Seasonal Plate

A Festive Holiday Meal from the Seasonal Plate

Pork Loin Steaks with Cherry-Plum Sauce
Cook’s notes: The Cherry-Plum Sauce can be made 1- 2 days ahead. Refrigerate covered. If it’s too thick, add water, a little at a time until it reaches desired consistency. The sauce is enough for 4 loin steaks. Recipe adapted from Southern Living 2015. 

Ingredients:

• 4 Pork Loin Steaks 

Cherry-Plum Sauce

• 1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
• ½ cup shallots, diced or sweet onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (5 oz.) package dried tart cherries
• 1/2 cup plum jam
• 1 TB. dark balsamic vinegar or Black Cherry Balsamic Vinegar
• 1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 cup water mixed with 1 TB. cornstarch

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Sauté shallots or onions and garlic in hot oil in a saucepan over medium heat for  2 minutes or until softened. Stir in cherries and the next 5 ingredients. 
• Bring cherry mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until mixture has thickened slightly and cherries are plumped. Divide sauce and pour half over pork. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. To serve spoon rest of the sauce over pork. Refrigerate any leftovers. 

Wild Rice Salad with Mixed Greens,Blueberries and Clementine Segments  
Cook’s notes: This refreshing salad combines greens and grains packed with lots of nutrients. Kale can be substituted for mixed greens. As a time saver; make wild rice ahead, refrigerate until needed and toast pecans. Dressing ingredients can be easily doubled.
Plate each salad individually rather than using a salad bowl. Recipe serves four.

Salad Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked wild rice
• 1 pint blueberries
• 3 clementines, peeled segmented and halved
• 1 cup diced red onions
• ½ cup each diced sweet red and yellow mini bell peppers
• ½ cup toasted pecans
• Mixed greens

Citrus Dressing Ingredients:

• 2 TB. white balsamic vinegar or Fig Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tsp. grated orange or clementine zest
• 1/4 cup clementine, tangerine or orange juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or Blood Orange Olive Oil 
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp.thyme
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. honey

Salad Directions:

• Mix wild rice, blueberries, clementines, onions and peppers in a bowl. 
• On each serving plate place mixed greens. Top with wild rice mixture and sprinkle toasted pecans, drizzle with dressing. 

Dressing Directions:

• Mix all ingredients in a blender and drizzle over salad.

Salted Caramel Eggnog Shooters
Cook’s notes: Small dessert shooter glasses (3 inch high) are available at the Dollar Tree Store or use large shot glasses. The following recipe gives you just the right small bite with a big flavor to finish off your meal. And it solves the problem of what to do with leftover eggnog. Recipe makes six shooters.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup commercially prepared eggnog
• 2 TB. sugar
• 1-1/2 TB. cornstarch 
• 1 jar Salted Caramel Ice Cream topping ( e.g. Smuckers) 
• ¾ cup heavy cream, whipped or Reddi Whip 
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Stacy’s Salted Caramel Pita Chips 

Directions:

• Combine the eggnog, sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Place over low heat and cook until mixture thickens. Remove from heat, place in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for 45 minutes. Stir to mix. 
• Use a tiny spoon and layer twice: eggnog mixture, caramel topping and whip cream. Serve each shooter with a pita chip.