Cabernet Jelly Marinated Pork Tenderloin

A delicious recipe developed by Marble Crumbs' first ever guest blogger.

 

A delicious recipe developed by Marble Crumbs' first ever guest blogger.

Today, I am so incredibly excited to present Marble Crumbs’ first guest blogger: Sasha Johns of TrueVineGifts.com. She’s put together a delicious meal called ‘Cabernet Jelly Marinated Pork Tenderloin’ and I am so eager to finally try it out myself (Yes, it will most likely be served at my next dinner party. Probably. But don’t spoil the surprise for my guests, this will be a secret between me and you!)

Sasha is not only a talented blogger and recipe developer, but she is also an entrepreneur, juggling between taking care of her beautiful family and kickstarting a business that I just know will see lots of success. I mean, take a look at her Etsy shop and you’ll totally understand. And without further delay, here she is, the oh-so talented Sasha:

Pork Tenderloin is a fancy dinner at our house. My husband and I have three kids, so meal planning is often centered around what I know my kids will eat vs. experimenting. But, I was in an experimenting mood this particular evening.

For years I’ve been making jellies from wine and selling them at local farmers markets and festivals. I can often be heard telling the patrons of my booth, “This jelly ain’t just for biscuits…not that there is anything wrong with putting it on biscuits.”

The wine jelly is the secret to this delicious meal. Wine Jelly makes the base for a great marinade or glaze. I did a little experimenting for this meal. In a bowl I mixed:

4 ounces of Cabernet Sauvignon Jelly (half a jar)
3 tbs of a quality balsamic vinegar
3 tbs of a quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs of dried rosemary
2 minced cloves of garlic
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of pepper

I put the tenderloin in a large zip lock back and poured the marinade over it, reserving a quarter of a cup for later. After making sure it the marinade had coated the tenderloin, I then let it rest in the fridge for the day, occassionally coming back to shake it up and recoat the pork.

While you are thinking about that beautiful roast marinating, I’ll tell you a little more about the jelly. I’ve been making them for five years now. I stock six kinds: Cabernet Savignon, Merlot, Sangria (best seller), Moscato, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay. They are made from actual wine! Now, the alcohol does cook out, but the flavor profile is still very much there. This makes them perfect for making salad dressings, appetizers, ice cream sundaes, and ….obviously marinades. There really is no limit to what can do with them.

Now back to dinner. After spending all day in the marinade, I put the tenderloin in a casserole dish and brushed it with some of the wine jelly mixture I had reserved. I put it in a 350 degree oven and roasted it until it reached 160 degrees on my meat thermometer.

While it was in the oven I steamed a huge artichoke, and made a pan of white beans seasoned with celery, parsely, onion, sweet pepper, and a little bit of cayenne. The final product was a beautiful spring dinner for the family (nevermind that two of the three children wanted nothing to do with the artichoke).

A delicious recipe developed by Marble Crumbs' first ever guest blogger. A delicious recipe developed by Marble Crumbs' first ever guest blogger.

If you are wondering how to get a little of this wine jelly, well….there is currently only one way. These days I can only sell it at the local farmer’s markets, but as you can see, it’s too good to keep in Alabama. There is, however, a way you can help me get it to your table in a few months. Even little cottage businesses like mine can benefit from crowdfunding platforms. I’m currently running a Kickstarter campain. This is where I humbly as you to back me by choosing one of my many rewards that include the finished commercial product. When you do so, you are helping a small entrepreneur who is dreaming big, and knows there is a place for her business in the world. You can go here to find out how to get some great wine jelly rewards!

Just imagine. If you had a jar of wine jelly, what would you do with it?

A delicious recipe developed by Marble Crumbs' first ever guest blogger.

 

Sasha Johns of truevinegifts.com is Marble Crumbs' first guest bloggerSasha Johns is the artist behind the jellly and the creator behind the corks at TrueVineGifts.com. You can follow her Facebook page and catch her latest antics on Instagram at @truevinegifts where you’ll see her in all of her stay at home mom glory. She homeschools two of her three kids, and is married to the best chiropractor in the universe. Don’t forget to back her Kickstarter campaign before April 29th!

Spring-Inspired Desserts

Rounding up some colorful, fruity, sweet treats for the upcoming season

Rounding up some colorful, fruity, sweet treats for the upcoming season

I associate Spring with fruits, colors, and anything sweet. It took awhile for the season to arrive in my neck of the woods (around here, it was still snowing mid-April and the population was pretty frustrated about it). I’ve got a lot of celebrations coming up and as you all know, I’ve been looking for recipe inspirations here and there. I decided to round up some pretty great Spring-inspired desserts – they’re exactly what I crave in these warmer months: fruity sensations, bursts of color, and ultra sweetness.

Rounding up some colorful, fruity, sweet treats for the upcoming season

  1. Blood Orange Flourless Cake
  2. Quick and Easy Lemon Strawberry Yogurt Pound Cake
  3. Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
  4. Vanilla Rhubarb Yogurt Blue Cornbread
  5. Orange Creamsicle Poke Cupcakes
  6. Cherry Almond Clafoutis
  7. Berry Lemon Curd Meringue Cake
  8. Flower Pudding Pops
  9. Outshine Scones
  10. Baked Apple Pie Rice Paper Rolls
  11. Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

I’m drooling just by listing all of these recipes – which one would you want to try out? I’m pretty eager to bake all of these. Each dessert is so unique and they all put a twist to its traditional counterpart.

The Coolest Chocolate Rocks

Chocolate art: sweet bites that look like actual rocks

Chocolate art: sweet bites that look like actual rocks

This year, Easter weekend was pretty crummy for me. I was hit with a bad flu and so I missed out on family celebrations and getting the chance to visit my in-laws.

As a surprise, my sister swung by my place and brought over some chocolate. The batch of treats that caught my eye the most were these “chocolate rocks” that I thought were amazing. Yes, they are 100% chocolate but they look like they could be put at the bottom of an aquarium or in a garden.

I always love seeing art through food. I remember watching chocolate competitions on television (mostly ones involving Jacques Torres) and being in complete awe with all of the masterpieces and creations made just by tempering chocolate and letting artistic skills come into play.

Chocolate art: sweet bites that look like actual rocks

Lemon Cookies to Welcome Spring

Welcoming the warmer weather with some season-appropriate treats: lemon cookies

Welcoming the warmer weather with some season-appropriate treats: lemon cookies

Recently, I’ve grown a liking to lemon-inspired desserts. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t like them before, but I’ve been more drawn to them as of late. It may also explain my new obsession for all-yellow clothing items (just ask my best friend – it seems like I’ve only been pointing out sunshine and daisies at the mall).

These lemon cookies were a wonderful way to welcome warmer spring weather. They were crisp and light, much like the temperatures outside. I love the lemon rinds that were on top because it really helped balance out the sweetness of the buttercream frosting.

What are your favorite lemon desserts?

Welcoming the warmer weather with some season-appropriate treats: lemon cookies

My Homemade Dip

Today, I developed my own recipe for a chip dip - Happy April 1st, everybody!

I’ve really fallen in love with developing my own recipes and after posting about National Chip and Dip Day, I was feeling really inspired.

I put together a step-by-step guide on how to make my latest creation. This dip is perfect for just about anything, but I prefer it with rigged potato chips or celery sticks!

Step 1) Start with a few dollops of mayonnaise – the more the better. Remember: you want as much of a creamy consistency as possible.

Today, I developed my own recipe for a chip dip - Happy April 1st, everybody!

Step 2) I absolutely adore that sweet-and-salty combination so, believe it or not, I add 2 tablespoons of honey to my mixture. Trust me, it works.

Today, I developed my own recipe for a chip dip - Happy April 1st, everybody!

Step 3) Every good recipe is filled with spices, so add about 2 teaspoons of thyme.

Today, I developed my own recipe for a chip dip - Happy April 1st, everybody!

(Make sure to mix it well!)

Step 4) The best part to any dip is being able to incorporate some of your favorite snacks. For this step, the sky is the limit for possibilities and you can use whatever’s in your pantry. I opted for the breakfast cereal I always reached for as a little girl.

Today, I developed my own recipe for a chip dip - Happy April 1st, everybody!

…and have a wonderful weekend!