
I've had a few pork tenderloins in the freezer for a while now and it was about time to use them up. I love pork tenderloin because not only is it lean, it's almost like a blank canvas for so many types of sauces.
While I was visiting one of my fellow Oregon bloggers, Pam over at For The Love of Cooking, she had just posted this honey mustard sauce recipe and I new I had to make it.
It was so incredibly easy, taking about five minutes to mix up. The family gobbled it up and the sauce was cleaned up with mashed potatoes on the side.
So perfect and QUICK!!! Thanks Pam, I needed this!
In a small bowl combine Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, apple juice, 1 teaspoon olive oil and minced garlic. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside on the counter for a few hours, allowing the flavors to meld together.
Remove the silver skin, if any, from the pork tenderloin and season the meat with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pork tenderloin and sear the meat on all sides. Place a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the tenderloin and place the skillet into the oven. Bake for approximately 15 minutes (times will vary depending on the size of the tenderloin) or until meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees (medium). Remove from oven, cover and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Heat the sauce in a small saucepan or in the microwave until warmed. Pour the sauce over sliced pork and serve.
Pork Tenderloin with Honey Mustard Sauce
Adapted from For The Love Of Cooking
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1-2 lb pork tenderloin
Kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-1/2 Tablespoons honey
1-1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon apple juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
In a small bowl combine Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, apple juice, 1 teaspoon olive oil and minced garlic. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside on the counter for a few hours, allowing the flavors to meld together.
Remove the silver skin, if any, from the pork tenderloin and season the meat with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pork tenderloin and sear the meat on all sides. Place a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the tenderloin and place the skillet into the oven. Bake for approximately 15 minutes (times will vary depending on the size of the tenderloin) or until meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees (medium). Remove from oven, cover and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Heat the sauce in a small saucepan or in the microwave until warmed. Pour the sauce over sliced pork and serve.
My pork tenderloin was 2 pounds so I doubled the sauce recipe.
One Year Ago: Cheater's Key Lime Pie
Two Years Ago: Whiskey-Glazed Corned Beef





Honestly, I can't imagine my afternoon without a little slice of cake. Life just seems more civilized when the afternoon comes with a tea and cake break. However, as we continue to work rain or shine to get the vineyard land prepped for planting, cake breaks are becoming scarce. It's sacrilegious. I need to remember to pack cake.
Nothing delights me more than walking into a coffee shop and seeing sliced cake for sale in the big glass cases. But, while I love my coffee black, I like my tea sweet (honey, cream and a touch of sugar). This is what makes this cake more of a tea cake for me. It's not overly sweet, it's more of an adult sweet, as in, not so sweet. Again, perfect with my sweet tea.
This particular recipe does not call for butter but utilizes grape seed oil in the recipe, I'm assuming for its clean and light taste. Could you substitute another oil...probably. Let me know how it turns out.
Anyway, enjoy this recipe, it's lovely.
Sift together 1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Beat brown sugar, oil, Cointreau (or water) and vanilla in a separate bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs. Alternately add flour mixture and yogurt to egg mixture until combined.
Toss blueberries with remaining 1 Tablespoon flour and fold into batter. 
Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 70 minutes (mine only took 50 minutes, possibly even less but I hadn't checked on it; that's a big discrepancy to me so watch your cake starting at 45 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before flipping out of pan.
To make glaze: Whisk together all ingredients in small bowl. Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a wooden skewer. Brush cake with glaze. Cool completely before serving.
This will make your afternoon.
Blueberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Glaze
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
Cake
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup grape seed oil
2 Tablespoons Cointreau liqueur (or water)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
7 oz. plain Greek yogurt
2/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed)
Glaze
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Cointreau liqueur (or water)
Sift together 1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Beat brown sugar, oil, Cointreau (or water) and vanilla in a separate bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs. Alternately add flour mixture and yogurt to egg mixture until combined.
Toss blueberries with remaining 1 Tablespoon flour and fold into batter.
Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 70 minutes (mine only took 50 minutes, possibly even less but I hadn't checked on it; that's a big discrepancy to me so watch your cake starting at 45 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before flipping out of pan.
To make glaze: Whisk together all ingredients in small bowl. Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a wooden skewer. Brush cake with glaze. Cool completely before serving.
One Year Ago: I'm Seriously Considering...
Two Years Ago: Are You a Geek, a Nerd or a Dork?













Every once in a while, the stars align: a magical setting. The flickering call and response of candlelight touches the senses.

The right group of friends. Cool night breezes filled with laughter and conversations that run deep and late into the night.
And, of course, the food...the fancy, incredible food. The meal itself...love incarnate. Blood Orange Martinis prepare our palates for miniature blintzes dolloped in salmon cream followed by sips of ice cold, luxury Dutch vodka. Sautéed radicchio leaves wrap and lovingly showcase asparagus, prosciutto and cheese, while pairing well with fifteen year old French Champagne.
Endive from Belgium drizzled generously with a bright, white-balsamic vinaigrette, easily cradle pungent Danish blue cheese and crunchy, candied-pecans . Warm, crusty rolls begin to make their way around the table....still more French Champagne to enjoy.
Then, lobster done two ways....first bisqued, then tails stuffed with crab, lobster and buttery cream. The tails sit atop clouds of creamy Yukon Golds and saddle nicely with tender green beans doused in a warm bacon-shallot vinaigrette. Tender Italian white wine and bold California Chardonnays quench the palate as the homemade bread makes another pass around the table.
The red wines begin to surface just in time for a decadent offering of indulgent, molten chocolate cake presented with vanilla ice cream and sprinkled gingerly with cocoa dust and a smattering of confectioner's sugar. Sliced, sweet strawberries generously round out the plate, as well as our stomachs.
While the wines of Oregon, Washington, California, France and Italy kept us in high spirits...tea, coffee and water kept us grounded.
This type of cherished evening does leave you pining for more stories, smiles and memories of friends...but mostly...for another supper club.
Can't wait until the next one.














