The before...

The house we sold in Phoenix had so many cabinets and lots of storage in the kitchen - but the one we bought out here in Maryland had very dated, kind of run down and not-very-functional-for-us cabinets. We did know going into this that we would end up having to redo the kitchen - it was just a matter of time!

Tonight we will start the before pictures of the kitchen project - this way you can see what we started with back in late September. We quickly took these pictures so they might not be too clear - look for the demo pictures tomorrow!




Sometimes the simplest of ingredients can turn an ordinary piece of meat into something fantastic - which is what happened with tonight's dinner of Mustard-Maple Pork Tenderloin. Lately it seems that pork is getting so lean that the flavor can be a little disappointing, but a sweet and savory sauce can make all the difference. A straightforward mixture of Dijon, salt and pepper seasons the outside of the tenderloin before it gets seared in a hot skillet. When all of the sides achieve a caramelized finish, the pan slips into the oven to finish the pork off just enough so the center keeps a light pink hue. While the tenderloin rests to give the juices a chance to redistribute, a thick sauce is made from a splash of cider vinegar to scrap up the divine crusty bits that remain on the bottom of the skillet. Tangy Dijon and sweet pure maple syrup are whisked in and give the sauce a rich mouth feel. To push the sauce to the edge, the juices that seeped out of the tenderloin are whisked back into the sauce so no flavor goes to waste. I served this with plain ol' mashed taters and a couple of toasted slices from the last of the Rosemary-Asiago Chop Bread. Jeff and I both thought that this would be a nice dish to serve for guests.

Recipes

Mustard-Maple Pork Tenderloin