Garlic Apple Pork Roast

 

Good afternoon, everyone. I pray you are enjoying this nice crisp Fall Day. To me, Fall brings thoughts of pumpkin patches, falling leaves, and the fragrance of scented spices. Warm spicy meals and thoughts of special holidays approaching. It’s a time I like to reflect on all the many blessings of the past year.

If you have followed my blog, then you know that I love to try new recipes and absolutely love to bake. I also like to take a break from all that baking and just enjoy a nice easy, relaxing day occasionally.

Nothing helps me relax more than to find a recipe that I can put together easily and toss in the oven and have a total meal then all I must do is add a side dish. Quick, easy, minimal clean up.

Today’s recipe is exactly that. Now the original recipe uses fresh herbs, and I have subbed out dry for the mere purpose of making it even simpler. Cleaning up is quicker and I personally have a tendency to not use fresh herbs quickly enough and they then end up being wasted, and I HATE throwing money down the drain, so to speak! Believe me though, you will still get a dish that is ever so delicious when using the dry herbs.

With all that being said…This recipe is so simple, minimal time to prepare, and utterly delicious. It makes a perfect meal to serve followed by some pumpkin spice muffins and a warm cup of coffee or tea while wrapped in a cozy blanket on your front porch as you enjoy the sunset! Ok, ok, I got a little carried away there for a minute…. But …. did I mention that I love FALL!

This Garlic Apple Pork Roast is tender, juicy and I know you won’t be disappointed. Cleaning up is quick and you probably already have all the spices in your cupboard.  Oh, I also wanted to mention that if you have never tried Honey Crisp apples then you are really missing out! I had a customer suggest them to me when I was working as a cashier in a grocery store and I was “hooked “as soon as I tried my very first one.

I will be posting the recipe for the Pumpkin muffins very soon, but for now let’s get back to today’s recipe.

 

Garlic Apple Pork Roast

 

1 (3-4 lb.) boneless pork loin roast

4 cloves garlic, minced

2T olive oil

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

3 large apples, cored and sliced (such as Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp)

1 large onion sliced

½ cup apple cider, or apple juice

¼ cup chicken broth

2T brown sugar (optional, but adds a little sweetness)

Fresh Parsley, chopped for garnish, you can omit if desired

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (190 degrees C)

Prepare the pork roast: In a small bowl, mix the minced garlic, olive oil, dried rosemary and thyme, salt and pepper, to form a paste.

Rub the garlic herb paste all over the pork loin, ensuring it’s evenly coated.

In a large roasting pan, or baking dish, arrange the apple slices and onions in an even layer of the bottom

Place the seasoned pork loin on top of the apple/onion layer

Pour the apple cider-chicken broth mixture around the base of the pork roast being careful not to disturb the coating on the roast

Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top of the apple/onions if you prefer a slightly sweeter taste

Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes

After 45 minutes remove the foil and continue roasting for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) and the apples are tender and caramelized

Remove the roast from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing to lock the juices in

This was one of the best tasting roast recipes that I have tried to date.

I hope you enjoy it! Pumpkin muffin recipe coming soon!

 

Psalm 36:8

We feast on the abundant food you provide; you let us drink from the river of your goodness.

 

 

 

Gluten Free Flour Mix

 As you all know by now I have been experimenting with developing a new GF flour mix that is free of rice flours, and other flours that are in the grass family because of my personal grass and wheat allergies. Seems that all these years with having a wheat allergy, I had forgotten I am also allergic to grass...Ugh! No wonder I have still felt sick sometimes after eating, even when I watched what I ate.

First I will let you know I have been doing ALOT of praying over this issue. I have found over the years that so many of the GF flour blends on the market have just had such a bland taste, or else loaded with "fillers" as I will call them, such as coconut, nuts, chips, etc to camouflage  that missing flavor. Not to mention  that  many are made with flours such as coconut and other nut flours to which many are also allergic. Bean flours if not used correctly can, well, taste like beans! Rice....well ....It's easily available, cheap, and pretty much in everything. It's also pretty bland in taste and it still needs help from other flours and starches to make a blend,  just like all others do, as they can not stand on their own. It's also in the grass family.

I finally got sick n tired of being sick n tired. I know, I know......It's expensive to eat and bake gluten free. Trying this brand, that brand, only to be disappointed most times in the end, for which I am sorry. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel!

I have spent countless days and nights doing research on flours and formulas others have used, or tried. I have tried products that filled my stomach but did not satisfy my taste buds. I have spend hundreds, NO, thousands of $$$$$$$'s over the years on premade mixes and bags of GF  flours trying to create my own blend. Even now my pantry is filled with hundreds, and hundreds of dollars worth of gluten free flours and starches with which I have been experimenting with trying to find the perfect blend  that I can use. One that not only will give me the taste of "NORMAL" baked goods, but also be safe for my individual allergies, as well as yours.

I recently made a loaf of gluten free bread that rose well, as a matter of fact, it overflowed the pan, but that's another story in itself...My fault... It has such a bendable texture, nice air pockets, and toasts beautifully. Compared to most GF breads on the market I give it a big thumbs up! I have tried many GF breads, even reviewed a few on the blog. The bread I recently made with my blend, taste  more like that of a whole wheat bread than regular white, but that is fine by me, because I know what went into it.

Then I tried the same flour blend and made GF chocolate chip cookies with it. I have to tell you that I am so pleased with how these turned out! I took some to my neighbors and they said they were delicious, and they DO NOT even eat gluten free!

Thirdly I made chocolate cupcakes today, YES, with the same flour blend, and they rose, taste, and have crumbs just like gluten laden cupcake mixes you buy in the supermarked. Did I mention they are DELICIOUS!!!!  So I will be continuing to tweek, and try several more recipes with this blend before sharing. I may even be working on a cookbook in the near future. If this flour mix can work for breads, cookies, and cakes as well, then I have been truly blessed! It may truly be a substitute as a true 1 to 1. Oh, and did I tell you, it is 120 grams per cup, just like regular white flour......OH YEAH! 

So till next time,

Sharon

 Deuteronomy 28:12

The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand.