Memories...

Food and memories seem to go together. Whenever I have a jalapeno popper I always think of the end of my pregnancy with Evie :) Whenever I dip my french fries in mayonnaise I think of my travelling in the Netherlands. Whenever I make a silver white cake with chocolate chips I think of my last year in college and how our apartment's heater didn't work. It was so cold that fluffy light cake seemed like a pound cake (I miss you Anna and Laura and Amanda!). I could go on and on... Whenever I make Honey Hoisen pork tenderloin I remember how Ashley made it for us one of the times we came over to their apartment in 2006. And how that stupid pork just wouldn't cook! Until we realized the oven wasn't turned on :-D Ashley and Eric were some of our first friends when we moved to Muscatine. We have had a ton of fun times with them: beer pong, played with a tiny bouncy ball in their tiny apartment, late nights of playing settlers, Ashley super gluing her finger to her toe, singing karaoke... Just recently they moved from Muscatine and we already miss them! So, I will make this recipe and remember them (I'll just try to be sure to turn the oven on!)

Honey Hoisen Pork Tenderloin

2 Tablespoons sliced green onions

2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons sage (or clover) honey

1 Tablespoon hot water

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb Pork Tenderloin, trimmed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds       

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of mixture into ziplock bag with pork. Reserve rest of marinade. Refrigerate pork 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Remove Pork from bag. sprinkle with salt. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork, brown on all sides.

4. Brush with 1 Tablespoon of marinade. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place Pork on cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

5. Drizzle pork with remaining marinade and serve sliced.