Category Archives: Pork

Sweet and Sour Stir-fried Pork with Pineapple

May 12, 2014

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This might be the first Chinese food recipe I’ve shared. I like Asian food. I love Thai and Japanese. But I have a hard time with Chinese. The Chinese restaurants and take-out I’ve tried have yet to impress me. (Except for one place we found just before we left Richmond. I’d have gone back there if I’d had the chance.) American-Chinese food just seems so heavy, so greasy. Too much sugar and salt. I know great Chinese food exists and I hope to someday experience it. My mom on the other hand adores Chinese food and could probably eat it for every meal. Which is how I feel about Mexican (which, of course, she dislikes). Choosing a restaurant gets tricky when left to the two of us.

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This recipe convinced me to give Chinese another chance- at home. It would surely be fresher/lighter/healthier than take-out. And it included a few of my favorite things- pork tenderloin and pineapple. Well, I loved it! Chunks of tender pork, crisp peppers, and juicy pineapple, simmered in a sweet (but not overly) and sour sauce all served over rice and garnished with peanuts for crunch. So good.

A note about the rice: I’ll be honest, I’ve yet to master cooking any rice, but brown has been the biggest challenge. Then I found this method and it really works! No more soggy, clumpy rice. Hooray! (I also tried Alton Brown’s baking method but wasn’t as impressed.)

Sweet and Sour Stir-fried Pork with Pineapple

INGREDIENTS

1 cup brown rice (I used jasmine)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bell peppers (any color- I used red and yellow), sliced
1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple
4 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 Tbsp. roasted peanuts, chopped for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the rice according to package directions (about 45 minutes cook time). **Or follow this method for perfect brown rice- works great!!**

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar and sugar.

3. Slice the pork into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, then slice again to make 1/2-inch-wide strips. Place the pork in a medium bowl and sprinkle with the cornstarch and salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

4. In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil over high heat until very hot. Add the pork and stir-fry until the pork is almost cooked through and begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside on a plate. Add the garlic and bell peppers and stir-fry until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the pineapple and scallions and the pork back in and continue to stir-fry until the pork is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

5. Whisk the soy sauce mixture and add it to skillet. Cook until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve over the rice and garnish with roasted peanuts if desired.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Kelsey Nixon)

Baked Chicken Meatballs

June 29, 2013

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I know I’ve been sporadic at posting over the last year or two. (I blame pregnancy, baby, moving, etc. etc.) But lately I’ve been motivated to get back here more frequently and put more effort into this space of mine. I started this recipe journal 4 1/2 years ago. 600 recipes later I’m still here and still loving it. I think it’s ready for some improvements though. I’ve started the process of moving over to WordPress (which I currently know nothing about so I have some homework to do). I’m planning to revamp the recipe archives and add print features. And I have a few other exciting ideas! So if I seem absent for a week or two you’ll know why. I’m working hard behind the scenes.To tide you over until then, I made some meatballs. Mmmmm. With chicken and bacon (or pancetta if you’re feeling fancy). I made them with the pancetta (and I’ve never paid so much $$$ for such a tiny slice of meat before). And they turned out wonderful but I think bacon would do the trick. My only plea is that you don’t use ground chicken breast. It’s just too lean and won’t result in these impossibly succulent and juicy little gifts. They would be awesome over a bowl of pasta or on a toasted baguette. We devoured them with garlic mashed cauliflower (recipe coming soon) and roasted asparagus spears.

Baked Chicken Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

3 slices Italian bread, torn into small pieces (1 cup) (I used whole wheat bread)
1/3 cup milk
3 oz. pancetta or bacon, finely diced
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large egg
1 lb. ground chicken (I used ground chicken thigh)
2 Tbsp. tomato paste, divided
3 Tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

2. Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about four minutes. Squeeze bread to remove excess milk; discard milk.

3. Cook pancetta (or bacon), onion, garlic, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper in 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat until the onion is softened and the pancetta has rendered some of its fat, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

4. In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg and combine it with the ground chicken, 1 Tbsp. tomato paste, parsley, bread, and pancetta mixture. Form into about 15 meatballs and arrange on the prepared baking pan.

5. Combine the remaining Tbsp. tomato paste with a drizzle of olive oil and brush over top of the meatballs.

6. Bake in the preheated oven until the meatballs are just cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Makes about 15 meatballs, serves 4.

(Adapted from Gourmet via Smitten Kitchen)

Apple, Bacon, and Onion Pizza

October 26, 2012

Why didn’t I think of this? During my  4+ years of blogging and testing/perfecting/sharing well over 500 recipes, it never occurred to me to put apple on a pizza. And I’m the pizza queen. (You can find 30 variations in the index.) Bacon makes a regular appearance. And slinky-sweet caramelized onions are one of my favorite toppings. But bacon + onion + apple + cheese. The best idea I never had.

On the topic of cheese… I couldn’t make up my mind. Cheddar or gouda? Apples and cheddar just go together. But smoked gouda is always good. So I split the pizza in half, hoping to try them both and then decide. (You can tell- the left half was shredded gouda* that didn’t melt as well as the cheddar on the right.) But both halves were so delicious that I am refusing to pick a side. I’ll leave that up to you. Although, the best pieces were the ones where the cheddar and gouda collided. So why not use them together?

*I used Trader Joe’s smoked gouda that is tasty and inexpensive, but doesn’t melt exceptionally well. If you can afford to spend a little more, Whole Foods sells an applewood smoked gouda that is incredible and much creamier.

Apple, Bacon, and Onion Pizza

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe pizza dough
1 red onion, thinly sliced
drizzle olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and roughly chopped
1 large or 2 small honeycrisp apples, cored and thinly sliced
fresh sage, chiffonade
2 cups sharp white cheddar or smoked gouda (or a combination of the two)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare dough according to recipe directions.

2. While dough is rising, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes.

3. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F.

4. Top prepared crust with caramelized onions, bacon, apple slices, sage, and cheese.

5. Bake in preheated oven on pizza stone for about 10 minutes, until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Slice and serve.

Makes 1 large pizza.

(Adapted from How Sweet it Is)

Pork Meatball Bahn Mi

October 19, 2012

I found this delectable sandwich during my hunt for dairy-free recipes. I didn’t get around to trying it until just recently. But I wish I hadn’t waited. It was insanely delicious. If you’re not familiar with the bahn mi, essentially it’s just a Vietnamese sandwich. “Bahn mi” literally means bread or baguette, which, as I just learned, was introduced to the country by French colonists. The chewy-soft rolls are commonly filled with meat, picked vegetables, cilantro, and finished with a spicy mayo. This version is stuffed with plump pork meatballs, along with the traditional fixings. The meatballs were warm and juicy, bursting with basil, garlic, and chili flavors- the perfect contrast to the sweet pickled carrot and radish and creamy hot mayonnaise. If you want to lighten things up, try using ground chicken or turkey. And if you’re feeling extra lazy, you could simply use thinly sliced or shredded roasted chicken breast- you’ll still have an awesome sandwich.

Pork Meatball Bahn Mi

INGREDIENTS

Pork Meatballs:
1 lb. ground pork (or chicken or turkey)
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. hot chili sauce (such as sambal oelek or sriracha)
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Pickled Vegetables:
2 cups carrot, coarsely grated or julienned
2 cups daikon (japanese radish) or regular radish and/or cucumber, coarsely grated or julienned
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. sesame oil

Hot Chili Mayonnaise:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)

1 Tbsp. sesame oil
4+ french rolls or pieces sliced baguette
cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced (if you didn’t pickle it)
jalapeno, thinly sliced into rings (optional, I’ve used pickled jalapeno as well)
fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare the meatballs: Gently mix all ingredients in a large bowl and form into 1-inch meatballs (should yield about 24). Place on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be made up to a day ahead of time.)

2. To prepare the pickled vegetables: In a medium bowl dissolve sugar in rice vinegar and season with kosher salt. Toss with carrot, daikon, and onion. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour (or refrigerate if made farther in advance).

3. To prepare the hot chili mayonnaise: Stir to combine mayonnaise, green onion, and chili sauce in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Can be made up to a day ahead of time.)

4. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (You may want to divide the meatballs up and cook them in two batches.) Add meatballs and saute until browned and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Lower the heat if the meatballs are browning too quickly. (Already cooked meatballs can be kept warm on a baking sheet in a 300 F oven.)

5. To assemble the sandwiches: Slice rolls in half and remove enough bread out of the center so you have a 1/2-inch thick shell. Spread with hot chili mayo. Arrange cucumber, jalapeno (optional), and cilantro on the bottom halves. Top with meatballs and pickled vegetables and serve.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Baked Egg Hash

September 18, 2012

I miss this. This hobby/art form/outlet of cooking and writing and photography. I realize I’ve been absent lately. And I have all sorts of excuses. First Clara joined our family. Then we moved and we’ve been adjusting to our new life in the city. Husband has a new job. I have a new home and a new very old kitchen. And as soon as I thought I was getting my groove back, baby girl started having reflux issues which led to the conclusion that I should eliminate diary from my diet (I’m breastfeeding). And along with the cheese and yogurt and ice cream, I said goodbye to piles of recipes I wanted to try and lost my culinary motivation again.

Six weeks later and I’m still dairy-free (and craving a slice of pizza like crazy), but I have learned one thing: you can survive, even eat well, without milk and all its derivatives. Baking gets tricky and dining out is barely worth the hassle. But I did discover some wonderful foods I was previously missing out on- like rice milk (which I actually prefer to the real thing) and coconut oil (to be featured in my next post).

This recipe is naturally dairy free. (Although a handful of cheddar or smoked gouda baked in would be a fabulous addition.) It’s also completely hearty and delicious. Sauteed in glimmering bacon grease, the sweet potato hash is topped with cracked eggs and baked until perfectly tender and crisp. Meant for breakfast, but great for dinner. And again reheated the next morning.

Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Baked Egg Hash

INGREDIENTS

6 slices bacon
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika (I used smoked paprika)
4 large eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
green onion, sliced
cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. In a large oven-proof skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside on a paper towel to drain, reserving at least 1 Tbsp. of bacon grease in the pan. Crumble bacon once cooled.

3. Add the sweet potatoes to the reserved bacon grease and saute over medium-high heat until browned, about 12 minutes. Add onion and peppers and saute until softened, 6 to 8 minutes more. Stir in the cumin and paprika and crumbled bacon. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Make 4 little wells in the sweet potato mixture and crack an egg into each well. Season the eggs with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake until the sweet potatoes are tender and the eggs are set but the yolks are still soft, about 12 minutes. Garnish with green onion and cilantro and serve.

Serves 3-4.

(Adapted from Joy of Kosher)