Recipes: Cuban Pork Roast, Baked Bananas

Cuban Pork Roast

Serves 8.

This must be prepared 24 hours in advance of cooking. From the "Nantucket Open-House Cookbook" by Sarah Leah Chase. Accompany these dishes with rice and black beans.

6 cloves garlic

4 green onions, white bulbs and green stalks, minced

½ c. pine nuts

1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

²/₃ c. extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 c. Nicoise or Greek olives, pitted

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 (4-lb.) boneless pork loin roast

½ c. fresh grapefruit juice

½ c. fresh lime juice,

½ c. hot pepper jelly

For the filling: Place the garlic, green onions, pine nuts, jalapeño pepper and cilantro in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process to form a thick paste. With the machine running, pour the olive oil in a thin, steady stream through the feed tube until all is incorporated. Remove to a small bowl and stir in olives, salt and pepper.

If the pork roast is tied, untie it and roll it out flat. Spread two-thirds of the garlic-cilantro paste over the meat. Reroll the roast and tie it.

Stir the grapefruit, orange and lime juices into the remaining garlic-coriander paste. Make shallow incisions over the surface of the roast with the tip of a sharp knife. Place the roast in a shallow dish or pan and pour mixture over to marinate. Let marinate in refrigerator, turning occasionally, for 24 hours.

Let the roast rest for 10 minutes, then carve into ½-inch-thick slices and serve.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories544

Carbohydrates19 g

Protein38 g

including sat. fat8 g

Cholesterol104 mg

Sodium136 mg

Calcium35 mg

Dietary fiber2 g

Baked Bananas

Serves 8.

These provide a sweet balance to the spiciness of the pork.

4 ripe bananas, peeled, cut in half lengthwise

4 tbsp. (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/3 c. loosely packed brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the bananas in a single layer in an 11-by 9-inch glass baking dish.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the Sherry and lime juice. Heat thoroughly, then pour over the bananas. Dot with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake in the oven until lightly browned and bubbly, 12 to 15 minutes.

Calories140

Carbohydrates23 g

Protein1 g

Fat6 g

including sat. fat4 g

Sodium6 mg

Calcium17 mg

Dietary fiber2 g