Ellie's Real Good Food

and come back wishing you hadn't gone quite so off the rail?

Well, it doesn't have to be like that.

I'll show you how to transform your holiday into an opportunity to bring home new flavors to inspire your healthy life.

Today's dishes are all ideas I brought back from my Spring Break in the Islands.

Jerk Pork Loin with Mango-Cucumber Salsa Caribbean Chickpea Curry Wraps And for dessert, Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Whipped Cream So let's bring the good times home together, right now, on Ellie's Real Good Food.

(lively spanish guitar music) - [Voiceover] Funding for this series has been provided by: - [Voiceover] Luvo.

Full servings of fruits and veggies, nutritious whole grains, and lean proteins, seasoned with bold herbs and spices.

Chef-created meals, ready-made for you, in your grocer's freezer.

Luvo.

The next generation of frozen food.

- [Voiceover] We said goodbye to the day, at the city, and drifted off into the twilight.

And when we woke, we found that whole world had reinvented itself.

- [Voiceover] The wonders of Europe awaits you.

Princess Cruises.

Come back new.

(gentle guitar music) - [Voiceover] Grapes from California.

Grown by families, for families.

- [Voiceover] And by: The Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts.

Additional funding provided by the generous support of our KickStarter donors.

A complete list is available at ElliesRealGoodFood.com - Hi, I'm Ellie Krieger, and welcome to Ellie's Real Good Food.

So today, I'm in my test kitchen where I develop my recipes, and of course, try out exciting, new flavors, all the ones I come across in my travels.

Now, I see my vacations as a chance to not only recharge my battery, but my flavor palate, as well.

I love exploring the Tropics.

And since there are crossroads of so many different cultures, they have a convergence of flavors from around the world.

And this Mango Salsa is really case in point.

Many people are really confused about mangoes, and they're one of the most delightful fruits.

They just bring to mind, to me, palm trees, and beautiful blue seas.

I just cut the bottom off of this one because when you cut a mango, you wanna create a flat surface so that you can stand it on its end, and so it makes it easier to cut.

And then because a mango's pit is flat, and thin, it's not round like an avocado pit, you wanna just go in with your knife and find the edge of the pit.

And when you feel it, you just slice right down there, and you get a nice, little, kind of filet, like that.

And look how beautiful and orange that is.

That orange color is actually Beta Carotene, that's a form of Vitamin A, that's an antioxidant; it's really powerful.

And so then what I do, right here, is I go in and just-- you can dice it right in the skin, like this.

So, I wanna dice it for this salsa.

This is a really fun way to do it.

You don't have to worry about peeling it and getting juice all over the place.

When you're choosing mangoes, a lot of times you find them not perfectly ripe, but just like a peach, if you leave them at room temperature in a paper bag, they will soften in a couple of days.

Okay, so I diced that right in there, and then this is kind of fun, my daughter loves this, I call it "The Hedgehog."

Right, you just open it up like that, and for her, I give it to her as a snack and she just eats it right off of the peel like this.

But for this, I'm going to just dice it a little further.

You can see how easy it is, just go against the peel.

And mango, of course, has that really beautiful sweetness and you can use it when you want sweet flavor without any added sugar.

So I just need need about a cup for this salsa.

Okay, that looks good.

Now, simple as this, you just pile it into a bowl.

And the nice thing about this, is you can make it a few days ahead so it will last in the refrigerator for You can have it on hand, then you just grill up some chicken, grill up some fish.

So I'm gonna put some cucumber in there, too.

So we get that sweetness from the mango, the cool flavor from the cucumber, and that's gonna be great to cool off the heat from the jerk pork.

A few tablespoons of onion, red onion, give it a little kick.

Sometimes, if I'm not serving this with a spicy thing like the jerk pork, I'll just add a little bit of jalapeño pepper, so it has a little kick to it.

A little lime... About 1 1/2 tablespoons is a nice juicy one, so I think I'll just need this one.

I just love the colors in this salsa, too.

And then another cooling flavor, some fresh cilantro.

And I'm just gonna cut this really coarsely, just a couple of tablespoons.

I like to leave the leaves a little bit whole.

I think it looks pretty like that.

And it is as simple as that.

And then a little bit of salt and pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of each, freshly ground pepper, always.

So you have all those cool flavors; you got the sweetness from the mango, the cool palate-cleansing of the cucumber, the cilantro, it's all in there.

And it's really simple.

It's gonna be so good with that pork.

Give it a taste.

(crunching) Good.

Jerk Pork Loin.

I just love this recipe.

Starting with a pork loin, here, which is a really lean cut of pork, and it makes for a beautiful roast.

But the real key to this is, of course, the jerk seasoning, which is a quintessential Jamaican dish.

And I'm just gonna really start with putting everything in a food processor, so this is what I love about this seasoning, which is really a marinade.

Jerk can be like a rub or a marinade.

In this case, I'm doing a marinade.

Everything goes in the food processor.

And so, there's really very little chopping to do.

So I'm just starting with an onion, got some garlic, toss that in.

But the first time I had jerk pork, I will never forget.

I was in Jamaica, and I asked the cab driver what his favorite places to eat were.

And he took me to this roadside jerk stand, which was amazing.

It was really one of those transformative travel experiences.

So, always ask the locals, and you will really be inspired.

So that's what, eight cloves of garlic, so that's a nice dose of garlic there.

And then two teaspoons of thyme, dried thyme.

You can use fresh also, if you want.

In that case, you use a couple tablespoons of fresh.

And then this is really one of the quintessential ingredients; these are all-spice berries.

Now, a lot of people think all-spice is but it's not; it's actually these berries that look like peppercorns, kind of, like this when they're whole.

And a lot of times, in marinades, you can even put them whole, and the flavor will come into the marinade there, that way.

But I'm gonna just do a teaspoon of ground all-spice.

Then a little bit of nutmeg, that warm combination of flavors.

And here's a little bit of clove, just a 1/2 teaspoon of clove.

And then you get the spice.

Now, I'm just gonna use a medium-size jalapeño, and I'm not even gonna cut up the whole thing.

I'm gonna put seeds and all in there, 'cause I do want some heat.

So just right in there, like that.

Three tablespoons of canola oil.

And some white vinegar.

And last, just a little bit of pepper.

Now, I'm not putting salt in this marinade 'cause it marinates for quite a while and I don't want the salt to draw out the juices from the meat.

(pops close) (whirring) (pops open) I love that I don't have to do any chopping for this.

Really makes it easy.

So you have all those incredible, potent Very aromatic.

And it's really a unique combination of flavors.

So what I'm gonna do is marinate this in the plastic bag.

So it's a beautiful two-pound loin.

This is good for eight people.

So this is perfect for a nice party.

Just pour this marinade right into the bag.

And you can do this with chicken.

And I really like the pork loin 'cause it's lean.

It's really easy to cook.

So you got the lean protein, of course, but you also have all the wonderful health benefits of these flavors.

So onion and garlic, and all these spices, they have anti-inflammatory effects.

So it's a perfect combination when you're converging taste and health.

So just smush that around a little.

Then just add a bay leaf, and marinate it for at least a couple of hours and up to two days.

So it's almost like, the more the better.

Alright, so I'm gonna put this in the fridge and I actually have one that's already been marinating quite a while.

So this one, it's been marinating and it's ready to be roasted.

Just pull that out, pluck the bay leaf off, pour some of those solids right back on there.

Nice.

And then I like to season it, at this point, with a little salt.

And then it just gets roasted, 400 degrees, for about 45 minutes to an hour.

(sliding) Oh, that looks juicy and delicious.

You got all those great spices on the outside.

So I cooked it to 1: 45, until it's like, blush in the center.

So here, I'm just gonna slice this nice and thin.

And you got all that wonderful, juicy, lean meat with all those great spices that have now sunk in beautifully because it's been marinated so long.

And then, of course, you have that heat on the outside of the pork.

And now, the nice, cool, sweet salsa: mango and cucumber, cilantro and lime.

And when you cut meat thinly like this, you can have a really sensible portion of meat, four or five ounces of meat, but it looks like so much more, and we eat with our eyes, so...

It makes a big difference in how satisfied we feel.

I just cannot wait to dig into this.

(crunching) So much flavor.

It definitely brings me right back to Jamaica.

Caribbean Chickpea Curry Wraps Oh my goodness, this dish is so delicious.

And it starts with me putting on gloves because it involves a pretty hot pepper.

Typically, you'd use a scotch bonnet pepper, as in most Caribbean dishes, but here I have a habañero.

They're a little bit easier to find.

I'm just gonna cut that and seed it.

Dice it really thin, really finely.

And I wear gloves because, really, you only have to make the mistake once of not wearing gloves and then touching your eyes after cutting one of these.

Lesson from me, because it is not pleasant.

So I'm just gonna dice this... pretty finely.

And habañeros are really hot, too.

But if you wanted to make this less spicy, then you could use a jalapeño.

So there's options.

I just love this because it is such a wonderful balance between spicy, and savory, and sweet.

So I think this is a perfect amount of heat.

That's finely chopped.

So I first tasted a Caribbean wrap in Anguilla, you can go to these roti shacks.

Roti is an Indian bread that the Caribbean culture's sort of adopted, this, and the smell just entices you.

So I just bought this butternut squash already pre-cut in the store.

It just really makes it easy.

And why not make your life a little bit easier?

I find that it needs to be cut a little bit further.

So you get these big, diced pieces when you buy it in the store like that.

So I want about one inch pieces, 3/4 to one inch pieces.

And this is gonna simmer in a skillet, in a deep skillet, with chickpeas and lots of incredible, aromatic spices, that just knock your socks off.

It's one of those things you can make ahead, also.

I think the flavors actually get even better after a day or so.

Alright, so the squash is done.

And I have my chickpeas here.

I'm just gonna use canned chickpeas.

Again, another really easy, healthy convenience food.

I'm just gonna drain and rinse those.

(dripping) (splashing) The chickpeas are drained and rinsed.

I have all my ingredients, all ready to go.

I got the squash, there, pepper, hot pepper, got my pan heating up.

Just start with a tablespoon of oil, canola oil, here.

I usually like to use canola when I want a real neutral flavor, 'cause there's so much flavor coming from all the spices.

And I'll just get the onion in there.

(scraping) (tapping) And the pepper; and let that just start to soften.

Now, these are a little soft.

I'm gonna put the garlic in.

I usually like to give the onions a little head start 'cause you don't wanna burn the garlic.

The garlic, that just needs 30 seconds.

(scraping) (tapping) And then all the amazing spices that make it become this incredibly flavorful and healthy curry.

So, here they go.

Turmeric, two tablespoons... of turmeric.

And the color of this... Just imparts the most glorious golden orange color to the whole dish.

And also lots of health benefits.

Turmeric has something called curcumin in it, and that has anti-inflammatory properties.

But even better, it all tastes so good together.

And some coriander, ground coriander.

All-spice... That terrific island spice.

Some mustard powder.

And these are really all very classic, kind of, curry ingredients.

Cumin... Fennel seed... And I have a little bit of cayenne pepper standing by in case I need it.

I'll taste later to see how much heat is in my habañero that I put in there.

So I'm just gonna toast the spices a bit.

Just stir them through.

Let them-- Let their, sort of, oils release.

Now, that is a flavor starter, if I ever saw one.

And to go in there, the chickpeas, (sizzling) and the butternut squash.

So you got that good vegetable protein in there.

Just gonna stir that around, let it get coated a bit.

(sizzling) And then, just a little bit of chicken broth.

So this is, basically gonna just, sort of stew in here with the chicken broth.

If you wanted to make this totally vegetarian, you could use vegetable broth here, too.

(sizzling) And then just some salt and pepper.

And I'll cover and let that simmer until everything's tender.

(soft grinding) Mmm, smells good already.

(sizzling) (tapping) (clacks close) Caribbean Chickpea Curry on deck.

Smells great; it looks great.

I'm just going to slice up some scallion, here.

'Cause I love to serve that as a garnish.

(knife tapping) Just a little green on top.

You could also garnish it with cilantro, that would be nice.

There's two ways that you can serve this.

One, is kind of as a stew, where you put the curry right in a little bowl.

Look at all those great colors.

Mmm... Garnish that.

Then, along side with some wrap bread.

And then you just kind of dip and eat the curry with the bread.

It's fabulous like that.

Or, you can make it into a wrap sandwich, and eat like they do in the Caribbean Islands.

Just put a nice.. big wrap bread out there and just pile the stew on top.

Then roll and go.

Definitely need a napkin for this one, though.

Ooh la la.

So good.

Mmm... That is island inspiration, right there.

And dessert is inspired by one of my absolute favorite Spring Break destinations, Hawaii.

It's Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Whipped Cream.

I'm gonna start off by making the coconut whipped cream.

So I just took a can of coconut milk, full fat coconut milk.

It's been sitting in the refrigerator for overnight.

What you want is for the fatty part of the coconut milk, so the cream of the coconut, to rise to the top.

You wanna be careful not to shake it.

You'll see that nice cream has settled on the top.

So you wanna just scoop that cream off the top before you hit the water part.

Get a spatula... Get as much as possible, really focusing on this incredible, decadent cream without getting the water.

So then I just whip it up, just like whipped cream.

Just put a little bit of sugar in there, just a little confectioner's sugar 'cause it blends in really easily.

And then, whip it up.

(whirring) You, basically, just whip it until you get some volume.

Okay, that's about it.

I'll put this in the refrigerator.

And it'll keep there until I'm done grilling my pineapple.

What's more Hawaiian than pineapple?

And it's really wonderful to put on the grill because it brings out, kind of, the beautiful sugars in the pineapple, the natural sugars in there.

It kind of caramelizes them, makes them taste even sweeter.

So you just top and tail it, basically.

I'm gonna do down the sides.

Oh, it smells so good.

And just try to get as much of those little eyes out as you can.

(slicing) Not hard to do, at all.

I know it looks intimidating, sometimes, when you first look at it.

Now I'll cut it into about 1/2 inch thick rounds.

Should wind up with, roughly, eight of them.

(slicing) So I'm just using a melon baller now to take this sort of, tough core out of the center.

You could leave it on there, but... kinda nicer to not give people anything to eat around.

Doesn't take much effort.

Now I'm just gonna brush each piece with some oil, so it doesn't stick to the grill.

And sprinkle with all-spice.

And just that little bit of spice makes all the difference.

It really brings out the, sort of, multi-layered flavors in the pineapple.

Alright.

All I have to do is grill this up, and plate it, and dig in.

(sizzling) Mmm, look at this.

Isn't it beautiful?

Such a simple thing to do, very few ingredients here.

Look what happens when it meets the grill.

And I smell the beautiful spice from the all-spice.

Serve some up here with a little dollop of the coconut cream and, really, you don't need a lot.

Just a little bit... on top there and it kind of, already, kind of melts a little bit.

A little sprig of mints.

Always nice.

(lively guitar music) And dig in.

(lively guitar music) So good.

It just tastes like Hawaii.

It is just a simple way to bring those sweet vacation memories home and hit the sweet spot where delicious and healthy meet.

(laughing) - [Voiceover] Oh, Carmen Miranda.

♪ Mi, mi, mi quiero.

♪ Mi, mi, mi quiero.

♪ La la la la la la la la la ♪ - Ooh, yes... My idol.

(blows) (laughing) ♪ Luck, be a lady tonight ♪ And offer accessible solutions in and out of the kitchen with-- blah blah blah blah blah-- Stop!

(laughing) - [Voiceover] For these recipes and much more, go to ElliesRealGoodFood.com Also, connect with Ellie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

(lively music) Funding for this series has been provided by: - [Voiceover] We said goodbye to the day, at the city and drifted off into the twilight.

And when we woke, we found that the whole world had reinvented itself.

- [Voiceover] The wonders of Europe awaits you.

Princess Cruises.

Come back new.

- [Voiceover] Luvo.

Full servings of fruits and veggies, nutritious whole grains, and lean proteins, seasoned with bold herbs and spices.

Chef-created meals, ready-made for you, in your grocer's freezer.

Luvo.

The next generation of frozen food.

(gentle guitar music) - [Voiceover] Grapes from California.

Grown by families, for families.

- [Voiceover] And by the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts.

Additional funding provided by the generous support of our KickStarter donors.

A complete list is available at ElliesRealGoodFood.com Ellie's Kitchen is provided by Clarke, New England's Sub-zero and Wolf showroom and test kitchen.

(ticks) (flame blazing) (flute trilling) (twinkles)