BOURBON BROWN SUGAR PORK TENDERLOIN and MASHED SWEET POTATOES

While driving home from the lake house yesterday, we were already making plans for our next trip out of town - to meet family friends in Hot Springs. My husbands parents bought a set time-share week there, and we try and go every year.
We cook dinners in the condo, and shared with our friends, they always seem especially special and festive. I made this pork tenderloin last year, after a day at the races, and served it with mashed sweet potatoes and a mixture of melted brussels sprouts and leeks.

BOURBON BROWN SUGAR PORK TENDERLOIN

2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Remove silver skin from tenderloins. Combine brown sugar and next 5 ingredients in a large zip top plastic bag, add pork. Seal bag, and chill 8 to 18 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove pork from marinade, reserving marinade.
Preheat grill to 350F to 400F, grill pork, covered with grill lid, 8 minutes on each side, or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155F  (I baked ours in a 350F oven for 35 to 40 minutes). Remove from grill and let stand 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine reserved marinade and cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Cut pork diagonally into thin slices and serve, drizzling with warm sauce.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, February 2011
www.southernliving.com/

MASHED SWEET POTATOES

2 to 3 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of salt

Peel and dice sweet potatoes. In a pot of boiling water cook sweet potatoes until tender. Drain water off, leaving sweet potatoes in the pot. Add cream, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Heat through, stirring frequently. Mash to desired consistency.
Enjoy!

MASHED POTATO CHOCOLATE CAKE

While looking into the history of April Fools Day, I learned that pranks should not be pulled after 12 noon on the 1st, or it will bring bad luck to the perpetrator. I had never heard that before, nor that the day supposedly began in the 1500's when the Gregorian calendar came into use. Previously New Years was celebrated on April 1st, and people who ventured to celebrate on the wrong date were teased as "April Fools" (snopes.com http://www.snopes.com/holidays/aprilfools/origins.asp).
Thankfully I pulled my prank early in the day, with this chocolate cake that includes mashed potatoes. I didn't tell the kids what was in their treat until afterwards, for fear they wouldn't try it. There weren't any complaints though, and they all cleaned their plates, so the cake must have tasted like dessert and not dinner. 

MASHED POTATO CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 ounces chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup prepared instant mashed potatoes
3/4 cup buttermilk
confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Heat oven to 375F.
Grease and flour a 9 by 13 baking dish, set aside.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in melted chocolate, vanilla and mashed potato. Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, April 2009
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/