Island Dreaming : Caribbean Pork Roast & Pita Pockets

Yesterday morning I went outside to see a shining white orb in the sky.  We are in the middle of an inversion here which means cold temps, bad air, foggy mornings, hazy afternoons, did I say cold temps?  Yes, I know.  I have a warm house to sleep, write & eat in, and a warm car to drive in.  But I still dream of warm water lapping up on the sand and the sun's rays warming my skin.

I cooked this recipe this week to help me feel some island flair and warm up my attitude.  My favorite part of this recipe is using the leftover roast to make pita pockets with a tropical salsa.  I based this recipe off one I found in the Pampered Chef's Main Dishes Cookbook.  I forgot to take a picture of the roast, but check out the glory of the Island Pita Pockets -- made with flat bread...)

Caribbean Pork Roast
Marinade:
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon minced garlic

3 lb boneless rolled pork roast
Roasting Vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, canned pineapple, carrots whatever)

Toss together the pineapple juice and spices in a gallon sized zip lock bag.  Marinate the pork roast for 4 hours to overnight in the refrigerator.

Pre-heat the oven to 350.  Remove roast from the zip bag; discard marinade.  Place roast in a 9x13 pan.  Add veggies to the pan.  Spirnkle with salt and pepper.  Cover with aluminum foil.  Bake for one hour.  Uncover roast and bake another 13-30 minutes or until the interior temperature of the pork is 155.

Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before carving.  Set aside 1/3 of the roast for Pita Pockets.


Island Pita Pockets
1 lb reserved Caribbean Pork Roast
6 pita bread rounds, halved
6 romaine lettuce leaves

Salsa
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 mango, cut into cubes (I subsititue a peach)
1 can  pineapple tidbits, drained
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, snipped
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon each cumin & sugar
1/4 teaspoon each red pepper flakes & cinnamon

Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl.  Cut pork into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss pork with the salsa.
Cut pita rounds in half.  Fill each pocket with lettuce and the meat & salsa mixture.