Pork and Beans

No, not those Pork and Beans!

On the weekend, I could literally spend hours on my feet at the stove and be happy. Creating meals with a plethora of ingredients is a joy. But with that said, my weekend cooking is drastically different than weeknight cooking. As much as I would love to create complicated meals every night of the week, that's not realistic. At all. More often than not, by the time I get home from work, I have about an hour (or less) to put together dinner and still get to bed at a decent hour.

I have a feeling that most of you lead a similar life. That's why I'm sharing this simple, yet flavorful, rustic dish with you. You would never know by the taste that's it's such an easy dish to put together. And even better, not only is it super healthy, it's also a whole meal in one pan, so there's very little to clean up!

This is also a perfect dish for a winter dinner party. It makes a great presentation when piled up on a big platter, and your guests will think you've slaved for hours instead of just cracking open a few cans!

Sage Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Beans
(aka "Pork and Beans")
adapted from Sage Roasted Pork Tenderloin on allrecipes.com


2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern Beans, drained
2 (14 oz) cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2 (14.5 oz) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tsp powdered sage, divided
2 (1 lb) whole pork tenderloins
2 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
sea salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil or olive oil spray*

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine beans, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon sage in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cut slits in tenderloins with sharp paring knife and insert slivers of garlic; sprinkle pork with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon sage. Place on top of bean mixture; brush or spray with olive oil*. Roast at 425 until pork is done and juices run clear, 35 to 40 minutes. Spoon bean mixture onto rimmed serving platter; slice pork and arrange on beans. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Serves 6-8.

*As I've mentioned before, I often use an oil mister like this one when cooking, as it's easier to spread the olive oil on more evenly than by brushing on. So for future reference, when I say "spray with olive oil" in a recipe, I'm referring to using the mister.


Sorry I don't have a photo to share with you. We actually even had this dish earlier in the week for dinner, but I decided a couple of weeks ago that I'm not taking any more pictures of my home cooked meals until I get my anniversary gift - a new DSLR! My little point and shoot digital just doesn't do the food justice. Soon, very soon, I will be able to begin sharing gorgeous images from my table!



Photo Credit: Pork and Beans as big as your head! by elisfanclub