Cranberry-Pecan Butter

Each year I throw a tea for Mother's Day.  I like to keep the menu different from year-to-year, so I'm always looking for new ideas.  Scones are a staple of any proper tea.  I love lemon curd, but it's nice to have a few other toppings.  This year I made flavored butters.  It's so easy and  adds wonderful texture and flavor. It's also delicious on toast and bagels.

Here's what you'll need:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 c pecans, finely chopped
1/2 c dried cranberries, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until thoroughly blended, making sure ALL the butter has either a fruit or nut in it.

The butter can be used immediately or stored in the fridge, tightly covered, for up to a month.  Just bring it to room temp before using.

Enjoy!

Pork Loin with Apples and Pistachios

We're having a snow emergency here in the Northeast, so it seemed liked the perfect day to try some new recipes.  I was digging around in my freezer looking for a beef roast when I came across  a pork loin fillet. Nothing goes better with pork than apples, and so this recipe was born.

Here's what you'll need:
2 1/2-3 pound pork loin fillet (you can also use a pork loin roast and fillet it open)
salt and pepper
1 apple, peeled and chopped (I used golden delicious because it's what I had.  I think Granny Smith would      be better.)
1/2 c dried cranberries
3 TBSP smoked blue cheese
1/4 c chopped pistachios

Heat oven to 325.

Combine apple, cranberries, blue cheese and pistachios in a bowl; set aside.

Place pork fillet on a piece of waxed paper or plastic warp.  Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.

Cover with another piece of plastic wrap, making sure it overhangs by several inches all around.  Use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound the fillet to a uniform 1/2-inch  thickness.

Remove top piece of plastic; spread the apple mixture in an even layer over the pork.

Cut a section of butcher twine that's roughly 2 arm's lengths.

Carefully roll the pork into a log.  Place one end of the twine under the meat.  Pull the meat tight, and make a knot.

Continue wrapping and tying, making a knot every inch or so, until the roll is completely trussed.  Place the meat log in a baking dish.  Put any of the filling that fell out on top of the roll.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake, uncovered & without adding and liquid,  at 325 for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours.  Remove from the oven and tent with foil.  Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.  This will allow the juices to redistribute, making moister meat.

Using kitchen shears (or clean scissors) to cut through the butcher twine.  Make sure you remove it all.

Cut the meat into 1 1/2-inch thick slices for serving.

Enjoy!

White Chocolate-Cranberry Baked Oatmeal

Hearty breakfasts are a must once the winter's cold sets in. I used to live on cream of wheat.  It was warming and delicious.  And full of gluten.  Then I discovered baked oatmeal. I can make a pan at the beginning of the week, and breakfast is ready for the rest of the week.  This version is sweet and crunchy, made extra rich by the addition of white chocolate chips.

Here's what you'll need:
2 eggs, beaten
1 c milk
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 c oats (I use old fashioned for more fiber)
1 c dried cranberries, divided
1/2 c white chocolate chips
1/2 c almonds, chopped

Heat oven to 350.  Grease an 9x11" or 10" square baking dish.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, sugar and seasonings together in a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the oats, 3/4 c cranberries and chocolate chips.

Pour into the prepared dish.  Sprinkle with the remaining cranberries and the almonds.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the center is set.  Serve warm, with milk.
Cover the rest with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to one week.  I pour the milk on each serving before I microwave it.

Enjoy!

Famous Dagen Cranberry Sauce

I love cranberry sauce!  When I was a kid, we ate the kind of cranberry sauce that came in a can.  If you removed both ends of the can, you could push it all out in one piece.  I thought that was the greatest thing. Ever.

Then I met my husband's family and realized cranberry sauce came in a totally different form.  Part cranberry, part applesauce it's sweet and tart perfection!  It's easy to make and it freezes well, so I make a TON of it so we can eat it all year long.

Cranberries are usually only available in the fall, and can be quite expensive right up til Thanksgiving.  So, I usually buy a few bags, here and there, and store them in the freezer.  Don't wash them or even open the bags.  Throw them in the freezer just like they came from the store.  This recipe works the same for both frozen and fresh berries.

Here's what you'll need:
Cranberries
2 apples per bag of cranberries
2/3 c water per bag of cranberries
1/2 - 3/4 c sugar per bag of cranberries

Cut each apple into eight.  You don't need to peel them or remove their seeds.  These will come out when you put the fruit through the food mill.

Put the apples in a large pot.  The apples need longer to cook, so they go in first.  Top with the cranberries and water.

Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Once it boils, reduce heat to simmer and cook, uncovered, until the apples are tender.  This will take 7-10 minutes.

While the fruit is cooking, prepare the food mill.  I place mine over a bowl just slightly larger than the mill itself.  This seems to give me the best control over the machine.

When the fruit is ready, ladle it into the food mill in small batches.  Don't fill it too full.

 As the apples and cranberries are processed, the skin and seeds will stay in the top of the food mill, while the sauce will collect in the bowl underneath.

As the lower bowl becomes full, pour the sauce into a larger bowl, and continue the process until all the fruit is pressed.

Add sugar to the cranberry sauce in the larger bowl, beginning with 1/2 cup per bag of cranberries.  Still in well.  Taste.  You may need to add more sugar depending on how sweet you like it.

 Once chilled, the cranberry sauce is ready to eat.  One bag made with 2 apples is usually enough to serve 4-6 people.  I put a large bowl in the fridge for immediate eating, and divide the rest into roughly 2-cup portions.  It will stay fresh in the freezer for several months in either bowls or zip top bags.

To serve, top with whipped cream.

Enjoy!