Two Faced Chef

My family dinners growing up were very traditionally Jewish, although the religious portion of our Judaism still remains a mystery.  We didn’t really mix things (i.e. the casserole), spice and flavor came from well, spices, and meals were pretty low sodium and cans of any condensed soup were as mysterious as Enrique Iglesias disappearing mole and were nowhere to be found.  I think I actually would have called shenanigans on my mother if dinner didn’t consist of salad, some lean protein marinated in rosemary and diet Italian dressing or bottled bbq sauce (or coated with Shake ’N Bake on those days when you could tell poor Little Mommies was really tired) and some vegetable–steamed or oven roasted.  Everything was separate; everything had its place.  The low sodium, low-fat creations of my mother led to my good eating habits; however, sometimes I would get incredible hankerings for salt.  I need salt, love salt, would give up my first born to know that salt would never bloat me ever again.  Making this soy sauce and rice vinegary recipe was a wonderful idea, low calorie and lean, but I definitely paid the consequences the next day when people stood up for me on the bus because they thought I was pregnant.  Maybe these effects were amplified because I had popcorn for breakfast and soy sauce laden Bok Choy the night before as well.  I do have to say though that the sodium content was much lower than those of Japanese and Chinese restaurants, yet I would still stay away from this recipe as a first date meal.  Resist away…

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons olive oil (good quality–I rarely use it, so if I am, it best be good)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• Fresh ground black pepper, around 1/4-1/2 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Pinch ground ginger, 1/8 of a teaspoon
• 1 pound skinless, turkey tenderloins, preferably two of an even half pound each
• Olive oil Pam

Mix together all the ingredients but the turkey.  Add the ginger last, and add in tiny dustings to taste because the flavor is quite strong.  Whisk together with a fork and cover the tenderloins with the marinade.  Cover and put in the fridge for an hour to overnight.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a roasting pan with Pam and place the tenderloins in the pan.  Roast for 30 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.  Cover with tin foil and let sit 15 minutes before serving.

4 ounces of meat is 150 calories.  Enjoy!

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