Food Hussy Recipe: Roasted Pork Loin & Veggies with IKEA Whole Grain Mix

This post is sponsored by IKEA. All opinions are my own.

I'm mildly obsessed with the new IKEA PS Collection - basically it's how I would like to live. It's clean lines with bright colors all over the place! You have to go check it out! In addition to the cute home furnishings - they've added to their food selection with this collection.  

First up are the IKEA Mix of Grains packets ($3.49). There are two flavors available - the first which I tried is a whole grain with dried porcini mushrooms and spices and the second is a mix of garlic, lemon, jalapeno and lingonberry.

These whole grain mixes are super easy to use - just a cup of water plus the grains and you're done. You bring the liquid to a boil and then leave it set for 10 minutes. As I was cooking it - I wanted to add a little more moisture so I added probably another 1/2 cup of chicken broth. That's a great tip too - if you're cooking rice/grains and think they're too bland - use chicken broth instead of water - it adds just a bit of extra flavor for you.

This is a great healthy side dish alternative to rice, pasta or potatoes - there's so much nutrition it's ridiculous! Also what I love is there's no chemicals or anything you can't pronounce - simple good ingredients.

To go along with my whole grains - I cooked up a small pork loin. The easiest thing to do with a pork loin is grab your favorite seasoning mix (this one is Colonel De's Garlic Goodness) and rub it all over the pork loin. I let that rest for a bit while I prepped my veggies.

A simple way to cook veggies is to roast them - you just throw them on sheet pan - making sure they're all about the same size or consistency - and sprinkle them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast them at 425 for 20 minutes - maybe a little less for soft veggies like these and a little more for things like potatoes. Roasting at a high heat really locks in all that veggie flavor and yet adds a nice crispy texture to them. So delicious!

With my pork loin - I used a pan that can go from stove top to oven. So I seared the pork on all four sides first and then popped it in the oven.

I checked on it after a bit - always check your temp on pork and chicken - with pork you want a touch of pink on the inside and that comes at 155 degrees. So this wasn't quite done - it just needed a few more minutes. The nice thing was - it was in the oven with the veggies - so it was easy to get it all done at the same time.

And there you have a well-balanced meal packed with nutrition and the IKEA PS Whole Grain Mix was the start of it!

The pork was juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside - that's because I seared it before I put it in the oven - that is the key! Then I topped the whole grains with the roasted veggies and it really was a wonderful combo. The whole grain mix had porcini mushrooms so just adding a few more mushrooms in was a great addition.

The PS Collection also has these new drink mixes ($4.99) with three flavors and something they call Bacillus coagulans. There are 1 BILLION of these per serving of the drink mix. Now - what is it? Well - short explanation: it's a probiotic that is good for you. Long explanation - go here.

They also have these cute cups in their PS Collection that I just loved! They come in hot pink or navy and are $5.99 each. It's got a silicone sleeve and lid so it can be used for hot or cold drinks.

I love that IKEA gives you insight as to why they designed things - here are the designer thoughts that created this glass cup:

”I wanted to make a simple cup, the kind that you really want to take everywhere so I drew inspiration from regular paper cups and used the benefits to create a cup that’s kinder to our environment. The result became IKEA PS 2017 cup with lid. It’s made from durable glass, with a sleeve that keeps you from burning your fingers. This is a cup to keep by your side, whether you’re at home or at the office, on the go or taking it easy.” - Designer Iina Vuorivirta

 These drink mixes are really good - my favorite is the raspberry but they're all good.The other thing I like is that they're not overly sweet - you really feel like you're drinking something with some bang for the buck and not just a Kool-aid for grown ups.

I hope you've enjoyed your peek into the new IKEA PS Collection and be sure to stop out and check it out - I'm seriously obsessed. I already got this cool lamp and I have a feeling these hot pink candlesticks are next!

Roasted Pork & Veggies with IKEA Whole Grain Mix

- pork loin
- favorite seasoning mix
- broccoli & mushrooms, sliced
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
- IKEA Whole Grain Mix
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

- Preheat oven to 425
- Rinse off your pork loin and pat dry with a paper towel
- Rub the seasoning mix all over the pork loin and let rest
- Spread your broccoli & mushrooms on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper
- Heat oven-proof skillet with olive oil and sear pork loin on all sides
- Once pork loin is seared, pop the skillet into the oven along with your sheet of vegetables
- Roast for 20-25 minutes (might want to take the veggies out a bit before your pork)
- While pork & veggies are roasting, heat chicken broth on stove in a small pan and add the IKEA Whole Grain Mix
- Once liquid is boiling, turn off burner and put the lid on
- Check the temp on the pork to be sure it's 155 degrees (no more! don't dry it out!)