A couple of weeks ago I ventured to Annapolis for the day to go to a book signing with Giada De Laurentiis. I met one of my oldest girlfriends up there, and we waiting in line together at Williams-Sonoma for a couple hours. We chatted about the past, and how we’ve transitioned into the future with our families of two little boys. It was a great morning, topped off by meeting Giada – who was just as gorgeous and sweet in person as she is on television.

We of course flipped through the book while we were waiting, which is all healthy recipes – along with lots of health and beauty tips, and there were many recipes I bookmarked to try. The first one I got around to testing out in my kitchen was this delicious pork tenderloin with a honey-mustard sauce. We are big fans of pork tenderloin in this house. It’s a protein that’s lean and healthy, but still juicy with tons of flavor. Then to top it of with a delicious pan sauce? It’s just the icing on the cake!

It’s also pretty quick-cooking, making for an easy weeknight meal. The tenderloin is seared off in the pan, to get a gorgeous brown crust on the outside – then finished off in the oven. A quick pan sauce is made by using the browned bits in the bottom of the pan – along with a spot of wine , Dijon mustard, honey, and fresh herbs. I served with some roasted red potatoes and fresh green beans, and everyone really enjoyed it.

I also picked up a signed copy to share with one lucky reader! Just leave a comment below telling me what is your favorite recipe from the lovely Giada De Laurentiis that you’ve made in your kitchen? Giveaway will run from today, until next Friday at 11:59 PM. 

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Pork Tenderloin with Honey-Mustard Sauce

Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

For the sauce:
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Vermouth)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400F. Spray a heavy baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Season the pork with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pork to the prepared baking sheet and bake until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 160F, about 20 minutes. Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board before slicing 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices.

In the same skillet used for browning the pork, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, salt, and pepper. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 1 minute. Whisk in the honey, mustard, vinegar, and thyme. Simmer until thickened, 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted and smooth.

Top the pork slices with the honey mustard sauce and serve.

Source: Adapted from Feel Good Food by Giada De Laurentiis

Congrats to entry #17, Tracey! She loves Giada’s turkey and artichoke stuffed shells. I’m going to have to try that recipe myself. I hope you enjoy this new cookbook as much as I have been!

Roasted Turkey. Those two simple words instill so much fear and worry into home cooks, all over this  country, this time of year. I remember being intimidated – I mean, 20 pounds can be a lot of bird! But, you really shouldn’t be. Since I started brining my turkey, there hasn’t been a dry bird in the house for years.

Another key component for a good turkey is a nice variety of aromatics stuffed into the cavity. You can use what you have around – but, I’ve settled on oranges, onions, and rosemary. It infuses the meat subtly with those wonderful flavors. And, the juices drip down into the roasting pan infusing the gravy with the flavors as well. I didn’t list it in the recipe, but I love this seasoning mix from Penzey’s. The dried orange peel and coriander really shine through, and I love using it on my turkey.

Then there’s the cheesecloth thing. It’s mainly to keep the breast from browning too much, but it keeps the skin constantly soaked in delicious basting juices – which I don’t think hurts, either. Martha’s original recipe called for white wine, but a couple years ago all I had on hand was some home brewed hard cider so I subbed that. And wowza, talk about awesome. Tomorrow I’m posting my recipe for hard cider gravy, made from pan drippings. So, be sure to check back – you don’t want to miss that one!

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Roasted Turkey

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:
2 oranges, halved
1 small onion, quartered
4 sprigs rosemary
Canola oil

For the basting liquid:
2 sticks butter
1 (12 ounce) bottle hard cider
large square of cheesecloth (about 18″ x 18″)

2 to 3 days before roasting: Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you’d like to eat: Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Prepare the basting liquid by combining the butter and hard cider in a large saucepan. Heat over medium until the butter has melted. Stir to combine, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine. Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add the aromatics to the turkey’s cavity. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes until the breast is starting to brown. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Dip the cheesecloth into your basting liquid, gently squeeze to remove the excess liquid, and carefully spread it over the breast of the turkey in an even layer, covering the breast completely. Return bird to oven.

Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the thigh and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Baste the turkey (including the cheesecloth) every half hour or so, basting with the pan liquids if you run out of your butter/cider mixture.

Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the cheesecloth before serving and carving.

Source: adapted from Alton Brown and Martha Stewart