Weeknight Dinner – Pork loin with sweet plantains & veg

Weeknights are for simple dinners that come together easily. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a Jamie Oliver fan, reason being that he cooks simply with great results. This meal is quick and easy, and hits all nutritional needs. I took advantage of a Jamie Oliver veggie dish that never disappoints, with a few tweaks based on what I had on hand. The original recipe can be found in his cookbook called, “Together” and the recipe is called “Spring Veg”. I absolutely recommend this book!

For the pork:

1.5 lb. pork loin is coated in the spice mix of your choice. I used a middle eastern 7 spice rub that I make and always have on hand, but you could do a BBQ mix with garlic and onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper and sugar. Equal parts of everything, with the salt and sugar at half the amount of the other spices. Pop into a 425 degree oven until inner temp is 135, roughly 30 minutes.

For the plantains:

The sweet plantains (maduros) are freezer aisle purchase. The plantains can also be bought fresh and fried once super ripe. However, I’ve had a hard time knowing when the ripeness factor is right, and the Goya product is so easy. Just reduce the oven once the pork is out and resting and pop the frozen container right in. Easy-peasy.

Goya product info can be found here: https://www.goya.com/en/products/ripe-plantains

For the veggies:

(small potatoes of any kind, asparagus, peas, mint, olive oil and lemon):

Boil a pound of small potatoes (red or white) for 15 mins, add asparagus when 13 mins have passed (spears cut into thirds), when 1 minute remains, add a cup of peas (frozen is fine). When 15 mins are up, drain and plate. Juice one lemon over mix, add a handful of chopped mint and dress with EVOO. Done!

Note that I have done this same recipe with any other veggies on hand. Perfect for a veggie drawer clean out!

Recipe for 7 Spice Blend:

I found this very simple recipe on a lovely Lebanese cooking site. Give it a go! https://plantbasedfolk.com/lebanese-7-spices-baharat/

The Jamie Oliver site has loads of free recipes, nutrition info and how-to articles. Definitely worth a gander, if you are a home cook and looking for fun ways to cook meals! https://www.jamieoliver.com/