It’s time for a little RRR: Reader-recommended recipes. I get emails from time to time from folks who want to share a five-star recipe they tried. And I figure that’s nice for me, but it would be a lot nicer if I shared them with the rest of my readers.

Therefore, look for the occasional installment in the Triple R series. And if you have tried a recipe you want to rave about, please email me the recipe or a link at lindsey.nair@roanoke.com. I’d love to share.

This next recipe comes from reader Debbie Franco, who said: “This recipe from Cook’s Illustrated is delicious. I roasted the pork loin in the oven instead of grilling it, still turned out to be fabulous. I cut the fat off of it too, but since I had brined it first it stayed moist.”

Mustard-Glazed Pork Loin
Serves 6 to 8

Cooks Illustrated notes that it is extremely important to leave the roast untrimmed so it stays moist and to score the fat, which keeps the flavor from being too fatty. Try to find a roaast with about 1/4 inch of fat on top. Also, be sure to use apple jelly and not apple butter. You may use Dijon or yellow mustard, however. Keep a squirt bottle of water on hand during browning to quell any flare-ups.

1/2 cup grainy mustard
6 Tbsp. apple jelly
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
1 boneless pork loin roast (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), fat on top scored lightly and tied at one-inch intervals to ensure an even shape and cooking.

1. Open bottom vent on grill. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (about 100 coals) and burn until covered with fine gray ash. Pour coals evenly over one half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, open lid vent completely, and let grill heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk mustard, jelly, sugar, oil, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Reserve one-third of mustard mixture for serving. Coat meat completely with half of remaining mustard mixture.
2. Scrape and oil cooking grate. Grill pork directly over coals until well browned all over, 12 to 15 minutes. Place pork fat-side up on cooler side of grill and brush with about one-third of remaining mustard mixture. Cover, open lid vents completely, and cook, brushing with mustard mixture every 10 minutes, until meat registers 140 degrees, 25 to 40 minutes.
3. Transfer pork to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 15 minutes (temperature should rise to 150 degrees). Pour accumulated juices into reserved mustard mixture and whisk to combine. Cut roast into 1/4-inch slices, transfer to platter, and spoon mustard mixture over top. Serve.

Source: Cooks Illustrated

This next recipe showed up in my inbox during a contest I ran a while back. It comes from blog reader Kathryn, but it is originally a Nigella Lawson recipe. Sounds like it would be great with some toasted pita points. The title translates to “aubergine dip,” and “aubergine” is just another word for eggplant.

Badenjan Dip
Serves 10

3 small eggplants (1 to 1 1/2 pounds) to make about 1 1/4 cups when roasted, pulped and sieved
2 Tbsp. olive oil (not extra-virgin)
1 large onion, finely diced
3 fat cloves garlic, minced or grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp. saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint, to garnish
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted, to garnish
Dribble extra-virgin olive oil, to garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Prick the eggplants with a fork and put them on a baking sheet and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft to the touch. Allow to cool before peeling and mashing them, then leave the pulp in a sieve to drain.
3. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook until golden and then add the drained eggplant mush, cooking it with the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes over a gentle heat, stirring frequently. Take off the heat and turn into a bowl to cool and season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the yogurt to the cooled eggplant mixture together with the saffron in the now golden water, stirring together well. Turn into a bowl and sprinkle over the mint, toasted pine nuts, and a dribble of oil.

Source: Cookingchanneltv.com