So I am Portuguese, West Indian, Irish…..

In honor of my roots, I thought today would be an excellent day to come up with some dishes that will mix together for a interesting feast this weekend…. Anyone want to join? haha.

Ok so let’s start with the main entree which will be from Portugal. Now normally one would think Portuguese…. a lot like Spanish food? No, that’s like saying that Cubans are like Mexicans or Chinese are like Filipinos… there is a big difference. For instance Cubans use olive oil which most people did not know in a lot of their food and Filipino’s have a lot of Hispanic cuisine influences because of the Spanish rule in their colonial period.

So anyway’s Portugal… For the main dish because I somehow have to instert West Indian and Irish flavors I will stick to Pork. The main recipe for this Pork Loin is actually spicy, but we will want to sweeten it up with Caribbean spices and then add a bitter Irish side. Top it off with some kind of Sangria or White Wine and we are good to go!

So how about we call this a kind of Portuguese Jerk Tenderloin? It will have the Portuguese base, and then the added Jerk spices from the West Indies. Delish.

Portuguese Jerk Tenderloin:

Ingredients

1 lb Pork Tenderloin

1 tsp Paprika

1 tbs Butter

1/4 cup red onion sliced

1/3 cup dry white wine (cooking wine, spice it up with a blush for a sweeter taste)

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup of Caribbean jerk marinade (can find in a Wegman’s, Whole foods, Harris Teeter)

2 cups fresh pineapple juice

(and if you want to get creative cut up some pineapple and put it in with the pork 5 mins before it is done–so that they do not get soft– and drape over pork for a colorful presentation)

Directions

In large resealable plastic bag, combine 1/4 cup Caribbean Jerk Marinade, 1 cup pineapple juice and pork tenderloin; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator 3 hours or overnight.

Season tenderloin with salt, pepper and paprika. Saute pork in butter until golden brown. Add sliced onions and mushrooms. Saute for a minute or two. Add wine and rosemary. Cover and cook over low heat for 45 to 60 minutes, or until done. Add lemon juice just before serving.

OK, so yum.

And now for the Irish twist… haha I never thought it possible, but…  for an appetizer, instead of salad, how about the:

Bacon, Blue Cheese and Courgette Soup:

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 to 6 streaky rashers (traditional Irish bacon), diced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium zucchini, sliced, and a few slices reserved for garnish
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups homemade chicken stock, canned low-sodium chicken broth, or 4 chicken bouillon cubes mixed with 4 cups boiling water
4 ounces blue cheese, such as Cashel Blue, crumbled
2/3 cup half-and-half or light cream
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

In large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the bacon and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until nearly crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove a few pieces and reserve for garnish. Stir in the onion, zucchini, and potatoes. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion and zucchini are soft but not browned. Stir in the stock or broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Working in batches, transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. (Or purée in the pot with an immersion blender.) Return the soup to the pot, whisk in the cheese and half-and-half, and season with pepper. Warm over low heat until heated through.
To serve, ladle the soup into shallow bowls and garnish with the reserved bacon, zucchini slices, and the parsley. Serves 4 to 6

Pair this meal with your favorite rice, I recommend brown, with the extra zucchinni and some onions. Then after it is cooked throw it in the saucepan that the pork was in for a bit to gather up the marinade flavor.

SANGRIA: