Orange Glazed Pork Loin

Pork isn't something we have a lot at our house. I think the main reason we don't, is I just don't have a lot of pork recipes. Yesterday I went on a search for a recipe to try. I made it for dinner tonight. It was a hit! The sauce really completes this meal. I served it with mashed potatoes and pork gravy, green salad and a cranberry salad. Yum!!

1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Thyme Leaves
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
5 Pound Pork Loin Roast

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine salt, garlic, thyme, ginger, and pepper. Create a rub and rub over roast. Place fat side up on a rack in a shallow baking pan. I placed a baking rack in a 9x13 pan. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hours.

Sauce:
1 Cup Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/3 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

While the roast is cooking, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine orange juice, brown sugar and Dijon mustard. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until smooth. Add to the orange juice mixture. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture. When the roast has cooked for one hour, remove from the oven and baste with the left-over mixture. Return to oven and cook for another 20-40 minutes. Brush occasionally with glaze. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. I put the remaining sauce on the table, and we drizzled it over our meat. It was delicious!

Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Canned Pumpkin
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 Cup Walnuts, Finely Chopped (Optional)

Filling:
8 Ounces Cream Cheese
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter, Softened
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Additional Powdered Sugar

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, beat eggs on high for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Add pumpkin and lemon juice. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; fold into the pumpkin mixture.

2. Grease a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan and line with waxed paper. Grease and flour the paper. Spread batter into pan; sprinkle with walnuts, if desired. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

3. Immediately turn out onto a clean dish towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up in towel, starting with a short end. Cool.

4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Carefully unroll the cooled cake. Spread filling over cake to within 1 in. of edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

This recipe is my sister-in-laws. It is delicious.

3 Cups Broccoli, Chopped and Steamed Well
1 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Cream
3/4 Cup Half and Half
Optional: 1/2 Cup Onion and 2 Cloves Garlic

In a blender, puree broccoli and 3/4 cup of chicken broth. (I add dried minced garlic and dried onions to this.) In a saucepan, melt margarine and stir in flour and salt; cook and stir until bubbly. Add cream and half and half. Cook until thick and bubbly, then cook about 1 minute longer. Stir in remaining chicken broth and pureed broccoli mixture. Stir in other seasonings to taste (such as garlic salt, more onion, etc.) If not thick enough, add a little milk to about 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch and pour in slowly while stirring constantly. Return to slow boil to check thickness.

My sister-in-law likes to add fresh chopped onion (about 1/2 cup) to the butter and cook several minutes before adding the flour. Garlic is great added too. Need to use 4 Tablespoons butter.

Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce

8 Medium Tart Apples, Peeled and Quartered
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Red-Hot Candies

Place apples and water in a 5-quart sauce-pan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until tender. Mash the apples. Add sugar and candies. Cook, uncovered, until sugar and candies are dissolved. Remove from the heat; cool. Refrigerate until serving.

Makes: 6 Cups

We like this served with City Chicken.