Brown Sugar & Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin and Hasselback Potatoes

Pinterest.  The website that inspires, overwhelms, motivates, and increases feelings of inadequacy all at once.  And I can't get enough of it.  Go figure.

I've pinned a few zillion recipes, and I've tried some of them, but none that would make it into my regular repertoire, until these two.  They are quick, fancy-schmancy, and taste fab-u-lous. 

Thank you, Pinterest, for introducing me to them.

Brown Sugar & Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Adapted from C+C Marriage Factory

2 lb. pork tenderloin

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1. In a small bowl, combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Rub over pork tenderloin.

2. Place meat in slow cooker.  Add water.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

3. About 1 hour before the meat is finished cooking, combine ingredients for glaze in a saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until sauce has thickened.  (Watch it carefully so it doesn't boil over; this sauce is a booger to try to clean off of a glass cook top if it boils over and bakes on.  Trust me, I know.)

4. Remove any excessive liquids from the slow cooker (I left about 1/2 cup of liquid in the bottom, but removed the rest.  I also turned my slow cooker heat up to high for the last hour because my meat seemed extra liquid-y.) 

5. Baste tenderloin with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking.

6. Serve hot with any remaining glaze on the side.

Hasselback Potatoes

Adapted from Seasaltwithfood

6 medium Yellow or Gold or Red potatoes

2 - 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
Sea salt or kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 425˚F.

2. With the flattest side down,  start from one end of the potato and thinly slice without cutting all the way through.  (I placed my potatoes in the bowl part of a large wooden spoon to keep me from slicing all the way through.)

3. Arrange the potatoes in a baking sheet and insert the garlic in randomly between the slits.   Scatter some butter on top of each potato. Then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some salt and freshly ground black pepper on top of each.

4. Bake the potatoes for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.

Asian Chicken

We've had a pretty hectic past few weeks.  Between a nasty little stomach bug and having oodles and oodles of leftovers from various church functions, I have hardly cooked anything.  So at this point we are all pretty sick of random-whatever-is-in-the-fridge-or-comes-from-a-box meals.

Unfortunately, life is still crazy, so tonight I wanted something simple, but satisfying.  This Asian Chicken definately hit the spot.  Since I didn't have much time, I served it with steam-in-the-bag brown rice, egg rolls, and stir-fry veggies.

Asian Chicken
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thigh tenders (DON'T use chicken breasts--it would be too dry)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. sesame oil (I used peanut oil)
3 cloves garlic, minced

Place thighs into the bottom of a crockpot.  Lay as flat as possible.  Combine the rest of the ingredients in a samll bowl.  Pour over the chicken.  Cover and cook on low for three hours, stirring once.

(Source: 365 Days of Slow Cooking)