Slow Roasted Pork Loin with Honey Balsamic Glaze

Served with Rustic Sage Bread Stuffing, Glazed Root Vegetables and Apple Endive Salad with Sweet and Spicy Pecans

The following 4 recipes comes courtesy of Anthony Sedlak’s cookbook “The Main: Recipes”. This book is laid out into theme menus. This menu’s theme is Honey. Who doesn’t love honey? 

A comment on Anthony Sedlak’s cookbook: it is visually stunning. The pictures are so beautiful and all the food looks amazing. So far, this is the only menu I have tried to date, but I periodically flip through the pictures. It’s almost like a beautiful picture book for foodies. 

This menu tasted even better than it looked. I was so impressed with the flavors and my guests loved it too.

If you plan to make this delicious menu, prepare in the following order for best results: Prepare pecans for salad in advance, Glaze pork and roast, prepare root vegetables and simmer, assemble bread stuffing, remove pork and prepare jus, bake stuffing, prepare salad, carve pork at table.

Slow-Roasted Pork Loin with Honey Balsamic Glaze

• one 4 lb pork loin roast, bone in
• 3-4 sprigs rosemary
• 3-4 sprigs thyme
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup beef stock

Preheat oven to 350F.

1. Score the skin of pork roast. Cut along the bone, following bone down to the loin. Stuff the pork with rosemary and thyme and season generously (both inside and out) with salt and pepper. With kitchen twine, tie roast in between each bone, securing tightly.

2. In a saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar, white wine, Dijon mustard, and honey. Stir over medium heat until mixture has reduced by half. Set aside.

3. In a large roasting pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add meat and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Baste pork with reserved glaze. 

4. Place roasting pan in preheated oven. Cook for 60 minutes, or until meat thermometer reaches 145F, basting meat every 10 to 15 minutes. If pan appears dry, add extra water or wine, 1/2 cup at a time. Remove from oven and deglaze pan with white wine and beef stock making sure to scrape up all the brown bits. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Reserve the pan juices for the Rustic Bread Stuffing.

Rustic Sage Bread Stuffing

Rustic Sage Bread Stuffing

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1-2 sprigs rosemary
• 1-2 sprigs sage
• 1/2 loaf country style bread, torn into bite-sized pieces
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup of reserved pan juices from pork roast

Preheat oven to 350F (Oven should remain hot from pork roast).

1. In a medium saute pan, heat oil, butter and fresh herbs until oil is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add bread and season with salt and pepper. Put pan in preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until bread is light golden. 
3. Return pan to stovetop and add reserved pork drippings. Let liquid reduce slightly, then serve immediately.

Glazed Root Vegetables

Glazed Root Vegetables

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 leek, cleaned, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
• 2 cups Brussels sprouts, sliced in half
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1-2 sprigs thyme
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp honey
• salt and pepper

1. In a medium saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add parsnip, turnip, and carrot, and saute 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add leak, brussels sprouts, and butter. When butter starts to foam, add thyme and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until vegetables are lightly browned. 
2. Add white wine, honey, and salt and pepper. Cover pan and simmer over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Apple Endive Salad with Sweet and Spicy Pecans

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 cup whole pecans
• 3 heads Belgian endive, julienned
• 1 Granny Smith apple
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.

1. In a medium bowl, combine honey and cayenne. Add nuts and toss until evenly coated with honey mixture. Spread mixture onto parchment lined baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until nuts are toasted. Let cool and shop coarsely.
2. In a large bowl, toss together endive, apple, and honey-spiced pecans. Add lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Vegetable Ham-Bone Soup

I had a lovely spiral ham for Christmas Eve dinner and was left over with a large bone, which I tossed into the freezer so I could make something with it later. So here comes my Vegetable Ham-Bone Soup from the slow cooker. The flavour of the ham and peas is rich and comforting, well worth the wait!

1 1/2 cups of dried yellow peas, rinsed in cold water

1 meaty ham bone

3 good sized potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 stalks of celery, diced

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 to 2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of dried thyme

freshly ground pepper

water

1. In a 6 qrt. slow cooker, place all ingredients, pour water in until the ham bone is completely covered. 
2. Cover and heat at setting #3 for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the ham bone (it will be soft and fall apart). Enjoy!

Pineapple Banana Loaf

This is truly my favorite loaf, all year round. The pineapple makes this banana loaf incredibly moist. It also freezes really well. This is recipe makes 2 - 9inch loafs. 

3 cups All-Purpose Flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup crushed pineapple, undrained

3 eggs

1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups mashed banana (about 5 bananas)

2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350degrees F
2. Combine first 5 ingredients.
3. Beat together remaining ingredients in large bowl until blended. Add dry ingredients, stirring until throughly combined. Divide evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in pan, then transfer to rack and cool completely.

Recipe courtesy of “Robin Hood: Baking Festival Cookbook.”

Dark Chocolate Truffles

Small decadent bites of perfection. No other words required.

3/4 cup whole blanched almonds or 1/2 cup silvered almonds

8 squares dark/bittersweet chocolate

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup sifted icing sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup rum, almond, orange or raspberry liqueur

Cocoa powder

1. Preheat broiler. Whirl almonds in a food processor until finely chopped but not ground. Spread on a baking sheet and place 6 in from broiler. (Or do what I do: place almonds in a non-stick frying pan over low heat and toast that way). Watching carefully and shaking often to avoid burning, toast until lightly golden, from 2 to 3 mins. Set aside to cool.
2. Break chocolate into small pieces and place with butter in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Stir until melted and smooth. Using a rubber spatula, turn into a medium size mixing bowl. Stir in icing sugar and almonds. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm enough to roll into balls about 2 hours. Form into 1 inch balls and roll in cocoa powder. Store in airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

Recipe courtesy of “Chatelaine Recipes: Easy Holiday Cooking.”