Tag: Pork

Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Meat

Butternut squash bread pudding

Belinda1 Comment

Gorgeous!!      Serves 4 -6

Preheat oven to 375 F

3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
ground or dried sage
4 cups sturdy, day old French or Italian bread, cut into large cubes
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup minced shallots
3 garlic cloves
1/2 lb sweet Italian or spicy Italian pork sausage
1/2lb sliced mushrooms
1&1/2 cups kale, chopped
1 cup half and half
2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 to 1&1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or fontina cheese

Cut the squash into 1 inch cubes. Oil a cookie sheet and toss the squash in the olive oil. Season with the salt, pepper and dried or ground sage. Bake at 375 F  for 40 to 45 mins.

Cut the bread into large cubes and put in the oven for about 5 minutes while the squash is cooking.
Remove to a large bowl.

Meanwhile saute the minced shallot in the olive oil and butter until wilted.
Add the minced garlic and saute briefly until soft then add the mushrooms and cook them through.
When the mushrooms are browned and nearly done cooking, add the chopped kale and saute for a few minutes. If necessary, add a little more oil. Season all with salt and pepper then remove from the pan and place all the cooked vegetables in the bowl with the cooked bread.

Use the same pan to cook the sausage. Remove the casings from the sausages, break up the meat in the pan and cook through. Add a little more olive oil if there’s not enough in the pan, to keep the meat from sticking.
Add the cooked sausage to the bowl with the vegetables, along with the squash when it’s cooked through.

Whisk the eggs, in another bowl and add the half and half, then the milk and stir in the cheeses.
Pour the mixture into the large bowl with the bread/vegetable/sausage mixture and mix it all together with a wooden spoon.
Let it sit for at least 15 mins in order for the bread to soak up the liquid.
You can also make the recipe to this stage and refrigerate overnight letting the bread soak well in the juices.
Pour it into a greased 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and bake at 375 F for 35 to 40 minutes.
You can turn on the broiler to get it a little more browned near the ned of the cooking.

This recipe also reheats really well for leftovers!

Do-ahead · Meat

A traybake of roasted Italian sausages, potatoes, ciabatta and rosemary

Belinda

This is one of those traybake-style dishes that you can really add what you like to, as long as you toss it all in the olive oil and seasonings so that everything is well coated in order to caramelize beautifully! Make sure the pieces are roughly all the same size so that it cooks evenly. The whole family will love it and all you need is a big salad to accompany.

Serves 4

6 Sweet or spicy Italian sausages
1 1/2 tsp paprika
4 long rosemary stalks
smallish-sized potatoes, halved
8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
About 12 to 16 cherry tomatoes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 or 3 thick slices of good ciabatta bread
plenty of fruity olive oil
1 large handful Italian parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 F
Slice the sausages into 1 1/2 inch pieces and place in the roasting pan.
Add the potatoes, tomatoes, paprika, rosemary, garlic cloves, sea salt and black pepper
Tear the ciabatta into bite-sized pieces and add to the roasting tray
Drizzle over about 1/4 cup olive oil, season and gently toss to combine.
Place in the oven and cook, stirring occasionally for 40 mins or until the potatoes are tender and the sausages and bread are golden brown.
When ready to serve, top with the chopped Italian parsley and serve.

NB   Mushrooms, halved are also nice in it

Do-ahead · Fish · Gluten Free · Meat

Tonnato sauce (Italian tuna sauce) with sliced pork fillet

Belinda

This is the easiest and most delectable cold sauce to put over thinly sliced pork fillet.
You can also use thinly sliced turkey, chicken, veal and even roasted peppers. It’s so versatile and I highly recommend it.

Serves 4

For the pork
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1lb pork fillet

For the sauce
3.5 oz a good brand of canned tuna in olive oil, drained
2 egg yolks
2 anchovy fillets
8 – 9 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 -2 tbsp capers
freshly ground pepper
chopped parsley to garnish

Pout the stock into a large saucepan and poach the pork fillet for 20 minutes until cooked through. Leave it to cool in the stock.
When the fillet is quite cold, remove them it the stock and slice thinly. Arrange on a serving plate.

Meanwhile, put the drained tuna into a food processor with the egg yolks and anchovy fillets. Turn the motor on and gradually add the olive oil in a very thin trickle.
Add the ground pepper and lemon juice, to taste
Spoon the sauce over the pork and scatter with capers
Garnish with parsley and serve

 

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Meat

Grilled stuffed Portabello Mushrooms stuffed with Italian sausage, spinach and mozzarella

Belinda
 
Serves 4.  Great for a BBQ.  This is from a great food blog.

4 large Portobello mushrooms (get the biggest ones you can find)
12 oz. mild or hot Italian sausage
1-2 T olive oil (for browning sausage and onions and brushing on mushrooms before grilling)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1/2 cup tomato sauce or marinara sauce
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
8 oz. coarsely chopped spinach leaves
2 T chopped fresh basil
2 T chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup grated mozzarella, plus 1/2 cup for sprinkling on topPreheat gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Heat a small amount of olive oil in heavy frying pan, then crumble Italian sausage into pan and cook about 5 minutes, breaking apart with back of the turner as it cooks. When sausage is well-browned, remove to bowl.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil, then saute onions until they’re starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking until onions are starting to brown, a few minutes more. Add Italian sausage back into pan, then add red pepper flakes and tomato sauce and simmer 2-3 minutes while you chop the spinach.

Add chopped spinach and let it wilt and cook down, stirring so it’s evenly distributed in the sausage/onion mixture. Turn off heat and stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and chopped basil and parsley.

Remove stems from mushrooms caps, being careful not to break them then brush both sides of mushrooms with olive oil. Put mushrooms on grill, inside facing down, and cook about 4 minutes, until mushroom is slightly browned and starting to soften.

Remove mushrooms from the grill. (I put them on a wooden cutting board.) Carefully stuff the inside of each mushroom with sausage/spinach/cheese mixture, then top each mushroom with about 2 T grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Carefully put mushrooms back on grill, stuffing facing up of course! Cover grill and cook about 5 minutes, checking often and removing from grill when mushrooms are cooked through, and cheese is melted and starting to brown, and stuffing mixture is hot. Serve immediately.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Meat

Pumpkin sausage meat muffins with cranberry glaze

Belinda

These are so cute and easy!
Makes 12 muffins.

1 cup finely chopped onion
8oz mushrooms, chopped finely
3 cloves minced garlic
1lb pork sausage meat (I used Sweet Italian sausagemeat)
1 cup pumpkin puree, either canned or homemade from roasted butternut squash
1 egg
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 tsp each minced thyme, sage and rosemary
Freshly ground pepper and salt
1 tbsp Worcester sauce

1 cup cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
grated zest of one orange

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a standard 12 cup muffin tin with non stick cooking spray.

In a non stick skillet over medium heat, cook the onions until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes more, until vegetables are tender. Add to a bowl with the sausage meat, pumpkin, egg, oats,sage,rosemary and thyme, salt and pepper.
Toss gently to combine. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin tin. Place in the oven, bake for about 20 minutes.

Combine cranberries, sugar, orange zest and water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon onto the meatloaf muffins and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Gluten Free · Grains · Meat

Sweet Italian sausage with white beans and chard over pumpkin polenta

Belinda1 Comment

This is divine!!!   Serves 2 but can easily be doubled.

1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
1 large bunch of Swiss chard, kale or spinach or any other leafy green vegetable of your choice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz sweet Italian sausage pushed out of their skins, or the sausage meat
1 cup drained, rinsed canellini beans
1 cup canned pumpkin puree, or even better, homemade roasted and mashed butternut squash
1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
a good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 oz grated Pecorino Romano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until softened.
Meanwhile, prepare the Swiss chard. Cut off the thick stems and slice the leaves into 1″ ribbons. Rinse in a colander and set aside.
Add the garlic and crumbled sausage meat to the onions. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Cook till the sausage meat has turned from pink to light brown, add the white beans. Cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant. Add the Swiss chard(or spinach etc) with the water still clinging to it. Stir to combine then cover the pan and raise the heat to medium high. Let the greens wilt down while you prepare the polenta. Stir occasionally.
Whisk together the water/chicken broth and pumpkin puree in a medium saucepan. Season generously with salt and add the nutmeg. Place the cornmeal in a small bowl and pour a little of the pumpkin mixture over it, stir well (this will make it easier to incorporate the cornmeal into the heated pumpkin mixture, without clumping)
Bring the remaining mixture in the saucepan to a boil. Whisk in the wet cornmeal until smooth, then reduce heat to medium high and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes.
When the polenta has thickened (if you draw the spoon across the bottom of the pan the line should remain visible for a short time) stir in the grated cheese and turn off the heat. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
Taste the sausage and bean mixture and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Divide the hot polenta between two plates and top with the sausage, white beans and chard.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Meat

Pork in Black Bean Sauce

Belinda

Serves 4. This is so easy and delicious and is a great recipe to double.

1lb pork tenderloin (1 pork tenderloin with silverskin removed)
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp cornflour
1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil

1 1/2 tbsp dried Chinese black beans, rinsed and coarsely chopped (available in Asian markets)
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp scallions (spring onions) finely chopped
1 tbsp shallots, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp chicken stock
1 tbsp sesame oil

Cut the pork into thin slices 1 1/2 inches long. Put the slices in a bowl and mix them well with the rice wine or dry sherry, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornflour. Leave to marinate for about 20 minutes.

Heat a wok or large frying pan until it’s very hot. Add half the oil and when it is very hot and slightly smoking, lift the pork out of the marinade with a slotted spoon, put it in the wok and quickly stir fry for about 2-3 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl at once.

Wipe the wok or pan clean, reheat it and add the rest of the oil. Quickly add the black beans, garlic, scallion (spring onions) and shallots. A few seconds later add the rest of the ingredients. bring the mixture to the boil and then return the pork to the wok or frying pan. Stir fry the entire mixture for another 5 minutes.
Turn it on to a warm serving platter and serve at once with some hot steamed rice.

Gluten Free · Meat

Pork Chops in orange sauce

Belinda

This is very simple and tasty

Serves 4
4 pork chops
salt and pepper
1 1/2 oz butter
2 tbsp olive oil
grated rind and juice of 1 orange
1 tbsp mustard
4 oz brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Rub the pork chops with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter and olive oil in a frying pan. Add the chops and fry for about 5 to 8 minutes or until they are evenly browned.
Transfer to an ovenproof dish.
Mix together the orange rind and juice, mustard and sugar. Pour over the chops and cover the dish with foil.
Put into the oven and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the pork is cooked through. Remove the foil for the last 45 minutes of the cooking time. Serve the chops with the remaining juices.
I like to pour the juice into a saucepan and boil it down to about 1/2 of what you had originally, in order to concentrate the flavors

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Meat · Pasta · Sauces

My special bolognese sauce

Belinda

Serves about 6

Olive oil and butter
1lb Sweet Italian Sausage, crumbled finely
1lb Ground pork
1lb Ground lamb
4oz small cubed pancetta
1 and 1/2 large onions diced finely
3 carrots diced finely
3 sticks celery diced finely
Garlic 3 cloves crushed,
Tomato paste (1/2 a small can)
1 x large jar of (San Marzano) marinara sauce
Whole milk  (1 cup at least)
1 cup Chianti (at least)
1 tbsp fennel seeds, ground in mortar
fresh rosemary, chopped fine
salt and pepper

Chop fine all the vegetables and garlic and sauté in large pan of olive oil and butter.
Add the pancetta and ground fennel seeds and stir over moderate heat.
Add the sausage meat from the sausages, removing the casings and crumbling as fine as possible. Stir into vegetables and brown.
Add the pork and lamb and stir over a high heat to brown. Keep it all from sticking together.
Add red wine, milk and tomato paste and stir in Marinara Sauce. Stir well and lower heat and simmer for 1 and ½ hours.
Season and add parmesan cheese and cream if necessary before serving.
Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce and add more on top when serving in the bowls.
The milk is great and acts like cream and tenderizes the meat.