Apple Cider Pork Chops

Seasoned pork loin chops baked with apple cider and Worcestershire sauce and finished with sherry. Serve with mashed potatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 pork loin chops
seasoning salt to taste
black pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (8 ounce) container frozen apple cider concentrate, undiluted
1/4 cup dry sherry

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe frying pan over medium-high heat. 
• Sprinkle chops with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. 
• Place in hot oil, and brown on both sides. 
• Drizzle Worcestershire sauce over chops, and pour in apple cider.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. 
• Remove chops to a plate, and return frying pan to stove over medium-high heat. 
• Stir sherry into pan, and boil until sauce thickens, stirring frequently. 
• Serve sauce over chops.

Mince Pies

Mince pies are the ultimate Christmas staple. The sweet, fruity mincemeat with all of those wonderful festive spices, encased in icing-covered crumbly, buttery pastry.. is festive food heaven

Pie crust dough (enough for two crusts) or
Homemade using the following recipe:

2 1/2 cups / 350g plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 cup /225g butter, diced
tsp sugar
1 whole egg
Cold Water

1 jar of mincemeat either good quality shop bought or homemade (see recipe)
1 orange, juice and zest
1 apple, finely diced
Dusting icing sugar

• Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas 6
• Place the flour, butter and salt into a large bowl.
• Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs
• Stir in sugar,
• Add the egg to the mixture and using a knife stir, 
• Add cold water a teaspoon at a time until the mixture binds together.
• Roll in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
• Meanwhile add orange juice, zest and apple to mincemeat and stir well
• Choose a muffin or bun tin for the size of the pie you want.
• Dust a work surface lightly with a little flour and roll out two-thirds of the pastry to 1/8"/3mm thick.
• Cut circles to line the cups of your tin.
• Fill the pastry lined tins 2/3 full with mincemeat.
• Roll out the remaining pastry to the same thickness and cut smaller circles to fit as lids or cut out star shaped lids to be decorative.
• Lightly brush the tops with milk or an egg wash.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 mins or until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the icing sugar.