Pineapple Stuffed Pork

This post has been a few weeks in the making. Summer makes me not want to be near my computer, pretty obvious, right? I had some extra pineapple from a fruit salad and Sam's had a great deal on pork tenderloin. This recipe is a little reminiscent of my first post with spinach stuffed pork tenderloin. Asparagus and grilled pineapple were my side dishes.

I totally made this recipe up so my measurements might be a little off. Just remember, add whatever you feel like at that moment. I'm sure it will be delicious. If not, you can always order a pizza! Speaking of pizza, I might have to make that soon.

Pineapple Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

2 Pork tenderloins
Seasoning for marinade
1 1/2 cups pineapple, diced
1 tbsp parsley
Salt & Pepper

1. Butterfly the pork by making a 1 inch deep cut down the center of each tenderloin. Open the tenderloin on this cut and cover with plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound the tenderloin from the middle out. Season and let marinate for 1-2 hours. I marinated in Caribbean seasoning with Orange Juice.
2. Mix pineapple and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Soak toothpicks in water.
3. On a clean surface, lay each tenderloin out. Spread mixture down center. Roll tenderloin and secure with toothpicks.

4. Grill or bake (@350) until pork has reached 145 degrees. Remove from grill or oven and let rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting.

My wine selection for the evening was a Chardonnay with hints of citrus. Enjoy!
~M~

Basic Pasta Sauce

All good pasta starts with an amazing basic sauce. Here's my meat recipe. I'm always changing it up based on what I have on hand and what I'm in the mood for.

Basic Tomato Sauce
1 - 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 - 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion
2 tbsp. olive oil

1. Brown onion in a large pot with olive oil (you can also add 1-2 cloves of minced garlic). Add beef and cook until no longer pink.
2. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Fill each can once with water and add that to the pot.
3. Salt and pepper to taste. (You can also add oregano, basil, parsley, whatever you like!)
4. Simmer 2-3 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Don't forget taste your sauce occasionally to make sure all your spices are balanced.

Serve with pasta or lasagna. This recipe is easily frozen. I usually make a double batch and freeze enough sauce for 1-2 months. A 12-16 ounce container is usually perfect for one family meal. I think I'll pull one of the freezer for dinner tomorrow!
Enjoy!
Melissa

Asparagus Season!

Oohh! End of May and early June means one of my favorite vegetables is in season: Asparagus!

I found this recipe many years ago in Cooking Light (October 2007 to be exact!). It's easy and can be altered to fit your needs. They call it a skillet supper (just one pan) but I actually prefer to bake my chicken a little longer. Also, they suggest serving with mashed potatoes but Kroger has had a great sale on corn as of late (one of the bf's favorite things).

Chicken and Asparagus in White Wine Sauce

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine (stock up when Kroger has the mini wine bottles on special)
1/2 cup less sodium chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1. Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of heavy duty plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thickness using a meat mallet. Sprinkle chicken breasts evenly with salt and pepper.
2. Melt butter in large nonstick pan over medium high heat. Please flour in shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan and cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan and keep warm (I did 3 minutes on each side and then placed in baking dish and baked at 350 for an additional 10 minutes) Add wine, broth and garlic to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits, cook 2 minutes. Add asparagus, cover and cook for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley and juice. Serve asparagus and sauce with chicken.

To cook the corn, remove kernels. Place in sauce pan with some water. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until bright yellow. Drain. Salt and pepper (and maybe butter).

Enjoy!
Mel