Sweet & Sassy Pork Tenderloin

As you know.....I'm not a huge meat eater, with the exception of chicken, turkey and seafood....the only other meat I like is pork! And this pork tenderloin recipe is to die for! When I say it's delicious, it's an understatement. It's so tender and has the perfect amount of sweet and spice (sassy)! 

The key is marinating it for long enough and cooking it perfectly. I can promise you, you will add this to the rotation. As for my kids....they LOVE it! 

 I always double this recipe so there is enough sauce to smother and dip!  You should double it also!

SWEET AND SASSY PORK TENDERLOIN 
2 pounds pork tenderloin 
4 tablespoons brown sugar 
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
2 tablespoon Spicy Brown Mustard 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes...if you want it more sassy, add more! 
2 teaspoon prepared horseradish 

Cut tenderloin into 1-1.5 inch thick pieces..and place in large bowl. I got about 8 pieces out of mine. 
Stir together sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, mustard, garlic, red pepper flakes, and horseradish in bowl, until blended and pour over pork. 
Let marinate for at least 2 hours..I do it all day! 
Place the meat onto preheated grill (med/high heat). 
Grill until no longer pink in the center, approx 8 minutes per side. 
When finished, place pork on a plate, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. 

While meat is cooking bring the marinade to a boil on the stove, and simmer over medium heat, and stir until smooth. Pour sauce over sliced tenderloin to serve.

ENJOY!

~Gianna~

Grilled Veggie Wedges and Dip

Vegetables are one of my favorite things to eat.....but I don't eat them nearly enough because my family is very picky about the kind, how they are cooked, and their color! In the Summer (and Fall) I can usually get them to eat more with me because they are so much fresher, riper and tastier and I have so many recipes for those times of year that include veggies!


One of my most favorite ways to cook (pretty much) any vegetable is on the grill. Of course, in the summer grilled vegetables are always a crowd pleaser...especially if there is a DIP to go with it!


This recipe is soooo easy and so delicious! It's sure to get rave reviews, byt even your toughest vegetable eater!


GRILLED VEGGIE WEDGES AND DIP

Prep: 10 min Cook: 6 min Yield: 6 servings
Vegetables: 
2 medium zucchini, cut on the diagonal into ½-inch slices
2 medium summer (yellow) squash, cut on the diagonal into ½-inch slices
½ cup Italian dressing (not balsamic)


Dip:2/3 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 scallions
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
Pinch of pepper
1. Preheat grill to medium high. Toss zucchini and squash with the Italian dressing in a medium bowl. Place vegetables on grill and cook for 3 minutes. Turn and cook another 3 minutes, until tender.

2. Prepare the dip: In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients. Cover and chill until serving time. Serve along side of veggies!

3. ENJOY! This is very YUMMY!!

~Gianna~

Flank Steak Marinade

I don't eat (or cook) much red meat, as you may have noticed with my lack of red meat cooking.  It's really for no other reason than I don't like the meaty taste in steaks, burgers, ground beef.   BUT if I find a good recipe that is very flavorful and can camouflage that taste I don't like......it's a keeper!  And this is one of those recipes!    I got it from a friend of mine a few years ago.  This marinade is sweet and savory.....it also really keeps the meat tender.   YUM!

When grilling flank steak...it's best cooked on a high heat for a short amount of time.  And it's best when it's medium rare...if you overcook flank steak it gets tough.  Also it should be sliced on the thinner side, against the grain and on a slight angle.   I learned all of this from my Uncle when I made this recipe for Easter!  :)



Flank Steak Marinade
(this is for about a pound of meat)

1/4 c. oil

3+ Tbs. red wine vinegar (may need more)

1/2 c. soy sauce

1 Tbs. garlic powder

1 Tbs. minced onion

3+ Tbs. peach preserves (can use apricot if can't find peach) - may need more to taste.

Combine all ingredients in large zip lock bag with meat and stick it in the fridge no less than 3 hours, but as long as over night!  The longer it sits, the better it tastes.  I usually keep mine in over night, and during the time it's in the fridge I squish it around in the bag to make sure all the meat gets nice and marinated!

Heat grill to medium-high.  Place steak on grill and cook for about 5 minutes in each side....I wouldn't go less than 4 or more than 7 on each side.

Remove from grill and place on cutting board.  Let it sit for a few minute, slice and serve!

ENJOY!!!

~Gianna~