Last Night's Dinner #134: Apricot Brown Sugar Roast

This meal was inspired by a slow cook recipe I spotted over at Karina's Kitchen (awesome blog by the way). I don't have a slow cooker so I figured I could still make it work the old fashion way.


I pretty much followed the recipe as far as the ingredients were concerned. Although I didn't have pomegranate juice, so I just used a half carton of beef stock I had sitting in the fridge. It was so good and definitely holiday menu worthy. The brown sugar + apricot preserve combo is a perfect match to the natural sweetness of pork. And the balamic vinegar + spices - fresh rosemary sprigs, oregano, paprika, cinnamon and thyme cut the sweetness so it wasn't like you were having dessert for dinner. I'll definitely be making this one again.



I first browned the loin in olive oil then added the onions, garlic and rosemary midway to try and infuse the loin early on the process (didn't want to add the garlic too early on, because I didn't want to burn it).


I then added the mushrooms and cooked it for a few more minutes then added the stock to prevent the garlic from getting burned.


I Mixed the apricot preserve + spices + salt/pepper and balsamic and poured it over the meat. I also added some more of the preserve as a top coat.



Put the whole thing in the oven for about 2+ hours (300F) until the meat was super tender and can easily fall off using a fork.


I added the brown sugar one hour into it, I'm sure you could add the sugar when you add the apricot mix, but I don't know, I was hesitant because I wanted to taste the sweetness level and control it as much as possible.


It was so good served over rice - I'm sure it would also be good served along side Karen's favorite Butternut Orzo!!

Last Night's Dinner #120: Pork Chops!

I certainly could've grilled, baked or any other healthier alternative... but I thought to myself - WHY? I was craving the juiciness of a tasty pan fried breaded chop (finished in the oven to seal the deal)!

Flour seasoned chops

Dip in egg

Then bread crumbs

Last Night's Dinner #117: Sausage with Peppers & Onions

Easy and tasty. Whole Foods sells the best Sweet or Hot Italian Sausages (meat counter) - the same ones I used for the Sausage and Fennel Special.


This time, I just roasted (broiled) the onions and peppers, drizzled in olive oil and seasoned until nice and tender then roasted the sausages until cooked through and slightly charred on the outside.

So good.

You'll need:
Hot dog buns
1 Vidalia onion sliced
1 Red bell pepper sliced
1 Cubanelle pepper sliced
Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Sweet Italian sausages

Last Night's Dinner #116: Pork Chops with Saté Sauce and Mom's Pickled Cucumber

Alright, I got my cooking mojo back... thanks to the arrival of Gourmet, I was inspired to make Pork Saté (or Satay) with my Mom's Pickled Cucumber Salad!



You'll need:
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
1/2 cup well stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbs of roasted red chile paste (preferebly Thai Kitchen)
2 tbs fish sauce
1 small shallot chopped
1 tbs cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
4 thin bone-in pork chops
lime wedges for garnish

Mom's Pickled Cucumber Salad:
Cucumbers cut into 1/4" slices
three pinches of salt and two pinches of black pepper
equal parts of white vinegar and water
3 tbs sugar


step 1. Take peanuts, coconut milk, chile paste, fish sauce, shallot, vinegar, and sugar and purée in a blender or food processor.


step 2. Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. The sauce will be quite thick, so you can add about 3 tbs of water to it. More if you want it thinner - but you might have to add more fish sauce + sugar to adjust the flavoring. At this point, you might want to squeeze a tiny bit of lime juice to give in an extra zing. I made the sauce a couple of hours before dinner so that the flavors introduce themselves to each other and have time to mingle. I reheated it right before serving.
*it will be a little grainy because of the peanuts. If you want it a little less grainy/chunky, maybe you can substitute half of the peanuts with peanut butter? I haven't tried but I'm sure it would work. Or you could mortar and pestle the peanuts before adding into the processor. I personally didn't mind the texture.


step 3. In the meantime, marinate the cucumbers (I used Kirby) in vinegar/water, salt, pepper and sugar mixture. Make enough of the mixture so it covers the cucumbers. Allow to sit for minimum of 20 minutes. OH and cook the rice!

My mom used to make this all the time, I love it. It's very similar to the pickled carrots and cabbage you sometimes get at Vietnamese restaurants. Sweet and tangy. The crunchy texture is a perfect accompaniment to the pork and rice. Yummy.


step 4. Wash and pat dry the chops then season well with salt and pepper. If you're lucky enough to have a BBQ grill then go ahead and grill as you would normally. If not, use a ridged pan like mine and cook until cooked through or however you like your pork done. It took me about 11 minutes to cook the chops. Depending on how thick your meat is, cooking time will vary. If you don't have a ridged pan, no worries, I'm sure it will taste the same if you cook it on a regular pan!

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Gourmet

How to: Crispy Prosciutto

Crispy Prosciutto is an easy way to dress up a simple salad or an easy way to put a twist on the BLT classic. I love love love a good crispy prosciutto, arugula and tomato sandwich (garlic mayo a major plus!)

Preheat oven to 450F degrees





Gently place prosciutto slices on a baking/cooling rack, careful not to overlap. Bake until crispy, about 7 minutes. Allow to cool, they crisp up even more.

Last Night's Dinner #92: Pork Tenderloin with Savoy Cabbage

Coarse mustard goes so well with pork!



I've made this before, but this time I opted for steamed Savoy Cabbage (Mrs. Hillsy style). It's a winner.

Last Night's Dinner #91: World War II Classic

Last night's dinner was inspired by Bourdain's No Reservation Hawaii episode. My mom used to make this (and canned cornedbeef) all the time when she didn't have time to cook. I haven't had SPAM in lord knows how long and I suddenly had the biggest craving. + Hillsy has never tried it cooked - apparently his mom used to make SPAM sandwiches straight from the can!




I decided to make it three ways - plain, egg-dipped and sugar glazed (my personal fave).


A dish that's low in presentation but high on taste =)

You can't see it on the picture, but I'm soooo Filipino - wish you could see the amount of ketchup that went alongside this!!

Last Night's Dinner #81: Sinigang (Tamarind Soup)

Sinigang [sin-eh-gung] is another Filipino classic. This sour tangy soup stew is traditionally made with pork, shrimp or fish but the leading star is inside this little packet...



Tamarind soup base - I remember fresh tamarinds back in the Philippines but I guess these days it's a lot easier to use powder or tamarind paste.



This recipe is pretty easy and flexible. You'll need:
4 pieces of pork ribs
1 packet of Knorr tamarind soup base (or can be found in any Asian food market)
1 small eggplant (sliced into 1/2" rounds)
1 tomato
a handful of string beans
bakchoy (use Nappa Cabbage if you can't find bakchoy)
1/2 large onion or 1 small onion (cut into quarters)
fish sauce to taste

step 1. Rub salt on the ribs set aside.



step 2. Boil 2 quarts of water, once boiling add 1/2 packet of tamarid soup base, a pinch of salt, 1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce (taste it, you may need to add more salt and fish sauce) and mix.

step 3. Add ribs, 1/2 of the tomatoes and 1/2 of the onions to broth and simmer for about one hour (the longer the more tender it will be) with the lid on - maybe a crack of air so it doesn't overflow.



step 4. In the meantime, boil water in a separate pot (enough to cover the eggplant). Boil eggplants until tender. Drain and set aside.



step 5. Once the meat looks like it can easily be ripped off of the bones, add the rest of your veggies (including eggplant) and bring to a boil. Taste it and make sure that it's sour enough. I prefer mine really really sour so I almost finished the entire packet. You can also add a little more fish sauce if the flavor isn't "deep" enough. Turn off the heat once all of the veggies are tender.



Serve with rice.

Last Night's Dinner #76: Peach Chutney Pork Chops

Tired of the same old pork chops? Dress it up with this zingy peach chutney...





* You may want to play around with the vinegar and preserves ratio, too sweet? add a touch more vinegar and a splash of water. Too acidic? add more preserves etc.

You'll need:
2 to 3 one-inch loin pork chops (bone-in or boneless)
brine solution (1/4 cup kosher salt + 1 quart of water plus)
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
a handful of dried peaches or a bag of frozen peaches (thawed)
1/3 cup peach or apricot preserves
1/8 cup sherry vinegar
1/4 cup of water (not necessary if you're using frozen peaches)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter



step 1. Brine chops in brine solution for 30 minutes. Pat dry and sprinkle with pepper. Why brine?
step 2. Heat up oil in a heavy skillet and cook chops over medium heat, turning once, until browned and just cooked through - don't overcook! (10 minutes). Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.



step 3. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon oil from the skillet. Heat up butter until foaming subsides, add shallots and thyme. Cook until light brown.
step 4. Add vinegar and scrape bottom of the skillet to loosen brown bits.
step 5. Add peaches and preserves. Depending on whether or not you used frozen or dried - you may need to add additional water (add any meat juices from the platter). Season with salt and pepper, about 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. It should be syrupy, not watery.

Spoon sauce over chops.

Last Night's Dinner #73: Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

Here's a great recipe for those of you who want to practice the art of prepping. There's a good amount of prepping and steps, but definitely worth it!



I got this recipe from my favorite Cooking magazine Cook's Illustrated. It's not too different from Karen's No-Fry Fried Chicken recipe. Definitely a hit, super crunchy and full of flavor.

You'll need:
4 boneless center-cut chops (3/4" to 1" thick)
5 slices of hearty white bread - I recommend Pepperidge Farm
1 shallot, minced (2 if you're making potatoes and French beans)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 garlic clove thinly sliced if you're making French beans
2 tbs vegetable oil (3 tbs if you're making potatoes and French beans)
ground black pepper
2 tbs grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves (1 tsp if you're making potatoes)
2 tbs minced fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites
3 tbs Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges

Optional sides:
4 to 5 baby potatoes
handful of French beans

Step 1 (before you do anything)
Brine chops for 30 minutes in a ziplock bag or in a non-reactive container. Mix 1 quart of water with 1/4 cup of table salt and allow chops to sit in the mixture for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, rinse chops in cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Season with ground pepper. Make sure you don't go over 30 minutes, you don't want the chops to become too salty.

WHY BRINE?
Don't skip this step. According to Cook's Illustrated, the center-cut is quite lean and tends to by very dry and chewy when cooked to medium. The salt in the brine breaks down the muscle proteins, allowing them to retain more moisture during the cooking process. So no skipping!

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Adjust oven rack to middle position.



Step 2. Gather your supplies & Prep
Gather a baking rack, 2 baking sheets, 2 large plates (deep ones are best) to be used for the coating process and a pie pan or something similar to hold the batter. Tongs and a whisk would also be helpful to have around.

- Mince (smallest possible cut but not into a paste) shallot(s) and 3 garlic cloves. If making potatoes and green beans, set aside half of the minced shallots and thinly slice (the long way) 1 clove of garlic.
- Grate Parmesan cheese
- Pluck and mince thyme and parsley leaves. Set aside 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme and a pinch of the parsley for the potatoes.
- Separate egg whites and place in pie pan. Add the 3 tbs of Dijon mustard. Set aside. You'll finish the batter later.
- Cut lemon into wedges
- Take 1/4 cup of flour and place into one a large plate.
- Tear the bread slices into 1" pieces then coarsely grind in a food processor (approx 8 pulses). You should have a bout 3 1/2 cups of crumbs.
- cut potatoes into wedges, if making
- trim ends of green beans, if making

Coating:
Transfer crumbs into a rimmed baking sheet. Add in shallots, garlic, 2 tbs of oil, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper or more depending on your taste buds. Toss mixture and bake until deep golden brown (about 15-20 mins). Make sure you toss the crumbs around every 5 minutes or so, so they tan up evenly. Remove from oven but keep the oven on. Cool to room temperature then add cheese, parsley and thyme.



Batter:
Whisk egg whites and mustard together then add in 6 tbs of flour. Whisk until smooth, with small clumps remaining.

At this point, you want to increase your oven temp to about 425 degrees. I forgot to do this and had to pump it up towards the very end. If you forget, don't panick - it still came out ok.

Assemble & Bake:
Set yourself up so that you have the plate of flour, batter, coating and a rack sitting on a baking sheet are all ready.

One chop at a time, dredge in flour; shake of excess. Using tongs, coat with egg batter; let excess drip off. Coat all sides with bread crumb mixture. Press lightly so that a thick layer of crumbs stickes to the chops. Transfer chops to wire rack.

Bake for about 17-25 minutes. I like to turn the chops half-way through so both sides are evenly browned. Allow chops to rest on the rack for 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges. If you have a thermometer, the center of the chops should register 150 F degrees.



SIDES
Green Beans:
Boil water and blanch beans for a minute or so. Blanch - submerge veggies in boiling water for a minute or so then quickly strain and submerge in ice-water. My cold tap water is currently freezing so I didn't need the whole ice-water bit. Dry beans with paper towel. Heat up some olive oil (2 tsp) add thinly sliced garlic and beans and stir-fry for 5 mins.



Potatoes:
You can bake the potatoes at 350 while you're prepping for the chops. Toss wedges with oil, thyme, parsley, shallots and garlic.

Last Night's Dinner #64: A Traditional Filipino Breakfast

Leftover ham is the best and boy do we have plenty left from Thanksgiving night!

Bone-in ham immediately takes me back to my childhood years. I remember my father bringing home a huge ham wrapped in paper for the holidays. The best part for me was knowing exactly what we would be having for breakfast the next day - sugared ham, fried eggs and garlic fried rice.

As you can see, I didn't grow up eating Cheerios for breakfast or pouring milk out of a carton. I grew up eating rice for breakfast and milk was delivered daily in glass bottles. And it was goat's milk, not cow's milk.


This dish is traditionally eaten for breakfast!


Just coat the ham slices with sugar and pan fry with a little bit of vegetable oil. Cook until both sides are nice and dark (caramelized).

Sinangag (Garlic fried rice) is very simple to make. Day old rice works better than freshly cooked rice. If you don't have day old rice - make sure you cool the rice completely then put it it the fridge for at least an hour. You don't want to make this with sticky rice.


Smash three to five cloves of garlic (leave skin on). Heat up a tablespoon of vegetable oil and start cooking garlic. You don't want to burn the garlic. Add the rice and stir frequently. You want drizzle in oil a teaspoon at a time. I find that doing it this way requires less oil and I don't feel so guilty =). I probably end up using 2 tablespoons of oil in total. I also season the rice with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

As for the egg, just fry up an egg until sides are golden brown.

I guess this combination falls into what some would refer to as "Tosilog". Filipinos love making up words and I think there are about 3 types of "-silog" dishes. The term is made up of the three main ingredients. The first syllable stands for the type of meat. The second syllable "si" stands or sinangag (filipino style garlic fried rice) and the "log" stands for itlog (egg).
The three -silog dishes that I'm familiar with are tapsilog (tapa+sinangag+itlog), tosilog (tocino+sinangag+itlog) and longsilog (longganisa +sinangag+itlog).