Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

The contrast of sweet and spicy, the textures and colors make this one of my favorite summertime dinner party recipes.

I serve it with CMF Quinoa with toasted pecans and green onion or with Cilantro Rice and a simple spinach salad with peas.

For dessert: Mango Mousse and following the pineapple for a tropical theme I add 1 – 2 tablespoons of coconut to the mousse. Toasting 2 tablespoons of coconut in a skillet and sprinkling on top of the mousse gives it a touch of fancy.

 

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Avocado Salsa
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Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Avocado Salsa
Print Recipe
Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Pineapple Avocado Salsa
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
Roasted Pork Tenderloin
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush roasting pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  2. Mix minced garlic with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, brush all over the pork tenderloin. Sprinkle salt over pork tenderloin.
  3. Place in oven and roast 20 – 25 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 155°F.
  4. Remove from oven. Rest 5 – 8 minutes before slicing. Spoon Pineapple Avocado Salsa over the tenderloin to serve. Or serve the Pineapple Avocado salsa alongside.
Pineapple Avocado Salsa
  1. While the pork tenderloin is roasting, chop all ingredients, placing into a mixing bowl.
  2. Toss together, season with salt to taste.
  3. Place sliced pork tenderloin on a serving platter. Spoon Pineapple Avocado Salsa over the tenderloin and serve.
Recipe Notes

Love the contrast of spicy jalapeño (sometimes I use Serrano peppers for more spice) with sweet pineapple. But when cooking for family dinner or dinner guests that don’t eat spicy foods, I serve the chopped jalapeño (Serrano) on the side.

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Turkey Sausage and Garbanzo Soup

Easy to make, simple and delicious this soup is protein-rich and light in carbs.

The original recipe is spicy but because of my daughter, rather than including the jalapeno in the soup itself, I chop it up put on top with the avocado and chopped cilantro when serving.

Variations:

  • Instead of turkey sausage, use Italian sausage or Mexican chorizo
  • Instead of garbanzo, use white beans (or any other beans)
  • Add one or two chopped carrots
  • Add 1 chopped bell pepper (any color)
  • Add one potato, chopped smalle  so it doesn’t prolong  cooking time
  • The last 5 minutes, add spinach, kale or other chopped greens (swiss chard, mustard greens)
Spicy Turkey Sausage and Garbanzo Soup
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Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Spicy Turkey Sausage and Garbanzo Soup
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Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add turkey sausage and chopped onion, sauté until sausage is golden brown and cooked through, breaking up sausage with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook another 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
  2. Add tomatoes with their juices, sliced jalapeño, chili, ground cumin and chopped fresh rosemary. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add garbanzo beans and 2 cups chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup 15 minutes. If needing additional liquid, add another cup of chicken broth.
  4. Stir in fresh lemon juice.
  5. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.
  6. Serve topped with sliced avocado and chopped cilantro.
Recipe Notes

Modified from https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spicy-garbanzo-bean-and-turkey-sausage-soup-458

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Southwest Hummus Wraps

For a delicious lunch or light supper, spread this Southwest Hummus , enriched by red bell pepper and cilantro, on a wrap or into a pita bread, add black beans, avocado and spinach for a healthy, delicious quick lunch or light supper. For an extra-kick add some chopped jalapeño, locoto or serrano.

Southwest Hummus Wraps
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Southwest Hummus Wraps
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Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Spread 2 – 3 tablespoons on one side of the wrap.
  2. Place spinach leaves somewhat off center, keeping clear of the edges of the tortilla.
  3. Spread 1 tablespoon of black beans down center of spinach; layer tomato, avocado, cilantro. If using jalapeño, sprinkle on top.
  4. Fold in ends of the wrap and roll up.
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Cumin Quinoa and Garbanzo

I like the combination of rice and quinoa, and this dish can be more interesting using wild rice or red quinoa if it is available. But for quicker cooking on a busy night, you can use a single grain (either brown rice or quinoa). You can also make this with another grain such as barley (but increase the water to 3 cups for 1 cup of barley)

Cumin Quinoa and Garbanzo
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Servings
4 serving
Servings
4 serving
Cumin Quinoa and Garbanzo
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Servings
4 serving
Servings
4 serving
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Bring rice and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 25-30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, combine quinoa, bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; return quinoa to hot saucepan. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf, fluff quinoa with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
  4. Add to quinoa. Add rice and garbanzo beans; mix well. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin oil, fresh lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, and green onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. Cut avocado into wedges. Serve salad with avocado and lemon wedges.
Recipe Notes

Adapted from Epicurious: Cumin Scented Quinoa and Black Rice

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Turkey Club Wrap

In general I avoid buying anything processed, but on special occasions, exceptions are made. This wrap is part of the Graduation Celebration Menu.  To honor the taste buds of our outstanding Magna Cum Laude high school graduate, I used Ranch dressing and processed meat (deli turkey).

Left to my own devices, I would use tzatziki (creamy Greek yogurt blended with cucumbers, dill, lemon and garlic) instead of the Ranch dressing.

In a 2015 report, the  World Health International Agency for Cancer Research classified processed meats (hot dogs, bacon and deli meats such as ham, salami, turkey etc) as carcinogenic. So as a food choice for me, deli meats are a once-in-a-long-while treat.

 

Turkey Club Wrap
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Servings
4 people
Servings
4 people
Turkey Club Wrap
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Servings
4 people
Servings
4 people
Ingredients
Adjust servings: people
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Instructions
  1. Spread Ranch dressing (or tatziki) all over one side of the wrap.
  2. Place tomatoes down center of wrap. Place two or three avocado slices on tomatoes.
  3. Then layer turkey slices, cheese and lettuce
  4. Fold in ends of the wrap and roll up.
  5. If making these for the Graduation Celebration Luncheon, tie around the center with a chive or green onion piece
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Raw Chocolate Mousse

There is tree in our garden in Cochabamba so friendly and perfect for climbing, that my daughter named him Sammy Tree when she was three and needed help climbing into its branches.

Sammy is an avocado tree and unbelievably fruitful! Last year, two branches broke under the weight of more than two hundred large avocados! With great love, my father propped the remaining fruit-laden branches up to avoid future breakage and pain to Sammy.

Seeking new ways to enjoy Sammy’s bounty, I found various recipes for avocado-based chocolate mousse. Who knew?!

So creamy and rich, it takes only a couple of spoonfuls to satisfy tummy and palate.

Raw Chocolate Mousse
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Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Raw Chocolate Mousse
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Place the flesh of the avocados in a food processor to purée.
  2. Add the banana and process until well blended.
  3. Add the rest of the other ingredients and blend again. Adjust sweetness to taste.
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