Pork Tenderloin with Peaches, Ginger, and Thyme

Pork has been advertised as ‘the other white meat.’ Just like the original white meat, chicken, pork is low in fat and high in protein. Also, like chicken, pork is a bit of a blank slate, taking on the flavors of the spices and herbs it is cooked with. But for me, pork has a better texture than chicken and a richer flavor.

Like many of my recipes, this started in my wallet.  Pork loin was on sale. I noticed that the first peaches were in the market.  They are not really sweet yet, but they are fine for cooking.  Finally, I had a little stump of ginger that needed to be used. Turned out so good.

Servings: 6-8

Time:  Prep: 10 minutes; Cook time: 15 minutes; Rest: 10 Minutes

Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board, a knife, a whisk, tongs, meat thermometer, a sauce pan, a sieve, and an ovenproof skillet (I prefer cast iron)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• A pork tenderloin (1 ½ pounds)
• 12 sprigs fresh thyme (1 ½ teaspoons dried, divided)
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger (⅛ teaspoon dried )
• Salt
• 2 peaches
• ¼ cup peach preserves
• ⅓ cup ginger ale
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon spicy stone ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 425°
2. Cut open the peaches and remove the stones. Remove the leaves from 6 of the thyme sprigs. Grate the ginger. Rub the tenderloin with the thyme leaves and sprinkle with the ginger. Salt generously.
3. Heat the oil in the skillet on medium high. Sear the pork on all sides. (Always use tongs to turn meat. When you turn meat with a fork, you must pierce it.  Piercing it releases juices, making the meat dry.) Place the peaches face down in the skillet.
4. Place the skillet in the oven and roast until the thermometer reads 145° (about 10 minutes.) Allow the roast to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
5. While the roast is in the oven, whisk the remaining ingredients together in the sauce pan.  You can just throw in the whole sprigs of thyme.  Allow to simmer. Taste and adjust the salt. When you remove the pork from the oven pour the sauce through the sieve over the resting roast.
6. You can slice the peaches and serve them with slices of roast and sauce. 

Pork Tenderloin with Peaches, Ginger, and Thyme

Smoky Tilapia with Red Pepper Pesto

We have been eating out too much lately and as a result both of us have grumbly stomachs. I decided to make something healthy and quick.  This was delicious.  I ate part of the pesto right out of the bowl.  The fish is smoky, so you can use less paprika if that doesn’t appeal to you.  However, the sweet peppers offer a perfect foil to the smoky paprika.

I served the fish with Wilted Spinach and couscous. The entire meal from start to finish took me 35 minutes. And I felt good about serving it.  Healthy, fast, easy tasty….What is there to not like?

Servings: 

Time:  prep: 10 minutes, cook: 14-20 minutes

Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a small bowl, paper towels, measuring spoons, a knife, a baking sheet, foil, a large, metal spatula, a small skillet, a food grinder (processor or blender), a rubber spatula, and an airtight container

Ingredients:

Smoky Tilapia with Red Pepper Pesto

• 1pound tilapia
• 2 tablespoons very cold butter
• ½ tablespoon garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

*****

• 1 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup slivered almonds
• 5 chopped garlic gloves
• 2 fire roasted red peppers
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• Salt

1. Preheat the oven to 450°.  Line the baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray.
2. Rinse the fish in clean water and pat dry.  Cut into serving sizes.
3. Mix the garlic powder, paprika, and salt in the small bowl and set aside. Slice the butter into thin pats. Set aside
4. Place the fish onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the fish with half of the paprika mixture. Cover the fish with ½ the butter slices. Bake the fish for 7 minutes and then turn with the spatula.
5. Season the other side of the fish with the remainder of the paprika.  Cover with the remaining butter.
6. Bake for 5-7 minutes on the second side depending on the thickness of the fillets.  Be careful to not overcook the fish.  It is done when it is opaque and flakes easily.
7. While the fish is baking, place 1 tablespoon butter, the almonds and garlic in the skillet over high heat.  Toast for 2-4 minutes or until the almonds begin to brown on the edges.  Watch carefully because the nuts will burn.
8. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the food processor. Add the roasted peppers and Parmesan cheese. Pulse until peppers are ground. Stop and scrape down the sides the spatula. Turn the processor back on and slowly add a little olive oil. Add enough oil for the pesto to be the consistency of a thick paste. Taste and adjust the salt. Scrape into the container and set aside. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge and served over chicken or stirred into cream cheese for a delicious spread.
9. To serve plate the fish and top each slice with 2 tablespoons of the room temperature pesto.

Langostino Spread

We were walking around Trader Joes’s and I found a bag of frozen langostino.  Langostino is probably what you are being served at most restaurants when you are served lobster chunks mixed in anything. Langostino sounds better than ‘squat lobster’ which is what langostino actually is. The shellfish is not related to lobsters or even shrimp, but is a relative of the hermit crab.  Are you thinking, “Ewwwww?”  Don’t.  Langostino tastes like lobster but has a texture closer to shrimp. And while lobster might be cost prohibitive, langostino is cheap.

It was Saturday and we were just going to have snacks and watch TV.  So I decided to make a seafood spread reminiscent of a spread I made for a New Year’s Eve party.  It was so delicious.

 
Now sing along with the B52s, “Squat Lobster…..”
 

Langostino Spread

Servings: 3 cups

Time:  Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 30 Minutes

Hardware:  measuring spoons and cups, a deep skillet, a wooden spoon, a rubber spatula, a 2-quart glass baking dish                 

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces cooked lobster (or langostino or shrimp)
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• ½ tablespoon basil pesto
• 3 gloves crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• Cooking spray
• Slices of toasted baguette

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚.
2. Cut the seafood into bite sized pieces.
3. Mix the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and lemon juice together in the skillet over low heat.  When the cheese is melted mix in the pesto, garlic, and seasoning. Allow to bubble for a minute or 2 stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.  Fold in the seafood.
4. Spray the baking dish with cooking spray and use the spatula to scrap all the dip out into it. Smooth the dip out. Sprinkle the crumbs over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. You can crank the heat up to broil to brown the top, but make sure to watch it because it can burn quickly.
5. Serve with toasted slices of baguette.