the review: pork tenderloin and roasted fall vegetables
I really don’t know who comes up with these cooking times. Maybe I need a knife skills class. Is there such a thing as speed knifing? You know, like speed reading. Is knifing even a word?
Pork Tenderloin and Roasted Vegetables
So forever and a day later, I had my veggies cut for my pork tenderloin and roasted fall vegetables. This may have been a slow process because I had so many veggies. I ended up with two whole pans. Clearly I need to start using scales when I am at the grocery store. Note that I only used one of the onions instead of two. I find that Martha Stewart's recipes have far too much onion and not enough salt. I know. She's the queen for reason. I shouldn't mess with the woman's recipe, but I can't help myself.
Veggies finally cut, I prepared the pork loin. Whoa, Martha! “On a cutting board, sprinkle a generous pinch of salt over garlic and drag the blade of a knife at an angle across mixture until a paste forms.” You must be kidding. What angle? What kind of knife? Need a video on this one. Total fail.
My pork took twice as long to cook as the recipe called for but I think this may have been a result of a faulty thermometer. Any recommendations for one that works? I threw away two tonight. Anyway, despite the few ingredients and the failed “paste”, the pork had excellent flavor. Do not skimp on the salt and pepper. Let me repeat. Do not skimp on the salt and pepper. Ditto on the vegetables. Do not skimp on the salt and pepper. Or the thyme.
I did add some carrots to the mix for my picky eaters, although this turned out to be silly because Théa (who is three) had seconds of Brussels sprouts and parsnips. For real. She followed this culinary high point by requesting a twinkie. I blame this entirely on my husband. Who eats twinkies? But I am not complaining. The kid not only ate Brussels sprouts but asked for seconds. If she has a twinkie every 20 years, I guess that is ok.
We did have leftover pork (not much!) to use in Wednesday night’s lo mein. Stay tuned.
The Potatoes
People. Take a look at the Pioneer Woman’s photos. Go ahead. You’ll come back.
Now let’s talk about my potatoes.
Really. Total mess. However, follow her instructions, even if your potatoes look like mine. And be generous with the olive oil on the pan and the salt and pepper. Best instruction ever is “Remember: potatoes need salt. Don’t skimp!” So true. I thought these potatoes were awesome. But I love potatoes. My dining companions were not impressed. That’s fine. More for me. And on the plate, they don’t look half bad, do they?
P.S. Santa, if you are reading this, I really need a double oven. And a bigger kitchen to put it in. No wonder everything took longer than expected.
