Southern Living Christmas Cookbook: Duxelles-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Okay, this isn't the greatest picture ever taken, and it doesn't even show the beautiful gravy that was served alongside this gorgeous tenderloin, but in all fairness, I had to snap my shot as fast as possible so the eating could commence.  For a recipe that is much easier than it looks, you get a pretty magnificent roast to put on your holiday table.

Duxelles-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
From Southern Living Christmas Cookbook (exclusively for Dillard's)

2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces assorted mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
1¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided use
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon firmly packed lemon zest
2 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs
2 (1¼-pounds) pork tenderloins
1 (4-ounce) package thinly sliced prosciutto
½ cup Marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
¾ cup heavy cream

Lightly grease a roasting pan.  Sauté the shallots in hot olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Add the mushrooms, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and ½ teaspoon of the pepper; sauté 7 minutes or until tender and liquid evaporates.  Add the garlic and thyme; sauté 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in the parsley, lemon zest, and breadcrumbs.  Cool completely.

Butterfly each tenderloin by making a horizontal cut into one side of the pork, cutting to within ½ inch of the other side.  Do not cut all the way through.  Unfold the tenderloins, forming rectangles, and place each between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to ½-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the tenderloins, leaving a ½-inch border.  Roll up the tenderloins, starting at one long side.  Sprinkle the tenderloins with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper.  Place half of the prosciutto, overlapping slices, on top of each tenderloin.  Wrap the prosciutto around the tenderloins; secure with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals.

Place the tenderloins in the prepared pan.  Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 145°F.  Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover with aluminum foil.  Let stand 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the Marsala to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Boil, uncovered, 6 minutes or until reduced by half, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the chicken broth; return to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 9 minutes or until reduced by half.  Stir in the heavy cream and simmer 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Stir in the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Serve the sauce with the pork.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Knorr: Spinach Dip

This is a super simple recipe, but it gives you a lot of bang for your buck.  And it was quick to whip up as part of the appetizers we quickly worked our way through on Christmas Eve.  Because who can turn down a good dip with some crunchy potato chips?  No one, my friends.

Spinach Dip

Adapted from Knorr

1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, cooked, cooled and squeezed dry
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package Knorr Leek or Vegetable recipe mix
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix.  Chill for about 2 hours.  Serve with your favorite dippers, like crackers or veggies, and share with your favorite people.

The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook: Concord Grape Jam

Considering I wasn't a huge fan of Concord grape juice when I was a kid, it's a little surprising to me still how much I enjoy homemade grape jam.  When made with Concord grapes, it just makes this fantastic ultra-grapey jam that tingles all of your tastebuds at the same time.  And these grapes were carried back from my recent trip to Maryland, dragged through airports, to arrive in my fridge for processing, so they're certainly precious.

Note: Once the jam was ready, I added two tablespoons of Grand Marnier and let it bubble a little before pouring the jam into the jars.  I processed for 10 minutes according to the Ball canning book.

Concord Grape Jam
From The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook

4 pounds stemmed Concord grapes
2½ pounds granulated sugar
3 ounces strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
Very finely grated zest of ½ an orange (orange part only)
½ ounce strained freshly squeezed orange juice

Place a saucer with five metal teaspoons in a flat place in your freezer for testing the jam later.

Working directly over a small nonreactive saucepan, use your fingers to gently squeeze the flesh from each grape, being careful to catch all the grape juices in the pan. Set the skins aside in a large mixing bowl.

Over medium heat, bring the grape innards and juice to a simmer, cover, and cook until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately force as much of the pulp as possible through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois. Discard the seeds.

Add the sieved grape pulp, sugar, lemon juice, orange zest, and orange juice to the grape skins, stirring well. Transfer the mixture to an 11- or 12-quart copper preserving pan or a wide nonreactive kettle. Bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to cook until done, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir very frequently during the cooking with a heatproof rubber spatula; if the jam starts sticking, lower the heat slightly. To avoid overcooking the jam, test it for doneness after 20 minutes of cooking. When the jam is done, it will acquire a glossier sheen and will have a thicker, more luxurious look than it did initially.

To test, remove the jam from the heat and carefully transfer a small representative half-spoonful to one of your frozen spoons. Replace the cold spoon in the freezer for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove and carefully feel the underside of the spoon. It should be neither warm nor cold; if still warm, return it to the freezer for a moment. Tilt the spoon vertically to see how quickly the jam runs; if it is reluctant to run, and if it has thickened to a spreadable consistency, it is done. If it runs quickly, cook it for another minute or two, stirring, and test again as needed.

When the jam is ready, skim any white foam from its surface with a stainless-steel spoon. Pour the jam into sterilized jars and process according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Makes 5 to 6 8-ounce jars

Alton Brown: Clarified Milk Punch

When Alton Brown posts a recipe, I'm always on board to at least give it a try.  And I've got to admit, I was fascinated by this little concoction.  You add milk to the mix, but it comes out clear.  This I had to see.  And it came out exactly how Alton promised, clear and golden.  The flavor is definitely interesting - very floral, but not unpleasantly so.  Still something I would have to get used to drinking.

Clarified Milk Punch
From Alton Brown

8 Earl Grey tea bags
¼ cup plus 2½ tablespoons granulated sugar
8 fluid ounces ruby port
4 fluid ounces aged dark rum (not spiced)
2 fluid ounces Allspice Dram
2 fluid ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup whole milk

Heat 2¼ cups of water to 208°F. If you have an electric kettle with a temperature setting, great. If not, bring the water to a boil in a saucepan, kill the heat and count to 20. Pour the water over the teabags into a quart vessel and steep 3 minutes before removing the bags. (Do not wring out or squeeze the bags.)

Add the sugar to the hot tea and stir to dissolve. Then add the port, rum, Allspice Dram, and lemon juice. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Pour the milk into a glass pitcher and then follow with the tea mixture. (Yes, it will curdle.) Park on counter for 1 hour. Do not shake, stir or molest in any way. Just let the magic happen. Oh, and make sure the tea goes into the milk, not the other way around.

Line a large, fine-mesh sieve with a commercial-sized coffee filter and strain the mixture into a wide, 4-quart container. Once completely filtered, typically about 1 hour, transfer to a quart jar or pitcher and chill to serve.

Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Makes 1 quart