins for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve in 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. The thickest part of the tenderloin will be quite pink (it's just fine!) and the thinnest part will be well done. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm, or at room temperature with the juices that collect in the platter.

Pork and Squash Burritos

Happy New Year Everyone!
I hope everyone had a great 2009 and that 2010 brings more happiness and joy to your lives.
I am excited about a new year and a chance for a new start in some ways.

I have had a crazy couple of weeks and decided to take the past couple days off from updating this blog, even though I have lots of things to post about.

I made these at least a month ago, if not more because I had leftover pork and squash from this dish, (which I must ask- have you made it yet? because if you haven't, you really should, not only because it is incredibly delicious, but also because you can make THESE with the leftover pork as well)

I remember seeing a couple recipes for Pork and Squash Burritos and I knew that they would be really great with this leftover pork and squash, which was already wonderfully spiced and cooked.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly, mainly because my squash and pork were already cooked, but most of the spices are the same.
I filled my burritos with spinach and cooked quinoa.
Yummy.

If one of your goals for 2010 is trying new foods or new combinations of foods, this would be a good one to start with.

Come back tomorrow for details on how I am going to make 2010 a really healthy year!
Enjoy your first day of 2010!

Recipe for Pork and Squash Burritos

Cubano Sandwiches

So what did I do with all the leftover Spice-rubbed Pork Loin? I know everyone out there has been dying to know. We could have just eaten it plain because it was so delicious, but in the November 2009 issue of Everyday Food, there was a recipe that called for the pork leftovers- Cubano Sandwiches.
I have never eaten a cubano sandwich or made one, but it looked like the type of meal my husband would love. Meat, more meat and cheese. Not to mention pickles and white bread.
I decided to give them a try, with a few healthy tweaks, of course.
I completely omitted the butter from the recipe. Unless, I am baking or the butter actually plays an essential part in a recipe, I try to leave it out whenever possible.
I also reduced the amounts of meat, more meat and cheese that were on each sandwich. Usually when you see a picture of a cubano sandwich, the meat and cheese are piled high. I reduced it to just a slice or two of ham, one slice of cheese-cut in half, and two thin slices of pork.
Also, I was unable to find Portuguese rolls. I thought about making some, but decided to just use small hoagie rolls instead. I cut them in half, but not all the way through and then layered the sandwich fillings inside.
I also made these in my griddle/grill/panini press thing. Not sure what I mean? It is like this one, but a different brand. I basically just treated this sandwich like a panini and it was ready in minutes.

This was a hit with the entire family. Hubs loved it. Kids loved it. I even loved it. I would make the spice-rubbed pork again, just to make these sandwiches.

Cubano Sandwiches from Everyday Food November 2009
3 Tablespoons butter, room temperature (I omitted this)
4 Portuguese rolls, split (I used small hoagie rolls)
yellow mustard
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli ham (I used black forest ham)
1 pound Spice-rubbed Pork Loin, thinly sliced
1/2 pound Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
sliced dill pickles, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter inside of each roll (I skipped this step); spread with mustard. Divide ham, pork, and cheese among bottom halves of rolls. Top with pickles, more mustard to taste, and top halves of rolls.

2. Heat a grill pan and another heavy pan over medium. With a paper towel, lightly coat grill pan with butter. (I didn't do this) In batches, place sandwiches on grill pan and weight with second pan. Cook until bread is crisp on the outside, about 3 minutes per side; transfer grill pan to oven and bake sandwiches until cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. To serve, cut the sandwiches in half.
(I just used my 3-in-1: grill/griddle/panini press to make these. It is kind of like THIS Cusinart Griddler, but not that brand. I only had to put my sandwiches in my indoor grill/panini press and cook them until the cheese was melted. This eliminated some of the other steps)

Spice-rubbed Pork Loin with Acorn Squash

(The MSC Bonus Cupcake post is below this one)

I am not usually excited about making recipes that have a big piece of meat as the star of the show, but for some reason this pork loin and squash recipe really caught my eye. I saw it in the November issue of Everyday Food and both parts look amazing. The caramelized squash just looked so delicious and the spice combination sounded perfect for the pork.
I used a smaller pork loin than the recipe called for and for that reason, did away with one of the steps, which I noted in the recipe below.

The squash was so tender and delicious, it was simply amazing. The best acorn squash I have ever had.
The pork was an absolute hit. My hubby declared it the best meat he has ever tasted and my kids went crazy for it. The perfect combination.
Plus, I had enough pork and squash leftovers to make 2 other meals later in the week. That was even better.
You must try this recipe, I promise you will love it.

Spice-rubbed Pork Loin with Acorn Squash from Everyday Food November 2009

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder or other single chile powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 pounds acorn squash, seeded and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
• 1 boneless pork loin (3 pounds), tied (I used a 1.5 pd pork loin, not tied)
  
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons oil, sugar, chile powder, cinnamon, cumin, and 2 tablespoons water. Add squash and toss to coat. Set aside.
2. Generously season pork with salt and pepper.( Heat a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan over high. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat. Cook pork on all sides until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes total. Place pork on a rimmed baking sheet; pour oil from skillet onto sheet and spread evenly. I skipped this step because my pork loin was smaller and I knew it wouldn't take as long to cook in the oven. I just added a little oil to the sugar mixture that I used on the squash)
3. Arrange squash around pork. Brush pork with sugar mixture from bowl. Bake until pork is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted in center should register 135 degrees), 40 to 45 minutes, brushing meat with sugar mixture and turning squash every 15 minutes. Tent pork with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Hidden Rainbow Albondigas

I saw this recipe in a recent issue of Cooking Light. This was one of the category finalists for the family dinners section of their recipe contest. I have seen other recipes for Albondigas and thought that they sounded really interesting, but I really loved the amount of vegetables that were in this particular recipe. I changed a couple of things like using fresh bell peppers instead of frozen and using only chicken broth, instead of some chicken and some beef. I also just used a regular onion instead of a sweet onion becauce that is what I had on hand.
This dinner did take awhile to put together, but it got alot of raves and made such a large amount that we had 2 meals worth of leftovers. My kids loved the meatballs and even the other adults thought the soup had great flavor and wanted to eat it warmed up later.
We really liked this and I can see why it was one of the finalists in the contest.

Hidden Rainbow Albondigas adapted from Cooking Light
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bell peppers, diced (I used red and orange)
3/4 cup diced carrot
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
3 (32-ounce) cartons fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups shredded yellow squash
1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pepper stir-fry to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chiles, and broths; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until carrot is tender.
2. Place one-third of broth mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining broth mixture. Return to pan.
3. Combine chicken, pork, squash, cilantro, 1/4 cup rice, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and egg in a food processor; process 30 seconds or until blended. Bring broth mixture to a boil. Drop meat mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls (about 45 meatballs) into broth mixture. Add remaining 1/2 cup rice to pan; reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until meatballs are done. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Stir in juice.

Up Next- Salad with Pomegranate-Lime Dressing

Caribbean Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

I could really use some summer. At this point, I will even settle for spring. I have been trying so hard not to complain about the weather. But, yesterday morning it was blizzarding! In April? Sheesh.
Well, I guess if I can't get the weather to cooperate, I can still pretend that it is warm and start eating summery foods. Like these tacos.
I found this recipe a couple of years ago in Parents Magazine and thought they sounded really delicious. I made them then and have kept making them ever since.
The marinated pork is delicious, but the real star of the show is the pineapple salsa. I love fresh fruit, so I make sure to pick a perfect pineapple and make this salsa as soon as possible. It is really a simple recipe and can be made in a fairly quickly.
The colors are really pretty in the salsa and something about it just makes you think you are on a beach somewhere. Even if you're not. And that is the power of food.
What is one of your favorite spring/summer foods or dishes?

Caribbean Pork Tacos

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 lb.

1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbls. plus 2 tsp. fresh lime juice

1 Tbls pineapple juice

1 Tbls canola oil

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 tsp. cumin

3/4 tsp salt, divided

1 cup diced fresh pineapple

1 large tomato, chopped

2 Tbls red onion, minced

1 Tbls chopped fresh cilantro

taco shells or tortillas

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, place pork tenderloin, jalepeno, garlic, 1 Tbls lime juice, pineapple juice, oil, garlic, ginger, cumin, and 1/2 tsp salt. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

2. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, tomato, red onion, cilantro, remaining lime juice and 1/4 tsp salt. Refrigerate salsa until ready to serve.

3. Place tenderloin on a foil-lined baking pan. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted in the center reaches 155 degrees. Cover with foil and let rest 10 minutes. Internal temperature will rise to 160 degrees.

Warm taco shells according to package directions. Cut pork into slices. Place a few slices of pork in each taco and top with salsa.

You can serve lettuce in the taco, if desired.

Coming Tomorrow- Cocoa Buttermilk Birthday Cake with Ina's Peanut Butter Frosting

Pork Strips with Peanut Sauce and Rice Noodles

I think I could be a spokesperson for Cooking Light Magazine. I use their recipes more than almost anything else and I have never, not even once, been disappointed with the results.
This is another really fast dinner. It comes together in literally minutes. Especially if you have rice noodles that are already cooked in your fridge.
I love peanut sauce. When I was little my dad used to make us Nasi Goreng (fried rice) all the time. (I know you won't believe this, but Cooking Light actually has a really great version of Nasi Goreng. Find it HERE when I posted about it or HERE)
He learned how to make Nasi Goreng when he lived in Holland for 2 1/2 years. He always served it with peanut sauce and a fried egg on the side.
Because my dad spent time in Holland- you could also always find Sambal Oelek in our fridge when I was growing up. We used to be scared of this particular condiment because it was so hot!
What does all of this have to do with the recipe here? Well, this recipe includes a delicious peanut sauce that actually has Sambal in it and all of these things remind me of my dad cooking for us.
We loved this dinner. Quick and delcious. Plus, it brought back some great memories of my childhood.

Pork Strips with Peanut Sauce and Rice Noodles from Cooking Light
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup reduced-fat peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chile paste with garlic (such as Sambal oelek)
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) boneless loin pork chops, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 (6-ounce) package rice noodles
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
Lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 11 ingredients in a bowl, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork and pepper; cook 6 minutes or until pork is done. Add peanut butter mixture to pan, stirring well to coat pork; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute.
Cook rice noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Add noodles to the pork mixture, tossing gently. Sprinkle with sliced green onions. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Up Next- Cookie Carnival- Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies and my fave food right now

Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry Sauce

We have a winner! I went to random.org and used their random number generator to chose a number between 1 and 65. The winner was #4-Anna. she said "I truly love all seasons but down in the southern hemisphere we have had a bit of wild hot weather so I am looking forward to Winter this year - slow cooked roasts, steamy soupy laksas on Sunday afternoons, homemade baked beans and pork sausages and Mum's bottled Summer fruits are always beautiful in the winter, warmed and served with hot custard." Congrats Anna and thanks everyone who entered the giveaway!
Now on to the food.
This dinner caught my eye when I was flipping through a magazine at the grocery store. I usually skip to the back of any magazine that I know features recipes and try to see if there is anything worth making. This issue of Family Circle had quite a few healthy meals that looked really great. I have never made a blueberry sauce to accompany meat, so I thought this would be a great recipe to try out on my family.
I was a little suspicious of the blueberry sauce, because it smelled so much like vinegar, but everyone agreed that the sauce and the pork really complimented each other and it tasted delicious.
It called for green beans to roast alongside the pork, but I couldn't find any good looking fresh green beans, so I just substituted Kale and turned it into Kale Chips. I also served sauteed Kale with Bell Peppers on the side, because we just really love Kale around here. Does your family love Kale?
Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry Sauce from Family Circle Magazine
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 8 minutes Roast: 25 minutes
Ingredients
1 pork tenderloin (about 1-1/4 pounds)
2 teaspoons sodium-free chicken grilling blend (such as Mrs. Dash) (I used McCormick grill seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 ounces green beans, ends trimmed (I used kale instead)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1-1/2 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Directions
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Rub pork with chicken seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan. Roast at 400°F for 25 minutes, until internal temperature registers 155°F.
2. When 10 minutes of cooking time remain, remove pan and spread green beans around pork; drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Stir beans and return pan to oven.
3. Heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion 3 minutes. Add blueberries, vinegar, sugar, thyme and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper to saucepan; cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Serve pork with sauce.

Up Tomorrow-Barefoot Bloggers- Meringues with Pomegranate Gelato

Rosemary Pork Chops with Swiss Chard and Balsamic Syrup

Welcome to 2009! Here is a great, healthy dinner to kick off the new year. I am excited to see what 2009 will bring. Lots of good food, that is for sure!
My sister recommended this dinner to me and since she has wonderful cooking abilities and likes the same kind of food as me, I decided to make it. She also raved about it because her 4 and 2-year old sons gobbled it down. She substituted chicken for the lamb chops and I substituted pork chops, so really any meat you have on hand will do. The balsamic syrup really makes this dinner a winner!

Rosemary Lamb Chops with Swiss Chard and Balsamic Syrup

Gourmet September 2005

For balsamic syrup:

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

1/8 teaspoon black peppercorns

For chard:

1 bunch Swiss chard (1 lb)

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon water

For lamb chops:

8 rib lamb chops (1 1/4 lb total), trimmed of all fat

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Make syrup:
Simmer syrup ingredients in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart nonreactive saucepan (see cooks' note, below) over moderate heat until just syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Pour through a sieve into a small bowl, discarding rosemary and peppercorns.

Sauté chard:
Cut stems and center ribs from chard, discarding any tough portions, then cut stems and ribs crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Stack chard leaves and roll into cylinders. Cut cylinders crosswise to make 1-inch-wide strips.
Cook onion and garlic in oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add chard stems and ribs, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until stems are just tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in chard leaves and water and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes.

Broil chops while chard cooks:
Preheat broiler. Sprinkle chops with garlic, salt, rosemary, and pepper, then broil on a lightly oiled broiler pan, 4 to 5 inches from heat, turning over once, for medium-rare, 6 to 7 minutes total. Serve chops and chard drizzled with balsamic syrup.

Cooks' note:Stainless steel and enameled cast iron are nonreactive, but avoid pure aluminum and uncoated iron.

Up Next- Lentil-Edamame Stew

Island Pork Tenderloin with Coconut Rice

This is another recipe passed on to me from my sister. Wow! That is all I can say to describe the fusion of flavors that happen in this pork with the coconut rice. I served it when some friends came over and we all we very pleased. I sliced the pork loin and put it on a broiler pan and spooned some of the leftover sauce from the skillet on the slices, after it was at about 140 degrees, just to make sure that the meat was cooked all the way through. The rice was so good with the pork but great alone as well. I see a repeat in the future.

ISLAND PORK TENDERLOIN(adapted from Epicurious.com)

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cinnamon

2 pork tenderloins (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 LB total)

2 TBS olive oil

1 cup packed dark brown sugar I used light brown sugar

2 TBS finely chopped garlic

1 TBS Tabasco I didn't measure this, just dashed some in

Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat pork with spice rub. Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke, then brown pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in skillet. Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat onto top of each tenderloin. Roast in middle of oven until thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140°F, about 30 minutes. Let pork stand in skillet at room temperature 10 minutes. (Temperature will rise to about 155°F while standing.)

Serve warm or cold with coconut rice.

COCONUT RICE adapted from Natalie Heath
1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups coconut milk
1/3 -1/2 cup sugar
¾ cup mik

First rinse the jasmine rice with cold water until your water is clear and not white. Put the rinsed rice in a medium pan and combine with sugar, milk, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then turn to low. Cover and cook for about 25-35 minutes. Stir rice and milk every 5-10 minutes. Rice is done when milk is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let cool. Serve warm.