Paleo Pancetta & Fennel Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin was recently on sale at our local Sprouts, and for some reason I almost never buy this cut.  Maybe because I feel like pork is a sturdy meat... it's not a crown roast of lamb, a delicate quail, foie gras... it's slabs of bacon, gobs of pork belly, a chop for crying out loud.   This recipe is extra special, because it's meat in meat.  It really is amazing that you can get the delicate flavor from the tenderloin meat with the saltiness of the pancetta inside. 

Fennel is a unique flavor - think anise, but cooking it mellow it out.  So even if you think you have an aversion to all things black licorice give it a whirl. Keep reading for the recipe...

Paleo Grilled Fennel, Asparagus & Tomato Salad

 Summer seems to be slowly creeping in, and with more hours of sunlight and a slightly warmer ocean breeze I find myself craving crunchy, fresh stuff and manning the grill.  Fennel has a delicate anise flavor, and is tasty raw, but throwing it on the grill brings out some of the natural sweet flavors.  I also like to hit this with a little lemon juice right before serving to give it a brighter finish, and it's delicious warm or cold.

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced

Handful cherry tomatoes

2 tbs olive oil

Juice & zest from 1/2 lemon

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preheat grill on medium.  Toss all ingredients together and put in a mesh chef's/grill basket*.  Grill for 10-12 minutes, giving it a good toss every now and then so the bottom doesn't burn, until asparagus have softened (this salad is best with a slight crunch, so don't cook for too long. 

*I have the one from Williams Sonoma that has a genius removable handle.  This makes your life way easier as you don't have to flip every single asparagus spear (because who wants to stand there the whole time?!?!) and you won't lose any through the grates to the fiery depths of your grill.  

Beet and Fennel Soup

"I loooooove amuse-bouche!" These are the first words I heard from my sister as I pulled out all my little porcelain spoons prepping for a party.  Amuse-bouche, which is simply just a quick one-bite palate teaser, (usually chef's selection and not officially 'ordered' off a menu), is a nice and sophisticated way to serve up your latest creation.  Because seriously, when you're trying to impress dinner guests, offering them an amuse-bouche is way classier than a mouth amuser! It's amazing what some cheap spoons can do for your plating abilities. 

You can really do anything, but I wanted to do a cold soup, so I decided to a beet and fennel soup with a tiny dollop of greek yogurt (the recipe is paleo without the yogurt garnish).  It's a fantastic color, a combo of earthy and anise flavors, and good for your belly too. 

Saute beets, fennel bulb, onion and fenugreek seeds with some chicken stock until soft.  Pulse in a food processor -adding chicken stock as needed - until you get the desired consistency.  It's delicious warm or cold.