Pork, Peas & Quinoa

Last night I decided that the pork roast was defrosted enough to make Islander Pork.  J helped out by nuking the frozen peas and making up the Quinoa.

My oven is a nightmare.  I'm not sure who designed the oven and decided to put the broiler in the bottom drawer but they should be taken out back and flogged.  Can you imagine trying to squat down and cook?  I had the oven replaced after J got back from Iraq because the old oven, though I loved it's broiler which was where it should be in the top, had a malfunction in the stove top.  I had no choice of replacement stoves since I'm renting.  Equity gave me a used stove/oven they had on hand in the shop.  Now I no longer make my stuffed mushroom caps that I loved to eat.  It's just too hard on me to use the broiler.

Islander Pork in a crockpot/slow cooker

1 3-pound boneless pork loin-end or sirloin roast, rolled and tied  (be careful I set the cotton twine on fire in the broiler)
5 to 6 whole cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 c. catsup
2 TBSP orange juice
2 TBSP honey
1 TBSP soy sauce
2 tsp lemon juice

Place roast on rack and broil 15-30 minutes or until brown.  Stud meat with cloves.  Place roast in crock pot or slow cooker.  Sprinkle with nutmeg and paprika.  Stir together catsup, orange juice, honey, soy sauce, and lemon juice.  Pour over roast.  Cover and cook on low 10-12 hours or on high 4 to 6 hours.  Remove meat from crock pot.  Juices may be thickened with 1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch or arrowroot and 2 TBSP water.  Cook on high until thickened.

J has never had my Islander Pork before and couldn't wait to get into it the aroma was filling the house!  He went back for seconds on everything.  Mind you he is a picky eater.


Sorry I didn't take a picture of the roast.  No I still haven't made up the pumpkin pie.  I'll get to it soon enough.  Not like the pumpkin will rot tomorrow if I don't do it.

No the recipe didn't come from the book below but I'd like to check out this book soon to see what it has to offer.

Celtic Soda Bread

I made bread last night.  I found a new recipe in a newsletters and I adapted it to fit my needs thus making a whole new recipe of my own.

The photo is the bread I made.  J just loves it.  Its great toasted with butter.

Now for the recipe.  I call it Celtic Soda Bread.

Celtic Soda Bread

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease and flour a loaf pan.



In a large bowl combine the following dry ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup craisins (dried cranberries)

Mix well until the raisins and craisins are coated and separated as we'd rather there not be too many lumps of fruit together, however it does happen occasionally. 

In a separate bowl mix together with a wire whisk the following wet ingredients:
1 egg
2 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of buttermilk   ***(buttermilk can be made using 1 1/2 cups regular milk plus the addition of 1 TBSP plus 2 tsp of white vinegar.  Its best to do this in a glass measuring cup and let it set a bit to curdle before adding to the other wet ingredients)

Make a well (hole) in the center of the dry ingredients in the large bowl.  Pour into the dry ingredients the wet ingredients.  Stir gently until well blended.   Pour into the greased and floured loaf pan.  Bake at 350 F for 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) until golden brown.  Immediately turn out of loaf pan onto a wire rack and let cool.

Wonderful the next day for breakfast toasted with a bit of butter or jam.