Category: Recipes

Dried Fruit Pork Roast: Recipes at My Table

Dried Fruit Pork Roast

Dried Fruit Pork Roast

Pork is such a versatile meat and the dried fruit enhances the flavours of this roast.  Dried Fruit Pork Roast is succulent and sweet, while retaining some savoury flavour from the spices.  Inspired by some Moroccan flavours and the condiments available in Sicily, this roast will please many palettes.

I love using dried fruit because its natural sweetness adds an added level of flavour to the pork.  Added to this dish is the acidity , tannins and sweetness of the white wine; at the same time the wine tenderizes the pork and makes the sauce velvety smooth.  The sauce is simply the juices of the pork, the wine and the colouring of the dried fruit.

If you want to experiment with dried fruit, try these recipes too:  https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/10/dried-fruit-recipes.html

Sometimes we treat ourselves to the best because we deserve it.  I make a point of using my best dishes, glasses and of course wine each day.  Tonight we drink a bottle of wine carried all the way from Spain; it crossed airports with love.  We celebrate life every day!!

This is a piece for pork loin with the fat left on it for added taste. I simply salt and pepper it.

It goes into the pan with the garlic and then I remove the garlic.  I like to eat the toasted garlic over bread.

The dates, apricots and dried cranberries assembled.

Dried Fruit Pork Roast: Recipes at My Table

I use a white wine and I am proud to support our local wineries.

First I put in the dried fruit.

Then I hit it with the white wine and it sizzles. All the brown bits from the bottom blend into this sauce.

It goes into a 325 F oven and I go into to glaze the meat with its juices.

The asparagus goes nicely with this dish and olive oil, garlic and fresh lemon juice dress it.

Out of the oven and it is time for it to rest.

Dried Fruit Pork Roast: Recipes at My Table

The full meal is simple.  I add some roasted potatoes and peppers and the wine was a gift right from Spain.  I am loving this!!

Plated and we enjoy every bite.

Dried Fruit Pork Roast: Recipes at My Table
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Dried Fruit Pork Roast

Dried fruit makes this dish stand out at any table.  

Course Main Course
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Keyword Dried Fruit Pork Roast
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 5-7 lb Pork loin roast
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup each dates, apricots and dried cranberries chop dates and apricots
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Salt and pepper the roast. 

    Place into a large roasting pan  with the garlic and sear in the canola oil.

    Remove the garlic.

    Add the dates, apricots and dried cranberries.

    Sprinkle the roast with cinnamon.

    Cook  over medium low heat for a few minutes and allow fruit to soften . 

    Raise temperature to medium and hit the pan with the wine.

    Cover and place in the oven for 50 minutes.

    Take the cover off and let roast another 20 minutes.  

    Baste once or twice with the juices.

    Let the roast sit for about 15 minutes before slicing.  

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Cranberry Apple Meringue Pie: Recipes at My Table

Cranberry Pear Meringue Pie

Cranberry Pear Meringue Pie

I love the tartness of cranberries paired with the sweetness of pears.  This recipe delivers both tastes and is such a great way to finish a meal.  As time passes, I continue to play with pie dough and for this Cranberry Pear Meringue Pie I used a recipe from my mother-in-laws old recipe cards.

The more pies I make, the more confident I become with this delicate, but rather easy to make dough.  Once I got the hang of not over working this dough, it’s been pie heaven at our house.  Homemade is always better than store-bought and I love controlling the sugar and adding the flavours that I love to these pies.

You can use frozen cranberries for this pie.  I bought extra packages of cranberries and they are in my freezer.  Love taking them out by the handful and throwing them into smoothies.  I also add frozen cranberries to my wine and then they are over-the-moon delicious to eat at the end, and that’s my dessert.

Pie dough ready to roll.

It isn’t perfect, but it will be tasty.  Not that hard to roll.

Starting the sauce for the fruit; I use a combination of brown and white sugar.

Loving the red of the cranberries.

Bosc pears are sweet and hold their shape.

The pears go into the sugar and soften for 10 minutes.

The cranberries join the pears.

The cornstarch thickens the fruit and the almond extract gives it flavour.

Crust needs to cool.

Once the fruit cools it meets the pie shell.  Looking good!!

Cranberry Apple Meringue Pie: Recipes at My Table

See the soft peaks of the egg whites; now the corn syrup can be incorporated.

This is what stiff peaks look like.

Spoon on the meringue and then work from the centre out to spread.

Ready for the oven.

Cranberry Apple Meringue Pie: Recipes at My Table

A perfect pie.

Cranberry Apple Meringue Pie: Recipes at My Table

Golden slice just for me.

Cranberry Apple Meringue Pie: Recipes at My Table

Cranberry Apple Meringue Pie: Recipes at My Table
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Cranberry Pear Meringue Pie

A sweet and tart pie that adds colour to the table.  

Course Dessert
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Keyword Cranberry Pear Meringue Pie
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

Granny's Pie Dough

  • 1 1/2 cup cake and pastry flour
  • 1/2 cup Crisco shortening
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 2 tbsp ice cold water

The Filling

  • 1/2 cup each brown sugar and white sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 pears cubed about 3 cups
  • 2 cups cranberries
  • 4 tbsp corn starch
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp cinammon
  • 1 tsp almond extract

The Meringue

  • 8 tbsp egg whites I use Naturegg simply egg whites
  • 1/2 cup corn syrup

Instructions

Granny's Pie Dough

  1. Mix flour and salt in a food processor.

    Add the shortening and pulse.

    Mixture should resemble small peas.

    In a small bowl beat the egg, vinegar and water.

    Turn the food processor on low and drizzle the liquid in

    The dough should pull away from the food processor and form a ball.

    Wrap in plastic and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

    Remove and roll out always from the centre.

    Place in a 425 F oven for 12 minutes.

    Remove and let cool. 

The filling

  1. Combine the sugars, corn syrup, water and cinnamon.

    Place in a large sauce pan over medium heat.

    When it comes to a simmer add the pears and cook for about 15 minutes.

    Add the cranberries and almond extract.

    Mix the cornstarch and water and add to the pot, just until thickened.  Stir constantly.

    Remove and let cook completely and room temperature.

The Meringue

  1. Beat the egg whites until the form soft peaks.  Don't over beat.

    Add the corn syrup and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

The assembly

  1. Spoon the filling into the prepared and cooked pie crust.

    Top with the meringue.  

    Always pile the meringue in the middle of the pie and work out from the centre.

    Place in a preheated 425 F oven for 10 minutes.  

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Quick Banana Coffee Bread: Recipes at My Table

Quick Banana Coffee Bread

Quick Banana Coffee Bread

Anything flavoured with chocolate and coffee is a hit at my place. Quick Banana Coffee Bread meets all the criteria for pleasing every one.  I add chocolate chips and walnuts for texture and to top it off I sometimes make a light glaze with more coffee and icing sugar.  This is a great one to take to the office or for afternoon tea.

Growing up we always had bananas and lots of them.  My mom is the queen of cakes and she makes the best banana cake.  It is a mile high and full of chocolate chunks.  We will have to make it with her one day and get that recipe.  I hope she likes this one that I made.

We eat a lot of bananas at our house;  I think it is John’s favourite fruit after apples.  Bananas are good for you; there has been some controversy over their effect on retaining fat.  They have a lot of fibre and aid weight loss, but are not good for low carb diets.  They do have a high sugar content, and for that reason you may feel sluggish after eating on.  Some dieticians believe that they should not be eaten on an empty stomach.  For more information:  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bananas-good-or-bad#section3

Beautiful colour of brown sugar and bananas.

QUICK BANANA COFFEE BREAD: Recipes at My Table

The yogurt meets the sugar.

                                     Walnuts and chocolate chips added to the flour.

Make a well in the flour and add in the liquids.

Don’t over-mix!!

Add in the warm coffee.

Place in a greased loaf pan.

QUICK BANANA COFFEE BREAD: Recipes at My Table

Of course I peek into the oven.

QUICK BANANA COFFEE BREAD: Recipes at My Table

My little trick of checking with a piece of spaghetti.

Out of the oven to cool.

I glaze it with chocolate.

On a pretty platter with strawberries.

Quick Banana Coffee Bread: Recipes at My Table

The glaze shines.

Quick Banana Coffee Bread: Recipes at My Table

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Quick Banana Coffee Bread: Recipes at My Table
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QUICK BANANA COFFEE BREAD

A great way to fix your cravings for coffee and bananas.  

Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Keyword QUICK BANANA COFFEE BREAD
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The Bread

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp instant coffee
  • 1/3 cup warm water

The Glaze

  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips melted
  • 3 tbsp warm water
  • 1 tbsp Baileys
  • 3/4 cup icing sugar

Instructions

The Bread

  1. In a medium bowl mash the bananas.

    Add brown sugar, yogurt, and cinnamon.  

    Beat well.

    In another small bowl mix the egg with the vanilla extract and the oil.

    In a large bowl place the flour, walnuts, chocolate chips, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Stir and make a well in the middle.

    Place the yogurt mixture into the well and then pour the egg mixture over it.

    Stir everything until incorporated.  Don't over-stir.

    Dissolve the coffee crystals in the warm water and pour over the dough.

    Stir and place dough into a prepared greased loaf pan.

    Place in a 375 F oven for 40 to 50 minutes.

    Cool and then glaze.

    Serve with your favourite fresh fruit.  

The Glaze

  1. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave.  I used two 30 second intervals.  Stir in between.

    Add the warm water and Baileys into the chocolate and whisk.

    Add the icing sugar and pour over the loaf.

    See the glaze video. 

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Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins: Recipes At My Table

Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins

Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins

Muffins are my passion and you can always find them in my kitchen.  I made countless batches when the kids were little and many of their friends enjoyed them at our table.  Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins are healthy because I limit the fat.  Apple sauce and yogurt combine to give these muffins texture and taste.  The bits of zucchini make little pockets of surprises in each bite.

Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins are easy to make, but will disappear quickly.  For an extra treat, you can add 1/2 a cup of chocolate chips to the batter.  I like them plain and so do the kids.  The brown sugar gives them a little dark colour.  I love making pretty packages out of my baking.  Today these Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins dress-up for Valentine’s Day and go to a special friend.

When making muffins the method is easy.  Dry and wet ingredients should always be in separate bowls.  You pour the wet over the dry and mix as little as possible; this is a hard step.  If you over-mix, the gluten in the flour produces a dense and chewy texture.  Be gentle with the batter; fold and don’t stir the batter.  See how my muffins have rounded tops, that means they are just right.  Pointed peaks means you stirred too much.  For a quick video on mixing muffins watch:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSehNNuSS6w

Good Information

Buy really good muffin tins:  I have Lagostina and Wilton.  I buy a lot of Lagostina products at Canadian Tire because they often have fabulous sales.  When preparing the muffin tins, I take a little canola oil and rub the tin using a paper towel.  This is better than using those chemical sprays.  After the muffins cool, I use a butter knife to loosen and remove them.  I never lose a muffin.  I place them in decorative cups to deliver them to friends.

Keep this site on hand from Canadian Tire and in the top right-hand corner you can see when they have sales.  I am not endorsed by Canadian Tire, but I love their service and products.  https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/lagostina.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyaCByea44AIViobACh1Rmg69EAAYAiAAEgKCIvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Simple oats and yogurt start the recipe.

The cinnamon gives the oats colour.

Brown sugar gives this muffin some warmth.

Eggs, applesauce and just a touch of canola oil.

Make a well in the dry ingredients.

Mix until incorporated.

Muffin tin all filled and ready for the oven.

Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins: Recipes At My Table

Golden muffins out of the oven.

Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins: Recipes At My Table

Sometimes my baking gets packaged and sent to friends.

Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins : Recipes at My Table

Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins: Recipes At My Table
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Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins

Small bites of zucchini heaven.  

Course Dessert
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Keyword Zucchini Oatmeal Muffins
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 1 cup instant oats
  • 1 cup greek yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup apple sauce
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup zucchini finely chopped
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl mix oats, yogurt, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon. Let this sit for 10 minutes.  

    In a small bowl combine the eggs, apples sauce, canola oil and vanilla extract. Mix well with a fork.  

    In a large bowl mix flour,brown sugar, baking powder and zucchini.  Stir to coat the zucchini.  

    Add salt to the flour and zucchini and mix.  

    Make a well in the dry ingredients.

    Place the oats in the well followed by the wet ingredients.

    Mix just until incorporated.

    Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.

    Use an ice cream scoop to fill muffin tin.

    Place in a  375 F oven for 25 minutes.

    Remove and cool.  

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