Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Grilled Balsamic Pork Tenderloin & Coconut Rice

I forgot this blog address, so I haven't really updated until tonight, but this is one of my favorite meals, so I want to get this one down. It was a few weeks ago, but it is one I make often!!

Grilled Balsamic Pork Tenderloin (Pinterest favorite!!)

original source

Ingredients:

4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper2 tablespoons olive oil2 pork tenderloins (about 1¼ pounds each)2 tablespoons canola oil (if preparing in oven)

Directions:



Stir together garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the paste all over pork. If you like or have the time, marinate overnight. If not, no worries, it will still be great!
Grill preparation:
Sear the tenderloins on all sides, then grill for about 20-30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Try to let it rest before slicing.
Oven preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat canola oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add pork, and brown all over, about 4 minutes.
Transfer pan to oven. Roast pork, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, and try to let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Sweet & Savory Coconut Rice

Ingredients:
2 c. white or Jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk
2 c. water
1 tsp. Kosher salt
Splash of white vinegar (optional, but it helps with the texture)
2-3 tsp. white sugar
Handful of chopped green onions, plus chopped green onion tops for garnish (we’re using the whole animal here…)
Black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Allow to stand 5 minutes. Add green onions, black pepper (if desired), and additional salt if necessary.
**My Adjustments**
Doubled the Recipe
Brown Jasmine Rice (did not adjust liquid amounts)
Lite Coconut Milk
Used Rice Cooker

When cooking this stovetop, it comes out much "stickier" - a thicker consistency. There were a few grains of the brown rice that were a little crunchier than I like, so I think I would add water next time (you're supposed to use more water with brown rice when using a slow cooker, but since it usually comes out a little thicker and the liquid takes forever to fully absorb, we didn't add the extra water).

These are two of my very favorite recipes ever. I love the Coconut Rice with Botan Sticky White Rice - the best ever!!! We try to be somewhat health conscious  - sometimes. Enjoy!

xoxo
Katie



Katie's Cobb

The weather has been so nice so far this week, and I was just feeling the Summer goodness, so tonight was a favorite "Summer dinner" of mine: Salad with lots of goodies. This is not exactly a traditional Cobb Salad, but it's what I like…To remember all the parts of a Cobb Salad, think "EAT COBB".

Eggs
Avocado
Tomato

Cheese
Onions
Bacon (or other pork product - usually diced Ham)
Beans (garbanzo, black, kidney, whatever)

You can see how I varied mine...


For the Salad:

Spring Mix, Baby Romaine, and Baby Spinach Mix Greens
Grilled Chicken (brushed with olive oil and S&P)
Avocado
Hard Boiled Eggs
Bacon
Green Onions
Tomatoes
Feta Cheese (Fat Free)
Squirt of Lime

I served it with a Creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing that I found on Pinterest. I tripled the recipe (tripled amounts reflected below), and these are the exact ingredients I used:

1 1/2 Avocados
1 cup Light Mayo
1 cup Sour Cream
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP Lemon Juice
2 ish bunches of Green Onions (mostly the tops, but a little of the whites)
6 TBSP Fresh Parsley
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup Buttermilk
S&P to taste (from grinders)

Combine ingredients and blend.

source

That's it for tonight. I somehow thought this would come together so quickly, and it would be a snap to throw together. It would have been easier if I hadn't burned an entire package of bacon in the oven (Pinterest FAIL!!) and set off the smoke alarm. twice. ha ha.

Happy Eating!

xoxo

Katie