Artichoke Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Recipe 42.
*recipe from Canadian Living, April 2011 issue
Happy Easter all! I had the honor of hosting Easter dinner for my parents & the bf's parents. On top of the fact that it was my first time hosting a holiday, it was also the first meet & greet for our parents! Talk about stressful- but very successful! We all had a great time and the meal came out perfectly! I took the safe route by sticking to ham & pork tenderloin (my chicken luck has been coming up short lately). Everyone raved about this pork tenderloin, enjoy!

2- 1lb               pork tenderloins, butterflied (you can google ways to do this but if you bat your eyelashes and smile                        ever so sweetly, your butcher will do this for you!)
1 pkg               baby spinach
3 T                  extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves            garlic, minced
1 leek                thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
1 can                 artichokes, drained, pressed & sliced
1 cup                shredded Gouda cheese (Tip: Freeze the gouda for 30 minutes prior to shredding. It'll be much easier)
3/4 cup             fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup             parmesan cheese
1/3 cup             chopped fresh italian parsley

In a dutch oven, cover and cook spinach with 2 T of water over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes until wilted. Remove from heat and drain well. Set aside in a large bowl to cool.
In the same pan, add olive oil, leeks and garlic. Saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Add to bowl with spinach.
Stir in artichokes,cheeses, parsley and bread crumbs. Season with salt & pepper. I made this stuffing ahead and put it in the fridge until I was ready to put the tenderloin in the oven. It's safe to do this for up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lay the butterflied tenderloins onto a clean cutting board and mound a heaping portion of the stuffing mixture in the centre of each. Pressing the stuffing helps you get more of it in there! Roll the sides of the tenderloin tightly together and tie with string. Season the outside of the pork with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a roasting pan and bake until the juices run clear and the temperature reaches 160 F. Yup, I got my hands on a meat thermometer the time. About an hour cooking time. Let rest on a cutting board loosely tented with aluminum foil. Slice into 6 pieces and serve!