10 posts tagged “pork”
I had a birthday last week. I'm not trying to get sympathy, but as far as birthdays are concerned it was below average. I was "out of town" working, so no husband, no family, and no presents on the actual day. I even bought myself a cake from the grocery store to share with co-workers...needless to say it wasn't anything special. The true icing on the cake is that I've finally hit an age I've never imagined would ever happen. Unlike when I was a young teenager imagining my life at 25, this age I have not even considered, and yet it's here. How did this happen...really?
I guess the good news is that I don't feel any different, I haven't noticed any immediate signs of my body deteriorating, and I think in most crowds I can still pass for a good 5 years younger.
Why am I telling you this, and how does it fit in to the above meal? I received a new cookbook for my b-day: Rick Bayless' Mexico One Plate at a Time. Husband and I have drooled over Bayless' books, but had never made the purchase. (I guess getting older is good for something). Husband picked the first recipe to try: Tomatillo-Braised Pork Loin. Husband loves himself a good braise. I've not worked with tomatillos before. Honestly, I think there was a time that I thought they were the equivalent of green tomatoes. Not so, they are their own fruit, or is it a vegetable? Who knows, anyway, they are delicious! The sauce alone is worth making this dish, Husband and I lapped it up with a spoon! I will be looking for more tomatillo recipes.
I've got leftovers, so stay tuned. There may be tomatillo pork enchiladas late in the week.
Tomatillo-Braised Pork Loin (Lomo de Puerco en Salsa Verde)
adapted from Mexico One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless
How exciting! I've found the recipe elsewhere online, and I don't have to type it out. Find it here.
I think I've mentioned, and I'm sure you'll agree, that using up leftover ingredients can be hit or miss. Last night, all the stars moved into alignment in my leftover universe (refrigerator). It was a delicious salad!
Here were the odd ingredients that I mixed with a few staples to create Thai Lettuce Salad:
lime juice
cashews
ground turkey
cilantro
small bit of lettuce
small bit of green cabbage (I wished I had napa cabbage)
1 carrot
Though I didn't follow any particular recipe, and I did use Lettuce Wraps and Hot and Sour Dressing from Food of the World: Thailand for guidelines and proportions.
Thai Lettuce Salad
serves 2-3
For the Meat:
1/2 T veg oil
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 carrot, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Thai chile
1/2 lb. ground turkey or pork
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. brown sugar
1/4 t. green curry paste
1 T. cilantro, chopped
Heat oil in wok and stir-fry onion, carrot, garlic, and chile for 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey and stir-fry for 8-10 minutes, until browned and crisp. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, curry paste, and cilantro, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Let rest while you make the dressing.
For the Dressing:
Whisk together:
2 T. veg. oil
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. lime juice
1/2 t. soy sauce
1/2 t. sesame oil
1/4 t. fish sauce
1/4 t. green curry paste
Assemble the Salad:
Toss meat mixture with a salad of lettuce, cabbage, cilantro, cashews, and rice. Toss salad with dressing and serve immediately.
I love shish kabobs! I always have. I don't know what it is about skewered meat and veggies, but I'll ask say "yes!" to this dish everytime. After a little online research, I found the real spelling for kabobs is kebabs. Excuse my error. Can you really trust the internet for factual information? More research may be needed.
I have a couple of memories of kebabs in my past that I think of everytime I have them. One was at the home of my double cousins. Yes, I have double cousins. No, incest is not involved. My dad's brother married my mother's sister. It's completely legit. So, I spent a week or so at their home one summer when I was a child. It was a fun week, and I remember eating shish kebabs one night for dinner. There's no funny story, just that I remember eating kebabs, oh, and many games of Operation, their babysitter wasn't too fond of me, and that I interrupted a very important business phone call my uncle made. Kids!
So last night, I marinated pork tenderloin for the kebabs and skewered them with scallions and mushrooms. It was pretty good, surprisingly good.
I based the marinade on this recipe from www.Allrecipes.com. I added a little wasabi paste for heat and didn't add as much oil as called for.
We've all had some sort of experience in life that proved to be so traumatic that repeating it seemed impossible. Sometimes this type of scarring lasts forever, sometimes a few days. I guess it depends on the depth of the wound to determine the total healing time.
A couple of years ago, Husband and I had a lot of rosemary in a very short time period. After this explosive taste experience, we determined ourselves ruined on rosemary. This herb would no longer be in our repertoire...and it wasn't, at least for the last two years. When I came across, Rosemary-Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Sweet and Sour Prunes, I was intrigued, and a little afraid. Were we ready for rosemary?
Just opening the rosemary jar (I used dried instead of fresh) and smelling the familiar scent brought back several taste memories. This is it. I can face my fears...or is it taste my fears?
The verdict: Rosemary's back! Although, we're going to have to take it slow for a while.
The rosemary on the pork was just right. However, in this recipe it has you saute escarole (I used spinich) in the rosemary-garlic mixture, as well. This proved to be too much. If I make this again, no rosemary in the veggies, but on the pork it tasted great. Oh, and prunes, I loved them. Husband thought them a bit sweet.
I brought home leftover ham from Thanksgiving. I was determined to spring some life into it. It wouldn't be a piece of ham on the plate tonight. What's the name of that foodnetwork show? Oh, Ham on the Street. I don't like traditional ham and beans, but when I saw this recipe I thought it looked pretty good. It essentially is a "light" soup with bacon! Can't be that bad. Space cadet me, however, forgot to bring home the bacon from the store, so this was an even lighter soup...and quite good. Finally, a delicious ham and beans. Imagine what it would taste like with bacon? Where was this on those school lunch menus? Bacon, Ham and Lentil Soup came from Cookinglight.com. I, as well as other reviewers, left out the fennel and reduced the amount of lentils. Also, halved the recipe.
What goes with ham and beans? Cornbread, of course. For my birthday I received a cookbook from 1954. It was a ladies church cookbook that they probably used for a fundraiser at the time. My grandma had a recipe for pecan pie in the book. It's probably the same recipe she uses today. I'll have to ask her. Anyway, I found a sour cream cornbread recipe in this book and thought I should give it a try. It was great. There was a bit of an ordeal at the store. They were out of yellow cornmeal, so I fought my temptation to buy an easy fix - Jiffy mix cornbread - and I tried the white cornmeal. It didn't seem to make much difference in this recipe. I think I'll make this again. Below is the original recipe. I halved it for just the two of us.
Sour Cream Cornbread
1 c. yellow cornmeal
1 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. soda
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 1/2 c. sour cream
1 T. shortening, melted
Sift dry ingredients, add beaten egg. Add cream, then melted shortening. Pour in 8x8 pan and bake at 345 degrees until golden brown.
Have I mentioned that husband cooks? Quite well, actually. It was he who did most of the cooking when we were dating. To be honest, I don't think he even knew that I was a decent cook until after we were married and I started cooking dinner every night. He's not to blame. I did have a track record of flops when we were dating. The first pie I brought him didn't set up right, and it was too full for the size of the pan that I used. I remember it sloshing a bit in the car on my way to his house. Nothing a dot of whipped cream couldn't cover...
One of my favorites that he used to make was apple crisp. We've been married three years, and I think it's been that long since he's made it. Fall is in the air, and that must have put him in the mood for apples again, (or the little hint, that I'm quite good at giving).
We had cousin over for dinner. I think she enjoyed the apple crisp too.
Apple Crisp (adapted from New York Times Cookbook Revised Edition)
6 tart apples
1 c. sugar, divided
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cloves
2 t. lemon juice
3/4 c. flour
pinch of salt
6 T butter
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Peel, core and slice apples into a bowl. Add 1/2 c. sugar, the spices and lemon juice. Mix lightly and pour into a buttered casserole. Blend the remaining sugar, flour, salt and butter to a crumbly consistency. (I think husband uses his hands...after he washes them, of course). Sprinkle over apple mixture. Bake 45 min. or until the apples are tender and the crust is a nice brown.
Look at the lovely dinner that preceded the apple crisp!
What did I do? Set the table.
Not sure why it's been such a long time since I've posted. Have I been busy? Yes, but we're all busy, right? I have a friend who always said, "If you need something done, ask someone that is extremely busy." I guess her logic is that if someone can prioritize, one extra task isn't going to be a big concern. Not sure if this is the category that I fall under...
I think I haven't posted because I just wasn't in the mood. Here are some highlights from the last week or so:
Garden green beans are so tasty. They're one of my favorite veggies. The thought of picking them doesn't agree with me, so I've never planted them. Green beans with New Potatoes are a family favorite in the summer time. The pork came from Cuisine at Home magazine's June 2007 issue.
The dressing for Green beans and New Potatoes comes from The Junior League of Wichita's Women of Great Taste Cookbook. This is a fabulous cookbook. Everything that I've made from it has been truly delicious.
Whisk together:
1/2 c. vegetable oil (I definately don't use this much)
3 T white or red wine vinegar
2 T minced fresh basil
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 minced garlic clove (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't)
1/4 t. sugar
salt and pepper
Pour over cooked potatoes and beans and serve warm. Delicous!
Some other garden tasties (cucumbers, tomatoes and zucchini) inspired this greek meal. Cooking Light provided me with the recipe for Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce. I found the recipe for the Greek Salad on Epicurious. Overall, this was a good meal. Husband raved about the zucchini. He said it reminded him of Europe. I was a bit puzzled by this. He in turn was puzzled by it's tastiness after I revealed the recipe for the zucchini: olive oil, salt and pepper?! How can something so easy be so good?
Chicken in Red Wine Vinegar (adapted from Paula Wolfert in Food and Wine's 2007 Annual Cookbook)
1/4 plus 3 T red wine vinegar
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 T honey
1/2 T tomato paste
1 T butter (or combo of oil and butter)
2 chicken breast halves bone-in (the original recipe calls for chicken thighs)
Salt and Pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 T plain yogurt (the original calls for creme fraiche)
1 T basil chopped
In a medium saucepan, boil the first 4 ingredients. Stirring well. Simmer until reduced to 1/4-1/2 cup, about 8 minutes.
Heat the butter or oil in large skillet. Season chicken and add breast side down to skillet. Cook them over moderate heat, turning once, until browned. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
Add the garlic and onions to the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the broth and boil until reduced. Add the sauce: bring to a simmer.
Return chicken to skillet breast side up. Cover and simmer over low heat until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
Add yogurt to the skillet and boil for 3 minutes. Add basil and season. Pour sauce over chicken and serve right away.
We've admitted we have a lousy garden, so I'm sure you're wondering where we're getting the fresh garden produce: our parent's leftovers. Thanks!
Husband loves Ribs. He made a great rub for them and roasted them slow and low in the oven. I loved ribs today too. Very juicy and tender!
Mustard Slaw came from Food and Wine's 2007 Annual Cookbook. For the dressing: whisk equal parts dijon mustard, sugar, distilled white vinegar and oil. Season with salt, pepper, and celery seed. Pour over shredded cabbage and carrots.
I haven't had a chance to post for a week! Fortunately, we have had time to cook and eat. Wednesday brought another tasty pork tenderloin salad. This Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad features more accessible ingredients than the previously posted Island Pork Tenderloin Salad, but it's just as delicious.
GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN SALAD
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove (omitted this)
1 small shallot, chopped
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 large basil leaf (used a handful of basil leaves)
1/2 t. dried Greek oregano (omitted this)
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 3/4 lb. pork tenderloins
2 medium tomatoes, quarted
1 small onion, sliced crosswise, 1/3 inch thick
1 lb. medium asparagus
5 ounces prewashed mesclun greens (6 cups)
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips (omitted this)
1. In a blender, combine the vinegar with the garlic, shallot, mustard, basil and oregano and puree. With the machine on pour in 1/4 cup plus 2 T of the oil; season with salt and pepper. (used an immersion blender).
2. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. (used an indoor grill). Season pork with salt and pepper. Grill the pork over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. (took much longer for my pork) Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes, onions, and asparagus with the remaining olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables over moderately high heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes for the tomatoes and 4 minutes for the onions and asparagus. Transfer to a plate.
4. In a large bowl, toss the mesclun with the prosciutto, grilled onion and half of the vinaigrette. Mound the salad onto plates. Thinly slice the pork and arrange it on the plates, along with grilled tomatoes and asparagus. Drizzle the pork and vegetables with the remaining vinaigrette and serve.
Serves 4-6
- Michael Psilakis from Food and Wine Magazine's 2007 Cookbook
I'm not a huge fan of many leftovers, so I tailored this recipe for 2. However, I did make all of the dressing and marinated the pork with some of it for 1/2 hour. Next time, I'd marinate it a bit longer.
I still remember the cover of Gourmet's May 2003 issue. Island Pork Tenderloin! It looked so delicious. I knew at some point I would make this salad. Here I am four years later. I had a pork tenderloin, and we wanted something "fresh" to eat. The time had finally come! It was just as tasty as I had always imagined.
If you take a look at the recipe online: Island Pork Tenderloin, you'll see that a lot of reviewers chose to leave out the curry in the dressing. This was actually one of husband's favorite parts of the dish. We liked the curry flavor. FYI: I did leave out the raisins.
