Sweet & Sour Pork

Sprinkle with soy sauce and bite into deliciousness!

On of my favorite Chinese food dishes is sweet & sour pork. However, I grew up in the Midwest in the '60's and my exposure to Chinese take-out was quite limited, partially because we lived outside the city limits at the time, Chinese take-out restaurants were few and far between in Columbia, MO, and delivery non-existent. A lot also had to do with the fact that my parents (and both sets of grandparents) had huge gardens that supplied not only most of our seasonal food, but was canned/frozen/dried for non-seasonal consumption. 

Eventually, when I was just about ready to head off to college, a very up-scale Chinese restaurant opened and I remember eating there with my family once or twice. Can't remember what I had, but I know it was several steps above your typical take-out. 

Funnily, I was exposed to Japanese cooking over the years as mom brought back cooking ideas from her and dad's time in Japan after dad was through serving in the Korean war, and there were several times we had Japanese exchange students visiting (don't think they lived with us...can't remember) and they would cook us a traditional Japanese dinner. 

When I went to college, I became good friends with Janelle our freshman year. During later college years, Janelle lived in an apartment and that was great, because she was quite the cook!  Sweet & sour pork was one of her specialties - and it was delicious! The recipe below is a bit of her original (40 years on!) recipe, a lot of it comes from a recipe I found on a favorite website of mine The Spruce Eats, and a I was making this with our friend, Alex, who had cooked in the food industry for at least 10 years and really knows his food and how to cook it a lot came from him.

I've always stir-fried the pork that has been cut in strips, but this time I followed The Spruce Eats instructions to chunk the pork, coat it and deep-fry it. Not as healthy, but man, was it good!

This is fantastically tasty!

Amounts and colors of peppers are to your taste, onions as well. 

for the pork and it's marinade: 

2 - 2 1/2 lbs. pork, cut into chunks (I used boneless chops)

4 T. soy sauce

2 T. rice vinegar

1/2 t. Chinese 5-spice powder, or substitute with (what I did): 1/4 t. each of ground ginger, ground cloves & ground cinnamon

1/2 t. white pepper

2 t. garlic powder or 4 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

6 T. corn starch

2 T. white flour

Combine all ingredients through eggs in a ziploc bag and shake to mix well. In a small container, combine the egg, corn starch and flour and mix well - a stick blender does the trick nicely. Mix this into the marinating pork and shake and turn bag so pork is evenly coated with all the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, shaking every once in a while. 

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for the sweet & sour sauce: 

1 C. water

1/2 C. Heinz catsup

1/3 C. rice vinegar in a 1/2 C. measuring cup

cider vinegar to the top of the 1/2 C. measuring cup of rice vinegar

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 heaping T. corn starch mixed with 1 T. water

cayenne to taste

Put all ingredients in a saucepan and mix well before you turn on the stove heat. Once heat is on, stirring constantly, bring sauce to a boil then turn heat down and simmer until sauce is thickened. Set aside. 

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for the deep-fry and final stir-fry: 

3 or so C. oil to deep-fry the pork (I used a Fry Daddy)

2 T. additional cooking oil for the stir-fry

3 cloves garlic, coarse chopped

1 medium onion, coarse chopped

1 red pepper, coarse chopped

1 1/2 green pepper, coarse chopped

1 fresh, cored pineapple, each ring cut into at least 8 chunks

soy sauce, to taste

2 C. basmati rice, cooked according to package directions

soy sauce for the table

Heat the Fry Daddy and when hot, slide the pork chunks in (in batches) and deep-fry till golden brown, but not cooked through, about 3 minutes. Line a plate or sheet with some paper towels and let pork drain there when done. Set aside.

Heat some oil in a wok or large skillet (what I used) and add the garlic and onion. Stir-fry for a minute or two and add the peppers, pineapple and pork. Mix all together and pour on all the sweet & sour sauce. Cook until pork is done, the veggies cook through and the pineapple hot. Serve over hot basmati rice w/soy sauce on the table. 

all that deliciousness just before the s&s sauce is added

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YUM!

'till we feast again!

xoabb 

Lemon Garlic Onion Peas Chicken Thighs

In the iron skillet just before serving

GB thinks he hates chicken. Well...ok, chicken breasts are rather boring and easily over-cooked. Chicken thighs? Not so much. On hand, I had boneless, skinless thighs, and while I don't normally buy them - much prefer skin-on and bone-in - I made do! I also used my not-that-new-go-to True Lemon Crystals - no lemons in the house at the time this was made - but always a bottle of True Lemon - and it's a perfect substitute for fresh lemons! I also had no chicken stock or bullion so substituted the beef stock that was on hand. Results were delicious!

Found this recipe on the website Life as a Strawberry, adapted it a bit, and here it is! Delicious - and even better the next day! (Even chicken-hater GB agreed!)

extra virgin olive oil for sauteeing. 

2 lbs. or so boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or whatever cut of chicken you have on hand)

salt & pepper to taste

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 - 5 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped, or 2 t. dried thyme

1 large lemon, or 1 T. or so TRUE Lemon crystals

1 1/2 C. or so chicken stock (I used beef stock as I had no chicken stock)

1/2 - 1 package frozen baby peas

rice or egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

Preheat oven to 400º.

Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe (iron skillet) pan over medium heat. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken thighs in the hot pan and sear for about 4-5 minutes per side, until browned. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. Return pan to stove over medium-high heat and add more olive oil if needed. Add onion and garlic to the pan and saute until the onion is translucent and has started to caramelize, about 4-5 minutes. Add olive oil if needed. Add thyme to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Either juice the lemon, removing seeds and add to the pan (lemon zest as well if you like), or add your True Lemon crystals. Stir to combine. Add the chicken/beef stock. Bring to a low boil and return the seared chicken thighs to the pan. Spoon the juices over the thighs and add the frozen peas, amount to your taste. Stir so the peas are coated in the sauce. Place the pan in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes more until the chicken is cooked through (use a meat thermometer for accuracy). Serve over rice (what we did) or egg noodles.

YUM!

'till we feast again! 

xoabb

Two Orzo Salads...and One (rerun) Rice Salad - that are REALLY Good

orzo w/roasted veggies, feta and pine nuts

Our wonderful goddaughter, Hailey, had a combined 25th birthday party and "We're leaving the East Coast and Moving to San Francisco" party this past Saturday night for around 70 of her and her Peter's nearest and dearest folks. 

Needless to say, her mom and all of us were all knee-deep in food preparation! While Jules (and daughters Hailey & Lauren) took care of the protein side of the meal, my crew took care of the salads! Daughter Brynnly, old nanny Sheila (who has been in the family for around 30 years now), other-daughter Kat and I rocked out 4 salads! I made the top roasted veggie salad, Sheila made the lemony orzo salad with cucumber and feta, Brynnly and I made the panzanella salad (photos were horrid, not going there!) and we all made the confetti rice & veggie salad (recipe also here). Nice thing about all of these salads is they can be changed to make bigger and/or smaller amounts to fit the number of folks you're feeding. 

2 eggplants, cut into 1" cubes
1 each green, orange and yellow peppers, cut into 1" cubes
2 red peppers, cut into 1" cubes
1 large red onion, cut into 1" cubes
4 garlic cloves, diced
2 lbs. orzo, cooked to perfection, and drained
1 lb. block of feta, chuncked
more crumbled feta to taste
1/2 C. or so toasted pine nuts
zest of 2 lemons
juice of 2 lemons
handful of fresh basil leaves, julienned
olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425º.
Place all veggies in a  bowl and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread over 1 or 2 cookie sheets and put in the oven. Roast for around 40 or so minutes, until veggies are well and done.  In a large bowl, combine the cooked orzo and veggies. Just before serving, stir in the feta chunks, pine nuts and basil. Dress the salad with lemon juice and olive oil. Stir to mix, taste to correct seasonings.
Serve at room temperature.

(Original recipe from Sarah Leah Chase)

orzo w/feta, red onion, cucumbers, parsley & mint

1 lb. orzo, cooked and drained, al dente

olive oil to lightly coat the pasta

juice and zest of 1 to 2 lemons, your choice

1 large English cucumber, seeded and diced

1/2 red onion, diced

handful fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 - 1 C. or so crumbled feta cheese

handful fresh mint, chopped (optional)

salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Toss cooked pasta with the rest of the ingredients. Taste and correct seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Original recipe from Fork Knife Swoon

Confetti Rice Salad
I originally posted this salad recipe back on July 5, 2016. It's basically the very same salad, but one uses only red peppers, while this one has yellow and orange peppers as well. The first one uses a purple onion, this one doesn't. Amazing how the ingredients are nearly the same, but they look entirely different! 1st recipe/photo here.

4 C. cooked and still warm Basmti rice

2 recipes (plus more) "Our Favorite Vinaigrette"

1 red pepper, diced

1 orange or yellow pepper, diced (or both)

1 medium red onion, diced

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 package frozen petite peas, not thawed

handful fresh dill, chopped

handful fresh basil, julienned

handful fresh parsley, chopped

Put warm rice in a big bowl and toss with 1 recipe of "our favorite vinaigrette".  After the rice cools, mix in the veggies and toss with more vinaigrette. Taste and correct for seasonings.

This calls for at least 2 recipes of "Our Favorite Vinaigrette".

"Our Favorite Vinaigrette"

2 T. Dijon mustard

8 T. red wine or balsamic vinegar

2 t. sugar

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1/2 C. or so olive oil

Whisk all together to combine.

Original recipe, tweaked a lot by my sis and I, from The Silver Palate Cookbook by Sheila Lukens and Julee Rosso

As for the Panzanella, that's a recipe in the making....not worth posting....yet!

~~~

YUM!

'till we feast again! 

xoabb

Confetti Rice & Veggie Salad

Confetti Rice & Veggie Salad inspired by The Silver Palate

This is one of my very favorite salads! Major yum going on here. My sis, Carrie, discovered the original recipe in The Silver Palate Cook Book by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins. They called theirs Rice and Vegetable Salad and you can find the original recipe here.  While the original is delicious, over the years my sis and I have tweaked it so it's perfection for us! It's always a hit whenever and wherever we serve it. And, if you add poached and shredded chicken breast meat, you have yourself one fine meal - perfect for a special luncheon! Notes: Basmati is by far our very favorite rice. It has a wonderful nutty smell and flavor, and if you rinse it before cooking it, it's never sticky! The original "Our Favorite Vinaigrette" recipe calls for adding minced fresh parsley or chives to taste. While we'll do that for regular salads, because the salad already has parsley, basil and dill in it, we don't add it the dressing for this salad.

I made this for yesterday's family 4th of July celebration. 

There was nothing left for me to take home... :-(

4 C. cooked and still hot basmati white rice

2 recipes "Our Favorite Vinaigrette" (below)

1 C. more or less red pepper, cored and chopped into confetti-type pieces

1 box frozen petite peas - add frozen to the salad

1/2++ C. purple onion, diced and then rinsed off (kills the sulfur taste and smell)

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, green tops too and then rinsed off

1 shallot, minced and rinsed (optional)

1 handful fresh parsley, chopped

1 handful fresh dill, chopped

1 handful fresh basil, chopped

salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

1/4 C. balsamic vinegar (optional - I rarely add, sis usually does)

You can add, and we always do for a buffet or luncheon:

1 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been poached and shredded (or use a rotisserie chicken)

Put cooked and still hot rice in a very large bowl and pour 1 recipe of "Our Favorite Vinaigrette" over it. (If you're including chicken, this is the time to add it to the rice.) Toss thoroughly and allow to cool to close to room temperature. (Warm/hot rice absorbes the dressing brilliantly.)

After rice has come to room temperature, add the rest of the ingredients, except the balsamic vinegar, and toss again. I find tossing with your hands is the very best way to mix everything together. Taste and correct seasonings, using more of "Our Favorite Vinaigrette" and the balsamic vinegar if you want. 

"Our Favorite Vinaigrette"

1 T. Grey Poupon mustard

1/4 C. red wine vinegar (Sclafani and Pompeian are my favorite brands)

1 t. sugar

1/2 t. each salt & fresh ground pepper

1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil

Whisk all but the oil together. Continue to whisk while slowly drizzling in the oil until dressing is thickened. A stick blender works wonders doing this. 

Serves 6 - 8 generously.

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YUM!

'till we feast again! 

xoabb

Mushroom Risotto

Mushroom Risotto Topped w/Parsley

I've never attempted to make risotto - frankly it scared me! So, last Saturday I decided to try and conquer my fears and attempt to make an edible mushroom risotto. Since it was only George Brynnly and me eating, I knew if necessary I could throw the whole thing out if it turned out to be horrid. All three of us were pleasantly surprised it wasn't horrid - it was delicious! I found the recipe on the SimplyRecipes.com website. And now, without further ado, here's the throw n go: 

2 T. butter
2+ C. mushrooms (I used a large package of pre-sliced white mushrooms)
2/3 C. vermouth (or brandy)
5 - 8 C. stock (I used a bit of chix bullion and the rest beef as that’s all I had)
1/3 C. minced shallots or onion
2 C. arborio rice
1/3+ C. parmesan cheese (good quality)
salt & fresh-ground pepper to taste
2 T. chopped parsley

Bring stock to a simmer in a sauce pan. Melt butter in a deep, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and shallots/onions and sauté about 5 minutes, or until the onion/shallots are transparent. (If using fresh chanterelles, dry sauté first for a minute or two and let the mushrooms cook in their own juices before adding the butter.) Add the rice and stir to combine. Add vermouth or brandy, bring to a boil, and reduce liquid by half, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add simmering stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring to keep the rice from sticking to the edges of the pan. Stir the rice almost constantly — stirring sloughs off the starch from the rice, making the creamy sauce you’re looking for in a risotto. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. This process will take about 25 minutes. The rice should be just cooked and slightly chewy. Taste it! Stir in the parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with the parsley. Serves 6 - 8.

If you have left-overs, form them into patties, coat in panko breadcrumbs if desired, and sauté in butter till nicely browned. Top with some parmesan - and if you have it (I didn't), a bit of marinara sauce:

risotto rice cakes - packed for tomorrow's lunch,
along with chicken tetrazzini, there in the left-hand corner

Our meal:

hickory-fired strip steaks, oven-roasted broccoli, mushroom risotto

~~~

YUM!

'till we feast again! 

xoabb

Shrimp & Bay Scallop...umm...Scampi?

Shrimp & Bay Scallop....well....Scampi?

My entire grocery shopping list is totally and completely dependent on what is on sale (and, no, this doesn't seem to save me any money...dammit!). This week, much to my shock, jumbo shrimp were on sale for half their usual hefty price. So into the cart 2 lbs. went! Must say, I've never been very good with shrimp as we didn't have it a lot growing up as dad was allergic to it, and most of my basic cooking I learned from the years I lived at home. 

The only way I ever remembered having shrimp for dinner was boiled with seasonings, then thrown in the middle of the table (on a cookie sheet of course) and peeled by those of us who were enjoying the meal (only served when daddy was out of town). There probably was dipping sauce...but I really don't remember. DO remember what a wonderful meal it always was! 

At work today, I found Emeril's shrimp scampi recipe on foodnetwork.com so thought I'd try it. Got home, started making the recipe (no, I generally don't read through a recipe and pre-measure/prep everything, nor do I Clean-As-I-Go, much to my daughters' irritation) and realized it didn't really fit.  (Who the hell has the time to make ~shrimp stock~, whatever that is, an hour before dinner???) Here's what happened:

The T'nG:

butter, or, if you want to be healthy, olive oil

1 1/2 lbs. jumbo shrimp

1 lb. bay scallops

4 or 5 finely chopped garlic cloves

1 - 2 lemons, juiced 

at least 3/4 cup white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)

(a bit of sugar if mix is too sour - optional)

about a 1/2 cup half & half cream

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish

2 Tablespoons cold butter

Basmati rice, cooked to package directions

Steamed broccoli (what was our side dish)

Clean, devein and season shrimp well with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté skillet over medium high heat. When pan is hot, add enough butter/oil to lightly coat pan. Add the shrimp in one layer and sauté until just turning pink, turn over and sauté a bit longer, till pink but not cooked through. Turn down the heat and add a bit more oil/butter and gently sauté the garlic for about a minute. Add the wine and lemon juice and set aside. In another skillet, heat it over medium high heat and warm up a bit more canola oil. Throw the scallops in the pan and cook until they begin to release their juices. When they've done that, drain them in a colander over the skillet with the garlic and wine so their juices all combine. Set the scallops aside. Bring the garlic/wine/lemon pan back to the heat, bring to a gentle simmer and reduce to at least half. After the alcohol has evaporated off, taste and if it's too tart, add a sprinkling of sugar. Add the cream and when that's warm, throw in the shrimp, scallops, parsley and 2 tablespoons butter. Heat through. Throw on more parsley for garnish and serve.

We served it over the rice with broccoli on the side. 

~~~

YUM!

'till we feast again!
xoabb

Pork Chops w/Pineapple Fried Rice

The Pork Chops w/the Sauce & Onions Part
(click on the above photo to see 3 more)
(or just go to P-Dub's to see really good photos)

Smart girl that I am, when I see a particulary appealing recipe, I want to EAT it! And pretty much immediately. Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman/P-Dub for the 3 folks in the USofA that don't know who she is) posted a recipe for pork chops with grilled pineapple fried rice the other day that looked so darn good, I couldn't wait to try it. It didn't disappoint. Not in the least! Now don't go and compare my camera work to Ms. Drummond - there is absolutely no contest as to who is the better photographer - just do yourself a favor and visit the recipe link above or here to see her step-by-step pictures.

I followed all of P-Dub's recipe except the veggies in the fried rice (yup, that's the T'nG). I couldn't find the jarred pimentos (was at Whole Foods and they don't carry any), so for color, I added corn and 3 carrots. Delicious!

The T'nG:

1/2 whole pineapple, cut into spears

2 cups white (or brown) basmati rice

3 carrots, quartered length-wise and then cut so size is same as peas and corn

4 - 6 boneless pork chops

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil

1 whole large sweet onion sliced, quarter slices (or slice from top to bottom - I like that better)

6 tablespoons reduced salt soy sauce (more to taste, or if more liquid is needed)

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 whole eggs

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

2 tablespoons soy sauce (additional)

Throw carrots in with the rice and then cook the rice according to package directions. (The brand of basmati I use calls for cooking 2 cups rice in 8 cups water and then drain when done.)

Grill  pineapple spears until they have good grill marks on all sides. When cool enough to handle, cut spears into bite-size chunks and set aside. Heat butter and oil over medium high heat, then add the pork chops to the pan. Saute on both sides until they have nice color. Throw in the sliced onions and work them into the crevices between the chops. Shake the pan and move the onions around and let them cook for a good couple of minutes.

When the onions are beginning to soften, add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey and sriracha. Shake the pan, stir it around, and let it cook and bubble up for a good couple of minutes until the chops and onions look like the above photo and to chops are done. Remove chops to a bowl, the let the cause cook another minute or two. Taste and correct seasoning of sauce. When satisfied, pour sauce over the chops and set all aside.

Add a small amount of oil to the same pan (without cleaning it) and return it to the stove top over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir it around, then crack in the eggs and immediately stir them to scramble them a bit. Add the peas and corn and a couple additional tablespoons soy sauce. Add the cooked and drained rice and carrots and stir all until well blended and veggies are cooked through. Add the pineapple bites and gently give the fried rice a final stir.

To serve, pile rice on the plate, top with a pork chop and onions and drizzle some of the sauce over all.

YUM!

~~~

'till we feast again!
xoabb