Clean Eating

Coconut Oil-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Holy sweet potatoes, Batman!

I eat roasted sweet potatoes at least once a week. Clean carbs, quick, go with everything. Done.

Today, I switched the olive oil for coconut oil on a whim. It takes it to an entirely different level. I feel a little silly calling this a recipe, but it’s too good not to share.

Coconut-Oil Roasted Sweet Potatoes

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
Freshly ground pepper
Kosher salt
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread sweet potato cubes on a heavy-duty baking sheet. Drizzle potatoes with oil; sprinkle generously with pepper, salt and cinnamon. Toss to coat.

Roast for 20 minutes or until tender.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin might be one of the most underrated proteins. It’s versatile, cooks quickly, and is relatively inexpensive.

Yet growing up, I don’t remember ever eating it — and my dad raised hogs. When I moved out on my own, I would see recipes for pork tenderloin, but get frustrated when I went to buy the meat. I’d never bought meat from a grocery store before — a topic for an entirely separate blog post — and the way tenderloins were packaged threw me.

A typical recipe calls for a 1 lb. tenderloin, but I could only ever find it in one of two ways: 1 lb. tenderloins pre-marinated or sealed in a “pork broth solution,” or huge packages of 3 or more pounds. Surely those big packages weren’t the right cut, were they?

It was only later that I realized the larger packages at standard grocery stores were actually multiple tenderloins packaged together. A couple years later, I moved to a neighborhood with a Trader Joe’s, which does sell plain 1 lb. tenderloins.

The bigger packages aren’t necessarily a bad thing. This recipe is easy to scale if you’re feeding a crowd. Or, make a second batch of marinade in a separate bag, and throw it into the freezer. Put the extra batch in the refrigerator the night before you want to serve it, and it will marinade as it thaws.

Avoid the versions packaged in a marinade or broth solution. It’s way more sodium than you need, and not that great.

This recipe is best on the (outdoor) grill, but it works well in the oven, too. When I’m grilling, I like pairing it with whatever seasonal vegetables I can throw on the grill, maybe some sweet or fingerling potatoes, and cinnamon applesauce. If I’m indoors, I swap in steamed green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, or whatever else I have on hand.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Adapted from Cooking Light

Yield: 3-4 servings

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 lb pork tenderloin

Preheat grill to medium-high, or preheat oven to 400°.

Remove pork from bag and discard marinade. Lightly season meat with salt and pepper.

If grilling, place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill for 20 minutes. If using the oven, roast for 35 minutes. Cook until a thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Let stand 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

Hot Oat & Quinoa Cereal

I have a long week ahead, starting bright and early tomorrow morning teaching CXWORX before work. I’m already tired just thinking about everything I have to do.

I don’t like getting out of bed any earlier than necessary. But, I also know if I don’t start with a good breakfast, it will set off a chain reaction of unsatisfying, unhealthy eating all day, most likely punctuated by sugar highs and lows. Not good.

In anticipation of my busy week, I’m getting a head start. Laundry is done, gym bag is packed, and before I go to bed tonight, I’ll put a pot of this cereal on the stove. Steel-cut oats won’t get soggy, and quinoa adds extra protein. When the alarm clock rings, I’ll still be grumpy, but at least my stomach won’t be.

Hot Oat & Quinoa Cereal

Adapted from Bon Appetit

For every 2 servings:
3/8 cup dried fruit (I used tart cherries and golden raisins)
1/2 cup steel-cut oats (don’t use regular)
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cups water

Bring all ingredients to boil in a saucepan.

If you want to eat right now: Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until grains are tender, about 20-25 minutes.

If you are making it the night before: Cover the mixture and let it sit overnight. Reheat, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and adding water if needed, until warmed through, 5-8 minutes.

Serve your cereal with any of the following:
Milk
Honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, or other sweetener of your choice
Something crunchy: try walnuts, almonds, pepitas or other nuts or seeds, or some Trader Joe’s roasted coconut chips
Fresh fruit: grated apple, fresh peaches