Showing posts with label pineapple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pineapple. Show all posts

11/29/13

Tropical Pork Steaks Recipe

Tropical Pork Steaks Recipe, when the days get cold nothing will warm you up and bring you to a tropical paradise than these delicious pork steaks, juicy in the inside, perfectly seared and covered in a sweet tropical sauce! Yumm
Hola Amigos! When the weather turns cold I can't but to mentally transport myself to warmer places and one of the best way to do it is through food.

I got a couple of beautiful Pork Steaks at the butcher the other day and in my opinion nothing goes better with pork than the taste of the tropics and it's fruits. Passion fruit, pineapple and oranges are some of the tropical fruits used one way or another to prepare this steaks.
And if you are thinking it's too cold to light the grill. not to worry, these are baked!
Tropical Pork Steaks Recipe, a delicious recipe for a hearty dinner with a tropical flair! a very budget friendly white meat but rich in taste and easy to prepare.

They are extremely moist and tender the way they are, but you know me, I need to have some gravy with my meats! My gravy has all the flavors of the steaks and the sweetness of the fruit.

The kids love the sweet taste of the steaks and just to make it even more kid friendly, this time we just had them with some Mac n Cheese! It was a hit alright!
Tropical Pork Steaks Recipe, in a season that we have to watch our budget, this is a delicious family friendly alternative! A touch of the tropics for a snowy cold day!

Thank You for visiting today, this recipe shows us that when we don't have the money to buy a plane ticket, we can still travel everywhere we want with food! Remember my friends, everything tastes better with a Pinch of Love!

Besitos,
Lizy

Tropical Pork Steaks
Ingredients:
2.5-3 Lbs Pork Steaks
1 Cup Orange Juice
2 Envelopes Sazon  with Coriander and Tomato
2 Chipotle Bullions
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder to taste
2 TBSP oil for frying
1 (8 oz) can Crushed Pineapples drained (save juice)
1 Cup Passion Fruit Juice ( I used Welch) 
1 TBSP cornstarch
Directions:
Prepare the pork steaks to be marinated either in a zip lock bag or a baking dish. Pour the cup of orange juice and sprinkle the Sazon and crushed chipotle bullions, salt, pepper and garlic powder and rub them with these seasonings until they are all covered, there is plenty for both sides. Put in the refrigerator and let them marinate for a couple of hours. 
When ready to cook, Pre-heat the oven at 365 degrees. 
In a large skillet, 2 tbsp oil, heat up. Place pork steaks, one at a time if they are too big, and seared and brown on both sides. Like 3-5 minutes on each side (again it will depend on the size of the steaks). Once browned place on a baking dish.
Pour the cup of passion fruit juice and the saved pineapple juice. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, uncovered and spread the crushed pineapple over the steaks bake for an additional 5 minutes or until pork is completely cooked, (internal temperature of 145 degrees according to the new USDA guidelines). Once time has elapsed, remove from oven and let the steaks rest.

For the gravy, mix drippings with 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in a little bit of orange juice and cook until thickened . Serve on top of pork steaks and enjoy.

7/5/13

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Smoothie Recipe

Hola Amigos, It's been a while since I made a smoothie! Well why not celebrate our Nation's Birthday with one classic dessert favorite by lots of people! Pineapple Upside-Down Cake! but you guys know I'm no baker...so before having a disaster of " I never want to see my oven again" proportions, let's play it safe with a smoothie.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Smoothie

3/4 Cup Fresh Pineapple, frozen
1/2 Cup Vanilla Rice Milk, chilled
1/4 Pineapple Juice, chilled
1 (6oz) container Pineapple Yogurt, Frozen
1/2 tsps Vanilla Butter Extract 
Caramel topping (optional) 
whip cream (optional)

Put the first 5 ingredients on a blender and blend until smooth, if want at this point you could add some sugar or a sweetener of your liking.
Cherry Sauce
1/2 Pd Cherries Pitted and cut in half
1/2  blood orange juice (or orange, I just had the Red oj handy)
2 TBSP Agave Vanilla Sweetener

In a heavy saucepan put the cherries, juice and sweetener and heat up on medium to low heat for 10 minutes until cherries are soft and the sauce starts to caramelized.
Remove from heat and when is cool enough to the touch, put this mix into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. 
To serve

Pour some of your cherry sauce at the bottom of your drinking glass, slowly pour the smoothie mix on the side of glass, Top it off with pineapples, cherries, whip cream and caramel!
Serves 2 (8oz) glasses
Pineapple Upside-Down Smoothie Recipe, the sweet taste of the classic cake without spending hours in the kitchen or baking! Have a straw and your favorite shades and enjoy paradise with this delicious smoothie!

Listo!
I believe you can find all the elements you love about your pineapple upside-down cake here. The vanilla buttery taste of the cake, the cherry (not maraschino you guys know I can't stand the stuff) and a little caramel not from brown sugar, but caramel after all!

Stir and enjoy this combination of flavors!

I think is even low in calories since instead of sugar I used Agave and Rice Milk!

Thank You for sharing this treat with me! I hope you turn it around and create your own special smoothie cake recipe soon!

Remember anything you serve to celebrate among family and friends tastes better with a Pinch of Love!
Have a great weekend!
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Smoothie Recipe, Feel like having a slice of Sweet Pineapple Upside Down Cake but you don't feel like baking? Grab a Straw and enjoy the same delicious sweet flavor with this smoothie! Will take you right to the tropics!

Besitos,
Lizy
As seen at:

6/15/13

Hawaiian Hamburgers Recipe

Hola Amigos..or should I say Aloha! Now that grill master "Big Boy" is officially out of school , he is going to be doing a lot of grilling and BBQ-ing around the house. Today I'm sharing another one of his creations, this time with a little island twist. The key to achieve this Hawaiian influence is in the grilled pineapple and the pineapple sauce to complement it. Here is the recipe!

Hawaiian Hamburgers
1 1/2 Pound Ground Beef ( I like 85/15)
1TBSP Bean Sauce
1TBSP Soy Sauce
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Curry Powder
1/2 Tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 Tsp White Pepper
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
2TBSP chicken broth or water.
6-8 Strips Bacon
6-8 Buns
Mix all the ingredients above and make your hamburger patties.
Note: These measurements are approximate and reflect the taste of my family, you are welcome to use less or more of any and it  would not affect the outcome of your burger it will only taste the way you like it seasoned.
Wrap each hamburger with a strip of bacon.
Grilled them to taste.

Grilled Pineapples
6-8 Pineapple Slices
1 TBSP Honey
1 TBSP Lemon Juice
a Pinch of Tumeric
Put the pineapples in a zip lock bag with the above ingredients and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Oil the surface of your grill and place the pineapples until they get the grill marks, like 2-3 minutes on each side depending on the temp of your grill.

Hawaiian"Aloha" Sauce
3/4 Cup Pineapple Juice or Orange
2 TBSP Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Brown Sugar
1 Clove Garlic peeled and crushed
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
1/2 dried Thyme
1 Tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 TBSP pineapple juice.
Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook 8-10 minutes until reduced. Add the cornstarch dissolved  in the pineapple juice and cook until the sauce thickens. 

Now to assemble your burgers! Yeah, bun, burger, sauce and grilled pineapple, bun and EAT!!!

Listo! 
All the steps above, although seems like a lot of work, is well worth it! This burgers are really, really good! And I'm not just saying this. Little one fought to get a big one just for him and ate it all!

The Sauce goes like "butter" and you can use it on anything, from shrimp to chicken!

If you want to take your friends to an exotic paradise without packing your bags, this is the next best thing!

Thank You for visiting the Blog, wishing all fathers an awesome day tomorrow! Lots of health, love and blessings to all!
Always keep in mind my friends, that everything tastes better with a Pinch of Love!

Besitos
Honi Honi.
Lizy

Sharing my "Aloha Burgers" at these Fabulous Parties:
4 You with Love
Whipperberry
Love and Laundry
No Minimalist Here
Jennifer Rizzo
Rattlebridge Farm
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Chef Picky Kid and Me
Family Home and Life
Handy Man, Crafty Woman
Adorned from Above
Ginger Snap Crafts
Savvy Southern Style
Cozy Little House
Memories by the Mile
Organized SAHM
Love Bake Good Cakes
Our Home away from Home
Nap Time Creations
Sugar Bee Crafts
Pint Sized Baker
Hun..whats for dinner
Love Grows Wild
Kathe with an E
I Gotta Try That
The Tumbleweed Contessa
Rain on a Tin Roof
Serendipity You
Ms. enPlace
The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
twelve0eight
Spatulas on Parade
The Best Blog Recipes
The Tablescaper
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VMG206
The Wondering Brain
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Dear Creatives
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Will Cook for smiles
Frugal Foodie Mama
Claire Justine oxox
Cupcake-n-Bake
Easy Life Meal
Under The Table and Dreaming

4/23/13

Mandarin Orange Tropical Cupcakes

Hola Amigos! Hope you all had a great weekend and got to take advantage of the good weather if you had it in your neck of the woods. I'm thrilled to find that a variety of fruits are on sale at our local supermarkets. Strawberries $1.98 for 2 pounds, blackberries for $.99 a pint, mini mandarin oranges for $1.25 per pound! I'm a happy girl! There is nothing better than fresh fruit and now that I'm finally starting my diet I will have no excuse to get my healthy dose of vitamin C and fiber the healthy way!

Today I'm sharing with you my Mandarin Orange Tropical cupcakes, my little one says they are SpongeBob cupcakes because one of the main ingredients as you will see, they are very tasty, easy to make and fast. Nothing extraordinary just good all fashion cupcakes for busy moms and families on the run!

Mandarin Orange Tropical Cupcakes

1 (18.25 oz) package of Pineapple Upside Down Cake
3 Eggs
1/3 Cup of Oil
1 (11 oz) Can of Mandarin Orange Segments
(save the juice, about 1 Cup)
1/3 Cup of Orange Juice, Mandarin or Pineapple
Make your cake mix according to directions with the addition of the mandarin segments. When it comes to the "Add Water Part" usually the box says 1 1/3 cup, use the juice of the mandarin orange segments (1 cup) and 1/3 of your orange, mandarin or pineapple juice. I had this wonderful Pineapple-Coconut nectar I used! Magic!!!
Fill out about 24 cupcakes and bake for 18-21 minutes until a pick comes out clean.

Frosting
1 (8 oz)  Container frozen Whipped Topping, thawed
1 (20 oz) Can Crushed Pineapple
1 cup of Sweetened Shredded Coconut
1 (3.5 oz) package of Lemon Instant Pudding Mix
In a large bowl, beat together all the ingredients and top your cupcakes.

Listo

You guys know I love chocolate, but this cupcakes are "the bomb"! Very refreshing for Spring and Summer!

A lot of flavor packed in just a tiny bite

These cupcakes will have you singing "Who Lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea...SpongeBob Square Pants" to the top or your lungs....all day long! LOL


I found these tiny mandarin oranges at the store, they are so sweet, and perfect for topping our pretty cupcakes!






Thank you for visiting today friends, hope you like my easy but yummy cupcakes!
Remember everything tastes better with a little imagination and a Pinch of Love!

Besitos,
Lizy

4/5/13

Banana Colada Smoothie

Hola Amigos and Happy Friday to you all! Spring Break is sadly coming to an end. It was awesome to sleep in for a few hours in the morning, but oh well...it's O.K because summer days soon will be here to warm our hearts and lives with sunshine, fun and smiles!

According to the weather man, we are having a mild weekend, which for us is anything above freezing, lol, but joking aside if it's nice you need to enjoy it with a tasty smoothie! Here is my version of Pina Colada, but with the addition of frozen bananas to give it it rich, thick and smooth texture! This is by far my favorite smoothie ever...and I had made a few in my lifetime, maybe because it reminds me of the beaches in my homeland, the smell and taste of summer and puts me in Big Glasses, Big Sombrero and Vacation Mode!
Here is the recipe:
Banana Colada Smoothie

1/2 Cup Pineapple-Coconut Nectar*
1/2 Cup Milk**
1 1/2 Cup Pineapple chunks (frozen)
1 Banana (frozen)
1 TBSP Protein Powder (optional) 
In case you can't find the Pienapple Coconut nectar, here is how you can substitute it for:
* Substitute 1/2 cup Pineapple Nectar
**Substitute for 1/2 Coconut Milk

In your blender add all the liquids first with your protein powder if you are using any. Add the frozen fruit and blend until everything is smooth. If it's too thick, feel free to add a little more nectar if needed to help your blender motor.
Serve and enjoy!

Tell me you are not feeling the sand between your toes as you sip this smoothie?

Not only is delicious, but with the added protein it makes it healthier.

It's refreshing and light and you always have the option of "spike it" up if you want, I will suggest a smaller cup if you do, lol

Well my friends, wishing you a fun weekend in the company of your family and friends. Enjoy this smoothie and remember it will always taste better with a Pinch of Love!

Aloha and Besitos,
Lizy

Bringing the Taste of Island Paradise to these Fabulous Parties:
Under the Table and Dreaming
Classy Clutter
Your Homebased Mom
Suuny Simple Life
Spatulas on Parade
Life on Lakeshore Drive
The Chicken Chick
The Frugal Foodie Mama
Couponing and Cooking
The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
Eyes on the Source
Kathe with an E
Pint Sized Baker
Le Chateau de Fleurs
Serendipity and Spice
Nap-Time Creations
Sugar Bee Crafts
Chef in Training
Clippie Dips
Feeding Big and More
Cozy Little House
The Tumbleweed Contessa
Cookin' for the Seven Dwarfs
Love Bakes Good Cakes
The Style Sisters
Call Me PMc
Twin Dragonfly Designs
Rose Chintz Cottage
Fluster Buster
DebbieDoo's
Sew Crafty Angel
Embracing Change
No Minimalist Here
Will Cook for Smiles
The Shabby Creek Cottage
The Mandatory Mooch
Real Coake Family
Food Done Light
The 36th Avenue
Jennifer Rizzo
Mom on Time Out