Stuffed Pork Tenderloin wrapped in ham

This is a dish that has been in the family for years... so long, in fact, that it's not even in my ancient, handwritten recipes book!

The ingredients we used were 6 slices parma ham (could also use serrano or proscuitto), about 85g blue cheese (we used gorgonzola), 2 Tablespoons of sundried tomatoes (ours had been preserved in oil), a generous handful of spinach (ours were fresh baby leaf, but frozen is also fine - use about three blocks) and a loin of pork in a piece (ours was about 450g).

The pork loin was prepared by carefully removing the sinew from the outside (we used a sharp knife for this - makes it easier to slice close to the tough bits that need removing).  Then the loin was cut along its length but NOT all the way through.

It was then opened out and, with a piece of baking paper on top, was bashed with a rolling pin (or you could use a meat tenderiser) to an even thickness of about 1cm.


Whilst the pork was being prepared, the tomatoes and spinach were heated through in a pan on a medium heat.



As soon as the spinach had wilted, the blue cheese was added and mixed through.

The spinach, cheese, tomato mix was then placed along the length of the loin and the edges were gently pulled together (this can be a bit fiddly and you may have to adjust the amount of filling needed depending on how thinly the pork has been beaten out).

Carefully wrapping the filled loin with ham, the edges were covered and then the meat was wrapped, as tightly as possible in greaseproof paper.

Placing the meat in the fridge, it was left to cool for an hour (longer is fine, can be prepared to this stage the day before).

To cook, the meat was placed in a roasting tin and put in a pre-heated 170ºC fan oven.

We cooked ours for 35minutes as it was very well chilled before going into the oven.  The meat was checked for level of cook by inserting a metal skewer, making sure it was warm at the tip, and seeing if the meat juices ran clear.  If it's not done enough, return to oven and set timer for another 3-5 minutes until cooked to your liking.

The meat was then rested on a carving board for ten minutes.

Carving the meat, it was served with vegetables and roasted mixed potatoes.

When cooled completely, it carves well and we often use it as a cold picnic meat.

Parma Ham, Cheese and Pea Tarts

Following a post-Christmas 'fridge audit' we discovered some Parma Ham that needed to be used up.  We also had double cream and yogurt that were nearing their use by dates.

The ingredients we needed to use were -
2 large eggs, beaten
50g Parmesan cheese, grated
One red onion, diced and lightly cooked
200ml live, natural yogurt
100ml double cream
6 slices Parma ham
Seasoning

Also - 100g frozen peas (could be replaced by asparagus spears or brocolli florets)

The onions were being lightly cooked in some sunflower oil until they became transparent.

Taking a muffin tin, each slice of ham was cut in half and used to line the tin.  This would form the 'case' for the tart/quiche filling.

Having mixed the yogurt, cream and beaten eggs, the Parmesan cheese was added and mixed through.






A dessertspoonful of the mix was added to the bottom of the 'case' and then some fried-off onions were laid on top.  Next, another layer of the mix was added until the 'cases' were filled.

Finally, a few frozen peas were added to each case.  The tarts were then ready to be cooked, at 170ºC (fan oven) for about 15 minutes.

We also cooked a 'large' pastryless tart/quiche by oiling a pyrex dish, and layering the mix, onions, mix in the same way.  This, larger, dish also had extra grated Parmesan sprinkled over the top before the frozen peas were added.  This was cooked for about 30 minutes, until it was lightly firm when the dish was moved.

The Parma Ham tarts were used, cold, for lunch on a day out before New Year's Eve with friends - they were much admired by our gluten-eating foodie pals.










We ate the large pastryless, vegetarian, quiche warm with chilli potatoes and a green salad.  It made a lovely change from the 'excesses' of the Festive Season.

Mini Muffin Quiches

We made some individual, pastryless quiches... mini sized ones which were 'perfect for picnic food'.  To do this, we decided to use some silicone muffin cases and our 'usual' quiche mix.

We used:-

4 eggs, beaten
3 onions, peeled and finely chopped
250ml yoghurt
Cheese, grated (we used mature farmhouse cheddar)

 These ingredients were enough to make 6 mini quiches and a large pastryless quiche.

 We used silicone muffin cases to line our muffin tin.

The eggs were lightly beaten...

... and then the yoghurt was added and whisked through.  Next the grated cheese was incorporated and the mix was stirred to make sure it was all combined.

Having chopped the red onions, they were lightly fried untill they started to cook through.

We added a dessertspoonful of the egg, yoghurt and cheese to the bottom of the cases then topped this with some of the lightly cooked onions.

Each case was then topped up with some more of the egg mix before having some sliced yellow cherry tomatoes added.

The quiches were then placed in a pre-heated oven (180ºC) for about 10 minutes after which time we checked them every few minutes and removed them when the tops were just beginning to brown.










The completed quiches looked really appetising and were easy to remove from the cases.

We served ours with spicy potato wedges, sweetcorn and peas.

They can be saved, in an airtight container, in the fridge (or frozen), and make a great picnic/packed lunch item.