Autumn-Inspired Recipes: Pairing Apples with Pork

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

08 Oct 2008 08:06 AM

Sixteen pounds and counting. And I'm not referring to my waist. That's about how many pounds of fresh apples I have left after picking a bushel of them at our local orchard a couple weeks ago.

Needless to say, the task of creating mouthwatering dishes my family will happily devour is becoming more of a chore than a pleasure. But, I digress. If you too are looking for ways to incorporate fresh apples into your daily menu you might consider the following recipes I whipped up a few days ago... when I was still excited about cooking with apples.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH APPLES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

2 pork tenderloins

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup apple cider

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons butter

6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

Mix together canola oil, cider vinegar, mustard and honey.

Place pork in a large Ziploc bag or glass dish. Pour vinegar mixture over pork. Seal bag or cover dish and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

When ready to cook, take pork out of bag or dish and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in large oven safe skillet. Add pork and brown on all sides for a few minutes.

Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove pork from skillet and cover with foil. Add apple cider and chicken broth to pan juices and boil for a few minutes. Then add cream and continue to cook on low for a few minutes. Keep sauce warm.

Meanwhile, melt butter in another large skillet. Add apples and brown sugar. Cook until just tender.

Slice pork and serve with sauce and apples on the side.

APPLE GORGONZOLA SALAD

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 bag of prepackaged spring mix lettuce

1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1 to 2 thinly sliced apples

3 to 5 slices Prosciutto, chopped

Directions:

Whisk together first five ingredients to make dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Toss together remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad.

Serve immediately.

Michele Cheplic writes about red-hot celebrities in POP CULTURE, fiery topics in PARENTS, sizzling recipes in FOOD, calorie burning exercises in FITNESS, and hot new kid-friendly crafts in FUN. Check out all of her articles here.

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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