I was searching for a quick and easy way to cook pork tenderloin recently when I ran across this recipe for Honey-Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Kale. I was drawn to this recipe for a couple of reasons. First, because it promised a main dish, a sauce, and a side with just seven ingredients. Second, because I had never thought to pair mustard with kale, which is one of my favorite leafy greens that I tend to cook in the same old ways.

This recipe calls for marinating a pork tenderloin in a mixture of stone-ground mustard, honey, and sherry vinegar for two hours in the fridge. I was in a rush, so I had to cut that time short, and I was surprised at how well the flavors permeated the meat. I imagine it would have been even better if I'd left it to marinate for the full two hours.

The result? This recipe made me fall in love with pork tenderloin all over again. I hadn't made it in a while, having grown bored with the same old preparations. This spicy-sweet approach was a hit with not only my husband but my 18-month-old son, who even liked the kale, despite the considerable challenge of chewing it with only five teeth.

This recipe earned a place on the weeknight go-to list in my personal recipe file, joining other favorites such as Thai Fish Sauce and Lime Chicken (a pantry recipe, since I keep fish sauce on hand), and White Bean and Sausage Ragout with Tomatoes, Kale, and Zucchini. What are your favorite weeknight stand-bys?

One of my favorite lines from the movie, Wedding Crashers, is "Ma! The Meatloaf!" Demanded by all because of its comforting capabilities, it is definitely a loved supper in my household.

I create meatloaf and their varying flavors out of anything we have leftover in the fridge.
Here's what we had tonight.

1# lean ground turkey
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons ketchup, divided
2 tablespoons crumbled Boursin cheese
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (use 2 tablespoons ketchup here). Mix by hand just until combined - do not over mix or loaf won't be as tender. Transfer to a loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a thermometer inserted in center is 160 (temperature will vary depending on type of meat used). Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup. Bake 5 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Think outside the meatloaf "box" and substitue in any type of ground meat you have on hand, any color onion, any type of cheese. The possibilities are endless so get out there and create an easy weeknight (and budget-friendly) dinner for your family tonight. Or try one from a Cooking Light story devoted to meatloaf!

We‘ve had a lot of discussion lately both on this Web site and in-house about cheap cuts of beef. And lean cuts. Here’s another that meets both criteria: Eye of round.

You may have run into some bone-dry eye of round in your day. Meat so tough it bites back. I know I have. But it can actually be quite tender and tasty if you understand the cut and use a suitable cooking method.

Eye of round comes from the steer’s hind quarter (fellow food geeks will be able to amuse themselves for days on this site). It’s considered the most tender portion of the round, but tender is a very relative term here. (Think of how, say, aluminum is tender compared to stainless steel.) Because it’s so lean, eye of round is an inherently tough cut. And it doesn’t boast lots of connective tissues that make some other tough cuts great candidates for braising. High-heat roasting can dry it out and toughen it further.

Perhaps the best way to approach eye of round is low-temperature roasting. Season the meat well to start—as a lean cut, it needs a little help in the flavor department. After searing on all sides to brown the exterior, put the roast in a 200-225° oven (ideally using a probe thermometer to monitor progress) until it hits 130° or whatever your preference is. Rest for 15-20 minutes and slice thinly.

The end result: A tender, juicy roast that’ll feed your family without breaking the bank (it’s as cheap as $3.49 a pound at some of my local markets). And the leftovers make for delicious roast beef sandwiches.

Photo courtesy of Ned Raggett on Flickr.