Fennel adds zip to pork

This recipe is a breeze to make, but its ingredients offer stylish good taste.

The pork tenderloin that is roasted in the oven is nicely complemented with two forms of fennel  the fragrant vegetable and the seed  lending anise flavor to the meat.

The recipe comes from a feature titled Rush Hour! in the March issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, with the promise that you can have dinner on the table in half an hour.

Roast Pork Tenderloin With Fennel

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(Total preparation and cooking time 30 minutes)

2 medium bulbs fennel (about 1 pound each), trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, leaving core intact

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 whole pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel

Herb sprigs for garnish

Arrange oven rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

In 15 1/2- by 10 1/2-inch jellyroll pan, toss fresh fennel with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Push fennel to sides of pan.

Place pork in center of pan with fennel. In small bowl, stir sugar, fennel seeds and remaining 2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Rub fennel seed mixture over pork.

Roast pork and fennel, stirring fennel occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork reaches 155 degrees.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir parsley and lemon peel.

Transfer pork to cutting board; cut into slices. Place sliced pork on large platter; sprinkle with half of parsley mixture. Toss fennel with remaining parsley mixture and arrange around pork. Garnish with herb sprigs.

Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Nutrition information per serving: about 260 cal., 26 g pro., 16 g carbo., 11 g total fat (2 g saturated), 5 g fiber, 71 mg chol., 580 mg sodium.