Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

This is a recipe my friend, Candace, made while I was visiting her and she shared the recipe with me. The flavor was AWESOME but it was actually too spicy for my taste so this recipe is for those spicy lovers out there. Candace's husband, Jerad, is a spicy lover & this was just right for his taste. It's also super easy to make!

Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

1 canned chipotle chile in adobo plus 1 tsp adobo sauce (found in Mexican food section)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
8 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat

1. Combine all ingredients (except pork) in a blender or small food processor. Blend until the chipotle is chopped and the mixture is relatively smooth. Pour into a sealable plastic bag, add pork, and seal. Squeeze out extra air from bag. Make sure pork is coated in marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
2. Cook in roasting pan at 450 degrees for 20-35 minutes (until meat registers at 150 degrees on a cooking thermometer). Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition per serving: 139 calories, 4g fat, 1g sat fat, 2g mono fat, 63mg cholesterol, 2g carbs, 23g protein, 0g fiber, 165mg sodium, 374mg potassium

Avocado Salsa Verde

I haven't tried this yet but can't wait to! A friend passed it along and said it was wonderful.

Avocado Salsa Verde by Ann West

8 tomatillos - husked

2 jalapenos

3-4 hatch or anaheim chilies

1 small onion chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

cumin (approximately - 1/4 tsp or a little more)

cayenne - pinch or two

lime juice a tbls or more

a handful of fresh cilantro chopped

salt & pepper - to taste

1 large avocado - peeled and pitted

Rub the tomatillos, jalapenos, and hatch chilies with olive oil and roast in a 375 degree oven until they start to brown. Let cool. If you have a food processor this is a great time to use it. Or you can chop by hand either way. Chop the garlic and the onion in the processor. Add the roasted peppers and tomatillos and pulse. Add the cumin, cayenne, lime juice and a handful of cilantro and pulse some more. Add the avocado and pulse again. Now you have to taste. Too hot - not enough? If you like it spicy add more cayenne or a fresh jalapeno if you need to cool it off add more avocado or lime juice. It is a beautiful shade of green and just as tasty as it looks. enjoy.

Strawberry Salsa - By Hilary Barnett

Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

1 cup finely chopped strawberries
1/4 cup finely chopped avocado
2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp grated lime zest
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp finely chopped, seeded jalapeno
1/4 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, toss gently. Serve immediately. Yum!

Pineapple Salsa

Pineapple Salsa
(picture shown is not of my actual salsa since it got eaten up before I decided to post this)

As you may remember I typically make up a recipe from my own head based on what I think will taste good. Therefore this recipe is for you to put ratios that will work best for you and your family, I'll try to approximate the amounts I used but do what tastes best to you! I served this on top of teriyaki glazed salmon.

• Fresh pineapple cut into small chunks (1/4 of a whole pineapple)
• Tomato cut into small chunks (1 - 1 1/2 tomatoes, I used garden fresh - yum!)
• Red onion diced small (1/4 med onion)
• Tomatillo diced small (2 small tomatillos)
• Jicama shredded (~1/4 cup)
• Cilantro chopped (handful?)
• Juice squeezed from a lime (I had a super juicy & large lime so I only used 1/2 lime)
• Sprinkle of salt (I prefer kosher salt or salt grinder)

Mix together & refrigerate for flavors to mix.

I didn't put jalapeno in my salsa because my mom hates anything spicy but I would definitely add it for those of you who are okay with jalapeno. I thought it was good without but think it would be great with it also! I also wanted to try avocado chunks in it but they did not have one single ripe avocado at the grocery store so maybe next round.

Greek Burger

I don't have a picture because my pitas tore so they were kinda messy looking and I ended up eating them with a fork (still good!). I was surprised how good the sauce on the burgers were. I actually think it would have been good to prepare the meat just as normal ground meat and fill the pitas. Either way this was a good, flavorful burger to add to the mix. I will definitely make these again!

Greek Burger

Burger:
1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
Juice from 1 whole lemon
1 lb ground meat (recipe called for lamb, I used ground turkey)
Salt & Pepper
*Mix all ingredients together. Form patties of desired size. Prepare as desired...on grill, skillet, oven, etc.

Dressing:
2/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup peeled and finely diced cucumber

Serve in whole wheat pitas. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, crumbled feta, and dressing.

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Sour Cream Sauce

I took parts of 2 different recipes that I like and here's what I made.


Stuffed Bell Peppers with Sour Cream Sauce

Stuffing:
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1-1/2 cups chicken broth (use vegetable broth if making a vegetarian dish)
3/4 cup brown rice
1/2 pound ground turkey (omit if making a vegetarian dish)
10 oz chunky Rotel tomato & green chile
1/2 cup canned mushrooms
1 cup chopped zucchini
2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
cheese of choice (recommend Monterey Jack)

In large saucepan saute onion, garlic, and celery in small amount of butter or oil until vegetables are tender. Add broth and rice. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is almost done.

While rice is cooking brown the ground turkey in a skillet. Stir in Rotel, mushrooms, zucchini, Worchestershire, garlic salt, and pepper.

Add rice to skillet and mix.

Cut off tops of large bell peppers (any color) and clean of seeds. Stuff peppers half way, layer some cheese, then fill the peppers the rest of the way.

Cover with foil; bake at 375 degrees for 1 hr or until bell peppers are tender. When almost done, remove foil, top with cheese, and bake 10 more minutes.



Sauce:
About 1/2 fat free sour cream, 1/2 green chile enchilada sauce. Heat till blended smooth and sauce is warm

This recipe made enough stuffing for about 6 peppers but would make less if meat wasn't used. I used goat cheese because that was all the cheese I had but I think it would have been better with a cheese such as Monterey Jack. I thought the recipe turned out pretty good and I'll probably make it again.

Savory Tomato Shabu Shabu with Seafood Dippers - Posted by Michelle Davis

I originally wanted to cook this recipe because I was looking for a new recipe to incorporate seafood. I love seafood and am always trying new ways to spice it up. Then as I was looking over it, I saw that it had a lot of ginger in it. I know that ginger is a very healthy ingredient to use so that was a double bonus! The only thing I am not sure of is how exactly is ginger good for you? Maybe you could help me with that!
When I actually ended up cooking this meal my whole family loved it! We all thought it was a very light, refreshing dish that wasn’t too filling. The dipping sauces really added a lot to it too! (The lemon mayonnaise was my favoriteJ) We all agree that it would make a really good dish to entertain with, kind of like a fondu party! All in all I think this dish is the perfect weeknight meal for one, or a weekend meal with friends. Hope you try it!

Savory Tomato Shabu Shabu with Seafood Dippers

Ingredients
4 large tomatoes, seeds removed
4 cups vegetable stock
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced
2 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound salmon tail, sliced thinly
1/2 pound scallops, sliced in 1/2
Lemon Mayonnaise, for serving, recipe follows
Ginger Cream, for serving, recipe follows

Directions
Place a blender onto the counter and add all 4 of the tomatoes and 1/2 cup of the vegetable stock. Cover and blend altogether until the tomatoes are completely pureed. Add the remaining vegetable stock and pulse for a few more seconds to combine.
Place mixture into a saucepan or stove-top safe fondue pot, add the sliced ginger and roughly chopped cilantro, cover and place on medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
While the sauce is heating, take the seafood out of the refrigerator and begin to arrange the fish on a plate.


As soon as the sauce has come to the boil, transfer the pot onto the heat station on the table (or keep on stove), and continue to keep the mixture at boiling point. If the liquid seems to have reduced just add more vegetable stock.
Take a skewer and a piece of seafood, skewer the seafood and set it into the sauce. Wait just a few seconds to allow the seafood to cook and taste with dipping sauces.
Serve the seafood dippers with Lemon Mayonnaise and Ginger Cream

Lemon Mayonnaise:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
In a mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice.

Ginger Cream:
2 hands fresh ginger, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces, skin on
1/2 cup mayonnaise
In a food processor place both heads of the ginger, pulse the ginger until it has become a pulp. Place the mayonnaise into a mixing bowl.
Place a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth over a bowl; transfer the pulp onto the towel. Pick up the towel by all 4 corners.
Twist the kitchen towel very tightly over the mixing bowl, and let the ginger juice pour into the bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, mix well and serve

Falafel and Cucumber Sauce - Posted by Valerie Barber (and Michelle Davis)

I was able to rope my little sister Michelle into helping me attempt to make falafel. I had first tried falafel when I was studying abroad in Europe and I really enjoyed it. So I hoped to recreate that at home and have others try it too. First, here's the recipe:

Ingredients - Cucumber Sauce
1 (6 oz) container plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp. dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs. mayonnaise

Directions - Cucumber Sauce
1. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt, pepper, and mayonnaise. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Ingredients - Falafel
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 onion, chopped
1/2 C. fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg
2 tsps. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. salt
1 dash pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 C. dry bread crumbsoil for frying

Directions - Falafel
1. In a large bowl, mash chickpeas until thick and pasty. Don't use a blender as the consistency will be too thin. In a blender, process onion, parsley, and garlic until smooth. Stir into mashed chickpeas.
2. In a small bowl, combine egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil. Slowly add bread crumbs until mixture is not sticky but will hold together. Add more or less bread crumbs as needed. Form 8 balls and then flatten into patties.
3. Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-hight heat. Fry patties in hot oil until brown on both sides.


Now here is my response to it! About the preparation and cooking...I made the cucumber sauce first so it could be chilling while I made the falafel. With the falafel, the chickpeas were hard to mash! If I had something that mashed them really well, it would have helped a lot with the time and effort involved. Next, it called for one onion, but I only put in half. I felt I had a really big onion and to have put it all in would have been overwhelming. Perhaps you could try to whole onion and let me know. Next, I don't think you need nearly that much parsley. It turned the whole thing a vivid green and that didn't help with making it very appetizing. However, once browned, you couldn't tell as much. The onion gave me a hard time - I was crying from the get-go! Even mixing the onion/parsley/garlic mixture into the chickpeas made me cry! Which is another reason I think a whole onion would have been too much :) My sister accidentally put in a whole tsp of pepper and tried to fix it so our seasoning may have been a little off. It's ok Michelle :) Now when I ate falafel in Europe, I had them in balls so I did not make mine into patties. That may have altered our cooking experience a bit. When we tried to cook them, they fell apart! We ended up adding another 2 cups of bread crumbs to the mixture we had not started cooking. That batch ended up turning out all right. I attempted to save the first batch by taking them out of the oil (they were pretty soaked by then), adding more bread crumbs, and then frying them on a bare skillet, no oil (considering they were already oil-logged!). Those fell apart a little still but I blame it on having too much oil in them. In the end, we had about 10 really well formed falafel balls, a couple iffy ones, and a bit of mash that we just put into a bowl! However, they were a pretty good hit considering my 11 year old little brother ate a whole sandwich and he is extremely picky!! And my one year old son ate a bunch too. I just put some on his high chair and he snatched it right up. We served them in a pita with the cucumber sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, olives and mozzarella cheese. They tasted pretty darn close to what I had in Europe. These won't be something I make once a week, but it was fun to have something new and something unique to try to give variety to my menu. It is also pretty healthy! I welcome your comments both on preparation, ingredients, anything I could do differently, etc. Thanks!

Mango-Jalapeno Sauce

This is a sauce I learned from Kim C. back when we used to cook meals together all the time. (In loving memory of Summer 2003!!) Whenever I make salmon this is always the sauce I use! And it's always a hit when I make it for others. I love it because it is made completely from fresh ingredients and it is super easy to make and impress. A few months ago I had some leftover sauce and had run out of fish. I made a small bowl of fresh blueberries and cut up strawberries and put some of the sauce on top...delicious! The fruity flavor with the spice was a nice taste combination. I tried freezing some extra sauce but it just didn't taste as fresh when I thawed it out so I recommend making it fresh when you want to use it.

Mango-Jalapeno Sauce

1 ripe mango, cut into chunks

1 jalapeno, diced

chopped cilantro

Blend in food processor. Best when refrigerated for a bit because the flavor of the jalapeno gets into all the mango. Of course feel free to adjust the ingredients to taste depending on level of spiciness you like or amount of sauce you want to make. I'm not a huge cilantro fan so often I leave the cilantro out and it tastes equally good.