Merry Christmas

Roast pork loin with bacon-cider gravy

Roberto Caruso

Ingredients

• 1.25 to 1.5 kg boneless, rolled pork loin roast
• 2 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6  slices bacon, finely chopped
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 500 mL can hard cider, preferably Strongbow
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. (If pork is wrapped in netting, remove. If it’s tied with string, leave it on.) Place pork on prepared sheet, fat-side up. Stir Dijon with maple syrup, thyme and salt in a small bowl. Season with pepper. Coat roast with Dijon mixture.
• Roast in centre of oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of meat reaches 155F, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Let stand 10 min. Reserve pan juices.
• Heat a medium frying pan, preferably not non-stick, over medium-high. Add bacon, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and start to brown, about 10 min. Add cider, scraping up brown bits from pan bottom into the sauce. Boil until reduced to 2 cups, about 10 min. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and reserved pan juices before servi

Butternut Squash Cranberry & Goat Cheese Crostini

Orange Tahini Dressing and Kale Citrus Salad

There is no denying my adoration for kale.  The deep green color.  The crisp crunch after it roasts in the oven.  The way it tenderizes after being massaged with dressing.  This nutrient dense veggie is definitely one of my favorites and for some reason I’m crazier about it now more than ever before.

Kale everyday!

Cliché?  Whatever.  I can’t help it.

  

Is it weird that I think about fruit and the seasons so frequently?  How strawberries are perfect in the spring and early summer and how it would seem strange to eat grapefruit in July.  How apples and pears just scream fall and don’t seem appropriate during the hot summer months.  The bright juiciness of citrus fruits in the winter makes everything okay when it’s dark by 4pm, snowy, and cold.  Fruit and the seasons correlate so well.  Don’t you think? 

I told you the citrus recipes weren’t over. They probably won’t be over for awhile.

This dressing is tangy and smooth, bright and sweet.

The tahini and orange balance each other while the maple syrup adds a bit of sweetness.  The dressing along with the other salad toppings are a great contrast to the hearty kale.  

Citrus and kale are like a sickness roundhouse kick to the face.  They seem like the ultimate combination for this time of year.

Refreshing and satiating, too!

Print this!

Orange Tahini Dressing and Kale Citrus Salad [serves 2 large or 4 side salads]

for the dressing:

• 2-3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon tahini
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• salt + pepper to taste

for the salad:

• 1 head lacinato/dinosaur kale
• 1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled + sliced
• 1 apple, chopped
• toasted + salted pepitas

1. Place all dressing ingredients in a bowl, starting with 2 tablespoons of orange juice, and vigorously whisk until fully combined. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, then taste and add more if desired. Dressing will thicken a bit as it sits.  Add more orange juice to thin out if needed.  Ingredients can also be blended in a blender.
2. Remove the stems from the kale, chop well, then wash and pat dry.  Place in a large bowl.
3. Pour dressing overtop of the kale and massage into the greens with your hands.  Add more dressing as needed.
4. Add the grapefruit, apple, and pepitas.
5. Serve immediately.

*To toast raw pepitas:  Place 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan over med-low.  Once hot, add 1/2 cup raw pepitas to the pan with a few pinches of salt and/or pepper.  Toast for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until puffed up and golden brown.  Remove from heat then let cool and store in a sealed container.

 

Are you crushing on citrus and kale right now?  I’ve got it bad over here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Is This Turkey-Stuffed Donut The Thanksgivukkah Version Of The Cronut?

Combining Thanksgiving leftovers into a pile on one's plate is one of the highlights of post-holiday meals. Like the mix of cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes? Rock on. Enjoy eating your stuffing with Brussels sprouts? Get on with your bad self.

But Zucker Bakery, located in New York's East Village, has created a Thanksgiving combination that is both awesome and a little scary. Now you can order a donut stuffed with turkey.

There are two options available: a pumpkin donut with turkey and gravy or a pumpkin donut with turkey and cranberry filling. We've got to wonder -- why not go all the way and offer a pumpkin donut with turkey, gravy and cranberry?

The treat is in honor of the fact that Thanksgiving falls on the first night of Hanukkah (anyone else sick of the term "Thanksgivukkah" yet?) and donuts are often served during the Jewish holiday.

The treat is being nicknamed "stuff-ganiyot," a play on "suffganiyot," the Hebrew word for donut. At least that's better than "turdoughnuts."

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How to make a Halloween chocolate bowl

Melt at least Two different types of chocolate into separate bowls.
Blow up a balloon and tape it to a bowl. Pour 1st layer of melted chocolate over the balloon. Set the balloon in the refrigerator to harden the chocolate. After the chocolate has hardened, pour the next layer over the 1st layer. Set that in the refrigerator and let it harden some more. Once it is solid, remove from the refrigerator and “pop” the balloon. Carefully remove the bowl and the balloon and Voila! You have a most delicious chocolate bowl to hold those halloween treats.

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