Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I found these recipes separately. I was really just after a simple recipe for pork tenderloin. I found this Maple Mustard one on About.com. Easy. Then I realized I had these two sweet potatoes that needed to be used, but I only had about 30 minutes until I wanted everything on the table. Baking them in any way was out, so I quickly searched for a mashed sweet potato recipe, figuring it was faster to boil them than bake. I found one on MarthaStewart.com. And it is even easier than boiling...it steams them so you don't have to mess with dumping out boiling water while trying not to lose any bits of potato down the drain. Priceless.

I wouldn't change anything about the pork recipe, except I ended up having a bunch of glaze left over. I think it would have covered two tenderloins. I used one of the tenderloins from Costco...I didn't realize two came in the package, and since I wasn't sure how far the glaze would go, I only baked one. I could have easily done both of them.

With the sweet potatoes, I followed the recipe exactly, but I think you could cut the milk mixture, even by half. The sweet potatoes ended up beautifully creamy and rich, but I just kept thinking about how fattening they were with all that butter and half & half. I think you could reduce the amount of liquid between a 3/4 and 1/2 of the amount. It just depends on how creamy (and fattening) you want them.

Mustard Pork Tenderloin
1 to 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin (I think mine was about 2 pounds)
salt and pepper
1 to 2 TBS olive oil (enough to coat the skillet)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
3 TBS Dijon mustard

1. Line a baking dish (or cookie sheet) with foil and spray with cooking spray. Heat oven to 350.
2. Wash pork, trim excess fat and silver skin, and season with salt and pepper.
3. In large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add pork and sear on all sides.
4. Combine syrup and mustard in small bowl and whisk until smooth.
5. Place pork in baking dish and roast for 12 minutes. Brush generously with about half of the mustard mixture and roast for about 5 minutes more, or until the pork reaches about 155 degrees.
6. Heat remaining sauce in microwave to boil.
7. Let pork rest for about 5 minutes, then slice and drizzle with remaining sauce.

This easily served 3 adults and one child.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed in about 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup half and half
3 TBS butter
2 TBS brown sugar

1. Steam potatoes in steam basket for about 15 minutes, or until tender.
2. In separate saucepan, combine half and half, butter and brown sugar. Heat on low until melted, stirring often.
3. When potatoes are done, mash with either a masher or in a mixer (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer). Add milk mixture and mash until just mixed. Season with salt and pepper.

I would say this makes about 4 serving.

Cranberry Apple Sauce

I have never been a cranberry sauce fan. That gelatinous stuff that comes out of the can has never looked appealing. But this...this was really good. I know it's well past Thanksgiving, and this is technically a Thanksgiving recipe, but it was so tasty I have to write it down here. I'm thinking of using it again at Christmas.

Cranberry Apple Sauce

1 cup apple cider (I used regular apple juice)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Braeburn or Gala apple, peeled and grated (I used Gala)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 12 oz. bag fresh or frozen cranberries (I used fresh)
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
salt to taste

Boil cider, sugar, apple, cinnamon, and cloves in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add cranberries and simmer 10-12 minutes, or until berries burst and sauce thickens. (I had to constantly "pop" the cranberries as they were cooking. It took about 15 minutes for it to thicken) Stir in vinegar, season with salt, and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Can be made up to 2 days ahead.