Pineapple Grilled Pork Tenderloin

A keeper!  We've cooked pork tenderloin many ways.  With this one, my husband, who loves everything says, "This is the best way we've made it!"

Great for summer and make more pineapple than it suggests!!

Pineapple Grilled Pork Tenderloin

2 1 lb pork tenderloin (I only use one for our family of 4)
1 tsp salt
1/2 freshly ground pepper
8 oz can pineapple slices in juice
2 limes
1/4 cup orange marmalade
3 T hoisin sauce
3 T soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat grill medium high heat.  Remove silver skin from tenderloins, leaving a thin layer of fat.  Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper.

Drain pineapple, reserving 1/3 cup juice.  Grate zest from limes to equal 1 T; squeeze juice from limes to equal 1/3 cup. **(My way was to use all the pineapple juice, zest of 1 lime, and juice of 2 limes into saucepan!!  Simplify.)

Bring pineapple juice, lime juice, zest, marmalade, and next 5 ingredients to a boil in saucepan over medium-high heat.  Boil 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Pour half in bowl to serve with tenderloin.  The saucepan half is to baste with while grilling.

Grill pork 10-12 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.  Baste with remaining glaze mixture, remove from grill, wrap in foil, and let stand 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, grill pineapple slices.  Serve grilled pineapple and reserved marinade with pork.

Great with grilled veggies!  We roasted cauliflower, sweet potato, and zucchini to serve with it.  Yummy!!

Chicken Cortez

I'm not sure where this recipe came from because it was handwritten, by me, copied from who knows where, and I've hung onto it for a long time.  I'm glad I did, because this marinade was great--right up our alley!

Chicken Cortez

1 6 oz can pineapple juice

2 T lime juice

1T white vinegar

6 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 t chili powder

1/4 tsp black pepper (is it really necessary to measure black pepper?)

1 T olive or canola oil

2 chicken breasts, halved (I actually put 5 whole chicken breasts into this recipe for dinner that night and for a pasta salad the next)

Prepare marinade and let sit overnight (I let it sit about 3-4 hours probably, but longer would be best).  Prepare coils, cover grill with foil.  Drain marinade and reserve.  Grill until cooked through.  These were perfectly cooked, juicy and delicious!  Thanks, Babe!

Papa's Cucumbers

My grandfather would always have these in the refrigerator or on the dinner table.  It seemed like they went with everything.  I haven't made them myself in a long time, but I had some cucumbers and thought I'd give it a shot.  Not recipe and when I called my mother to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything, she didn't answer....how dare her!! :-)  No measurements here, just make it taste the way you like it.  This recipe took me back in time, to a kitchen I miss...and my Nana & Papa who I miss terribly.  They joined us for dinner the other night when I made these and we all enjoyed them!

Papa's Cucumbers

1 cucumber sliced (I left the skin on, Papa peeled his)
Vinegar (I used red wine)
Water
Salt & Pepper ( a little salt, more pepper)
Sugar (maybe a tsp?  I used a package of Stevia)

I think I used a 1/1 ratio for the vinegar and water.  Just make sure they're covered in the container you're pickling them in.  Add salt, pepper, and sugar and let marinate as long as you can.

I made these about an hour before dinner and they already had a great flavor, but longer is always better!

They were the perfect "cool as a cucumber" compliment to our dinner that night.  The ones I ate the next day were even better!!

Peanut Butter and Apple Sandwich

I love a great sandwich...and I love a non-traditional sandwich even more.  When I saw this recipe, I knew I (I mean my children) would love it!  I was right....as usual--hahaha!

Peanut Butter & Apple Sandwich

2 T whipped cream cheese

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 tsp honey

1 apple

2 T peanut buter

2 bread

Mix together cream cheese, vanilla, and honey in a small bowl.  

 Spread cream cheese mixture on one slice of bread and peanut butter on the other.

 Slice apple (I used apple slicer and then cut each slice into thirds to make them thin for the sandwich) and place a few slices on top of peanut butter.

 There it is!!

 It was an absolute hit, they even ate the crust!!!

And I enjoyed eating the leftover cream cheese mixture as an apple dip...so really this is two recipes in one!!

Broiled Grapefruit

My oldest has always loved grapefruit!  When he was 2, he started asking for them and eating an entire grapefruit (and sometimes even two) for a snack.  I'd halve it, section it, and sprinkle a little sugar on top, just like my mom did for me when I was young.  I was surprised that Riley liked them so much....they are delicious, but a 2 year old?  

When I saw this, I assumed we'd both love it.  Grapefruit+Creme Brulee, right?  Had to be fantastic!!!  This time I just made them for me because he just wanted them the usual way.  After tasting mine though, he did love it and said that next time he wanted his broiled.

Broiled Grapefruit

2 large grapefruits, well chilled

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 small fresh mint sprigs 

Preheat a broiler.

Cut each grapefruit in half.  Section grapefruit and place in baking dish.

In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Using your fingers, sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the grapefruit halves. Slip under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat source and broil until the sugar is uniformly bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes.

(www.williamssonoma.com)
(Recipe states "Serves 4" but we eat more than 1/2 a grapefruit around here, so I say it serves 2!)

Lemon-Dill Tilapia

 Tilapia is quick, easy, and everyone in the house likes it.  You can do so much with it.  This was so pretty after I assembled it....with the yellow, orange, and green.

Lemon Dill Tilapia

4 fresh tilapia fillets

salt & pepper

2 lemons, sliced thinly

1/4 cup shredded carrot

2 T fresh dill

2 T fresh parsley

2 T butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper.

Cut parchment paper into 5 13x9 rectangles.  Place 3 lemon slices crosswise in center of each rectangle.  Top with 1 fillet and repeat for all fillets.  Sprinkle fillets evenly with carrot, dill, and parsley.  Dot with butter.  

Fold 1 side of parchment paper over fillets; tuck excess parchment under fillets, pressing folds to form a crease.  (YES, I read this 8 times to figure it out.  I ended up folding over one side, then creasing and tucking the rest under...then folding/creasing the ends.)

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes with fork.

And dinner.....plated!  Kace at the lemons first....of course!

We liked it!  I served with carrots that I boiled in chicken stock and sprinkled with dill.  

(Serves 4)

(Southern Living February 2008)

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares

I sure am having fun making these recipes I've pinned!  This one is from Gingerbread Bagels and it was a definite hit at our house.  I made it for dessert one night, but could be a breakfast on the go or a snack too!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares


1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large mashed banana
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Mix together oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Add vanilla, egg, and milk; combine all ingredients well.  Add peanut butter and banana, mix well.  Pour into lightly greased 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

There are 2 adults and 2 children at our house and we each had a good sized piece with about 1 1/2 leftover  and it didn't last until noon.  Great portion for a family of 4, but I would double it and bake in 9x13 and make some to freeze next time.

They were incredibly moist, just the way I like my brownies and cookies--not dry at all.  So happy to have found this recipe!  Notice there is no "after" recipe.  They didn't last  long!

(http://gingerbreadbagels.com/2011/03/22/peanut-butter-banana-oatmeal-squares/)

PB & J Crunch Oatmeal

I have a collection of recipes in every form and this one comes from Oprah Magazine March 2011 and on a whim the boys and I tried it this morning and loved it!!

We made our plain oatmeal, as usual....(ready for the good part?  oatmeal is fairly boring.)

Topped it with:

1 T peanut butter
1 T jelly (we used Aunt Judy's homemade blackberry!)
and a sprinkle of granola (or Grape Nuts)

We thought it was awesome and will definitely do this one again!!