Pork Tenderloin with Strawberry-Mango Salsa

Strawberry season is in full swing across most of the country, so chances are you're buying lots of them. You are, aren't you? Then that also means you likely have a few soft or slightly bruised berries -- good enough to eat but not pristine enough to showcase on the top of a strawberry shortcake.

Well I'm not going to suggest you use them to make sweet jam or a smoothie (though I love both). I'm going savory with strawberries. That's right. If you've never paired strawberries with meat, then expect to be wowed. Succulent strawberries and creamy mango are enhanced with aromatic anise seed in this simple yet flavorful salsa. The fruits' sweetness provides the perfect balance to the savory, buttery flavor of the pork tenderloin.

I hope Jeanne of Cook Sister! likes savory strawberries because this is my entry for this month's WTSIM: Berried Treasure.

Pork Tenderloin with Strawberry-Mango Salsa
Serves 4
Print recipe only here.

Pork:
1 1/4 pound pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons butter

Salsa:
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup sweet onion, such as Vidalia
1 teaspoon anise seed
1 cup diced mango
2 cups chopped strawberries
salt and freshly ground back pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked grain of your choice, such as cous-cous, quinoa, or white rice.

Cut the tenderloin into medallions, and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the salsa, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the sweet onion for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly softened and browned. Stir in the anise seed and diced mango, cooking for 2 minutes more. Add strawberries and cook 2-3 minutes, until slightly softened. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 teaspoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons butter. Add the pork; cook for 3-4 minutes, until crispy and browned, then flip and cook until browned all over and just cooked through (the meat should be tender).

Place cooked grain on a platter, add cooked pork, and cover with warm fruit salsa. Serve immediately.

Other meat dishes you might like:

Lamb Kebabs







Savory Sausage and Fennel Galette





Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) and Sausage Sandwich with Sharp Provolone






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Habaneros Are Hot

In August 1997, and Jeff and I were at the Raleigh Farmers' Market in North Carolina. A farmer was selling a wide variety of chilies, including habaneros. I was instantly drawn to their shiny, reddish-orange skin and almost heart-like shape.

"What do habaneros taste like? I asked.

"They got kick in 'em," he said, as he chewed on a toothpick.

"Can they be eaten raw, or should I cook them?" I asked.

"You can eat 'em any way you like," he said, now twirling the toothpick between his thumb and forefinger.

"How 'bout the seeds? Should I take them out first?" I asked.



"If you want to," he said.

Realizing I was just going to have to find out for myself, I quickly selected four or five brilliant habaneros, paid for them, and proudly announced to Jeff that I would make burritos with habanero salsa for dinner.

As I was preparing the salsa, Jeff sampled a tiny piece of the habanero; he coughed a couple of times and declared it "pretty hot." I decided to forgo the taste test and chopped up two habaneros, seeds and all.

We sat down to eat dinner, and I added a spoonful of my brilliant orange habanero salsa to my burrito. After the first bite, I felt a burning sensation on my lips, then my tongue started to prick with heat. Within seconds, actual flames of fire were leaping through the roof of my mouth into my nose. I tried to yelp but only gurgling sounds came out.

Jeff, realizing I was in trouble, handed me a glass of water. (This was before medical school; what did he know?) I waited for relief. Instead, like throwing water on hot oil, the fire in my mouth roared.

After a couple minutes of coughing and chest pounding, I said to Jeff, "My lipth feelths funny." I went into the bathroom and sure enough, my upper lip was swollen to twice its size. I'd always wanted fuller lips but this was ridiculous.

I've learned a few things about chilies since that memorable day. Turns out a chili's "heat" comes from a compound called capsaicin and can be measured on the Scoville Scale. Created by a chemist named Wilbur Scoville, this scale accurately measures the level of capsaicin in a chili. Scoville heat units (SHU) indicate the amount of capsaicin in a chili. For instance,

• a red bell pepper registers a zero (you feel nothing)
  
• a jalapeno = 2,500-8,000 (you feel a mild tingling sensation in your mouth)
  
• a serrano = 10,000-25,000 (your lips and belly get warm and prick with heat)
  
• a habanero = 100,000-350,000 (pain, not enjoyment, pain)
  

The Wall Street Journal not too long had a story on the world's hottest chili, the bhut jolokia, which registers over 1,000,000 SHU! At that heat, I would be afraid of dying.

Despite my initial adverse reaction, I still eat habaneros but without the seeds. And if my mouth starts to burn, I don't drink water. I eat bread or a banana; I've read that creamy foods like yogurt are supposed to work too.



So please try these quesadillas with a fruity habanero salsa. The sweet pineapple, mango, and kiwi contrast pleasingly with the spicy green onions and fiery habanero. Plus the acidic lime juice helps to temper the chili's heat. It's a quick mid-week meal or easy party dish. Feel free to play around with the ingredients to your liking; after all, quesadillas are meant to be fun.

When you make them, just be sure to have some bread, bananas, and yogurt nearby, just in case.



Goat Cheese and Poblano Quesadillas with Pineapple-Mango-Habanero Salsa
Make 4 quesadillas
Print recipe only here.

Salsa:
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1 cup diced fresh mango
1 diced kiwi
1 habanero, minced, and seeds removed (unless you're a glutton for punishment)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
the juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
salt, to taste

Quesadillas:
1 large or 2 small poblano peppers, de-seeded and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
salt, to taste

8 (6-7- inch flour tortillas)
4 ounces goat cheese

To prepare the salsa, place all ingredients in a medium bowl and gently toss. Allow to rest for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) for the flavors to mingle.

Place poblano pepper over an open gas flame, turning occasionally, until thoroughly charred and blistered on all sides. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove, and using some paper towel, gently scrape off the skin. Halve, stem and seed the pepper. Cut into strips, then dice, and place in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add canola oil and red onion, and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add sugar, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook until onions are caramelized, about 7-10 minutes. Add cooked poblano peppers to the skillet, season with salt, and toss to combine. Remove from heat.

Place 1 tortilla on a clean cutting board; spread with 1 ounce of goat cheese, then 1/4 of the poblano mixture. Top with another tortilla, and press lightly with your hand. Continue with remaining tortillas and filling until you complete 4 quesadillas.

Heat a large, nonstick, dry skillet over medium heat. Add 1 quesadilla. Cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in a warm oven (200-300 degrees F) until ready to serve. (Or eat 'em as you make 'em.) Repeat with remaining 3 quesadillas.

Cut each quesadilla into 3 or 4 wedges. Serve with salsa.

You might also like:

• Baja-style fish tacos
  
• Shrimp tacos with citrus avocado salsa
• Heuvos rancheros
• BBQ pizza with corn and red onions
  

Note: The previous post for WEB, Weekend Eagle Blogging was a spoof. Please don't send me pictures of predatory birds with road-kill soup.


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What's Better Than Desert Wildflowers? Shrimp Tacos, That's What.

Ever since we moved to Southern California five years ago, every spring we hear the same chorus: “You’ve got to go to Anza-Borrego. They have the most gorgeous wildflowers you’ve ever seen.”

Every spring Jeff tries to convince me to drive the 2 ½ hours to see them, and every spring I find some excuse not to. It’s not the drive (I love driving). It’s just that we have flowers everywhere we look here. Plus, I'm a fall foliage girl.

Two weekends ago, however, San Diego was all abuzz about this being the BEST wildflower season since 2005 (because of our unusually high rainfall-- a whopping 4.43 inches since last July). Jeff asked again, and I just couldn't say no. So we packed a lunch, grabbed our maps, and drove to Anza Borrego Desert State Park.

Apparently every person within the San Diego county limits decided to go to Anza-Borrego that day too. After waiting in line at the visitors’ center for nearly 30 minutes, a park ranger told us, “It’s a sea of brilliant color out there. Almost as good as 2005! You guys definitely picked the right day.” Jeff flashed me a big smile and said, “See, we picked the right day!”

We followed his directions and ended up on a dusty, dirt road. Jeff hopped out of the car, and said, “Wow! Look at those purple flowers!”

“You mean the weeds?” I said.

“They’re not weeds, they’re wildflowers. Look at them all!” he said.

“They look like weeds,” I said.

Anza-Borrego is technically a desert, which in my translation means sand with weeds in it. Based upon the “oohs” and “aahs” I was hearing, and the obscene number of Nikon D80's snapping pictures, it seems I was the only one not impressed.

So I went along: “Ooh, look at all those purple weeds.”

OK, I admit, there were some lovely flowers, but the best part of the day was the ride home. We stopped at an orange and grapefruit grove where we bought a 15-pound bag of freshly picked navel oranges for $3 and a 15-pound bag of pink grapefruits for $4! Fresh fruit at a bargain price—it just doesn’t get better. I was very impressed.



The scenery was spectacular; we finally saw the “sea of brilliant colors” we were promised, and it was awe-inspiring. We even spotted a few idyllic farms.

We ended the day with a simple, delicious meal of shrimp tacos with citrus-avocado salsa. Our fresh sweet oranges and tart grapefruits were tossed with creamy local avocados (from Terri, who you’ll learn more about in a later post) and sprinkled on top of spicy, crispy shrimp tacos. I took one bite and declared, “Now this was worth 5 hours of driving.”

Shrimp Tacos with Citrus-Avocado Salsa
Makes 4 servings
Print recipe only here.

Salsa:
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
3 scallions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 ruby red or pink grapefruit, peeled, de-seeded, and diced
1 navel orange peeled, de-seeded, and diced
1/4 cup peeled jicama, diced
1 avocado, diced and sprinkled with lime juice to prevent discoloration
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper (without seeds)
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Tacos:
24 extra large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil, for searing shrimp
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 flour or corn tortillas

To make the salsa, simply combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and toss gently until well combined.

Place the shrimp in a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat and set aside for 5-10 minutes.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook 5 to 6 minutes, turning to ensure that they brown evenly on both sides. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime over the shrimp and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Remove to a plate when cooked.

To assemble tacos, heat tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 minute per side or, using metal tongs, simply hold over an open flame until warmed and slightly charred. Place three shrimp on each tortilla; serve with salsa and extra fresh cilantro for garnish. Serve immediately.

You might also like these citrus-y dishes:

• Wild arugula and blood orange salad with proscuitto
• Sicilian salad of fennel, oranges, and olives
  
• Mexican citrus salad with orange-lime vinaigrette
  
• Kona Kampachi with Meyer lemon-thyme butter
  
• Honeyed orange ginger muffins
  
• Italian Easter rice pie (with Meyer lemon)
• Warm citrus and banana cups
  

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Fuyu Part 2: Boneless Pork Chop with a Persimmon and Pomegranate Salsa

Last week I made a persimmon and date bread with super-ripe Hachiya persimmons. To be a fair and balanced blogger, today I've got a savory dish using Fuyu persimmons -- the rotund ones.

Firm Fuyus can be eaten like an apple; they taste like one too -- mildly sweet but with hints of cinnamon. Fuyu persimmons are ideal for savory dishes, such as salads and salsas, where they add color, flavor, and texture.

The first time I made this salsa, I used just persimmons and no onion, and I thought it needed a bit more splash. This time I added some savory scallions and tart pomegranate seeds. It was pleasingly splashier in both taste and presentation. This refreshing salsa pairs especially well with pork, though it would be good with roasted turkey, grilled lamb, or a mild white fish, such as mako shark (which Jeff had and loved last night).

I'm submitting this post to Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, the founder and this week's host of the ever popular Weekend Herb Blogging. Persimmons aren't just pretty, they're nutritional powerhouses too--especially high in potassium, lutein (for ocular health), and lycopene (a cancer fighting antioxidant).


Boneless Pork Chops with
Persimmon and Pomegranate Salsa
Serves 4
Print recipe only here.

Salsa:
Makes about 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups

2 Fuyu persimmons, with the skins on, diced (about 1 heaping cup)
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
2 Tbsp thinly sliced scallions
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
1/2 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1/2 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped

4 boneless pork chops
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

For the salsa, place all ingredients from persimmons through salt in a medium size bowl. Stir until well combined. If serving within an hour, then add fresh basil and mint so the flavors will mingle. Otherwise, do not add the herbs (since they will turn brown) and place in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 hours. (Letting the salsa sit much longer makes it taste too astringent.)

Note: If you don't prefer the intensity of raw onions, then place the minced onions in a small-mesh colander and pour very hot or boiling water over them; drain and add to the salsa. This will remove some of their sting without sacrificing flavor.

For the pork, drizzle the olive oil on both sides of each chop and season with salt and pepper. Either grill the chops or cook on the stove top. Or for the best of both worlds, do what I did: use a grill pan on the stove top which creates those attractive sear marks but allows you to stay in the kitchen. Cook for about 5-6 minutes per side, or until well browned and cooked throughout.

Serving suggestion:
Place pork chops on top of cooked quinoa or couscous, then top with 1/4 of the salsa. Repeat with remaining 3 dishes. Garnish with additional herbs, if desired. A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette would be a nice accompaniment.

Reminder: Eat Christmas Cookies. Please check out the updated Eat Christmas Cookies post. There are several delicious treats there already. You have until December 24th to post, but try to submit by the 17th if possible so others can try your cookies. :) Click here for full details.

You might also like:

Fiery Shrimp with Avocado-Pomegranate-Tangerine Salsa served over Soft Polenta
Swordfish with Pineapple-Mango Salsa
Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Kumquats
Mexican Citrus Salad with an Orange-Lime Vinaigrette

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