For tonight’s meal we have a 1.5 lb pork loin, I used a store bought rub for chicken with garlic onion and I added rosemary and cilantro to as well. Leave the loin in the refrigerator overnight after using the rub and sealing tightly in a plastic wrap. As a side note, pork is low in sodium and rich in protein, also a great benefit from pork is it is chock full of iron great for people suffering from anemia.

I had left over beans and carrots so I decided to roast them as well with some oil and salt and pepper. Very simple and quick. The method of roasting brings out the natural sweetness in vegetables and intensifies their natural flavors. Roasted vegetables are just more enticing to our vision, taste and smell. Most veggies take a little time to cook and are best served while they still have a little bite, rather than soft all the the way through. This is true for all green vegetables.

My daughter does not like the fact that I wash and scrub the potatoes before cooking while still leaving the skin on. I told her it was healthier but she just cannot get over the fact that it seems dirty. In the ancient times, potato skins were peeled before cooking so that the potato would be cleaner, and consequently healthier; however, it has been discovered that leaving the potato skins intact can add nutrients to a meal. The potato, as well as the skin, is great sources of vitamin C, vitamin B6, copper, potassium, zinc, and protein, but neither naturally contains any fat, cholesterol, or sodium. If you are worried about chemical sprays that the crops use to keep away pests , then simply buy organic, which I prefer either way, especially if you have growing children.

As you can see from my rant above I will be making mashed potatoes with the skin on.

For the potatoes I use garlic minced (3tsp) salt pepper and three eggs.  Once potatoes have been removed from the heat and drained incorporate all the ingredients and use an electric mixer to combine.

Bon Appétit