Stuffed Pork Loin

Moist and tender with a flavorful kale and chard filling.

Pork loin is on sale again.  I love its versatility to become a fancy roast for dinner guests or to be sliced for stir-fry,  In an effort to keep my men fed and healthy, I buy this meat in bulk and freeze it in portions.  That way, any time of the year, we have inexpensive lean meat ready to go.

The Farmer's Market is featuring gorgeous kale and chards these days and they inspired the foundation for our filling.  Thinly sliced left-over pork roast with stuffing makes a tasty sandwich the next day too.

Serves: 6-8
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  35-45 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 145 degrees

2 pounds boneless pork loin, trimmed of excess fat, butterflied
Herbs de Provence
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Kitchen String

Filling:
2 cups chards leaves, chopped
2 cups kale leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a pan and saute kale and chard leaves until tender.  Add
pine nuts and goat cheese.  Stir until cheese is softened.

Remove most of the fat from the roast.  Butterfly the meat - cut it in half lengthwise
but not all the way through.  Then cut each half lengthwise again
and not all the way through.  

Pound it to even the thickness out.  I have a heavy metal spoon that does the job,
but any similar tool will do.

Season the meat with Herbs de Provence, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Spread the filling over the meat.  Carefully roll the meat around the seasoning,
tucking the filling in as you go.

Tie with string.  I start at one end, tie a knot, then move down the roast.
Tie at 2-inch intervals.

Place the stuffed roast seam-side down in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with more
 seasoning and put it into the oven.

Cook at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a meat thermometer
 indicates 145 degrees. Pull out of the oven and tent the meat with foil for
 at least 15 minutes and until ready to serve.

Use a very sharp, non-serrated, knife to slice and serve.  Drizzle with pan juices if desired.

This meal included roasted new potatoes, green salad with avocado, and steamed cauliflower.

Two slices of pork roast (between 3 and 4 ounces of meat and including all the filling) provides about 410 calories, over half your daily requirement for thiamine, selenium, and protein, and because it is stuffed with all the superfood dark leafy greens, has a generous compliment of vitamins (such as A, C, E, and other Bs) and minerals that you don't get with just a piece of meat by itself.

- Kim Fielding

Pasta with Kale and Walnuts



Whole grain pasta, kale, walnuts, a glistening of olive oil
and an optional sprinkle of finely grated Parmesan cheese.


When you cook a huge bunch of kale in season, there are usually leftovers.  Son #2 is a nut for kale and his tortoise "Zub" loves the raw trimmings.  Lucky for her (Zub), son #2 has planted three different kinds of kale in the raised organic planter beds he built in our backyard.  (You have got to check these out.  I will post pictures later).  As a project for his future career, he loves to experiment in our backyard and has planted lots of other good things that we will discuss in their season.

For today's recipe we are using left-over sauteed kale.   I think this is a sexy veggie.  It boosts everything....  well, you just feel good after eating it for a while.

serves:  6                    prep time:  20 minutes

6 ounces dried whole wheat linguine, cooked and drained
1 cup packed left-over sauteed kale (see previous blog entry)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

While the pasta is cooking, chop the cooked kale into small pieces.  Likewise chop the walnuts into uniform chunks big enough to be picked up by a fork. 

Dump the cooked and drained pasta into a large bowl and add the kale and walnuts.  Drizzle with olive oil until moist and season to taste with salt and pepper.   Serve with optional Parmesan cheese.

As a side dish, it offers over 2 g fiber and protein, and of course it is high in essential vitamins and minerals.  I like this dish for its tasty heartiness and coming in around 100 calories per serving.

-  Kim Fielding

Sauteed Kale

Sauteed Lacinto kale

A large wooden display case was mounded high with dark leafy greens at Whole Foods this week.  For three dollars, one could buy two enormous bunches of collards, chards, and kale.  As a regular platelet donor, I can always count on my hemoglobin count to be high when I add any of these into my diet prior to giving.

Three different varieties of kale drew my attention this time.  We are partial to Lacinto (dino) kale, but they are all tasty.  Easy to prepare with a little olive oil and garlic, I like to use them as a bed for roasted fish or as a side dish with nuts added for meats.

serves:  6                    prep time:  15 minutes

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch kale, washed, stems trimmed off, and chopped

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic.  Cook for about 30 seconds, then add the chopped kale.  Using tongs, saute the kale turning often until it is tender and slightly limp.  Serve warm.

Kale is a form of cabbage in the Brassica family and is a super food.  Loaded with vitamins A and C, one serving has approximately 75 calories (fitday.com).  Brassica vegetables are known for containing sulforaphane, a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.  It is also a source of indole-3-carbinol which seems to block the growth of cancer cells as well as assist with DNA repair in cells. 

- Kim Fielding