Bacon-Wrapped Stuff Pork Tenderloin

Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin stuffed with apples, onions and herbs. Fancy enough for a dinner party and easy to make !!

Everything is better with bacon, right? Instead of tying the stuffed tenderloin together with twine, just wrap it in bacon instead.

Butterfly the pork loin might sound tricky, but in fact just means cutting it down the length partway through. Just careful not to cut all the way through!

Open the butterflied pork loin like a book and then pound it with a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin until slightly flattened. This makes it easier to wrap the tenderloin around the stuffing and hold it closed while you wrap it with bacon.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 small apple, peeled and cut into small dice
• ¼ medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 thick slice bread
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp salt, or more to taste
• ¼ tsp pepper, or more to taste
• 1 pork tenderloin, about 450g to 600g
• 8 to 10 strips of bacon

Method:

Heat the oven to 230ºC/210ºC for fan assist oven.

Making the stuffing: In a skillet over a medium heat, heat the oil. Add apple, onion, rosemary and thyme, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until softened. 

Meanwhile, pulse the bread slices in a food processor until you have make a coarse crumbs. You should have about ½ cup of breadcrumbs

Remove the pan with the onions and apples from the heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs, mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool briefly.

Butterfly the tenderloin, cut a deep lengthwise  silt down the centre of the tenderloin, stopping about ½  inch from the bottom of the roast. Open it up like a book. Cover with piece of plastic wrap, and with a mallet or rolling pin, gently pound it until it is an even thickness.

Spread the stuffing in  a line along the centre of the meat. Bring the edges of the meat together to return it to its original shape. Secure with toothpicks.

Lay out the bacon slices on a cutting board, overlapping them slightly. Place the tenderloin on top with the toothpicks facing up. Removing the toothpicks as you work, wrap the bacon slices around the pork to form a log. Place the tenderloin, bacon seam side down, on a baking sheet.

Roast the tenderloin for 25-30 minutes and the bacon is brown and crisp. If the roasts is ready before bacon browns, place the tenderloin under the grill for 3-5 minutes to brown the bacon.

Let the tenderloin rest for 10 minutes before cutting into slices. Serve with pan juices spooned over top if desired.

Chocolate Flower Cake

I love chocolate flower trend. Fondant flowers are fun, Buttercream flowers are classic. But chocolate flowers feel like a newer, fresher spin on floral desserts !! Chocolate flowers can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be. I think I first saw them on a blog designed by Erin Gardner. 

The flowers are SO easy! You  will need melted candy coating, a small icing spatula or a clean paint brush and parchment paper to draw triangles in various sizes.

Found the template idea from Erin Gardner. Step by step photo is also courtesy from Erin Gardner. She uses 3 sets of petals fr 8 inch round cake, approximately 2,3, and 4 inches long. For 6 inch round cake she uses 2 sets of petals,size 2 and 3. I have bake an 8 inch and 6 inch round cakes and follows her method  and the cake looks amazing.

Melt candy melts in a small heatproof bowl

Use a small icing spatula or paint brush to spread melted chocolate onto the petal template. Work from the tip to the base of the triangle. Don't worry about getting the petals perfect. This will give you more of  a petaly look.

While the petal is still wet, place it into a bowl to give it shape. Use tape to hold the petal into place while it dries. Repeat with the rest of your petals. It's a good idea to make extra petals in case breakage.while assembling the flower.

Once petals are completely set, peel away the parchment paper. Place the largest petals in a circle on the top of a buttercream iced cake.

Fill a piping bag with a small amount of buttercream. Use the buttercream to attach a second layer of smaller petals on top of the first layer. Repeat with more layer of petals as desired.

Finally, after all the petals are arranges around the cake, finish them off with a bit of frosting and a pretty candy or sugar pearl in the center.

Vegan Nut Roast

A nut roast or roasted nut loaf is a rich and savoury vegetarian/vegan dish consisting of nuts and grains and seasonings formed into a firm loaf shape. Often eaten as alternative to British style roast dinner. This vegan nut roast , which is great served hot for Christmas dinner, or cold for your festive buffet table.

Ingredients:

• 300g mixed nuts, eg: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans or Brazil nuts
• 1 vegan vegetable stock cube
• 2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for greasing
• 1 onions, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced, about 100g
• 2 carrots, coarsely grated, about 150g
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 tbsp cashew butter**
• 180g cooked chestnut, broken into small pieces
• 75g dried cranberries
• 20g fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, finely grated zest only
• 4 tbsp soya or almond milk
• 1 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Put the nuts and stock cube into a food processor and blitz until chopped into small pieces but not fully ground. If you don't have a food processor, chop all the nuts as finely as you can.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC for fan oven. Lightly oil and line the base of a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking paper.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the onion, celery, leek and carrots for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds more.

Tip into the mixing bowl and stir in the cashew nut butter**. Add the chopped nuts, chestnuts, cranberries, parsley, lemon zest, soya or almond milk and salt. Season with lots of ground black pepper and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Press down with a spoon firmly to compact the mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for further 20 minutes, or until the loaf is hot throughout and lightly browned.

Remove the tin carefully from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before loosening the edges of the loaf with a table knife and turning out onto a board or platter. Cut into thick slices and serve hot with vegan gravy.

**To make the cashew butter: 240g roasted lightly salted cashews and ½ tsp salt or to taste.

Add the cashews to a blender and blend low for 8-10 minutes or until creamy, scrapping down the sides with spatula as necessary. Add salt, and blend for another 20-30 seconds. Transfer to a jar or airtight container, and store in the fridge.

Moist Banana Cake aka Banana Bread

I always have one or two bananas in a bunch that get too ripe for my liking, so I leave them in anticipation of them getting really speckled. Moist Banana Cake aka Banana Bread should be made with overripe bananas, going black on the outside and soft inside. The more spotty bananas you have, the sweeter it is. 

Transform those overripe bananas into this great loaf cake. This homely and wholesome cake is also light and moist, with the natural sweetness of sticky bananas, the warm toastiness of nuts and tangy-sweet raisins.

Ingredients:

•  3 very ripe bananas
• 115g butter, softened at room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1½ cups plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp banana essence, optional
• 1 cup walnuts
• ½ cup raisins

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven. Grease a 2lb bread loaf and line the base with a baking paper. 

Lightly roasted walnuts on a pan, stirring continuously so that the walnuts is not burn. Coarsely chop and cool to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until lightly and fluffy.

Mash bananas with fork until the consistency of the chunky applesauce and add them to the batter along with 2 eggs. Mix until blended. Add the vanilla extract and the banana essence. Blend to mix.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients, nuts and raisin to the wet ingredients.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let the banana cake rest for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Easy Vegan Mayonnaise

Yes, only 6 ingredients! and ready in 2 minutes, is seriously the best mayo I have ever had-vegan or not-because it's made fresh! Once you have had vegan mayo made from scratch, you will  never want to buy store bought again. It's tasting healthy, thick, luscious  and SO easy to make. I hope you are going to LOVE this plant-based, eggless mayo too!

Ingredients:

• 1 box organic tofu, silken or soft
• 126ml sunflower/vegetable oil
• 1½ tbsp lemon juice
• 1½ tsp apple cider vinegar
• ¾ tsp salt, or more to taste
• ¼ tsp dijon mustard

Method:

Place all the ingredients into a jug  and using the immersion blender, blend for 1-2 minutes until creamy and smooth. Taste for flavour.

You also can use the regular blender. Store the vegan mayo in an airtight container/bottle for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. 

Vegan Ginger Cake With A Sticky Treacle Glaze

Vegan Ginger Cake...... moist,sticky and spicy loaf cake that is egg and dairy free. Perfect as dessert or paired with a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon. This is really easy recipe. The glaze is what makes this cake really sticky and indulgent. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 175g plain flour
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 120ml unsweetened soy milk, or other plant milk
• 75g black treacle
• 75g golden syrup
• 80g dairy free butter
• 2 tbsp flax seeds*
• pinch of salt

For the glaze:

• 30g dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup

Method:

Preheat oven to 180º/160ºC for fan oven assist. Line a loaf tin with baking proof paper.

Mix bicarbonate of soda with the plant milk and set aside.

Add the flax seeds with 5 tablespoons of cold water in a bowl and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes*

Sift the flour, spices and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Separately, heat the treacle, syrup, butter and brown sugar with 2 tbsp water in a pan over a low heat until melted, don't let it boil!, then remove from the heat.

Using a whisk, mix the syrup mixture into the flour until smooth. 

Add the flax seeds mixture and the bicarbonate/milk solution and mix well. The batter will be fairly runny.

Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake for approximately 1 to 1½ hours until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover  the top with foil if it starts to get too dark.

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by heating the syrup and sugar over a low heat until combined.

Prick the top of the cake with a skewer, and then brush with the glaze to allow it to sink into the cake.

Leave for a further 10 minutes until the cake is cooled, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Notes:

* flax seed serve as substitute for eggs in vegan baking. Adding water to the flax seeds will result in a thick consistency that bind your bakes together. Flax seeds come from flax plant and you should buy ground flax seeds and keep them in the fridge.