Kate's Cuisine

1 pork tenderloin $4.51
3 Italian sausages, removed from casing and crumbled $2.01
2 large carrots, peeled and diced $0.34
2 stalks celery, diced $0.22
1 onion, diced $0.47
1/2 pound baby spinach, $2.99
1 cup pine nuts $2.75
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated $2.25
Fronds from anise fennel $1.99
4 fresh sprigs of thyme, stripped of leaves $1.25
4 fresh sprigs of savoury, stripped of leaves $0.75
2 tablespoons multigrain mustard $0.27
Salt and pepper $0.02
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided $0.72

Total Cost   $20.54

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) In a skillet over medium heat, saute: sausages, carrots, celery, onion, spinach, pine nuts, Parmesan, fennel fronds, thyme, savoury, salt and pepper. Saute until meat is fully browned and onions are soft.

3.) Meanwhile, butterfly pork tenderloin. To do this, cut a slit in the side of the pork and then gently open it up so that it lies as flat as possible. Place into a resealable plastic bag. With a meat mallet or rolling pin, gently pound the tenderloin until it’s about 1/2″ thick and even throughout. Then remove the pork from the bag and lay it out flat. Spread a thin layer of multi-grain mustard across the entire surface of the pork.

4.) When sausage/spinach mixture is finished cooking, spoon it onto the pork tenderloin and spread it out evenly onto the pork.

5.) After mixture is fully on the pork, start rolling the pork. Do this by taking one of the smaller ends (either the top or the bottom) and roll the pork up, rolling it into itself as much as possible, and as tightly as possible, as you go. Tuck any ends into the pork as well as you go, if there are any. Once the entire pork is rolled, you can then tie it with twine. If you don’t have twine, simply placing toothpicks along the side should be enough to hold the pork together.

6.) Once the pork is rolled, brush with one to two tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 45 – 55 minutes, until juices run clear.

7.) After removing the pork from the oven, tent it with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes. After the pork has rested, slice into 1″ – 1.5″ slices.

8.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

This dish does take a bit of time. With cooking time, it will probably take you about an hour and a half to two hours. That is a lot of time to spend cooking dinner when we’re all so busy these days. But if you ever have the time on a weekend or something, you should try making a stuffed pork tenderloin. I threw spinach and sausage into mine because that’s what I had but I’ve had pork tenderloin that’s been stuffed with just about everything (excluding shellfish, of course) and it’s always awesome! Much, much easier to work with if you have kitchen twine, which I didn’t, but toothpicks work just fine. Just remember to take them out before you serve it!

3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound each) $1.50
3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese $0.75
1 Fuji apple, diced with skin on $1.00
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives $0.99
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish   $1.87
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt $0.01
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided   $0.06
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional) $0.99

Total Cost   $7.17

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap one sweet potato in parchment paper, and then in foil. Pierce with fork several times. Bake until tender, about one hour. After sweet potato is removed from the oven, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and allow sweet potato to cool. Then, prepare a casserole dish by placing one teaspoon of olive oil into it and rubbing it all around so cannellonis don’t stick when placed in it.

2.) Meanwhile, peel remaining sweet potatoes. Using a mandoline or a chef’s knife, cut potatoes lengthwise into very thin slices until you have about 30. Trim to make rectangles.

3.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half of the sweet potato slices and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove slices and lay on baking sheet to cool slightly. Repeat with remaining slices.

4.) Remove peel from baked sweet potato and puree the flesh in a food processor. Add cottage cheese and then puree until smooth.

5.) Transfer potato-cheese mixture to a large bowl. Stir in apple, chives, Parmesan, salt and pepper.

6.) Place one heaping teaspoon of the potato-cheese mixture in the centre of one of the sweet potato slices. Roll up the sweet potato and place in the prepared casserole dish seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining cannelloni. At this point, you can then cover the cannelloni if you wish, and place in refrigerator overnight. Before baking, remove from fridge and bring up to room temperature.

7.) Brush one teaspoon olive oil over cannelloni. Bake until heated through, about ten to fifteen minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with walnuts and two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese.

8.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

I served these at Thanksgiving Dinner this year, which also happened to be my daughter’s third birthday party. I chose them because I wanted to do something with sweet potatoes that wasn’t just mashing them (because we were having mashed potatoes) and that was baking them (did that last year.) I went to Martha because, when it’s for Thanksgiving you need the best and when you need the best, the best is Martha. I found these on her site and thought they looked so pretty and interesting, they’d be my sweet potato dish that year. And they were. But, these cute little cannellonis come with some warnings.

Firstly, they are HARD. It’s not just a matter of easily rolling up the sweet potato around the delicious filling and popping them in the oven. You need to start by making sure that the sweet potato slices are very, very thin. I didn’t have a mandolin when I did them and if I ever do them again (which I’m not sure I will), I will buy a mandolin and I suggest you do the same. They’re fabulous and if you really love cooking, you’ll use them all the time (so I hear.) Using a knife worked fine, but it definitely wasn’t as easy as it could be.

Then when you’re boiling the slices, don’t overcook them. I actually ended up doing two different batches of slices because I actually cooked the first slices I put in the water. Don’t cook them, just blanch them. Drop them in for a minute – I don’t even suggest two – and then take them out. Remember that they’ll cook slightly while they’re still piping hot and cooling on the baking sheet. They will be as soft as you need them to be, I promise.

Also, don’t forget to trim them into rectangle shapes. I forgot to do that part and I’m sure that yours will be much easier to roll, and much prettier if you do. These definitely aren’t the easiest dish to do. But at least you can sweat away at it the night before and then just pop them in the fridge. They’re beautiful and really, truly delicious! The apple was a nice surprise, even though I didn’t think I’d like it in there. And I wish, oh I wish, I had used the walnuts! They’d be genius on there. Boo for me, for not being able to find them anywhere!

It’s something so simple that many of us use on on a daily basis. While it serves such a practical purpose, olive oil also adds tremendous flavour to anything it touches, and the quality and the type you use will greatly determine how your finished dish tastes at the end. I’ve often wondered what the difference is in olive oils, always choosing extra-virgin just because I know it’s “the best.” But why, and will it really make a big difference when you’re cooking with it?

An olive oil can be called “virgin” if there were only mechanical measures taken to extract the oil from the olive. Olive oil is produced by crushing the oil out of the olive. The crushing or the pressing is what’s considered to be the mechanical measure so if that’s all that’s involved, an olive oil can rightfully be called “virgin.” If any heat has been applied to the olives, or radiation, or solvents, then it cannot be called virgin olive oil. It is still however, olive oil. So if you see a label that just says, “Olive Oil” some other measure than just pressing it or crushing it has been used.

There are a few additional requirements, in addition to only mechanical measures being used, that an olive oil must meet to be deemed “extra” virgin olive oil. The main one is that the oil can have no more than 1% oleic acid, which is the major fatty acid in olive oil. Because there’s less of this fatty acid, extra virgin olive oil is much lighter than other olive oils, which makes it perfect for things like salad dressing. Other qualities of the olive oil will be analyzed to see if the olive oil can be called “extra virgin.” Some of these are colour, aroma, and of course, flavour.

There are other olive oils that are called “light” or “mild.” These oils are not virgin, and so some other element besides just the pressing came into play to extract the oil from the olives. Aside from that, the regular olive oil that’s used is of lesser quality and has often been refined several times. While you’ll still receive some of the flavour that you’d expect from olive oil, you’ll also find that it has a much milder taste and the colour is also much lighter. However, because it still has much of the fatty acid, this oil will taste and feel much heavier.

So there are actually differences in the different types of olive oil and the type you choose might depend on what you’re going to cook with it, or what your own personal preference is. I generally try to buy extra-virgin olive oil but it is of course, the priciest of the olive oils and so other times I’ll choose another type. I do find that the taste varies greatly between different manufacturers though so, check some out from a few different brands to see which one you like the best.

This week in MasterChef was a very sad one for me. All of them end up being sad, really. I’m at a point now in the competition where I truly like everyone, and I think all of them are very, very talented chefs. Except for Lee. He’s a pooper in my opinion.

The episode started of course, with the Mystery Box. Underneath was a venison tenderloin and a bunch of other ingredients, including red wine (“of course” said Gordo, so I think we’re supposed to get from that that you’re supposed to drink red wine with venison.) As the cooks went to work, you could see that some were having problems. Mike ran all over the place (again) and the judges were confused as to why Whitney was smothering her beautiful protein with thick gravy. In the end, it turns out, Gordo loved the gravy, even though he didn’t think he would. The winner of course, was allowed to choose the main ingredient for the next challenge, and that privilege went to Sheetal, who won her first individual challenge. Yay for Sheetal! There’s something so sweet about that girl that I just love.

Taken back into the pantry where the potential main ingredients were waiting, Sheetal is told by Gordo that the theme for that challenge is desserts. He then unveils “the most amazing selection of honey”, and “the most amazing selection of berries” and “the most amazing selection of vanilla.” Good thing that Gordo decided to go with cooking as a career and not writing or editing – that was a lot of “amazing” stuff. Sheetal chose vanilla and quickly admitted that Whitney was her biggest competition because she’s the “dessert queen.”

Gordo goes back to the rest of the chefs and tells them that Sheetal chose vanilla. And that, of course, the cook with the worst dish is going to be eliminated. Again, there were problems. Mike once again ran around not really looking like he knew what he was doing, and Sheetal’s dish unfortunately was not even ready when it was time to present it to the judges. But when it came down to it, Mike’s running around did him no good. His dish looked bad, it apparently tasted bad, and it got him sent home. That really is too bad. I loved, loved, loved Mike and for the first couple of weeks thought that he might be the one to take it. I guess that just proves that you have to do more than just move like a chef – which is what Gordo said about him at his audition. So, Mike with the hat has gone and it’s time to move on.

With only the final five left, Gordo then tells them about their next challenge. They’ll go out on a boat, catch a fish, and then cook it. But of course, that’s not all. They’ll each present their dish to three of the biggest food critics in the country. The critics will score them on their dishes and the two with the lowest scores will face off head to head in the Pressure Cooker. The chefs go hard at work preparing their fish, each with a very different take on it. Then they one by one present their dish to the critics who taste it, talk about it, and eventually score it. At the end of the challenge, Dave Miller is as surprised as anyone that he won the competition. Unfortunately, the two with the lowest scores were also two major favourites – Whitney and Sharone. Really, any way this ends now is going to be bad for me. Those are my two personal favourite cooks that are left and I’ll be sad to see either of them.

Gordo tells them once they’re back in the MasterChef kitchen that they’ll be making chocolate souffle. They have 90 minutes and can make as many as they’d like but can only present the judges with one. Jarone works for the whole 90 minutes, making many different souffles. Whitney however, only makes one and hopes for the best. And apparently, that’s all she needed to do. After tasting both, the judges tell Sharone that the only thing his dish missed was three more minutes in the oven. It was a bit undercooked and Whitney’s was absolutely perfect, so she gets to stay. Yay for Whitney, not so good for Sharone.

The judges did give Sharone a very nice good-bye speech, and Joe even told Sharone that he’ll always have a job at Joe’s restaurant, should he want it. Which is very nice, especially from a judge who I’ve sort of thought was a turd all season. So, sad to see Sharone go but I think I’m rooting for either Whitney or Dave at this point. I’m amazed that I like Dave at all, he was so cocky and irritating during his audition I was pretty sure I’d be praying for him to leave every week. But he’s turned into a real talent and I’ve grown to really like him. And Whitney – what can you say about sweet southern belle Whitney? She’s cute, she’s sweet, and she can cook like the devil! Really though, as long as obnoxious and arrogant Lee doesn’t win, I’ll be happy.

Wednesday’s episode of MasterChef held some predictable eliminations and one that left me wondering if ol’ Gordo was all there or if maybe he had had a pint or two before filming the show. It started with Gordon officially announcing that this was a new game. It was no longer about home cooks. It was about people who had the passion, the drive, the talent, and the skill to become MasterChef, and that they all needed to step up their game. Some did, while others buried theirs.

Lee came out to be the shining light in the entire thing and to be honest, I don’t think anyone noticed Lee before. In the first challenge they had to prepare a wonderful dish using one live crab. Lee made something that blew the judges away although I can’t honestly remember what that was. I do remember however, all the judges telling the other cooks to come up and taste it because that’s exactly what they’re looking for. They all scurry over, eager to please the judges by acting civil but Sharome hangs back and refuses to eat Lee’s food. And the pissing contest has begun. Less was then allowed to pick, among a selection, the next ingredient that the cooks would have to prepare. The theme was romance and Lee chose passion fruit. Not something I would have chosen, but Lee was enjoying his time and so be it.

The best two quotes of the season, I think, came from this episode and specifically, this first hour of it. The first was when Sharome was preparing his gourmet vacuumed-then-boiled-meat dish when he was having trouble with the vacuum machine. Gordon came up and asked him what the problem was and Sharome replied, “I’m trying to make this dish but this damned machine is more complicated than any woman I’ve ever met.” HA! I’m growing to like Sharome more and more.

The second quote came from Jake. After presenting the judges with his dish that he said “oozed romance” and “was incredibly sexy”, the judges tore him apart and told him that he had missed the point. On side camera, Jake says, “I don’t know, I thought the dish was very good and very romantic. Maybe Gordon likes it rough.” Again, HA! Also loving Jake.

At the end of the challenge, it’s Slim who eventually gets tossed out for preparing what looked like something you’d serve at a 6-year-olds birthday party. Not only does she get slaughtered for how she prepared the dish, what she made, and how she presented the dish, Judge Baldy also threw her entire dish in the garbage and told her that he wasn’t “eating that crap.” It’s becoming clear that she’s about to go home and the judges give her one last lifeline by asking her if she would do anything different with the dish. She replies that she would add less ginger to the sauce but no, basically she’d keep it exactly the same. Crikey! If you weren’t going home before…..yep, Slim got the boot. On to the second hour.

The second hour actually seemed to have less challenges but more eliminations. The big challenge started with the group being divided into two teams, and Lee getting to choose his team – because he’s still on his mighty Lee reign. He doesn’t pick Sharome because the pissing contest is ongoing and that’s when things get political between the two. The teams are picked and they’re all told that they will be cooking for a wedding tonight. They’re each cooking for certain guests and whoever wins won’t face the pressure cooker. Lee automatically puts Tracy, who’s unfortunately on his team, on salad because Tracy is weak (let’s face it, we all know it), and salad seems like a pretty easy deal. Nope, she screwed that up too and had a complete breakdown. Moving on.

During the wedding challenge, each team did pretty well. They each had their mishaps and screw-ups but ultimately, the blue team lose simply because they had a harder time with appetizers than the red team did. This knocks Lee down a peg but he still seems to think that the judges are going to love whatever he puts on a plate – even if it’s garbage. The rest of Lee’s team – Tracy, Jake and Mike to face the Pressure Cooker along with Lee.

The Pressure Cooker this week is preparing one pasta dish: one fresh pasta of their choice; and one fresh sauce of their choice. They have to make it all from scratch, and they have an hour. Again, scurrying and panicking and in the end, the judges taste all of the dishes. They know that two people are going home, so everyone’s got a 50/50 chance of leaving. First to be knocked off, Tracy. Like I said, we all knew it and she’s shown weakness over the last few challenges. Not a shocker. Then Mike is sent to safety (thankfully, I really like him too) and two surprising contestants stand before the judges – Lee and Jake – probably two of the strongest, I would think. The judges think the same, and say that they are very disappointed to see both of them there.

In the end, Jake’s dish just wasn’t good enough and I don’t think the judges were impressed with the attitude that he showed during the Pressure Cooker. They did tell him though, to stay away from construction and to always keep cooking, and I agree. I love Jake, and I’m sorry to see him go. He does have amazing talent and I truly hope that he pursues it and who knows, maybe we’ll see him on the Food Network someday.

The judges are quite done yet though. With Lee standing before them, they tear him apart for being cocky enough to think that he can put raw garlic in something and still expect them to qualify it as being good. He gets the lashing that he needs and I think we’ll see a much humbler Lee next week. And now that Jake’s gone, I’m rooting for Sharome. I do like Lee’s food usually but since Lee and Sharome have decided to be archenemies, I suppose I must take sides. I really like Whitney but I think ultimately her age will get her, and Mike is showing tons of potential too, although he’s shown issues during the last few challenges as well. And, Dave. I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I’m actually really starting to like Dave. He does show crazy passion and if he keeps it real, he’s a very likable guy. Who knows? Maybe the guy who tried to make bouillabaisse in an hour really will take it all.