Grilled Pork Tenderloin & Cherry Salsa

We first had this dish a few weeks ago, compliments of my Aunt Debbie and Uncle Dick, who made it for a family birthday celebration.  Chad liked it so much that he decided to make it for his family while we were up at Lake Tahoe over the Fourth of July.  And we were thrilled when we were treated to it again last weekend when we were at American having dinner with the Klaibers from Germany.  It's so good that I couldn't resist sharing the recipe here, since I've been talking it up to people and many have asked for it!  The full, printable recipe card can also be found here on Epicurious.com. 

Ingredients:

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, divided

1/2 cup minced shallots, divided

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 pork tenderloins, about 2 1/2 pounds total

1/2 pound fresh cherries, stemmed, pitted,halved

1 fresh Fresno chile, red jalapeño, or Holland chile, thinly sliced crosswise

1 tablespoon. extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup minced shallots, 4 tablespoons lime juice, and vegetable oil in a resealable plastic bag. Add pork; seal bag and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup shallots, 2 tablespoons lime juice, cherries, chile, and olive oil in a medium bowl. Season salsa lightly with salt and pepper and set aside to let flavors to meld.
Remove tenderloins from marinade and season generously with salt and pepper.

Grill tenderloins, turning frequently, until a thermometer inserted into meat registers 145°F, about 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes. Cut into thin slices and serve with salsa.

Notes:
We found it tasted better to marinate the meat -- and even the salsa -- at least overnight so that the flavors could really sink in.

We paired this dish with red wine and Epicurious agrees -- they recommend a Zinfandel or Old Vine Zin. 

Bon Apetit!

Lemon Spaghetti with Pancetta & Broccoli

I made up this recipe the other night and had to share, because it turned out soooo good. It was inspired by a pasta dish I had made in the past but couldn't find the recipe, combined with a recipe I had printed from the Pioneer Woman website. I feel like it looks more labor-intensive than it is, but I was also enjoying wine and conversation while cooking....

Sometimes I get inspired to plan a meal around a particular ingredient. (Just like sometimes I get inspired to plan an entire outfit around a piece of jewelry, a scarf, or a pair of shoes.) I knew I had a big bag of lemons in my fridge, and I knew I had spaghetti. I was trying to avoid going to the grocery store and this is what I came up with -- although I was so excited to create my own recipe, I decided to go to the store anyway.

Here it is:

1 package diced pancetta, sautéed and drained (set aside).

3/4 package spaghetti, cooked and drained (set aside).  (If you're trying to be healthy/ier, you could use whole wheat or low carb or brown rice pasta.)

1 package frozen broccoli florets, defrosted (set aside).

In a large skillet, sauté 4 cloves minced garlic in about 4 tablespoons olive oil. Add the zest of 1 lemon and the juice of 2 lemons. Reduce heat. Add about 1/4 teaspoon salt and about 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Add 1 cup sour cream (I use light) and 3/4 cup parmesan or Italian cheese blend. Stir in about 1/2 cup cream (I used half and half) until the sauce is the consistency you desire.

Add the pancetta, broccoli and spaghetti and toss until coated with cream sauce. Add more olive oil if you need it to help coat the noodles.

Transfer the tossed pasta into a covered baking dish and cook at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley (if desired).  I think it would also be fantastic with some Italian bread crumbs on top.

This was delicious paired with a chilled white wine (we had Pinot Grigio on hand) and would also make a great side dish with grilled chicken or roasted pork. Bon apetit!

What's Cooking...

I've been on a new recipe kick the past several weeks. Last week was record -- I (we) tried 6 or 7 new ones and found a few definite keepers! One great find was a recipe for homemade hummus. It couldn't be easier and I'm ashamed to admit I've just now tried it, given all the hummus we eat... But now instead of paying $2.29 for it, I'll pay the $.79 for a can of beans and whatever a lemon costs.

Anyway, new faves include "Spiced Mini Burgers With Couscous Salad" and "Chicken Curry In A Hurry," both from Real Simple, and "Chicken Picatta." For the Picatta I combined recipes, using ingredients from Giada's version as well as The Pioneer Woman's version (Ree Drummond). Now I can't find the recipe on thepioneerwoman.com, but her version added 1 cup dry white wine and 3/4 cup heavy cream to the sauce. Plus I ditched the capers -- I don't like 'em.

Last night we tried something really fun and new -- homemade pasta! I've made it a few time girlfriends, but wanted Chad to get the experience (basically, of working super long and hard for your dinner!). Plus, I bought a cute little Pasta cookbook in Napa with some great recipes. We started around 5:30pm and finally sat down to eat by 8:00pm. We made ravioli stuffed with sausage, spinach, ricotta and mozzarella, and a basic tomato sauce. We made the pasta a little too thick, so it took a long time to cook. So next time, we either roll the dough a bit more (I'm out of breath just thinking about that) OR we invest in some type of pasta maker... Check out the pics of our process and finished product!

*Recipe notes: For the hummus, I didn't roast the garlic, but wish I would have -- will make a point to next time. Also, I'll probably use garbanzo beans next time, too -- I like them better. For the spiced mini burgers, we determined that grilling vs. frying would have made them better. Also, I used mediterranean flavored couscous from Fresh & Easy as my base. For the chicken curry, we determined that it needed more salt and more curry than the recipe calls for (double the curry, if you're brave!), and that we'd try sour cream vs. heavy cream to lighten the calorie content. Also, be sure to use the tomatoes -- they added great color and flavor. Bon apetit!