Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed, drained
2 tablespoons chopped mild green chilies (canned)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon milled pepper
2 cups pitted fresh sweet cherries
8 ounces cooked pork tenderloin, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Prepared salsa (see note)

Directions

Prep time: 25 minutes if pork is already cooked

Saute onion and garlic in oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir often. Add broth, the well-rinsed quinoa, mild green chilies, salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 12 to 18 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff mixture with a fork and gently stir in the pitted cherries, pork and parsley. Serve with salsa, if desired.

Use a half-pound or so of leftover roast pork loin, grilled pork chops or pork tenderloin. To quickly prepare the tenderloin, slice thickly and pound to flatten. Quickly saute the slices in a small amount of oil in a large skillet, about a minute on each side. Avoid overcooking or the lean pork will toughen. Let slices cool, then cut into strips or bite-size pieces and toss into the quinoa pilaf with the sweet cherries and fresh parsley. Serves 6.

Note: Recipe tested with Paul Newman's new peach-tomato salsa. A pineapple salsa would pair well with this dish, too.