Changing Direction

Sometimes the direction we are going is perfect, heading down that golden paved road with nothing but sunshine and roses along the way.  We vow to stay on that path forever, then all of a sudden there's road construction and we have to take a detour!

The first detour (aka straying off the healthy eating) has finally ended after a couple weeks and I'm back on the golden road!  The second detour is going to be a little longer and involves three very beautiful blessings...  grandchildren!  As we were heading down that golden road towards empty nest and teaching the girls independence, our three grandchildren (ages 7, 5 and 2) have joined us!  Talk about detour (and chaotic road construction)!

So after a five day camping trip of wonderful dutch oven cooking and over-indulging in the snack department, here's the meal that got us all back on track!

Orange Herb Pork Tenderloin

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 lb pork tenderloin

2 cups orange juice

1 cup chicken broth, fat free

1/4 cup white wine

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp oregano

Preheat the oven to 400F.  In a large zip lock bag, combine 1 tbsp of the olive oil with the garlic.  Add the pork, turning to coat completely, and refrigerate for one hour.  After marinating, remove the pork from the bag and season with salt and pepper.  In a medium oven proof skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the pork and cook until richly browned on all sides, about 10-15 minutes.  Add the orange juice, wine, broth and herbs and bring to a boil.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for about 35 minutes or until the center of the tenderloin reaches 145F.  Remove the pork from the skillet and strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan.  Boil the sauce until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes.  If a thicker sauce is desired, mix 1 tbsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of orange juice and add to the sauce, simmering until thickened.  Slice the tenderloin evenly and top with sauce.

This was a perfect dinner over mashed potatoes (made with potatoes and cauliflower) to remind me how easy eating healthy is.  The sauce is rich with a ton of flavor that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy!  Each serving of pork and sauce is only 5 pointsplus leaving plenty of room for the mashed potatoes or even some rice.

Although we're still on a detour, we're going to do our best to enjoy the new scenery until the golden road is finished being reconstructed!