Recipes: The Spirit of Thanksgiving

Recipes to Share with Gratitude & Generosity

Mary Parlanti

Thanksgiving is a time for families to gather around a table laden with foods of the season, and it is a time for sharing and giving thanks for all gathered — and for those who are not physically present. Thanksgiving is also a spirit practiced all year, not just on one day. For me, my special gift lies in my ability to cook. So all year I give thanks by giving food to others. I share with neighbors, friends, church and community. The past months have become an even more important task of sharing in God’s bounty, and in any talent we possess. There are so many needful people in our lives — the elderly, the house-bound and young people raising children of their own and struggling to maintain a quality of life that will prepare them for their future. As we gather around our tables this Thanksgiving, let us be grateful for our families and friends, and for being able to reach out to help others. Below are two recipes I use on Thanksgiving, which are appropriate to the season.

STUFFED PORK LOIN WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND SPINACH

• 1/2 to 3/4 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 10-ounce package frozen, chopped spinach 
• 1 cup herbed stuffing mix
• 1 egg
• 4-5 pound boneless pork loin (not tenderloin)
• Salt and pepper
• French or Italian herbs
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 cups water
• Cornstarch or flour
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a sauté pan, cook the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Thoroughly squeeze the spinach dry, then add it and the stuffing mix with the sausage. Add the egg, mix again. Butterfly the pork loin and cut slits on each side, about 1 inch deep, 3-4 on each side. Fill the slits and the inside of the loin with the filling. Roll up and tie with butcher string. Sprinkle meat with salt, pepper and herbs. Pour the wine into the pan, add the meat and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the wine has evaporated. Add water and cover the roast with aluminum foil; reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes to an hour. Remove meat from the pan, add enough water to the pan drippings to make 2 cups liquid. Thicken with cornstarch or flour. Remove string from the roast and dice. Drizzle sauce over the meat and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Mary Parlanti has been a guest chef at several local restaurants, catered lunches monthly for
the Catholic Center and Catholic Charities and developed and opened The Kitchen at Chevy Chase. She authored the cookbook “From the Kitchen of Mary Parlanti, with Love” and is an active member of Holy Spirit Parish/UK Newman Center.