Pork loin is a great low-fat alternative to pork chops and a perfect choice for a family dinner. This recipe uses marmalade and Dijon mustard to add flavor without fat, and the potatoes, sweet potatoes and peppers provide a healthy portion of your daily vegetable intake. Prepare the dish ahead of time when you have a busy day ahead of you – it is also a good choice to take along to a potluck luncheon. This pork dish is very easy to double or triple for larger crowds, and if you happen to have leftovers the roast pork loin is delicious sliced thin on a baguette or over a mixed green salad. Serve this recipe with whole grain bread and a crisp green bean salad, and be sure to have a dish of applesauce on the side.
Ingredients:
1 2 pound pork loin
1/4 cup marmalade
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp and 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
dried rosemary
6 large white or yellow potatoes
3 large sweet potatoes
Red, green or yellow peppers
freshly squeezed lemon juice
In a small mixing bowl, combine marmalade, Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp olive oil. Place pork loin in a greased 9 x 13 oven-safe dish (I use my pyrex lasagna pan). Rub the marmalade-mustard mix over the pork loin; spoon any extra over the top. Peel and cube potatoes and sweet potatoes into bite sized cubes, and put into a large mixing bowl. Wash and cut your peppers into large pieces to roughly match the size of the potato cubes. Toss the vegetables together with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Use a large spoon to arrange the vegetables in the glass dish around the pork loin. Sprinkle the potato pepper mix with lemon juice – this gives it a light flavor and helps stop the potatoes from turning black prior to cooking. Shake dried rosemary over the whole dish, including the meat and vegetables. At this point the dish can be covered and refrigerated for several hours prior to cooking if needed. Bake pork tenderloin in the oven uncovered, at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour. As the meat cooks, the excess marmalade-mustard mixture infuses the potatoes and sweet potatoes with a delicious flavor. This recipe serves a family of four, and can easily be doubled or tripled as necessary. Be sure to use boneless pork tenderloin.