Spontaneous Cuisine

I quote Pearl Bailey…”The fact is that it takes more than ingredients and technique to cook a good meal.  A good cook puts something of himself into the preparation – he cooks with enjoyment, anticipation, spontaneity, and he is willing to experiment”.  This statement pretty much sums me up.  I begin with anticipation of enjoying the preparation as well as the meal itself.  Experimentation has turned out some of the best meals in my kitchen and spontaneity is what keeps stress out of my kitchen.

If you’ve read my blog you know by now that often times I look to see what is on hand and prepare my meals from those ingredients.  Most of the time this works out beautifully.  The other night was a perfect example of this method of food preparation.

I had purchased some pork tenderloin – on sale buy one, get one for a penny.  Great place to begin my journey – a nice pork tenderloin.  I knew rosemary and garlic would take part in this concoction and after snooping around in the frig I pulled out the nearly empty jar of orange marmalade.  I wanted something more so I snipped some Italian parsley leaves and got out the pepper grinder.  The rest is history.

I whipped up some potatoes and some fresh peas and produced the perfect spring dinner. The pork was flavorful, juicy, and tender with just a touch of sweet from the marmalade and a touch of savory from the rosemary and garlic.  Perfect combination and so simple. My favorite meal – simple, delicious, flavorful and pretty on the plate.

Orange Pork Tenderloin

1  pork tenderloin 2  tbsp. orange marmalade 1 1/2  tsp. fresh rosemary – chopped 1/2  tsp. fresh ground pepper 1  tsp. chopped garlic 1 tsp fresh Italian parsley 

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Spray inside of a 9×13 Pyrex dish with cooking spray.  Place pork into dish and drizzle marmalade over tenderloin.  Next sprinkle garlic, parsley and rosemary over top and sides of pork.  Finish with fresh grated black pepper over all.

Bake about 40 minutes or until cooked through but still juicy.  Remove from oven, cover with foil and let sit for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!