A Holiday Meal from the Seasonal Plate

A quote from Maya Angelou

Seasonal Plate

Cook's Notes: This festive meal  is well worth the effort. Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Dried Cranberries, Roasted Petite Red Potatoes are flavorful sides for an Apple Roasted Pork with Cherry Balsamic Glaze meal.  A chocolate mousse is a stunning finish  to the meal and can be prepared a day ahead. 
The recipes will be posted over three days. 
Apple Roasted Pork with Cherry Balsamic Glaze
recipe adapted from Taste of Home and serves 4
Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. pork tenderloin or 2 lbs. boneless pork loin roast
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 TB. olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary and 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 2 medium tart firm apples, peeled and diced
• 1 cup apple juice 
• 1 medium red onion, sliced in rings
• 3 TB. balsamic vinegar, Red Apple Balsamic or Dark Cherry Balsamic 
• 1 package frozen pitted sweet dark cherries, thawed
• 1 TB. cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cherry preserves

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix rosemary and thyme, sprinkle over roast or tenderloin, salt and pepper.
• In a Dutch oven or oven proof pan add 2 TB. olive oil and heat over medium high on stove.
• Add to pan onions and roast or tenderloin. Brown on all sides, about 3 minutes a side.
• Add in apple juice and diced apples. Cover and roast meat in oven until thermometer reads 160 degrees, basting pork occasionally with pan juices.
• When roast is done place on a serving platter on top of apples and onions. Tent with foil. Let meat rest at least 10 minutes.
• Drain cherries and reserve cherry juice. Mix 1 TB.cornstarch with reserved cherry juice. 
• Skim fat from pork pan juices and pour into a saucepan over medium high heat. Add in balsamic vinegar and cook 1 minute. 
• Add to this mixture drained cherries, reserved cherry juice mixed with cornstarch and cherry preserves. 
• Cook over medium heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook about 8 minutes until slightly thickened.  
• Serve pork with a drizzle of cherry balsamic glaze. 

Roasted Herb Petite-Reds
Ingredients:

• 1 lb. petite reds halved and quartered
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. rosemary
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes
• olive oil or Tuscan Herb Olive Oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix spices together. 
• In a large bowl add in potatoes, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs.
• Spread potatoes out evenly on parchment lined sheet.
• Bake until fork tender about 35 minutes.   

Bon Appetit!