Sunday Dinner

This past weekend we had Ryan's brother and his wife over for dinner on Sunday. I cooked a seasoned pork tenderloin with a mango and black bean salad, and Shalice took care of a side dish and the dessert. I've really grown to love cooking and am having so much fun trying new recipes. The seasoning for the pork tenderloin, along with the mango and black bean salad, came from my sister-in-law, Jan (she's 2 for 2 on her recipe recommendations, so I told her to keep 'em coming my way!). So, in honor of Jan, and because I don't know the real name of the pork tenderloin recipe, I'm calling it "Jan's Pork Tenderloin."

Jan’s Pork Tenderloin

1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

To prepare the pork, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture over pork. Cover and chill 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400. Heat a cast iron or ovenproof grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan: cook 4 minutes or until just browned on all sides. Transfer pork to oven. Bake at 400 for 23 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160 (slightly pink). Let pork stand 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into ¼ inch-thick slices.


Mango and Black Bean Salad
Serve with Jan’s Pork Tenderloin

1 1/2 cups chopped peeled ripe mango
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup cooked wild or brown rice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons roasted tomatillo or fresh salsa
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can organic no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently to mix.


I don't have the recipe for Shalice's homemade yellow cake with chocolate frosting (which was amazing), so I'll give you this new dessert I tried. It's from Cooking Light's "Recipe Makeover" section (love that they do this - you can find it on their website). This particular recipe cuts out a bunch of calories and saturated fat from a regular brownie by cutting the amount of butter and sugar (note - they cut the sugar from the chocolate - there's still plenty of granulated sugar). Instead of the extra chocolate, they use instant coffee or espresso granules to enhance the chocolate flavor. This was my first time using the instant coffee and I think it definitely did it's job. And there's no coffee flavor in the baked brownies. They're just delish!


Bittersweet Brownies
Cooking Light

1/4 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon instant espresso granules or 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 1/4 cup boiling water and espresso in a medium bowl. Add chocolate chips, stirring until chocolate melts; cool slightly. Stir in butter, vanilla, egg, and egg white. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk. Add coffee mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Calories: 171 (16 servings in one batch)