Pork Tenderloin Platter- Chocolate Peanut Butter, White Chocolate Mocha, Cumin Italian Herb Dry Rub, and BBQ Pork Chunks June 25, 2012

Jamie says: I bought a huge pork tenderloin from Publix. I didn’t want to eat the same thing over and over again, so I divided it up and created different marinades. I felt like I was doing a creative science experiment in the kitchen.

You can make ’em all (like I did) or pick your fave.

Pork Tenderloin Platter

Over 2 lbs of (white) meat… that is, pork.

2 lbs of meat (pork)

What’s on the platter you ask?

In order: BBQ, Cumin Italian Herb Dry Rub, White Chocolate Mocha, and Chocolate Peanut Butter , Cumin Italian Herb Dry Rub, and flavored pork tenderloin chunks

Lots. Of. Food. I ate some of each variety, put a couple of servings in the fridge, and froze the rest.

I enjoyed some for dinner, refrigerated enough for two servings, and froze the rest in Ziplock bags

My sampler plate.

Sampler plate.

I enjoyed ’em all. My favorites were the Chocolate Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Mocha. I wonder why… (chocolate!)

“Variety is the spice of life.”

Pork Tenderloin Platter varieties:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb boneless pork tenderloin (extra lean pork)
• 2 Tbsp chunky peanut butter (Smuckers)
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (Hersheys)
• 2 tsp canola oil

Directions:

1. Use kitchen shears or a chef’s knife and cutting board to cut pork into strips about 1 inch thick. Place pork chunks in a quart-sized resealable bag.
2. In a small bowl, add peanut butter. Microwave for 40 seconds or until melted. Add cocoa powder. Stir. Add canola oil and stir, adding more canola oil as needed until the mixture has a slightly liquid consistency. Pour contents of bowl into resealable bag. Press air out and seal. Squish bag to mix contents. Refrigerate to marinate (for about 8 hours).
3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pork in a shallow baking dish. Bake until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (about 25-30 minutes). Enjoy!

Servings: 2

White Chocolate Mocha Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb boneless pork tenderloin (extra lean pork)
• 1 Tbsp white mocha premium hot beverage mix (Ghiradelli)

Directions:

1. Use kitchen shears or a chef’s knife and cutting board to cut pork into strips about 1 inch thick. Place pork chunks in a quart-sized resealable bag.
2. Add white cocoa mix to resealable bag. Press air out and seal. Squish bag to mix contents. Refrigerate to marinate (for about 8 hours).
3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pork in a shallow baking dish. Bake until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (about 25-30 minutes). Enjoy!

Servings: 2

Cumin Italian Herb Dry Rub Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb boneless pork tenderloin (extra lean pork)
• 3 coves garlic
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Use kitchen shears or a chef’s knife and cutting board to cut pork into strips about 1 inch thick. Place pork chunks in a quart-sized resealable bag.
2. Use a garlic press to press garlic. Add to pork in resealable bag along with ground cumin and Italian seasoning. Press air out and seal. Squish bag to mix contents. Refrigerate to marinate (for about 8 hours).
3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pork in a shallow baking dish. Bake until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (about 25-30 minutes). Enjoy!

Servings: 2

BBQ Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb boneless pork tenderloin (extra lean pork)
• 2 Tbsp Kansas City style BBQ sauce (Bull’s-Eye)

Directions:

1. Use kitchen shears or a chef’s knife and cutting board to cut pork into strips about 1 inch thick. Place pork chunks in a quart-sized resealable bag.
2. Add BBQ sauce to resealable bag. Press air out and seal. Squish bag to mix contents. Refrigerate to marinate (for about 8 hours).
3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pork in a shallow baking dish. Bake until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (about 25-30 minutes). Enjoy!

Servings: 2

Nutrition note: When choosing meat, look for lean cuts like pork tenderloin. One-half pound serving of extra lean pork tenderloin (97% fat free) has 120 calories and only 1 gram of saturated fat (5% Daily Value), and a whopping 23 grams of protein (46% Daily Value). Pork is also a good source of the vitamin thiamine.

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Hot Corn, Peppers ‘n’ Onions June 24, 2012

Jamie says: I went grocery shopping at the Citizens Co-op (435 South Main Street, Gainesville, FL 32601) for the first time today. It was a really cool experience (and a little pricey, too). The store was small but had some unique offerings. Almost everything was organic and a lot of it was local, too. I already had some food in stock from my last trip to Publix and my trip to the farmers’ market, so I didn’t need too much, but here’s what I bought:

My groceries from the Citizens Co-op (435 South Main Street, Gainesville, FL 32601)

I used the ear of corn, 3 green Italian peppers, and the little multi-colored pepper and made Hot Corn, Peppers ‘n’ Onions as a side with dinner tonight. (Side note: Those chocolate covered espresso beans are awesome!)

Hot Corn, Peppers ‘n’ Onions

I loved the red, yellow, and green colors.

Pretty colors

It was quite flavorful with all the spices. I’ll have to make it again for a fajita night because I feel like it would be the perfect topper. (I can just taste the chicken, cheese, and tortilla with it.)

Perfect for fajitas, tacos, and burritos

Hot Corn, Peppers ‘n’ Onions

Ingredients:

• 1 ear bi-color corn  (Citizens Co-op, organic)
• 3 Italian peppers (Citizens C0-op, organic)
• 1 small multi-colored bell pepper (Citizens Co-op, organic)
• 1 Tbsp canola oil (Publix)
• dash coarse sea salt (Alessi)
• 1/8 tsp ground cumin (Publix)
• 1/8 tsp chili powder (Badia)
• dash ground chipotle (Penzeys Spices, red)
• dash paprika (Penzeys Spices, Hungary sweet)

Directions:

1. Remove husks and silk from corn and stand vertically on a large cutting board. Use a knife and cut down to cut corn kernels off cob in long rows.
2. Cut tops off Italian and bell peppers. Cut peppers in half and remove seeds. Cut peppers into strips and then chop peppers and onion slices into small pieces (about the same size as the corn kernels).
3. Place a large non-stick frying pan on a burner on medium heat. Add canola oil and rotate pan to distribute evenly. Add sea salt, ground cumin, chili powder, ground chipotle, and paprika. Stir to mix. Cook for about 5 minutes or until soft. Enjoy!

Servings: 3

• Nutrition note: Check out your area to see if there’s a co-op near by. It’s a fun and healthy experience, and you’ll be supporting local farmers.

Italian Parmesan Tuna Salad Sandwich with Dried Fruit on Fresh Country Whole Wheat Bread June 20, 2012

Jamie says: I tried my first Gatorade Protein Recovery Shake (G Series Pro Recover Vanilla) on Sunday. I know it’s called a “recovery shake,” but I enjoyed it after breakfast and before (not after) my bike ride. It’s got 270 calories, 20 grams of protein, 44 grams of carbs, and 45% of the Daily Value for calcium. I’m not sure if it was the shake (call it the placebo effect if you will), but let me tell you what, I had a killer bike ride. I originally planned to bike 20 miles, but I felt so powerful and speedy that I wanted to add on 5 more miles… I was flying. I felt so good- up until that half way point. Then I started getting a little worn out. When I hit the 20 mile mark, I was done. The last 5 miles back were quite painfully. It was redicuolsy hot and I was getting hungry. I started to think about what I would make for lunch…

Italian Parmesan Tuna Salad Sandwich with Dried Fruit on Fresh Country Whole Wheat Bread

Something quick, filling, and delicious…

Recovery, post-bike ride sandwich (remaining tuna salad not pictured- soon to be eaten)

The sandwich turned out to be amazing and an awesome post-workout lunch (see nutrition note).

Colorful, flavorful, nutritious, and filling

Italian Parmesan Tuna Salad Sandwich with Dried Fruit on Fresh Country Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 slices country whole wheat bread (Vine, Country Loaf- farmers’ market)
• one 4-oz can chunk light tuna in water (StarKist)
• 1 Tbsp extra vigin olive oil (Filippo Berio)
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (Publix)
• 8 dried apricots (SunMaid)
• 2 Tbsp raisins (SunMaid)
• 2 Tbsp golden raisins
• 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese
• 1 thin slice onion
• 2 thick slices fresh vine-ripened tomatoes
• dash freshly ground pepper
• dash sea salt
• 2 cups spring mix salad blend (Publix)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place slices of bread on a baking sheet and heat for about 5 minutes or until warm and lightly toasted.
2. Drain water from tuna. Scoop tuna in a small bowl (i.e. cereal bowl size), drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Cut apricot into strips and add to tuna along with raisins, golden raisins, and Parmesan cheese.
3. Cut onion slice in half and add onion pieces to one slice of bread. Slice tomato, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and sea salt, and add to bread on top of onion followed by spring mix. Scoop tuna on top. Enjoy remaining tuna on the side or save for another sandwich. Top tuna salad with remaining bread slice. Enjoy!

Serves: 1 hungry athlete or 2

• Nutrition note: This is a great post-workout meal after a tough workout. Carbs and protein are great for post-workout recovery to replenish those muscles and restore glycogen stores. There’s also sodium in the tuna, sea salt, and bread; potassium in the fruit; and calcium in the cheese for replenishing those electrolytes. It even includes all 5 food groups.

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Fresh Basil & Parmesan Cheese June 19, 2012

Jamie says: Want to know something funny? This is my second attempt at gnocchi. The first definitely wasn’t blog-worthy. It required chocolate after to satisfy me. But this simple recipe definitely made my taste buds sing for joy.

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Fresh Basil & Parmesan Cheese

There’s something about that simple, freshly poured extra virgin olive oil that is just so delicious. Just think about that dipping oil at Macaroni Grill or Carrabba’s Italian Grill…

So simple, yet so delicious

Parmesan cheese… yum! It adds a little saltiness. And that fresh basil… no need to mask any of this fresh flavor.

Secret: these gnocchi have whole wheat flour and sweet potatoes in them

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Fresh Basil & Parmesan Cheese

Ingredients:

• 16 oz whole wheat gnocchi with sweet potato (Gia Russa)
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (Filippo Berio)
• 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (Publix)
• 12 leaves fresh basil

Directions:

1. Cook gnocchi according to directions on package. [Bring water to a boil, add gnocchi, cook for about 2-3 minutes or until they float. Remove gnocchi immediately from hot water.]
2. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
3. Use kitchen shears to snip (or a knife to cut) fresh basil over gnocchi. Enjoy!

Serves: 3

• Nutrition note: Choose whole wheat gnocchi with sweet potato for some whole-grain goodness and vitamin A.

Garden Mango Smoothie June 13, 2012

Kathryn says: My uncle has a mango tree, and, lucky for me, he’s a very good sharer. I’ve been enjoying the fruit by itself, but today I came home wanting something cold to soothe my sore throat (I’m getting over the flu).

I whipped up this smoothie pretty quickly with the help of our flourishing herb garden in the backyard (Thanks, Mom).

Garden Mango Smoothie

Don’t let the yellow-green color scare you away. Just think, mojitos have green in them too, and they sure are good, right?

View from the top: Garden Mango Smoothie

The two herbs that made this green each have their own perks. The mint is refreshing, and the basil cuts the sweetness down just the slightest bit, both leaving a subtle, earthy taste on your tongue.

 

Garden Mango Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe mango, peeled
• a sprig of fresh mint, rinsed (maybe 5-7 medium leaves)
• a sprig of fresh basil, rinsed (maybe 3-5 medium leaves)
• -1/2 cup ice (I used crushed ice)

Directions:

1. Cut meat off mango and place into blender.
2. Add ice and herbs.
3. Blend until smooth.

• Did you know? Basil is a member of the mint family. 

Hot Sardine Sandwich on Country Wheat Bread with Roasted Tomatoes and Cubanelle Peppers June 6, 2012

Jamie says: It’s farmers’ market Wednesday! It started to pour on my way there, but the rain didn’t stop me from going. Soon after I arrived, it cleared up, and the vendors removed the coverings from their precious produce. Some of my favorite purchases from today include the large tomato (used in tonight’s dinner), the awesomely shaped eggplant, and the loaf of bread (also a part of dinner)…

This week’s farmers’ market purchases

The sandwich was awesome! I loved the hearty and healthy bread, the juicy tomatoes, slightly salty sardines, crunchy garlic, and roasted cubanelle peppers.

Hot Sardine Sandwich on Country Wheat Bread with Roasted Tomatoes and Cubanelle Peppers

I can’t wait to enjoy the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Another farmers’ market fresh creation

Hot Sardine Sandwich on Country Wheat Bread with Roasted Tomatoes and Cubanelle Peppers

Ingredients:

• 3 cubanelle peppers (farmers’ market)
• 1 large heirloom tomato (farmers’ market)
• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• dash course sea salt
• dash freshly ground pepper
• 8 cloves garlic, divided
• 10 leaves fresh basil (farmers’ market)
• 2 Tbsp pomegranate infused red wine vinegar (Pompeian)
• 3.71 oz can skinless and boneless Portuguse sardines in olive oil (Angelo Parodi)
• 4 slices country whole wheat bread (Vine, Country Loaf- farmers’ market)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Wash and dry cubanelle peppers and tomato. Cut tops off cubanelle peppers and cut in half length-wise. Remove seeds and then cut each half into strips. Place cubanelle pepper strips in a baking dish. Chop tomatoes and place on a separate baking sheet. Drizzle contents of both trays with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Peel garlic and mince. Divide among both trays.  Mix the cubanelle peppers to evenly coat. To the tomatoes, add fresh basil leaves and vinegar. Mix the tomatoes. Bake each tray for 50 minutes or until cubanelle peppers and tomatoes are lightly brown. Drain tomatoes.
2. Pour contents of sardine can onto a small baking dish and heat in oven for 5 minutes or until warm.
3. Layer drained tomatoes, cubanelle peppers, and sardines on slice of bread and place other slice on top. Enjoy!

Servings: 2

• Nutrition note: Slice and freeze fresh bread to make it last a lot longer. (It’s difficult to slice once it’s frozen.) Do not refrigerate bread; this will actually increase the staling process.

Cheesy Roasted Eggplant and Chicken Arugula Salad with Multi-Colored Cherry Tomatoes June 4, 2012

Jamie says: I made this tasty salad for lunch on Saturday and reaped the benefits of the delicious leftovers today. It started with me roasting an eggplant and then I just started to pull food out of the fridge and it turned into a salad. I’m going to confess a little secret. The chicken is leftover from my Chicken Strips and Guac over Spinach with Sweet Plantains and Lime Basil Tomato Salad dinner (whew, that was a mouthful to say). I now love using leftovers (especially good ones).

Cheesy Roasted Eggplant and Chicken Arugula Salad with Multi-Colored Cherry Tomatoes

I can’t get over how amazing the farmers’ market is. The tomatoes, eggplant, and arugula in this salad were all from my weekly trip there. I think what I love the most is the shopping experience and the vibrant colors and fresh taste of the produce.

Farmers’ market fresh!

The Parmesan cheese is the key to making this eggplant egg-cellent (minus the actual eggs).

The cheesy eggplant made this dish egg-cellent!

Cheesy Roasted Eggplant and Chicken Arugula Salad with Multi-Colored Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant (farmers’ market)
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• dash coarse sea salt
• dash freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Publix- sold next to refrigerated pastas and pesto)
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, 97% fat free fresh from Florida (Publix Greenwise, raised without antibiotics, no added hormones, vegetarian diet, no artificial ingredients or preservatives)
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• a dash of salt
• 4 cups arugula (farmers’ market)
• 1 cup multi-colored cherry tomatoes (farmers’ market)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice eggplant into 1/4″ pieces. Quarter slices. Place in a 13″ x 9″ baking dish and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil an sprinkle with oregano, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir. Bake for about 40 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Return to oven for an additional 2 minutes.
2. Slice chicken breasts into strips. Place in a frying pan with canola oil over medium heat. Add a dash of freshly ground pepper and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes. Flip. Cook an additional 5 minutes or until cooked throughout. Chop pieces.
3. Wash arugula and pat dry with a paper towel. Divide among two plates. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and divide among plates.

Servings: 2

• Nutrition note: Check out the farmers’ market for local produce. Since the food doesn’t have to travel as far, it will likely have more nutrients.