Pork Tenderloin With Creamy Shallot-Mustard Pan Sauce

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds total Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste Olive oil as needed 1 large shallot, minced, about 2 tablespoons 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme (optional) 2 teaspoons Amontillado sherry or Marsala, to taste 1/2 cup double-strength chicken broth (see Note) 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard (Gulden's preferred) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional) 1/4 cup heavy cream Lemon juice, to taste

Instructions: 1. About 45 minutes before cooking, trim silver skin from pork and generously season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold the thin end of the pork under the tenderloin so it cooks more evenly, then tie with butcher string. 2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 3. In a large ovenproof skillet over high heat, add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. When the oil shimmers, carefully place the tenderloins in the skillet. Sear on all sides; wait to turn the meat until it easily releases when you shake the pan. After turning to brown last side, place skillet in the oven and roast until the internal temperature reaches 142 degrees-145 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness and weight of the tenderloin. The meat will be fully cooked but will retain a blush of pink. Remove meat to a platter or cutting board; cover loosely with foil while you make the sauce. 4. For the pan sauce: Return the still-hot skillet to the stove over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and thyme. Cook until the onions become translucent, stirring and scraping the pan to incorporate any browned bits. Deglaze with sherry and cook until almost dry. Whisk in doublestrength chicken broth and mustard, and cook a minute or two to meld flavors. Remove skillet and incorporate butter and cream. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. 5. Slice tenderloins, pouring any accumulated juices into the pan sauce. Spoon a little sauce over the pork and serve any remainder to the side. 6. Note: For double-strength broth or stock, reduce 1 cup regular-strength by half or dissolve 1 teaspoon Organic Better than Bouillon reduced sodium chicken base concentrate in 1/2 cup hot water. 7. Wine pairing: The pan sauce is complemented by a rich Chardonnay such as the 2009 Pine Ridge Dijon Clone Carneros Napa Valley Chardonnay ($34 ; 14.1%) Nutrition Information:

Per serving: 262 calories, 31 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat (7 g saturated), 120 mg cholesterol, 87 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

Knedliky (dumplings) are a tough competitor to potatoes in the Czech world. If someone asks me Would you like potatoes or knedliky as a side dish? I may just sit there for half an hour to compare the pros and the cons of those 2 food items. The potatoes would probably win in my case, but other Czechs would pick knedliky in no time. To sum it up, knedliky are a VERY important part of the Czech heritage. I myself gave up on making them because for some reason I thought they were really hard to make. Recently however, I was digging through my Czech cookbooks and I found a recipe that is not only very EXTRA easy but also very delicious. For those who are not that familiar with the art of knedliky, let me educate you. There are 2 types of knedliky, the ones made out of bread and the ones made out of potatoes. This recipe shows you how to make easy bread dumplings, which go the best with meat entrees such as Goulash, or Koprovka which you can find in my recipe category. So here we go: INGREDIENTS:

4 slices of bread 1 and 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour 1 cup of water 1 package of baking powder ( = 15 grams = 4 Tsp of baking powder) 1/2 Tsp of salt

Method: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt together Cut up the bread slices into cubes Mix the bread cubes with the flour/baking powder mixture Mix in the cup of water and work the mixture with your hands until a dough forms Create 2 oval loaves Put them carefully into a pot of boiling water (salted) Cook them uncovered for about 20 to 25 minutes, but turn them over after the first 10 minutes of cooking. Take both loaves out of the pot and slice them up with a piece of thread Serve!

Apple Cinnamon Cake

Apple sauce and whole grain flour make this cinnamon-rich cake deceptively healthy. RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 C applesauce* 2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla C raw sugar (turbinado) C brown sugar 1 3/4 C whole grain flour blend( equal parts, spelt, brown rice, and barley) or optionally soft white wheat flour (pastry flour) 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp cinnamon 1 C cinnamon chips (or chocolate, butterscotch, etc.) Topping: 3 T brown sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon
C pecans

DIRECTIONS 1. Add to a large bowl the applesauce, vanilla, and both of the eggs. Mix until the eggs are fully incorporated. 2. Next add the flour, baking soda, sugars, and cinnamon. Carefully mix all of the ingredients together. 3. In a separate bowl add 3/4 C of the cinnamon chips, reserving the rest for the topping. Toss them with 2 T whole grain flour. This helps them so they don't all sink to the bottom and are evenly dispersed throughout the batter. 4. Fold in the cinnamon chips. 5. Pour batter into baking dish. Top with the cinnamon sugar topping mixture and remaining cinnamon chips. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Mushroom Pie Rated: Submitted By: GATOULA Photo By: aachrisman Prep Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour Cook Time: 40 Minutes Servings: 12 "My mum who is from Russian used to make the stuffing as a main meal. I turned it into a pie and the result is heavenly!!" INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese 1 (10 ounce) package fresh salt and pepper to taste mushrooms, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill sliced 1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff 1 large onion, chopped pastry, thawed 4 slices bacon, chopped 1 egg, beaten 3/4 cup heavy cream DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion and bacon; cook and stir for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the cream and dill; cook and stir for about 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the cheese. 3. Place one sheet of puff pastry on a well oiled baking sheet, and pour the mushroom filling over the top. Cover with the other sheet, and press the edges together to seal. Make some holes in the top with a fork. Brush the top with beaten egg. 4. Bake for about 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool, then cut into squares to serve.