Apple Dijon Pork Tenderloin: My new "holy smokes, company is coming over and I have NO TIME" go-to

Apple Dijon Pork Tenderloin

Want to look fancy in a flash?

Well, look no further! This right here is your new secret weapon.

Just a couple of days ago, I busted this little baby out when unexpected but oh-so-welcome guests popped by for a late lunch and it was a hit! I just threw together a big kale salad to serve on the side and, voila! A culinary masterpiece in no time!

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Apple Dijon Pork Tenderloin

 Serves 4 to 6

2 pork tenderloins
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 small onions, trimmed, peeled, and sliced into 12 wedges
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grainy Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Gala apples*, cored and sliced into 10 to 12 wedges
½ cup dry hard cider, dry white wine, or just regular apple cider
½ cup chicken stock

Preheat oven to 425ºF and set a large cast iron skillet over medium/medium-high heat.

Pat the pork tenderloin dry with paper towel and coat each with vegetable oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper and sear the pork tenderloins until evenly browned all over. Transfer the pork to a plate and add the butter to the pan. Add in the onions, season with a pinch of salt, and allow them to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the Dijon, grainy Dijon, thyme, sage, and cinnamon and brush this mixture all over the pork tenderloins.

Add the apples to the onions and continue to cook for about 5 to 7 minutes just to give them a little colour. Carefully deglaze the pan with the cider or white wine and nestle in the pork.

Roast the pork for 15 to 17 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145ºF.

When cooked, transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover it with foil, and allow it to rest for 5 to 8 minutes. Place the onions and apples back onto medium heat and add in the chicken stock. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits off of the bottom of the pan and allow it to bubble away until the pork has rested.

Slice the pork and serve it alongside those lovely golden brown onions and apples.

*Any other firm, crisp, and sweet apple will work well here. Gala’s are my go-to but Red Princes are also scrumptious in this recipe!

Frittering the day away: Apple Fritters

Apple Fritters with Maple Glaze

Every Saturday morning during my undergrad, I would cajole at least one of my roommates out of bed at an unearthly hour to join me on my weekly trek to the St. Jacob's Farmers Market only to wait in a line reaching around the building for freshly made, piping hot apple fritters.

While they were always rewarded with their fair share of the journey's spoils, I've since figured out my own recipe.  This is pretty much a win-win situation for everyone.  I get glorious homemade fritters whenever the whim strikes and my roommate (read: husband) gets a good sleep in on Saturday mornings.

There are few things in life as impressive as fresh, homemade doughnuts and these apple fritters are sure to provide ample praise with minimal effort on your part.  

My only word of advise?  Don't tell anyone how easy they actually are ;)

If you're looking for a demo of this recipe or perhaps a tasty cocktail also inspired by apples, check out my segment on Your Morning!

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Apple Fritters

Makes about 18 fritters

Vegetable oil, for deep frying
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 slightly heaped tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg
¼ cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp melted unsalted butter
1 ½ cups peeled and cored apple, chopped into a ½ cm dice (I like Macintosh or Granny Smith)
Powdered sugar or Maple glaze (recipe follows)

Heat about an inch and a half of vegetable oil  in a large, deep pot over medium/medium-low heat until a thermometer registers between 340-350F

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry, add the melted butter after about three stirs, and continue to mix until almost combined.  Add the apples to the fritter batter and fold in.

When the oil is heated, carefully drop five or six heaped tablespoons of batter into the hot oil.  Make sure that each of the fritters has at least 2 inches of space between it and the next so that they brown evenly and the pan does not become overcrowded.  Fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Remove from the oil and place on a cooling rack to drain and cool slightly and enjoy as is, dusted with icing sugar, or snazzed up a bit with a maple glaze (recipe follows)!

Maple Glaze

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup powdered sugar
pinch salt
1 - 4 tbsp warm water, if needed

In a small frying pan, melt the butter over low heat then add in the maple syrup.  Remove the pan from the heat and carfully stir in the powdered sugar and salt.  The glaze should be quiet thin but should still be able to coat the back of a spoon.  If the glaze needs thinning, add warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.  If the glaze looks a little speckled, no worries.  That's just the butter solidifying again.  Pop the pan back on the heat for 10 seconds or so and that should fix everything!

Dip or dunk the cooled fritters into the warm glaze and allow to set for a few minutes before digging in!

Apple Tart

Apple Tart

I figured out at an early age that baking is always a good idea.  No matter the time of day or night, people welcome all manner of confections.  There were times in high school when an oh so weepy and just slightly angsty Mary would be found in the kitchen during the wee hours of the morning whipping up loaves, pies, cookies, and cakes.

This tart has been a go-to for me since those early high school days and has gotten me through many a broken heart, school induced anxiety, and the occasional sulk.

It's crisp & creamy, just sweet enough, and, no matter the time of year, reminds me of autumn which is always a good thing.

xM

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Apple Tart

Serves 12

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 tbsp milk

Vanilla Pastry Cream:

1 ½ cup milk
6 tbsp sugar
2 ½ tsp cornstarch
pinch salt
4 egg yolks
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla

Topping:

Apples*, cored and very thinly sliced
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

For the crust, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt; pulse to combine.
Add the butter and pulse to cut in.  You’re looking for the mixture to resemble very coarse bread crumbs with some chunks of butter about the size of a pea.
Mix the egg and milk, pour over the flour/butter mixture, and pulse to combine.
Dump the dough onto a piece of cling film, wrap, and press the dough together.
Place the dough in the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
When ready to make the tart, take the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.  This will make it much easier to work with without allowing the butter to soften too much.
While resting, adjust your oven rack to the upper third of your oven and preheat the to 400F.
Roll out your dough to ¼” thickness and place in a 10” removable bottom tart pan.
Dock the bottom of the crust by poking it about a dozen times with a fork, wrap the outer bottom of the tart pan with tin foil to avoid butter leaking out, and pop it back in the fridge for about 10 minutes to chill.
Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and continue to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the crust is evenly golden.
Remove from the oven and allow crust to cool.

For the pastry cream, in a medium saucepan combine milk with 3 tablespoons sugar and place over medium heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar with the cornstarch and pinch of salt.
Quickly whisk in the egg yolks and set aside until milk is scalded (very hot and almost simmering).
Once milk is scalded, slowly pour it into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the yolks.
After all of the milk has been combined, return the mixture to the pot and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 3-5 minutes).
Once thick, remove pastry cream from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla until combined.
Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve to catch any cooked egg.
Cool the mixture to use in the apple tart.

To finish the tart, preheat the oven to 350F.
Evenly spread the cooled pastry cream into the cooled crust and arrange the thinly sliced apples on top in whatever fashion you fancy.
Mix up the cinnamon sugar and sprinkle on top.
Bake the tart for approximately 5 – 7 minutes to soften the apples.
Cool to room temperature or in the fridge and serve.