Adagio Pumpkin Spiced Tea Rubbed Pork Tenderloin #sponsored

 Pork Tenderloin, rubbed in a flavorful Pumpkin-Spiced Black Tea and grilled to a perfect medium.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Herb Sauce

 Tender slices of grilled pork tenderloin, topped with a flavorful, fresh herb sauce.

Arugula Salad with Pork #SundayFunday

Tender baby Arugula dressed in a Balsamic Vinaigrette that also glazes the Pork Tenderloin with which it is topped.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are sharing Main Dish Salads today.............

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa #NationalCherryDay

Pork Tenderloin marinated in lime, olive oil, and spices grilled to perfection and topped with a fresh cherry salsa.

It's National Cherry Day.......

Orange Salad with Spanish Pork #EattheWorld

Pork Tenderloin marinades overnight in a savory, slightly sweet sauce and then is chargrilled before being sliced and served on a salad of oranges and cucumbers. 

I served a side of Quinoa and Brown Rice with it but it's not necessary if you are trying to lighten up for the New Year......

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Grapes and the Weekly Menu #SupperclubSaturday

Welcome to Supperclub Saturday.  A new group started by Sue of Palatable Pastime where we share any recipe that we would like with our readers and other members of the group.  I am loving this group and sister group, Potluck Party, because it is giving me an opportunity to go through my archives and pull out recipes that I have been waiting to share.

 

Such it the case with this delicious, moist pork tenderloin topped with a sauce that includes roasted green and red grapes that I served up for New Years Eve 2021.

Pork Tenderloin with Chocolate Molasses Gravy #ChocolateWeek

Chocolate isn't just for candy and sweets.  This tender pork with a chocolate molasses gravy is a wonderful entree to serve up to your Valentine this year.  It is quick, easy and amazingly decadent and delicious.

We are celebrating Chocolate all week long.  I have a weeks worth of savory chocolate dishes for you starting with this amazing Pork Tenderloin.....

Molasses Roasted Pork Tenderloin #ImprovCookingChallenge #MerlotMe

Five ingredients, 30 minutes and the results are a wonderful delicious dinner.  Open up a bottle of Merlot wine and you will think you are having dinner at a fine restaurant.

I am celebrating #Merlotme along with the Improv Cooking Challenge this month........

Char Sui Pork and Noodle Stir Fry and The Weekly Menu

I had pulled a package of pork tenderloin out of the freezer intending to make Island Pork Tenderloin on the Grill.  Well, you know how it goes....the best made plans and all that.....Life got in the way, the dinner didn't get made and those pork tenderloin were still in my refrigerator.  Thankfully, they were cryovaced so I wasn't desperate.

A couple of days later I was snooping in the refrigerator trying to decide what to make for dinner when I spied that package of pork tenderloin.  I opened it and used one of the tenderloins for this dinner and the other to make some Mexican Pork Kebabs that I will be sharing another day.

Wild Rice Stuffed Pork Tenderloin #SundayFunday

This delicious, heart healthy dinner is wonderful for Valentine's Day but also perfect for any time you want to make a quick, tasty dinner for your loved ones.

Tender pork tenderloin, butterflied and stuffed with a wild rice mixture, becomes a quick and amazing sheet pan dinner elegant enough for company and easy enough for daily family dinner.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are celebrating Romance for Valentine's Day.....

Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin with L'Ecole Semillon

 I was provided with two bottles of L'Ecole wine for tasting purposes.  I received no monetary compensation.  All opinions are my own.

We had the Teen's Godparents over for dinner the other night, in fact it was the same night that I participated in a Zoom Meeting with the folks of L'Ecole Wines.  I had decided to serve a Maple Glazed Pork Tenderloin with a side of Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Mash and corn.  I opened a bottle of L'Ecole Semillon to pair with this dinner.  It was heavenly.

When dinner was finished, I left to attend the Zoom meeting while the others played games and visited. 

Apple Tea Brined Pork Tenderloin #FallFlavors

Disclosure:  I received sponsor products for use in creating recipes for this week's Fall Flavors Event.  All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.  I received no monetary compensation for this post.

This pork tenderloin marinated in Apple Cider Tea and then grilled to a perfect medium rare is sure to become one of your favorite fall recipes.

Welcome to Day 2 of Fall Flavors Week.......

Char Sui Pork #CooktheBooks

This tender pork tenderloin is first marinated in Char Siu Sauce, roasted and basted with more sauce making a delicious and easy dinner recipe.

I was inspired to share this with you after reading Kitchen Chinese........

A TexMex Fiesta featuring Texas Tannat #WinePW

I received bottles of wine for sampling purposes.  All writings, opinions and feelings are my own.  I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Pork Tenderloin coated in taco seasoning and roasted to a perfect, juicy, tenderness served with a side of Mango Salsa Rice and paired with a bottle of Texas Tannat Wine.  Life is very, very good.

Howdy Y'all.....the Wine Pairing Weekend group is heading over to Texas this month.  Come on in and join us......

Korean Pork Tenderloin with Cab Franc from Saumur #Winophiles

When Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla asked the members of the French Winophiles to visit Anjou/Saumer and sample their wines, food and culture I immediately started researching the options.

I spoke with an agent over at Wine.com and explained that I was looking for a wine from the region.  I told her that we prefer dry red wines and she recommended two of them.  I bought both but have only opened the Chateau du Hureau, a Saumer-Champigny Tuffe that I will be sharing with you today.

Grilled Pork Thai Bowl #BBQWeek

A beautifully composed bowl of rice vermicelli, savoy cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, cilantro and mint topped with perfectly seasoned and grilled pork tenderloin.

It's Day 3 of BBQ Week.................................

Nectarine and Pork Kebabs #KitchenMatrixCookingProject #CookoutWeek

It doesn't get much easier or more delicious than nestling tender, juicy pork between nectarine and onion slices on a skewer and putting them on the grill for 15 minutes.

Join me, won't you, for Day 2 of Cookout Week...…..

Celebrating Love~~ Pork Filet Mignon and Valtellina Wine #RecipesforTwo #ItalianFTW

A Valentine Recipe for 2 paired with a wine from the Valtellina region of Italy, a romantic quiet dinner, what could be easier.

I chose the recipe right away.  A lightened up version of Filet Mignon, made with pork instead of beef, to help cut down on calories while still giving you that rich lovely feel.  Especially when you top it with an amazing savory pan sauce and serve an earthy mushroom barley on the side.

I researched the Valtellina, discovering that it is found in the mountainous region of Lombardy and made primarily with Nebbiolo grapes, specifically Chiavannasca.  All this to say that it is a light red wine that pairs well with many foods.

I wrote down my ideas and patted myself on the back, happy that I was going to take care of two blogging events, that were due on the same day, with one post.

The first event is from our Festive Foodies group and is being hosted by Liz of Books n Cooks who asked us to share Recipes for Two that our readers could make for their Valentine this year.  I want to thank you Liz, for hosting and for choosing an easy topic.

The second event is from our Italian Food Wine and Travel group and is being hosted by Susannah of Avvinare .  Susannah asked us, innocently enough, to buy a bottle of wine from Valtellina, Italy and review it for our readers.

I had my menu planned and I was ready to go.  Now, I live in a very small town, but we do get down to the city once in a while so I planned on going to a large wine shop on our next trip to pick up a bottle of wine from this area.

On January 19th, Frank and I were going to the city for a date night and stopped at the wine store prior to our dinner.  They did not have any wines from Valtellina but they assured us this would not be a problem, that they would order some for us.

On January 24th the store manager phoned and advised of the different bottles he had access to and recommended one in particular that he believed would pair well with my pork filet mignon.  He told me that it would not be delivered to his store until after 2pm on Tuesday, January 30th.

That was cutting it close but we go down to the city on Wednesdays anyway to take our granddaughter home and to help Aunt Irene bathe.  So we decided that while I helped Aunt Irene, Frank would run to the wine shop and then we could have our dinner/wine pairing on Thursday which would give me all day Friday to write up my recipe and review.

The best laid plans.........when Frank arrived at the wine store, the manager very apologetically informed him that the wine hadn't been delivered and he wouldn't be able to get it for me before today's deadline.

On Thursday, February 1st, we were going to a winery located near our State Capitol to meet with Deb and Don Burgdorf in preparation for our Wine Pairing Weekend event next Saturday showcasing women winemakers.  There is a large wine store, Dusty's Cellar, that we used to frequent when we would visit our daughter at Michigan State University.  We planned on lunching there and picking up the Valtellina wine from them.

It was a great trip and I'm anxious to share it with you so make sure you stop by on February 10th to learn all about this amazing woman and her winery.  Lunch at Dusty's was just as wonderful as we remembered, unfortunately they did not carry any wines from Valtellina either.

Keg&Kone Facebook Page

Frank, was determined now and, insisting that there had to be a decent wine store closer to home than an hours drive, started researching.   He found one in the neighboring town, about a 30 minute drive. We phoned and alas, they also had no wines from this region...BUT they assured me they could have a bottle by 10 am the following morning.

Yes, I know that meant that I would have to prep, cook, taste, pair and write the post all in one evening.  I love a challenge.

Yesterday, we went to our newly found, much closer wine store.  I walked in and was absolutely thrilled!!  Who knew we had this little gem hidden in our neck of the woods.  There was a very nice selection of wines from all over the country and the world.  The owner, Gassan, was extremely friendly and knowledgeable.  He said that he was happy to put in special orders any time and was pleased that I had ordered wines for Valtellina.  Gassan ordered several bottles so that he could also try these wines from an area of which he was unfamiliar.  He actually thanked me for having him order it up.  I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot of Gassan.

The wine I purchased was a Quadrio by Nino Negri.  Nino Negri has vineyards throughout the Valtellina area and named this particular bottle after a fifteenth century castle that has undergone extensive restoration.  Made with grapes from the Valtellina Superiore Vineyards it is primarily Nebbiolo with a touch of Merlot.

The dinner was adapted from one found in my Cuisine at Home.  I love using pork tenderloin when I want a quick, delicious and healthy meal.  This tenderloin was cut into medallions and pan seared.  A pan sauce was finished while the filet mignon rested.

The mushroom barley is a wonderful accompaniment to the pork and paired very nicely with the wine.  It comes together in less than half an hour, using the quick cooking barley.  I am sharing that recipe with you as well today because they really go so well together.

We dined in front of the fireplace by candlelight and finished our dinner with individual cheesecakes that I will be sharing with you on February 12th with my Baking Bloggers group.  This was an early Valentine's Day dinner for us as we are going to be traveling home from California on Valentine's Day while fasting and abstaining as it is also Ash Wednesday this year.

The Valtellino wine poured russet in color and was light, smooth and fruity.  It paired amazingly well with the pork and barley.  When paired with the dinner the feel of the wine was deeper and the taste much richer.  I'm glad I went through the trouble of finding this wine.

The meal, itself, was truly awesome and one that I'm sure will be made time and again.  Frank loved it and it made for a very nice, romantic, dinner for two but I see myself, very proudly, serving this to guests at a future dinner party.

Make sure to stop by the links below for more great Recipes for Two ideas for this Valentine's Day.  Below those links you will find links offering more information on this wine from Valtellina that was worth all the effort to track it down.

Pork Filet Mignon with Mushroom Barley

adapted from Cuisine at Home, Issue #109

Pork Filet Mignon:

8 oz. pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2" filets
salt and pepper to taste
2 t. olive oil
2 T. mince Vidalia onion
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. chicken stock
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. lemon juice
dash of Tabasco sauce
1 t. butter

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Season the filets with salt and pepper.  When oil is shimmering, add the filets and cook for 5-6 minutes, without moving, until seared golden brown.  Flip the filets and cook for another 6-8 minutes until an internal temperature of 145* is reached.  Remove filets to a platter, tent with foil and set aside.

Add the onions to the same pan over medium heat.  Cook for a minute or two, until translucent.  Add the wine and stir, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Cook until reduced by half.  Add the chicken broth, Worcestershire, mustard, lemon and Tabasco.  Cook and stir for a few minutes until smooth and combined.  Turn off heat and stir in butter.  Pour over filets and serve.  Print Recipe

Mushroom Barley:

1/4 c. diced onion
1 carrot, scraped and diced
2 t. olive oil
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c. dry white wine
1  1/4 c. chicken stock
3/4 c. quick cooking barley
1 bay leaf

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over med high heat.  Add the onions and carrots and cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally for another few minutes.

Add the wine, cook and stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom, until reduced by half.  Add the stock, barley and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and barley is tender but still toothsome.  Discard bay leaf and serve.  Print Recipe

More Romantic Recipes for Two

Savory

• Chicken Florentine for 2 by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Jerk Scallops with Pineapple Salsa over Coconut Rice by Books n’ Cooks
• Pork Filet Mignon by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Sweet

• Banana Split Cookie Trifle for Two by Palatable Pastime
• Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two (Pizookies) by House of Nash Eats
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cakes for 2 by Kate's Recipe Box
• Do You Carrot All Cake by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Heart Cocoa for Two by Amy's Cooking Adventures

More Wines from Valtellina

• Susannah Gold is sharing "Exploring the wines of Mamete Prevostini in the Valtellina" on Avvinare.
  
• Jennifer Martin is sharing "The Valtellina: Home of Chiavennasca" on Vino Travels
• Camilla Mann will be dishing on "Short Ribs + the Balgera Valtellina Superiore Inferno #ItalianFWT" on Culinary Adventures with Cam.
• Katarina Andersson will share "Valtellina - Winemaking in a Mountain Landscape" on Grapevine Adventures
• Martin Redmond writes "A Taste of Valtellina: 2014 ArPePe Rosso Superiore with Wild Mushroom Ragout over Creamy Polenta" on Enofylz Wine Blog
• Jeff Burrows shares "Double Secret Winery: Giorgio Gianatti in Valtellina" on Food Wine Click
• Wendy Klik brings "Celebrating Love: Pork Filet Mignon with Valtellina Wine" to life on A Day In the Life on the the Farm
• Li Valentine shares "A taste of Valtellina with Nino Negri and Carpaccio" on The Wining Hour

Countdown to 2018: Main Dish

Today, Sarah of Fantastical Sharing of Recipes, has asked us to share our favorite Main Dishes from the past year.  

I didn't even know where to begin so I decided to share entrees from each of the following categories.

Beef

This skillet seared filet mignon paired with roasted vegetables in a salad was a wonderful start to the New Year last January.  I think it may become a tradition since just looking at this is making me drool.

Chicken

This Provencal Chicken, marinated in seasoned olive oil and then grilled was one of my personal favorite new poultry recipes.

Venison

OH MY YUM!!!!  This venison marinades in red wine for 3 days before it is braised to tender, juicy perfection.  I hope somebody gifts me some venison this year because I can't wait to make this again. This French Style Braised Venison Roast was to die for.

Pork

My favorite pork recipe was just published a couple of weeks ago.  I made this Pork Wellington for my first Christmas dinner party of 2017.

Seafood

I had a lot of new seafood recipes last year but I finally had to settle on this Lobster Pot Pie that I served as a first course at a dinner party last January.

Meatless Entree

Noodles and Cabbage have long been a favorite around here.  I can't believe I had never shared them before this year.

Pasta

If there is anything better than a slow braised, meaty, flavorful pasta sauce I certainly don't know what it is.  This delicious sauce is made with with Beef Shank in the Slow Cooker.  It doesn't get any easier than that.  

I hope you enjoy these recipes and I hope you stop by and see what the others are sharing today as well.  See you tomorrow.

More Main Dish Delights

An InLinkz Link-up

Pork Wellington #CooktheBooks

Our novel for this session of Cook the Books was chosen by Debra of Eliots Eat's.  It is the story of a slave from Ancient Rome who is coveted by many masters because of his skill in the kitchen.

I listened to Feast of Sorrow by Crystal King on Audiobooks, narrated by Simon Vance.

It was my favorite novel assigned in our CTB to date.  I LOVED this historical fiction account of Thrasius, a slave who is acquired, at great cost, by gourmand, Marcus Gavius Apicius.

Apicius is very wealthy and obsessed with serving as culinary advisor to Caesar.  He purchases Thrasius believing that he is the best of the best and will get him this coveted position.  Thrasius, is an amazing cook and creates for Apicius the reputation of giving the best, most lavish parties in all of Rome.

Since Apicius own Thrasius all of Thrasius' talents then belong to Apicius who receives all the credit for every dish Thrasius makes.  Apicius loves to cook as well and has huge dreams and goals.  Apicius creates the first cookbook, starts the first culinary school and becomes a legacy in the Roman culinary world.

Thrasius, previously owned by a cruel taskmaster who didn't hesitate to beat him and use him for his sexual deviancy, wants very badly to impress and please Apicius.  The very first meal he serves him is Ham in Pastry.  You can learn more about this selection and how to join in this event by going to Debra's Announcement Post.

In my mind's eye, when I heard this dish spoken of, I saw Pork Wellington.  That is the dish that I decided to make, inspired by this novel.

I found this recipe for Pork Wellington by Alton Brown. It is pork tenderloin stuffed with dried apples, wrapped first in prosciutto and then in puff pastry. I served it at my first dinner party of the Christmas season.  

It was delicious and I'm sure Apicius would have allowed me to live one more day.......

I doubled this recipe, making two Wellingtons,  as we were having 6 for dinner.  This gave me plenty and allowed for leftovers.  I thought the best tip from Alton was cutting the tenderloin in half and then turning one so they lay tail to end on each side, so that they cook evenly.  Other than that I made the recipe exactly as written.

I am also linking this post to Foodies Read.  Stop by and see what the others are reading this month.

Pork Wellington

courtesy of Alton Brown

1 egg

1 T. water

1 oz. dried apple rings or chips

1 whole pork tenderloin

4 1/2 oz. prosciutto, thinly sliced

salt and pepper, to taste

1 t. fresh thyme leaves

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed per package directions

1 T. whole grain mustard

Whisk together the egg and water.  Set aside.

Pulse the apple in a food processor, until they are the size of medium dice.

Trim the tenderloin of any extra fat and all silverskin.  Cut in half, lengthwise, then turn one of the halves so the tenderloin is laying tail to head, making them the same size on each end.

Place the prosciutto onto a piece of parchment paper a little longer than the tenderloin.  Top with a second piece of parchment and, using a rolling pin, roll over the parchment so the prosciutto adheres together.  Remove the top piece of parchment. Season the prosciutto with salt, pepper and thyme.

Place the tenderloin onto the prosciutto.  Place the diced apple in between both halves and press together.  Using the parchment paper on which the prosciutto lies, wrap the prosciutto around the pork tenderloin so that it is completely enclosed.  

Roll out the pastry to an approx. 12x14".  Spread the mustard down the center of the pastry. Lay the tenderloin on top of the mustard and fold the pastry up over the tenderloin, using the egg wash to seal the edges.  Place onto a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down.  Pinch the edges shut, using the egg wash to seal.  Brush the entire package with the remaining egg wash.

Bake in a preheated 400* oven for about half an hour, until an internal temperature reading is at least 140* and the pastry is golden brown.

Let rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.  Print Recipe