Grilled

Lemon Garlic Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin

/ Jodi / 37 Comments

Lemon Garlic Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin.

It’s what’s for dinner!

If you are a pork fan, like I am fast becoming, this marinated tenderloin is a MUST try!

It turns out tender and juicy with a fresh citrusy herb flavor that pairs great with potatoes and fresh vegetables for a delicious, easy weeknight dinner.

Prepare and marinade the meat the night before, then all you have to do is throw it on the grill for 10-15 minutes for dinner.

Leftovers are great sliced thinly for sandwiches or tossed in a stir-fry.  Such a bonus to get a couple completely different meals from one easy recipe.

Hope you will give it a try, and hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Lemon Garlic Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

  • 4 Fresh Ripe Lemons, Juiced and Zest from one
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil
  • 6 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Rosemary
  • 1  Tbsp chopped fresh Thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp ground Black Pepper
  • 2 Pork Tenderloins (approx. 1 lb each)

Directions:

Make marinade by whisking together first 8 ingredients.  Pour into large Ziploc bag.  Add the pork tenderloins and coat.  Marinade overnight in refrigerator or at least 8 hours.

Preheat grill to 400 degrees F.   Place tenderloins on grill.  Discard excess marinade.  Grill 10-15 minutes or until meat reaches 135 degrees F.  Allow to rest 5-10 minutes.  Cut into thin slices to serve.

Enjoy with roasted new potatoes and steamed broccoli or your favorite vegetable.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

*Recipe slightly adapted from Ina Garten’s Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Best Ever Dry Rub Mix for Ribs and Pork

/ Jodi / 29 Comments

dry rub seasoning mix

I recently mixed up a batch of seasonings for a dry rub mix that has rocked our world (well – that might be a teensy bit of an exaggeration… but I really wanted to catch your attention.)  

But seriously – who knew mixing spices could be so exciting…  Pack so much punch…. add such “zip” to what would otherwise be so … ordinary?!

And once you make a batch of this, you will have it for a while…  But you will want to use it often!

I’ve used it so far for slow roasted oven baked ribs where I rubbed it on and baked them for 8 hours on a low heat in the oven.  O. M. G!

I’ve also rubbed it all over a couple of pork tenderloins and marinated all day in the refrigerator, then grilled.  YUM!

Both ways turned out amazing.

I’m looking forward to trying it on more things… Maybe chicken?  Beef?  I’ll bet it would even be a nice seasoning for roasted potatoes.

This mix smells so amazing, that we sometimes just open the jar and breathe it in!

I am sure you can mix and match the ingredients as you see fit or as you have on hand, but I believe the two most key ingredients are the SMOKEY paprika (oh how I wish we had smell-a-blog or scratch and sniff photos on our phones and computers so you could experience this smell if you never have – it is very different from “regular” or Spanish paprika) and cinnamon (the smell and bit of sweet bite that you don’t quite expect takes it over the top!).

dry rub seasoning on ribs

Here is the recipe.  I hope you will give it a try.  If you do, let me know how you liked it.

Best Ever Dry Rub Seasoning Mix for Ribs and Pork

  • 3 Tbsp paprika
  • 2 Tbsp Penzey’s smoked paprika (I think this is one of the KEY ingredients)
  • 3 Tbsp chili powder
  • 3 Tbsp coarse salt
  • 1 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp ground ginger
  • 6 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp freshly micro-planed nutmeg (or ground)
  • 1 Tbsp ground oregano
  • 1 Tbsp ground thyme
  • 1 Tbsp curry powder
  • 2 Tbsp dry mustard powder
  • 2 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 3 Tbsp dried onion flakes
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp cinnamon (another KEY ingredient)

Mix all together and store in airtight jar.

To use, sprinkle and rub liberally over all sides of ribs, pork tenderloin, pork chops, or anything you like.  Let marinade for several hours or overnight.  Bake or grill to your liking.

This really is an amazing seasoning mix to kick up your pork tenderloin and ribs.
It would also make a great gift to give in pint size jars for the holidays for gourmet cooking friends on your holiday gift list.

The guys we had over for dinner this past Saturday evening loved it.  I think you will too!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Grilled Marinated London Broil

/ Jodi / 14 Comments

grilled marinated london broil 1

 Where’s The Beef?

(Will we ever, ever, ever, get that famous jingle out of our heads??!!  Such genius in marketing and advertising!)

Well – look no further – Here’s the Beef!

We indulge in beef for dinner about once a week; and when we do, grilled marinated London broil is one of our faves.

The key to a great London Broil is in the marinade.  And the key to a great marinade is fresh ingredients.

A few must-haves in the pantry AT ALL TIMES for me are fresh garlic (powder, granulated, chopped in water, chopped in oil…  NONE compare to freshly minced garlic), fresh basil (I wish there were words to describe the smell of fresh basil being chopped!  I’m sighing just trying to imagine), and fresh lemons for juicing (no bottled, reconstituted versions can be substituted!).

Grilled Marinated London Broil

Bottled pantry must-haves in my pantry include:  olive oil, balsalmic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Dijon mustard – all of which are included in this recipe.

Grilled Marinated London Broil marinading

Dried spices that are must-haves (to be used only when fresh is not at hand) include oregano and thyme.

Before putting this marinade on the London broil, it is a good idea to cut vertical and diagonal slits in the beef to allow the marinade to soak in deeper.

Grilled Marinated London Broil cuts

This marinade should be able to be whipped up quickly if your pantry has these items on hand at all times.  Marinades not only add flavor, but they tenderize.

I enjoy my “hunk of beef” with a baked potato topped with salsa and a fresh green salad.

And a sprinkling of blue cheese doesn’t hurt either!
grilled marinated london broil plated

This recipe was originally found on Foodnetwork.com, and is courtesy of Gourmet Magazine.

Hope you’ll give it a try.  You won’t be sorry!

Grilled Marinated London Broil

Marinade Ingredients

2/3 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 fresh lemon, juiced
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme

1 (2 to 2 1/2 pound) London broil

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. Put London broil in a large resealable plastic bag or in a glass dish and pour marinade over it. Seal tightly. Marinate in refrigerator turning once or twice, for approximately 8 hours.

Remove meat from the marinade, and discarded the marinade.

Grill the meat, turning only once, 9 to 10 minutes on each side, or until it registers 125 to 130 degrees, on a meat thermometer for medium-rare meat. (Alternatively, meat may be broiled.)

Transfer meat to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Cut meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices, and enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Best Ever Grilled Chicken Fajitas

/ Jodi / 21 Comments

chicken fajita

So I don’t know about you, but I make something with chicken at least once… often twice… and sometimes three times a week (if I can get away with it!).  I love how versatile chicken is, and I challenge myself to find a new recipe to try with chicken every week.

Chicken Fajitas are a family favorite, and I have made them a variety of ways throughout the years.  Yesterday, however, I created this FREAKIN’ FABULOUS version that is my absolute favorite to date!

lime cilantro marinade for chicken fajitas

I started with a fresh lime and cilantro marinade…

lime cilantro marinade for chicken fajitas 1

adding some spicy chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt.

chicken fajita 1

I put half the marinade on the chicken and half on the sliced veggies.

chicken fajita 2

After allowing everything to marinate most of the day, we grilled the chicken and veggies.

Wow!  The smell…  the taste…  So Dang DELISH!

chicken fajita

Add some fresh homemade guacamole, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh greens, and WOWSERS!  Best meal in a wrap!  Add a tossed green salad, and you have an amazing weeknight dinner.

Here’s my recipe.  You HAVE TO try this!  I swear it is the best chicken fajita I’ve EVER had.

Jodi's Best Ever Lime Cilantro Marinated Grilled Chicken Fajitas

  • Servings: Approx. 8 Fajitas
  • Print

Ingredients:

Marinade:
1 large ripe lime, juiced (approx 4 tsp juice)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup olive oil
2 tsp. chili powder
3 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic salt (I use the kind with parsley in, but not necessary)

3 large chicken breasts, sliced into three thin slices each, to make 9 pieces.
1 large vidala onion, sliced
2 cups sliced sweet red, yellow, orange peppers
8 Large Flour Tortilla Wraps (wrapped in foil and placed on grill for a few minutes to warm)

Toppings:
Jodi’s Fresh Homemade Guacamole
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Mixed Fresh Greens (spinach, arugula, romaine)
Sour Cream (optional)

Directions:
Prepare marinade by whisking together all ingredients.
Pour half on chicken in a glass baking dish. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate.
Pour other half on sliced onions and peppers in another glass baking dish.  Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate.
Marinade 4-8 hours.

When ready to prepare, grill chicken and veggies (we used a wire grill basket for the veggies).
When done, slice chicken into strips.
Assemble fajitas by spreading about a tablespoon of guacamole onto the warmed tortilla, top with chicken strips, grilled onion and pepper strips, cheddar cheese, and fresh greens.  Wrap and ENJOY!
Serve with a fresh salad, mexican rice, or refried beans.

You are going to love these!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi