Italian Pork Tenderloin Brochettes

This is so simple and so wonderful!  From Canadian Living The Barbecue Collection.

675 g Pork tenderloin, cut into sixteen 3/4 inch thick slices
8 slices pancetta, halved
Half baguette, cut into twelve 3/4 inch slices
8 fresh bay leaves or sage leaves
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Wrap each pork slice in pancetta.  Onto each of 4 skewers, thread in order: bread, pork, bay leaf, pork, bread, pork, bay leaf, pork, bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; drizzle with oil.
• Grill covered, on greased grill over medium high heat, turning once, until just a hint of pink remains inside pork, about 12 minutes.

Makes 4 main course servings.

Per serving:  about 406 cal, 45 g protein, 15 g total fat, 19 g carb, 1 g fibre, 108 mg chop, 512 mg sodium

Mixed Olive and Parmesan Cocktail Biscuits

These are a great accompaniment to any dinner.  They are best served right out of the oven.  From Food and Drink Holiday 2015.

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/3 cup finely chopped pitted olives
1/2 cup milk
Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Place butter in freezer to firm.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a bowl, stir flour with baking powder, dry mustard, salt and sugar.  Using large holes of a box grater, grate in chilled butter.  Lightly toss to coat.  Stir in Parmesan.  Scatter with olives and stir in.  Pour milk into the centre of dough.  Stir with a fork just until evenly moist.
3. Using floured hands, form dough into a ball.  If sticky, lightly dust with flour and work in.  Place on a well floured work surface.  Knead dough 8 times, dusting coiner with flour whenever it becomes sticky.  Pat into a disc 5/8 inch thick and about 6 1/2 inches wide.
4. Using a floured 1 1/2 inch cutter, cut out biscuits and place on baking sheet.  Gather remaining dough, pat again and cut out more biscuits.  Brush tops with olive oil.  Bake in top third of oven until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.  Serve warm or cool on a rack.  Biscuits are best served the day they are baked and can be warmed in a 300F oven for about 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 16 small biscuits

BACON AND CRANBERRY BISCUITS

Cook 7 slices of bacon until crisp.  Chop and measure out 1/3 cup.  Prepare recipe as above but instead add 1/2 tsp smoky paprika and 1/4 tsp chili flakes in place of dry mustard, and stir in chopped bacon and 1 tbsp finely chopped dried cranberries in place of the Parmesan and olives.  Press a dried cranberry into the top of each biscuit if you like.  Brush tops with bacon fat.  Bake as in step 4.

Pork Souvlaki

An easy dinner dish to make.  You could switch the pork for chicken if you prefer.  The Tzatziki in this is really nice.  From Canadian Living/The Barbecue Collection.

2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
675 g pork tenderloin trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
Half red onion, sliced
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
4 greek style pocketless pitas

Tzatziki:
1 cup shredded cucumber
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup Balkan style plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, optional
1 tbsp lemon juice

TZATZIKI
Mix cucumber with slat; let stand for 10 minutes.  Squeeze out moisture.  Stir together cucumber, yogurt, garlic, dill and lemon juice.


Meanwhile, whisk together lemon juice, oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; toss with pork until coated.  Marinate for 10 minutes or covered and refrigerated, up to 6 hours.

Reserving any remaining marinade, thread pork onto skewers; brush with marinade.  Grill covered on greased grill over medium high heat, turning halfway through, until juices run clear when pork is pierced and just a hint of pink remains inside, about 12 minutes.  Remove skewers.  Serve with tomatoes, onion, lettuce and tzatziki on pitas.