Stuffed Pork Roast

I was doing a little housekeeping with my blog last week and found some posts that got lost in the chaos of this past year. This is a post from February, which seems like ages ago. I had bought a Hormel Pork Tenderloin (on sale, of course - buy one get one free and a $1.00 off coupon) and wanted to add a little something to it. Thanks to my Subway Sandwich Artist days back in high school, I was able to cut into the pork tenderloin so that some of the pork could lay on top of the stuffing, keeping the spinach filling in place. As I said before, this is from a while back, so please be forgiving if the recipe ends up being a little vague or off :)

Ingredients:
- 2 pound pork tenderloin
- 1/2 bag frozen spinach, thawed
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 package of neufchatel cheese
- minced garlic or garlic powder to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh basil
- Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
- Italian blend dried herbs
- Dried fennel
- Cooking spray


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F and grease a loaf pan.
2. Lay the tenderloin on a cutting board. Starting at the upper right hand corner of the tenderloin, cut crosswise (from front to back) of the tenderloin until the knife is 1 inch from the left side of the tenderloin. Now, cut at a 45 degree angle down (this will be where the filling goes). Repeat this as you work your way down the tenderloin. When you are finished the tenderloin should easily open up but still be able to close back up. When finished, place tenderloin in the pan (you can wait to do this until the tenderloin is stuffed if you'd like).
3. In a food processor blend the mayo, cream cheese, and spinach until well mixed. Add the fresh basil, garlic, and some Parmesan cheese to taste.
4. With a spoon or rubber spatula begin stuffing the tenderloin, starting at the top and working your way down. The pork won't close fully when you are done, but most of the filling should be inside the pork.
5. In a small bowl mix the breadcrumbs with your desired about of herbs and seasonings. With your hands, pat this onto the top of the tenderloin.
6. Cook at 400F for 45-60 minutes, or until the tenderloin reads 160F.

Ginger-Curry Pork Ribs

I have been experimenting with different foods these past few months. Boneless pork ribs are a meat I had never cooked before. They usually are very tender and can be substituted for pork chops in any recipe. They are a little fattier than a center-cut pork chop, so I would not recommend eating them daily. 

Curry paste is a great staple to have in your kitchen. It has all the flavors of India and requires no effort. You can get it from the cultural section of your grocery store.  We have used it on chicken and pork since we have purchased it. I will be blogging the chicken recipe soon. The paste does have a strong aroma, so you will definitely smell it the next time you come home. 

This recipe was quick and easy. I would recommend it for a weeknight meal. You can adjust the spice by adding more or less curry paste.

Ginger-Curry Pork Ribs

Adapted from the Ginger-Curry Pork and Rice from "The best of Cooking Light, Everyday Favorites" cookbook. 

Ingredients

• 16 ounces of pork ribs
  
• ¼ tsp pepper
  
• ¼ tsp salt
  
• 1 tbsp canola coil
  
• 1 tbsp mild curry paste
  
• ¼ tsp dried ginger
  
• 1 small onion, diced
  
• 1 large carrot, sliced
  
• 1 cup chicken broth
  
• 2 tbsp raisins
  
• Honey
  
• Garlic
  
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
  

 Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Place pork ribs in the oil and then push to the sides. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper and with the spatula, press in the spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each of the 4 sides, or until lightly browned.
   
2. Remove pork from the heat and place in a container. Sprinkle with ginger.
   
3. In the skillet, add the onion and curry. Cook until the onion is tender. Add the broth, onion and pork to the skillet. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat so just simmering. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, so the pork is cooked throughout – the pork will read 160F when it is done.
   
4. Remove the pork again. Increase heat to medium high. Add rice, raisins, honey, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.
   
5. Mix the rice mixture with the pork and serve. 
   

Sweet and Spicy Chops

Yes, these pork chops are breaded. Many of you may say, "Lynn, I thought that breading was 'bad' for our health!" I would like to inform you all that breading is not "bad" for your health, nor is any other food...everything can fit in moderation. This breading is half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. Breading that is made at home is MUCH healthier than breading at a restaurant and this breading is not deep friend in a vat of oil; just cooked in tbsp of olive oil for the entire batch. If you have questions about this moderation concept, I would love to answer them :) Otherwise, go ahead and try this tasty meal!

Sweet and Spicy Pork Chops with Maple Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
3 pound of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thirds
6 thin Pork Chops, about 1 pound
¼ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
½ cup water
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Chili Powder
Salt
Pepper

1 TBSP olive oil
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup milk

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes, reduce heat to about 8 and cover. Boiling them with the cover on will prevent heat from escaping, but be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over. Boil for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Whisk the water and egg together in a small bowl. In a bowl large enough for a pork chop to easily fit in, mix the flours, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp chili powder, and a dash of salt and pepper. Dip each pork chop into the egg-water mixture and then into the flour mixture. Flip the pork chop to fully coat with flour and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pork chops.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add three pork chops and cook about 2 minutes per side. If checking the temperature, the pork is ready at 155°F. Otherwise, cut into the pork chop and make sure there is no pink flesh visible. Thin pork chops could be ready in 4 minutes total. On the last flip, sprinkle the chops with cinnamon and chili powder.
3. Once all of the pork chops are finished set them in a container and put them in the microwave to stay warm.
4. Once the potatoes are done, remove them from the water and put them in a bowl. Mash the potatoes with a metal masher. Whisk in the milk and maple syrup. Add cinnamon and chili powder to taste.

Pork and Beans..Modified

Lucky you...I have a whole meal for you today!

Jason and I were trying to figure out what to do with the pork we bought on sale this week (we usually always buy whatever meat is on sale and then base our meals off of it) and we were inspired by a meal his parents made for us when we came home a few weekends ago; they grilled pork chops with a honey glaze and had an apple and raisin chutney. Something about apples, maple syrup, and pork just always works.

This dish has a variety of nutrients. Jason's only critique is that it could use a little more diversity in the color, which I agree with. This dish has tons of protein, fiber, iron, vitamin A, and B vitamins. Enjoy!

If you make this recipe, be sure to start the barley right away, since it takes about 45 minutes total.

Pork

We bought fresh pork ribs from the store and grilled them on a charcoal grill. Prior to grilling, we glazed them with a maple honey mustard glaze (see recipe below). Jason also basted them with this while they were grilling. Be careful; the glaze can cause the outside to burn, to limit the number of times you have to flip the pork if you are going to baste them each time you flip them. We used a meat thermometer to make sure the pork didn't dry out (make sure to cook it to 160F).

Maple Honey Mustard Glaze

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP mayo (I like to use to the real stuff, because it has less additives and a little can go a long way)


• 1 TBSP maple syrup (again, I like to use the real, pure maple syrup; it is a little more expensive, but we use maple syrup so rarely that the cost difference is not a big deal for how much better the flavor is)


• 2 TBSP honey Dijon mustard

Directions:

• Whisk mayo and mustard together until well blended. Whisk in the maple syrup until a uniform sauce is created. Add more or less of any ingredient, as needed.

Fruited Sweet Potato Topping

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato


• 2 small Fuji apples


• 1/8 cup pecans, broken


• 1/8 cup cranberries


• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil


• 1 tsp ground cloves


• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

• Wash the sweet potatoes and apples, but leave the skins on.


• Slice sweet potatoes into circles, starting at the small end and working towards the middle. I also like to turn it around about 1/3 of the way and start at the other end, working towards the middle. This seems to help with cutting when it gets lopsided.


• Heat the oil on medium heat in a large skillet; then add the sweet potatoes and cover. By covering the pan, the steam can help cook the sweet potatoes.


• Stir and flip frequently to prevent the sweet potatoes from burning.


• While the sweet potatoes are cooking, slice and core the apples. I cut the apple in to 4, take out the core and then cut each fourth into 3 more slices. I then cut each slice (you can do more than one at a time) into 3 chunks.


• Once the sweet potatoes have browned slightly and are getting soft, add the apples. Continue to stir periodically.


• Once the apples are golden and soft, all the cranberries, pecans, and spices. Cover the pan. Turn down the heat to simmer or off completely.

Eat as a side or as a topping for the pork or barley.

Barley
I used pearl barley, which takes 35 - 45 minutes to cook. Add 1 part barley to 3 parts water and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to simmer and cover to cook for 35-45 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed and the barley is tender. If the water is not absorbed but the barley is tender, you can empty into a strainer.

Eat plain or top with the sweet potato mixture, maple honey mustard sauce, or plain old butter, salt, and pepper.

Sweet and Spicy Bean Salad (aka Cal's Bean Salad)
This is my grandpa's (Cal Bellmore) bean recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of red beans


• 1 can of black-eyed peas


• 1 can of great pinto beans


• 1/2 cup dried cranberries


• 1/2 cup chopped onion (you can cook before adding to make milder)


• 1 tbsp mayo


• 2 tbsp vinegar


• 1 tbsp sugar


• 1 tsp cayenne pepper powder


• 1 tsp cumin


• 1 tsp chili powder


• 1 tsp garlic powder


• 1 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Stir beans, cranberries and onion together in a large bowl.


2. In a small bowl, stir the remaining ingredients together. Pour over the bean blend and mix well.