Quinoa Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

I've been on a bit on a quinoa kick lately, and when this recipe showed up in my inbox from Lia this morning, I wanted to share it ASAP. It looks positively scrumptious. Featuring lovely nutty flavors from the quinoa and pine nuts, sweet apples which always go well with pork and spiced with Garam Masala, this is sure to be a hit!

Ingredients:

½ cup uncooked quinoa

1 cup water

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped or minced

1 medium-large apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

½ cup raisins

4 tablespoons pine nuts

4 mushrooms, chopped

4 tablespoons white wine

2 pounds pork tenderloin

Cinnamon, to taste

Garam masala, to taste

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.     Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

2.     Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir in the onion, garlic, apple, raisins, pine nuts, and mushrooms until the onion has softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the white wine, and cook another minute until liquid has evaporated. Combine the apple mixture and quinoa until evenly mixed; set aside.

3.     Preheat oven to 425°F.

4.     Cut the pork tenderloin from one side through the middle horizontally to within ½ inch of the other side. Open the two sides and spread them out like an open book. Place between two sheets of heavy plastic wrap on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the tenderloin with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of ½-inch.

5.     Season the tenderloin on both sides with cinnamon, garam masala, salt, and pepper. Spoon the quinoa filling into the tenderloin, then roll up and secure with kitchen twine or toothpicks. Place onto a roasting pan.

6.     Roast in preheated oven until the pork is no longer pink in the center, about 35-40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the filling should read 160°F. Cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.