Michele's Bridal Shower

Pork Tenderloin With Maple-Mustard Glaze

Pork tenderloin makes a succulent supper dish, and it takes just minutes to put together. The sweetness of the maple creates a caramelized crust on the pork and is balanced out by the use of spicy mustard.This dish is extremely easy to make and surprisingly elegant. If you don't have an ovenproof frying pan, transfer the pork to a roasting pan after browning and then place the roasting pan directly on the stove to finish the sauce.

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3 tablespoons grainy mustard

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup chicken broth

 

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.

• In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup and grainy mustard. Bring to a boil and reduce until a thick glaze, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and lemon juice.

• Cut the tenderloin if half, if necessary, so that it will fit into a large oven-proof frying pan. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the pan until hot but not smoking and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Coat the pork with 4 tablespoons of the mustard mixture and roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 150°F, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes.

• Meanwhile, transfer the frying pan to the stove and add the remaining glaze and the chicken broth. Cook over moderate heat until thickened, about 1 minute.

• Cut the pork into thin slices and serve with the sauce.

 

 

Maple Yogurt Coffee Cake With Blueberries

The inclusion of maple syrup in this cake lets you get away with adding healthy ingredients. Whole wheat flour, barley flour and flaxseed meal all make it in, and no one will ever know it. The maple syrup creates a wonderful aroma.

Ingredients

CAKE

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup barley flour

1/4 cup flaxseed meal or ground flaxseeds

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

8 ounces butter

1/2 cup organic whole cane sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

 

TOPPING

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/4 cup maple sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

 

Directions

• Butter or spray 2 4 x 2 1/2 x 8 loaf cake pans, or one 12 cup bundt cake pan with non stick spray and dust with flour. Shake out excess flour. In a small bowl, sift together flours, flax seed meal, baking soda and baking powder.

• In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat butter with maple syrup and sugar on low speed until softened. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until blended. Alternately add flour mixture and yogurt into the butter mixture. Spoon ½ of the batter into each of the two loaf pans. Scatter blueberries on top. Sprinkle with half the topping. Fill pans with remaining batter and top with rest of topping.

• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the cake tests clean when pierced with a skewer or paring knife.

 

Maple-Glazed Chicken Breasts With Mustard Jus

If you thought chicken breast was boring, think again. When it's glazed with maple syrup, sherry vinegar and orange juice you just can't go wrong. And served atop sauteed greens and bacon, this is one supper you'll be making often.

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoon(s) pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter

1 cup(s) fresh bread crumbs

1 tablespoon(s) chopped parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil

4 6-ounce boneless chicken breast halves, with skin

1 tablespoon(s) sherry vinegar

1/2 cup(s) chicken stock

2 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard

 

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter. Stir in the bread crumbs and cook over moderate heat until golden. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Wipe out the skillet.

• Add the olive oil to the skillet and heat until shimmering. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet, skin side down. Cook over moderately high heat until the skin is browned, 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and roast in the oven for 7 minutes, until just cooked through.

• Return the skillet to the burner. Add the syrup and vinegar; bring to a boil. Turn the chicken skin side down and cook until richly glazed, about 30 seconds; transfer to plates skin side up. Add the stock to the skillet and boil until reduced by one-third, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the mustard and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Top with the bread crumbs and serve.

 

Watercress and Fennel Salad With Blood Orange

While maple syrup is a natural pairing on pancakes and waffles, it also makes a sweet addition to your salads. And in these recipes, a little bit goes a long way. The combination of bitter greens, soothing fennel and tart blood orange makes this a super-refreshing and beautiful addition to nearly any spring menu. For a completely different taste, substitute fresh mint leaves for the thyme, or use both.

 

Ingredients

2 blood oranges

2 bunches watercress, trimmed

1/2 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced

 

Vinaigrette

4 teaspoons pure maple syrup

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Directions

• To prepare oranges, cut off both ends, and cut between the peel and the orange to remove peel and pith completely. Cut oranges crosswise into 1⁄4-inch slices, place in bowl and set aside.

• Arrange watercress on individual plates or on a large platter and top with sliced fennel. In small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, shallot, maple syrup and thyme leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove oranges from bowl and arrange on salad. Pour remaining juice from oranges into the vinaigrette bowl. Whisk to combine, drizzle evenly over salad and serve.