10-Minute Stuffed Pork Loin

Week nights are always hectic getting dinner on the table.  In the early years we relied on things like chicken fingers, frozen pizza, and pork chops smothered in mushroom soup (my hubsand loves it, although I find it icky).  Anyway in my quest to rely less on commercial products, I came up with the quick recipe.  I usually have most of the ingredients on hand as you only need feta cheese, spinach, and roasted red peppers.

Ingredients:

1 boneless pork loin - pre-seasoned if the have it.  Otherwise season it with Italian seasoning.

1 cube of feta cheese

1 handful of spinach 

1 roasted red pepper (I use the jarred) cut in strips

toothpicks

Lay pork on a cutting.  Slit it down the middle but not all the way through.  I think they call this butterflying.  Spread meat as wide as you can.  Place a layer of spinach down the middle of the meat.  Then  sprinkle with feta.  Top with strips of pepper.

Step 1 - fill with spinach, cheese and pepper

Once you have filled your pork pull both end of the meat back over.  Take your toothpicks and bind your two sizes together.

 Bake at 425 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.

Step 2 - bind two sizes together with toothpicks

Remove from oven.  Let sit 5 minutes.  Remove toothpicks,  Slice and serve.

Step 3 - Size meat and serve

$10,000 Kitchen Renovation - Part 1

We are about to jump on the Grey train.  But I'll get to that later.  I thought since I do all my baking in my kitchen, I would share our renovation.  We moved into our house in 1995.  It was built in the 1980's and done cheaply.  Right from the get go, I hated the kitchen.  It's only saving grace was that the cabinets were white laminate.  But newly married, money was tight and we could not afford a renovation (I don't know how all the young couples do it these days).  So, it being the 90's, I put up bright wallpaper and we lived with it for a LONG while. It had a really ugly floor when we moved in.  We did replace that with a soft green laminate.  We had a newborn and wanted something soft on the floors.  We also ripped the carpet of our the family room and put down laminate.  Back in those days you had to glue laminate which trust me that sucked.  My poor husband lost a lot of his hair that day (and it never came back  :) ) This is how it looked.  It is open to the family room.  However, it had weird walls going up the middle of the room.  Must have been a 80's thing.

Slowcooker CopyCat Habitat Pea Soup (French-Canadian)....the lazyversion

Inside the Crock Pot - just mashed

If you are Canadian you probably know about the pleasures of Habitant Pea Soup, especially on a blustery day.  This version tastes very close.  For my lazy version I use deli black forest ham because I always have it in the fridge.  However, purists can use a ham bone or ham hocks instead.  When I see them, I buy them for this soup but deli ham does just as well believe it or not.


Recipe:

2 cups of dried yellow peas

8 cups of water

1 onion diced

2 large carrots diced

2 stalks of celery diced (I often skip this as I never seem to have celery in the fridge)

4 slices of deli ham, or ham bone or ham hock (I have even used ham steaks)

1 tsp of marjoram

1 tsp of savory

pinch of thyme

1 tbsp of sea salt

1/2 tsp of pepper

Put peas, onion, carrots, celery and ham inside crock pot.  Pour water on top.  Sprinkle spices over water.  Stir to mix.  Cook on low for 8 hours or 4 hours on high or until peas are soft.  Using a potato masher, mash soup and squish about half the peas to give thicker consistency.  Serve hot.  Even better the next day.

Lazy One Bowl Brownies

Circulating around the internet are some really good brownie recipes. Food 52 hands down has the best recipe.  However, their version is a bit more work intensive involving melting butter over a double boiler.  I have come up with the Lazy version of the recipe.  Trust me, these are out of the world!!  Not to mention, you can whip them up in about 10 minutes plus baking time plus you only have one bowl to clean!

Modified: From dessert of Food52.

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cold large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces)
• 2/3 cups walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Instructions

Just out of oven. 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Spray an 8 X 8 baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a medium ceramic bowl.  Place bowl in microwave and heat until butter is melted.  I use the melt setting for 1 stick of butter and then add 30 seconds.  Mix until combined.
3. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. Add the flour and stir until it disappears then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with a wooden spoon.  It will look very glossy.  (similar to a store bought mix)  Pour into pan.
4. Bake until a cake tester comes out mostly clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on a rack.  Cut into squares.  

10 Minute Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (plus baking)

In our busy lives finding time to bake becomes a challenge.  Some things are worth just getting at the grocery store.  Cannoli for instance, a favorite of my husband.  Muffins on the other hand are so easy to whip up and homemade never has all the artificial stuff that store bought products add.  These muffins really can be whipped up in ten minutes and they are truly delicious.

10 Minute Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

2 cups of mashed ripe bananas.  Over ripe are even better.  I use 3 -4 bananas.

1/2 cup melted butter (I use the microwave)

1/4 cup of milk

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

In large bowl, mix melted butter and bananas.  Stir in milk and eggs until blended.  I use a mixer but you can also do it by hand.

Add one cup of flour, salt, baking power and soda.  Stir just until combined.  Add second cup.  Again stir until combined.  Don't overmix.  Gently stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon into muffin tins.  You can either grease or use liners.  Should make about 18 muffins.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until done.  

That's it.  Easy, peasy.

Just out of the oven

$6.00 Fall Glass Hurricane

Back when I got married in the 1990's and HGTV was new, home decorating crafting was huge. You name it, we probably made it.  Eucalyptus swags were everywhere and silk flowers had a heyday.  Looks like some really nice silks are making a comeback.  I even did a number of craft shows back in the day selling swags and table arrangements.  After a long hiatus I wanted to try something crafty.  My dog Patrick and I went walking the woods picking some fresh foliage.

I had a hurricane which I picked up at a church jumble sale for $5.  I added a $1 slim glass and candle from the dollar store into the middle of the hurricane.  Surrounded it with my woodland picks and voila, my $6 Glass Hurricane decorated for Fall.  Later in the year, I will try something for Christmas.  Cranberries perhaps.

Copycat McClure's Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickle Spears Recipe

I absolutely love dill pickles.  I used to buy expensive gourmet pickles because I loved the homemade taste.  That was before I discovered how easy homemade refrigerator pickles are.  No sterilizing or boiling.  We are addicted to these.  I think these taste as good as the fabulous pickles by McClures.

Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickle Spears - enough for 4 large canning jars

Ingredients

1 small basket of pickling cucumbers 

1 bunch of fresh dill

1 clove or garlic - separated

cayenne pepper to taste 

6 cups of water

5 1/4 cups of white vinegar

4 tablespoons of course salt (pickling salt)

1 table of pickling spice (optional - adds flavor, but is not necessary for great pickles)

Wash and clean cucumbers.  Slice into spears.  

Place 2 cloves of garlic at the bottom of each canning jar.  Add a generous sprig or two of dill to the bottom of jar.  Fill jars with spears.  Leave enough room for liquid.

In pot combine water, vinegar, salt and pickling spice is using.  Sprinkle a bit of cayenne to taste over water.  Bring water to boil until salt dissolves. Remove from heat.  Fill each jar with hot liquid dividing between the four jars.  Make sure to completely cover cucumbers.  Place a couple more springs of dill at top of jar.  Place lids on jar.  

Store in refrigerator  Pickles should be ready to eat in 72 hours.