Since I’m notoriously cheap and hate to waste things, I’ve been looking for creative new ways to use the produce that I get every couple weeks with our CSA share. In addition to being cheap, I’m very much a creature of habit so I like that it also forces me to try new things that I wouldn’t usually consider. I could probably eat chicken and broccoli every night for weeks just because it’s easy to put together and doesn’t require a lot of thought. I’m not saying I’d be thrilled with it but when you’re tired during the week, you don’t always want to put thought into cooking.
With my internet connection crashing and burning the other day, I had some free time to read through some old magazines and I pulled together a few ideas to try out. I love kabobs for some reason – meat on skewers makes me happy. Like little sword fights on your plate. I decided try pork kabobs this time since pork tenderloin is lower in fat and also cheaper than your usual cut of beef. It was a bonus that Walmart had pork tenderloin on sale. The recipe only needed one pound but I got a 3 pound tenderloin and froze two chunks for later.
If you don’t have skewers or don’t want to make kabobs, you can also just grill the chunks on a cookie sheet. Easy peasy still and hardly any effort at all. You just lose some of the mini sword fight fun. I also decided to throw turnips into the mix. If you recall, I have a fondness for turnips. Seriously if you haven’t tried them and you love hash browns, you must give these a go. I swear they are the potatoes long lost yummy cousin. I serve them just like french fries, hash browns, or grilled taters. Toss with ketchup and vinegar and you’ll never miss potatoes. I wonder how many of you could fool your kids. 😉
Jamaican Pork Kabobs
- 1 lb turnips, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into kabob sized chunks
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into chunks
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread turnip chunks on a cookie sheet and lightly spray with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until starting to crisp and turn a golden color. While the turnips are cooking, mix the dried spices in a flat bowl. Toss the pork with the vinegar and then dredge in the spices to evenly coat.
Thread metal skewers with alternating pieces of pork and onion. Place the kabobs on a foil lined baking sheet. If you aren’t doing kabobs, just spread the pork and onion pieces in a single layer on the foil lined sheet. About 10 minutes before the turnips are done, put the kabobs in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes until the pork is cooked through and the onions are browning.
Remove from oven and cool slightly. Makes 4 servings at approximately 247 calories per serving. I served ours with a side of steamed swiss chard since I had that on hand too. Yes, I know most normal people don’t just have swiss chard lying around. I sure wouldn’t without them being picked out and given to me. Feel free to use whatever veggie you like instead – broccoli, green beans, or even a green salad would be delish with kabobs.
Have you ever tried turnips? Are you a kabob or a no kabob type person?
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