Mardi Gras Pork Roast

So instead of Fat Tuesday, we celebrated (not so) Fat Thursday.  This recipe takes about an hour and a half from start to finish but it is well work the time (Zack approved!).

Ingredients
1 pork sirloin (approximately 2 pounds)- have you been to Costco yet?  Because they sell these babies in a four pack and they are super cheap
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp minced garlic - I really hope you bought that big jar of minced garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp onion - I have the freeze dried kind but feel free to use onion powder if you do not have any fresh minced
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 adobo spice
1/4 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp grape seed oil

Directions

1. Combine all spices in a small bowl.  Stir in the grape seed oil and let mixture sit while oven preheats
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. Line a glass baking pan with aluminum foil (or just grease the pan, if you prefer)
4. Pound the pork so that you break up the surface layer enough to allow the spices to absorb.  Rub spices all over the meat so that it is completely covered
5. Place the meat into the glass dish and set in the oven for about an hour (until your meat thermometer reads 160).  Once cooked, allow meat to rest for 15 minutes
6. Serve over mashed sweet potatoes and a side of steamed vegetables

Cuban Cigars...err I mean.. Pork

Week 1 into the Whole30 and I'm sad to say, I've fallen off track.  Call me crazy but my scale scared the heck out of me. I guess I should have paid attention to the "do not step on the scale" warning because this healthy way of life really is effective... seriously... if you want to lose unhealthy weight, do the Whole30.  I'm back on the wine... and I'm sorry, I'm not sorry about it.

So, tonight I must have been wishing I was by the ocean instead of in the middle of God's Country because I channeled the Cuban (that this little white chick does not have) in me.  I had a leftover pork tenderloin from my Trader Joe's pack (did you know they pack two tenderloins in there?) and went for it.  Just go with it... I'm back on the wine again.

Ingredients
For the pork:
1 pork tenderloin (approximately 1lb)
1 lime
4 garlic cloves (or if you have the giant tub of minced garlic like I do, two heaping spoonfuls of the stuff)
1 and 1/2  tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp grape seed oil (or healthy oil of choice)

For the sweet potatoes:
2 small sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp grape seed oil (or, again, healthy oil of choice)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• For the pork

1. Zest the lime, then peel the fruit and discard the peel.  Halve the fruit and place both the zest and the fruit in a food processor (or most preferred, your Ninja).  
2. Add garlic, oregano, salt and oil to the Ninja and blend well
3. Place the tenderloin in a glass dish and pour the mixture over the meat.  Marinate in the refrigerator while you prep the sweet potatoes

• For the sweet potatoes

1. Cube the sweet potatoes (ensure that the ends are cut off and discarded)
2. Grab a handy Ziploc bag and place the cubed potatoes in the bag. 
3. Add the grape seed oil and sprinkle the cumin into the bag
4. Shake the bag until the oil/spice mixture is well distributed
5. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the sweet potatoes over the baking sheet
6. Place in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes
1. When the timer goes off, turn the sweet potatoes and return to the oven. Adjust the temperature to 400 degrees
2. Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator and cover the glass dish it is in with tin foil
3. Place the dish into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes (or until the temperature of the meat is 140 degrees or higher)
4. Remove tenderloin from the oven and let sit for five minutes
5. I would recommend sauteing a vegetable blend to accompany the dish so if this is your desire, feel free to saute away... and make the chimichurri sauce
6. At the five minute mark, remove the sweet potatoes from the oven.
7. Slice and serve the tenderloin with the potatoes and dipping sauce (and vegetables, if desired)

• Optional Tenderloin Dipping Sauce (Chimichurri)

1. 1 Tbsp dried parsley
2. 2 garlic cloves (or 1 heaping tsp of the minced jarred type)
3. 1 Tbsp grape seed oil, or olive oil\
4. 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
5. 1/2 tsp sea salt
6. 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or less... if you're one of those anti-spice people)

Enjoy!