Crispy Pork with Baby Bok Choy

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chicken stock
2 T soy sauce
1 T Mirin rice wine
1 T oyster sauce
1 T dark sesame oil*
1 t hot chili oil, optional*
2 T coconut palm sugar
4 scallions, white and light green part sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 t ginger, minced
2 T peanut oil
1 lb lean ground pork
8 oz to 1 lb baby bok choy, sliced crosswise into 2 inch widths
4 oz snow peas, sliced on the diagonal
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, sliced

for a lighter flavor, omit the chili oil and dark sesame oil. Instead use only 1 1/2 teaspoons of hot sesame oil. The brand I like is Luxuriant.

Garnish: crushed red pepper flakes and 2 scallions, chopped Read More


Roasting Garlic, Two Ways

Garlic bulbThese are my two favorite ways to roast garlic.

The first creates beautifully aromatic individual cloves of garlic that are intended to be consumed whole.

The second melts the clove into a fragrant spreadable garlic that is perfect for slices of chewy Italian bread or for swirling in to your favorite recipe. Read More


Printing Mindfully

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image by David Vignoni and Wikimedia Commons

I have changed a feature of the website that I think will appeal to everyone!

Previously, when you wanted to print a recipe, the entire webpage printed. This is most annoying when all you want is a recipe and maybe a pic of the dish.

You will love the new Print and PDF button that will take care of the problem of wasting printer ink and paper on elements you do not want. Read More


How to Roast Peppers

Pepper roasted

When a recipe calls for roasted red peppers, you may choose to buy them in a jar from your favorite store – or save some money and gain a little culinary confidence by roasting them yourself.

This process works for all peppers. Try roasting poblanos, hatch, and even jalapenos this way, just watch the smaller peppers a little more closely. Do not roast habaneros inside the house. Leave that to the hazmat suited professionals. Read More


Spaghetti Squash Mastery

450px-Spaghetti_Squash_cooked_and_prepared_3 aWinter squash is a vegetable that some people avoid because they are not sure how to cook it. Others give it a pass because the squashes are so very hard, and they are afraid that it would be too difficult to cut. Let’s gain a little cookery confidence by improving our squash skills using the family meal friendly spaghetti squash.

After cooking, have some fun dragging the tines of a fork lengthwise through the squash to remove those long lovely and nutritious strands. Look at that beautiful mountain of squash!

Since you cooked it, you may as well serve it. The easiest way is to drizzle a bit of garlic and olive oil on top – or add a ladle of spaghetti sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Below are eight different ways to cook spaghetti squash. Which one will be right for you? I usually use the whole squash in the oven method because my hands are arthritic and do not work well when I try to cut a hard squash in half. My slow cooker is not big enough for any but a smallish squash, but if it fits yours, it is such an easy method… or I could use the microwave method… Read More


Roasted Poblano Pork Carnitas Pizza

Roasted Poblano Carnitas Pizza sliceMakes two pizzas.

Ingredients:

1 recipe bread flour pizza dough
1/4 cup corn meal

Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup salsa, hot or mild
1 cup tomato puree
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
Optional sauce ingredient: 2 t chopped cilantro

Pizza Toppings:

2 cups leftovers from Pork Carnitas
2 large poblano peppers, roasted (see below)
1 large onion, sliced
1 T vegetable oil
1 lb queso manchego, grated
2 cup Monterey jack, grated
2 t olive oil
Optional toppings: sliced jalapenos, pineapple chunks, or hot red pepper flakes Read More


Wokking Made Easy

BeefBroccoliCarrot Stir FryBefore you slice the veggies and heat up the wok, there are a few things to understand about the Art of Wokkery.

While you can stir-fry in a large tall sided skillet, a wok is a good investment for creating kitchen magic. The veggies spread out and have greater contact with the heating surface in a wok. This helps you to stir up crispy veggies instead of letting them sit in a soggy mess.

You don’t need an expensive wok. I suggest getting one in your local Asian food store. I have seen them on sale there for $10. You might as well pick up an interesting veggie or two while you are there. Read More


How to Boil an Egg

Eggs

It’s easy to make a beautiful hard boiled egg that is perfect for breakfast, a snack, to slice onto a salad, or to create deviled eggs. It all begins with a bit of mindfulness when shopping.

As with all food products, buy the best eggs you can afford. This might mean the daily special in the grocers, or it may mean a trip to the local farmer for a batch of eggs fresh laid this morning by free range chickens. Read More


Mushrooms in Your Kitchen

mushrooms wokBuying Mushrooms

When selecting mushrooms individually, choose firm mushrooms that do not have soft spots, are not wet, and are not bruised. Avoid buying unwrapped mushrooms if the grocer positions them openly on low shelves in just the right place for little children germs to be deposited. Is there a clean metal grabber to use instead of your hands when you pick up the mushroom? If not, that means hands have been all over those mushrooms. If that does not make you squeamish, then enjoy. If this bothers you Read More