Pork Souvlaki with Lemon Roasted Potatoes and Greek Salad (gluten-free, dairy-free)

We did one of our usual (and most enjoyable) Saturday errands yesterday -- a visit to our favourite local food shop to choose items for some delicious weekend family meals. While the four of us were discussing possible selections at the butcher counter, Will noticed some pre-seasoned pork done up on skewers and ready to grill, and he asked if we could get them for dinner. We liked the idea of trying something different, but we decided to buy whole unseasoned pork tenderloin instead, so we could put together a Greek inspired dinner all on our own: souvlaki, lemon roasted potatoes, and a Greek salad with homemade dressing. Our meal was quite simple to prepare, but you'd never know it from the enticing aroma that filled our house and yard as the potatoes were roasting and the pork was grilling. We all loved this very flavourful dinner and will definitely enjoy it again some weekend soon!

Pork Souvlaki with Lemon Roasted Potatoes and Greek Salad

For the pork souvlaki:

2 pork tenderloins, cut into one and a half inch cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
the juice of one and a half lemons, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 large clove of garlic, minced
a few sprigs of each of fresh oregano and thyme leaves, finely chopped (lemon thyme is nice, too!)
sea salt, to taste

In a large shallow glass dish, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, thyme, and sea salt. Add the pork tenderloin pieces and stir so that the pork is well coated with the marinade. Cover and marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least three hours.

Preheat the barbecue. Thread the pork tenderloin pieces onto skewers. (If you're using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for about 15 minutes first so that they don't burn on the grill.) Grill the pork skewers over medium-high heat, turning frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.

For the lemon roasted potatoes:

5 small red potatoes and 5 small white potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
the juice and zest of half a lemon
a sprig of fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Toss the potato pieces with the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and zest, oregano, sea salt and pepper in a roasting pan.  Roast the potatoes for about 45 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally.

For the salad:

Add mixed greens, chopped red and yellow sweet peppers, chopped cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, and kalamata olives to a salad bowl.

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1 small sprig of fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Shake the dressing well, then pour over the salad and toss just before serving. (Extra dressing can be stored in the refrigerator.)

Try this tasty souvlaki dinner -- it will have you wanting to shout "Opa!" (You might want to draw the line at smashing the plates, though.  ;) )