Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

This is a dish from the way-back, when Kim and I used to take any excuse to throw a (often-themed) party...and these mushrooms usually made an appearance...with the oft-repeated warning that they're heck-a hot right out of the oven and to WAIT so you don't burn your poor mouth.  Posted now by request from All-Knowing Jen!

Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

1 1/2 lbs medium mushrooms (about 30)
1/2 lb. pork sausage
1/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs [or plain and season as desired]
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese [or mix of moz&parm or other Italian blend]
parsley for garnish [and/or in stuffing mix]

1.  Remove stems from mushrooms; chop stems.  Set both aside.
2.  In [good-sized] skilled over medium heat, cook sausage until well-browned.  With slotted spoon remove sausage to paper towels to drain. Spoon excess drippings from skillet.
3.  In hot drippings, [or added butter, if needed], over medium heat, cook chopped mushroom stems until tender, about 10 min., stirring frequently.  Remove skillet from heat; stir in cooked sausage, cheese, and bread crumbs.
4.  Preheat oven to 450F.  Fill mushroom caps with sausage mixture.  Place stuffed mushrooms in [suitably-sized] jello-roll pan [or 9x13 glass dish or cookie sheet with sides].
5.  Bake about 15 min. [LET COOL FOR A FEW MINUTES OR YOU'LL BURN YOUR MOUTH!!!]

Egg Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce and Hot Mustard Sauce

This is one of those Chef Jeff recipes from his awesome classes. It was one of the first ones I ever took & YUM!

Egg Rolls 
(makes 14-30 depending on how full you make them)

1 lb. ground pork (or half ground pork and half chopped cooked shrimp)

3 c shredded cabbage + 1/2 c. shredded celery + 1/4 c. shredded carrot OR.... 2 - 1 lb pks Dole classic coleslaw bags

 4-5 med dried black mushrooms [or 1 pkg. dried stir fry mushrooms]

1/2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp corn starch

1/4 tsp white [or black or none] pepper

2 Tbl. green onion, finely sliced

1 tsp five spice powder

1 egg, beaten [I often don't bother & just use a small bowl of water]

 14-30 egg roll skins

 2 c (or so!) vegetable oil for frying

 1. Soak dried mushrooms in very hot water until soft; drain. Squeeze out excess moisture. Remove and discard stem [if very tough]. Cut into thin strips [or small pieces] and set aside.

 2. In mixing bowl, combine pork with cornstarch, soy sauce, and white pepper; mix well and refrigerate for 20 min.

 3. Fill a [very] large sauce pan/pot with water and bring to a boil. Add cabbage/celery/carrots (OR both bags coleslaw mix). Bring to second boil for about 30 seconds, then drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again, squeezing mixture thoroughly to remove any excess water.

 4. Heat wok [or large pan] over high heat; add 1 Tbl. oil, then tilt to coat sides.

 5. Add pork and stir fry 2 [to 5] min until no longer pink. Add mushrooms and stir fry 1 min. Stir in cabbage mixture along with shrimp [if using], green onions, five spice powder, and salt. Mix well; remove from heat and refrigerate. [If you don't want to deal with a huge pan, you can cook the pork & etc. then mix into the cabbage mixture in a large bowl.]

 6. Lay out the egg roll skins and separate mixture evenly amongst them. [Or do one at a time and deal with it if you end up with extra egg roll skins.].  Roll the egg rolls according to package instructions, substituting beaten egg [or just water] for paste to seal. Cover egg rolls with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

7. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a wok [or large, deep pan] to 350F.

8. Carefully place up to 4 egg rolls in the oil at a time and fry, turning 2-3 times until golden brown; remove them from the oil and place on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

 9. Serve immediately with hot mustard and/or sweet and sour sauce if desired.


 Sweet and Sour Sauce

One 6-oz. can pineapple juice
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbl. brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tsp. cornstarch

In a small saucepan, combine 2 Tbl. pineapple juice with cornstarch and mix until smooth.
Add remaining pineapple juice, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar. Bring to boil and allow to simmer for 30 seconds or so; remove from heat, cover and set aside.


 Hot Mustard Sauce

1/4 c. Dijon mustard
2 Tbl. honey
1/4 tsp. dry mustard

 Combine all and mix well.

Cranberry-Glazed Pork Roast

Just had this easy, delicious pork dish for supper the other night. Since my girls are not big fans of sauces/stuff-on-their-food, I just served the cranberry sauce on the side. I've found this to be a nice company meal, because you can prep it all, throw it in the oven, and then pretty much just let it be while it cooks. If things run long, no biggie, just turn down the oven & let it keep warm.

(It's another recipe from my mom's recipe box, btw.)

Cranberry-Glazed Pork Roast

2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. grated orange peel (if you've got oranges on hand, no biggie if you don't)
2 Tbl. orange juice
2 Tbl. dry sherry or more orange juice (or white wine)
1 can (16 oz.) whole cranberry sauce
3 lb. boneless pork loin roast
(Opt. - potatoes)

1. In small saucepan, stir together all ingredients except pork. Cook glaze, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thickened. Set aside.
2. Place roast in a shallow baking dish. (I often surround it with cut-up red potatoes & let them roast at the same time. Yum.) Roast at 325F for 30 minutes. Spoon 1/2 c. glaze over roast & continue roasting for 30-45 minutes more or until internal temperature is 155-160F. (Roughly - you can do it at 350F if you need to, just make sure it's done through, but don't cook it 'til it's dry!)
3. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining sauce.

Pork Tenderloin with Apricots and Brie

Ok I know it's not Turkey- but we had this tonight and it was yummy and SO easy I had to tell you about it. 

Pork Tenderloin stuffed with Apricots and Brie 

1 lb Pork Tenderloin

4 oz of dried apricots, chopped

5 oz of Brie, diced

1 tsp. Olive oil 

Directions: 

Butterfly the tenderloin by cutting it down the center (without cutting all the way through). Place wax paper on top and pound to 1/2 inch thickness.  Spread the apricots and brie on the pork, leaving yourself about 1/2 inch of an edge all the way around. Roll the tenderloin back up (starting on the long side) tucking in the filling as needed. Tie up with butcher string, use toothpicks to seal the ends if necessary.  Place pork on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes (or until cooked through).  Slice to serve. 

I just eyeballed the apricot and brie amounts, but I plan to use more of both next time. 

Memphis-Style Beef Ribs

First of all, Mr. Kluges made this with pork ribs and it was still delicious. Also, we so didn't do that many ribs for just our little family! Once again, from "How to Grill" by Steven Raichlen. He also points out in his introduction that "Wet refers to sweet, sticky, sauce-slathered ribs in the style of Kansas City, while dry refers to the spice-crusted ribs of Memphis, Tennessee."

2 racks of beef ribs (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each) [or pork ribs]
3 Tbl. sweet paprika
2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
2 tsp. mustard seeds
3 tsp. coarse salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 cup distilled white vinegar
North Carolina Vinegar Sauce (optional) [from elsewhere in his cookbook]

1. Rinse the ribs under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels. Combine the paprika, hot pepper flakes, mustard seeds, 2 tsp. coarse salt, pepper, brown sugar, celery salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and cumin in a small bowl or spice shaker. Set aside 2 Tbl. for the mop sauce.
2. Sprinkle about 1 Tbl. of the rub on the meat side and 1/2 Tbl. on the bone side of each rack of ribs, rubbing the spices on with your fingers. Set the remaining rub aside for serving. Let the ribs sit for 20 minutes while you make the vinegar mop sauce and preheat the grill.
3. Combine the vinegar and remaining 1 tsp. salt with the 2 Tbl. reserved rub in a small bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved.
4. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using charcoal, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or a smoker pounch and preheat the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium. [We didn't use wood chips with our gas grill.]
5. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss half the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Place the ribs in the center of the hot grate away from and cover the grill. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When the ribs are cooked, they will be mahogany brown and tender enough to pull apart with your fingers; the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones. If using charcoal, add 12 fresh coals per side and toss on the remaining wood chips after 1 hour.
6. Transfer the ribs to a clean cutting board. Mop on both sides with mop sauce and sprinkle with remaining rub. Cut the rack into individual ribs and serve at once with any remaining mop sauce or the North Carolina Vinegar Sauce, if desired.

Olive Tapenade Stuffed Pork Loin

Just made this tonight (along with grilled zucchini slices and rosemary potato packets)& it was yum! Well, actually it was a joint effort - I made the olive tapenade & Mr. Kluges prepped the meat & grilled it. It looks impressive, too. I got pork tenderloin and it was rather small/narrow, so it just looked more like pork rolled around a center of tapenade than the pretty spiral effect the cookbook ("How to Grill" by Steven Raichlen) shows. Now this cookbook specializes on its step by step photos, so if some of the directions are unclear, it's because the photos are meant for clarification.

For the tapenade:
2 c. drained, pitted black olives (two 6-oz. cans) or 1 1/2 c. pitted kalamata and/or oil-cured olives
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped [Though my girls love olives & capers, neither liked the tapenade... I think the garlic was why & I'd leave it out next timejust for them.]
2 Tbl. drained capers
1 Tbl. Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp. dried oregano
black pepper
1 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil

For the pork:
1 pork loin roast (2 1/2 - 3 lbs.)
Coarse salt & black pepper
4 strips bacon or pancetta, optional (or more!!!!)
(You also need butcher's string/kitchen twine.)

1. Prepare the tapenade: Place the olives, garlic, capers, mustard and oregano into a food processor and process to a smooth paste. Add the pepper to taste and the oil and process until blended.

[If you're doing charcoal, you might want to start it around now, I think.]

2. Roll-cut the pork roast as shown in pix blah blah blah.... a)Trim off the sheath of fat and sinew that covers the roast. b)Hold a long, sharp, slender knife parallel to the cutting board, and starting at the bottom of the roast, about 1/2 inch above the cutting board, make a lengthwise cut in the roast. Cut almost to the other side. c) Unfold the top of the roast (it's a bit like unrolling a roll of paper towels that's lying on its side.) d) Continue cutting and unrolling the roast in a lengthwise fashion, knife parallel to and about 1/2 inch above the cutting board to obtain a broad, flat rectangle of pork that's about 1/2 inch thick.

3. Season the top of the meat with salt and pepper (go easy on the salt - the olives are quite salty). Spread the tapenade on the meat and roll it back into a roast. Cut four 12-inch long pieces of butcher's string and lay them out on a cutting board. If using the bacon strips, place 3 of them across the string, 1 - 2 inches apart. Place the roast on the bacon, parallel to the strips. Lay the 4th strip of bacon on top of the roast. Loop the ends of the strip over the roast and tie securely, starting at the ends to keep the stuffing from oozing out. Season the roast on the outside with salt (if not using bacon) and pepper.

4. Set up the grill for indirect grilling [have the heat only on the sides of the grill, not directly beneath the roast] and preheat to medium.

5. When ready to cook, place the roast in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat, and cover the grill. Grill the roast until cooked through, about 1 hour. To test for donness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the side of the roast: The internal temperature should be at least 160F.

6. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove the strings. Using a sharp knife, cut the roast cross-wise into 1/2-inch slices.

[Admire, then eat!]

That OTHER easy, yummy, fancy-seeming pork recipe

The other day while menu planning, I thought, "Oh, I want to make that seems-fancy-but-isn't-hard pork chop recipe on Recipeeps! The one with the black olives and capers!" So I dutifully pulled up the "pork" tab and found Allknowingjen's Boneless Pork Chops in a Shallot-Fig Reduction Sauce. Now, the ingredients didn't quite match up with what I'd been thinking, but whatever. Put 'em on the grocery list and move on.

Then I went to make the recipe and realized that - delicious, and wonderful, and highly recommended though her wonderful dish is - I had actually been thinking about THIS recipe from my Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2002.

(But AKJ's is really, really good, and I didn't regret making it at all! You should make it, too. Or, you know, this one. *grin*)

Pork Medallions with Olive-Caper Sauce

1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbl. olive oil, divided

1/2 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives (regular black are ok, but probably less intense)
2 Tbl. capers
2 Tbl. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


Cut pork crosswise into 8 pieces. Place each pork piece between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge pork in flour; shake off excess flour. Heat 1 1/2 tsp. olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of pork, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan, and keep warm. Repeat procedure wth remaining 1 1/2 tsp. oil and pork. Return pork to pan. Add wine and broth; bring to a boil. Stir in olives and capers; cook 4 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 4 servings.

Mexican Slow Cooker Pork

This is my easy slow cooker pork. It really doesn't end up too Mexican tasting, so you could add a barbecue sauce to it for pork sandwiches. The onions are the best part.

1 pork loin roast 2-3 pounds

3 medium onions, medium slices

2-3 T ancho chili powder (pure chili powder without cumin and fillers)

0.5 - 1 t ground cumin

salt to taste

small amount of olive oil.

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

Line the bottom of the crock pot with the sliced onions & garlic, creating a bed for the roast.

Rub the outside of the roast with the chili powder, cumin and salt. Place on top of the onions, if there is any fat left on the outside, put that side facing up.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours (4 hours on high). If there is any fat part left on top, remove, and then shred it, mixing with any juices that are left and the now carmelized onions. Adjust salt if needed.

Crockpot- Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce

THAI PORK w/ PEANUT SAUCE 

Cooker size: Medium round or oval crockpot
Setting & Cook Time: LOW for 8-9 hours

One 2-pound boneless pork loin, trimmed of fat and cut into 4 pieces
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1/2 cup prepared teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to your taste, I always add a bit more than this, we like spicy)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

For Serving:
1/2 cup chopped green onions (white part and some of the green)
1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts
2 limes, cut to make 8-12 wedges

1. Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Put the pork, bell peppers, teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes and garlic in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until pork is fork tender, 8 to 9 hours

2. Remove pork from cooker and coarsely chop. Add the peanut butter to the liquid in the cooker; stir well to dissolve the peanut butter and blend with the liquid to make the sauce. **I also added a touch of honey.** Return the pork to the sauce and toss to coat the meat evenly.

3. Serve in shallow bowls over hot jasmine rice and sprinkle each serving with some of the green onions and peanuts; pass the lime wedges.

** I would recommend also serving with some stir fried veggies (maybe bell peppers and snow peas)

**You could also substitute chicken breasts in this recipe

Boneless Pork Chops in a Shallot-Fig Reduction Sauce

Tastes fancy, but it's easy and fast enough for a weeknight dinner. I made it tonight an it was done in 20-30 minutes, and I already had most of the ingredients on hand. Super yummy!
I found this one at Noble Pig- and it's worth a visit just to see the pictures and step by step instructions. Also I am going to try the Chicken Nectarine Kabobs soon.

Boneless Pork Chops in a Shallot-Fig Reduction Sauce

1-1/2 to 2 lbs. Boneless Pork Loin Thin Sliced Chops
2 cups of beef broth or beef stock
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 large shallot, chopped
9 dried figs, diced (couldn't find figs, so I used dates instead)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
salt & pepper for seasoning

Preheat a nonstick skillet. Add olive oil and fry pork chops in batches, 2 minutes per side and remove from pan; keep warm. Add shallot to the pan and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add beef broth, balsamic vinegar and figs. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. Add cornstarch, cook 1 minute.

Add chops back to the pan and cover. Simmer 2-3 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Remove the chops from the pan and pour sauce all over. Serve immediately.

Raspberry Chipotle Pork Tenderloin

My sister made this over X-mas and it was AWESOME. I can't really say how much the rub affected the pork, but this one is a winner for the sauce.

Note- if dealing with someone who doesn't like tomatoes, DON'T WORRY. This sauce is juicy and sweet and isn't really "tomatoey". My dad hates tomatoes and he had two helpings of the stuff. Wog doesn't like Chipotle, and he also had two servings.

Pork Tenderlin Rub:
2, 1 pound tenderloins (prefer the longer style)
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander

Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
1 cup canned, diced tomatoes, drained (though I think you really should use the whole large can, drained)
1/2 c raspberry preserves (aka jam)
1/3 c diced onion
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbsp cilantro
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp Tabasco chipotle sauce (or can be replaced with some of the ancho chile powder)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chopped/minced garlic
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pork in 9x13 pan. Combine rub mixture and rub over pork. Does not need to sit and marinade, but I guess you could if you wanted to. Place pan in oven and cook for 25 minutes.

While pork is cooking, mix the raspberry chipotle sauce. After the 25 min of cooking, pour sauce over pork and return to the oven for 20-40 min (depends on how thick the pork is) or until internal temp reaches 160 degrees. Let rest for 5-7 min.

Slice pork and enjoy. Be sure to serve it with the sauce - either on the same plate or in a separate bowl.

Split Pea Soup

This started with the classic Joy of Cooking, but I think I've got almost more notes written on the sides of it than the length of the recipe itself, so it's rather highly adapted. As you can tell, it's a very adaptable, forgiving, non-exact recipe!

1 c. split peas
4-6 c. chicken broth (or water + chicken bouillon*)
1-2 c. chopped ham and/or a bone and/or whatever leftover ham you've got
2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
spices as desired - maybe some rosemary, a bay leaf, pepper...
a couple of carrots, sliced into coins
a couple of potatoes, diced into middlish small chunks
some oil/butter


1. Rinse the peas and make sure there are no stones or junk. Simmer them in a big pan with the chicken broth for like an hour, or until they're soft. Pour most of the soup in the blender and blend until smoothish. You could do it all, but I like a little texture. If you've got one of those immersion blender thingies, it'd work great. Stir in the Worchestershire (for the umami, you know) plus any spices you'd like. If it seems a little thick, just thin it down a bit with water or more stock.

2. In a separate pan, (at any time during this process), saute up the carrots until tender, set aside, and do the same with the potatoes. If you've got leftover roasted or baked potatoes (or carrots for that matter), just cut them up and use those instead with no need to cook 'em.

3. Once the peas are blended, add in the carrots, potatoes, and ham pieces, and put on low heat at least until heated through, but you can let it simmer for hours. If you've got a ham bone, I'd throw it in now and just let it all simmer for a long time, later taking it out and trying to cut off some of the meat.




I've also done this in the slow cooker, putting the peas and broth in on high for a few hours (4?) or until they were so mushy I didn't even have to blend them. Then I added in the pre-cooked carrots and potatoes and ham and turned it to low and let it simmer until supper.


*I now swear by "Better than Bouillon" after using it at my mom's because it actually tastes like soup not just salt.

Stuffed Pork Chops

I got this recipe from my mom. It's classic Midwestern comfort food, cream of mushroom soup and all. It was originally for the oven, but I just did it this week in the slow cooker and it turned out well, so I'll include both cooking instructions.

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. milk
1 c. hot water
2 Tbl. butter or margarine
2 c. Stovetop stuffing
1/2 small red pepper, minced [opt, but adds nice color]
4 pork chops, 1-inch thick [I've done both bone-in and boneless, and 3 or 4.]

Mix soup and milk in 9"x13" pan (or slow cooker) and set aside. Put water and butter in a bowl; stir to partially melt butter. Add stuffing and red pepper; stir gently until water is absorbed. Cut a slit in each chop from outer edge to bone. [For boneless, cut almost all the way through.] Spoon stuffing into chops. Place in pan (or slow cooker). [I like to put them so the open ends all face together, and then glop all the extra stuffing that didn't fit into the cops in the middle.] Spoon soup mixture over chops. Bake at 375F for 1 hour. For the slow cooker, I did 4 1/2 hours on high, then it sat at "keep warm" for about an hour and that was done nicely.