Category: Recipes

This Easy Cranberry Pork Loin is a nice way to entertain or a great family dinner.  I love cranberries because of their sweet and tart flavour.  The quick sauce makes this dish stand out and you can add your own personal touches.  Sometimes I use rosemary in the pork and it compliments the cranberries. This recipe also lends itself to slow cooking method.  You can put everything in a slow cooker in the morning and have a fabulous meal when you get home.

I hope you enjoy it as much as our family.  

Ingredients

1 boneless pork loin roast (2 pounds)

 1 tbsp olive oil

 2 cloves garlic (sliced)

1 recipe cranberry sauce or you can used canned

3 tbsp cup Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons brown sugar

juice and zest of half a lemon

  1 tsp Italian seasoning

   salt and pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water    

Cranberry Sauce

1 bag frozen cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange juice 

2 tbsp amaretto liqueur

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

Process

To Make Cranberry Sauce: Put everything into a medium sized pot on medium heat. Bring to a boil and turn heat down. Cook for 5minutes. Remove and let cool.

Season the roast with the Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Make a few slits in the pork and slide in the garlic. Place in the roasting pan with the 1 tbsp of olive oil and sear. 

Combine the cranberry sauce with the mustard,juice of half the lemon and the zest.  Pour over the roast.  Cover and place in a 350F oven for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and strain all the cooking juices into a small pan.  Combine the cornstarch with water and pour into the pan.  Cook until thick.  Serve this sauce with the pork.

Dress the pork with a little of the gravy and then a little reserved cranberry sauce for a pretty presentation. I served roasted peppers and zucchini with it.

Another great pork loin recipe on my blog ://recipesatmytable.com/centre-cut-pork-loin-with-tomato-pesto/

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Easy Cranberry Pork Loin

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

• * 1 boneless pork loin roast 2 pounds
• * 1 tbsp olive oil
• * 2 cloves garlic sliced
• * 1 recipe cranberry sauce see below
• * 3 tbsp cup Dijon mustard
• * juice and zest of half a lemon
• * 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• * salt and pepper
• * 1/4 cup white wine
• * 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• * 1/4 cup cold water

Cranberry Sauce

• * 1 bag frozen cranberries
• * 1/2 cup sugar
• * 1/2 cup orange juice
• * 2 tbsp amaretto liqueur
• * 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Season the roast with the Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Make a few slits in the pork and slide in the garlic. Place in the roasting pan with the 1 tbsp of olive oil and sear.
2. Combine 3/4 of the cranberry sauce with the mustard, juice of half the lemon and the zest. Pour over the roast. Pour 1/4 cap of white wine around the pork . Cover and place in a 350F oven for 40 minutes. Set aside the other quarter for serving.
3. Remove from oven and strain all the cooking juices into a small pan. Combine the cornstarch with water and pour into the pan. Cook until thick. Serve this sauce with the pork.
4. Dress the pork with a little of the full cranberry sauce and some fresh cranberries for a pretty presentation.

Cranberry Sauce

1. To Make Cranberry Sauce: Put all the ingredients into a medium sized pot on medium heat. Bring to a boil and turn heat down. Cook for 5minutes. Remove and let cool.

These little cookies go by different names, but my mother-in-law Erika called them jam cookies.  My Polish Jam Cookies remind me of her in many ways. Like her they are elegant, but yet simple.  She didn’t bake a lot at Christmas; she had a few favourites that were delicious.  Erika’s roots were Slovakian;her baking and cooking were a mix of that Eastern European flavour.

I have always called these Polish Jam Cookies because they come from our Polish side of the family.  These cookies are a bit tedious to make; however, they are worth it.  There are few ingredients and the dough is just beautiful. Don’t overwork it.  

Another favourite Polish cookie from my blog https://recipesatmytable.com/polish-family-butterhorns/

Ingredients

Cream cheese dough:

• 1 cup butter at room temperature
• 1 package cream cheese at room temperature
• 2 cups all purpose flour 
• 2 cups strawberry jam ( or one you prefer) 
• 3 tbsp egg white for brushing
• 3 tbsp castor sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Process

Use a stand mixer and cream the butter and cream cheese.

Slowly add in the flour.  

When the dough comes together, put it on the counter and knead it until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap dusted with flour and put in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. 

Remove the dough from refrigerator and divide in two.

Dust your work surface with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.  Also dust your rolling pin in flour.  Roll the dough into an 1-8 inch rectangle. 

Cut the dough into 2 inch squares. Place 1 tsp of jam in the middle of each square. Gently lift the opposite ends of the dough and fold them over. Press them together.  Place the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Brush with the egg white and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.

Put in a 350F oven for 12 minutes.  

Let cool. These freeze 

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Polish Jam Cookies

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

• * 1 cup butter at room temperature
• * 1 package cream cheese at room temperature
• * 2 cups all purpose flour
• * 2 cups strawberry jam or one you prefer
• * 3 tbsp egg white for brushing
• * 3 tbsp castor sugar
• * 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Use a stand mixer and cream the butter and cream cheese.
2. Slowly add in the flour. When the dough comes together, put it on the counter and knead it until smooth.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap dusted with flour and put in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
4. Remove the dough from refrigerator and divide in two.
5. Dust your work surface with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Also dust your rolling pin in flour. Roll the dough into an 1-8 inch rectangle.
6. Cut the dough into 2 inch squares.
7. Place 1 tsp of jam in the middle of each square.
8. Gently lift the opposite ends of the dough and fold them over. Press them together.
9. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Brush with the egg white and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.
10. Put in a 350F oven for 12 minutes.
11. Let cool. These freeze well.

There is nothing like a good old chicken dish for comfort.  My Italian Roasted Chicken and Potatoes is my go to any time of the year.  Sometimes I roast a whole chicken, but you can use chicken parts.  We love Chicken thighs and legs and today they are the star of this dish.  Most people always ask about how to get that roasted colour on the potatoes and the answer is simple: heat and love.

Growing up Roasted Chicken was the star at every Italian wedding and event.  At home everyone made their own version, but I had the best teacher.  My nonna’s “simple is best style” is my guide.  She never skimped on the olive oil and seasoning.  The garlic was always fresh from nonno’s garden.  She never chopped the garlic and it went whole into that sizzling pan of chicken fat and oil.  This recipe is not for the faint of heart, but the olive oil is healthy.  

I hope you enjoy this dish as I lead you through some simple steps. For another flavourful chicken dish try my https://recipesatmytable.com/balsamic-roasted-chicken/

Ingredients for italian roasted Chicken and Potatoes

• 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning 
• salt and pepper
• 4 chicken chicken leg quarters(leg/thigh) 
• 6 medium potatoes peeled and quartered
• 4 garlic gloves, peeled
• the juice and zest of half a lemon
• 1/2 cup olive oil ( take out 1/4 cup each for chicken and potatoes, reserve 1/2 cup for the sauce)
• freshly chopped

Process

Pat the chicken dry.  Cut a few slits in it to absorb the spices and help it cook and put it into a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the Italian seasoning and 1/8 cup olive oil. Rub everything into the chicken pieces. 

In another bowl place your potatoes, seasoning and 1/8 cup olive oil.  Toss and coat each piece of potato.  

Place the potatoes on the outskirts of a large roasting pan. Next place the chicken skin side up on the pan. Put your whole garlic in the middle of this pan. 

Put the pan into a 425 F oven for 40 minutes.  

Remove from oven and place the chicken and potatoes on a platter. 

In a small bowl mash the garlic and add the,parsley, lemon juice, zest and the remaining tablespoon of Italian seasoning.

Now drizzle some of the oil over the whole platter.  Serve the remainder of the sauce with the chicken.  

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Italian Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• * salt and pepper
• * 4 chicken chicken leg quarters leg/thigh
• * 6 medium potatoes peeled and quartered
• * 4 garlic gloves peeled
• * the juice and zest of half a lemon
• * 1/2 cup olive oil take out 1/4 cup each for chicken and potatoes, reserve 1/2 cup for the sauce
• * freshly chopped

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken dry. Cut a few slits in it to absorb the spices and help it cook and put it into a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the Italian seasoning and 1/8 cup olive oil. Rub everything into the chicken pieces.
2. In another bowl place your potatoes, seasoning and 1/8 cup olive oil. Toss and coat each piece of potato.
3. Place the potatoes on the outskirts of a large roasting pan. Next place the chicken skin side up on the pan. Put your whole garlic in the middle of this pan.
4. Put the pan into a 425 F oven for 40 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and place the chicken and potatoes on a platter.
6. In a small bowl mash the garlic and add the,parsley, lemon juice, zest and the remaining tablespoon of Italian seasoning.

7. Now drizzle some of the oil over the whole platter. Serve the remainder of the sauce with the chicken and potatoes.

Recipe Notes

You can use a whole chicken: it is best to spatchcock it for easy cooking.