Tasty Tuesdays: Honey-Glazed Pork with Wilted Greens

It is hard to believe that Jane turned 8 weeks old yesterday.  Most days I feel like we were just seeing her ultrasound image for the first time.  When I found out I was pregnant last spring, I promised myself that I would try to be as healthy as possible throughout my pregnancy.  I ate well, drank a lot of water, and did something active daily until I was about 37 weeks.  I was lucky in that my weight gain was relatively low, and I lost most of it right after Jane's delivery.  Within the first few weeks, I had shed the 27 pounds I gained while pregnant.  Now, comes the tough part.  I need to lose the ten to fifteen pounds I had been promising myself I would lose before getting pregnant.  Because of a post-delivery complication, I have been unable to exercise.    So eating healthy has been my main focus.  Recently, I've been eating bananas for breakfast, salads for lunch, and trying to have a lean protein paired with veggies for dinner.   I love this recipe for honey-glazed pork with wilted greens because it is an easy to prepare meal that is both flavorful and colorful.  I find that a plate appears boring makes me feel like I am missing out on eating what I really want, but when I see a plate full of color, I am more excited about dinner.  I hope you find this dish tasty and satisfying.  (And I hope that I find the motivation to keep on keeping on and lose a few pounds each week so I go back to work and enter tax season feeling great!)

  Honey-Glazed Pork with Greens

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon plus 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 3/4 pounds pork tenderloin (about 2)
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into thin strips
• 1/2 head escarole, cut into 2-inch strips
• 1/2 pound spinach, washed well

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon mustard, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, garlic, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons oil.
2. Place pork tenderloins in a shallow baking dish; pour glaze over pork, turning to coat evenly. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; season with pepper.
3. Roast in oven, spooning glaze over pork occasionally, until thickest part of pork reaches 155 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven; let rest until pork reaches 160 degrees, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons honey, 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar, and 1 teaspoon mustard. Whisk until honey is dissolved. Slowly whisk in 1 tablespoon oil until emulsified. Whisk in any accumulated cooking juices from baking dish, if desired.
5. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add fennel, escarole, spinach, and a splash of water; cook until greens are slightly wilted, about 1 1/2 minutes.
6. Add vinaigrette and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan, stirring just to coat greens, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat; divide among four serving plates. Slice pork about 1/2 inch thick; arrange alongside greens. Serve immediately.