Pepper-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil 3 small sweet red peppers, finely chopped

3 small sweet red peppers, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 small celery ribs, finely chopped

1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme

¾ teaspoon garlic salt

¾ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 pork tenderloins (¾ pound each)

4 teaspoons lemon-pepper seasoning

4 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add red peppers, onion and celery; saute until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add thyme, garlic salt, paprika and cayenne; saute 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; set aside.

2. Make a lengthwise slit down the center of each tenderloin to within ½ inch of bottom. Open tenderloins so they lie flat. With a meat mallet, flatten pork to ½ inch thickness. Fill with vegetable stuffing mixture. Close tenderloins; tie at 2 inch intervals with kitchen string, securing ends with toothpicks.

3. Place on a rack coated with cooking spray in a shallow baking pan. Combine lemon-pepper and fennel; rub over tenderloins.

4. Bake until thermometer inserted into pork reads 145 degrees, 45-55 minutes. Remove tenderloins from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Discard toothpicks and string. Cut each tenderloin into 8 slices.