Roast Pork Loin with Fig Sauce

You know how when you're looking through a new cookbook, and everything looks just so dang tasty, but there's one recipe that jumps out and says "OOO!!  PICK ME!  PICK ME FIRST!!!!

This is definitely a worthy first-pick.


Roast Pork Loin with Fig Sauce
Recipe adapted from Giada Di Laurenitis

Fig Sauce:
2 1/2 cups port wine
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
8 dried figs, roughly chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1 tbsp honey

Pork:
1 (4ish lb) pork loin
2 tbsp rosemary extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1 tbsp salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine the fig sauce ingredients over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, until reduced by half.

I keep dried figs on hand to snack on...and pretend I'm eating Fig Newman's. ;)

2.  Remove the cinnamon sticks from the sauce and blend using an immersion blender (or ladle into a blender or food processor) until smooth.  You can make this sauce a day ahead of time (WOOHOO!!!!); just reheat before serving alongside the pork.

Not to be confused with regular red table wine.  Port is more like a dessert wine.

3.  Preheat oven to 425.  Let pork loin sit out at room temperature at least 30 minutes.  In a small bowl, combine the oil, rosemary, salt (yes, you really do need a whole tablespoon), and pepper.  Rub this paste all over the pork.

Massage time!!

4.  Place pork in a large, heavy bottom skillet or roasting pan.  Roast for 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes to get an even brownness.

5.  Let the pork rest 10-15 minutes.  While the pork rests on the cutting board, heat the skillet over medium heat and add the chicken stock.  Scrape up the yummy brown bits off the bottom and let simmer 10 minutes.  Slice the pork and drizzle the jus over top.  Serve alongside the fig sauce.

Luscious, a little sweet, tangy, glorious.

This would be amazing with some mashed potatoes; however if you want to shake things up a little, try it with creamy polenta.  Y.U.M!!!!!

And in case you're wondering, Gavin didn't really go much for the fig sauce but he INHALED the pork without it.  He asked for seconds AND made it clear, more than once, that I could make this recipe again.  Happy Mama!!

Fig Bars

"A cookie is just a cookie, but Newton's are fruit and cake."

Does anyone else remember those commercials?  I thoroughly enjoy just about any kind of cookie but when it comes to Fig Newton's... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...  YUM!  First of all, I absolutely adore dried figs.  I love that sweet taste and even the crunchy texture from the seeds.  Surround that in soft, cake-like breading and I'm totally in my happy place.  It would not be completely outside the realm of possibility for me to consume at least half a package in one sitting.  Not proud of that fact, but hey.

So imagine my reaction when one of my favorite bloggers posted a recipe that just screamed glorified, HEALTHY Fig Newton to me?  WAHOO BABY!!!  This I've got to try.

Fig-Apricot Bars
Recipe from Dig This Chick

For the crust:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/8 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup ground flax seed
dash ground nutmeg and ground cloves [I was extra generous with my "dashes"]
1 stick butter, cold
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs

For the filling:
2 cups dried figs
1/2 cup dried apricots
2 cups juice (I used apple juice by any 100% juice would work great)
1 cup water
  
1.  Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until tiny pebbles. 

Of course I used my food processor for this step!

2.  Mix eggs, milk and honey with a fork in a separate bowl. Add wet to dry and mix into a dough. Get your hands in there and make into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. 

Sticky dough.  You've been warned.

3.  While dough is chilling, cook figs, apricots, juice and water over low heat until soft and thick, and most of the juice is absorbed. Purée in a food processor. 

Hello cooked down fruity goodness

4.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. After an hour, pull dough out, divide in two and knead about 10 times to make pliable. Sprinkle flour on work surface and roll out half. 

First two layers down.  Just need the top crust

5.  Place on prepared baking sheet. Spread figgy mixture. Knead and roll out other half and place on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool and cut up! 

I learned a few things from this experience of making fig bars.  

• I need to practice my rolling pin skills.  They're pretty rusty because I think the dough could be a tad thinner.  I rolled it to about the thickness I would a pie crust.  Rob thinks this thickness was perfect though.
• Though Fig Newtons first came to mind when I made them, the crust has this nutty flavor that's a bit closer to a Nutrigrain Bar.  So a Fig Newton/Nutrigrain bar?  I like that nutty flavor though, plus now I don't feel bad feeding these to Gavin for breakfast. 
• Next time I'm trying a juice with a sharper flavor (pomegranate? orange?), just to see what happens to the filling flavor.
• It doesn't look or feel like this made that much, however once you cut these into bars it makes quite a bit!  My bars are probably 2"x3"...something like that.
• If you ask your husband to take baked goods out of the oven for you, expect that there will be a corner of it missing.

It's really become important to have some kind of grab-and-go snack around.  Rob and I are usually in a hurry most mornings to get out the door, plus it's nice to have handy snack available.  I really like the granola bar recipes I've been making, however it's nice to add a new snack bar to the mix too. And of course it REALLY makes me feel good knowing I'm giving my little family something that's not just tasty, but super healthy for them too!

Peanut Butter Banana Wraps

I don't know about you but I am in a hurry most mornings.  I don't ever have time to actually eat breakfast at home; I'm usually eating in the car or as soon as I make it to the office (if I can hold out that long).  And when it comes to breakfast, I really like to have some protein so I can make it as close to lunchtime as possible without snacking.  So my breakfasts typically consist of some kind of oatmeal concoction, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt with granola, etc.

I found this wrap recipe though and thought "what a perfect breakfast (or snack) to eat on the go!"  And it's also great to make a couple of these at a time, toss one in the fridge for another day that's even more hectic than usual.

Peanut Butter Banana Wraps
Recipe adapted from So Easy

2 tortillas
4 tbsp peanut butter
1 large banana, sliced
10 dried figs, sliced
Cinnamon

1. Lay the tortillas on the counter and spread a couple tablespoons of peanut butter on each.  Top with half a banana and five figs per tortilla.  Sprinkle with a little cinnamon.

2. Carefully roll up each tortilla and wrap in plastic wrap.

Feel free to use whatever dried or fresh fruit you like.  I happen to have a thing for dried figs (I feel like I'm eating Fig Newtons...YUM!) but if you like cranberries, raisins, apricots, pineapple, whatever, go ahead and use those instead.  Not a fan of bananas?  No problem!  Try a different fresh fruit instead.  That's what I like about these kinds of recipes.  They're really not so much recipes as concepts: understand the concept and the flavor combination sky is the limit.  So try it out and let me know what you think. :)