Scenes from Sunday

Easter Sunday turkey dinner went over really well and I 'm confident we're on the road to building another tradition for our family. Here are some photos from the weekend.

And here is how I do my dressing (not stuffing) and it has been adapted in past dinners to be both vegan and gluten-free. You just have to be aware of the type of bread you use, butter/margarine, and stock. First, I fried one onion which has been diced finely until it is translucent. I added one apple and a few mushrooms, both also diced finely. Once the onions are starting to caramelize, I added some (a dash) salt, pepper and thyme as well as a good palm-full of savoury (a Newfoundland tradition).

Then I added this mixture to coarsely chopped (or blitzed in the food processor) stale bread. I added even more savoury (I love the stuff) and then a few tablespoons of vegetable stock along with a little butter. Stir everything together and bake it in the oven, covered for the most part, until golden. The stock and butter help the flavour plus keep the dressing moist. I've had dressing that is like sawdust it's so dry. I just like this kind better. The proportions are vague because I kind of just toss everything together. It always tastes good and I just adjust more or less depending on how much dressing I'm making.
  

We're still having turkey sandwiches and I've had a request for turkey soup with the frame I froze after the meal was enjoyed on Sunday. Waste not, want not. Hope you all had a happy Easter!

Fruit by the muffin

Last Sunday, I got up and got baking. Just like old times. I made pancakes for breakfast, started on an all-day pasta sauce from scratch, and made these mini muffins. I got the recipe from a handy Company's Coming recipe book on Christmas recipes which always inspires me to host huge brunches and cocktail parties. This time, I took a baby step and just made the muffins. They were bite-sized and handy for a snack or as a brunch or breakfast item. The fruit and yogurt in them made them moist and the brown sugar kept them sweet. I followed the recipe closely...except I added some raisins along with the recommended fruit. You could also add nuts.

You'll need:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup quick rolled oats
2/3 cup finely chopped apple
1/3 cup finely chopped dried apricot

1 Large egg
2/3 cup yogurt (recipe suggested peach, I used strawberry)
3 tbs cooking oil
 2 tbs milk

Measure first 5 ingredients into a large bowl and stir together.

Add the next 3 ingredients and stir until the fruit is coated. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Combine remaining 4 ingredients in a small bowl and beat lightly. Add this wet mixture to the dry mixture (the well) and stir until just moistened. The recipe says this will fill 24 mini muffin cups but I found it filled about 18. You need to fill up the cups until they're full and the batter is slightly mounded. The muffins won't rise much in the oven so filling up the cups to the brim will give you a good muffin shape.

Bake in a 350 F oven for about 17 minutes or until the muffins are golden. If you insert a wooden pic in the center of one it should come out clean. These will keep for most of the week or you can freeze them for up to  3 months in an airtight container.

This is a great recipe that's quick to put together and packs a nutritional punch. And with September rolling around, it's great to make a few batches and keep some muffins in the freezer for last-minute school or work snacks.

Mega Muffins

I'm trying a healthy kick and part of that is figuring out a good way to start my day with a healthy breakfast. There's only so much cereal, fruit and yogurt a girl can eat. Plus I want something that I can eat on the run. Something I can eat on the run without resorting to fast food or pre-packaged treats. There is one snack that is the answer to all these conundrums: muffins! I found this recipe from Canadian Living which I love because their recipes are 'tested until perfect.' The recipe seemed to have all the major items I need to start my day (aside from coffee). These muffins have hearty oats, fruit, protein, and fiber.
The recipe starts like those for many baked goods: combining wet and dry ingredients separately. Then you combine them gently into the same bowl. Though these muffins have lots of grains and oats, they stay moist with the help of grated apples and milk. Without a lot of butter or margarine, they are pretty heart-healthy and I've added some ground flax for an extra healthy kick.
The recipe makes just about 12 muffins, if you fill each muffin tin up to the very top to allow for a yummy outter crust.
Bake the muffins in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs. Let them cool in the pan 5 minutes then transfer them to a rack to cool. Your kitchen will smell fabulous and you'll benefit from having tons of goodness baked into a tiny package. They also freeze well; wrap the muffins individually in plastic wrap before sealing in an airtight container or freezer bag. To thaw, microwave for 20 seconds, or let thaw overnight in the fridge.

You could substitute other items such as grated carrot or banana for the fruit for a different tasting muffin. And feel free to experiment with substitutions for the currents such as raisins, chocolate chips, or other nuts or dried fruit. All yummy!

Stuffed pork tenderloin

Finally, back to recipes and cooking! I have used this recipe four or five times now and, though the prep is a bit lengthy, it comes out perfect and a showstopper each try. It's a pork loin stuffed with apples and dried fruit.

Sidenote on pork tenderloin:
You can get tenderloin on sale every now and then so when you see it next, grab it! I've had a couple interesting life lessons while trying to buy non-sale pork tenderloin from a butcher. First time I tried this, the butcher asked me what I was doing with the tenderloin. I proceeded to tell him (quite matter-of-factly) that I was going to cut a hole in the middle and stuff it - so the meat had to be thick enough to stuff. Blank stares all around. Then he took pity on me and said he could cut the hole for me. I was offended that he thought I wasn't capable, or didn't have superior knife skills, so didn't let him. I had just sharpened my knives after all! Lesson learned? If a nice butcher offers to prepare your meat please take him up on the offer because no matter how good you think you are, the butcher is better and has sharper knives than you will ever own!

Next was the time I asked a butcher if there was any pork tenderloin "out back" and he proceeded to get out the beef tenderloin and cut that up. I only realized he'd made a mistake after it was cut and said "honey, this is going to be some expensive. Sixty dollars worth of meat, must be some special occasion." Then there's the time I couldn't find pork tenderloin but really wanted to cook this. So I decided to stuff a pork shoulder. NOT a good idea!


The recipe is a Foodies one and but I have found ways to tweak it here and there to make it my own. You'll need:

1.5kg (about 3.5 lbs) Pork loin, boneless, best end, trimmed, trimmings reserved
1/2 cup Pork trimmings
1/2 cup Dried apricots, sliced
1/2 cup Dried cranberries, whole
1/2 cup Fresh apples, finely diced
1/4 Bread, white, diced
Salt and pepper (dash each)
2 tbs Vegetable oil
1 egg white
1/4 cup heavy cream

Sharpen your big knife for this one!
Skewer the eye of the pork through both sides creating a pocket. Slice 2 thin pieces off the end of the loin and reserve. If the "pocket" thing is proving too difficult or you're scared of big knife work like this, you can also just slice the loin almost in half (not quite all the way through). Then put the stuffing into the middle, close it back up and tie before cooking. This is the easy way but doesn't look nearly as good as the pocket/hole technique. The picture above is pork cooked using the slice technique, below is the hole/pocket in the center technique.

To make the stuffing, place the pork trimmings in the food processor, add cream, egg white and salt and pepper, purée until smooth.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the stuffing with the bread, apricots, cranberries and apples. Season to taste.

Place the stuffing into a piping bag (or plastic bag with a hole cut in one corner) and pipe into the pocket in the pork. (if you've done the slice instead of pocket prep for the pork, you don't have to use a piping bag).

Place the 2 reserved thin slices of pork over each end, and tie the roast with butcher’s twine. Covering the ends will help to keep the stuffing in when tying the roast, as well as during cooking.

Rub the pork loin with vegetable oil, season with salt and pepper.

Place in the oven at 150ºC (300ºF), and cook to an internal temperature of 68ºC (155ºF), approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Inserting a cooking thermometer into the pork meat helps greatly with getting the perfer "doneness").

Take the pork out and let rest for 30 minutes. This is very important! Then you can carve and serve. Apple sauce would be an excellent match with this!

foodies.ca