Pork Tenderloin Marinade

I'm on a roll with new recipes!

This one is so easy and simple to do, you must try it out before grilling season ends.

And on a side note- I'm so glad that a friend recommended pork tenderloin instead of pork chops.  The tenderloin is SO much jucier, more tender, and more delicious than pork chops.  Thanks Cathi!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cherry cola
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced onion
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. minced garlic

DIRECTIONS

Mix together in a zip lock bag.  Add pork.  

Marinate.  

Grill. 

Eat.

Send me thank-you letters for making you fall in love with pork.

VERDICT

I don't know why this recipe requires cherry coke, honestly for only 1/4 cup it's a big waste.  And I end up drinking the rest of the 20-oz bottle, which is definitely not in line with my goal of eating healthy and cutting out the junk food.

Regardless, this recipe is great.  Better than great.  It was a huge hit with the husband and the kids.  And if you can get it past those picky eaters, you know you have a hit.

Chimicurri Chicken

Instead of using cookbooks or keeping print-outs of recipes I want to try, I keep word files.  My chicken document is 171 pages long.  For real.  This recipe stood out to me because it looked easy and the name was fun.  Here's what it looked like:

INGREDIENTS

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 

3 tablespoons cooking oil 

12 ounces fresh young green beans 

3/4 cup packed Italian parsley 

1 tablespoon cider vinegar 

2 cloves garlic, halved 

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 

1 lemon, peel and juice

DIRECTIONS

Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon of the oil; sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. On charcoal grill, cook chicken on rack directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once halfway through grilling time.

Place beans in microwave-safe 1-1/2-quart dish. Add 1 tablespoon water. Cover with vented plastic wrap. Cook on high 3 minutes; drain.

For Chimichurri sauce, in small food processor bowl combine parsley, the remaining oil, the vinegar, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and red pepper. Process until nearly smooth. Serve chicken and beans topped with Chimichurri sauce, lemon peel, and juice.

VERDICT

I LOVED this sauce.  I'm not sure why it can't be used as a marinade (as a general rule I hate chicken that is cooked plain, no matter what you top it with in the end), but the taste was definitely there when you added it on.

Quick, easy recipe for summer.  Definitely a keeper.

NUTRITION

Servings Per Recipe 4,

• Calories 281,
• Protein (gm) 35,
• Carbohydrate (gm) 8,
• Fat, total (gm) 12,
• Cholesterol (mg) 82,
• Saturated fat (gm) 2,
• Sugar, total (gm) 2,
• Sodium (mg) 376,
• Iron (DV %) 3

mojito grilled chicken

I love mojitos.  Especially now that there is fresh mint in my garden (at least there was until the heat wave and lack of rain wiped the patch out) mojitos are the best!  I'll publish that recipe soon, but for now here's a dinner version of the great cocktail.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 medium (1 1/2 pounds) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves
• 2  limes
• 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 1 medium (3 1/2 pounds) pineapple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1/4 cup(s) loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling on medium, or preheat large ridged grill pan on medium.
2. Meanwhile, with meat mallet, pound chicken (placed between 2 sheets plastic wrap) to an even 1/2-inch thickness.
3. From 1 lime, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice. Cut remaining lime into 4 wedges; set aside. In small bowl, combine oil, lime peel, and juice. Lightly brush pineapple on both sides with lime mixture; set aside remaining lime mixture in bowl. Place pineapple slices on hot grill rack and cook 10 minutes or until browned on both sides, turning over once.
4. Stir mint into remaining lime mixture and pat onto both sides of chicken. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to season both sides. Place chicken on hot grill rack and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is browned on both sides and no longer pink throughout, turning over once. Serve chicken with pineapple and lime wedges.

VERDICT

Too bad that my phone takes such terrible pictures, because this was a beautiful dish.  And delicious!

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs

If you've followed this blog for long, you know that chicken is a pretty common recipe.  Chicken breast, that is.  I rarely make the whole thing, or use other parts like the wings or legs.  I guess I'm just more comfortable using the chicken breast.  But I'm trying to branch out, so here is a new recipe with chicken thighs.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed with a garlic press or minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 cup brown rice

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic and red pepper flakes and stir until sugar dissolves. 
2. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and add the chicken. Seal the bag and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator, turning once, for 1 hour. The chicken can be marinated for up to 4 hours.
3. Heat grill to medium (350 degrees F). 
4. Cook rice according to package directions.
5. Grill chicken for about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and grill until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. 
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cook until the seeds turn golden brown and the chicken is done, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

VERDICT

This is yummy.  I'm still a little leary of non-breast chicken pieces (they seem kind of fatty), but the flavor was great. And throwing it on the grill is always quick, easy, and mess-free.

NUTRITION

Calories:  201
Protein:  29g
Fat:  6g