PAPAYA PORK

Hawaiian Organic Pork Loin with Tropical Papaya Sauce

Makes 4 servings: 1 mini-roast each

Using small kitchen appliances is back in fashion as they require less energy than major ones. And you’ll find out they can help create tasty dishes, too. This absolutely yummy organic pork entrée is delightfully easy to prepare . . . using a panini grill. Since the grill cooks two sides at once, cooking time is halved.

• 1 medium papaya, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons grated scrubbed unpeeled gingerroot
• 3 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
• 1 pound organic pork tenderloin, cut into 4 mini-roasts

1. Mash with a potato masher the papaya, soy sauce, oil, and gingerroot in a medium bowl until a salsalike texture. Stir in half of the scallions. Remove half of the papaya mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
2. Add the pork to the papaya mixture (about 3/4 cup mixture) in the medium bowl. Allow to marinate at least 30 minutes. (Cover and marinate in the refrigerator if more than 1 hour.)
3. Remove the pork from the marinade and discard the marinade. Cook the pork in a panini grill on high heat for 4 minutes. (Alternatively, grill the pork or broil it in a toaster oven.) The pork should be very slightly pink in the middle.
4. Top with the reserved papaya mixture and remaining scallion. Serve each pork mini-roast whole or sliced.

Per serving: 230 calories, 10g total fat, 3g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 80mg cholesterol, 520mg sodium, 6g total carbohydrate, 1g dietary fiber, 26g protein

Note: Papaya Pork recipe reprinted with permission from BIG GREEN COOKBOOK by Jackie Newgent, RD (Wiley).

GRILLED GINGER-SOY PORK CHOPS WITH TROPICAL SALSA

(Original recipe before I developed it into my eco-friendlier version, PAPAYA PORK, for Big Green Cookbook, pg 288.)

Makes 6 servings: 1 pork chop each with 1/4 cup salsa

Ginger-Soy Pork Chops

• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated gingerroot
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 6 (1-inch-thick) pork chops

Tropical Salsa

• 3/4 cup finely cubed papaya
• 1/2 cup finely cubed pineapple
• 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced scallion Few drops hot pepper sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, gingerroot, sesame oil, and 1/3 cup water in small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat while stirring. Cool marinade.
2. Place chops in a large resealable plastic bag, pour in cooled marinade, then seal bag. Place in a pan in the refrigerator and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Combine papaya, pineapple, bell pepper, scallion, and hot pepper sauce in medium bowl. Add salt to taste. Chill covered in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight. (Bring salsa to room temperature before serving.)
4. When ready to prepare pork chops, pour marinade into a saucepan and boil 5 minutes to make grilling sauce. Cook chops on prepared grill about 3 - 4 inches above heat source for 8 minutes per side, or until just cooked through, basting with grilling sauce during last 3 - 4 minutes of grilling.
5. Top pork chops with salsa and serve.

• Make produce, not pork, the star. By changing the ratio of fruits and veggies to meat, you’re lessening the environmental impact of the overall dish.
• If you eat pork, enjoy it in a more eco-conscious way—by going organic. That means the animals were given organic feed and were not given antibiotics. By “green-sizing” the portion, you’re shrink-sizing your carbon footprint, too.
• Minimize the number of packaged ingredients, such as bagged brown sugar, when possible. Less packaging means less chemicals were required to make the packaging and less waste winds up in greenhouse gas-emitting landfills.
• Grill by eco-friendlier means. Using a panini grill is one way since both sides of the food cook at once, which reduces the overall energy required to prepare it.
• Replace cooked marinades containing several ingredients with no-cook sauces or salsas with few ingredients. It’ll save energy and prevent waste without having to forgo flavor or moistness.
• Go “earth-style” when using gingerroot—which means to scrub it, but not peel it. Using edible peels prevents food waste and can heighten a recipe’s texture and nutritional benefits, including fiber.