Email to Stella      

Healthy Molasses & Black Pepper Pork Tenderloin

Source of Recipe

allfood.com


Recipe Introduction

Menu: Healthy molasses and black pepper pork tenderloin, smashed creamers, spinach salad with beets and pickled ginger vinaigrette, and orange sorbet with fruit melange. Heads Up:
Heads Up - Consider doubling the pork recipe and using the extra tenderloin, cut into strips, in a main-course salad dressed with a honeyed mustard vinaigrette. Or, simpler still, make sandwiches with it.
Makes 4 Servings

Menu Gameplan:
Step 1: roast the molasses and black pepper pork tenderloin
Step 2: while the tenderloin roasts, cook the smashed creamers
Step 3: prepare the fruit melange
Step 4: assemble the spinach salad with beets and pickled ginger vinaigrette
Step 5: serve

Here's How to Make It in 20 Minutes:

Before You Start:

Preheat the oven to 425F to roast the pork tenderloin.

Step 1: roast the molasses and black pepper pork tenderloin

Vegetable cooking spray
1 tablespoon molasses
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 pound pork tenderloin

Cooking Note: Although the brief cooking time needed by the pork tenderloin is a boon to busy cooks, it also is not quite enough to impart a crispy, brown exterior to the meat. The molasses helps a bit. Here is something else you can do: If you can tolerate a bit more fat in the meal, try lightly browning the tenderloin first in a hot pan filmed with canola oil. Reduce the roasting very slightly if you sear the pork before roasting.

1. Coat a small roasting pan or shallow baking dish with vegetable cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine the molasses, pepper, cumin, and salt. Rub the mixture over the pork tenderloin.
3. Place the tenderloin in the prepared pan and roast in the center of the oven until a meat thermometer registers 155F, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the tenderloin to a cutting board.

Step 2: while the tenderloin roasts, cook the smashed creamers

1 pound creamers or small Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

1. If the potatoes are very small, halve them; if larger, quarter them.
2. Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer until tender when tested with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Cover.
4. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Add the hot broth, and using a potato masher, smash them into pieces. (Do not "mash" them.) Beat in the yogurt, salt, and pepper, if desired. Keep warm, covered.


Step 3: prepare the fruit melange

1 can (6 ounces) mandarin oranges
1/2 cup frozen sliced peaches
1/2 cup frozen berries
1 cup orange sorbet

1. Drain the mandarin oranges.
2. Thaw the sliced peaches and berries, if necessary in the microwave according to the directions on the packages.
3. In a bowl, combine the fruits and chill until serving time.


Step 4: assemble the spinach salad with beets and pickled ginger vinaigrette

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon thinly sliced pickled ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup roasted beets, preferably in chunks, drained if from a jar
1 bag (5 ounces) baby or flat-leaf spinach
1/2 cup thin red onion slices

In a serving bowl, combine the canola oil, vinegar, pickled ginger, salt, and beets and toss to combine. Add the spinach and onion slices, toss well, and place the bowl on the table.

Step 5: serve

1. Slice the pork tenderloin and arrange the slices on a serving platter. Place on the table.
2. Spoon a serving of the potatoes on each of 4 dinner plates. Serve at once, with the pork and salad alongside, or the salad on separate salad plates.
3. When ready for dessert, scoop 1/4 cup orange sorbet into 4 small bowls and top each serving with 1/4 cup of the fruit melange.


Ingredients Shopping List:
Pork tenderloin
Creamers or small Yukon gold potatoes
Low-fat plain yogurt
Mandarin oranges
Frozen sliced peaches
Frozen berries
Orange sorbet
Pickled ginger

from the salad bar
Roasted beets (or jarred)
Baby or flat-leaf spinach
Red onion slices


Ingredients From Your Pantry:
Vegetable cooking spray
Molasses
Cracked black pepper
Ground cumin
Coarse salt
Fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper
Canola oil
Rice vinegar

F.Y.I:
"This is a real meat-and-potatoes dinner. Only this one, unlike so many others, is also fairly low cal."
- minutemeals' Chef Marge

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Molasses and Black Pepper Pork Tenderloin Menu
Single serving is 1/4 of the total menu, including dessert
CALORIES 596; PROTEIN 31g; CARBS 71g; TOTAL FAT 12g; SAT FAT 3g; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; SODIUM 970mg; FIBER 13g
20% of calories from fat