Pork Tenderloin with Fennel and Peas in tomato sauce

Peas in tomato sauce with dill or with fennel is another common, vegetarian Greek dish. It’s mostly a summer dish, since the peas are available fresh in their pods. I remember when I was young, my mother showed me how to peel the pods remove the peas and then peel the skin off the pods so that they will cook along with the peas. It was a dish, even though I disliked vegetables, one that I loved. The fresh tomato sauce and the fresh dill made it even tastier. The fresh bread, that we used to pick up from the bakery, along with a slice of feta and a fresh tomato salad completed the summer meal.  

On other occasions, my mother cooked the peas with beef tenderloin. It was more of a Sunday meal, one she used to serve over hot rice.  

Here is my version of peas in tomato sauce with pork tenderloin instead of beef. I also experimented with fennel instead of dill. I’ve tried it both ways and both ways is equally tasteful. If you don’t like the taste of fennel you can omit it altogether and add fresh dill to the dish. The dill (or fennel) is what actually gives the dish that savory flavor.


Makes 14 servings (approximately 8 oz each serving)

2.5 lbs pork tenderloin cut into 2” chunk pieces
½ cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp chopped garlic
15 oz can tomato sauce (1 can)
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (1 can)
2 cans water
1.5 cups sliced fennel (1 large fennel bulb)
2 12 oz bags of frozen peas
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped fennel leaves
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Wash and pat dry the pork tenderloin. Cut into 2” chunk pieces. Set aside. Peel, wash and chop the onion. Set aside. Peel and chop the garlic. Set aside. In a dutch oven, over high heat add the olive oil, the onions and garlic. Saute till transparent. Add the pork pieces. Saute a little longer. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce along with 2 cans of water. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 1 hour. Don’t add salt, since salt will toughen the meat and will need to cook longer.

When the meat is almost done, during the last 5 minutes add the sliced fennel, the fennel leaves, the peas, the parsley and salt and pepper. Cover and let it simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve over rice or orzo. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese or romano cheese if desired.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 
1 serving (219.6 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 237
Calories from Fat 93
Total Fat 10.3g
Saturated Fat 2.0g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 59mg
Sodium 392mg
Total Carbohydrates 12.0g
Dietary Fiber 4.2g
Sugars 4.9g
Protein 24.7g


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Pasta with chicken sausage and butternut squash

This is a dish that I made recently with butternut squash.  I picked up the roasted red pepper and spinach chicken sausages from Costco.  But you can use any type of sausage for this dish.  You can also substitute the whole grain pasta with regular pasta.  It's a preference.  You can cut the recipe in half if you don't want to use the full ingredients.  We love pasta and we love it as leftovers too.  This dish also packs well for lunch.  Enjoy!

Makes 8 servings (approx. 8 oz each serving)

4 cups butternut squash diced into 2” cubes
1.5 cups diced red pepper
1 cup diced red onion
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 lbs roasted red pepper and spinach chicken sausage (5 links) Casual Gourmet brand
1 box (13.25 oz) whole grain Barilla rotini pasta
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup chicken broth
¼ tsp paprika
¼  tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper

Clean, peel and seed the butternut squash. (I used about ½ of the butternut squash. It all depends on how big the butternut squash is; and this one was quite large). Dice it into 2” cubes. Put it in a microwavable bowl and cook on high heat for 8-10 minutes till soft. In the meantime, wash and dice the red pepper. Set aside. 
Peel, wash and dice the red onion. Set aside. Peel and chop the garlic. Set aside. Break the chicken sausage into coarse pieces with your hands. Set aside.
In a saucepan add the ¼ cup olive oil and sauté the onion, garlic, red pepper and the sausage. Add the ¼ cup of the chicken broth. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. In the meantime bring a pot of water to boil and cook the rotini pasta according to package directions.

When the squash is cooked add it to the sausage, red pepper mixture. Add the rest of the chicken broth, the salt, pepper and paprika, and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn the heat off. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, add it to the saucepan and toss together. Serve with shredded Romano pecorino cheese. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts 
Serving Size 
1 serving (227.7 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 374
Calories from Fat 113
Total Fat 12.5g
Saturated Fat 2.3g
Cholesterol 34mg
Sodium 543mg
Total Carbohydrates 47.0g
Dietary Fiber 7.9g
Sugars 5.3g
Protein 20.7g


 
 
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Greek Pumpkin Pie - Kolokythopita

Here is a slight variation of the traditional pumpkin pie with a Greek twist. Instead of using pie dough I made it with phyllo dough. Just in time for Thanksgiving.  Enjoy!

Makes 32 pieces – approximately 2.5 oz each

Filling1 can (29 oz) pure puréed pumpkin (about 4 cups)
1.5 cups sugar
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 tbsp semolina
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp nutmeg

Crust
¾ cup melted butter
8 oz of phyllo dough (about 30 sheets)
1 tsp sugar
Water

Beat together the pureed pumpkin, sugar, semolina, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, evaporated milk, till smooth. Set aside.
Melt the butter and keep it warm.
Butter a 13x9 baking dish. Open up the phyllo dough package, and use just the one out of the two separate packages inside. Cover the phyllo dough sheets with a towel. Layer the phytllo dough one by one, by buttering each layer. Like the Spinach Cheese pie (Spanakotyropita) . Use half the package of phyllo dough, about 12 sheets. Pour the filling and fold the edges of the phyllo dough inwards. Layer with the remaining phyllo dough, by buttering each layer. When done, wet your hand and sprinkle the top with water, then with the sugar. Bake at 350° oven for 1 hour or until golden brown.  

When done, remove from the oven and let it cool. When cooled cut it into triangles and sprinkle with some cinnamon and icing sugar. Serve.

Note: the semolina will slightly thicken the pumpkin mixture without it being too runny
Note: by sprinkling the top phyllo sheet with water, will bake it into a crisper crust.

Nutrition Facts  Serving Size 
1 serving (67.0 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 135
Calories from Fat 58
Total Fat 6.5g
Saturated Fat 3.7g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 32mg
Sodium 89mg
Total Carbohydrates 17.9g
Dietary Fiber 1.0g
Sugars 12.2g
Protein 2.3g
Right out of the oven
 
 Enjoy!
 
 
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Fall Roasted Vegetables

With the abundance of fall vegetables I decided to try something different this time. I never really knew what to do with acorn squash, other than cut it half, seed it and microwave it for 10 minutes (as you noticed in my Fall Squash Vegetable Soup post). I never came across a sweet potato squash, other than sweet potatoes. Or parsnips. I never liked parsnips when I was young. As with butternut squash or spaghetti squash, I never knew it existed. Not till I began experimenting, for quite some time now, with all the fall vegetables that are abundant this time of the year in the Northern part of the US. I usually roast sweet potatoes in the oven, so I thought that this time I will roast the fall vegetables. And for a change, I will throw in the mix the parsnips too. I had my real testers taste this recipe and came through with flying colors. My family is very picky when it comes to food. They will be more than happy to tell me if they don’t like something. And this is really what I’m looking for. I don’t want any compliments just truthful statements if they would make it themselves and if they will eat it if I make it again. And I have made this dish more than twice so far. So rest assured, it is tasty. Enjoy!

Makes 8 servings of approximately 7 oz each

4 cups butternut squash
4 cups sweet potato squash
3 cups parsnips
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 425° F. Peel, seed and wash the squashes. Set aside. Peel and wash the parsnips. Chop the squashes and the parsnips into 1-2” pieces and place them in a bowl. Pour over the olive oil and toss to coat well. Add the parsley, chopped garlic, coarse salt, ground pepper, paprika and chili powder. Toss till all the vegetables are well coated with the seasoning. Spread them out in a cookie sheet and place them in the oven on the 2nd rack from the top, and roast for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
1 serving (186.0 g)
Amount Per Serving 
Calories 146
Calories from Fat 59
Total Fat 6.6g
Saturated Fat 0.9g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 249mg
Total Carbohydrates 22.5g
Dietary Fiber 4.8g
Sugars 6.0g
Protein 2.1g

 
The vegetables right out of the oven
 
 
Serve with roasted pork tenderloin or a turkey dinner just in time for Thanksgiving.  Enjoy!!!
 
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Phyllo Dough Spinach Roll

It is quite common in Greece to make just Spinach pie or just Cheese pie. And they are very delicious.  This recipe is a nice alternative to the Cheese-Spinach pie for people who don't want to have any dairy.  Enjoy!

12 servings (approximately 1.5-2 oz each serving).

The following ingredients will make 3 phyllo spinach rolls.

12 oz bag of frozen spinach (thawed and strained well to remove any excess water)
12 sheets of phyllo dough
¾ cup chopped green onion
3 tbs olive oil
1 tsp parsley (either fresh or dried)
1 tsp dill (either fresh or dried)
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tbs olive oil for brushing between the phyllo dough sheets


Defrost the spinach and squeeze any excess water with your hands. Set aside.

In a saucepan heat the 3 tbs of olive oil. Saute the green onions and add the spinach. Heat through. Remove from heat. Add the parsley, dill, ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix well together. Set aside.

In the meantime, line a cookie sheet with wax paper that’s brushed with olive oil. Set aside. 

Separate 12 sheets of phyllo dough (you can re-freeze the leftover phyllo dough as long as you wrap it in saran wrap first, then in aluminum foil).

Take 1 sheet of phyllo at a time and brush it from the 4 tbs of olive oil that you have set aside for that purpose. Take another sheet of phyllo dough and place it on top of the other and brush with olive oil. Repeat with the 3rd and 4th sheets of phyllo dough, while brushing with olive oil in between sheets.
 



Take 1/3 of the mixture and place it alongside the prepared sheets of phyllo dough. 




Fold the sides to hold in the filling. 



Then start from the end towards you, and roll away from you. 


Once you complete the roll, brush with olive oil and place it in a cookie pan lined with wax paper, that’s also brushed with olive oil. 

Repeat the above steps for the other two rolls. 



Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven 30 minutes till golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool before cutting. 



Right out of the oven.
 Cut and serve.
Enjoy!



 
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving (50.9 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 97
Calories from Fat 67
Total Fat 7.4g
Saturated Fat 1.1g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 69mg
Total Carbohydrates 6.5g
Dietary Fiber 1.0g
Sugars 0.3g
Protein 1.6g