Everybody got to deviate from the norm (cooking with things I've never used before)

So I've eaten plenty of things with curry, but I've never cooked with it. always thought orange juice on my meat was weird. honey as the sauce for pasta? like i said. this is a deviation from the norm. in a really big way. And yet it turned out awesome.

These recipes came from the same magazine as yesterday, Eat to Beat Diabetes ( with a few minor changes to suit my family's tastes) and makes 4 servings.

Curry Marinated Pork Kabobs

1 lb pork tenderloin 

3 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons yellow curry paste

WARNING: this is something you want to do either early the morning of, or the night before.

Cut the pork into pieces (i cut mine into exactly 16 mostly equal size pieces because its divisible by 4 and i'm OCD like that.) and trim off the fat.

Mix the curry and OJ in a large freezer bag. I used a fresh orange which ended up being about 3 and a half tablespoons. drop in the meat, push out most of the air, and seal the bag. once the bag is sealed, i like the mix it by just squishing things around until all the meat looks good and coated.  Put it in the fridge and forget about it until you're ready to cook. (at least 6 hours)

preheat the oven to 425. cauliflower in recipe below goes in at the same temp but takes twice as long. Magazine recommends soaking the 4 skewers in water before threading the meat onto them. It didn't say why, but i did it. Skewers didn't splinter as much as i'm used to so maybe soaking did something. put the skewers on a lightly greased baking sheet (yay Pam Spray!) and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the pork is only slightly pink in the center.

Carrot Fettuccine and Roasted Cauliflower

6 cups bite sized cauliflower florets

1 tablespoon olive oil (I used closer to 2)

4 oz whole grain fettuccine

1 cup jullienned carrots

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 tablespoons coarse ground mustard

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro (i used half that)

1/4 cup chopped, unsalted peanuts (i omitted these entirely, per family request)

I added about 1/4 of a cup chicken broth, and about a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper to the olive oil before tossing the cauliflower in it. help spread the oil out a bit and give it a bit more flavor. also I like pepper. A lot. place the cauliflower on a baking sheet and put it in the oven at 425 for 20 to 30 minutes.

Cook the Fettuccine according to package directions, adding in the carrots during the last two minutes of cooking. (i added mine in sooner than that). save 1/2 cup of the liquid from the pasta when you strain it. add the honey, mustard, and cilantro to it. combine the pasta/carrots with the roasted cauliflower and the green onions, than toss the entire mixture in the honey lemon sauce you just made. plate, and sprinkle with peanuts if desired. I cut the pasta into smaller pieces part way through, having realized while trying to coat it that i ended up with a ball of pasta and everything else separate. 

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So this meal also was a success with my family. Which I am very grateful for. I was informed when i first started cooking for everyone that they liked very plain, simple things. very standard meals with very little fluff. I'd like to think that this changed their minds at least a little. This one is definitely getting cooked again. And i now have a jar of yellow curry paste that i will be experimenting with in the future.