This recipe is in honor of my dearest Nana. She enjoys pork tenderloin and rice for dinner, so I made a dish similar to this when I was living with her last winter and she loved it! This dish would be great with a glass of pinot noir for a Friday date-night.
Italian Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Rice
1 pork tenderloin
2 T. sodium-free Italian spice mixture
2 T. olive oil, plus 1 T.
4 good baking apples, such as Macintosh
1 shallot
1 package rice pilaf (sorry, I just haven't beaten it yet)
1/4 lb. green beans
Wash, peel, and core apples. Cut into 1/8th's and place into a pan large enough to hold apples and pork. Peel and dice shallot and add to pan. Drizzle 1 T. olive oil over produce and toss so they are evenly coated.
Preheat oven to 390 F. Place a large skillet over medium high heat with 2 T. olive oil. Rub spice mixture evenly over tenderloin. Sear tenderloin in pan to lightly brown each side. Place tenderloin in pan with produce, push up the apples and shallots to encircle the pork. Cook in oven for 25 minutes.
Cook rice according to package. Wash, trim, and half green beans. Steam and set aside to serve with meal.
The apples and shallot will soften to an applesauce texture that is excellent with the Italian-seasoned pork.
This recipe comes from my new-found love of chia seeds (hello Omega-3 fatty acids). I add them to my oatmeal every morning and I've even started experimenting with chia seed pudding. I was instantly hooked on the puddings for an easy, nutritious dessert. Turmeric is an excellent anti-inflammatory and has some amazing preventative health benefits (see
here)! Add raw pumpkin, a superfood in itself, and you've got a festive and delicious treat without any haunting regret!
Raw Pumpkin Pie Pudding
8 oz can pumpkin
8 oz can full fat coconut milk
1 c. plain, no-sugar added almond milk
1/4 c. honey
5 T. ground turmeric root
5 T. apple pie spice mix or pumpkin pie spice mix (the only difference is the latter contains ginger)
1 c. chia seeds
Add ingredients to blender, wet ingredients first, then dry (add chia seeds last). Chia seeds will clump as soon as they touch moisture if they're not mixed quickly. Pour into a 1/2 gallon container and refrigerate for one hour before eating.
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| My secret weapon |
I love this recipe because of it's bright yellow color. This is a simple vinaigrette that brightens up any salad. It's great for dressing a side salad of baby lettuce paired with a main course or a large potluck salad of shaved brussels sprouts. The taste is so rich, and the ingredients so simple, I make a large batch for the week ahead in an old honey jar I have.
The tool that makes this salad dressing so easy is the microplane. Mine is a wand style, and it was a gift, but it was probably under $10. I use it all the time! The trick to the microplane is to rinse it clean with water directly after use. This prevents any crusty pieces from sticking to the tiny teeth on the grate-like edges. That could be a real pain to clean if clogged.
Yellow Vinaigrette
1 lemon
1 giant clove garlic (or 2 small-medium)
3 T. feta cheese
3 T. honey
2/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 T. apple cider vinegar
Over a medium jar, start by using the microplane to zest the entire lemon (make sure to wash it first). Only take off the outermost yellow layer of the lemon with the microplane, don't go too far into the white rind. Then add the juice of the lemon by either squeezing through mesh colander, so as to catch seeds, or squeeze into side bowl and pick out seeds by hand.
Next, peel garlic. My trick for doing this quickly is to take off the top and tip. This always seems to make the whole shell pop off in one or two pieces.
Then holding the garlic vertically, grate over the jar using the microplane. I find that rotating the clove keeps the microplane teeth from creating grooves and the job stays quick. Use your finger to scoop out the pulp from the back of the microplane.
The hard work is over. Add the rest of the ingredients. When you get to the feta, go for the crumbled bits on the bottom of the tub or crush any large chunks before adding to jar. Finally, put a lid on the jar and shake vigorously to mix. It should be a gorgeous creamy yellow color when mixed, but it will separate if refrigerated.
