Feel Good Food

Make food that you can feel good about. Making meals where I am somewhat confident of where the food originated and how it was grown and produced, that I have made it without the help from processed items (whose ingredients you can barely pronounce), and that it is healthy.

I am no vegetarian. That being said, as I have been living on my own for the past couple of years, I find myself eating less meat. Part of the reason is easy to explain: cost. You never really realize until you have to start buying your own food how expensive meat can be, and how many more vegetables you can purchase instead of a tiny bit of meat! The other reason is because I am trying to be more environmentally conscious, having completed a case study on cattle production this term. Did you know that it takes up to 435 gallons of water to produce 1 measly pound of beef? The reason for this is because we often do not take into account pollution and water externalities (uses of resources not directly used for producing the meat). Now that you think of it...you need water to grow the forage and grain that cattle consume, water required to keep the cattle hydrated, water to clean their living space, and of course all the water that is required in the beef production stage (slaughterhouse) - it all adds up to a helluva lot of water! And this is just water. How about energy and fuel? Most cattle in BC receive grain that is imported from Alberta. And later on, we import the cattle to Alberta for the finishing stage and slaughterhouse. Talk about a waste of energy and resources.

Alright, you say, I get it. Stop making me depressed and grossed out about meat production. For the reasons mentioned, I have cut my meat intake in the recent years, but I have not completely eliminated it from my diet. Meat is an excellent source of iron, vitamin B12, and of course, protein. Iron is important for keeping our red blood cells healthy, B12 is needed to regulate our DNA as well as cell metabolism and energy production, and absolutely cannot be obtained through vegetables. Protein is so important for providing those essential amino acids for our body as well as maintaining our muscle mass and providing energy for us. Plus, it just plain tastes good! In the words of our good friend Michael Pollan, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Every now and I then, I have a craving for pork. It's not something that I eat everyday, but sometimes it's just nice to switch from my regular repertoire of chicken or tofu to something a little more exciting. Enter creamy brown butter mashed potatoes, a tender slice (or two) of peppercorn and rosemary-crusted pork (thanks, Giada), and a fig-balsamic glaze to finish it off...worth the effort, I promise.

Rosemary Roast Pork Loin with Fig-Balsamic Glaze
makes 8 servings

1 boneless pork loin (4 pounds)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp peppercorns, crushed
1 tbsp dried rosemary (or 2 tbsp fresh)
1 cup chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Mix together the oil, salt, peppercorns, and rosemary. Rub all over the pork loin, and then place in a roasting pan. Roast (uncovered) for 45 minutes, until a meat thermometer register 145 degrees F, turning the loin every 15 minutes.
Remove the loin from the pan, cover with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice into thin pieces.
For the jus, add the broth to the pan and scrape the brown bits off of the bottom. Pour into a pot and simmer.

Fig-Balsamic Glaze

8 dried figs, halved
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick

Combine all of the ingredients into a small pot and bring to a boil. Simmer and let reduce until slightly thickened.

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

6 large red or white potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup skim milk, warmed
1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg
salt
pepper

Cut the potatoes in half and boil in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and return the potatoes to the pot.
Heat the butter over medium heat in a small pan until it starts to foam. Keep heating until the butter turns brown, then remove from heat.
Add the brown butter to the potatoes, along with the warm milk, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash well.

To serve, place the brown butter mashed potatoes on the bottom of the dish, then place the slices of pork loin on top, drizzle with the jus, and then drizzle with the fig-balsamic glaze.

*I'll admit, the brown butter mashed potatoes doesn't exactly sing "healthy"...