Pork Persillade with Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Sauteed Mushrooms

Admittedly I have been making old favourites such as "Carrot Dill Soup", "Smashed Rutabagas with Ginger-Roasted Pears", "Brussels Sprouts with Sweet Potatoes & Maple Syrup", "Thai Cashew & Broccoli on Quinoa", and "Mum's Pork Sausage Stuffing" that went into the Thanksgiving turkey...but with the dramatically cooler weather that we have been experiencing, I felt like some pork tenderloin, Brussels sprouts roasted in the oven, and mushrooms sauteed with garlic and fresh parsley!  This is a delicious and easy wintertime meal (especially if you cook up several tenderloins at once like I did, and then have it in a container sliced and ready for sandwiches and for a quick addition to meals!).  Don't be intimidated by the title of this recipe ~ persillade is a simple parsley and garlic rub that is quick, fresh and easy to make!!

PORK PERSILLADE WITH ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS & SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

Ingredients:

Pork:

2 pork tenderloins(I did 4 loins at once and just doubled the recipe!)

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped

3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely diced

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp of EVOO (or enough to make the parsley into a paste)

Brussels:

Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (I usually count 6-8 Brussels per person)

2 tbsp EVOO or grapeseed oil

1 tsp seasoned salt (use Lowry's as it doesn't have MSG!), or lemon pepper

Mushrooms:

8-10 mushrooms cleaned, stems removed and cut into 1/4's

3 cloves garlic, finely diced

1/4 cup finely diced fresh parsley

2 tbsp EVOO (although you could combine 1 tbsp EVOO with 1 tbsp butter as well)

Salt & pepper, to taste

• Preheat oven to 375F and lightly oil a baking dish.
• Combine the 1/2 bunch of parsley with the garlic, salt and pepper and olive oil for the pork.  Stir until a paste-like consistency.  If it is still dry, add a little more extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
• Lay the tenderloins in the baking dish and rub parsley mixture into the skin of the pork, turning to ensure even coating on all sides.
• Place in the oven for approx. 35-45 mins.  Using a thermometer, ensure the internal temperature of the pork loin is 160F before removing.  
• Remove from the oven and slice.
• Meanwhile, place Brussels sprouts in a bowl with the olive oil and lemon pepper or seasoned salt.  Stir to coat and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Place in the oven with the tenderloin for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning.
• Remove from oven.
• While Brussels and pork are cooking, heat a medium-sized skillet over medium high heat, and add the olive oil, mushrooms, parsley and garlic.  Saute stirring often till mushrooms and garlic is golden.  Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove from heat.
• Place slices of pork tenderloin on a plate along with the Brussels and the mushrooms ~ ENJOY!

*If you wish you can prepare a gravy like I did in the photo to go along with the pork (although the pork is generally flavourful enough by itself!)
*Instead of mushrooms, serve mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes with this dish, perhaps some glazed carrots and parsnips, or try my smashed rutabagas with ginger-roasted pears....all this seasonal produce tastes wonderful together!

  

Mum's Pork Sausage Stuffing

When it comes to turkey stuffing I have tried other recipes, but find myself returning to the stuffing that my Mum always made.  It's comforting and delicious!  In fact it's so good that my friend Dave who detests mushrooms, absolutely loves it!!

This will stuff a bird that is between 12 to 16lbs - if your bird is bigger, double the recipe.  If it doesn't all fit inside the cavity, put the extra stuffing into a couple of layers of cheesecloth, draw all the ends together and tie with kitchen twine to create a bag of stuffing.  Lay this in the roasting dish next to the bird and allow it to cook with the turkey and absorb all the lovely juices!!

MUM's PORK SAUSAGE STUFFING

Ingredients:

2 cups of quartered white button mushrooms

1 onion, finely diced

1 tube of pure pork sausage meat (you can find this in your grocer's freezer)

1 tbsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp dried parsley flakes

1 tsp ground sage

1 loaf of white bread

• In a large skillet with fairly high sides, heat onion and sausage meat and saute until sausage is no longer pink.  Add the mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms cook down and the meat is crispy brown.
• Meanwhile using a food processor or blender, make bread crumbs out of the loaf of white bread and place in a large bowl.  Season with the black pepper, parsley and sage.  Add the cooked sausage mixture and all the oil (although I am a fan of removing any excess fat from the skillet with most recipes, this one requires the fat to bind the meat and bread mixtures together - no one said this was healthy and frankly why we only have it at Thanksgiving and Christmas!!)
• Combine the meat and bread mixtures well and let cool to room temperature before stuffing the bird.
• Once the turkey is cooked, scoop out the stuffing and place in a separate bowl to enjoy!

*Although I love this with my turkey dinner, it is equally as nice cold and placed inside of a turkey sandwich!

Asian Chicken with Vegetables

As I am sitting here eating a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal with blueberries and cinnamon, and my apple sauce is 'doing its thing' on the cook top, I thought I would share with you an easy and DELICIOUS dinner that I made last night from the "Foodland Ontario" collection of recipes booklet that is available now (I got mine at Siloam Orchards, but I believe Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze also has them!)

All of my family loved this recipe (okay, so India loved the chicken and cabbage ONLY, but she still ate it!). I had a cooked whole chicken in the fridge from Cooper's, a Napa cabbage that desperately needed using, carrots and potatoes from the farm and just had to add store-bought mushrooms and water chestnuts! It's a low cal (200 calories/ bowl), high protein (20 grams), and fibre rich meal (5 grams) that is easy to prepare!!! Try it tonight!!

ASIAN CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks (I shredded my pre-cooked chicken)

3 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup naturally brewed soy sauce

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 medium carrots, sliced diagonally in 1/2" slices

2 medium white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes

250g sliced mushrooms; crimini or shiitake (I used regular button)

4 cups thickly sliced cabbage

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained (optional)

• Heat oil in a deep skillet or wok, over medium high heat and saute chicken for 2 to 3 minutes or until no longer pink.
• Add chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms and cabbage; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Stir in water chestnuts, if using, and heat until hot.
• Serve in wide bowls and ENJOY!

*I also had a can of bamboo shoots which I sliced and added to this dish, and I garnished with sliced green onions for colour!*

Meatballs with Pepper Sauce

Unfortunately I don't have a photo of this dish (I promise to take one the next time I make these!), but so many people requested this recipe be posted I decided to do it immediately so as not to upset my friends!!!

Meatballs with Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 envelope of onion soup mix

2 lbs ground beef

SAUCE:

1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms

1 -1 /2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup chopped green peppers

1/2 cup chopped sweet red or yellow peppers

2 tbsp chopped red onions

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• In a large bowl, combine the milk, Worcestershire sauce and soup mix. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1" balls.
• Place meatballs on a rack in a shallow baking pan and broil 4-6" from the heat for 5 to 8 minutes (or until meatballs are browned).
• In a large pot or slow cooker on high, combine sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat; add meatballs and stir gently.
• Simmer for 1 hr or until meat is no longer pink.

Swiss & Gruyere Breakfast Souffle

For Thanksgiving we had our friends Dave, Siobhan and their children come and stay (and now that Greg has built us a guest house, it's so much easier to accomodate guests!!) Since Sunday was going to be our big turkey dinner evening, I wanted something quick and delicious for breakfast that I could prepare ahead of time. It was SO good that I made another one this past weekend and took it to Tremblant Girls' Weekend!!

SWISS & GRUYERE BREAKFAST SOUFFLE

Ingredients:

8 to 10 slices of French loaf, torn into pieces (another nice addition would be brioche or challah!)

5 eggs

2 cups milk, divided

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 lb of pork sausage meat

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (or 1 cup thick homemade white sauce with 1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms)

1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup shredded Emmenthaler Swiss cheese

• Arrange bread in an ungreased 13" x 9" baking dish. Whisk together eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, and seasonings. Pour over the bread and set aside.
• Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook sausage meat over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain and then spoon evenly over the bread.
• Combine the soup with the cheeses and remaining milk, and spread evenly over the sausage.
• Bake, uncovered at 350F for 45-50 mins, or until the top is puffed and the centre appears set. Let stand for 5 mins before serving.