Recipes

[IamMrsG]

I've written before about my love of Panzanella .  I made a large bowlful for dinner last night, and savored every bite.  Today, I found this recipe for Watermelon Panzanella. 

With some of the the leftover 'fixins' from the original version, I made this one for dinner tonight.  With the changes I made*, preparation and cooking time was nowhere near the 40 minutes stated here.  I'd estimate mine took about half that much time.

Well!  I have a new love.  In spite of the similarities, there is enough difference between the two dishes to enjoy them within a day or two of each other.

Pork Tenderloin with Watermelon Panzanella

Active: 40 minutes    Total:   40 minutes

Typically panzanella is made with tomatoes and dressing-soaked bread cubes.  Here, the salad goes sweet and savory but keeps the same look with ripe watermelon.  Spring for your favorite bread–it has a starring role in this dish.

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 slices crusty whole-wheat bread (10 ounces)

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Zest and Juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

6 cups chopped watermelon

½ cup thinly sliced red onion

½ cup torn fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Season pork with chili powder, pepper and salt.  Grill the pork, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 140º F, 12 to 14 minutes.  Transfer to a clean cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.

Grill bread until charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side.  When cool enough to handle, cut into 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, whisk oil, lime zest, lime juice and jalapeño in a large bowl.  Add watermelon, onion, basil, Feta and the bread and toss to coat.

Slice pork ½-inch thick and serve with the watermelon panzanella.

Serves 4: 3 oz. Pork & 2 cups panzanella each

CAL: 396 / FAT: 16G (SAT 4G) / CHOL: 82MG / CARBS: 35G / TOTAL SUGARS: 17G (Added 0G) /  PROTEIN: 30G / FIBER: 2G / SODIUM: 485MG / POTASSIUM: 819MG

*Mrs. G's notes:  I made a few adaptations:

1.  I used a chicken breast instead of the pork tenderloin, and cooked the chicken indoors, stovetop.  (Still used the chili powder rub, though.)

2.  I had leftover French bread from the original version, so used it.  As is suggested in the Panzanella recipe, I recommend allowing the salad to sit for about 30 minutes to allow the toasted, crusty bread to soak in the great juices.  

[IamMrsG]

Something has been bothering me about posting this recipe -- have I already posted it?  Then I realized how very close this is to a recipe for Watermelon Feta Salad that I posted last month.  Although slight, the difference is that this one is a main dish size salad, whereas the one from July was a first course use.   

Either way, you can't lose, imho.