If you know me well, you know I love the Food Network. It's probably considered by some to be a strange, boring obsession, but for me it's the most exciting, interesting channel on TV! Most 'normal' human beings find joy in watching shows like The Office, Desperate Housewives or The Bachelorette... but me? I'd rather watch Rachael, Bobby or Paula any day (Yes, we're on a first name basis ;)!
Being that I love the Food Network, I always dream of creating extravagant, creative, over-the-top meals for the hubs and me indulge in. Unfortunately though, I'm just an amateur chef, learning through experience & a sometimes very smokey kitchen.
As the title reveals, tonight we had Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin & Creamy Spinach. If I'm being honest, I was a little intimidated by this meal. The pork tenderloin has been sitting in the fridge for a week haunting me, and I finally mustered up the courage to give it a shot -- and it was pretty successful if I do say so myself.
To start, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees.
Then, I minced up three cloves of fresh garlic, combined with chopped dried rosemary, fresh black pepper and EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil... a term tokened by my girl, Rachael Ray.) I mixed all these ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
In the meantime, I heated up a skillet on the stove so I would be able to sear the outsides of the meat before putting it in the oven. The point of searing the meat is that it almost acts as a seal, and keeps all the yummy juices inside while it's roasting in the oven.
Once the skillet was ready to go, I coated the pork in the garlic/rosemary/EVOO mixture. Then, I attempted to sear* the meat. This was almost a huge failure. As soon as I put the meat in the skillet, it started to smoke uncontrollably. The bottom of the pan was almost melted to the stove coils and I couldn't get it off to try to get the smoke under control. I ran out of the kitchen & my husband had to come to the rescue. While he was prying the skillet off the stove, the fire alarm went off. Perfect. Once we got the smoke somewhat under control and the alarm off, I was able to start cooking again on a new, much cooler, skillet. I finished searing all sides of the meat and it was ready for the oven! *Make sure to use tongs when searing!!
To roast the meat, I placed it in a foil-lined 9x13 baking dish, fat side down, for 30 minutes. Then, I flipped it over and let it cook another 25 minutes. Once it came out of the oven, I let it rest for a good 10 minutes before serving. This just ensures that all the juices have set and that it will be delicious and juicy to eat!
While the pork was in the oven, I prepared the Creamy Spinach. This is a SUPER easy recipe and just involved Laughing Cow Cheese in the original flavor, Philly Cooking Creme in Savory Garlic and a package of frozen spinach. I thawed the frozen spinach in a skillet on the stove, and left it on low till the cream was ready to go. To make the cream, I just melted four triangles of Laughing Cow with a couple tablespoons of the Cooking Creme and I threw in a clove of fresh chopped garlic for fun. Once it was all melted and combined, I poured it into the spinach skillet and voila -- Creamy Spinach! Season it salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flake if you so desire.
Pictures to come!
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