Chipotle Honey Lime Pork Tenderloin

I've been very into pork tenderloin lately. Not only is it delicious, you can marinate it in so many different flavor combinations. I like that it cooks quickly in the oven after a quick sear on the stovetop and has very little fat, which means every ounce you pay for is edible. And speaking of price, my supermarket has club packs with four tenderloins for $2.99 per pound. Awesome.


After I posted the Greek Pork Tenderloin my friend Melissa insisted I try this Chipotle Honey Lime Pork Tenderloin. The chipotle in the title initially turned me off because I haven't been a fan of dishes where that's the dominant flavor, but when I realized it was just in the marinade I decided to go for it.


I marinated the pork overnight, a step I highly recommend. I don't think the flavor really penetrates the meat otherwise. Be careful reducing the sauce because it can go from saucy to sticky in a matter of seconds thanks to the honey in the marinade. I ended up dipping my pieces of pork in the sauce because I couldn't drizzle it. The flavor was intoxicating and SP deemed this his new favorite way to eat pork and one of the best meals I've made in a long time. Stay tuned for the recipe for the amazingly delicious corn and mushroom side dish I served with it.

Chipotle Honey Lime Pork Tenderloin
Alosha's Kitchen

1 pound pork tenderloin
1/2 cup lime juice
Zest from 1 lime
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
1/2 tablespoon adobo sauce
Canola oil
Chopped cilantro

Place tenderloin in a large plastic food storage bag or other container to marinate. In a bowl, combine lime juice, zest, honey, salt, and garlic powder. Stir to combine, then pour half over tenderloin, reserving half for sauce. Add chipotle and adobo sauce to tenderloin. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

About 30 minutes before you are ready to cook, remove pork from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a heavy, oven-proof skillet, heat enough oil to coat over medium high. Remove tenderloin from marinade and sear in hot skillet on all sides, 3 minutes per side. Place the skillet in the oven and roast tenderloin for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through the cooking time.

Check temperature with an instant read thermometer. Remove pork from the oven at approximately 140 to 145 degrees, then cover pork in skillet with foil. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes or until temperature rises to 150 degrees. Remove pork to a cutting board and slice into 1-inch medallions.

Pour reserved lime juice mixture and leftover marinade into skillet with meat juices and heat on medium-high. Allow sauce to reduce and thicken slightly, then pour over sliced pork. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.

Corn Chowder with Cilantro, Avocado and Lime

I might have to stop saying I dislike soup.

After loving the Chicken Gnocchi (Pasta) Soup so much, as well as a few others since then, I don't shy away from soup recipes when I see them on my favorite blogs. This recipe for Corn Chowder with Avocado and Lime caught my eye when Katie posted it back in January, but once it showed up on one of her weekly menus recently I finally put it on my own menu. And am I glad I did!


SP was initially skeptical, particularly when he came home and found sliced avocado, minced cilantro and lime wedges on the cutting board. "I thought we were having corn and potato soup," he said. "We are," I replied, rummaging through the pantry for hot sauce. He swirled his soup around the bowl for awhile, waiting for me to photograph my bowl and get Baby Girl settled before he finally took a bite. "Hey, this is good," he said. I admit, I was skeptical as well. Lime with corn and potato soup? But it really, really works. The brightness of the cilantro is the perfect touch and you can never go wrong with buttery slices of avocado, at least not in my world.

I ended up going back to the original recipe for Corn Chowder with Cilantro, Lime and Avocado that Katie had modified to see what she had changed. We both love cilantro so I added it back in, thankful that I had some on hand for other recipes later in the week. I left out the masa because I didn't have any and wasn't going to buy it for a mere tablespoon. I also went back to the 6 cups of chicken broth because the soup was getting thick between the potatoes and the corn. And to save on calories I opted for half and half instead of heavy cream, but increased it back to 1 cup. Despite my spice aversion I did shake a few splashes of hot sauce into my bowl, mostly for color.


I served the soup with toasted ciabatta slathered with garlic and herb butter. It was perfect for dipping into the soup. Can't have soup with a dipper, right? Baby Girl had her own bowl of soup and loved it. She even managed to get most of it in her mouth instead of on the table and her shirt. I know the weather is getting warmer but this is too good to hold off making until fall. Treat yourself to a bowl of this soup using some fresh, sweet summer corn and you won't be sorry!

Corn Chowder with Cilantro, Avocado and Lime
Modified from both The Scattered Cook and So Tasty, So Yummy

1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon dry masa (optional)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons water
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size chunks
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup half and half
1 pound frozen corn or the kernels from 5 ears of fresh corn
Minced cilantro, lime wedges, avocado slices and hot sauce for garnish

In a Dutch oven, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the masa (if using), flour and water. Add the flour mixture, potatoes, chicken broth, cumin, salt and pepper to the pot. Bring heat to medium high, bringing the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the corn and bring back to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes more. Stir in the half and half and simmer for 2 minutes more.

Serve topped with minced cilantro, avocado, hot sauce and a squeeze of lime.

Recipe Swap - Chicken in a Tomato-Basil Broth over Couscous

Want to see what other Blogger's Choice recipes were made during the swap? Here is the link to the Blogger's Choice Recipe Swap Roundup


It's recipe swap time again and this installment is one of everyone's favorites - Blogger's Choice (formerly known as SRC-style). This is where swappers are assigned an entire blog instead of a specific recipe and are tasked with picking any recipe from their assigned blog to make and write about.

My assignment turned out to be my good friend Mary Ellen's blog, Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations. As I've mentioned before, Mary Ellen and I met through our food blogs and found out that we lived about 20 minutes from each other. We've gotten together several times and our daughters are 9 months apart in age. As soon as I realized I'd be cooking from Mary Ellen's blog I knew which recipe I was going to make - Chicken in a Tomato-Basil Broth over Couscous. I'd had my eye on it ever since Mary Ellen posted it a few months ago for an earlier Blogger's Choice swap. The ingredients are reminiscent of caprese, one of my favorite flavor combinations, and the dish includes pearl couscous, my latest obsession.


I doubled the recipe so we would have leftovers and I had to use regular balsamic instead of white because the white balsamic in my pantry expired more than two years ago (!!), but otherwise I stayed true to the recipe. And was it fantastic. Holy yum! I knew it would be great because of the ingredients but the tangy kick from the balsamic was the perfect counterpoint to the creamy mozzarella and tomatoes.

This is a great summer meal I'll definitely be making again, if I can find pearl couscous. SP went to 4 stores before settling for boxes of flavored couscous (where the spice packet was separate, thankfully). I had purchased a huge container of couscous from our local wholesale club, but they didn't have it in stock. I went online to Rice Selects and even their online store is sold out at the moment. I wonder what's going on.

Chicken in a Tomato-Basil Broth over Couscous
Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

1 box of pearled couscous
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
Salt, pepper, dry Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (regular would work fine)
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
Handful of fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, diced

Cook cous cous according to package directions.

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a dish and keep warm.

Add a touch of olive oil to your pan if it is dry. Add garlic and onions; saute 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, saute 2 minutes.
Add balsamic vinegar and stir into ingredients for about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and half of your basil. Bring to a steady simmer. Return chicken to the pan and let simmer 5 minutes.

Serve over cous cous, top with the tomato broth, basil, and and the fresh mozzarella

FoodBuzz: Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight

You all know I'm not a baker, but sometimes I like to make something sweet, especially when it's our turn to bring food for fellowship at church. FoodBuzz was having a promotion sponsored by COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, so I signed up knowing the due date corresponded with our next turn for fellowship. I'd had my eye on this Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight for awhile now, so this was the perfect chance to make it.


I baked the cookie crust and assembled the rest of the dessert Saturday morning so it would be ready for Sunday morning. I did sneak a taste Saturday night so I could take photos and make sure it tasted OK before bringing it to church. It was delicious. The crunchy cookie on the bottom and the creamy pudding was a great texture contrast, but my favorite layer was the cream cheese, sugar and COOL WHIP. We didn't eat COOL WHIP growing up, so this was my first experience baking with it.

This was a big hit at church and the leftovers went with SP to work, where I hear it was devoured within minutes. This would be a great dessert for a potluck event. Thanks to FoodBuzz and KRAFT for this opportunity.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Delight
Taste of Home

1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 carton (12 ounces) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
3 cups cold milk
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
Chopped nuts and chocolate curls, optional

Let cookie dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. You will need to press into a thin layer to make the dough stretch to all four corners. Bake at 350° for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in 1-3/4 cups COOL WHIP Whipped Topping. Spread over crust.

In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate curls, if desired.

Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight until firm. Yield: 15 servings.


As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received coupons for free COOL WHIP Whipped Topping and a stipend. Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content. What you add makes it. #coolwhipmoms

Greek Chicken Burgers with Tzatziki

A friend of mine recently recommended this Weight Watchers recipe for Greek Chicken Burgers with Tzatziki. I've renamed it because I left out the jalapeno (which makes it spicy) and used chicken instead of turkey.


I also subbed parsley for the cilantro because I've found that when I buy cilantro most of it goes to waste because I can't use it in other recipes the way I can with parsley. Use whichever herb you prefer. I ground my own chicken (directions below) since I usually have frozen chicken in the freezer and it takes almost no effort to make my own ground chicken at home. I also swapped the tzatziki recipe for the one I use for the Chicken Gyros.


Since the burgers are rather wet and sticky once they're formed, I wrapped each individually in wax paper and froze them for a few hours so they'd be easier to handle. You don't want them frozen solid, so make sure to only freeze them for 3 hours max and take them out at least an hour before you're going to cook them so they have a chance to thaw slightly.

I served the burgers in pocketless pita with sliced cucumber, tomato and red onion. Delicious!

Greek Chicken Burgers with Tzatziki
Modified from Weight Watchers

1 pound ground turkey breast or ground chicken*
1 zucchini, coarsely shredded on the large holes of a box grater
2 tablespoons onion, finely grated
2 tablespoons cilantro or parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cucumber
12 ounces plain Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Squirt of fresh lemon juice
Pita, for serving
Sliced tomato, for serving
Sliced cucumber, for serving
Sliced red onion, for serving

Combine the turkey, zucchini, onion, cilantro/parsley, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl until well mixed. Shape into 4 patties. Wrap each patty individually in waxed paper and put in the freezer for up to 3 hours. Allow to thaw slightly before cooking.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet (or cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook until golden and cooked through, about 12 minutes, turning the burgers halfway through and adding the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan after turning them.

To make the tzatziki sauce, peel and seed the cucumber. Shred the cucumber and then squeeze in a towel to get rid of as much excess moisture as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Salt to taste. Refrigerate overnight, if possible, or at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.

Serve the chicken burgers in pita with sliced tomato, cucumber and red onion, with a dollop of tzatziki.

* To make your own ground chicken, chop partially frozen chicken breasts into small pieces and put in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until coarsely chopped.