Tag Archives: Meat

Hawaiian Fried Rice

February 18, 2015

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Fried rice is one of my favorite dinners. Once you complete all of the prep it cooks so quickly and you can include lots of protein and veggies, making for a relatively healthy meal (especially compared to take-out, though I love that too!). I have recipes for Shrimp Fried Rice (can sub chicken) and Pineapple Mango Fried Rice. This fried rice has a Hawaiian twist. It probably isn’t authentic Hawaiian because I didn’t use spam. If you’re brave, be my guest. I’ll stick with deli sliced ham or Canadian bacon. Fresh pineapple is a must though to achieve that perfect balance of sweet and salty (and spicy with some added sriracha)!

Hawaiian Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS

~2 Tbsp. canola, coconut or peanut oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1/2 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 carrot, peeled and grated
3 large eggs, whisked
4 cups cooked white or brown rice, cold (prepared ahead/leftover refrigerated rice)
1 1/4 cups ham or Canadian bacon, diced
~ 2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2/3 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
fresh cilantro, chopped, to taste
sriracha or crushed red pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Prep all ingredients ahead of time. This is key because once you start cooking, it moves fast!

2. Heat 1/2 Tbsp. oil in a large wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, pepper, garlic, ginger, and carrot and saute for several minutes, until golden and slightly softened. Remove from the pan to a plate and set aside. Return the pan to the heat and lightly coat with cooking spray. Pour the whisked eggs into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost cooked through. (They’ll cook FAST.) Remove the eggs from the pan and set aside on the same plate. Once cooled, break them up into tiny pieces with a knife or fork.

3. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp. oil. Add the rice and spread into a single layer. Cook, only stirring every other minute or so, for 5-8 minutes until the rice is golden and warmed throughout. Add the ham and cook for several more minutes.

4. Stir in the vegetables/eggs that you set aside, 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, the sesame oil, peas, and pineapple. Cook, stirring frequently, for several minutes until warmed throughout. Add the green onions, cilantro, sirracha or red pepper, and adjust seasonings to taste (adding another Tbsp. of soy sauce if necessary). Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

(Adapated from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)

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)

Moroccan Beef Meatball Tagine

February 26, 2014

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My posts have slowed down a bit recently and I don’t anticipate that changing anytime soon. This longggg winter has evolved into a pattern of Clara getting sick, nobody getting sleep, tired me going crazy stuck home in the cold with a sick toddler, escaping out of town to restore my sanity, picking up germs traveling, and the cycle repeats. Are the trips worth it? Absolutely. But I could do with a little health and warmth around here. That’s my excuse anyway for why I’ve been less focused on cooking. It’s happening. I still have some awesome recipes to share. But excuse me if they’re a little less frequent.

Clara and I are headed out of town again next week (home to VA!). And then to Utah again in April for another sister’s wedding. (Poor Dustin gets left behind. But he’s so busy I’m sure we’re hardly missed. Until he’s comes home and has to make microwave his own dinner, that is.) I’m also hoping to sneak up to Ann Arbor sometime in March. We need to see more of this part of the country before we’re gone permanently. (No news on that front. We’re just aware that Dustin finishes residency in June and we’ll be unemployed and homeless if we don’t figure it out soon!)

Our Valentine’s Day didn’t turn out quite as, uh, romantic as expected. Clara was extra sick (since her baseline is sick now-days) and so instead of dinner and a movie out, we stayed in and babysat so our neighbors could go out. I did make pasta (Dustin’s true love) and red velvet cupcakes (recipe shortly!) and we rented a movie after the babes were asleep. So this past weekend we finally made it out to dinner at a Moroccan restaurant I’ve been dying to try. It was a small, funky smelling, hole-in-the-wall, practically under the freeway, but surprisingly charming kind of place. And we weren’t disappointed. The food was fantastic and we’ll be back. But I have to say. I think my own tagine is just as good.

This is my latest attempt at Moroccan food with a tagine consisting of ground beef meatballs simmered with carrots and raisins in a spicy tomato stew. The ingredient list is long, but the method is straightforward and the flavors outstanding. Best served over couscous or with warm pita for soaking up the rich broth.

Moroccan Beef Meatball Tagine

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs:
1 1/4 lbs. ground beef
1/3 cup coarsely grated onion
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 large egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
up to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (I just used a pinch)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Stew:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. tumeric
1/8 tsp. saffron threads, crumbled (recommended, but won’t be ruined without)
1 cup beef broth
28 oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro + extra for garnish
5 oz. baby spinach, chopped
couscous, for serving (I used this recipe but halved the oil)
lemon, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare the meatballs, gently mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Roll the meat into 2-inch round meatballs and place on a baking sheet.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F.

3. Heat oil in a large heavy ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and saute until the onion is soft and browned, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and stir for 2 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes with their juice, and raisins. Bring the stew to a simmer. Carefully add the meatballs to the stew, gently pressing into the liquid to submerge. Sprinkle the cilantro over top. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Bake until the meatballs are cooked through and the carrots are tender, about 35 minutes.

4. Add the spinach to the stew and cook for another 5 minutes, until wilted. Gently stir in the spinach, making sure not to break up the meatballs. Remove the cinnamon sticks and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve over couscous garnish with cilantro and lemon.

Serves 6.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin

January 3, 2011

Since I first posted this pork recipe last January, I’ve probably prepared it half a dozen times (which is record-breaking for me). It’s just that good. It’s hard to find a leaner, juicer, more tender cut of meat. And one  that’s bursting with this much flavor (lemon, garlic, thyme, and rosemary). If you’re thinking that the ingredient amounts look strange (like 1/3 of a lemon), they are. Sorry about that. I reduced the original recipe which called for enough marinade for 3 pork tenderloins. There’s only two of us here and that would be way too much pork, no matter how delicious it is.

1/26/10: This was my juiciest, most flavorful roasted pork tenderloin yet! It must have been the marinade. I’ve never marinated a tenderloin before and it really made a difference! I usually buy thicker cuts of pork (which are technically “tenderloin roasts”) but this time I bought a true tenderloin (long and thin), which allowed for a shorter cooking time and consequently, moister meat. The herbs infused their subtle flavor and the outside had a irresistible crunchy crust from pan-searing. Really, it was wonderful. Another Barefoot Contessa recipe that was a complete success!

Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. pork tenderloin
1/3 lemon, zested
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/6 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
3/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the marinade, in a shallow dish whisk to combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Place the pork tenderloin in a resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and turn to coat. Marinate for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight (I let mine marinate for 8 hours and it was extremely flavorful!).

2. Preheat oven to 400 F.

3. Heat 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the pork tenderloin from the bag and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the pork generously with salt and pepper. Sear the pork in the preheated skillet until brown on all sides.

4. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until an instant read thermometer reads 137 F in the thickest part. (This was Ina’s recommendation, but I found mine to be a bit underdone at this point. You be the judge of how done you want it. Ever so slightly pink is ideal. My tenderloin took about 20-25 minutes to finish cooking. We usually remove it from the oven when it’s between 142-145 F.) When done, transfer to a plate and tent with foil. Let sit 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 2.

(Adapted from Food Network)

Beef Pot Roast with Vegetables

February 26, 2010

I’m on my second year of blogging and much longer cooking and this is the first time I’ve ever made a pot roast! I’m slowly overcoming my feat of meat. Or more appropriately I’ll call it ignorance. Fear usually stems from unfamiliarity and that has been the case with me and meat. Back when I began to take an interest in what I was eating, I knew how to defrost a boneless skinless chicken breast (a whole bird- no way!) and grill or bake it. That was about it. Seafood? Scared me to death. And I stayed away from red meat (besides the occasional chunk of ground beef that I could throw in a skillet) because it was bloody and intimidating. I didn’t even know pork tenderloin existed! So as my tastes have broadened and my culinary skills improved, I’ve worked up the courage to conquer a variety of meats. Certain things I have yet to attempt (I’m still nervous to pay top dollar for a fillet mignon that I might ruin), and some I like to think I have mastered.

This recipe came so highly regarded and seemed so simple that I knew I was destined for success. With Tyler Florence’s guidance I managed to turn a huge hunk of beef into a savory and succulent dinner… tender roast beef swimming in a rich beef jus with soft and flavorful vegetables. I stuffed as many carrots and potatoes as I could into my smallish pot. I don’t have a pretty dutch oven. I wish I did. It would work perfectly here. But fancy equipment or not, when vegetables are slow-cooked in juicy beef drippings the result is amazing. The vegetables almost steal the show. And the gravy, speckled with fresh herbs and escaped flecks of beef, poured generously over top the finished sliced meat, will definitely win you over! While I won’t let myself too attached (since a diet should contain only a little red meat), I’m suddenly very fond of roast beef!

Beef Pot Roast with Vegetables

INGREDIENTS

1 3-4 lb. beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)
1 cup water
2 yellow onions, thickly sliced
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
carrots, peeled and chopped (as many as you can fit in the pot)
Yukon gold potatoes, chopped (as many as you can fit in the pot)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive in a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Sear the beef on all sides in the preheated pan, forming a nice brown crust on the outside.

2. Pour in the tomatoes and water. Add the onion, garlic, celery. Scatter the remaining vegetables and herbs around the pot. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining Tbsp. of olive oil.

3. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking 3-4 hours, basting every 30 minutes or so with the pan juices, until the beef is fork tender. Place beef on a platter surrounded by the vegetables. Slice and serve with the pot juices on the side.

Serves 6-8.

(Adapted from Food Network)