Herbed Pork with Dried Fruit

This dish was born out of a stuffed tenderloin recipe that I came across last year, and I like it for several reasons. First, I generally have most of the ingredients on hand. Dried fruits are always in my cupboard, and I like to keep at least one or two fresh herbs in the fridge at all times. If I don't have boneless pork chops in the freezer, they are easily attainable. Second, with only a few ingredients, this is easily a weeknight meal. Better yet, it is a weeknight meal that uses mainly "whole" ingredients. Third, the petite little rolls allow for a beautiful presentation and just the right portion for those of us who are trying to think of our meat as more of a luxury than a staple. Try it the next time you are craving something a little bit sweet for dinner, or when you have last minute guests to impress!

Herbed Pork with Dried Fruit

4 boneless top loin pork chops
10 dates, pitted and chopped
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, sage, and tarragon all work well
2 T olive oil
Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dates, raisins, and cranberries in a small bowl and set aside. Place the pork chops between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound until 1/2 inch or less in thickness (You can use a meat mallet to do this or, in the absence of one, the bottom of a heavy pan). Spoon the fruit mixture onto the middle of each chop, arranging it across the width of the chop, and including enough that the ends of the chop just touch when rolled. Roll up the pork and tie off in two places with cooking twine. Mix the herbs and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil together in the small bowl, then cover the outside of each pork roll completely with the mixture. Salt each roll with kosher salt.
Heat the rest of the olive oil in an oven-proof skillet on medium high. Place the rolls in the pan and brown, turning frequently to cover all sides. Once the meat is browned, place the skillet in the oven to cook the meat until done (The best way to check for doneness is with a meat thermometer, but make sure you keep it in the meat, not the filling!). A small roll will need only 12-15 minutes to cook through, while a larger roll may need up to 3o minutes.

Oatmeal with Dried Fruit

Lately, every weekend I spend in Chicago invariably culminates with brunch at Milk & Honey Cafe. And inevitably, someone always orders the delicious Warm Oatmeal with Dried Cherries, Toasted Walnuts and Brown Sugar. I don't know Milk & Honey's secret, but this morning I decided to make a breakfast inspired by the cafe's popular dish. I used Irish-made John McCann's Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal, which comes in a great throw-back can. The brand is a bit expensive, but if you don't mind sacrificing the cool can, there are other more affordable options out there. I have to say that just opening the can hightened my anticipation! The oats have a great sweet-grain smell that far surpasses anything out of an instant package. I prepared them according to the instructions on the can:

Sprinkle one cup oatmeal into four cups briskly boiling water, stirring well. When the porridge is smooth and beginning to thicken (about 7 or 8 minutes), reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes (actually, more like 20-25 minutes, in my experience), stirring occasionally.

You could really stop there - it is delicious as is. But, of course, I had to follow Milk & Honey's lead and embellish it.

I added an almost imperceptible amount of brown sugar, a few taps of nutmeg, a handful of dried cranberries, a handful of golden raisins, and half of a handful of walnut quarters.

Yum! It was such a filling and satisfying winter meal. You could use any dried fruits that you have on hand, and omit the nuts if desired, since the steel cut oats are already "nutty" tasting. The walnuts do add to the flavor if you have them, though, and I would recommend always including the golden raisins. The combination of golden raisins and nutmeg is pure harmony. Also, the sugar could be adjusted or replaced with honey, but I don't think you need much (or possibly even any), since the fruit adds sweetness.