AUTUMN SPLENDOR ~ 'SIMPLE ONE PLATE AUTUMN SUPPER': GRILLED BOURBON PORK TENDERLOIN with MUSTARD SAUCE/WHIPPED CAULIFLOWER DIJON/MAPLE GLAZED ROASTED ACORN SQUASH/APPLE BOURBON BUNDT CAKE

"No spring nor summer’s beauty hath such grace

As I have seen in one Autumnal face ... "

~ John Donne, "Elegy IX: The Autumnal"

'Autumn Spendor'

(Hubbard Lake, MI)

GRILLED BOURBON PORK TENDERLOIN with MUSTARD SAUCE

~ 'a keeper' recipe in numerous files but if haven't tried, a MUST. This adaptation is from Culinary Counterpoint (Detroit Symphony Orchestra) Cookbook.

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup bourbon

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 lbs. well-trimmed pork tenderloin

Chopped green onions

• Combine soy sauce, bourbon and brown sugar. Pour over pork and marinate several hours or overnight (long is good), turning occasionally.
• Remove meat from marinade and grill on medium, 10 minutes per side (or bake at 325-degrees for 1 hour or until done).Carve diagonally into thin slices and serve with Mustard Sauce.

Note: This is a lovely buffet entree equally good at room temperature with hot vegetables or cold salads.

MUSTARD SAUCE

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp. dry Coleman's mustard

3 Tbsp. finely minced green onions

2 tsp. white balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients thoroughly several hours before serving.

Grilled Bourbon Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Sauce

WHIPPED DIJON CAULIFLOWER 

~  Low carb and tasty adapted from recipezaar.com

1  head (about 6 cups) cauliflower

1/3  cup heavy cream (or 1/2 & 1/2)

1/4  cup sour cream (or cream cheese)

4  Tbsp. unsalted butter

1  heaping Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

1/2  tsp. coarse salt

1/2  tsp. white pepper

!  1/2 cups grated gruyere cheese (or white cheddar)

2-4  Tbsp. chopped fresh chives (or 1-2 Tbsp. dried)

• Preheat oven to 350º. 
• Lightly spray 1 1/2 quart gratin baking dish with cooking spray.
• Break cauliflower into florets and boil until about 5 minutes until totally tender, 'mashable but not mushy'. 
• Drain well, transfer to food processor with cream, sour cream, butter, Dijon, salt & pepper. Process until mixture is smooth, thick puree.
• Pulse in 1/2 of the grated cheese. Transfer to gratin baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese and chives. 
• Bake in preheated oven for about 30-45 minutes or until heated trough and cheeses is melted and slightly browned.

Whipped Dijon Cauliflower

MAPLE GLAZED ROASTED ACORN SQUASH

~ Adapted recipe from Spoon Fork Bacon 

1  Acorn squash, seeded & sliced into wedges

3  Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

3  Tbsp. light brown sugar

3  Tbsp. butter

1/4  cup maple syrup

coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper

• Preheat oven to 375º
• Line baking sheet with foil. Place sliced squash onto baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Season with salt & pepper and gently toss. Sprinkle top with brown sugar.
• Roast squash for 35-40 minutes, occasionally turning.
• Melt butter and add maple syrup. 7-10 minutes before roasting is complete, brush squash once and again before finished.  

Maple Roasted Acorn Squash 

APPLE BOURBON BUNDT CAKE

~  From NYT COOKING by MELISSA CLARK ... excellent and perfect for autumn

2  sticks (room temperature) unsalted butter plus more to grease pan

2  1/2  cups AP flour (plus more to dust pan)

3  Tbsp. plus 1/2 cup bourbon or rye whiskey

1/2  cup candied chopped ginger

1  3/4  cup light brown sugar

4  (room temperature) large eggs

2  tsp. baking powder

1  tsp baking soda

1  1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1  tsp. fine sea salt

1/2  tsp. grated nutmeg

1  cup sour cream

!  Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

2  medium peeled and cored Granny Smith apples

1  cup finely chopped toasted pecans

1/2  cup granulated sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon 

• Heat oven to 325º. Grease and flour 12-cup bundt pan. In small bowl combine 3 Tbsp. bourbon and candied ginger. Let stand 10 minutes.
• In bowl of electric mixer with paddle attachment (or fine using hand held mixer0, beat together brown sugar and remaining butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at at time, until incorporated.
• In separate bowl, whisk together remaining flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt & nutmeg. In separate bowl, whisk together four cream and vanilla. Pour in bourbon from ginger mixture (reserve ginger) and whisk until smooth. Stir in zest. 
• With mixer on medium speed, add dry mixture and sour cream mixture to wet mixture in three additions, alternation between the two. Fold in ginger, apples and pecans. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into cake comes our dry, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then run paring knife around sides of pan to release the cake; cool, late side down, on wire rack.
• While cake cools, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup bourbon/whiskey in small saucepan. Over low heat, gently stir until sugar dissolves. Stir in lemon juice and take off of heat. 
• While cake cools, make 10 slits on top with paring knife and pour half the bourbon-sugar mixture on still-warm cake. When cake is fully cool, flip it and pour the rest of glaze on other side, then flip again to serve. (10-12 servings)

Note: Did not flip at end (afraid might fall apart) but simply kept adding the glaze as cake absorbed it. Delicious!

Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake

"Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity."

~ Voltaire

'Simple One Plate Autumn Supper'  

MID-OCTOBER 'SOUP FOR SUPPER' ~ ITALIAN WHITE BEAN MUSHROOM SPINACH SOUP

And the Autumn clutches the forests green

In a hasty and eager clasp;

But the leaves are true to the Summer they love,

And they wither and fade in his grasp.

~ J.J. Britton (1832-1913), "Death'

(Autumn Abstract)

ITALIAN WHITE BEAN MUSHROOM SPINACH SOUP

~  perfect for a blustery autumn day

I  cup chopped onions (red or white or some of each)

1  Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil or more if needed

1  lb. mushrooms sliced (shitake, baby bella, white, wild ... or combo of several)

2  minced garlic cloves

1  Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1  Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

freshly ground pepper to taste

1  16 oz. box/can organic chicken stock or organic vegetable broth

juice of squeezed fresh lemon

1  16-oz. can rinsed and drained cannelloni beans

1  lb. fresh baby spinach

crushed red pepper flakes

• Heat olive oil in stock pot. Add onions and sauté until tender. Add mushrooms and garlic and sauté until tender. Add fresh herbs and pepper and sauté a bit longer.
• Add chicken or vegetable stock and beans and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.  
• Add baby spinach and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Simmer gently 5 minutes.
• Adjust seasonings. If desired, serve topped with shaved Parmesan Cheese and crusty bread. 

WELCOME OCTOBER! (CAPRESE STUFFED GARLIC BUTTER PORTOBELLOS)

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October." 

~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

(Autumn Abstract)

CAPRESE STUFFED GARLIC BUTTER PORTOBELLOS 

(Garlic buttered Portobello Mushrooms stuffed with fresh mozzarella cheese, tomato slices and fresh shredded basil then drizzled with rich balsamic glaze ... compliments of  Cafe Delites)

Garlic Butter:

2  Tbsp. butter

2 cloves crushed garlic

1  Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley

Mushrooms:

5 large Portobello Mushrooms, stem removed, washed, and dried with paper towel

5  fresh thinly slices of mozzarella cheese

1  cup sliced grape/cherry tomatoes

fresh shredded basil for garnish

Balsamic Glaze:

1/4  cup balsamic vinegar

2  tsp. brown sugar

(Combine sugar and vinegar in small saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened and returned to glaze)

• Preheat oven to grill/broil settings on high heat.
• Combine all of Garlic Butter ingredients in small saucepan (or microwave safe bowl) and melt until garlic is fragrant. Brush bottoms of each mushroom and place buttered side down on baking tray.
• Fill each mushroom with mozzarella slices and tomatoes, and grill/broil until cheese has melted and golden in color (about 8 minutes).
• Serve topped with basil and drizzled balsamic glaze.