Meaty adventures

I can now add another meat to my repertoire! Cooked pork tenderloin last night and it didn't turn out too shabby if I say so myself. Here were the players:

From Gimme Some Oven is this delicious 5-Ingredient Butternut Squash Arugula and Goat Cheese Pasta. I doubled the arugula and it was bomb, I love the peppery taste of arugula. It's 4 am and I'm making my mouth water just thinking about this salad again.

Isn't she a beaut? I had to cut the 1# tenderloin I got in half b/c my pan wasn't big enough to hold it. I got overwhelmed by all the pork recipes online with varying degrees of ingredient buying necessary, but then I found this epicurious recipe that simplifies the whole mess. I got my pork tenderloin at Aldi's and they only had somewhat seasoned options (unless I bought like the enormous multi pound hunk of meat and I was not trying to mess up that much money's worth of meat). I grabbed the least seasoned (lemon juice, salt) and then my rub I did black pepper (it's really hard to pepper grind enough for a rub...haha), paprika, garlic powder and brown sugar. I did less of the garlic powder and probably most from paprika and brown sugar. I did the whole pat down with a paper towel, rub down with spices about 30 minutes before I was going to sear it b/c I remember reading somewhere that meat cooks better closer to room temperature (or is that only turkey?). Seared for 7 minutes and then I cooked for 10 minutes in the oven (and completely forgot to flip it, now that I think of it). Let it sit and then cut and it was around the medium mark (which I like). I can't stand overcooked meat. Which also makes me think I need to invest in a food thermometer (and also to not kill anyone with undercooked meat).

I had leftovers so I sliced the pork on top of the salad, so I get some amazingness for lunch at work today, so excited.

I actually wanted to talk about these first b/c holy cow, they are amazing, but figured as a dietitian I should promote the most nutritious food first and then get to the fun stuff. It's finally fall in NH and pumpkin and apple cider are on my brain. I follow Yankee Magazine on fb (love love love) and they post some great recipes, like this one, Apple Cider Donut Muffins. If you end up buying a gallon of apple cider like me, go ahead and boil down multiple cups if you have the time so that way you can make this recipe over and over (I only boiled for an hour, but typically should boil for about 2-2.5 hours to really condense the flavor). I cut the recipe in half b/c I still only have a 6 cup muffin tin and I also didn't want to have a ton of muffins lying around (and I have an inkling these babies are the tastiest when they are warm out of the oven). It's the little tricks I pull on myself to live in moderation :) When I cut recipes down I usually write the smaller amount on a post it next to the recipe so I don't try to do calculations as I bake, it helps so I don't cut some things and not others. I cut the 2 cups of apple cider but then forgot it condensed down and almost used a whole cup of reduced apple cider (I think I ended up pouring in 3/4 of a cup)! Baking time got a bit extended b/c the muffins were on the pudding-side but after they got their heads dipped in butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar, these muffins are amazingggg. Light, moist, lightly apple flavored, sugar crystals from top, I could go on and on. Just make them and then you'll see what I'm talking about.