Winter is the perfect time to try new recipes for roasts. One dish oven roasts are some of my favorite recipes, and I try to experim
ent with variations of spices, herbs and vegetables. Cooking a Sunday roast is a great way to use up leftover vegetables from meals served earlier in the week; wilted celery, rubbery potatoes and floppy carrots are all transformed into delicious sides for an oven roasted pork loin. This recipe for pork loin roast calls for two boneless pork loins, and makes five generous servings. It also provides great leftovers; slice up the roast pork loin slices for sandwiches or add to a rice dish for a delicious and healthy pilaf on Monday or Tuesday. Dijon mustard and marmalade add wonderful flavor without adding extra fat. This is a very pretty dish that is also a good choice for a special company dinner. If you plan to prepare this ahead of time, then pop it in the oven right before serving, sprinkle a little lemon juice over the vegetables so they don’t brown.
Ingredients:
2 large pork tenderloins
3-5 large cooking potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
2 cups of any combination of chopped carrots, sweet potatoes, yams,
zucchini, turnip, parsnip, apples
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup marmalade
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons + 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, separated
2 -3 tablespoons of dried rosemary OR thyme
Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse pork loins and pat them dry. Lightly oil a roaster or large casserole. Place the pork loins in the roaster. Use a small bowl to combine the marmalade, Dijon mustard, freshly ground pepper and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix together well. Spoon over the pork loins, covering as much of the meat as possible. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the chopped vegetables to be roasted with the remaining olive oil. Toss well so each piece is coated. Carefully arrange the vegetables around the pork loins in the roaster or casserole. Sprinkle the dried rosemary over all the vegetables and pork. Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes to an hour, tossing the vegetables if desired at 30 minutes. Serve with whole grain bread and yogurt parfait for a fully balanced meal.