Directions
It seemed to take a while, but spring has officially sprung here in Indianapolis. We returned home from our Spring Break vacation to find that the grass was a whole lot greener, the birds were a whole lot chirpier, and the trees were starting to bud. Aaaaahhhhh…it feels good!
This delicious spring dish may rank as the tastiest pork roast I’ve ever made, and with all of the vegetables and potatoes roasted in the same pan, it also ranks as super simple and a new go-to meal for our busy family. Plus, it’s Weight Watchers-friendly! Bonus!
First things first, I started by mixing together some chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, a few cloves of minced garlic, and some salt and pepper.
This would serve as a flavorful crust for my tender, lean pork roast. There’s so much flavor packed into those few simple ingredients, and the end result is pretty spectacular.
I rubbed the garlic-herb mixture all over the pork and then browned the roast on all sides on the stove top, in just the tiniest bit of oil.
Doesn’t that look good already? Can you imagine how wonderful it smelled cooking up? All of those savory herbs and garlic. Yum.
Once the pork was sufficiently browned, I transferred the roast to a 9×13 inch baking dish.
At this point, I tossed together some thawed frozen artichoke hearts with a cup of baby carrots and a few halved red potatoes. I added in some salt and a teaspoon of oil and made sure they were well coated before scattering them around the roast in the pan.
Then, it was just a matter of popping the pan in the oven, and letting all of the flavors come together.
Once the roast came to temperature at 145*F, I removed it from the pan and let it stand for five minutes to let the juices settle. Once the time was up, I sliced it and found that I had an unbelievably juicy, tender roast on my hands. So tender, you could cut it with a fork.
I served it alongside the wonderful roasted veggies from the pan, and dinner was served!
Simple, healthy, and delicious. That’s my kind of dinner!
Welcome, Spring!
HERB ROASTED PORK PRIMAVERA
Adapted from Weight Watchers
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 3/4 tsp. salt, divided
- 1 (1 1/2 lb.) piece lean boneless center cut pork loin, trimmed of fat
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. small red potatoes, halved
- 1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry
- 1 cup baby carrots
- Preheat the oven to 450*F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, thyme, garlic, pepper, and 1/4 tsp. of the salt. Rub this mixture all over the trimmed pork roast, coating all sides.
- Heat 1 tsp. of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, and cook until browned evenly on all sides, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the pork to the prepared baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the halved potatoes, artichokes, and carrots with the remaining oil and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir to coat. Scatter the vegetables around the pork roast in the baking dish.
- Roast the pork and vegetables, stirring the veggies once or twice, until a thermometer reads 145*F in the center of the pork roast, and the vegetables are tender and starting to brown, about 40 minutes.
- Transfer the pork to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Slice the pork into 12 slices and serve alongside the vegetables.
- ENJOY!