Healthy Recipe, Cocoa-Spiced Beef Tenderloin With Pineapple Salsa

Latin American flavors come alive in this festive beef dish with fruity salsa. From Deliciously Healthy Dinners. Perfect with a side of rice and a side salad.

Ingredients

• ½ Tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 beef tenderloin roast (16 oz)

For salsa:

• ½ C canned diced pineapple, in fruit juice, chopped into small pieces

• ¼ C red onion, minced

• 2 tsp fresh cilantro, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or substitute ¼ tsp dried coriander)

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

For seasoning:

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground allspice

• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)

• 2 tsp chili powder

• ¼ tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 ºF.

2. For the salsa, combine all ingredients and toss well. Let sit for 10–15 minutes to marinate while preparing the seasoning and cooking the meat.

3. For the beef tenderloin seasoning, combine all ingredients. Lightly oil the tenderloin and spread an even layer of the dry seasoning over the entire roast.

4. Place the seasoned roast on a roasting or broiling pan and roast 10–15 minutes (to a minimum internal temperature of 145 ºF). Let cool for 5 minutes before carving into 16 slices (1 ounce each).

5. Serve four slices of the tenderloin with ¼ cup salsa on the side.

Nutrition

215 calories, 9g fat, 3g sat fat, 67mg cholesterol, 226mg sodium, 2g fiber, 25g protein, 9g carbohydrates