Citrus Marinated Pork Rib Roast

This was my first time cooking a pork rib roast.  It looks all fancy-schmancy, but it was really easy to make.  The butcher will "french cut" (remove the meat around the ends of the ribs) the roast for you, if it doesn't come that way, but I found it this in the meat case.  And I love that it's affordable, too!  I didn't marinade overnight, just while we were at church.  But I think I'll try to remember to marinate overnight next time.

Citrus-Marinated Pork Rib Roast

1. Two 5-bone pork rib roasts, about 4 pounds each
2. 6 garlic cloves
3. 6 whole cloves
4. 3 lemons, zested and juiced
5. 3 oranges, zested and juiced
6. 20 fresh bay leaves  (I used about 8 dry leaves)
7. 8 rosemary sprigs (I used dry, and I just added a tablespoon or two)
8. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper
10. 
    
    1. Using a paring knife, make three 1-inch-deep slits on the fatty side of each pork rib roast closest to the bones. Stud the garlic cloves with the whole cloves and stuff them into the slits.
    2. In a baking dish, combine the ingredients, except for the pork.  Mix well.  Add the pork and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally. Bring the pork rib roasts to room temperature before roasting.
    3. Preheat the oven to 350°.  Remove one roast from the marinade.  In a large skillet, brown the roast on all sides, over moderate heat.  Return roast to marinade and repeat with remaining roast.  
    4. Cover the roasts and roast for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, rotating the pan once or twice, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 140°. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes. Cut the pork between the rib bones into 10 chops. Transfer to plates and enjoy!

    Recipe and picture from foodandwine.com.  I altered the recipe from theirs.  

Pumpkin Poppers

5 stars from everyone.  I think that there was a little too much cinnamon in the cinnamon/sugar mixture but that's all I would change.  : )

Pumpkin Poppers

For the Poppers:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoons ground cloves

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup pumpkin (fresh or canned, just not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup low-fat milk

For Coating

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 and spray your muffin pans.  Combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl and whisk till combined.  In another bowl, mix together the oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk.Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix till it’s just combined (you don’t want to over mix).  Fill your mini tins till almost full.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  While they’re baking, melt your butter and in a small bowl combine your sugar and cinnamon.  Let the poppers cool for a few minutes before rolling them around in the melted butter and then plunging them into their cinnamon sugar bath. If you want less sugary sweetness you could just dip the top of the muffin into the butter & cinnamon sugar.  

Recipe from Domestically-Speaking.com

Buttermilk Banana Bread Scones

You know when you only have 1 extra banana that has gotten too ripe and it's not enough to make bread or muffins? I found the solution! The original recipe said to use  2/3 c. of banana but I only used 1 banana (about 1/2 c.) and it worked great! It also called for 3/4 c. of butter (gasp!) but I only used 5 T. and they baked up super soft and big and delicious. But you can use 3/4 c. if you want to...

Buttermilk Banana Bread Scones

3 c. flour
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
5 T.  cold butter
2/3 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ripe banana, mashed

 Heat oven to 425.
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
Take the butter from the fridge and cut into small pieces. Add to the dry ingredients and use your fingers to rub and smash them all together. You should have some bigger little hunks of butter still.
Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Mix together just until it forms a dough.
Place on a floured surface and form the dough into a ball (no kneading). Flatten the ball and cut into 8 wedges.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook for 10 or so minutes.

Makes 8 large scones

Adapted from TwiggStudios.com

Spinach Artichoke Pizza

Delish!

Spinach Artichoke Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) homemade or store bought pizza dough
• 6-7 oz fresh spinach
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 oz provolone cheese (I1 cup. I used deli slices and chopped)
• 2 oz shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
• 2 oz finely shredded parmesan cheese (slightly packed 1/2 cup)
• 8-12 canned artichoke hearts, drained well and sliced into bite size pieces (don't use marinated)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• In a large saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add spinach and saute just until wilted. Transfer to a layer of paper towels and gently press some of the excess liquid out.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and saute garlic until fragrant. Then while whisking add in flour and onion powder and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Then while whisking slowly stir in milk and increase temperature to medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly until mixture has thickened well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and finely chop spinach and stir into mixture.
• To assemble pizza, spread the spinach béchamel sauce (the white sauce) evenly over pizza crust, leaving the rim uncoated. Sprinkle provolone, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and chopped artichokes on top. Bake 10 - 13 minutes until crust is golden brown.
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Healthy Maple Glazed Pumpkin Muffins

These muffins are really yummy and the glaze is fabulous!
The original recipe called for ground cloves, but I didn't have any so I added about 1/4 tsp allspice instead.

Healthy Maple Glazed Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

For the Muffins

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon each cinnamon, and nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 eggs

For the Glaze

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp maple extract
• 1-2 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and sugar). In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients (pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, milk, and eggs).
2. Combine the dry and wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stirring until just combined. Fill each muffin tin almost to the top with a scoop of batter.  Move oven rack to middle (bottoms burn easily).
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tops are puffy and spring back when you press them. Remove from the muffin pan and let cool before glazing.
4. For the glaze, melt butter in saucepan. Add powdered sugar and vanilla - it will be thick and sticky. Stir in maple extract. Add water until desired consistency is reached.

Recipe by Pinch of Yum at http://pinchofyum.com/healthy-maple-glazed-pumpkin-muffins

Turkey Focaccia Club

This sandwich is really good.  I just made focaccia bread using the recipe from the Buckle Family cookbook (go easy on the kosher salt) and it turned out really well.  I forgot to shell pecans so we didn't add those, but I'm sure they would have been tasty.

Turkey Focaccia Club

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 loaf (8 ounces) focaccia bread (if homemade then go a bit light on the kosher salt)
• 3 lettuce leaves
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced deli turkey
• 1/4 pound sliced Gouda cheese
• 8 slices tomato
• 6 bacon strips, cooked

Directions

• In a small bowl, mix the first five ingredients until blended. Using
• a long serrated knife, cut focaccia horizontally in half. Spread cut
• sides with mayonnaise mixture. Layer bottom half with lettuce,
• turkey, cheese, tomato and bacon; replace bread top. Cut into
• wedges. Yield: 4 servings.