Now that summer is right around the corner and I’m spending more time in the kitchen, I’m trying to mix up my dinners to try some summer-appropriate recipes that won’t make my apartment too much of a hotbox.
And because the last two weeks were crazy, I took the long Memorial Day weekend as a time to do the following: cook, relax, clean and get my closet organized. Fun!
Actually it was. And I decided to make two recipes to get me back in the kitchen and keep those cooking skills sharp.
I made pizza again (similar to this one) and it turned out really well.
Silly me took a pre-oven instead of post-oven photo. Oops.
Fact: Homemade pizza is definitely starting to become one of my favorite things to make.
Then I made my kitchen adventure for this week, which sounded incredible: Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Mango Salsa from Cooking Light. Right now, I’m loving all sorts of summer salsas and despite not being a huge mango fan, I’m willing to give it a try!
Plus, I’ve never cooked with pork, so it’s two adventures in one.
Here’s how it turned out and the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups diced peeled mango (about 2 large)
- 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
- 3 tablespoons diagonally sliced green onions
- 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Preparation:
Cut each tenderloin crosswise into 8 pieces. Place plastic wrap over pork; pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of pork; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; repeat procedure with remaining pork.
Combine mango and next 6 ingredients (mango through cardamom) in a bowl, stir and serve.
Verdict: Yummy, light and flavorful
I really liked this dish. The pork was tender and juicy and the salsa was light but had a nice citrus flavor. I excluded the cardamom and coriander because I couldn’t find it but added in red onion and parsley flakes and I still thought it tasted great. The OJ really added a lot too! I was a little bummed the pork didn’t brown as much as I hoped, but it was still tasty.
What are some of your favorite summer foods? How was your long weekend?
New movie review: Sex and the City 2. Can the girls keep the magic alive?
Marc Jacobs. I LOVE the color. I cannot take my eyes off of it
