KrausnicKitchen

1. Heat olive oil in sauté pan. Trim, dry and season pork tenderloin with salt and pepper and sear all sides in sauté pan and transfer to a plate. Pour in chicken stock to deglaze pan by scraping up browned bits. Remove pan from heat & set aside.
2. Layer onions in bottom of slow cooker and place tenderloin on top and add shitakes, figs and apricots.
3. In a separate heat-proof bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, deglazing chicken stock and sage and pour over other ingredients.
4. Cook on High for 3 hours, tossing ingredients several times to ensure even cooking, until meat is tender and onions have softened.
5. Remove tenderloin; let rest for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste and cut into ¾-inch slices. Top with additional ingredients and broth when serving.

Barley-Mushroom Risotto 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup barley
6 cup broth (veggie, chicken or beef)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sautee until beginning to brown. Add mushrooms and cook until juices are released (about 5 minutes). If mushrooms are sticking to pot, you may add 1-3 tablespoons of water. Add thyme, garlic and barley. Stir well and cook for about an minute. Add 4 cups of broth and turn bring to boiling over high heat. Boil until liquid is almost completely gone. Turn heat down to medium and add 1/2 cup of broth at a time stirring until liquid is mostly absorbed each time. When barley is tender (you will probably use all of the liquid), remove from heat and add butter and Parmesan. Serve!