Pork Loin a la Houston 

Garlic Orange Shrimp Appetizer

Goat & Pomegranates 

Roasted Sweet Peppers 

Stuffed Peppers

Orange Infused Olive Oil

Spring Tortellini Salad

Asparagus and Farfelle with Lemon and Pepper

3 pounds pork loin, boneless

Marinade

1/2 cup tamarind paste, dissolved in water (optional)
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup syrup
2 tbsp HP Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chile powder
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

To prepare the marinade: Blend together the tamarind paste, if using, orange juice, syrup, HP Sauce, chile powder, vinegar, oil, and basil. Pour the marinade over the pork loin in a shallow glass baking dish, cover, and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Stuffing

1 1/4 c. dried fruit such as apricot halves, dried figs, dries mangos
1/2 cup apple juice
1 cup chicken broth, low sodium
4 fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon puréed chipotles in adobo
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons lemon-flavored oil or 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil with 2 teaspoons minced lemon zest
1 teaspoon sherry or balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a saucepan, combine dried fruit over medium heat. Add apple juice and chicken broth. Add sage, butter, ginger, garlic, chipoltes, thyme, parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the fruits are reconstituted and the liquid is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Transfer the fruit mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until thick and smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the remaining ingredients.

Remove the pork from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and blot dry. Pour the marinade into a saucepan and reduce it over low heat to a glazelike consistency

To prepare the pork: Carve a tunnel through the center of the loin with a sharpening steel or wooden dowel. Widen the tunnel using your fingers. Inject the sauce into the opening using a pastry bag fitted with a metal tip. The filling should go all the way through the loin.

Another method: Butterfly the loin lengthwise, leaving 1/2 inch of meat attached to connect the 2 halves of the loin. Open the pork loin and cover it with plastic wrap. Pound lightly with a butcher's mallet or heavy pan to an even thickness, 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Mound the stuffing down the center of the loin and fold it closed. Tie the loin carefully at 1-inch intervals with butcher's string. The loin may be prepared to this point up to 24 hours in advance.

To cook the roast: Coat pork with glaze and brush the pork liberally with the glaze during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 160 degrees F, about 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer pork roast to a cutting board; let stand 10 minutes before carving into pinwheels. Serve with pan juices.

Just wanted you to know I roasted the best red peppers last night . Drizzled with olive oil and fresh basil ... they were great. I cut them in half and put them under the broiler for about seven minutes seed side down. When they were nicely blackened I popped them into a zip top baggie for about 20 minutes and then easily peeled them after they had cooled.

Here is a recipe I found at epicurious, then proceeded to change it. Some changes are in parentheses.  I was inspired by Pat's dinner party from hell!

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausages, casings removed

for vegetarians I used 1 package of "ground round" tofu stuff with a glug of olive oil
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 1 large) I don’t like zucchini so I substituted 1 c. of rice I had left over from Chinese takeout the night before.
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (any onion will do)
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley (I probably used more...who measures?)
1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs I added more
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary (only if you want to)

I added ½ c ish grated parmie, oregano, and garlic.

4 medium-size red (any colour will do) bell peppers (each about 4 to 6 ounces), halved lengthwise, seeded parboiled about 2 min.

I also used tomato sauce, thick, spread very thin layer on bottom of pan and top each pepper with a good spoonful. Oh, and prick the peppers so any fat drains out.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first 9 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Fill pepper halves with sausage mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Bake peppers uncovered until tops are browned and thermometer inserted into filling registers 165°F., about 1 hour. takes a little longer Transfer peppers to platter. Garnish with rosemary sprigs (don't bother) and serve.

Serves 8. Bon Appétit May 1999

TOP

C. asked awhile ago about what the fine folks in The Robe (the masterpiece that I'm sure we all viewed this Easter) ate in the movie. Well, I tore myself away from the compelling plot long enough to compose this list:

--Red wine, consumed in great quantity by the Romans, especially Marcellus (Richard); while in the Roman bath in Jerusalem, for example, though he complained it was "vinegar".

 --Dinner at the humble weaver's in Cana: Mrs. weaver brought out platters of brown stuff for Marcellus to enjoy, and there were bowls of red blobs on the table as well. Thus, I conclude the menu was boiled goat and pomegranates. If any of you are thinking of making this at home, a little parsley garnish wouldn't have hurt.

 --Christians, fed to lions (off screen).

This movie teaches me something new every time I see it. I now know, for example, how marble statues are made.

Hope you all had a happy Easter.