Caribbean Pork and Sweet Potato Pockets

In case you’re wondering where Judy and I have been since our last posting and why it’s been so long, let me bring you up to date. 

In August, when we last posted to the blog, we were enjoying the first few months of our retirement. At that time we were at Lake Tahoe, in northern California.  Our odyssey which had begun with our retirement  in April of this year had taken us from our home in Danville to Palm Desert for a brief time and then to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where we spent a about a month checking out our new home, which is actually the house in which Judy grew up.  Judy’s Mom was in the process of moving to her new house, about a mile away, and she had wanted us to move into the “family home”. 

In June we left Tulsa and traveled to Lake Tahoe for the summer.  There is so much to do at the Lake including hiking biking, boating, kayaking, and our new favorite hobby, art glass fusion, that we barely had the time we needed to devote to Cooking D’Lites. 

Following a fantastic summer we went back to Tulsa in early October and continued with some renovations to the house.  Just prior to Thanksgiving we headed west to the San Francisco Bay Area to spend the holiday with my family.  We’ve now been back in Palm Desert for a couple of days getting settled in for the winter. 

With all of the commotion behind us we now find we will have the time to get back on track, researching and developing new and exciting recipes for you to try and to enjoy.

Our first offering and today’s featured recipe evokes a sense of adventure.  We’ll travel to the Caribbean for this sweet and tangy dish.  So kick off your shoes, put on your flip-flops, pour yourself a nice Rum concoction and come along for the ride.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Caribbean Pork and Sweet Potato Pockets

Ingredients

In the "Pocket"

1 medium to  large Sweet Potato, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium Apple, cored and thinly sliced

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

½ cup Apple Juice

1 tsp Ginger Root, fresh, peeled and grated

¼ tsp Salt

¼ tsp Allspice

1/8 tsp Cinnamon

¾ pounds Pork Tenderloin, trimmed of all visible fat and cut into 12 half-inch inch slices

2 medium Scallions, sliced

 1 medium Scallion, chopped, for garnish

¼ tsp dried Red Pepper flakes

Instructions

Plated and ready to enjoy

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Tear off four 12 inch pieces of Foil or Parchment paper. Fold in half and cut into the shape of a heart with the fold down the middle.  Open each “heart” flat and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the Sweet Potato, Apple and Brown Sugar; spoon onto the center on one side of each “heart”.

In the same bowl combine Apple Juice, Ginger, Salt, Allspice and Cinnamon.  Using the heel of your hand, press the Pork sliced to a ¼ inch thickness; add the Pork to the juice mixture and toss to coat.

Place the Pork slices over the Sweet Potato and Apple mixture. Sprinkle with sliced Scallions.

Fold the Foil or Parchment.  Starting at the top of each “heart” make a series of overlapping folds to seal the “Pockets”.

Place the sealed Pockets on a baking sheet in the oven and cook until the Pork is no longer pink, roughly 20 minutes for Parchment, adding another 15 minutes for Foil.

Slice open the Pockets when done being careful of the escaping steam.

Serve after garnishing with chopped Scallions.

We served the dish over Brown rice, but you may choose to add a vegetable such as green beans.

This is so delicious that your dinner guests will think you spent all day in the kitchen.

Yields 4 servings, including ½ cup Rice per serving.  PointsPlus value per serving, including Rice is 8.  Prep time is about 25 minutes. Cooking time is about 20 - 40 minutes. Level of difficulty is Moderate.

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photos  by  Barry Baruh

Asian Steak and Noodles… Italian Style

Here’s a recipe which we made into sort of an Italian/ Asian fusion dish.  We utilized wonderful Fettuccini pasta, cooked perfectly to an "al dente" finish, and paired that with the Asian flavors of Soy and Hoisin sauces, Ginger Root and Sesame Oil.  We then brought it all together with a delicious Filet Mignon Steak, and fresh, crisp Bell Peppers.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Ingredients

Asian Steak and Noodles...Italian Style

2 ½ Tbsp Soy sauce, low sodium

1 Tbsp Dry Sherry

2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce

1 tsp Dark Sesame Oil

1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded, thinly sliced

1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded, thinly sliced

2 Scallions, thinly sliced

1 pound Filet Mignon, trimmed

8 oz Fettuccini, uncooked

1 ½ tsp Ginger Root, minced

3 cloves Garlic, fresh, minced

¼ tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes, or to taste

Instructions

In a plastic zip lock bag, mix 1 Tablespoon of the Soy sauce, the Sherry, Ginger and Garlic.  Add the Steak and marinate for at least 20 minutes, up to several hours.

Approximately 20 minutes prior to serving the meal boil water in a medium large pot.  When the water comes to a boil add the Fettuccini noodles to the pot and cook for about 8 – 10 minutes for an “al dente” finish.

About 10 minutes prior to service place the Filet on a medium high grill, cooking for about 4 –5 minutes per side for Rare, longer if you like.

In a small bowl prepare a sauce using the 1 ½ Tablespoons of remaining Soy sauce, the Hoisin sauce, Sesame Oil and Crushed Red Pepper.

When the noodles are finished, drain and place in a large bowl.  Add the Sauce and toss.  Then add the sliced Bell Peppers and Scallion to the noodle mixture.

When the Filets are done, thinly slice them across the grain and toss the slices in with the Noodles and Veggies. 

Yields 4 servings.  PointsPlus value per serving is 11.  Prep time is about 20 minutes. Cooking time is about 10 minutes.  Level of difficulty is Moderate.

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh

A Sunday Double Header…Time again to break out the Barby

Grilled Asian Burgers with Onions and Pineapple

Spicy Sweet Potato “Fries”

Last October 10^th we prepared a delicious dinner for our good friends Steve and Doctor KT Waxman, which we posted here at Cooking D’Lites.  Steve and KT and their beautiful daughters Ashley and Samantha, “Sam”, along with the girl’s boyfriends Brian and Ryan, have been visiting Judy and me here at our summer home for a few days of rest and relaxation.  And of course, good eating has been at the center of everything.

If you recall, Steve and KT are big “Foodies” who love to cook with a gourmet’s flair.  Whenever we get together for a home cooked meal there is no doubt, the meal will be a memorable one.

After dining out at some of Lake Tahoe’s most renowned eateries for the past few evenings, we decided that for a change we would stay in tonight and have a Bar-B-Que.  Everyone pitched in, a requirement here for our summer guests, and in a joint effort we created a most wonderful meal.

The Burgers were loaded with tons of flavor and had a dazzling depth of flavor. The Sweet Potato “Fries” were an incredible surprise.  I may have even heard the phrase, “To die for”, with regard to those fantastic fries.

To complete the plating we added another of our recent favorites, the Gazpacho Salad, which we just recently posted.  All in all, it was a magical and successful albeit extremely casual evening of Bar-B-Que with the best of friends. 

Here are two quick and easy recipes, just perfect for a warm summers evening.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Asian Burgers

Ingredients

Grilled Asian Burgers with Sweep Potato "Fries"

1 pound uncooked Ground Beef, Lean (8% fat)

¼ cup Scallions, sliced

3 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce

1 Tbsp Ginger root, freshly grated

4 tsp Garlic, freshly minced

4 slices Pineapple, fresh if possible

½ medium Vidalia Sweet Onion, sliced

4 sprays Cooking Spray

¼ cup Cilantro, freshly chopped

Instructions

Preheat grill to medium high

In a medium sized bowl, combine Beef, Scallions, Teriyaki sauce, Ginger and Garlic until thoroughly mixed; form into 4 patties.

Off heat, lightly coat Burgers, Pineapple slices and Onion with Cooking Spray.

Grill Pineapple, turning once, until lightly charred, about 4 minutes; remove from grill and cover to keep warm.

Grill Burgers and Onions, turning once, until Burgers are your desired degree of doneness And Onions are lightly charred and tender, about 7 – 8 minutes.

To serve, plate 1 Burger, 1 slice of Pineapple and 1 slice of Onion. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp of Cilantro.

Yields 1 Burger per serving. PointsPlus value per serving is 5. Prep time is 18 minutes. Cooking time is about 9 minutes. Level of difficulty is Easy.

Spicy Sweet Potato “Fries”

Ingredients

2 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch wedges

1 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning

2 tsp Olive Oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick Cooking Spray

Combine the Potatoes, Chili Powder and Cajun seasoning and Oil in a large bowl.

Spread the Potatoes in an even layer on the baking sheet.

Bake until tender and golden, about 30 – 40 minutes. Yields a generous ½ cup per serving.  For a slightly crispier Potato, bake on 450°F.

Yields 4 servings.  PointsPlus value per serving is 4. Prep time is 5 minutes. Cooking time is about 40 minutes. Level of difficulty is Easy.

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh