Pecan-Crusted Pork with Orange-Maple Glaze

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens/Jill Lust

Pork is just not a meat that I prepare very often.  It's not that I don't like it, in fact I love it.  But the only time I really think about serving it is this time of year because it always sounds good with applesauce.  Apples are a fall fruit, so I guess that's why I am thinking about it now.  Although this recipe doesn't call for apples, it does have two unusual ingredients that I never considered putting together with pork, maple syrup and pecans.  I found the recipe in the September issue of Better Homes and Gardens and just made it for lunch.  It was delicious, a perfect spicy/sweet combination.

Here is what I used to make 4 lunch servings:

6 pieces of pork tenderloin cut to 1/2 inch thickness
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup pecan pieces, finely chopped
2 tablespoons oil (approximately) to brown the meat
2 oranges (1 juiced, 1 sectioned)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Season the pieces of pork with salt and pepper.

Pour 3 tablespoons of maple syrup on a plate.  Pour 1 cup of chopped pecans on another plate.  Coat either side of the pork pieces first in the syrup, then in the pecans.

Heat the oil in a skillet on medium high heat.  Add the pork pieces and brown on either side.  It only takes about 4 minutes on each side to cook it through if your pieces are cut to 1/2 inch thickness.

Set the browned meat aside and make the sauce.  To do this, squeeze the juice from 1 orange (or use 1/4 cup orange juice) and combine it with 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Pour the sauce back in the skillet you browned the meat in.  Let simmer until slightly thickened.

Section an orange and place on the pork.  Pour the thickened sauce over the meat platter.

Serve it up while it is nice and warm.  A good side dish is rice and a steamed green vegetable like beans or pea pods.

Bedouin Bread

I am doing a Bible study called Woven, A Tapestry of Stories- Women of God Through the Ages,  by Wendy Eason.  I can relate to the women of the Bible in many areas of my life, but what better way than to make bread the way the people of Israel did then (and now!).  Wendy offered a challenge that I wasn't about to let pass me by.  She gave our class of women this recipe and offered "extra credit" to anyone who attempted it.  I just pulled mine out of the oven literally 5 minutes ago and 2 loaves are already gone!  I wonder if Rachel and Leah had to shoo all those boys out from around the brick oven to keep them from eating all the loaves before the rest of their dinner was done!

Here is what you need to make 8 loaves:

1 tablespoon yeast

1 tablespoon honey

1 1/4 cup tepid water

3 1/2 cups flour (I used all purpose)

1 teaspoon salt

Dissolve 1 tablespoon yeast and 1 tablespoon  honey in water.

Using a wire whisk, blend 3 1/2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt.

Pour the water mixture in the flour mixture.

Mix well then knead about 10 minutes until it forms a smooth ball.

Divide the dough in 8 pieces.

Flatten each piece into a 5" circle and place on lightly greased cookie sheet or parchment paper.

Cover with a clean towel.  Let rise 1-2 hours.  It should rise to between 1/2-3/4" thick.

Preheat oven to 500 and bake for 7-8 minutes.  I slid my dough off the cookie sheet (still on the parchment paper) onto a baking stone that I had heating in the oven during the preheating.

So yummy, thank you Wendy for the recipe and an even bigger thank you to my Lord who provides bread along with the rest of my needs every day!

Yellow Cake Mix (with confetti)

We celebrated the 18th birthday of my daughter a few days ago.  One of her favorite cakes is confetti cake.  I really don't like buying cake mixes from the store so I started making up my own mixes to have on hand for special occasions.  I adapted this recipe from one I found at melskitchencafe.com.  Discovering that I was out of cupcake liners to late to go to the store, I improvised and used cake cones for half of the recipe.  There is something very satisfying to making a cake from scratch.  I hope you are filled with a sense of "well done" after you pull this out of the oven.

What you need for the mix:

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour*
1/2 cup dry milk
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup candy rainbow sprinkles

*if you do not have cake flour you can make your own by measuring out 1 1/2 cup of all purpose flour in a bowl then take out 3 tablespoons of the flour and substitute with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch.  Stir with a wire whisk to mix.

Additional ingredients to make the cake:

1 1/4 cups warm water
2 large eggs

In a large bowl,  using a wire whisk,  mix together all the dry ingredients (except the sprinkles)

Using a pastry blender, incorporate 1 cup of butter and 1 tablespoon of vanilla.

It should look like this when it is done.

Stir in 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles.  If you are just making a yellow cake, obviously omit  the sprinkles.

If you are not going to be making the cake right away, this mix can be stored in a sealed container (or ziplock bag) in the refrigerator until ready to use.  To make the cake, continue on!

Preheat oven to 350.

To the dry mix, add 1 1/4 cups water and 2 large eggs.

Mix on medium high speed until well blended.

Pour into your choice of cake pan.

This makes the same amount as a store bought cake mix.  It should make 24 cup cakes, but if you choose to use ice cream cake cones like I did, you will have extra batter to make more than 24.

Bake until golden brown and the center springs back when lightly touched.  Here are the approximate bake times depending on what kind of pan you use:  cupcakes 20 minutes, 2 9" rounds 25 minutes, 9X13" 35- 40 minutes, 12 cup bundt 45-50 minutes. Oven temperatures vary which is why I say approximate.

Frost with your favorite frosting and enjoy!  I made my frosting by beating 1 cup of butter, 3 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. This was more than enough frosting to frost 24 cupcakes.

Cinnamon-Streusel Coffeecake

King Arthur Cinnamon-Streusel Coffeecake

Making this coffeecake has become a regular part of my week.  It seems that there is always an occasion where I need to bring a baked good and lately I have chosen this one.  I originally found it on the King Arthur web site while searching for a good recipe for my friends favorite kind of cake.  It has the perfect moistness and cinnamon taste.  The original recipe I found called for twice as much crumb topping.  I still make up the same amount but reserve the extra and store it in my refrigerator for when I make muffins to top them.  I have written the recipe for only half the amount but it is a great crumb topping to have on hand if you decide to double what I have written.

What you need:

STREUSEL TOPPING
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, melted

FILLING
1 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

CAKE
3/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 1/4 cups milk (anything from skim to whole)
3 3/4 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 350.

Lightly grease a 9 X 13" pan.
(I ran out of cooking spray and had to oil mine my hand.  I think I put a bit too much.)

Make the topping by whisking together 3/4 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons melted butter.

It should look like this when it is all combined.  Set the topping aside.

Make the filling by mixing together 1 cup brown sugar and  1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon.  Set the filling aside.

To make the cake:  In a large bowl, beat together 3/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.  Add the 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt and 1 1/4 cup milk.  You don't need to whisk out all the lumps.

Add 3 3/4 cup flour alternately with the milk mixture, beating gently to combine.

Pour/spread half the batter (about 3 cups) into the prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle the filling over the batter.

Pour the rest of the batter over the filling.  Using a table knife, gently swirl the filling into the batter.  Don't combine filling and batter thoroughly; just swirl the filling through the batter.

Sprinkle the topping over the batter.

Bake the cake until it is a dark golden brown around the edges; medium-golden with no light patches showing on top, and a toothpick or cake test inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes.  When pressed gently in the middle, the cake should spring back.  Allow it to cool for 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Note: This recipe can be made the night before, covered with plastic wrap, and baked in the morning.  Just add about 5 minutes on the cooking time.

Breakfast Cookies

I always relied on my granola bar recipe to fall back on for an easy grab breakfast or snack.  While I still love that recipe, my friend gave me this one that I really am enjoying.  I love it that it makes 60 cookies and that they can be frozen then thawed easily to be kept on hand for a filling breakfast enjoyed with a cup of tea.  It is extremely easy to customize to your liking.  They also are packed with very healthy ingredients.  These somewhat remind me of the Kashi cookies if you have ever tried them.  You may not have readily available all of these ingredients, but if you have any resolve to start eating healthier, you should make it a point to have them in your pantry anyway!  Speaking of customizing, the way I was given the recipe it called for using orange juice instead of apple cider and orange extract along with the vanilla extract.  My family likes the apple cider better, but be creative and let me know some of your ideas.

What you need:
1 cup dry, uncooked oat bran
3/4 cup apple cider
1 heaping cup of apple sauce, unsweetened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup honey
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups wheat flour (or white or a combination)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup nonfat dry milk
2 1/2 cups oats (instant or old-fashioned)
1 cup nuts
1 cup raisins (or fruit of your choice)
1 cup ground flax seed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray or oil.  They will stick if you do not.  I thought it might be a good idea to tell you if you live near a Gordon Food Service they sell sheet pan liners that can be used by cutting in half to line a typical cookie sheet.  One sheet can be used over again a few times before having to replace.

Mix 1 cup of oat bran and 3/4 cup apple cider in a small bowl and let soak for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 1 heaping cup applesauce, 2 tablespoons canola oil, 1 cup honey, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.  Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.

Measure 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and whisk them together.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the honey mixture.

Add the soaked oat bran, 1 cup dry milk, 2 1/2 cups oats, 1 cup nuts, 1 cup raisins (or your choice of fruit), 1 cup ground flax seed.

Mix until well combined.

Drop my heaping tablespoons on your prepared cookie sheets.

Bake until lightly brown 12-14 minutes.

Enjoy with a tall cold glass of milk or a nice warm cup of coffee or tea!