Pork and Taters. An unlikely pairing.

I only say an unlikely pairing because the two recipes may not be what you would have chosen initially to go together, but trust me...

ANYWAY. I paired two of my fave go-to recipes for an easy dinner (yes, easy) for a weeknight or weekend or pre-hoilday like we are doing right now. The glazed pork loin is very easy and delicious, its a little sweet and a little savory. I'd also like to try is as an injectable one day, puree it until smooth and use a food-grade injector on the pork loin. So here is Part 1:

Apricot/Mustard Roasted Pork Loin

1/2 cup apricot jam
 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
 2 garlic cloves, crushed (or put through a garlic press)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin

Preheat oven to 375°F 

Place a rack over a foil lined baking sheet. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle pork loin with salt and pepper. Reserve half of the glaze and spread the remaining over pork loin. Bake in preheated oven 50-60 minutes, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 160°F
Remove from oven, brush with remaining glaze, and cover with foil for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

And Part 2 is Tortilla Espanola. I spent the summer semester studying in Valencia, Spain and this was one of my most favorite foods in the world while I was there. It is a traditional Spanish tapa (or small plate) that is usually served, sliced into wedges, at room temperature. I like to eat it with garlic aioli.  So this is the version I like, there are many on the internet, but the ones with other random things (peppers, ham, spinach) added to them aren't really traditional. Probably tasty, but, I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to tortilla. So here she goes...

Tortilla Espanola 

1/4 c. olive oil

2 large or 3 medium baking potatoes, peeled andcut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 small or 1 large yellow onion, diced

6 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cloves of garlic, minced 

handful of grated manchego, pecorino cheese (optional)

handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley

pinches of salt & pepper

Using a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the oil on med-low, add potatoes, onion and garlic. cook gently until potatoes are tender and smush easily with a fork, try not to brown the potatoes. Using a lid may help to kind of steam them. Fold parsley, salt and pepper into beaten eggs. If potatoes are a little dry at this point, add another Tbsp of olive oil to make sure the eggs wont stick to the pan. Pour egg mixture right over the potato/onion/garlic. Cook gently on low until solidified, Use low heat so the bottom doesn't burn!! When the tortilla is firm, place a plate over the top of the pan and flip it out onto the plate. Slide the tortilla back into the pan to allow it to finish cooking. Use the same trick to get it out of the pan once it is fully cooked through. Allow to cool for a while, slice into wedges, and serve with your favorite aioli (GARLIC) and maybe a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley and a bit of grated cheese.

Enjoy!! And Happy Holidays to all, whatever your nation or creed!!