Is There Anything Sexier.........

than a man who cooks? Me thinks NOT!

My husband Egan LOVES to cook--he just doesn't get to very often, because I'm a kitchen hog. Egan also doesn't like to use recipes, which frustrates me to no end. How can I put the fabulous things he cooks into my cooking column, Sugar and Spice, if I don't have proper measurements? Anywayzzz, last Sunday night I was up to my eyeballs in very important stuff to do (packing for my trip to Baltimore, writing columns 3 weeks in advance for my mean editor, cleaning out the catbox, stuff like that), so Big Daddy volunteered to cook dinner AND go to the store and buy everything he needed. I knew I married that man for a reason!

Here he is, toiling away in our freshly "remodeled" kitchen:

Which is really pretty funny, because he can't find anything. Here's what I love: this is ALL I had to do, while he cooked (well, this and take some pictures for you):

That's right, sistahs! I got to drink some wine and watch a little tellie.....aaaaaaah.

So, do you want to know what was on the menu? Of course you do. We were dining on roasted little red potatoes, steamed Brussels sprouts and a succulent roast pork tenderloin with a fancy mustard sauce. Hungry yet?

Here's Big Daddy, slicing the pretty little potatoes in half:

 Then, he drizzles them with olive oil and sprinkles on the seasonings. Which usually consist of a little sea salt, a little pepper and maybe some garlic powder.

 Gotta use your hands to get them evenly coated:

Roast the potatoes in a 450 degree oven until they are fork tender, usually about 40-45 minutes. Here's the bonus: you'll be roasting your pork tenderloin at the same temperature, so you can do both in the same oven.

 Next up, the Brussels sprouts. I just love how these come, in the cutest little container, with the name, "Mr. Sprout"! So darling!

Egan takes off any loose outer leaves, then cuts them in half. He then steams them in our double boiler until they are tender, and tosses them with a little salt and pepper and butter. Mmmmmmm.....

Next up, the pork tenderloins. We buy them in 2 lb. packages. First up, you gotta season them well. Salt and pepper are really all you need, unless you have a favorite herb mix you like to use:

Then, you want to sear both sides of the tenderloin in a hot pan, until lightly golden brown. This helps lock in the juices--don't skip this step, unless you like your pork nice and dry--cough, cough:

Wee Willy smells something delicious!

We use our Dutch oven for everything! You can sear the pork in one on your stovetop, then roast in the oven in the same wonderful pot. Egan roasted the tenderloin, uncovered,  for about 40 to 45 minutes, JUST until no pink remained. Then, he removed the pot from the oven and covered it with the lid, then let it sit until the mustard sauce was complete:

 

SPEAKING of mustard sauce:

 Here's the quick recipe:

1 tblsp. butter or margarine
1 tblsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup milk
3 tblsps. Dijon mustard
1 tblsp. horseradish

Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remover from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Stir in mustard and horseradish; heat through. Serve warm.

And VOILA!! The end result was an absolutely delicious dinner. And the real bonus? Big Daddy even did the dishes!