Smoky Pork & Sweet Potato Tacos

I apologize that there isn't a picture of this dish. This is something that I found months ago, but I had forgotten it until yesterday when I was looking for a dish to make and bring over to our friends' house.

It's super easy because you chop some stuff up, put some things in the blender and throw everything in a Crock pot! I did use fire roasted tomatoes (I keep various organic Muir Glen brand cans in my pantry) which I think really added a great flavor to the sauce.

I also made the avocado crema that goes with the tacos. Super easy to make and very tasty. The only thing is that I would have halved the recipe because 7 people barely made a dent in the sauce, but it will be good for salad dressing this week.

The nice thing about this dish was that my teenage son even liked it (he doesn't usually like things with lots of sauce) and he even ate leftovers for lunch today!

http://www.feelgoodeats.com/2008/05/07/cousin-meags-killer-party-tacos.html

Noodles with Pork From Shanxi

This recipe comes from Susanna Foo, a highly respected Chinese food chef in America (awards from Food & Wine magazine, James Beard cookbook award, etc). She also has a very interesting story (link here) on how she got into the food industry. I am disappointed that we missed out on eating at her restaurant in Philadelphia when we were there a couple of years ago, but her cookbooks are innovative.

I have had her first cookbook for years (it's well worn) and was able to pick up her other one at Half Price Books recently for about $10. This recipe is something that I make a lot. It's a comforting dish with the potatoes and pork. Susanna dices her pork into smaller cubes, but I am lazy and don't. It will work either way. I have yet to serve it with all the small accompaniments that she says to serve it with (mostly because I forget to), but I would like to one of these days!

Noodles with Pork From Shanxi from the cookbook Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine

serves 4-6

1 lb boneless lean pork, cut into 1/4 inch dice
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tb cornstarch
1/4 cup corn oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tbs brandy (do not omit this. I don't think that the flavor would be right if you did)
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 cups chicken stock
2 large tomatoes, peeled and dice (note--I don't peel them. It's up to you if you want to leave them on or not)
2 scallions, chopped
coarse or kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 lb fettuccine or linguine (she has a recipe for homemade noodles, but I have never made them)

Place the diced pork in a large bowl and mix in the soy sauce and the cornstarch. Add 2 tbs of the oil, mix well and marinate for a few minutes at room temperature while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the onion and the garlic and cook over high heat, stirring, until the onion is lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the pork, along with any marinade, and continue to cook, stirring, until the pork is no longer pink.

Add the brandy. Cover the pot, turn the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the potato and mix well. Pour in the stock, cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until the pork and potatoes are completely cooked.

Add the tomatoes and the scallions. Continue to cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes more, or until sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While sauce is cooking, cook pasta until tender, but still firm to the bite.

Spoon the cooked pork into a large bowl and serve, along with a bowl of the freshly cooked pasta. Allow people to help themselves to the pasta and sauce.

OPTIONAL GARNISHES
Present the pork and pasta along with small bowls filled with any or all of the following: balsamic vinegar, chopped fresh jalapeno peppers, julienned cucumber, chopped fresh basil, chopped fresh cilantro and julienned leeks.

Thai One-Pot

I have been eyeing this recipe for years, but I hadn't gotten around to making it. I finally made it last night to a rave review from my husband. We even ate the leftovers for lunch today, which was just as delicious as it was last night. It's a very simple recipe where you throw everything into one pot, so who can complain about that?

Thai One-Pot from Food & Wine's Quick From Scratch One Dish Meals cookbook

serves 4

1 tbs cooking oil
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips (I chopped them into smaller pieces)
1 red bell pepper, cut into same size as green bell pepper
1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 teas salt
1 1/4 pounds lean ground pork
3/4 cup short grain rice
2 1/2 cups canned low sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
3 tbs soy sauce
1/4 tea cayenne pepper
4 scallions including green tops, chopped
10 radishes, cut into thin slices
5 tbs chopped cilantro or fresh parsley
2 tbs lime juice (from about one lime)

1. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the bell peppers, shiitakes, and 1/4 teas of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove.

2. Add the pork to the pan and cook, stirring, until it is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Spoon off the fat from the pan. Stir in the bell peppers and shiitakes, the rice, broth, soy sauce, the remaining 3/4 teas salt, and the cayenne. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, without removing the lid, until the rice is just done, about 20 minutes.

3 Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in scallions, radish, cilantro, and lime juice.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Chris and I have always loved spring rolls, but I wasn't sure that Nathaniel would like them. But he loved them! I need to work on the wrapping of my spring rolls (not super pretty), but they

were really delectable. I used pork this time per the recipe, but I think that I'll try out some shrimp next time. The hoisin-peanut sauce was also well received in my house. I had halved the recipe for the sauce, but realized that Nathaniel could have eaten it with a spoon and I'll have to make the full amount next time.

Spring Rolls

Carnitas!

I forgot to take pics of this lovely recipe. I had tried making carnitas earlier and the results were ok, but not great. Even my foodie son commented on how they were too dry and that this recipe was much better. It made a lot of food, so we will be enjoying the pork for a couple of lunches. I had some homemade salsa leftover and served it with some sour cream and flour tortillas. Delicious (and easy)!

Carnitas

Stir-Fried Pork and Tomato

There has been some tasty looking green tomatoes at the Farmer's Market and when I came across this recipe, I was excited to make something other than fried green tomatoes! This recipe has an interesting combination of tart and savory flavors. I served it with some rice to soak up the gravy that forms in this dish.

Stir-Fried Pork and Tomato adapted from Food & Wine's Best of the Best (2001 version)

1/3 lb pork

2 to 3 long medium-hot green chiles (suck as Cubannelles, Anaheim, or Hungarian wax)

2 tbs peanut or vegetable oil

1/2 lb tomatoes, preferably mixed red and green, cut into 3/4-inch dice

3/4 teas salt or to taste

1 teas roasted seasame oil

1 teas cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tbs water

Thinly slice the pork, then cut crosswise crosswise to coarsely mince. Set aside.

Trim the stems from the chilies, then make one cut lengthwise in each to expose the seeds, strip them out and discard. Cut into chunks. Should be about 1 cup.

Place all the ingredients near your stovetop and have a serving plate ready.

Heat a work or large heavy skillet over high heat until hot, then add the oil. When oil is hot, add the pork and stir-fry, separating the meat to expose all surfaces to the heat, until it has all changed color, about 2 minutes. Add the chilies and tomatoes and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, until the chiles are beginning to soften and the tomatoes are getting tender. Add the salt and stir-fry for another minute or so, until the chiles are softened and the tomatoes are soft but still have some shape, the add the sesame oil. Stir briefly, then stir the cornstarch mixture well and add it to the wok. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until the sauce thickens, then turn out onto the serving plate and serve hot.

Things Are Back To Normal In The Kitchen

I am still not 100% healthy, but I was ready to make a decent meal after last night's not-so-great one. I decided to try my hand at a something that my mother has perfected and could probably make with her eyes closed. Pork cutlets (Tonkatsu in Japanese) are simple and delicious, but I had never made them at home. It's one of Nathaniel's favorite dishes that my mom makes and he has told me before that my mother's cooking is the best home cooking ever (I am not offended--it's true). My maternal grandmother is half Japanese, which makes Nathaniel 1/16th but he acts like he is full-blooded Japanese. Nathaniel loves everything Japanese--toys, cartoons, video games, culture, Tokyo but especially the food--it's his favorite.

The recipe is simple, but it does require some deep frying. But trust me, it's not like deep frying American style. The crust isn't dripping with grease and the pork ends up juicy.

Pork Cutlets (Tonkatsu) adapted from Quick and Easy Japanese Cuisine for Everyone by Yukiko Moriyama

1 lb pork boneless tenderloin or shoulder sliced about 1/2 inch thick (I used boneless pork loin chops)

2 eggs plus 1 tb water

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs or panko (I used the panko which you may or may not be able to find in your grocery store since it's becoming a more common Food Network ingredient. Panko will result in a crispier, lighter crust and I recommend it if you have never used it)

All purpose flour for dusting

vegetable oil for deep-frying

salt and pepper

Tonkastu sauce--it's a sweet/sour sauce (you might be able to find bottled sauce at your grocery store in the Asian food aisle)

4 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbs Ketchup
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1) Flatten out the pork slices. I found the cookbook funny because the author has a potato masher looking tool and is nicely flattening the pork. I took a meat mallet and beat the tar out of the pork, but then that's just me. The thinner the pork, the faster it will cook.

2) Trim off any excess fat. Mine were pretty trimmed, so I didn't have to do this. Salt and pepper generously both sides of the meat. Let sit for 4-5 minutes.

3) Prepare flour, beaten eggs and crumbs in separate containers (I got my neat little set of trays from Pampered Chef. The plastic tongs that are included are pretty worthless, but the trays are great for breading meat). My eggs are looking a little scary in the pic because the trays are pretty big and there is only two in there.....haha. Dust pork with flour, dip in egg and coat with bread crumbs. It's easy.

4) Heat the oil to 340 degrees. Fry pork until done. It's best to do this one at a time. The pork

will sink to the bottom and rise up to the top. You'll need to turn the pork a few times and cook until golden brown. Watch out and don't burn it!

5) Drain in a paper towel lined plate. Slice and serve.

6) Mix sauce ingredients and serve on side for dipping.

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I decided to step up the meal with some curry and rice. These pork cutlets are frequently served on curry and rice in Japanese restaurants. Japanese curry is different from Indian curry in the fact that it's thicker, not as spicy and is slightly sweet. The great thing about Japanese curry is that it's super easy to make due to the fact that you can buy curry sauce mix in many regular grocery stores' Asian section. Heck you can even buy it on amazon.com! S&B Golden Curry is the most common brand and the one that I like the best (it's not as sweet). I get the hot version, but it also comes in mild and medium heat too. It's super easy to make because all you do is cook up some veggies (and/or meat), add water, cook for awhile, then add the curry and cook a bit longer. I added carrots, onions, celery and potatoes to mine tonight. I was thrilled that Nathaniel loved this stuff. It was his first time trying it and he was hooked. It was a great way to get him to eat his veggies too!

***Anyway, I am still sick because I have accidentally deleted my third picture six times since I tried posting this and I am about ready to throw the computer against the wall. So sorry, you won't be seeing the other pic of the pork cutlet by itself!

Trust Your Instincts When Cooking

During my convalescence this weekend, I spent much time lying on the couch, watching sports and reading food blogs on the laptop (I know that I should have been reading the cookbooks, but I didn't really leave the couch. There is an indentation to prove it). Yes, I lead an exciting life. I have to say that I did learn a lot and found lots of delicious looking recipes. I was feeling a bit better today, so I decided to make dinner since Nathaniel was at home. This is the recipe that I decided to use. Carnitas from a blog written by an American guy (and former Chez Panisse pastry chef), who lives in my favorite city, Paris.

I was excited because we had lots of things that we could use to put with the carnitas in tortillas and Nathaniel loves meals like this. Too bad that the pork wasn't as delicious as it should have been.

I had followed his recipe, but by the second turn of the pork in the oven, I noticed that it might be getting close to being done. Since there still was 1 1/2 hours left according to the recipe, I decided to leave it in the oven. I ended up pulling it out of the oven with 45 minutes left, but it was too done. It wasn't terrible, but there was definitely parts of the pork that were too dried out. I was also thinking that I should have used a bigger roasting pan and given the pork some breathing room, so that I would have had more water in the pan. It was still edible, but the leftover pork made it in the trash because there was no way that reheating it would have been a good option. I'll have to try this recipe again because it really should be delicious and not just ok, but it looks like my illness altered my cooking brain and made me not trust my instincts. I promise not do it again.

I love this woman!

I tried another one of Pioneer Woman's recipes tonight. This time it was spicy shredded pork. She hasn't wronged me yet (and by the look of her other recipes, I don't think that she will)! Nathaniel and I had these with some flour tortillas. I added some sour cream and jalapenos to mine. I would have loved some salsa, but I didn't have all the ingredients to make some. Nathaniel loved this so much that he said that he was going to make a sandwich with it for his school lunch.

I made the recipe with a 4 lb piece (it looks like I'll be eating it for a few days), which made a lot of food. The picture above isn't even half of it! I used her advice on the dried herbs and spices. I would probably go a little more spicy when I make it again (Nathaniel is starting to like spicy stuff), but the flavors were really tasty. I just wished that I would have remembered that I had some beer in the second fridge because that's really all that was missing.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/08/spicy-shredded-pork/

What's for dinner

I wanted to make something with my ground pork that I purchased from Amy's Meats on Saturday and used cookthink.com to gain my inspiration for tonight's dinner. I found a great recipe for pork burgers with avocado dressing. I substituted bread from Wheatfield's instead of buns and added some tomatoes to the avocado. Chris asked Nathaniel what his favorite meal that I make is and he said these burgers (he omitted the avocados and added cheese to his). Quite delicious. http://www.cookthink.com/recipe/4086/Pork_Burgers_With_Avocado_Dressing
I also bought kale yesterday at the Farmer's Market and used an Alice Waters' recipe from the cookbook that I just picked up in Portland. Recipe from Chez Panisse Vegetables. (I split the recipe in half)

2 bunches kale (about 2 pounds)
2 tbs olive oil
salt
2 cloves garlic
1 to 2 tbs red wine vinegar

Strip the leaves off their stems and cut away the tough midribs of any large leaves. Chop coarsely and wash in plenty of water. Drain well, but do not spin dry.
Heat a large pan and add olive oil and enough kale to cover the bottom of the pan. Allow these greens to wilt before adding more. When all kale has been added, season with salt, stir in garlic and cover the pan. The greens will take anywhere from just a few minutes to 15 mins. to cook, depending on their maturity. When they are tender, remove the lid and allow any excess water to cook away. Turn off heat and stir in vinegar.