Apricot Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

We decided to do something a little bit different for Christmas Day at our home and put together an apricot stuffed pork tenderloin.  It was very easy and turned out so tasty.  This one might have to be repeated on the grill when it warms up this summer.

Ingredients:

Pork Tenderloin
Canned Apricot Halves
Raspberry Rib Slather

I butterflied the tenderloin and coated the inside with some of the Raspberry Rib Slather.  I then placed the apricot halves open side down into the opening of the tenderloin.

I then replaced the top of the tenderloin and coated the outside with the Raspberry Rib Slather.  It was then placed into a preheated oven at 350 degrees until an internal temperature of 160 was reached.  After letting it rest, it was sliced into 1/2 inch wide slices and served.  Very tasty and so simple.

APO Address Giveaway to Brighten a Soldier's Holiday

During the Holiday Season, we are going to give a gift to some deserving person in the Armed Forces.  The winner will need to have an APO Address to be eligible.  It is a way for us to say thank you for serving our country and wish them a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa or whatever holiday they celebrate.

In the package, the winner will receive:

• Dad's Roadhouse Pepper Patch Salsa
• Dad's Roadhouse Pickled Carrots
• Dad's Roadhouse Apple Butter 
• Dad's Roadhouse Jamaican Jerk Hot Sauce

The rules are simple, to enter you must:

•  have an APO Address 
• or nominate someone who has an APO Address

Enter the name as rank along with the last name as a comment below.   Make sure to leave your email address as a way to contact the winning entry for the complete address.  A random winner will be drawn at 6:00 pm CST on Sunday, December 19 so that the package may be shipped on Monday, December 20th.  Failure to respond to an email request for final information within 2 hours could cause me to move to an alternate winner to assure arrival near the holiday.

Note:  I have edited some of the entries to remove personal information.  I did not eliminate the entries and have retained copies of those entries, but do not want to endanger them in any way by having their personal info on a public forum.  Please leave only rank, last name and a contact email should your entry be selected.  A few have also put some spirited messages of support for their nominees.  That is awesome to see, but not required.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

While looking for a side dish to make for Thanksgiving that did not contain another starch for the meal, I came across this recipe watching Emeril Lagasse on Good Morning America.  It sounded great and looked easy enough.  As we came to learn later, both were indeed correct assumptions.

Ingredients


• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, stem ends trimmed, halved lengthwise

• 5 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (we substituted a splash of lemon juice)

• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more to taste

• Cooking Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Toss the Brussels sprouts in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and season with the salt and pepper. Transfer them to a baking sheet and spread them out in one even layer.

Roast until the Brussels sprouts are crisp-tender and lightly caramelized around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Immediately transfer them to a large mixing bowl, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, and Parmesan. Toss to coat evenly, sprinkle with more Parmesan as desired, and serve.