Red cabbage and cranberry stuffed pork tenderloin & carrot souffle

Dinner time! Mom says this is the best Spatula Sisters main course yet. The mix of flavors in the pork really complement each other, and the carrots add an extra splash of color. It's definitely nice enough to be served for company, so add a side dish or two (potatoes? wine?) and invite a few friends over.

The original recipe for the pork came from one of those "Real Cream Real Feast" ads that the Dairy Farmers of Canada put out. We tore it out of House and Home back in October, but didn't get around to making it. The on a lazy Sunday in January, we picked up a red cabbage from the grocery store and decided to try it out!

(Of course, we had cranberries on hand... seriously - the cranberry obsession is getting a little out of hand. last cranberry entry for a while. promise.)

The recipe was a great starting point, but we ended up deviating a ton. The original recipe was for a pork loin roast, and we used pork tenderloin (a package with two). Because there's less room available to stuff a tenderloin, we modified the recipe to make the flavor pack a little more punch in a little less space.

Red Cabbage and Cranberry Stuffed Pork Loin with Cider Cream

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups finely shredded red cabbage --> make sure the pieces aren't too long

3/4 cup cranberries, chopped

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons dried thyme

Salt & pepper

3 lb pork tenderloin (package with two)

1 cup small cubes crusty whole grain bread --> shortcut: toast a piece of whole wheat bread

1/3 cup 10% half-and-half cream

1/4 cup apple cider or juice

• Preheat oven to 325 F
• In large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add cabbage, cranberries, onion, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes or until cabbage is starting to brown. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
• Place pork on cutting board and trim excess fat. Cut a slit in the pork - so it's almost cut in half (but not quite), leaving the ends intact.
• Stir bread and cream into cabbage. Press evenly into the pork, stuffing as much as you can into the opening you've cut. Use toothpicks to secure the stuffing. Place in roasting pan. Brush with some of the apple juice and season with salt & pepper.
• Roast for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, basting twice with remaining apple juice. Cook until meat thermometer registers 155 F. Tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes --> Invest in a meat thermometer! Seriously, it makes cooking meat SO much less intimidating.
• Serve with Cider Cream

Cider Cream

1 1/2 cups apple cider or juice

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup 10% half-and-half cream

Salt & pepper

• In medium saucepan, bring cider and onion to a boil over high heat. Boil for 5 - 10 minutes, or until reduced by about half. Reduce heat to medium. Whisk flour into cream. Cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt & pepper.

In the skillet

Toothpicks hold the sides up around the stuffing.

Fresh from the oven!

Ready for the waiting plates... don't forget the cream!

The accompanying carrots were a surprise hit! We had a huge bag of carrots and wanted to try something completely different. This spin on carrots is fluffy and a little sweet. The texture catches you off guard at first, but give them a shot. Let them melt in your mouth and you'll know what we mean.

Carrot Souffle (because "carrot pudding" sounds even weirder)

*Adapted from Diane Morgan's recipe on cookstr.com

5 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1/8 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons grated onion (or finely chopped)

1 cup milk

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

• Place carrots in large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Drain and allow to cool slightly. Use a food processor to purée the carrots, transferring to a small bowl. Add lemon juice.
• Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease soufflé dish with butter.
• Combine 4 tablespoons butter with sugar, flour, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat with hand mixer until smooth. Mix in onion and carrots. Mix in milk and eggs. Pour the bright orange mixture into the soufflé dish.
• Bake, uncovered, for about an hour. Carrots should be puffy and lightly browned (ours didn't really turn brown), and the center should be firm to the touch. Serve immediately.

Check out all that beta carotene!