Monday Meals

I was just sitting here, knitting and enjoying the peace of having two kids taking naps when I remembered that I was supposed to post a recipe today! I didn't get to it last week, so this will be my first in a series--Monday Meals.

Now bear in mind, this is NOT what we're eating tonight. This is a meal I cooked in the last week or so that I documented with pictures. Most Mondays we either eat something simple or leftovers. (that's for those of you who only think I cook gourmet)

And now, for your enjoyment, I present.....


Roasted Pork with Blackberry Sauce

1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin
1/4 cup blackberry preserves, melted and cooled
1/4 cup white wine (or apple juice)
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, snipped

Place tenderloin in a ziploc bag. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour marinade over pork; seal bag. Refrigerate for 2-5 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Preheat oven to 425. Drain pork, reserving marinade. Place meat on a greased rack in a shallow roasting pan. (I cover my pan with foil--under the rack--so the drippings don't stick)
Roast for 35-45 minutes until the pork registers 155 degrees in the center.
Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Slice pork and serve with sauce.
Makes 6 servings


Here is the finished meal. I sauteed some broccolini in olive oil, garlic and salt, then drizzled with lemon juice right before serving.

We also had fresh pineapple on the side.
Now some notes on this recipe.
1. It was absolutely delish!!! We had probably a total of 3 meals off of this. Two served like this, and once we used the meat and sauce to make sandwiches. Yum! **The picture does not show all the pork. I only sliced a portion of it and stored the leftovers unsliced**

2. I used a pork loin, not a tenderloin. A loin is bigger around than a tenderloin; therefore it takes much longer to cook. At least an hour, maybe more. You can usually find pork loin cheaper, so that's why I used that. It turned out great, just needed longer to cook.

3. I didn't have white wine or apple juice, though I'm not sure why I didn't! So, I used white wine vinegar, and just a little less balsamic vinegar. This was the first time to make this recipe, so I don't know if it really changed the taste or not.

4. And last, enjoy! Let me know if you try this and like it! And I'm not offended if you don't like it. Maybe your taste buds just aren't sophisticated enough!! MMM, my mouth is watering just thinking about this meal!! Makes me excited about leftovers or whatever is for dinner tonight.