Orange Molasses Sticky Pork with String Beans

Yes, it’s a long and complicated title for a relatively easy-to-make and healthy meal!

Reluctant Veggie Girl here reporting with a new recipe after an extensive leave of absence. Since the daily grind of school has started back up, I haven’t had as much time to try out my new recipes as I would like. But this past weekend, I set aside some time for some experimenting! And this time, my experiment is both healthy, and delicious rather than that baked good of my last post.

It was dinner time, and although my all time favorite meal is anything chicken related, I knew I needed to branch out and find other types of meat I could enjoy. So it was pork time. The recipe looked incredibly delicious, and I knew I just had to try it.

The marinade for my pork was fairly easy to make. Just combine orange juice, molasses, ground cumin, and garlic and ginger. (My hands still smell like the garlic and ginger that I had to grind against the grater.) I then marinaded the pork for about two hours.

Next up was my favorite part… okay my least favorite part. So it’s not string bean season, so I had to substitute the string beans for green beans. I slathered a baking sheet with olive oil, cut up a yellow pepper (which smelled gagtastic) and placed the green beans and pepper into the oven to bake.

I then cooked the pork on top of the stove with a skillet. The leftover marinade was boiled into a sauce to pour overtop the pork. I set the pork on the green beans and peppers and then drizzled the marinade. With a glass of water and a piece of toast, my meal was set!  The pork was delicious, and so were the veggies! I tried a pepper for the first time in my entire existance and I actually swallowed it without choking! (Ever since I was a little girl, everytime I eat vegetables I gag. It’s awful, especially for one who is trying to eat healthier. I’m trying to control my gag reflex, but sometimes it flares up, and usually when I’m eating in public. Gross.) Everyone liked the pork, and some even ate their vegetables, but all in all, it was a hit!