Herb-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin and Skinny Scalloped Potatoes

Pork Tenderloin and Scalloped Potatoes...

I am a huge fan of Clean Eating Magazine.  I tried this recipe a long time ago and fell in love with it, long before it was even published.  You see, I am proud to say that I am a recipe tester for Clean Eating Magazine and I get a chance to try delicious recipes like this before it comes out in the magazine.  When I made it for the first time, my family loved it!  Only recently when I was cleaning out my magazines and putting favorite recipes into my binder did I come accross it again.  Yay!

This recipe will satisfy your "meat and potatoes" lover, so give it a try!

I used my mandoline to cut the potatoes and carrots evenly.  Cutting them the same size guarantees even cooking.  I love the mandoline for jobs like this.  If you don't have one you can use a knife and cut them as close to the same size as you can.  I will post the recipe at the end this post.

The potatoes, carrots, and chives are layered to the top of the dish and then covered with the sauce.  Then the dish goes into the oven to bake.

Saute oil, garlic, fresh spinach, salt and pepper in a wok or large skillet.  It will look like a lot of spinach, but it will wilt down.   

To cook the pork trim the fat off of the pork, slice it down the middle and flatten it out so that you will be able to roll it up with the filling. Mix marinade in a small bowl. And then place the marinade and spinach onto the pounded tenderloin.

Roll it up and tie it with kitchen twine. Then into the oven! It's really easy.

Skinny Scalloped Potatoes

by Clean Eating Magazine

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tsp whole-wheat flour

1 cup skim milk

1/4 cup low-fat, reduced sodium chicken broth

Pinch of sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced thinkly (1/8-inch slices), divided (I used idaho potatoes)

2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly, divided

1/2 cup chives, chopped, divided

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place flour in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended.  Stir in broth, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Layer 1/3 of potato slices in the bottom of an 11 x 7-inch covered baking dish.  Top with 1/2 of carrot slices and a sprinkle of chives.  Repeat layers, ending with potato slices.  Pour milk mixture over potato mixture and top with remaining chives.

Cover dish with lid and bake for 45 minutes. 

Herb-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

by Clean Eating Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients

14 oz pork tenderloin, trimmed  (I used two loins that were sealed in a pkg from costco)

2 tsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves

1/4 tsp sea salt

Coursley ground black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used 1 1/2)

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2 sprigs rosemary (1tbsp)

(I doubled the marinade ingredients since I had two loins.  I used Herbs de Provence for one instead of the rosemary and a dried rosemary for the other loin.)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Trim any fat from pork.  Using a sharp knife, cut meat in half lenghthwise, cutting to, but not through, to the other side.  Spread the meat flat.  Place tenderloin between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound lightly wiht the flat side of meat mallat.

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add garlic, spinach, salt and pepper.  Stir until spinach is wilted.  Remove and roughly chop.

In a bowl, mix together vinegar, Dijon and rosemary.  Spread mixture evenly over tenderloin.  Spoon spinach evenly along the long, inner edge of the pork.

Roll up tenderloin, starting at the spinach end.  Tie meat with string, first at center, then at 1-inch intervals.

Bake 425 for 25 to 30 minutes, or until meat thermometer registers 160 degrees.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Remove strings, cut pork into 1/4-inch thick slices and serve.