Light Touch
Pork tenderloin stuffed with fruit rich in flavor but contains little fat

After the holiday feasting, the ideal is to find light, healthy dishes that still promise comfort and nourishment.

Pork Tenderloin Stuffed With Apple and Dried Fruit is a dish to consider. It is rich in flavor but low in fat content.

It is featured with a group of other tastily sensible dishes under the heading of "Cooking Healthy," the theme of a feature in the January issue of Food & Wine magazine.

"After cooking and tasting all day, our test kitchen staffers long for light, healthy dishes at night," the editors say. This is a favorite.

Pork Tenderloin Stuffed With Apples and Dried Fruit

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped mixed dried fruit, such as golden raisins, cranberries, apricots and prunes
• 1/4 cup full-bodied dry red wine
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons water
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• One 1-pound pork tenderloin
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or canned low-sodium broth

In a small bowl, mix the dried fruit with the wine. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof skillet. Add the apple and cook over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the water as the pan dries out.

Drain the dried fruit, reserving the wine. Stir the dried fruit into the apple and onion in the skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate to cool. Coarsely chop 1/2 cup of the fruit mixture and reserve it for making the sauce. Wipe out the skillet.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Insert a sharpening steel or the handle of a wooden spoon into the thick end of the tenderloin. Carefully push the steel through the tenderloin and roll the meat to widen the hole slightly.

Stuff the tenderloin with the fruit mixture and seal the ends with toothpicks.

Heat the oil in the skillet. Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown it in the skillet over high heat, turning, for about 6 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the meat for 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Add the reserved wine to the skillet and cook over high heat, scraping up any browned bits, until syrupy, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved 1/2 cup of the fruit mixture and season with salt and pepper. Slice the tenderloin crosswise 1/2-inch thick and serve with the sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 244 cal., 7.4 g total fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 25 g pro., 19 g carbo.

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