Cherry Sauce

Growing up I always loved eating those maraschino cherries out of the jar at my grandparents' home.  You know, those bright red ones that always top off an ice cream sundae?  I would eat those like candy and then drink the juice in the jar.  Kind of gross, but they were oh so good at the time!  I'll still ask for a small cup of them any time I see them at a bar alongside the limes.

While I also love those big, plump cherries you can get in the summer, I always miss them when they're out of season.  Enter dried cherries.  While they definitely can't compare to the fresh, ripe fruit, they are great for adding delicious cherry flavor to dishes and desserts.

I had some dried cherries left over from some granola bars I made the previous weekend (that post is coming soon...promise!) and decided to figure out a way to incorporate them into my pork loin that was sitting in my freezer.  I've had cranberries with pork, but never cherries.

This sauce was incredibly easy to make and I loved the different flavor the cherries lent to the dish.  It was sweet, but the balsamic vinegar balanced that out perfectly.  I served the pork with the honey glazed carrots I posted last week, but next time I'm definitely going for some mashed potatoes.

And don't be shy about adding this sauce to something other than pork.  It would work great with turkey or chicken as well (I'm having a Thanksgiving vision....).

The recipe below is just for the sauce.  I seared and roasted my pork loin and simply added the sauce over it at the end.

Honey Dijon Pork Loin with Veggies

Most of the time I feature confections loaded with sugar on this site (hey, I've got to stay true to my title), but for this post I'm bringing you something you could actually eat without going into a sugar coma.  I love honey and mustard together, and I think pork is such a great alternative to chicken....thus, honey dijon pork!

Another great thing about this meal is it's done all in one dish.  Adding some vegetables into the bottom of the pan allows the juices from the pork to marinate them throughout the time in the oven.   I'm sure you could also add some herbs to the veggies as well if you're looking for even more flavor.

Honey Dijon Pork Loin with Veggies
1 3-4lb pork loin, boneless
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
3/4 C Dijon mustard
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley leaves
1 tbsp freshly chopped chives
1 tbsp freshly chopped tarragon leaves
3 tbsp canola oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh "roasting" vegetables (I used carrots, onions and potatoes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Season the pork with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.   Combine vinegar, mustard, honey and herbs in medium bowl and set aside.

Cut vegetables into even pieces and place in the bottom of pan lined with tin foil and misted lightly with pam (makes for an easy clean up).  Sprinkle vegetables with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

*If you are using larger cuts of vegetables go ahead and let them get a head start on cooking while you prep your pork.  Larger portions of vegetables take some time to cook all the way through and might not be done within the 30 minutes alloted for the pork*

Heat canola oil in sautee pan over medium-high heat.  Sear pork loin evenly on all sides.  This seals all of the juices in so that the pork stays nice and flavorful!

Brush pork loin with mustard and honey mixture and place directly on top of vegetables in roasting pan.   Cook at 350 degrees for  approximately 30 minutes.   Remove from oven and let rest before slicing and serving.

Ready to go with the mustard and honey sauce.

*Please note that cooking times may vary greatly depending on the size of the pork loin.  To be safe, make sure that the internal temperature of the pork is 145 degrees.

DELICIOUS!!