Georgian Spicy Roast with Pomegranate Sauce

This recipe from Georgia (the country, not the state) was amazing. It comes from the same Russian cookbook I mentioned HERE. I made a few changes since not all of the ingredients are readily available in the U.S. I'll give you the recipe straight from the book with my changes noted.

Georgian Spicy Roast with Pomegranate Sauce


Spice Paste

• 3 Tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (I could not find Hungarian paprika ANYWHERE. I read you have to purchase it at a specialty store or online. I used regular paprika).
• 2 tsp hot Hungarian paprika (same problem as before. I found a smoked paprika by McCormick Gourmet and used that. I was a little worried, but ended up really liking the flavor ... even though it's not really any more spicy).
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek (another specialty or online ingredient. I omitted this, but I've read you can substitute ground mustard).
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 picnic pork shoulder, 6 lbs (I used a 3lb pork tenderloin and cut everything else in half).
• 6 large cloves garlic, slivered
• 1/2 C beef broth
• Pomegranate sauce (recipe follows)
• Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

In a small bowl, combine all the spices for the paste. By teaspoonfuls, add just enough cold water to get a medium-thick paste. 

Remove the skin (if you use a tenderloin, this is not necessary) from the roast and trim off all but a thin layer of fat (this will keep the roast moist during cooking). Make deep slits all over the pork.

Add the garlic slivers to the spice mixture and stir to coat. Insert the coated garlic slivers, as deep as possible, into the slits in the roast. With a spatula, spread the remaining mixture all over the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours (I only had time for 4 1/2 hours and it still turned out great). 

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan (if you're doing the 3 lb tenderloin, you can cook it in a 9 x 13 in. Pyrex). Add the stock to the roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes (I found that I still needed the entire 1/2 C broth even with a smaller roast). Reduce the oven temperature to 325° F and roast for another 3 1/2 hours, basting with the pan drippings. Test the roast by pricking it with a skewer. When it is cooked, the skewer should slide in easily and the juices should run clear (internal temperature should reach at least 160° F).

Remove the roast from the oven and let it stand for 15 minutes before carving. Carve the meat and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon the Pomegranate Sauce over the meat and sprinkle with cilantro.

Original recipe serves 6. My variations serve 4-5.


Pomegranate Sauce

• 3 1/2 C pomegranate juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed in a garlic press (I would honestly omit the garlic. With the garlic inside the roast, it's just too much).
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• Salt, to taste
• Pomegranate seeds

In an enameled saucepan, reduce the pomegranate juice over high heat to 1 1/2 C, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, pepper flakes, cilantro and salt and allow to cool to warm or room temperature. Before serving the sauce, add a fistful of pomegranate seeds. 

Makes about 1 1/2 C. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 677 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  454 Calories from Fat  90

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  10.0g 15%

Saturated Fat  3.3g 17%

Trans Fat  0.1g

Cholesterol  199mg 66%

Sodium  383mg 16%

Total Carbohydrates  14.6g 5%

Dietary Fiber  0.9g 3%

Sugars  11.5g

Protein  72.1g

Vitamin A 22% • Vitamin C 3% Calcium 3% • Iron 21%

Nutrition Grade A-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Very high in niacin
• High in phosphorus
• High in riboflavin
• Very high in selenium
• Very high in thiamin
• Very high in vitamin B6

Bad points

• High in cholesterol

Stuffed Cabbage (Golubtsi or Голубцы)

Daniel served his mission in Ukraine, where he had the opportunity to try many different Russian foods. This is one of his favorites ... and one we cooked for a "Russian Night" with one of Dan's old mission buddies a while back. It's a little time consuming, but super good.

If you're interested in more Russian and Eastern European cooking, check out this awesome cookbook! I bought it for Daniel and we love it. It's got myriad authentic recipes and the history to go along with it.

Stuffed Cabbage (Golubtsi or Голубцы)

Stuffing

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 oz ground beef
• 6 oz ground pork
• 1/2 C long-grain rice
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1/3 C beef broth
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Cabbage and Sauce

• 12-14 large green cabbage leaves
• Salt, to taste
• 1/4 C vegetable oil
• 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 2 C beef broth (or more if needed)
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar, firmly packed
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 C Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 C Bechamel Sauce

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until lightly colored, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the meats, onion and remaining stuffing ingredients. Knead until the mixture is thoroughly blended. Set aside. 

Scald the cabbage leaves in a pot of salted boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. 

With a sharp knife, cut out the tough center vein from each cabbage leaf. Divide the stuffing into equal portions. Place a portion on the base of each leaf, tuck in the sides and roll the leaves up, tucking in the sides firmly as you go. 

In a large heatproof casserole or Dutch oven that will accommodate all the rolls, heat the oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Spread the flour on a plate and roll the cabbage rolls in it, then place them in the casserole dish, seam side down. Brown the rolls on all sides until deeply colored, about 15 minutes. 

Heat the stock in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste, ketchup and sugar, then season with salt and pepper. Add the mixture to the casserole. The liquid should cover the rolls completely (if it doesn't, add more stock). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375° F.

Increase the heat under the casserole to high, uncover and let the liquid boil until it is somewhat reduced, about 5 minutes. Place the casserole in the oven and bake, uncovered, until the liquid reduces even further, about 15 minutes.

Spread the bechamel evenly over the rolls, sprinkle with the grated Parmesan and bake, uncovered, until the top is nicely browned, 10 minutes or longer. Serve the cabbage rolls at once.

Serves 4-6.

Bechamel Sauce

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 C milk, hot
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes

Remove the pan from the heat and add the milk in a steady stream, whisking vigorously until the mixture is thick and smooth. 

Return the pan to the heat and simmer the sauce until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. If you are not going to use it right away, keep the sauce covered with buttered waxed paper to prevent a skin from forming. 

Serves 4-6.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 366 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  427 Calories from Fat  205

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  22.8g 35%

Saturated Fat  9.4g 47%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  75mg 25%

Sodium  626mg 26%

Total Carbohydrates  30.5g 10%

Dietary Fiber  1.5g 6%

Sugars  8.5g

Protein  24.7g

Vitamin A 15% • Vitamin C 12% Calcium 17% • Iron 20%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• High in selenium

Bad points

• High in saturated fat

Steak Fajitas & Guacamole

Okay, so I love love LOVED this marinade. So delicious. The fajitas were wonderful and the guacamole was awesome with them. My husband thought the guac was a little too lime-y for regular chips-and-dip, but it sure tasted marvelous on these fajitas. HERE is where I got the recipe. Enjoy!



Steak Fajitas & Guacamole

Marinade:

• 1 orange, juiced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 3 chipotle chiles, in adobo sauce
• 3 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt

• 2 1/4 pounds skirt or flank steak, trimmed of fat cut into thirds or 8-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• Lime juice, olive oil, optional
• 12 flour tortillas, warm
• Guacamole, recipe follows
• Salsa

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and add the steak; seal and shake to coat. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours to tenderize and flavor the beef.

Preheat a ridged grill pan on high heat. (We pan-fried ours, which worked out just fine as well ... but we had a very thin cut of steak)

Drain the marinade from the beef. Lightly oil the grill or grill pan. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill the steak over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side and then transfer to a cutting board and let rest. Depending on the size of your grill pan you may need to cook in batches.

Once the beef is off the grill pan and resting, add the bell peppers and onions tossed with lime juice and olive oil, if using. Grill the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are just barely limp.

While the peppers and onions are cooking, heat up the tortillas. Turn any free burners on a medium low flame. Place a tortilla on each flame and let it char about 30 seconds to 1 minute, flip the tortilla and repeat on the second side. Once heated and charred remove the tortilla to a clean tea towel and wrap to keep warm. Repeat until you have warmed all of your tortillas.

You can also heat your tortillas in a microwave, lightly dampen a tea towel with some water, wrap the tortillas in the damp towel and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute. Check to see if they are warm, if not repeat the heating at 1 minute intervals until they are warm and pliable.

Thinly slice the steak against the grain on a diagonal.

Spread some guacamole on a tortilla, top with a few slices of steak, peppers and onions, and salsa. Roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling.

May also be served with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Guacamole:

• 5 ripe Hass avocados
• 3 to 4 limes, juiced
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 serrano chile, chopped
• 1 big handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Drizzle olive oil

Halve and pit the avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, and fold everything together.

Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving (This is an excellent tip. I had no idea you could actually keep guacamole from browning ... but this really works!!). 

Fajita Nutrition Info:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 574 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  831 Calories from Fat  335

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  37.2g 57%

Saturated Fat  11.1g 55%

Cholesterol  140mg 47%

Sodium  762mg 32%

Total Carbohydrates  45.4g 15%

Dietary Fiber  7.6g 31%

Sugars  9.1g

Protein  76.7g

Vitamin A 40% • Vitamin C 173% Calcium 14% • Iron 36%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• High in niacin
• High in selenium
• High in vitamin B6
• Very high in vitamin C
• High in zinc

Guacamole Nutrition Info:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 328 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  243 Calories from Fat  199

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  22.1g 34%

Saturated Fat  3.2g 16%

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  11mg 0%

Total Carbohydrates  13.3g 4%

Dietary Fiber  10.2g 41%

Sugars  1.2g

Protein  3.1g

Vitamin A 4% • Vitamin C 26% Calcium 2% • Iron 5%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• No cholesterol
• Very low in sodium
• Low in sugar
• High in dietary fiber
• High in vitamin C

Herb Roasted Pork Loin and Potatoes

This dinner was delicious. Dan said it was the best pork loin he'd ever had ... which I'm not sure anything I have ever made has merited that sort of compliment. I got most of the recipe from HERE, but I tweaked a few things. I was cooking a much smaller tenderloin, so I made some important adjustments.



Herb Roasted Pork Loin and Potatoes

• 6 medium red potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 6 carrots, peeled
• 1 onion, halved
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 lb boneless pork loin roast
• 1 tsp dried thyme 
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Boil the potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover them for 10 minutes. Drain, cool and place in a bowl. Toss with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp thyme and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover carrots and onion in remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil; salt and pepper to taste.

Rub pork loin roast with 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp onion powder. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sear all sides of the roast in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Place roast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan (if you're cooking a small roast like the one my recipe calls for -- < 2 lbs -- you can cook it in a 9 x 13 Pyrex [it worked for me]. Anything bigger and I can't make any promises), and cook 20 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove roast from oven and arrange the potatoes, carrots and onion around the roast; continue cooking for another 50 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 160° F.

Remove from oven, cover with foil and let sit 15 minutes before slicing. Serves four.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 678 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 693 Calories from Fat 170

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 18.8g 29%

Saturated Fat 4.3g 21%

Trans Fat 0.1g

Cholesterol 166mg 55%

Sodium 214mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 63.7g 21%

Dietary Fiber 8.8g 35%

Sugars 9.2g

Protein 66.8g

Vitamin A 306% • Vitamin C 59% Calcium 9% • Iron 33%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Low in sodium
• High in niacin
• High in phosphorus
• High in potassium
• Very high in selenium
• Very high in thiamin
• Very high in vitamin A
• High in vitamin B6

As you can see, pretty dang healthy. Once you try it, you'll also think it's pretty dang delicious. 

Suzie's Chile Verde

Another reason I love the Jorgensen Family Cookbook is because my Aunt Pam submitted many of my Aunt Suzie's recipes. When I was in high school, we lived really close to Aunt Suzie's, and so I had the privilege of trying a lot of her amazing meals. This is one of those -- and one of my favorites (I believe the stuffed bell peppers recipe was also hers).

Suzie's Chile Verde

• 2.5 lb pork shoulder roast (anywhere between two and three pounds is great)
• 15 oz can great northern beans, rinsed and drained (I like more beans in mine, so I used a 28 oz can of pinto)
• 14 oz chicken broth
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 can diced green chilies
• 1 can green Chile Verde sauce (THIS is what I use)
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 16 tortillas
• Cilantro
• Sour cream
• Cheddar cheese
• 1-2 limes

Spray large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook until browned on all sides to sear in juices. 

Combine pork, beans,chicken broth, onion, green chilies, Chile Verde sauce, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in a slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high 6-8 hours. Gently shred meat inside slow cooker using two forks. 

Serve on tortillas and garnish with cilantro, cheese, sour cream and lime. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 238 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 379 Calories from Fat 178

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 19.8g 30%

Saturated Fat 7.7g 38%

Cholesterol 61mg 20%

Sodium 524mg 22%

Total Carbohydrates 30.1g 10%

Dietary Fiber 8.3g 33%

Sugars 5.9g

Protein 20.2g

Vitamin A 59% • Vitamin C 12% Calcium 11% • Iron 18%

Nutrition Grade C+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• High in vitamin A

(The calories are based on a serving size of one tortilla and 1/16 of the meat mixture. I usually eat two of this size "serving," I just forgot to input it that way in the calorie calculator. Just multiply by two).

It doesn't achieve the highest nutrition grade (I'm not entirely sold on the nutrition grades anyway, but I think they're a good indicator of whether or not you should eat something often), but it sure is tasty and easy to make for guests. 

I could eat this all day long. In fact, I ate some of last nights leftovers about 10 minutes ago. Yes, it was indeed before 10 a.m. (In my defense, I did get up at 5:30 a.m. this morning. It's lunch time in my head). 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Last night we had some friends over and this is what I made. Dan and I loved it ... hopefully they did too =)

I was actually a little surprised at how healthy this was ... and oh, was it good! I thought this dish was great for entertaining because it looks so pretty and summery.

The recipe came from the Jorgensen Family Cookbook I mentioned HERE. The cookbook says it belongs to my Aunt Pam, but I'm pretty sure she got it from my Aunt Suzie =)

This was prior to baking, but I was cutting it close on time. The only difference is that the cheese would be melted  =)

Stuffed Bell Peppers

• 6 green bell peppers (I used 4 green, one yellow and one orange since that's what we had)
• 1 lb ground beef or turkey (The nutrition facts below are for beef)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2/3 C brown rice (The recipe calls for white rice, I used brown ... just make sure you cook it extra long if you use the brown)
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 C Colby-jack cheese, grated (I think cheddar would also be great ... the recipe calls for Parmesan, but I thought the Colby would taste better)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the tops off peppers and remove seeds. Parboil for 3 minutes in boiling water (For those of you who would need to look up what "parboil" means [yeah, that was me], it means to partially cook in boiling water. Basically, just submerge the peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes and then pull them out and let them cool). Cool. 

In a large skillet, brown meant and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Add rice and tomato sauce. As rice cooks and absorbs liquid, add water as needed and cook 20 minutes or until rice is tender. 

Spoon meat mixture into pepper halves and place in baking dish. Pour diced tomatoes over top and top the whole thing with sprinkled cheese. 

Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 376 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 324 Calories from Fat 80

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8.9g 14%

Saturated Fat 4.0g 20%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 76mg 25%

Sodium 491mg 20%

Total Carbohydrates 31.0g 10%

Dietary Fiber 5.3g 21%

Sugars 10.3g

Protein 29.4g

Vitamin A 93% • Vitamin C 278% Calcium 11% • Iron 24%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• High in manganese
• High in selenium
• Very high in vitamin A
• High in vitamin B6
• High in vitamin B12
• Very high in vitamin C
• High in zinc