Author Archives: lklong360

Apple and Apricot Stuffed Pork Loin

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When the weather is cold, and the fire is going, and you have a good glass of wine in hand… a beautiful lean pork loin roast can be the answer to a fabulous and hearty Sunday dinner.

This recipe makes for a moist pork loin with a savory outside, filled with a sweet and savory stuffing. Pick  your appropriate sized pork loin.  Look for one with a thin layer of fat on the top – which will crisp up in the oven.

Using a long thin knife (a slicing/carving knife should do) cut a long slit through the center of the pork loin – about 2-3 inches wide all the way from end to end – but be careful not to cut through or poke through the side of the pork loin.   If you are feeding a crowd and have an unusually long pork loin – cut it into two smaller roasts.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups cubed apples (cortland or another solid variety that will hold up in the oven) 1 1/2 cups quartered dried apricots, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp tumeric, 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper (more if desired), 1/2 tsp kosher salt,  with about 1 Tbsp olive oil (just enough to moisten the fruit and blend the spices.)

If desired you may add chopped sweet onion to the stuffing. I have also added lemon zest or orange zest, dried cranberries, prunes, raisins… whatever you think might do your roast justice.

Stuff the center of the roast with the apple mixture.  Tie the roast if necessary.

Pat the outside of the roast dry and then sprinkle the roast all over with a mix of kosher salt, pepper, rosemary (or fines herbs), celery salt (or seed), and garlic powder.

Roast in a 350 F oven until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 165 degrees.  Make sure the stuffing in the center registers the appropriate temperature.

Any filling that falls from the roast makes for a deliciously flavored pan sauce. I simply add wine to the roasting pan, broth, and any scrape up any residual drippings from the roast. Reduce and serve on the side or drizzle over the roast.

Serve with roasted green beans, quartered acorn squash roasted with butter, brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg. Or if you’re in the mood for potatoes… here’s my Mom’s delicious trick – Roast red and white fingerling or new potatoes, remove them from the oven then roll in a skillet with a pat of butter, herbs, salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

IMG_4770

Sweet and savory stuffed pork loin.

Roasted acorn squash with walnuts.
Seasoned roasted potatoes rolled in butter and herbs

Jewels of the Farmers Market

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 Some of the best things about summer in New England are roadside farm stands and Saturday morning farmers markets. There is nothing like sweet fresh corn on the cob..the same day it’s picked.  And the wonderful varieties of vegetables, fruits, baked goods and cheeses that become a Saturday night impromptu special. 

On my trip to the local farmers market, I found myself staring at a pile of beets. Normally not my first choice of veg…but this time they were just too tempting. I had to give them a whirl. Fresh greens, summer fruit and a purchase of a delightfully creamy blue cheese and some strip steaks from our local butcher and dinner was complete. 

Beet Salad with Blue Cheese, Nectarines and Orange Vinaigrette

3 Beets – wash and roast one hour at 350F

6-8 cups Mesclun mix or your favorite mixed greens

2 nectarines sliced 

1/2 c. Creamy blue cheese broken in chunks

1/2 c. Roasted walnuts 

Fresh baby carrots (if desired)

Cracked pepper and salt

Dressing: 

– 1/4 c. Orange juice

– 1tbsp Dijon mustard

– 2Tbsp tarragon vinegar

1/4 c. Olive oil

– pinch of salt and pepper  

(Mix dressing ingredients together til emulsified)

Roast beets and let cool. Peel and slice. Assemble salad. Top with dressing as desired. 

Enjoy and wait for thumbs up, from happy husband!

The Diet and The Blog…

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Not too many months after I decided to start a blog and get the things in my head out onto a plate (and into a virtual recipe box!) I started a diet.  Years of good food, having babies and a love of cooking of all sorts… caught up big time and it was time to re-engineer my brain and palate and especially my waistline.

It’s been a good diet… I chose it because it was made for people who like to cook real food.  It has definitely forced me to move beyond my old tastes and standby recipes and branch out to new flavors and lots and lots and lots of fresh veggies.

Though I’ve worked with many of the prescribed recipes in the diet over the last months, following them closely.  Which has cut down on the number of entries here for sure.  I’ve had the opportunity to try to create a few of my own recipes that have fit a healthier diet profile. I hope to do more of this as the summer progresses and add them to this blog.

What I’ve learned…

1. Vegetables do not need to be treated as color on the plate, taking a backseat to an “entree” … they can stand alone and become a frontline dish.  (Thank you Giada De Laurentiis for the healthy inspiration in your cookbooks!)

2. I’ve found that cooking waistline friendly meals for friends and family has surprisingly been met with lots of positive feedback.  The praise has been equal for some of the ‘new’ healthy dishes as they were for my favorite buttery eggy herbed popovers.

3. I feel better cooking in a way that is healthy for every body… and it’s taken me out of a “Protein, Starch, Veg” rut and into looking at more interesting and healthy choices using even more varied ingredients and exploring interesting, new, healthier, substitutions.

And of course… it’s also nice to have to buy smaller clothes!

Summer is coming…and so is my appetite for fresh flavors!

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Summer is coming….I think this year we will appreciate it more, savor it more and experience it with a new appreciation.  After the record breaking winter of 2015 and a February so brutal none of us will forget, the fruits and vegetables of summer will be that much more welcome.   One of my absolute favorite summer pastimes is canning.  I love simmering big pots of berries and concocting new combinations of preserves. And then, there is the prime crop of summer, the ripe juicy tomato in all of its sun soaked summer splendor. I am a picky tomato eater…I can’t stand the waxy, gritty, jellied winter varieties and I really will wait all year for the summer ones to arrive to eat one!  Then to extend some of that summer flavor through the winter, I roast them 20 lbs at a time, crush them skin and all, add just a little seasoning, and can them in a way that would hopefully make my grandmother proud.

20lbs of summer tomatoes from your local farmer

Salt and pepper

Lemon juice concentrate

Canning jars and good instructions from Ball’s book of preserves

A food mill and a helpful 5 year old

Half, sprinkle with salt and pepper and then roast the tomatoes at 450 F for 45 minutes. Crush in a food mill and then simmer to cook off extra moisture and thicken. Can according to recommended Food safety guidelines.

Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

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A simple and delicious dinner…perfect with a salad.

Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper on mushroom cap bottoms. Stuff mushroom caps with Sweet or Spicy italian sausage.  These pictured are chicken sausage for a healthier twist. But you can use pork sausage another favorite variety.  Sprinkle each with a pinch of fennel seed and a pinch of oregano. Top with a sprinkle of shaved Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 400 F about 30 minutes until cooked through. Serve with you favorite tomato sauce. Enjoy!





Tuscan white bean soup with roasted garlic

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A hearty and healthy soup for a rainy day.  Makes 6-8 servings depending on the size of your bowl!

1 whole head of garlic (in tact)

2tbsp olive oil divided

3-4 chicken breasts (diced in 1 1/2 inch pieces)  -you can use dark meat bone in thighs for extra flavor if you’re not watching your waistline – sauté the bones as the chicken browns and the soup cooks and thickens removing them when the soup is done.

2 oz (approx 1/4 c.) diced Pancetta (you can use bacon if Pancetta is not available, or prosciutto for lower fat)

1 medium-large sweet onion, small dice

4 ribs celery, small dice

2 carrots, small dice

1 28 oz can cannelini beans

1 15 oz can cannelini beans

6 cups chicken stock or low salt broth

1 tbsp fresh sage

1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh

Optional- 1 bunch of chopped kale

Salt and pepper

Parsley cheese to serve

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut the top off of the head of garlic about 1/3 of the way down to expose the top of the cloves. Put the clove and top on a sheet of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap up the garlic and roast in the oven for 45 minutes to one hr until the cloves are soft and buttery. 

In a heavy bottom pot. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Sauté chicken in a tbsp of olive oil to brown. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside. In the same pot sauté the pancetta.  Add the onion, celery and carrots and sauté until soft-tender. (6-7 mins).  Add the 28oz can of cannelini beans. Cook until heated through, scraping any brown bits off th bottom of the pot. Squeeze the cloves out of the garlic bulb and top into the pot and stir well mashing into the beans. Add the sage and thyme. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Using a blender or immersion blender, purée the soup. Careful it’s hot! Cook to let it thicken a bit. Add the remaining can of beans. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken back to the pot stir and bring to a boil. Cook until the chicken is cooked through. Optional –

About 5 minutes before you are ready to serve add the kale and cook til tender.  Serve with Parmesan and cracked pepper.

Local Flavors – Iberian Ham and the New England Cranberry

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This week I was lucky to escape the cold, snowy weather and head to beautiful Barcelona, Spain.  The food in Barcelona is both unique and delicious. The locally grown beef is a treat, and the seafood is as fresh as can be from the mediterranean – many times proving its freshness, displayed on packed ice in glistening glory as you walk into your restaurant of choice.  My favorite dish in Barcelona is as simple as simple gets… yet very difficult to accomplish back home due to it’s key ingredient… Iberian Ham – a local delicacy.  The ham is similar to prosciutto, sliced paper thin, but is softer and creamier than prosciutto so it melts in your mouth with each bite.  Iberian ham is often served with Pan y tomate, (bread with tomato) a simple toasted crusty bread rubbed with garlic and then rubbed with a fresh tomato, then finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a little pepper.  You top your toast with a slice of the Iberian ham.  It’s a fantastic and simple combination that is truly unique to Spain.

On the plane ride on the way home I was thinking about some of our own New England cuisine and wondering what measures up to the simplicity of that dish.  Clam Chowder, boiled lobster, baked beans, stuffed Quahogs…all delicious and indigenous to our area… but require some serious prep to be done right.

What was that one dish, that a special meal just wouldn’t be special without, yet is as simple as simple can be? It’s the Cranberry…in all its red glory.  It begins as the simplest of ingredients a berry grown in a bog – but no Thanksgiving table is complete without it.  If you’re like me…I overzealously buy way too many bags of fresh berries at Thanksgiving…then end up freezing a few after the big feast for a dish at a later date. Sometimes it’s a bread or dessert… but Cranberry sauce isn’t just for Thanksgiving… is a great side with so many other dishes… Pork chops or roast, Roast chicken, even grilled scallops might be fun with a dollop of sweet and sour goodness on the plate. All this from the humble little red cranberry.

So… here’s my recipe for Sweet-Tart Cranberry Orange Sauce.

SWEET-TART CRANBERRY ORANGE SAUCE

1 big bag of fresh or frozen Ocean Spray cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

2 half inch round Slices of fresh Orange

1/2 cup Orange juice

1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

2 Cinnamon sticks (or 1 tsp Cinnamon)

a pinch of allspice if desired

In a heavy bottom pot, place all ingredients.  Cook stirring until bubbling and all sugar is incorporated and liquid has reduced. (about 15-20 mins) –  Taste test for desired sweet or tartness.  If too tart add a bit more sugar, dissolve until you have the right flavor.

Let cool and serve. It will thicken as it stands. Serve with turkey, poultry or with nice hot skillet browned pork chops.  You may also stir in chopped walnuts for a nice texture and more substantial side dish.

Cold Weather Farfalle with Sausage

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I served this dish on the coldest night of the year. It’s silky sauce warmed us up and it was “stick to the ribs” comfort food for sure.

1lb Farfalle pasta cooked al dente

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb. Italian sweet sausage

10 oz crimini mushrooms

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup creme fraiche

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 cups baby spinach

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Cook pasta in salted water. Set aside. In an extra large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil. Saute sausage and mushrooms until almost cooked through. Add chicken broth and wine and scrape browned bits from pan to make a sauce. Add creme fraiche. Sprinkle red pepper flakes. Add pasta to pan and toss thoroughly. Add Parmesan, spinach leaves and toss. Add Salt and pepper to taste.

Winter Citrus Salad

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This is one of my favorite salads…especially after the holiday food binge. It’s fresh, crisp, and bright.

1head Boston lettuce, washed, leaves separated
1 ruby red grapefruit segmented (supreme)
2 oranges segmented (supreme)
1/4 c pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup walnuts
3 tbsp dried cherries
2Tbsp shaved Parmesan or crumbled goat cheese of preferred

Dressing:
3 tbsp Orange juice
2 tbsp Olive oil
1tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

On a platter spread lettuce, top with citrus, pomegranate, walnuts, dried cherries. Drizzle dressing over top. Top with cheese.

Enjoy!