'WELCOME WINTER! CAN SPRING BE FAR BEHIND?' ~ PORK TENDERLOIN with CRANBERRY PORT SAUCE / WILD RICE PILAF

O, wind,

If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

~ Percy Bysshe Shelley

'OLD MAN WINTER'

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PORK TENDERLOIN with CRANBERRY PORT SAUCE

~ Super easy holiday fare

3 pounds pork tenderloin ( l large or 2 smaller)
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano
garlic powder
cracked pepper

1 cup ruby Port
1 cup whole cranberry sauce

• Spread mustard over tenderloins. Sprinkle with herbs, garlic powder and cracked pepper.
• Bake at 325º for 35 to 45 minutes depending on size, basting frequently. Remove meat from pan to rest.
• Add port to pan and deglaze, scraping bits from bottom. Add cranberry sauce and adjust seasonings. Slice pork diagonally and serve with sauce.

WILD RICE PILAF

1 cup wild rice, cooked in chicken stock according to package directions

4 Tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. minced garlic

1 finely chopped onion

1 small finely chopped green pepper

1/2 finely chopped red pepper

4 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms

2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, green pepper, red pepper, and mushrooms. Saute until vegetables are soft. Toss vegetables with cooked wild rice and parsley. Season to taste with salt & pepper. (6-8 servings)

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."

~ Edith Sitwell