Marrying into a family of exceptional cooks was more of a boon than an intimidating prospect for me. Since Pete gladly and regularly takes on kitchen duties, my rare-by-comparison kitchen time is usually spent doing special occasion or holiday baking. Two recent birthday celebrations (Pete’s in December, and our daughter Robin’s in early January) had me in charge of the menu for a change.
I’m a life-time member (surprisingly?) of the Cooking Club of America. Their monthly publication features great recipes that are well-written and straightforward. I routinely make note of things that look good when the magazine arrives for Pete to try out (or modify with his personal touches). This time it was my turn to make the selections, shop for the ingredients and prepare for 10 hungry appetites.
For Pete’s birthday, I wanted something unique and different that I wouldn’t be preparing up until the last minute. Nothing worse than slaving away in the kitchen while everyone else is enjoying themselves! Here’s what I chose (click titles for links to printable recipes):
Stuffed Pork Loin with Roasted Apples
“Inspired by a classic Tuscan pork dish, this boneless pork loin is butterflied and stuffed with apples, onion and raisins. Apple wedges are added to the pan along with white wine, and all are roasted together.”
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh rosemary, plus additional sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup finely chopped onion?1 cup finely chopped peeled Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith or other crisp apple
2 tablespoons raisins
1 (2 1/2- to 3-lb.) boneless pork loin
3 cups peeled apple wedges (1/2 inch)(2 to 3 apples)
1/2 cup white wine or apple cider
1. Mash garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper into a paste in mortar with pestle or finely chop and mash with side of chef’s knife. Stir in chopped rosemary.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in medium skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook onion 5 minutes or until softened and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add chopped apple, raisins and 2 teaspoons of the garlic mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
3. Cut pork horizontally through center of loin without cutting all the way through; open like a book. Sprinkle cut surface with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
4. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray large shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Spoon apple mixture over bottom half of pork; fold top of pork over stuffing. With kitchen string, tie roast at 2-inch intervals, pressing any escaping stuffing back inside roast. Place in roasting pan; rub with 2 teaspoons of the garlic mixture.
5. Toss apple wedges with remaining garlic mixture; spoon around pork. Drizzle apples with wine. Drizzle apples and pork with remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
6. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145°F., stirring apples halfway through. Remove pork; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 10 minutes. If necessary, return apple wedges to oven to brown more.
7. Remove string from roast; slice. Serve with apple wedges, pan juices and rosemary sprigs.? ?8 servings
PER SERVING: 315 calories, 14.5 g total fat (4.5 g saturated fat), 32 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 90 mg cholesterol, 350 mg sodium, 1.5 g fiber
This is a delicious combination. I omitted the raisins, and suggestions from the table included adding craisins or dates. Sounds reasonable! The flavors were just the right combination of tart and sweet.
To accompany the pork dish, I chose: Four Mushroom-Cheese Baked Penne and Baby Greens Salad with Clementines, Olives and Goat Cheese Dressing.
Four Mushroom-Cheese Baked Penne
“This gourmet take on mac and cheese features dried porcini mushrooms, three varieties of sautéed fresh mushrooms and four cheeses. The water used to reconstitute the dried porcini lends the creamy sauce an especially rich, deep mushroom flavor. Make it ahead and bake just before serving.”
2 cups water
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
2 1/2 to 3 cups whole milk
1 lb. penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 oz. button mushrooms, chopped
4 oz. crimini mushrooms, chopped?4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps chopped?2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream?1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese?1 cup shredded cheddar cheese?1 cup shredded Manchego or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley?4 oz. mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13×9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Bring water and porcini mushrooms to a boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 10 minutes.
2. Remove mushrooms from liquid; chop. Strain soaking liquid through coffee filter to remove any sediment; add enough milk to soaking liquid to measure 4 cups total.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
4. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add button, crimini and shiitake mushrooms; cook 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute or until fragrant.
5. Sprinkle mushrooms with flour; reduce heat to low. Cook 5 minutes or until flour is lightly browned, stirring frequently. Stir in milk mixture, cream and salt. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. Boil gently 3 to 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as necessary.
6. Stir in pasta, shredded mozzarella, cheddar, Manchego, Parmesan, porcini mushrooms and parsley until well-blended. Spoon into baking dish; top with sliced mozzarella. (Recipe can be made to this point 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Add 5 to 10 minutes to baking time.)
7. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until top is browned and bubbly. ??8 servings
PER SERVING: 700 calories, 36.5 g total fat (22 g saturated fat), 31 g protein, 62 g carbohydrate, 110 mg cholesterol, 990 mg sodium, 4 g fiber
Baby Greens Salad with Clementines, Olives and Goat Cheese Dressing
Note: I omitted the olives this time and used store-bought mixed baby greens and Italian-style croutons. The dressing is delicious and worth the extra few minutes to whisk together. “Clementines are the perfect salad citrus because they’re easy to peel and separate into neat little segments. Here, olives provide an appealing salty counterpoint.”
2 oz. soft goat cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar?1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups slightly packed baby spinach
3 cups slightly packed baby romaine lettuce
4 clementines, separated into segments
1 cup Homemade Garlic Croutons (recipe follows)
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
1. Place cheese and yogurt in small bowl; slowly whisk in water. Stir in vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.
2. Combine spinach and lettuce in large bowl; divide among plates. Top with clementine segments, croutons and olives; drizzle with dressing.??8 (1 1/2-cup) servings
PER SERVING: 85 calories, 4.5 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 3 g protein, 9.5 g carbohydrate, 5 mg cholesterol, 205 mg sodium, 1.5 g fiber
Homemade Garlic Croutons
1 large garlic clove, quartered, lightly crushed
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups loosely packed cubed white bread
1/8 teaspoon salt
1. Cook garlic in oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat 3 1/2 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Remove garlic.
2. Cook bread cubes in oil 6 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with salt. Drain on paper towels; cool completely.
Served along with the above: broccoli florets with melted sweet cream butter. For dessert I made Vered’s chocolate cupcakes (and yes, it’s a wonderful recipe!), which were served with Pete’s sister Jenny’s homemade ice cream.
Robin requested pasta and chicken for her 21st birthday dinner a couple of weeks later.
This time, I prepared a recipe from Midwest Living: Angel Chicken. Because of course, Robin is such an angel, right? LOL Because we were partying on a weeknight, this slow-cooker recipe was convenient. I wouldn’t bother browning the chicken before putting it in the slow-cooker next time. This was served over whole wheat penne, instead of the spaghetti pictured.
Angel Chicken
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 4 to 5 hours (low)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds)
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (optional)
1 8-oz. pkg. fresh button mushrooms, quartered
1 6-oz. pkg. fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
1/4 cup butter
1 0.7-oz. pkg. Italian dry salad dressing mix
1 10-3/4-oz. can condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 of an 8-oz. tub cream cheese spread with chives and onion
Hot cooked rice or angel hair pasta
Snipped fresh chives or sliced green onions (optional)
1. If you like, brown chicken on both sides in a large skillet in hot oil over medium heat. Combine mushrooms in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker; top with chicken. Melt butter in a medium saucepan; stir in Italian dressing mix. Stir in mushroom soup, white wine, and cream cheese until melted; pour over chicken.
2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Serve chicken and sauce over cooked rice. Sprinkle with chives, if you like. Makes 4 servings.
I had run to Costco for the boneless, skinless chicken breasts and found them in a convenient vacuum-packed, divided bulk packaging concept allowing me to only use what I needed. Since I was already at Costco, I decided to pick up what we fondly refer to as OMG Cake. Because everyone who sees the uncut cake inadvertently exclaims, “Oh.My.God.” This is a multi-layer chocolate cake with ganache between the layers, frosted with ganache and decorated with dark chocolate curls. Oh My God, indeed! Served with Jenny’s strawberry ice cream, as Robin requested, and champagne for the birthday girl.
These meals were a pleasure to prepare, not intimidating or overwhelming. This allowed me to enjoy the occasions and our family. Since these two times would be the last we would gather around the dining table in our current home (yes, we’re downsizing!), I wanted them to be special for everyone.
Getting our dining room together in the new house is a priority, but it will be a while before we host another get-together the size of these. I’m grateful for these happy memories that cap off our time in this house. We’ll take them to the new one.
What are your favorite comfort foods to balance wintry chill?
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Peter and Betsy Wuebker are location-independent professionals who share what they know about travel, simplicity and integrating work with life. 
Wow. You really stepped it up for some wonderful meals.
We are a bit more down home and enjoy my mom’s chili when really cold weather hits:
2 lbs lean beef chuck or ground bison
1/4 cup butter heated in heavy pan
6-8 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoon chili power (I substitute 2 T cayenne powder)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (or more to taste)
2 cans small tomato paste
1 can of water (use the tomato paste can)
Brown meat in butter. Lower heat (or put in crock pot), add everything else but beans, and cook slowly covered 2 hours. Toward the end of cooking, add 1 can lightly rinsed kidney beans — just to get them warm without overcooking to mush.
Serve with cheese, onions, crackers, and a leafy salad.
Lori Hoeck has an awesome blog post here: Self defense and emergency thinking skills
Hi Lori – Sounds easy, filling and good! Cold weather is great for chili, isn’t it? I like a dollop of sour cream on mine.
Betsy did a great job on both of these meals! Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. Thanks for sharing the recipes. Dad will want to try some of your viddles when he is better…
Hi Teri – Welcome to the comment section! I could tell things were going over well when the conversation dwindled into silence! Everyone just ate. We’ll have to enjoy them all together soon after we get moved.
You did a good job honey. Maybe the best birthday present was not cooking and being lazy with my Nook.
Yes, dear, it’s kind of nice to do that, isn’t it?
I love that you included nutritional information! Thank you for the mention – glad you liked the cupcakes.
Vered | blogger for hire has an awesome blog post here: Online Friendships Suck
Hi Vered – I was kind of appalled at how caloric the mac n cheese was, but what did I expect? It uses real cream. My mother used to make a similar version without the mushrooms and less exotic cheeses when I was growing up. I still can’t get over how plasticky and orange the mac n cheese in the box is. There’s got to be bad stuff in there! We LOVED the cupcakes. That recipe is a keeper! Thanks.
I adore cooking, and experimenting with new recipes so thanks for these! However, I often look at the ingredients of a recipe and think it looks good enough to try, without reading the instructions. I once decided to cook ‘mole chicken’ for guests – half way through the recipe it told me to ‘put everything in a blender’. I didn’t have a blender, so we had crunchy mole chicken sauce! My other error is always believing I already have something in the cupboard, when I get home I don’t, so I have become great at substituting!
Enjoy the journey.
Mandy
Mandy Allen has an awesome blog post here: A New Year Begins
Hi Mandy – Necessity is the mother of invention, isn’t it? I’m getting better about winging it with recipes. Pete does it all the time. I think it’s a function of experience; you get to know what goes together well. The only bad thing about cooking in my estimation is the inverse proportion between the prep time and the eating time. Somehow it seems unfair! Thanks.
Hi Betsy .. those sound delicious recipes – I love cooking, but being single don’t do it very often & usually try and cook different things if I’m cooking for a party or just taking a dish .. prefer savoury and starters to desserts – so am often flummoxed with puds – despite the huge number of cookbooks present!!
Just been to Cornwall and brought back some osso buco – haven’t had it for years – used to buy the meat in Oxford market or Portobello market when I moved to London .. delicious!! Slow cooking at its best .. my next post will be on food glorious food .. with some memories .. better settle and do it ..
Lucky you with Pete – ‘cept he seems to have settled into his armchair and his new nookie!! .. hope he comes out soon ..
Great post – love the recipes too .. cheers Hilary
Hilary has an awesome blog post here: Guide Books- Queries – Publishers and Authors- Mariana Starke- Baedeker- Murray- Ward & Lock- Wainwright late 1700s to mid 1900s
Hi Hilary – There is another slow cooker recipe in the same magazine that is Beef Short Ribs over Gorgonzola Polenta that I want to try. It sounds so exotic, but the photo is the lure. We’ll look forward to your post. I know what you mean about cooking for one. When I was single for so many years, even with the children, it was a challenge. Thanks.
I was in Costco this morning. LOVE that place.
Could I please be a fly on your kitchen wall to experience what living with two gourmet chefs must be like??
The porcini mushroom addition just might make Jim a lover of mac finally. He loves all pasta, and all cheese, but for some reason not in the traditional mac ‘n cheese combo.
I forget how great apples are with pork. We used to make a like stuffed pork dish with wild rice. Raisins would be great in too.
I think I’ll be grocery shopping tomorrow with a LIST (I usually never carry a list to the store.) For the pork recipe. Thanks!!
Have fun getting the new dining room together.
xoxo
Jannie Funster has an awesome blog post here: My Alexa Rank — a poem in 55 words
Oh wow! Are those your photos? They look divine! I have made a pork loin butterflied and stuffed with provolone cheese, onions and garlic. That was really tasty. I just love that you made your own croutons, I am stealing that recipe right now! Thanks for sharing, these look so delicious!
Jasmine has an awesome blog post here: Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year
Oh my goodness, Betsy!
This sounds utterly delicious. I’m sitting here waiting patiently for a roast to finish roasting. My whole apartment is smelling wonderful and now after reading this post, I’m dying to eat!
The baked penne is catching my eye because of the mushrooms. I can easily make this with gluten-free pasta.
Davina Haisell has an awesome blog post here: Bacon and eggs- and the serial comma
These foods is really great for special occasions. I will try this for my mom’s birthday. It’s my pleasure to have your special recipes.
Twinky has an awesome blog post here: baking soda mole removal
Hi Twinky – Welcome to PassingThru! Hope you enjoy. Thanks.