Recently, I announced to my roommates that after two wonderful years here, I’ll be leaving them very soon to go on and live new life adventures with the boy. The one request that I received: “Could you please cook up one last big meal… with meat?“


(Note: vegan recipe still included! Scroll to the last paragraph.)

I’m never one to say no to a kitchen request. However, it’s been quite a while since I’ve cooked any sort of animal product, and I drew a complete blank when I tried to think of recipes that I could make for my little meat lovers. Conveniently, the March issue of Canadian Living features a simple greek-style pork tenderloin on the cover – so I was quite excited when I was asked to test out the recipe at home! 
Well, this meal definitely hit the spot: my perfectly plated servings were gobbled up in the blink of an eye. My favourite part of the meal – the dipping sauce – had me guiltily proudly licking my fingers at the table. A homemade tzaziki-style dip made with fat-free greek yogurt, I doubled the amount that I made and, still, no leftovers. (The boy loves his sauces!) A quick note to enhance the flavours: make your sauce ahead of time and let it marinate for a little while in the fridge. The garlic will infuse the yogurt for a more intense taste. I also added a little s&p just before serving.

Vegetarians and vegans: fret not! There is a delicious meal for you in here as well. Double the amount of veggies that the recipe calls for. Cook them in a separate pan, using vegetable broth in the place of chicken broth. Thanks to the starchy sweet potato, the vegetables on their own make a colourful, filling meal. As for the yogurt sauce, it is a-mah-zing on top of the veggies, so for vegans, I suggest that you make it with some unsweetened cultured soy. Round it all out by serving it on top of some of your favorite steamed rice.