 |
| Scallion-Basil Pesto with Pork Tenderloin, Spinach and Polenta |
I can't believe how quickly this year is already going by. My oldest is done with school next month and will be in second grade next year. There are days when I fell overwhelmed and under appreciated staying at home and then I realize how quickly my kids are growing-up and how much I love spending so much time with them as they grow. As my kids are getting older they are also beginning to eat a lot more. Since both of my kids are boys I don't even want to think about how much food they will be consuming as teenagers. Plus they are close enough in age that they will both be eating my entire refrigerator at about the same time. Keeping snacks readily available and doubling recipes has become a must in my household. One meal that is always a favorite in my house is pork. It doesn't matter how I prepare it, my two boys absolutely love it. Last week I tried a new recipe for Pesto Pork with Polenta from the April 2012 issue of the Food Network Magazine.
This recipe has 12 ingredients. It takes 40 minutes of total time, all of which is active and makes 4 servings. I only made a few changes to this recipe. First to prepare the polenta I sliced it into 1/2 inch thick slices, brushed both sides with olive oil and seared the slices on my indoor electric grill until they had nice grill marks. As I've stated many times before you really need to temp pork. The recipe is 100 percent correct about pulling out the pork at 145 degrees. While resting the pork will cook another 5 degrees. Not letting pork rest or cooking it past 145 degrees will result in tough and overcooked meat. I found that I had to add very little salt to the pesto since Worcestershire sauce is high in salt.
I really like that this recipe is a complete meal. The polenta and spinach make great sides to the pork and the polenta ended up being the most popular part of the dish with my two sons. The pesto has a really nice flavor with an umami undertone from the Worcestershire sauce. In addition to the pork the pesto would also work nicely with fish dish due to its citrus taste.
For the recipe go to Pesto Pork with Polenta.
Wow - you guys get out of school early down there, huh? We go until the end of June in these parts - and with all the snow days we had, we are literally going until the end of June.
ReplyDeleteWe start at the beginning of August. They are thinking of making our district year round in another year. Right now though we start very early so we get out earlier than a lot of other areas. They don't like the kids to be in school much later than May since it gets very hot and humid in the middle of June and July and a lot of the older schools don't have great air conditioning :)
DeleteThat looks delish! Love polenta and pesto. Sounds like a great combo.
ReplyDeleteSaw your reply about the schools down there and that is a good idea. We always got out mid-June up here.
Phil
www.blog.theregularguynyc.com
I love polenta and pesto also and they really work great together! We always got out at the end of June in Seattle since the weather never got really hot or humid. In the middle of the summer around here is gets pretty miserable. I am a wimp in the heat :)
ReplyDeleteThat looks really good and you know, I've yet to try polenta. I think it's about time!
ReplyDeletePolenta is a great substitute for pasta, it's yummy!
DeleteI love this recipe. I took out pork for dinner tonight. I will get the rest of the ingredients and try this out. You always have something exciting and new to try. And it always turns out perfect. Hope you are having a great day.
ReplyDeleteI had to come back and tell you that I just try this for dinner. It was incredible. Thank you so much for the awesome recipe.
DeleteI'm glad that the recipe turned out! My family loved it also :) (Thanks for the sweet comments also!)
DeleteLooks delicious!! Stopping by via the Thumping Thursday Hop, I'd like to invite you to visit my blog http://www.scatteredmusings.net
ReplyDeleteFollowing you in all the social media networks we have in common.
Thanks :) Going over to check out your blog now!
DeleteUgh, I don't eat meat but that looks delicious. I might have to try it on fake chicken!
ReplyDeleteIt would work with just the polenta or over pasta :)
DeleteFounHi I found you via the Aloha Blog Hop- Following too. I'm always looking for new recipes so Iwill defiantly be back to try some of yours. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteSusan
Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend too :)
DeleteFollowing from the TGIF Blog Hop. Hope you have a great evening!
ReplyDeleteNicky
http://www.feelingtheemptynest.com
Have a great evening also :)
DeleteWhat is the difference between polenta and grits?
ReplyDeleteGreat question! Polenta is served with Italian foods for the most part and is made from ground yellow corn. Grits take less time to prepare and are finer in texture. They are normally made from white corn or ground hominy. The polenta that I buy is in a tube so all you have to do is slice it. You can buy it dried bulk, which I sometimes do also.
DeleteThanks, I've always wondered if there was a difference.
DeleteThat pesto looks delicious! Actually, the whole meal does. Right up my family's ally!
ReplyDeleteIt really was good, my whole family loved it!
Delete