Pork Roast with Gravy & Baked Apples

MARINADE
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Tbsp. Honey Mustard (regular is also fine and just add some honey)
1 tsp. salt (I prefer sea salt)
freshly ground black pepper (to preference)
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup apple sauce (I just used a prepackaged one for kids lunches which happened to be unsweetened - but it really doesn't matter)

Put all marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend. pour over entire roast of pork. Let the mixture marinate over the roast for at least a half hour prior to placing in the oven. I find it best to marinade for the half hour at room temperature as meat will be more tender when not exposed to extreme temperature changes.


I generally buy the long slender pork loin as it has no fat and cooks within an hour or less

After marinading is completed and just prior to putting roast in the oven I add 1/2 cup of both (I use whatever tetras box I have on hand - i.e. chicken or beef) Cook in a preheated oven till it's cooked to your desire.

Take cooked meat and place on a platter - cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute and then cut.

GRAVY - use the juices and marinade that remains in your pan - also add the rest remainder of broth in the tetras box, a dash of balsamic vinegar. If I've steamed any veggies I also add this to my gravy. Thicken your gravy and enjoy. You will find this gravy is full of flavour from everything that you put in your marinade.

Hint: If your gravy is too light in colour add a bit of instant coffee - just a bit will add depth to your gravy OR if the gravy needs both colour and salt add soya sauce.

With this roast I also serve BAKED APPLES. I thinly slice apples (leaving the skin on). Place them in a greased oven proof dish. Mix together dash of salt, brown sugar and cinamon. Sprinkle this mixture over the apple slices and then grate some orange zest(never grate the white skin as this is very bitter) over the top it all. Cook at 350 for 30- 40 minutes. The smell alone is wonderful.

Turtle Cake

What better thing to do during a snow storm than prepare a beautiful dinner and try a new dessert recipe... that's exactly what we did at our place on Saturday night. This cake was AMAZING and yet SO EASY to prepare - ENJOY!!

TURTLE CAKE
1 pkg. Chocolate Cake Mix - mix according to directions on box

6 oz. chopped pecans
7 oz. eagle brand milk
6 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
14 oz. caramels
1/4 lb. butter

Mix cake as on package. Bake half of the mix in greased 9x11 pan (I used 2 large glass pie plates). In top of double boiler, melt butter, caramels, and milk. Remove top of double boiler from heat. Cool mixture slightly and pour over baked half of cake. pour on remaining cake batter. Sprinkle with pecans and chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 20-25 mins.

Rice

This is VERY simple but gives your rice SO MUCH flavor.

Choose whatever kind of rice your family enjoys. Follow the cooking instructions EXCEPT replace the water/liquid with chicken broth (I use the tetras box type) IN ADDITION - also add one clove of minced garlic for every four servings, and add a Tbsp. of wine for every four servings. The following is an example of how I would make minute rice.

Ingredients
2 cups of minute rice
2 cups of chicken broth
2 tsp. of butter1/2 tsp. of salt
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1 tbsp. of wine (preferably white)

Instructions
1. Bring broth, butter, salt, and garlic to a boil.
2. Stir in wine and rice. Cover. Turn off heat.
3. Let stand for 5 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with fork.
Note: I will also often keep the liquid from steamed veggies and add later use this as part of my liquid to make rice… this adds a lot of flavor and vitamins.

CHERRY'S - Sour Cream Fudge Cake

When we planted our church, Cherry would bring this cake to many of our pot luck dinners. It's my absolute Favorite Chocolate Cake EVER!!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup of butter
2 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. of vanilla
2 1/4 cup of white flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
6 Tbsp of cocoa
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water
STEPS
1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs on at a time. Add vanilla.
3) Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
4) Add sour cream to sugar mixture and stir. Alternate adding dry ingredients and boiling water.
5) Divide into greased cake pans (I prefer 2 round ones). Cook for 30-35 mins.(check center with toothpick) Cool and ice. I love this cake with a chocolate buttery icing.
NOTE : This is a VERY rich cake so I serve it as a single layer cake and will often freeze the second cake to have at a later time.

Brewing The Perfect Cup Of Java

First, let me say these procedures may look lengthy and intimating. Truly they are really quite logical and common sense steps that are very simple to follow. But be advised, if you do not take your coffee making and drinking experience seriously and therefore choose to not follow these steps, you are not getting the best cup of coffee that your money can buy. The choice is up to you.

Your coffee making equipment must be spotlessly clean.

If you are not the kind of person who thoroughly washes out their coffee urn and maker after use this step is for you. Without the proper cleaning, coffee sediment and oils will settle in your coffee making device that will grow stale as they are left exposed to the air. These build up producing an off, bitter taste in the cup-quite an unpleasant experience.

Select the freshest, best quality beans available.

I suggest you head to your specialty coffee purveyor and select from their coffees. Many of us have purchased the supermarket brands of pre-ground or whole bean coffees. The problem with these coffees is you can never be too sure how long the beans sit in those chutes and, as you know, exposure to air is an enemy of freshly roasted coffee beans. I recommend your specialty coffee purveyor, not to discredit your friendly grocer, but because specialty coffee retailers are solely in the business to sell coffee beans and therefore you can be more confident their beans are fresher because they move much more rapidly than supermarket beans.

Purchase only enough coffee that is reasonable for your lifestyle.

In other words, if you drink only one cup a day, don't go stockpiling your coffee beans because you just happen to be near your specialty coffee store and they happen to be running a sale on Ethiopian Harrar this week. Coffee beans are a perishable item which begin to loose flavors if not stored properly or used quickly after roasting.

Use the best possible water available.

This is key to a great cup of coffee and should not be taken lightly.When you consider that coffee is made of approximately 98-99% water, you must use good tasting water. If you use plain tap water as I do, then be sure it doesn't have any strange flavors, odors or textures in your mouth. If it does, and you are a serious coffee-holic, then consider either a water filtration device or use a water delivery service. If you choose to use your water from the faucet, be sure it is cold and runs for a few seconds to aerate the water for your machine or water kettle.

Grind your beans just before you make your coffee to retain freshness.

A good reason to purchase a grinder for use in your home.

Select the proper grind for your type of brewing method.

The following grinding times are approximate and will differ with the type of grinding equipment. For purposes of ease and availability, all grinds indicated below were accomplished using a hand held electric grinder such as Braun, which uses steel plates called burrs, (similar to coffee store grinders), or Krups, which uses a steel blade. If you do use a steel blade grinder, be sure to shake the grinder a few times during the grinding process. I was given this valuable bit of information 12 years ago when I bought my grinder from a very knowledgeable retailer from the Coffee Connection located in Boston. This assures you a more even grind and a better cup of coffee.

Coarse: 5-10 seconds, used for percolators and the cold water brewing method that I have outlined above. This is the least popular grind used today.

Medium: 10 seconds, used for electric drip/manual drip and French press methods. The drip method is the most popular in the United States today.

Fine: 15 seconds, use for vacuum and Neapolitan flip methods. Vacuum method equipment is not easy to locate in the United States. Some of the larger specialty coffee retailers will carry it. Neapolitan flip is a method I'm quite familiar with from my youthful days as a student in Italy. You can purchase this at most coffee retailers.

Extra fine: 25-30 seconds, used by espresso machines.

Measure the coffee to be used and measure the volume of your coffee cup.

I can't stress how important this is. One six-ounce cup of coffee needs two tablespoons of coffee beans. If that sounds like a lot then you have probably been making less than full strength coffee as I was. For years I was making coffee with less robust flavors because I had too large a cup for the amount of coffee I was using. When I finally did begin measuring, my coffee drinking experience was transformed into the delightful, pleasing experience that remains constant if I follow these simple directions.

Store coffee in an airtight container on your counter or shelf if using quickly.

The less exposure to air and water caused by condensation in your refrigerator the better tasting your cup of coffee. If you do choose to store your coffee in the freezer, again, place it in an airtight container and use within 2-3 months.

Use only very hot but not boiling water for your drip coffee maker.

This would involve the French press, Neapolitan flip or a manual drip brewing method such as the well known Melitta.

Stir your coffee after it is made before serving.

This disperses the coffee particulates evenly instead of sitting at the bottom of the pot and therefore provides a consistent cup of coffee.

Store any freshly made coffee in a preheated air pot or thermos.

This will preserve the quality of your coffee and retain it's temperature.

by Rosemary Furfaro