Home ยป Greek Pork Tenderloin over Greek Salad

Greek Pork Tenderloin over Greek Salad

Yesterday was an awesome day. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Dinner was made by 7:30am. Crock pot, thankyouverymuch.

I wore jeans. And knee-high boots. I stopped by my favorite coffee shop and sipped my morning fix and lesson planned.

I sailed to campus — no traffic thanks to a 10am class start-time. I reunited with my students, who are my same students from last quarter. Missed them!

(I even got to read the kind comments they left on my instructor evaluations from last quarter – the highlight of my awesome day!)

I came home. Made a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. Cuddled with Lily. Hopped on the treadmill, turned on Biggest Loser, and jogged (with 3 short walk breaks…mostly to get through a few coughing fits…) 5 1/2 miles. And it felt good.

I showered, threw on my old lady robe, grabbed my laptop, sunk into bed, and browsed the web for an hour. That never happens. All by 5pm.

(A girl could get used to this…)

And dinner? That was already in the crock pot, remember? Ends up, it was delicious and buffalo saucy. Happy husband.

This meal is the next best thing to the crock pot because it’s that quick and easy.

Growing up, pork tenderloin was one of my least favorite meals. My mom would always talk-up the marinades and how lean the meat is, but I was just never a fan. As it ends up, Mr. Prevention doesn’t love pork, or pork tenderloin, either (with the exception of bacon, obvi).

But it was on sale and I’m a sucker for a good bargain.

We both loved this pork tenderloin. Even if I hadn’t made this meal myself, or been told the recipe name, I would recognize the Greek flavors from the very first bite. It is rich and tender, and if you love red wine vinegar, it’s bound to be a hit.

This pork tenderloin can stand alone with a simple vegetable and starch, but I turned it into a Greek salad topped with thin slices of the pork. Pork and salads was new to me, and I was skeptical, but it works. I know lots of us are highly motivated to get in those nutrient-packed, low-calorie fruits and vegetables, and this is one enjoyable way to do so!

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Greek Pork Tenderloin over Greek Salad from I Was Born to Cook

Pork:
1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of visible fat
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
salt and pepper, to season

Salad:
2 small heads Romaine lettuce, torn to bite-sized pieces
2 tomatoes, diced
1 large cucumber, cut into half-moons
1/2 large red onion, sliced
3 oz feta, crumbled
20 kalamata olives, pitted
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, except one tablespoon olive oil, for the pork in a large Ziploc bag. Move around gently, then marinade in the fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, then place pork inside and pan sear for 3 minutes on each side. Place in a baking pan and cook for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine Romaine, tomato, cucumber, red onion, feta, and olives in a large salad bowl. In a small container with a fitted lid, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and dried oregano. Shake well. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

To serve, divide salad into 5 portions and top each with 3 ounces of meat (about 3 half-inch slices). Yield: 5 servings.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 355 calories; 25 g. fat; 9 mg. cholesterol; 530 mg. sodium; 11 g. carbohydrate; 3.4 g. fiber; 24.4 g. protein

Result: A light but filling salad that actually feels like a meal. The meat and salad dressing pair perfectly and the tender meat slices are a great contrast to the crunchy vegetables and salty feta and olives. Quick and simple to make, too! Enjoy!

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That cutie and I are on a mission to finish holiday un-decorating before class! Have a great day!

Be well,

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12 Comments

  1. Gina (The Candid RD)
    January 5, 2012 / 7:32 am

    Glad you had an AWESOME day yesterday! I have to say, mine was pretty stellar too. You’ve be proud of me Nicole, I’ve started actually using RECIPES and making this on my day off! I made lasagna AND braised beef last night! Yep, it’s true. The lasagna is for today.
    Greek salad is my go-to salad whenever I see it on a menu. I just LOVE greek salads! Thanks for the recipe.

  2. Joanne
    January 5, 2012 / 8:09 am

    Woot woot on having an AWESOME day! Five and a half miles – you ROCK.

    My mom used to make really dry pork tenderloin and so I think she kind of scarred me for life. But this looks not dry at all and super tasty!

  3. Melissa@IWasBornToCook
    January 5, 2012 / 8:25 am

    So glad you enjoyed it! You’re right – it couldn’t be faster or easier!

  4. Angie (Sweet Natured Treats)
    January 5, 2012 / 8:35 am

    Sounds tasty and husband friendly – a winner all the way around. Thanks for sharing!

  5. Liz
    January 5, 2012 / 9:11 am

    My husband doesn’t love pork either (except for bacon, ham and sausage) but I might make this for lunch for myself! Perfect over a salad or with leftover veggies. Mmmm!

  6. Anne Marie@New Weigh of Life
    January 5, 2012 / 9:18 am

    My hubby isn’t a huge pork guy but I think he’d eat this every so often!

  7. Kristen (swanky dietitian)
    January 5, 2012 / 10:00 am

    That does sound like a perfect day! So glad to hear it! ๐Ÿ™‚
    This dinner also sounds amazing! Sometimes I love making a nice and hearty salad for dinner by adding meat. Just delicious!

  8. Biz
    January 5, 2012 / 10:50 am

    Yep, sounds like a perfect day to me! Pork used to be one of my hubs favorites, but since his colon cancer surgery, doesn’t like pork or much beef anymore – so crazy. I used to make him this giant stuffed cheeseburgers – now he wants the patty so thin you can almost see through it.

    Love the Greek flavors of this dish – it comes in at 10 WW points which is perfect!

  9. Renee @ Mykitchenadventures
    January 5, 2012 / 4:18 pm

    I’ll take mine with extra kalamata olive please? OMG….I love those babies! The salad looks amazing…as always. Love it when the day goes by so nicely! ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. Allison @ PickyEatingRD
    January 5, 2012 / 10:36 pm

    YES YES YES! Thank you for posting a crock pot meal. I just picked mine up from my parent’s house last night. This is so perfect!

  11. Pingback: Salads | Prevention RD
  12. Becca
    September 13, 2012 / 10:00 pm

    Loved the pork! The salad didn’t quite wow me, but I think next time I’ll use a different dressing, because I love Greek flavors!

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