Dinner

Roasted Pork Loin with Apples and Celeriac

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I was first introduced to celeriac, all known as celery root, in our CSA a few years ago.  I didn’t know what it was or how to use it.  It’s an odd looking root vegetable, but it has a wonderful mild celery flavor and can be used in a variety of ways- roasted, raw, mashed or in soups.  I decided to use it in this recipe instead of celery.  I also love the combination of apples with pork.  Sometimes I just roast pork with sliced apples or even put pork, apples and cinnamon in the crock pot.  In this case, the apples I used were too ripe and a very soft variety, so they did not hold up well during the cooking.  I used a local early season apple variety.  The taste was still there, but if you can, use a firmer apple that is suited for baking.  This recipe came from the Food Network website, and I added the celeriac. This a perfect late summer combination and everything is in season. I love the golden carrots and fresh garlic, not to mention the fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme.  *Note- to prepare the celeriac, cut off the outer knobby skin and use the white inside to cube. roast pork ingredientsIngredients

1-1.5 lbs of pork loin

1/2 onion, chopped

2 carrots, thickly sliced

1-2 cups of Celeriac, cubed

2 cloves of garlic

sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary

2 apples (suitable for baking), peeled, cored and cut in slices

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Season pork with salt and pepper and sear on all sides in a cast iron skillet, or an oven safe pan or dutch oven.  Remove the pork and set aside.  Add butter to the skillet and salute the onion, carrot, celeriac, garlic, herbs until tender and browned.  Stir in the apples slices and toss with the juices.  Push the mixture to the sides and add the pork back in the pan.  Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the inside temp is 145 degrees on a meat thermometer or the juices run clear.  Slice the pork and top with the vegetables and enjoy!

roast pork final 2

Roasted Tomato and Leek Soup

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This time of year my kitchen counter is constantly filled with tomatoes.  We have a good bit from our garden (not as many as I hoped) and a bunch from our CSA.  It’s not exactly soup weather yet, but once the cooler weather starts to hit, I will be in full soup mode.  I’m not quite ready for that yet, but I had plenty of tomatoes to use and leeks. If you don’t have leeks, any white onion will do.  I love to use fresh tomatoes in soups and sauces.  I like this soup because it is simple, no fuss and freezes well. And it’s also kid friendly and packed with veggies!   It it just perfect with some toasted crusty bread or grilled cheese sandwiches.

Ingredients

Tomatoes, quartered (around 2 lbs)

extra-virgin olive oil

1 large leek, white and light green portions, diced

1-2 carrots, diced

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1/4 cup tomato paste

4 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves

pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.  Quarter the tomatoes and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet (with sides so the juices do not spill) cut side up.  Roast for about 2 hours until the tomatoes are slightly caramelized.  Your house will smell amazing!

tomato soup 3

In a dutch oven, saute the diced leek, garlic and carrots in olive oil until softened, around 10 min. Salt and pepper the mixture.  Add the tomato paste to the mixture and cook for another minute or two.  Add the roasted tomatoes and any juices and the stock, thyme and honey and simmer for about 30-45 minutes.

tomato soup 1

Puree the soup with an immersion blender or work in batches and puree the soup in a blender until smooth.  Adjust the consistency with stock if needed and season with salt and pepper. I also add some crushed red pepper for a little heat, depending on your taste.  Serve with parmesan shavings and a drizzle of olive oil.

tomato soup 4

Sausage, broccoli, egg bake with sweet potato crust

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On these hot summer days, the last thing I want to do is spend hours in the kitchen. This is another very easy weeknight dinner in a pinch. You can use up whatever veggies you have on hand, add fresh herbs and it is packed full of nutrients! I got the basic recipe from another one of my favorite cookbooks, “Against all Grain” by Danielle Walker and added my spin to it.  I added broccoli, but spinach, swiss chard or arugula would work great or add tomatoes, peppers or mushrooms, the variations are endless! Keep this recipe in your back pocket when you don’t know what to make for dinner or for a tasty breakfast.

egg bake 2

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced very thin

1/2 lb cooked sausage

1 cup chopped broccoli

1 tsp of fresh herbs (I used rosemary and thyme)

8-10 eggs

3 tablespoons milk of choice (I used almond milk)

1/4 cup shredded cheese (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the sliced sweet potato in the bottom of a greased pie plate or small oven safe skillet so they cover the bottom of the pan. Spread the cooked sausage, broccoli or other toppings. Sprinkle in the fresh herbs. Whisk the eggs, milk and salt and pepper and pour into the dish. Add shredded cheese if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 min.

 

 

Sausage Kale Skillet

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This is not so much a recipe, but something I put together for dinner in about 10 minutes and it tasted fabulous!  A good friend asked me this weekend how I use kale and oh boy, let me tell you I could talk all day about kale!  Hopefully I toned it down enough because I don’t want to drive all of my friends away with my fascination with this leafy green vegetable!  I currently have 10 kale plants in my very small garden…so let’s just say I like kale and leave it at that.   But this recipe is very versatile and any leafy green vegetable can be substituted.  I like kale here because it holds it’s texture and does not wilt as much as other leafy greens when cooked.  But play with it and use what you like and have on hand.  I also think the fresh herbs really add to the dish.

Sausageskillet

Ingredients:

1 lb sausage (or use turkey sausage, ground turkey or ground beef)

1/2 onion, chopped

2-4 cups of chopped kale, ribs removed

1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed

10 cherry tomatoes, chopped or halved

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tsp fresh thyme (rosemary or sage would work here)

1/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

Saute the loose sausage and onion in olive oil or coconut oil.  Add the rest of the ingredients until the kale is tender and the beans and tomatoes are cooked through.  Add the stock to desired consistency.  I just added a small amount to prevent dryness.  This dish is also great for leftovers.  Eat the leftovers over a bed of greens or scramble with eggs for breakfast!