Tropical Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Salsa

1 Frontera brand Golden Pineapple

1 Package Pork Tenderloin (about 2lbs)

4TB Soy Sauce

1TB Honey

6 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/2c Red Onion, Chopped

2TB Fresh Lime Juice (about 4 limes)

1 Jalapeno, Minced

1/4c Cilantro, Chopped

1TB Light Brown Sugar

Salt to taste



Peel and core your pineapple. Divide it in half. Put one half thru a juicer (or blender and strain). It should come out to about 1c of juice. Place juice in a non metal bowl. Cut up the other half of the pineapple into a small dice. Place that into another non metal bowl.
Into your pineapple juice, add the soy sauce, minced garlic, honey and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Pour into a large gallon sized zip-top bag. Add in your rinsed pork tenderloin, and remove excess air. Marinate in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours , turning occasionally.
Into your bowl of diced pineapple, add your lime juice, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, & brown sugar. Mix well, season to taste with salt if desired. Cover and refrigerate.
One hour before you want to eat, remove the pork and salsa from the refrigerator. Let the pork sit at room temp for 30 minutes. Start your grill, lightly grease the grates and heat over high heat. Place the pork tenderloin on the grill(reserving the marinade). Grill over direct heat for 3 minutes each side (total of 12 minutes).
Place pork over indirect heat(for instance I have 4 burners, so I turn off the middle two and put the pork over those, while the outside two stay on.) and cook until the internal temperature is 140-145°. Remove the pork and put on a plate, covering with foil to rest.
While your pork is resting, pour your reserved marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over Med-High heat, boil for at least 5 minutes, or until it has reduced in half stirring occasionally.
To serve, slice the pork into 1/2" medallions and top with your sauce and pineapple salsa.

Stuffed Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Peach Whiskey Beurre Blanc Sauce

I saw this recipe on Bobby Flay's Grill It show. When I watched it, I knew I had to make everything on that show!! So last night I decided to make this one. OH WOW!!! It was amazing! You might want to do this on the weekend and allow yourself about 3 hours to make it. I promise you, it is worth every minute. I'm going to post the link for y'all. Also on the Beurre Blanc sauce, don't be afraid that there is a habanero in it, the sauce doesn't come out hot. It just imparts a wonderful fruity flavor. I hope y'all enjoy it!!

Stuffed Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Peach Whiskey Beurre Blanc:

Here

Thai Red Coconut Chicken Curry

I felt like switching things up a bit, and decided to do some simple Thai food. Yum!! This is a great flavorful, simple meal to make. It's not spicy at all. I topped mine with Sriracha Hot Sauce as well. I hope Y'all will give this a try to add some variety into your menu planning.


Thai Red Coconut Chicken Curry:


1TB vegetable or canola oil
1lb boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced thinly
5 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 14oz. can coconut milk, unsweetened
2tsp fish sauce
2tsp Thai red curry paste (or to taste)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4c fresh basil, chopped
2TB fresh lime juice (or more to taste)
salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add in your Shallots and curry paste, saute until the shallots begin to soften, about 2 minutes or so. Add in the coconut milk, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil, and add in your chicken and pepper. Cook until chicken is cooked through, stirring frequently. Add in your basil and lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over rice or rice noodles.

Baked Potato Soup

I tell ya what, I have been protesting cooking lately. LOL!! I've been outside grilling for the most part, so I figured I'd switch it back up and cook something inside. Haha!! So last night in honor of the first preseason Cowboys game (WAY TO GO BOYS!) I decided I would make Baked Potato Soup. I made it because it reminds me of fall, and football weather, and it's just so good!!! This is the best Baked Potato Soup EVER!! It beats any restaurant hands down! I start out kind of measuring ingredients and then adding more of whichever seasoning I feel it needs more of. So I will give you my basic measurements, feel free to change it up as you like. Like any soup or stew, this is even better the next day. Enjoy!!

Baked Potato Soup:
6-8 Servings

1 package bacon, fried crisp and crumbled, reserving drippings
1 large onion or two smaller ones, diced
6c hot chicken stock
4 large potatoes (at least 4c worth; I like more), baked, peeled and diced (as small or large as you like)
2/3c flour (depending on how much grease the bacon puts off you may need a little more)
2c heavy cream
1/2c finely chopped flat leaf parsley ( I usually grab a small bunch and chop it all)
1 1/2tsp garlic powder
1 1/2tsp dried basil
1 1/2tsp salt
1 1/2tsp coarse ground pepper
1tsp Tabasco (I use more)
2c shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

In a large stockpot, fry your bacon until crisp, crumble and set aside. In the bacon grease (yes all of it,lol) Cook your diced onions over medium heat until transparent, at least 3 minutes. Add in your flour, stirring to prevent lumps. Cook the flour and onion mixture stirring frequently for about 3-5 minutes, until golden brown. With a whisk in one hand and your pot of hot chicken stock in the other, carefully, slowly and evenly pour in the hot stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Keep whisking until the mixture has thickened. Reduce the heat to simmer and add in your heavy cream, all seasonings, parsley, Tabasco, potatoes and bacon. Simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally, do not allow it to boil. Add in 1c of your cheese and most of your green onions, stir until cheese is melted through. Serve with the extra cheese and green onion on top.

Poblano Ablóndigas with Pasilla Chile Soup

MMMMMM!!! Poblano and beef meatballs in a yummy zucchini and rice soup... Yeah!!! This was a super delish recipe from Bon Appétit. On a scale of 1-10 in this house it got a 10 all around. I am going to post the link to the recipe.. I made some adjustments.. (shocking, I know!! lol) First of all, I used 3 large poblanos for the meat balls and an extra clove of garlic. Then for the soup, I used 4 cloves of garlic, and ground my own pasilla peppers to make the powder (since the store had neither ancho or pasilla chile powder. I also only used 8c of beef broth vs 9c. I added alot of extra shredded zucchini to the soup. This is a great soup, light enough for the summer! Yum!!

Poblano Abóndigas with Pasilla Chile Soup:
Here

Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken White Chili

Tequila, Lime, and Chili.. Need I say more? LOL!! Yum!! Super yummy dish that you can make year round. I served this with some beer cheese cornbread, but you could serve it with crushed tortilla chips, or corn tortillas. Whatever floats your boat. Warning: You may want to do a little more than the 2lbs of chicken to grill, because when you are cutting it up, it kinda finds it's way to your mouth and then just disappears.. Hahaha!! Seriously, chicken is excellent on its own. Super tender, juicy and flavor packed!! This makes a giant pot of chili. So if you aren't into leftovers (which for chili's and soups, they are actually better the next day) you may want to do 1/2 the recipe. I hope y'all enjoy it!

Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken White Chili:

3 limes (including zest) juiced
1/2c Tequila
2TB Cajun seasoning.. I'm a Tony Chachere's kinda gal personally
4TB butter
1/4c flour
2c half & half
6c chicken stock
3 cans great northern beans or navy beans (drained)
2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1tsp Tabasco or more to taste
2 4oz cans chopped green chiles
1TB cumin
2tsp cayenne
1/4tsp ground cloves
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
3c shredded Monterrey jack cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine lime zest, lime juice, Tequila and Cajun seasoning. Pour over chicken and marinate for a minimum of 3 hours, the longer the better. I did mine for 6 hours. Grill, and chop into 1" pieces.

Melt butter in a large stock pot. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Whisk until smooth and thick, for a minute or so. Add in stock, half & half and onion while whisking to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer stirring often and cook until it thickens somewhat, at least 5 minutes.

Add in your garlic, chilies, chicken, clove, Tabasco, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes, stirring often.

Add in the drained beans, 1 1/2c of the cheese and most of the cilantro. Heat stirring often, until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, with the remaining cheese and cilantro.

Avocado Beef & Habanero Cheese Stuffed Poblanos with Smoked Gouda Chipotle Grits

As you know by now, I love spicy food!!! I wanted some spice last night! Hehe! It was darn tasty too! You can play with the recipe for the stuffed peppers, all you want. You can change up the cheese, the meat, even use your favorite package taco seasoning, or none at all. The sky is the limit. Have fun with it!!

Avocado, Beef, Habanero Cheese Stuffed Poblanos:

1lb ground beef
4-6 poblanos (charred, skin removed, slit down the middle and seeds removed)
1 small onion, diced
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2tsp chili powder
1tsp Mexican oregano (regular would work fine as well)
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp cumin
1tsp coriander
1/2 a beer or so... ;)
1 large avocado, sliced
4oz of your favorite cheese (mine is habanero cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350°
Brown ground beef in a skillet, add in the onion and cook until onion is tender. Add in your seasonings and saute for about a minute. Add in the beer, reduce heat to simmer and let the beer cook out a bit, until the mixture is thickened somewhat.

Into your poblano, place a slice of avocado a little cheese, and fill with meat. Top with another avocado slice and more cheese. Repeat with the remaining peppers. I like to place the pepper in the baking dish first and fill while in there.(less mess) Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with grits, below.

Smoked Gouda and Chipotle Grits:

2TB butter
2c fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
1 medium onion, chopped
5c water
2c whole milk
1tsp salt
1tsp pepper
1 1/2c quick-cooking white hominy grits
2c coarsely grated smoked Gouda cheese about 8oz
1TB chopped canned chipotle in adobo
chopped cilantro, about a couple of tablespoons

Melt the butter in large saucepan, add in onions and corn and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add water, milk, salt and pepper, bring to a boil. Slowly add in your grits whisking to prevent lumps. Reduce temp to simmer and cook until grits are tender about 15 minutes. Make sure to stir often!! Stir in cheese and chipotle, mix until cheese is melted. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning and add in cilantro and serve.