Pork Loin Roast with Apples

I bought a pork loin roast without any real plan for what to do with it, so I went browsing the web to see what I could find. This recipe from The Food Network caught my eye, so I decided to give it a go. Following is my version, with a few tweaks to account for my family's tastes and what I had on hand.

1 Two Pound Pork Loin Roast
Salt and Pepper
3/4 tsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dry, crumbled)
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 Medium Onion, Thickly Sliced
1 Celery Root (Celeriac), Peeled. 1/2-inch Dice
2 Medium Carrots, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
3 Apples, Cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced or Pressed
3/4 tsp Dry Thyme (or fresh if you have it)
1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dry)
2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 Cup Apple Juice or Cider
2 Tbsp Grainy Mustard
2 Tbsp Cold Butter

Take the roast out of the fridge 30 minutes or so before you plan to start cooking. Sprinkle it all over with salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary and let it sit on the counter.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Chop the veggies and apples.

Heat the canola oil in an oven-proof skillet over high heat. Add the roast and brown all over, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the roast to a plate.

Reduce the heat in the skillet to medium and add the onions, celery root, carrots and rosemary sprig. Cook for about 5 minutes, and add the garlic, thyme, and apples. Continue cooking for another 4 minutes or so, until the vegetables are beginning to brown. Push the apple mixture to the sides of the pan, and place the roast in the center. Put in the oven and roast to an internal temperature of 135 degrees. You can use an instant-read thermometer, or insert a probe thermometer before you put the roast in the oven.

Remove the pan from the oven and place the roast on a cutting board. Tent it loosely with foil. Put the apple mixture on a serving platter (discard any herb sprigs) and return the pan to high heat on the stove. Stir in the vinegar, stirring to get up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until reduced by half, then add the apple juice or cider. Reduce the juice by half, then turn off the heat. Whisk in the mustard, then the butter.

Slice the roast about 1/4 thick or so and arrange it over the apple mixture. Drizzle the roast with the sauce, and pass remaining sauce at the table. Enjoy!

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Mini Apple Tarts

I had some pie crusts in the fridge that needed using, as well as apples on the counter suffering the same fate. Also, I have these cute little mini tart pans, and so this recipe came to be. This is a really quick dessert (or breakfast) to throw together, especially if you use the refrigerated dough.

Mini Apple Tarts

1 Refrigerated Pie Crust (or homemade)
2-3 Apples, Cored and Thinly Sliced
1 Tbsp (approximately) Sugar
3 Tbsp Apricot Jam
1 Tbsp Calvados, Rum, Water or Apple Brandy or Liqueur

Preheat oven to 350

Roll out and cut your pie crust to fit the mini tart pans. Press the crust into the pans and arrange the apple slices to fill the pans. Sprinkle with sugar and bake until the crust is nicely browned and the apples are soft, about 20-25 minutes.

Whisk together the apricot jam and liquid of choice. Brush over the tarts when they are warm out of the oven. Remove them from the pans and let them cool before enjoying.

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Apple Muffins

For the weekend, a quick but oh-so-tasty muffin recipe. Make these for breakfast this weekend, or freeze a batch for quick breakfasts or snacks during the week.

Apple Muffins

1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Sugar
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
Dash Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Large Apple, Seeded and Finely Chopped (1 Cup)
1 Egg
6 Oz Vanilla Yogurt
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Applesauce
6 Tbsp Melted Butter

Preheat Oven to 350

Grease a muffin pan, or line with paper liners.

Combine the dry ingredients (Flour through Salt) in a large bowl. Stir in the chopped apple. Whisk the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan filling cups about 2/3 of the way full.

Bake in the 350 oven until lightly browned and a wooden pick comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack for further cooling, or enjoy now!

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Apple Galette Recipe

Here is a really quick and easy dessert. It takes about 15 minutes to put together, plus about another 15-20 to bake.

Apple Galette

Preheat oven to 425

Dough for one pie crust (homemade or store-bought refrigerated)
2 Medium Apples
1 tsp or so Lemon Juice
2-4 tsp Sugar (Depending on the sweetness of your apples)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon (or more to taste)
Pinch Nutmeg

If you are using store-bought dough like me, pull it out of the fridge to defrost for 15 minutes. In the meantime, core and thinly slice the apples. Put them in a bowl and squeeze some lemon juice over to keep them from turning brown. Sprinkle with 2 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon, stir and taste for sweetness. Add more sugar or cinnamon as desired. Grate or sprinkle just a tiny bit of nutmeg and stir it in.

By now your dough should be defrosted. (Alternately, if you are using homemade, roll it out into about an 11 inch round. Put a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet, and put your dough on it. Heap the apples in the center of the dough, leaving about a 3 inch border all the way around. No need to be neat here, this is a 'rustic' dessert! Fold dough border over the apples, but not all the way to the center of the pastry. There should be a circle of apples exposed in the center. Bake for 18-25 minutes until golden brown and delicious. Let cool before slicing and enjoying.

Sage and Garlic Scented Butternut with Apples

How's that for a recipe title? I am still on the Thanksgiving kick, and I still have a lot of apples and now a counter full of butternut and acorn squashes, so I got to experimenting this afternoon. This is kind of like scalloped butternut with an apple topping, but the topping is not crunchy. This turned out really great! I was quite pleased with both the flavor and the texture of the final product.

And, again, I am not going to list actual amounts. This is the kind of dish that you can easily make as much as you need depending on how many eaters you have. My sweetie is out of town for a few days, and that means I am on my own come dinner time, so I just made a little bit.

Sage and Garlic Scented Butternut Squash with Apples

Butternut squash
Garlic
Fresh Sage Leaves
Olive Oil
Apples
Salt and Pepper
Broth or Water

Preheat the oven to 375

Peel and seed the squash. Halve it, then slice it very thinly. Toss the squash with minced garlic, chopped sage leaves, and a little bit of olive oil. Layer the slices in a greased baking dish. No need to be perfect here, just arrange them in layers until the dish is nearly full. Then core your apple and slice. I like to cut the apple in quarters, then cut the core out on a diagonal. Cover the squash slices with apples. Pour a bit of broth or water over the top (This is just to help the squash cook up nicely, maybe 1/4 cup of liquid for an 8 inch square pan), cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes until the squash is tender. Remove the foil and check for doneness. At this point my squash was very tender, but there was way too much liquid in the pan, so I put it back into the oven for about another 7 minutes.

Fresh Apple Bread Recipe

I know, apples apples apples. I think this will be the last apple post, at least for this week! This apple bread is very very tasty, but I cannot claim it is health food by any stretch of the imagination.

Fresh Apple Bread

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnomon
1/4 Cup Shortening
1/4 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Cup Finely Chopped Apple
1 1/2 Tbsp Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

topping
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Cinnomon


Preheat oven to 350

Cream shortening, butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in apples, milk and vanilla extract. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add stir into the apple mixture. Pour into a greased loaf pan and sprinkle the topping over the batter. Bake for 50-60 minutes. This bread gets very dark in the oven, but boy is it good.

Apple Strippers Recipe

I am not exactly sure why these are called strippers. Maybe it's because they are made from strips of dough. Anyway, I have been making these cookies for the holidays with raspberry and apricot jam since I saw the recipe in Cooking Light Magazine in about 2002. I was inspired to do a fall version perhaps because I am still surrounded by apples. This recipe uses the apple butter we made yesterday.

Apple Strippers Recipe

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

1/3 Cup Sugar
5 Tbsp Butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Large Egg White
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
Cooking Spray or Parchment Paper
1/3 Cup Apple Butter (or other jam-like product of your choice)
1/3 Cup Powdered Sugar
2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Almond Extract

Preheat Oven to 375

Beat sugar and butter with a mixer at medium speed until well blended, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg white, beat well. Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture ans stir until well blended.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in two. Roll each half into a log about 12 inches long. Place the logs about 3 inches apart on a cookie sheet or baking pan coated with cooking spray (I used parchment paper instead). Using the handle of a wooden spoon, make a 1/2 inch indentation down the length of each log. Spoon the apple butter into the center. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to a cutting board.

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and almond extract. Stir well with a fork and drizzle over the logs. Cut each log diagonally into 12 slices, but don't pull the slices apart yet. Let rest on the cutting board for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Apple Butter Recipe

I made this for the first time a month or so ago, and it was gone right quick. I like this recipe because it uses up a lot of apples, and my husband declared it "good enough to buy apples just to make this". It's not hard by any stretch, but it is time-consuming, so keep that in mind before you start. We have spread this on biscuits and bagels and toast. We have baked it into crescent rolls and pocket pies. I could also see it on pancakes or waffles. Hrm....

Apple Butter Recipe

3 Cups Apple Juice or Cider
3 lbs Apples (I use a combo of whatever I have on hand, usually fuji, golden delicious, red delicious and/or gala.)
2 Tbsp to 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar, depending on the sweetness of your apples
1/2 Tsp (more to taste) Cinnamon

Bring the apple juice or cider to a boil in a large pot or dutch oven. Reduce to simmer and simmer for about 15 minutes. In the mean time, peel, core and chop the apples. (This is the only recipe that I actually peel the apples for.) Add the apples to the juice, cover and cook for about one hour, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Remove the pot from the heat and grab your handy dandy potato masher. Get in there and mash the apples as much as possible. Stir in the cinnamon and brown sugar and return the pot to low heat. Continue cooking over low heat until very thick and all the liquid has cooked off, as much as one hour longer. If need be, you can continue mashing any lumps out as the mixture thickens.




I haven't (yet) canned anything, so I just put this in a container in the fridge. I can't say how long it will actually keep, the first batch I made was gone inside of two weeks!

Beet, Apple and Carrot Salad Recipe

This one is so simple, I don't really think it's fair calling it a 'recipe'. However, it is a side dish I turn to often when time is short and I need something quick. It also keeps well in the fridge and as such makes great snacks or lunches later in the week.

Beet, Apple and Carrot Salad

Roughly equal parts beets, carrots and apples. Scrub the beets and carrots. Core and seed the apples (I do this by cutting them in quarters, then slicing on the diagonal to remove the core and seeds.) If you are picky about such things, you can peel, but I never do. Shred everything with the food processor or a box grater.

For one beet, 2 carrots and one apple I use about 1 Tbsp Champagne Vinegar (or you could use Sherry Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Cider Vinegar, probably even Balsamic Vinegar. Try a few and see what you like.) and 1 Tbsp Olive Oil. Whisk the vinegar and oil, then add in the veg/fruit. Stir to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper. That's it!

Super simple and so refreshing.

We had this with the Cornbread Stuffing and a wonderful roast chicken my DH made.

Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe

This is an adaptation of a recipe I got from Live Earth Farm CSA.

Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

1 Acorn Squash
2 Apples
1 Stalk Celery
1/2 Small Onion
2 tsp Butter
2 Tbsp Raisins
Olive Oil for rubbing on squash

Preheat oven to 350

Cut the sqash in half and scoop out the seeds. Rub the cut sides with olive oil and place in a baking dish cut side down. I like to add a little water to the dish to sort of steam the squash, but that is optional. Bake the squash for 25 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, chop your onion and celery into a fine dice. Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until pretty soft, but not brown, about 5-7 minutes. Core and chop the apples (about 1/2 inch dice) and add to the onions and celery in the pan. Cook until starting to soften, 5 minutes, then add the raisins. Continue cooking a few minutes to let the raising begin to soften and plump up.

Remove the squash from the oven and turn it cut side up. Fill with the apple mixture and return to the oven. Continue cooking until the squash is completely soft and the top is a bit browned, 20-30 minutes more.

Apple Crisp

Between our two apple trees and the CSA share, we are still swimming in apples. This is a pretty quick and (relatively) healthy dessert. Leftovers can also stand in as a quick breakfast in a pinch!


Apple Crisp

4 large or 6 small apples (any variety-I like to use a combination)
1/4 cup Calvados (you could also use apple juice or even water)
1/2 cup brown sugar-divided
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 chopped nuts (I used walnuts this time, I also like it with almonds)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Preheat the oven to 350

Core and dice the apples. No need to peel. Cook the apples over medium low heat with the Calvados, 1/4 cup brown sugar and pinch red pepper flakes until the apples are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Transfer the apple mixture into a baking dish or individual ramekins.

Mix together the oats, nuts, 1/4 cup brown sugar, flour and melted butter or margarine. Spread this mixture over the apples and bake until hot and brown, about 15-20 minutes.