Company’s headed to my house for dinner…a sister and an assortment of sons, nieces and nephews. But I’ve no time to spare…not even a few minutes to run to the supermarket.
Today, even those who love to cook – like me – are sooo busy we worry about having guests. Will we be able to get dinner on the table in time?
I decide there’s no reason to panic.
I thawed a pork loin I took out of the freezer and have leftover ham slices to grill for a nephew who prefers it. There are apples to saute with cinnamon and rice and peas for equally quick side dishes. A cake and fresh peaches will suffice for dessert.
So I can relax a little.
Roasting a pork loin is easy….and takes little time to prepare
Find a shallow roasting pan and place the pork in the center. Coat the roast with olive oil. Tear or finely chop fresh thyme, sage and rosemary and sprinkle over the pork. Or, substitute dried herbs.
Add a quarter cup of water to pan. Roast on middle rack of oven at 400 degrees for one hour and fifteen minutes… or slightly longer for a larger roast. (Can cut the pork loin in half to reduce cooking time.) If you wish, lightly salt meat halfway through cooking.
Meantime, set the table and prepare the side dishes.
Sauteed apples are simple.
Just wash and slice the apples and layer them in a non-stick saucepan in which you’ve melted two tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon. (Add a tablespoon or two of water if needed.) Turn with a spatula as they cook. Keep warm.
Rice would be nice…even better with olives and mushrooms.
Rice with olives and mushrooms
1 cup white rice
1 clove garlic smashed, diced
1 teaspoon diced onion
2 tablespoons diced red pepper
1 tablespoon diced celery
4 to 6 mushrooms sliced
4 or 5 black olives sliced
4 green olives sliced
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric for flavor (or more according to your taste)
Add rice to a saucepan and rinse several times until water runs clear. Drain rice and move to side of saucepan. Add olive oil and saute garlic, onion, red pepper and celery. Then fold the rice into the oil with the veggies. Add the mushrooms followed by 2 cups of water and teaspoon of salt. Add the olives and turmeric and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked.
Need last minute dessert
Fresh peaches over cake
Am lucky I didn’t ice the cake I made yesterday.
And luckier still to have someone volunteer to slice it.
Mix sliced peaches (these were from a nearby produce stand) with a little sugar and a few raspberries. Pour them over the slices of cake. (You can easily substitute store-bought pound cake slices.)
All that’s needed is a dollop of whipped cream.
