Roasted Pork Tenderloin

This is the last recipe of the year....what better way to go out than a roasted pork tenderloin, well maybe something sinfully sweet...but this will do.  This recipe is really versatile, you can use any spices for the rub you like, just use the basic rub recipe and then use your imagination and taste buds for the rest.  The tenderloin is roasted on top of onions and chicken broth, I think this is why it is so moist and the onions give the meat a great flavor....as well as an accompaniment.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

2  1pound Pork Tenderloins
Rub
1 Tbs Garlic Powder
1 Tbs Paprika
1 Tbs Coarse Cracked Black Pepper
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Thyme, optional
1 Tsp  Rosemary, optional
1 Tsp  Cumin, optional
For the bottom of casserole
3 Medium Onions, cut in 1/2 inch wedges
1 Can Chicken Broth
2 Tbs Olive Oil
For searing
3 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Tbs Minced Garlic

Mix spices in a container large enough to fit your tenderloin(s).  Rub the tenderloins with the spice mixture, be sure to cover all sides of the meat.  Cover container with plastic wrap and let the meat marinate in the refrigerator up to 4hrs, or you can roast right away...marinating just gives the spices a chance to blend and infuse the meat with flavor.


When you are ready to roast the meat cut place onion wedges in a 9x13 pan or a shallow roaster.  Add Chicken Broth and Olive Oil and give it a stir to mix, set aside.
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In a skillet over medium high heat saute garlic in olive oil for about 1 minute. Add the tenderloins and sear evenly on all sides, takes about 10 minutes.

Place the seared meat on top of the onions in the casserole.  Bake at 350F for 30mn. Turn oven up to 425F and roast for and additional 15 minutes, until meat thermometer reads 150 degrees.
Slice and spoon pan drippings onto meat, serve with onions on the side or on top.

Rub mixture

coat the meat

Cover with plastic and marinate if desired

Sear in Olive Oil and Garlic

Onion wedges, broth and olive oil

place seared meat on top

Out of the Oven

Krumkaka

Krumkaka (Krumkake in Norwegian) is a thin Norwegian waffle cookie, traditionally made at Christmas time. A special iron is needed to make these, it can be electric or stove top....I have an electric one, very easy!  Fill them with whipped cream, fruit, or eat them plain.  Ryan likes to make them in shapes other than cones.

Krumkaka (Krumkake)

4 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Melted Butter, cooled
1 1/2 Cups Flour
3 Tbs Cornstarch
1 Tsp Vanilla (or Vanilla Sugar)
1/2 Tsp Cardamom

Prepare your Krumkaka Iron

Beat eggs and sugar until yellow and creamy.  Add melted butter.  Then Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix until you get a smooth batter.
Drop batter on center of hot iron in about 1 inch rounds.  Close lid and cook until light goes off or the krumkaka is very lightly browned.
Remove cookie from iron and roll with the cone shaped roller, it will harden immediately, repeat with the others.
Fill the cones with whipped cream, fruit, or just eat them plain....you'll never want a store bought waffle cone again!

Egg, Sugar, Butter mixture

Add Dry Ingredients

Spoon batter onto iron

Very lightly brown, I can never get the batter perfect

Ryan is rolling

Lainie is eating

Deviled Eggs

I keep my deviled egg recipe simple, but still oh soooo goooood!

Basic Deviled Eggs

1 Dozen Eggs,boiled
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise (more if needed for creaminess)
1 Tbs Mustard
2-3 Tbs Pickle Juice
Salt/Pepper to taste
Paprika

Peel the eggs.  Slice eggs in half, length wise.  Put the yolks into a small bowel and the egg whites on a plate.  (if you have an egg white that is thrashed and can't be stuffed, keep the yolk...it will just give you extra stuffing)
Add mayo, mustard and pickle juice to the egg yolks, mix with a fork until the mixture is creamy.
Fill each egg white with a spoon full of the egg yolk mixture, distribute evenly.  You can use a cookie press to fill the egg white shells to make them look pretty.  Sprinkle with Paprika.

Boiled Eggs

Egg White Shells

Egg Yolks

Add Mayo, Mustard, Pickle Juice

Mix with fork until creamy

Cranberry Cobbler

It's still cranberry season!  I'm always thinking of  new ways to use cranberries.  Maybe this winter I'll try my hand at cranberry jam.  The Cranberry is the closest I can get to a Lingonberry ...I just love lingonsylt (lingonberry jam)....hmmmm tranbärssylt, yep...gotta do it!   Anyway, those deliciously tart little berries are such a great way to add flavor and color to recipes.  

Cranberry Cobbler (Tranbärpaj)
(no, it's not a Swedish dish, I just like the word 'Tranär')


1 12oz Package Fresh Cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1 Apple, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 orange (1/4 cup) and 1 tsp of the zest
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
3 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 Cup Butter, melted
1/4 Cup Sour Cream

preheat oven to 325F


In a medium bowl combine cranberries, apple, juice of one orange, 1 tsp orange zest, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Mix well and transfer into a 10 inch pie plate, set aside.
In another bowl beat eggs for 1 minute.  Add Sugar, butter and sour cream and beat well.  Now add the flour, stir until combined.
Pour the batter over top the cranberry/apple mixture. Sprinkle the top with sugar and cinnamon.
Bake at 325F for 50 minutes

Dice the Apples

Add to Cranberries

Combine all

Flatten out

Beat eggs and sugar

Add Flour

Pour batter over cranberries

Sprinkle with sugar & cinnamon

Out of the Oven

Nutella Cookies

Cooking with my daughter and niece is a blast...they love to cook...when they aren't arguing!  This is an easy recipe for them to mix up.  I just measure out the ingredients and let them got to town.

Nutella Cookies

1 Cup Nutella
1/4 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1 Egg

Mix all ingredients together, drop by TBS full onto a cookie sheet(I use a cookie scoop). Bake at 350F for 10-12mn.  Let cool 10mn before transferring cookies to a cooling wrack.

Lainie cracking the egg

Audrey scooping Nutella

Getting into it

Hmmm looks like a mess

Mix 'er up

Lainie scooping dough, Audrey supervising

One last scoop

Taste Testing

Out of the Oven

Cranberry Sweet Potatoes

There is something about sweet potatoes....I've loved them since I was little, I think it was the fact that they are more like a dessert than a veggie...what kid wouldn't love to have brown sugar in their veggies?  This is my favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas food....well, it rates right up there with the stuffing!

Cranberry Sweet Potatoes

3 lbs Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 2" pieces
1/3 Cup packed Brown Sugar
2 T Orange Juice
2 Tsp Vanilla
1 Tsp Pumpkin Spice
3 Tbs Butter
1 Cup Fresh Cranberries

Pecan Topping
1/4 Cup Flour
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
3 Tbs Butter
1/2 Cup Pecans


preheat oven to 400F

In a large bowl combine brown sugar, pumpkin spice, orange juice and vanilla.  Add sweet potatoes and toss until all potatoes are coated.  Place in 9x9 (9x13 would work too) baking dish, sprinkle cranberries on top, dot with cold butter.  Cover with tinfoil and bake at 400F for  30mn.

Meanwhile make the topping: In a bowl combine flour,  Brown Sugar and cut in  butter until mixture is crumbly, add pecans and toss
 
Remove sweet potatoes from oven, stir to coat in their syrup.  Sprinkle pecan mixture evenly on top of sweet potatoes.  Return to oven, bake uncovered for 25-30 mn, until potatoes are tender and topping is browned.

Peel the sweet spuds

Cut into 1 inch chunks

Toss with brown sugar, spices and OJ

Place in dish and sprinkle cranberries on top, cover with tinfoil and bake

Pecan Topping