Roast Pork Loin with White Wine Sauce #EasterRecipes

In this household, as in many in the USA, we often serve ham for Easter.  However, there is no rule that you have to serve ham on Easter.  What if you don't like ham?  What if you don't want the high sodium content?

I normally rectify these problems with my guests by offering several meats with dinner.  But this year, I'm not having 20 guests.  In fact, I think there is only going to be 6 of us for dinner.  It's kind of senseless to make 3 or more entrees for only 6 of us.

So what is a person to do if they aren't feeding a crowd, don't want to serve ham but want to have an elegant entrée to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord?

How about this gorgeous Roasted Pork Loin with White Wine Sauce.  It makes a beautiful presentation and works wonderfully with all the traditional side dishes normally served on Easter Day.

This is out final day of Easter Week.  My Festive Foodie friends and I shared recipes on Monday and Wednesday as well under the leadership of Christie from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures.  Make sure you stop by and see what the others are sharing today.  You will find links at the bottom of this post.

Monday I shared a Broccoli Gratin and Wednesday I posted a recipe for Carrot Cake Cheesecake, both of which would be perfect to serve along with this roast.

Roasted Pork Loin with White Wine Sauce

adapted from Cuisine at Home, Issue #116

1 (3 lb) boneless pork loin roast

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

3 T. flour

1 1/2 c. chicken stock

1/2 c. dry white wine

Cut slits all over the roast with a small knife.  Insert garlic slices into each of the slits. Season the roast with salt and pepper.  Set aside to come to room temperature.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large, oven safe skillet over med high heat.  Brown the roast on the lean side for about 5 minutes.  Flip over so that fatty side is down and sear for another few minutes.  Place into a preheated 425* oven for 45 minutes to an hour.  An internal temperature of 145* is desired.

Remove pan from oven.  Transfer roast to a platter to rest, tenting lightly with foil.  Place the skillet over med high heat and stir the flour and salt and pepper to taste into the drippings.  Cook and stir for a couple of minutes until the flour browns slightly and is nutty smelling.

Add the wine, and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the broth and continue to cook and stir until thickened adding any juices that are on the platter from the roast.

Slice the roast into 1/4" pieces and top with the pan gravy.  Print Recipe

Friday Easter Week Recipes

• Brussels Sprout Potato Cakes by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Candied Lemon Zest Jalapeño Deviled Eggs by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Carrot Cake Cookies by Daily Dish Recipes
• Curried Deviled Eggs by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Dried Cherry and Almond Scones by Family Around the Table
• Easter Bunny Cake by Everyday Eileen
• Easter Egg Sugar Cookies by The Redhead Baker
• Eggs Benedict Breakfast Bake by Cookaholic Wife
• Greek Lamb Keftiko by Caroline's Cooking
• Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Roasted Pork Loin with White Wine Sauce by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Maple Apple Baked Oatmeal by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Peeps Cookie Bars by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Easter Bread Cheesecake - Pasca by All that's Jas
• Spring Veggie Crudités with Fresh Pea Hummus by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Vanilla Bean Mocha Biscotti by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Vegetable Breakfast Casserole by Simple and Savory

Carrot Cake Cheesecake #EasterRecipes #FantasticalFoodFight

Today I am lucky enough to be able to combine two events into one post.

On Monday I shared with you that we are celebrating Easter along with Christie from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures and the Festive Foodies group ran by Ellen of Family Around the Table.

I previously posted a Broccoli and Blue Cheese Gratin that is the perfect accompaniment to your Holiday Ham.  Today I am posting a dessert. 

Specifically a Carrot Cake Cheesecake that I chose because Sarah of Fantastical Sharing of Recipes invited us to duke it out over Carrot Cake for this month's edition of Fantastical Food Fight.

This is the point, on last Sunday, where I stopped typing and went into my photo file to edit the photos for this post. They were GONE!!  I felt a moment of panic. 

I searched by date instead of name....nothing. 

I pulled out my back up drive, plugged it in, and searched....nothing. 

I went through each photo folder individually thinking that perhaps they got misfiled....nothing.

I went through my recycle bin...nothing.

I checked my phone photos...nothing.

I vented on the event pages and got a lot of suggestions that I tried....nothing.

I told myself, this is only a blog mishap, it is not cancer.....get over it.

Then I did what I always do when life kicks me.  I sought solace from my husband and best friend.  He asked me for my memory card that was used for the photos.  He has a recovery program for my camera on his old laptop!!!  It worked!! 

It took hours to download the thousands of photos and then I had to click on them individually as there was no rhyme or reason to the order in which they were listed but I found them....Frank always makes my life better!!!

I hope you enjoy these photos.  They were hard fought.  I know you will enjoy the cheesecake.  Making the cheesecake was the easy part of this post.  Starting with a boxed cake mix, that included a package of shredded carrots and raisins, made this cake simple and relatively quick.

I adapted this recipe to omit the coconut as we enjoyed this after taking Little Miss to see Seussical the Musical with John and Kirsten and Kirsten is allergic to coconut.  I also left off the frosting because I'm not a frosting fan.

Make sure you stop by and visit all the other Easter Recipes and Carrot Cake Recipes.  You will find links to both at the bottom of this post.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake
adapted from Duncan Hines

1 pkg. Duncan Hines Decadent Carrot Cake Mix
1 1/4 c. hot water
eggs and oil as listed in directions on package for cake
1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 c. toasted walnuts, chopped
2 (8 oz) pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 t. vanilla
3 eggs, room temperature

Remove carrot and raisin packet from cake mix box.  Place in a bowl and cover with the hot water and let stand while you prepare the cake mix according to package directions. 

Drain and squeeze dry the carrots and raisins.  Add them to the cake batter along with the pineapple and walnuts until just blended.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla at medium speed until smooth.  Add the eggs, one at a time, until light and fluffy.

Spoon 2 cups of the cake batter into a springform pan that has been treated with baking spray.  Spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the batter in the pan.  Cover with the remaining batter and top with the remaining cream cheese mixture.

Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 50-60 minutes, until just set.

Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing the sides.  Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hrs. or overnight before serving.  Print Recipe

More Wonderful Easter Recipes

• Braised Rabbit with Fennel and Salsa Verde by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Carrot Cake Cheesecake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Carrot Patch Chocolate Cupcakes by The Redhead Baker
• Citrus Tarragon Asparagus Salad by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Easy Easter Candy Bark by Daily Dish Recipes
• Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Horseradish Deviled Eggs by Everyday Eileen
• Individual Warm Chocolate Truffle Cakes by Family Around the Table
• Lemon Coconut Bars by Cookaholic Wife
• Pancetta Brussels Sprouts by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Pineapple Carrot Cake Cupcakes by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Polish White Borscht - Bialy Barszcz by All that's Jas
• Turkey Ham Potato Chowder by Cindy's Recipes and Writings

More Carrot Cake Creations

An InLinkz Link-up

Broccoli and Blue Cheese Gratin #EasterRecipes

Christie, of a Kitchen Hoor's Adventures , invited members of our Festive Foodies group to join her on Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week posting recipes to help our readers get ready for Easter.

I will be joining in the fun for all three days, starting with a vegetable side that is sure to be a hit for your Easter Banquet.

I don't know about you but I like to go all out on Holidays and Easter is my favorite Holiday of all.  We will have a sit down dinner that will start with a first course, normally some sort of seafood.  This is followed by soup and then a salad.  The entrée will contain 3 or 4 meats.  There is always Ham, always Kielbasa, usually lamb and then a beef or chicken dish of some sort.  Sides always include some sort of potato dish and usually a sweet potato dish of some sort, as well.  Baked pineapple and baked beans to go with the ham. Several vegetables are also served.  Fresh asparagus and buttered corn for sure and then one or two more. There is always a butter lamb and fresh baked bread.  We gorge and then eat leftovers all week long.

This Broccoli and Blue Cheese Gratin is so good and I promise that if you leave off the blue cheese in the title even blue cheese haters will eat it, love it and be none the wiser.  And as a bonus, the leftovers can be turned into a kick butt soup.

This recipe is adapted from one I found in a Williams Sonoma cookbook.  I used gorgonzola cheese to keep it mild, as my husband and some of the kids don't care for blue cheese.  I didn't mention to them that there was blue cheese in the dish.  They loved it and a couple of them went back for seconds.

This dish can be made ahead of time but wait to add the bread crumbs right before it goes into the oven so it doesn't get soggy.

This is a great side for Easter because many enjoy ham for dinner. I think that nothing is better with ham than broccoli and cheese. YUM

Stop by and visit all the other Easter Recipes.  You will find links at the bottom of this post.

Broccoli and Blue Cheese Gratin

adapted from William Sonoma

2 - 3 lbs. broccoli florets

1/4 stick butter

4 T. flour

2 1/2 c. milk, full fat

salt and pepper to taste

3 oz. crumbled gorgonzola cheese

3/4 c. dried bread crumbs

Place the broccoli florets in a steamer and cook for about 15 minutes, until tender.  

While broccoli is steaming, melt the butter in a saucepan over med high heat.  Add the flour and whisk in.  Reduce the heat to low and add the milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 10-15 minutes until thickened.  Stir in blue cheese just until melted and remove from heat.

Add the broccoli to the blue cheese sauce and gently fold in until coated. Pour mixture into a casserole that has been treated with butter or cooking spray.  Don't worry if it is soupy, it will continue to thicken as it bakes.  Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and bake in a preheated 350* oven for about half an hour, until hot and bubbly and the bread crumbs are toasty brown.  Print Recipe

Monday Easter Week Recipes

• Broccoli and Blue Cheese Gratin by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Bunny Cinnamon Rolls by Family Around the Table
• Bunny Mary by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Carrot Roll Cake by Cookaholic Wife
• Chocolate Dipped Robin's Egg Cookies by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Crunchy Easter Bird Nest Granola Bites by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Deviled eggs with creme Fraiche and herbs by Simple and Savory
• Easter M&M Blondies by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Easter Mini Chocolate Rum Cupcakes by Daily Dish Recipes
• Egg Benedict Quiche by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Orange Ricotta Pancakes by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Puff Pastry Eggs with Ham and Cheese by All that's Jas
• Sausage and Spinach Pie by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Tsoureki - Greek Easter Bread by Caroline's Cooking
• Whipped Ricotta Salad by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Garlic Soup with Noodles and Peas #4theLoveofGarlic #SoupSwappers #EasterWeek

Today is the final day of Easter Week.  Tomorrow we will be celebrating the Victory of our Risen Lord.  I want to thank Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures for all of her hard work this week. There have been some awesome recipes shared.

Today is also Soup Saturday Swappers, a group started by me this year where we all get together on the third Saturday of each month to share soup/stew recipes based on a theme chosen by one of our members.  I chose the theme Root Vegetables for this month.

This Garject from DreamFarm made easy mincing of wonderful garlic provided by Melissa's Produce.
DreamFarm and Melissa's provided the #4theLoveofGarlic participants with products to use in their recipes.
I received no monetary compensation for this post.  

You will just have to trust me when I tell you that I chose this theme before my friend, Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, invited me to join  her and 5 others in  #4theLoveofGarlic to celebrate National Garlic Day.  Six bloggers, Six days of Garlic Recipes sponsored by Dreamfarm and Melissa's Produce.

I did, however take advantage of #4 the Love of Garlic, by choosing this day out of the 6 available to post my recipe, knowing that I could incorporate it into both my soup post for #SoupSwappers and my final post for #EasterWeek.  I love when things work out like that!!

I had made Garlic Soup in the past, using a recipe that I had gotten from Weekends in a French Kitchen by Mimi Thorisson, and enjoyed it.  The recipe I am sharing today came from the NY Times and is brothy instead of pureed and contains pasta and peas.  It is like a garlicky egg drop soup with additions.

I made a broth seasoned with minced garlic, thyme, bay leaf and kosher salt.  I added the past and while it was simmering I cut some slices of artisan bread and but them under the broiler to toast. Once toasted they were rubbed liberally with a clove of garlic that I had halved for the purpose and placed into shallow bowls. When the pasta was tender, I added the peas and beat 2 eggs with a tablespoon of olive oil.  I had some garlic flavored olive oil so I added that to intensify the flavor even more.

This soup is extremely garlicky.  If you, like me, believe there is no such thing as too much garlic, you will LOVE it.  However, if you want to tone it down a bit, just use regular olive oil in place of the garlic infused. Want to tone it down even more? Omit the garlic rub on the toast.  As for me?  Bring it on just as it is!!

I think this soup would be a great starter for an Easter Dinner featuring lamb as the entree.  Lamb and garlic pair so wonderfully together that this would be like a prelude to a symphony, add a potato gratin and you have a perfect, simple Easter Feast.  You will find more great #EasterRecipes at the bottom of this post.

I want to thank Melissa's Produce for all the wonderful garlic.  I have been in garlic heaven here as you will see during this week long #4 the Love of Garlic event.  That Garject from DreamFarm makes mincing garlic so easy peasy that you can't wait to use it, especially since it ejects the peel so easily and cleanly that you don't have to worry about peeling it first. You can win your very own Garject by entering the raffle found here.

We would love to have you join us over at Soup Saturday Swappers.  Next month we are celebrating English Stew hosted by Sneha of Sneha's Recipe.  Just leave your email address and blog name in the comments below if you want to join us and I will send you an invitation to the group. In the meantime, keep scrolling past this recipe to see what root vegetables the others have turned into soup this month.

Garlic Soup with Pasta and Peas

adapted from NY Times Cooking

5 garlic cloves, 4 minced and 1 halved

Salt to taste

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs thyme

1/2 c. elbow macaroni

1 c. frozen peas

4 slices of artisan bread loaf

2 eggs

1 T. garlic infused olive oil

ground pepper to taste

Place 6 1/2 c. water, minced garlic, salt, bay leaf and thyme into a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs and add pasta to the pot, simmer for another 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the peas and allow to simmer until warmed through, 5 minutes or so.

While soup is simmering, place bread slices under the broiler until toasted, flip and toast other side. Remove from broiler and immediately rub with halved garlic.  Place one toast into each of 4 bowls, set aside.

Using a fork, beat together the egg and olive oil.  Add two ladlefuls of broth to the egg mixture and remove the soup from the heat source.  Slowly add the egg mixture to the soup, stirring constantly. The soup will thicken slightly and have ribbons of egg throughout.  Ladle the soup over the toasts and serve.  Print Recipe

More Easter Recipes

• Garlic Soup with Pasta and Peas by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mounds Cake by Family Around The Table
• Roasted Root Vegetable Soup by Amy's Cooking Adventures

More Soup made with Root Vegetables

An InLinkz Link-up

Roasted Eggplant Salad #EasterRecipes

This salad made with tender baby eggplants and colorful grape and cherry tomatoes tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette is the perfect addition to your Easter table.

It can be made up to two hours ahead of time and is served at room temperature so there is no last minute preparation needed.

You start by cutting the eggplant and a small onion into bite size pieces, tossing them with garlic and olive oil and roasting them until tender, about 15 minutes.

While the roasted eggplant is cooling.  Whisk together the vinaigrette and toss with the tomatoes and some fresh dill.

Add the cooled, roasted veggies and toss to cover with the vinaigrette.  Serve immediately or let stand for up to two hours before serving at room temperature.

This Easter Week event is part of the group, Holiday Fun with our Blog Friends, and is being hosted by Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventure.  We have been and will continue to share recipes suitable for Easter all week long.  You will find links to the others following this recipe.

Roasted Eggplant Salad

2 baby eggplants, cut into 2" dice

1 pt. cherry or grape tomatoes (or a mixture of each)

1 small onion, cut into 2" dice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 T. + 2 t. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1 T. balsamic vinegar 

1/2 T. fresh dill, finely chopped

Toss the eggplant, onion and garlic  with 2 t. of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast in a preheated 350* oven for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Cut the cherry tomatoes and any large grape tomatoes in half and place in a large bowl.  Place the 1 1/2 T. olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a small jar with a lid.  Shake vigorously to blend and pour over the tomatoes.  Add the dill and the cooled, roasted vegetables. Toss to coat  and serve immediately or set aside for up to 2 hours at room temperature. Print Recipe

More Easter Entertaining Recipes

• Carrot Cake Cinnamon Rolls by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Cinnamon Crescent Rolls by Tip Garden
• Individual Easter Breads by Cooking With Carlee
• Tomato Asparagus Quiche by Caroline's Cooking
• Peeps Whoopie Pies by Palatable Pastime
• Rosemary Garlic Herb Rib Roast by Family Around The Table
• Honey butter Peas and Carrots by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Pea and Pasta Salad by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Roasted Eggplant Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm