ROASTED PORK LOIN

This summer we got a new barbecue which has a rotisserie function.  With about 7 people coming over for supper we decided to try a pork loin on the rotisserie.  As the meat is very lean, I made a marinade.  The loin done on the rotisserie turned out really well and everyone enjoyed the meal.  Because the loin was so long, I cut it to make two smaller loins.  I thought it would be easier to cook and handle on the barbecue with smaller sizes.

Pork loins tied with kitchen cooking twine.

Loin put into bag for marinading. 

Loins placed on the skewer for the rotisserie.

The cooking has started.

The cooking is done.

Ready to be carved.

INGREDIENTS:

Marinade:

1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce or Braggs soy seasoning
1/2 cup maple syrup
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

7 pounds pork loin
kitchen cooking twine
2 extra large zip lock bags

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the marinade in a medium size measuring cup.

Cut the pork loin in half.  Wrap cooking twine around the loin to secure its shape.  Place each of the loin into a zip lock bag and add half of the marinade to each mixture.  Close the bag and roll the marinade around the meat.   Store in the fridge for one to two hours.  Take the loin out every so often and roll the meat around in the bag.

Take the loin out of the fridge about 20 to 30 minutes before cooking to warm to room temperature.  Before cooking, take each loin out of the zip lock bag and dry it with paper towels to remove the excess moisture.

If cooking on the barbecue or in the oven, roast for 2.5 to 3 hours at 325 degrees F.  Serves a large crowd.

GRILLED SALMON

When salmon is cooked on the barbecue, I think it can tastes much better than when I cook it in the oven.  I recently made this recipe for a Sunday supper and the taste was amazing.  Instead of cooking the whole skinless and boneless filet, I cut the raw salmon into chunks, marinated the chunks and then  I threaded them onto bamboo skewers.  When buying the salmon, choose a filet that is thick so that it can be threaded easier on the skewers.  I didn't take a photo of the cooked skewers as the photo wouldn't do justice to the taste of the cooked salmon.  Both the DH and I thought that this salmon was one of the better salmon dishes I have made.  Of course, the grilling by the DH on the barbecue added to the taste.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds of skinless, boneless salmon filet, cut into about 2'' by 2''
1/4 cup soy sauce or temari sauce or Bragg soy seasoning
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp agave or maple syrup
salt and pepper, optional
6 to 8 bamboo skewers

DIRECTIONS:

Add all of the ingredients, except the skewers, to a container with a lid or a zip lock bag.  Coat the salmon chunks with the marinade.  Place in the fridge for an hour.  During this hour, take out the container or bag and rotate the salmon so that the marinade is mixed around all of the salmon.

Fifteen minutes before you are ready to barbecue, soak the bamboo skewers in a pan of water.  Thread about three pieces of salmon onto each skewer leaving space between each piece of fish.

Barbecue for about 15 minutes, rotating the salmon skewer half way through the cooking time.  The barbecue time depends on your cooking heat.  The heat when the DH cooked these skewers was about 325 to 350 degrees F.  Serves 3 to 4.

STRAWBERRY PIE

On a recent Saturday morning we went to the farmer's market.  There are all sorts of stands, from vegetables, to fruit, to jams, to baking, to clothes and soaps.  After looking at all of the pies, the DH was debating on whether to buy a pie.  My inside voice was saying, geez, I can make a pie so I spoke up and volunteered to make one.  The DH wanted a strawberry pie and since we had strawberries in the fridge, this was a done deal.  In making the pie filling, I used 3 tablespoons of minute tapioca and I could have used 2 tablespoons since the berries were not overly juicy.  If the berries are juicy, then use 3 tablespoons.   I also like to use a deep pie dish.  The pie was delicious and the DH ate almost half the pie.  He also said that my pie was better than any of the pies he saw at the farmer's market.

INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

Pie Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon white sugar or splenda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup vegetable shortening

1/3 cup cold water

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening  until mixture resembles coarse meal.

In a separate bowl, whisk together water, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and vinegar. 

Stir into flour mixture and knead dough briefly, just until smooth.  Divide the dough into two

and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes before rolling

out.  Pastry is easier to work with when chilled.  It can also be stored in refrigerator for up

to one week.

Makes two crusts.

Crust adapted from allrecipes.com

Pie Filling

4 heaping cups of hulled, chopped or thinly sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar or splenda

2 tbsp minute tapioca

1 tsp vanilla

Mix the pie filling in a bowl and add to the pie shell with the rolled out bottom pie crust.  Place the top rolled out pie crust, cut the edges of the crust that hangs over, press down with your fingers or fork all along the rim of the pie plate and then using a fork, make a number of spears into the crust in order to let the steam out.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes.

NICKY'S LENTIL SOUP

A restaurant that I have gone to over the years is known for a few of their dishes including their lentil soup.  The owner, Nicky, even gives out the recipe.  He has nothing to hide.  I recently made lentil soup using his recipe and of course I tweaked it and modified a few of the ingredients.  I added a wedge of chopped cabbage to the soup.  Since I didn't have tomato juice in the cupboards, I pureed a few tomatoes to make juice.  I didn't add the bay leaves for any other reason than just not adding them.  I also used an electric pressure cooker to make the soup and set it at medium pressure for 16 minutes.  Since there is an abundance of parsley in the garden, I added about half of cup of fresh chopped parsley along with fresh dill.  Another variation that you could do is instead of adding the fresh cabbage, you could add some sauerkraut instead.

The soup turned out to be delicious and both the DH and I enjoyed it this past week.  There is still another serving or two in the fridge which I may freeze for future work lunches.

A bowl of lentil soup 

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 wedge of cabbage, chopped (optional)
2 cups green lentils
1 large can diced or chopped tomatoes
2 cups tomato juice or 5 tomatoes pureed into juice
9 cups water or stock
1/4 to 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1-2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large soup pot, heat the oil on medium high heat.  Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and then simmer, stirring occasionally.   Cook for an hour to 90 minutes, until the beans and vegetables are soft.  Serves 8.