The 21st Century Housewife's Pork Tenderloin with Apple Balsamic Gravy – A Cook Once, Eat Twice Recipe

The recipe makes enough to serve at least four - but don’t worry if you have leftovers. They taste lovely the next day in the recipe for Fajitas I’ve posted below this one. In fact, sometimes I double this recipe just so I have extra leftovers for the fajitas! If you do double the recipe, be sure to use two roasting pans so everything cooks evenly.

You do have to cook just a little bit on the second night, roasting up the peppers to go with the fajitas, but it’s nothing too onerous. However if you’d rather you can do it the first night in a separate pan in the oven and save them for the second. Be sure to cool and refrigerate them promptly.

This dish has one of the nicest gravies I think I have ever invented. The apple and onion melt together to flavour it beautifully, and the Dijon mustard gives it a lovely tang. It’s a great summer dish because tenderloin cooks pretty quickly, so you won’t have to have the oven on for much more than an hour.

There is a fair amount of vinegar in this recipe, but don’t worry, it makes it taste absolutely delicious. When it combines with the apple and onion it gives a wonderful depth of flavour.

2 onions, red if possible

2 red skinned eating apples

2 pork tenderloins

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup apple juice

about ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock

¼ teaspoon fresh or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 generous tablespoon redcurrant or cranberry jelly

salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the 2 tbsp cider vinegar and olive oil, and marinate the tenderloin for at least an hour in the fridge.




Peel and quarter the onions, reserving one half of one onion.  Core the apples and quarter them, again reserving one half of one apple.

Place the tenderloin in a roasting pan and arrange the apple and onion quarters around it. Pour the marinade over to coat everything. Cook in the oven at about 375℉ or 190℃ (about 170℃ for a fan oven) for about 40 to 50 minutes, turning the apples and onions halfway through.

Meanwhile, finely chop the reserved half onion and half apple. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and sauté the chopped onion and apple over low to medium heat. You want them to cook slowly so they almost “melt” as they become tender. To do this you need to keep sautéing them over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about half an hour.

When the apple and onion are very soft and have cooked together, turn the heat back up to medium and add the balsamic vinegar. Let it all bubble away for a minute or so.

Sprinkle the flour over top and stir into the apples and onions. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly, just to cook the floury taste away. Gradually add the apple juice, stirring after each addition. Now gradually add the chicken stock, stirring constantly, until you get a nicely textured gravy. (You may need slightly more or less than the half cup.)  Stir in the mustard and thyme, and then blend in the cranberry or redcurrant jelly until you have a fairly smooth gravy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Check that the pork is cooked through, and when it is, slice and serve with the gravy. This is delicious served over mashed potatoes and/or with some broccoli on the side.

Refrigerate any leftovers promptly and save them for:-

Yummy Tenderloin Fajitas

Leftover sliced tenderloin from the first night

1 red onion, peeled and cut in eighths

1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced

1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and sliced

1 orange pepper, de-seeded and sliced

(It goes without saying you can vary the colours here, you just need 3 peppers!)

1 zucchini, ends removed and sliced in sticks

2 tablespoons olive oil

as much of 1 red chili, seeds removed and finely sliced, as you would like

(My family like it mild, so I add very little, but if you like it hot, go for it!)

large flour tortillas

1 cup of grated cheese (optional)

salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole for garnish

Place the onion, peppers and zucchini in a large roasting dish and drizzle the oil over top. Stir with your hands to coat the veggies with the oil. Bake at about 375℉ or 190℃ (about 170℃ for a fan oven) for about half an hour, stirring halfway through.

When the vegetables are nearly cooked, slice the tenderloin into small strips or pieces and place in a small roasting pan. I like to put about a tablespoon of water in with the pork, cover firmly with aluminum foil and heat gently in a low oven, turning occasionally until warm through – but if you are in a rush you can use a microwave. Just be sure to keep the meat warm once you have heated it.

Serve the tortillas, pork and vegetables in separate warmed dishes so everyone can assemble and wrap their own fajitas. (If you have a warming tray or plate that you can put on the table it really helps.)

Serve grated cheese, if using, salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole on the side.

The 21st Century Housewife’s© Sirloin and Asparagus Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

This hearty salad isn't just tasty, it's good for you too.  Lean steak has lots of protein and asparagus is a great source of folic acid and vitamins.  It is also a great salad if you are watching your weight because it is filling without being too high in calories. You can use as much or as little of the dressing as you like, and because it contains the punchy flavours of balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard a little of it goes a long way.  It's also incredibly easy to throw together at the last minute - and you can always use ready prepared bagged salad leaves if you are really in a hurry.

The quantities below will serve two to three people.

4 to 6 cups of assorted lettuces, washed and torn
(I used iceberg, Boston lettuce and baby romaine)
a handful of radishes, washed and thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
one large bunch of asparagus (about 20 pieces), washed
2 to 3 sirloin steaks, about four to six ounces each, preferably about a half inch thick
Montreal Steak Seasoning

Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 generous teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar

Trim any excess fat from the steaks and sprinkle with Montreal Steak Seasoning on both sides. Heat a frying pan and when it is nice and hot, add the steaks.

Meanwhile, trim the asparagus stalks and cut most of them in half but leave about four to six of them whole for garnish. Place in a saucepan with just enough water to cover them, pop a lid on, bring to the boil, and cook for about two to three minutes. Drain immediately, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking and then cover with the lid. Set aside.

Turn the steaks once, cooking for a total of about three to five minutes on each side depending on the desired doneness. Just before they are cooked, put them on a warm plate, cover with aluminum foil and a tea towel, and set aside to rest.

Put the dressing ingredients in a clean jam jar or other container with a lid and shake together well.

Divide the lettuce, radishes, most of the tomatoes and the cut pieces of asparagus between the plates. Toss together. Slice the steaks in fairly thin slices and place on top of the lettuce. Garnish with the whole stalks of asparagus and the remaining cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.

The 21st Century Housewife's© Balsamic Brandy and Onion Sauce for Beef

This is a fantastic sauce for beef, whether it be fillet steak or Salisbury steak! (For anyone who is not familiar with Salisbury steak, this is a very popular dish in North America made of seasoned ground beef and shaped into an sort of oval shaped patty to resemble a steak.) I developed this sauce on Friday night to serve with some sirloin steak I got from our wonderful butcher and it was received very warmly by my tireless recipe testers (my husband and son). It really is delicious, and very, very easy to make, transforming a fairly ordinary steak dinner into something wonderful - or turning a hamburger patty into something very special indeed.

For enough sauce for three to four servings, you need:-

1 generous tablespoon butter
1 large onion
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brandy
1/2 to 3/4 cup canned beef consomme or beef stock

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté gently for ten to fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar and balsamic vinegar and stir through.



Pour the brandy over the onions and very carefully light the alcohol with a match. Allow to flame for a few seconds and then carefully blow out the flames.

Add about 1/2 cup of the beef stock and stir in. Turn the heat up to high and allow to reduce, stirring fairly regularly. If it thickens too much, gradually add a bit more stock, but keep the mixture fairly thick by keeping the heat high.



Lower the heat to medium, stir again and serve over your steak.

The 21st Century Housewife's© Balsamic Chicken and Bacon Pasta

Chicken and bacon are a classic combination, but the addition of a balsamic vinegar spiked sauce makes this pasta dish really special. This is one of those recipes that tastes so good, no one can believe how easy it is to make. It really does not take a long time either, but it is important to take your time sautéing the onion as this really helps the flavour to develop. Onions are one of those things that get better the longer you cook them, provided you keep them over a very low heat so they do not burn or catch.

The quantities below serve 2 very generously - in fact I am pretty sure they would stretch to 3 if you use the 7 ounces of pasta. It’s easily doubled though if there are more of you.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
½ cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 ounces chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
2 generous tablespoons half fat crème fraîche or low fat sour cream
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon pepper
about ¼ cup chopped pancetta or bacon
6 to 7 ounces whole wheat pasta (depending on how hungry you are)
1 large cooked chicken breast, thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over low heat. Sauté the onion gently for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and continue to fry over low heat for five to ten more minutes.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon or pancetta in a small pan over medium heat and start to cook the pasta according to package directions.

Now, add the stock and balsamic vinegar to the onions and mushrooms and turn the heat up to high. Let it bubble away madly, reducing the stock, for a couple of minutes.



Turn down the heat and add the crème fraiche or low fat sour cream and the pepper. Drain the pancetta or bacon, add to the sauce mixture and stir through. Add the chicken and fold in very gently. Turn the heat down to low and heat through.



Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Fold the sauce in gently. Serve in warmed bowls accompanied by lots of hot, crusty bread.