Lechon Asado - Citrus Marinated Roast Pork

This smells WONDERFUL in my oven at the moment. So I must admit my blog is a bit premature because I have not even eaten the pork yet but I'm fairly certain it'll be a hit. Overall it was very easy to make and inexpensive as well.

1/4 cup finely chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspooon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (2-lb) boneless center cut pork loin roast, trimmed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks.
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- Combine the first 8 ingredients into a large zip close plastic bag. Add the pork to the bag. Squeeze the air out and seal the bag. Turn to coat. Refrigerate for about 3 hours, turning bag occasionally.

- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place a rack in a large roasting pan and spray the rack with nonstick spray.
*Note: I used a roasting pan but didnt have a rack that was quite right so I skipped that part. Still sprayed nonstick spray, but put the pork directly in the pan.

- Remove the pork from the plastic bag and place on the rack (*or in the pan*). Sprinkle the pork with salt/pepper. Spray carrots with olive oil nonstick spray (or drizzle olive oil) and arrange them around the pork. Road until carrots are tender and pork registers 160F for medium.
*Note: I also cut up small red potatoes, seasoned them up with salt/pepper and other herbs, then added it with the carrots around the pork.

- When pork is done, transfer to cutting board and stand for 10 minutes. Then cut and serve.
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When you make the marinade, then especially when you are cooking the pork, your kitchen will smell SO GOOD. The orange juice/lime juice and the garlic and cumin and red pepper flakes makes such a yummy smell.

The timer just beeped! Time to go check it and so here goes nothin'! ;) Yum!

Fruit Salad with Mint

Really wanted something sweet and cool on this HOT evening to go along with my fried fish.....I remembered wanting to make fruit with mint. I googled recipes and found this and made it! SO GOOD. Try it - with any seasonal fruit you can find. The almond extract in it is amazing and adds just a hint of yumminess. Also I have a TON of mint in my yard so it was pretty convenient to use...

Oh yeah.....I just bought little containers of the fruit, I didnt pay attention to the actual measurements according to the recipe. For this you can't go wrong!

INGREDIENTS

1 pt strawberries
1 pt blueberries
1 mango peeled, sliced (I got presliced from Trader Joes :-)
1 peach peeled and cubed. (I left this out completely, no ripe ones at the store. . . )
1/8 cup simple syrup (Instructions below)
1/4 cup lime juice (about 3 limes)
1/2 cup fresh mint chopped
1/8 tsp almond extract

Chop and mix fruit as desired.

SIMPLE SYRUP

Equal parts water & sugar. Boil water and then mix in sugar until dissolved fully. Remove immediately from heat then cool completely.
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In a blender combine chopped mint, simple syrup, lime juice and almond extract. Blend together then pour over fruit. Refrigerate (overnight is great for flavors to meld) for at least an hour and serve!

It was YUM!!! Hope you enjoy!

Beer Battered Fish

Beer Batter

1 (12 oz) bottle beer
2 cups all purpose flour
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Pepper
About 1 1/2 lbs flaky white fish (I used Tilapia .... Cod works, so does Ruffy, Halibut, etc.)
Cut fish into strips about 1" wide and between 4-6" long

In dutch oven or large deep skillet, heat canola oil (or just whatever frying oil you want to use) to 375 degrees F.

In large bowl pour 1 large bottle of beer. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour into the bowl (sifting prevents lumps), whisk gently until combined. Stir in salt, pepper and garlic pepper (just pinches to taste...probably about 1 tsp each or so).

Pat fish dry, coat both sides with salt/pepper. Coat fish in batter, then dredge in the rest of the flour (it says 1/2 cup but I used more than that for the 2nd dredge...) and then put in oil (gently). Do it in batches, not too many pieces of fish in the oil at once. about 4 to 5 minutes per piece of fish. Until golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Transfer done fish to paper towel covered plate or pan to drain off oil.

Season with more salt when finished and still hot....!

We loved this! The oil turns a bit brown towards the end so you might want to switch out to fresh oil if you are doing a large batch.

We LOVE Malt Vinegar and tarter sauce.... =) French fries are a great pair with fried fish of course.....

Miso Soup - Homemade that is....

If you don't already know, Miso Soup is the broth based soup that you order at a Japanese restaurant and it comes in a little bowl. Sometimes if you don't stir it up it looks a bit cloudy, it's very salty, has chunks of tofu and green leafy things floating around in it. Even as I type that - I admit I do always order it while out for sushi. Though, after I tasted my surprisingly easy homemade Miso soup, I'm not sure that I can go back to ordering restaurant style again.

Also, I encourage you to try to make your own Miso at home, especially if the primary reason you don't like it is because of the overwhelming salty nature of the dish. When homemade, you have the ability to control the sodium and your additional veggies or even meats if you prefer(I'll skip the tofu, please!) which can make a world of difference.

I found the recipe in one of my standard cook books that I use for almost everything and thought, what the heck! I'll give it a shot. I was inspired by my friend and co-worker Brianna who told me I should try to cook with seaweed, in response to my last post. It got me on the sushi/japanese kick. :) I'll make it to sushi soon!

I had to go to Lassens in Santa Maria to find the Udon Noodles and Miso but it was worth it. Here's the recipe, then I'll give some more tips at the end.

INGREDIENTS

6 oz udon noodles
5 cups reduced sodium veggie broth (if you dont want to do the math at the grocery store, or make your hubby do it like I did, I'll save you the time - it's just shy of 3 standard cans)
1/4 cup light miso
1/2 medium head bok choy, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper seeded and cut into strips
1/4 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded & caps thinly sliced
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon rice or white wine vinegar (as I typed this I realized I LEFT OUT the vinegar - woops!)

DIRECTIONS

- Cook Noodles according to package directions; drain in a colander. Rinse the noodles under cold running water, drain and set aside.

- Meanwhile, whisk together the broth and miso in a large saucepan. Add the bok choy, bell pepper and mushrooms; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are just tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in reserved noodles, scallions and vinegar. Serve at once.

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Things I learned:

My cookbook had this helpful hint:

"Miso is a fermented soy paste which is found in the refrigerated section of Asian markets, natural-foods stores and some supermarkets. If you have a choice between light and dark miso, go for the light variety - it's milder and less salty."

I found a light yellow variety of Miso in the back fridge section of Lassens and I found Udon Noodles (the thicker kind) in Lassens also but in the sunroom space with the Asian foods. Prices weren't too bad, not too cheap but my whole recipe made a ton of soup - 5 cups of broth plus the noodles and veggies added lots of volume. Lots of left over and great for the next day @ lunch.

Also - play around with your ingredients! As long as you have the base of the Miso and broth - then add what you want. I ONLY did bok choy and scallions. The mushrooms were a bit pricey this week for me and I am not a fan of bell peppers. But you could add some meat, or some other veggies anything you like! It is not too salty at all, very mild and more of an actual flavor. Give it a try! You also dont have to do noodles if you aren't a fan of them.

P.S. You use so little of the miso I was wondering what to do with the rest before it goes bad. Well the lid has a salad dressing recipe! I'm definately going to try it. If you look close enough on the picture you can read it too, :) If you try this soup - let me know! What do you put in it?

Ingredients.....Give me Input!

So I was thinking...one of the most common comments I get from friends and family members regarding my cooking is something about how they would have never thought to try a certain ingredient  (or try to make a recipe because of an ingredient in it) .... or that they are too afraid to try it or they would never know what to even do with it. (Whatever "it" happens to be)

I'm not entirely sure where all of my gusto for cooking comes from, or my willingness to experiment. I know that I owe a lot of it to my mom. Growing up, we did not go out to eat hardly at all. So she cooked a lot! As I was older I noticed more and more how she entertained and loved to have people over and I started to observe how much food is a part of people's lives. Admit it. Even if you aren't a "cook", you love to eat! And if you don't love to eat, or don't want to admit it, then I think you have a whole separate problem. Perhaps my problem is I love to cook AND love to eat. Sigh....okay I digress.

Another aspect that makes up my love for cooking and my willingness to experiment is the shows I watch on Food Network. Yes, I mean those 30 minute, sometimes (okay most of the time) cheesy shows that are just about people cooking. Most people can't stand shows like that. I happen to love them! I recently realized the correlation between my cooking risks and my TV watching. You see, a lot of the fear behind not trying to use an ingredient or use a certain cooking / preparation technique comes from the unknown of it all. But once you see people on TV doing it over and over again, you realize it's not too hard. Some things are a bit tough still, but at least I've seen someone doing it rather than just reading it on a page and thinking "that sounds too hard". So, I've learned a lot from Food Network. (hmmm do I have to pay them for that? Perhaps they should pay me for that shameless plug....)

So now I've come to the main reason I started this post in the first place. I want to hear from YOU! Yes.....the small handfull of you who actually read my blog. Or maybe there are more of you who are silent readers. Well.....please don't be silent anymore :) I want you to leave me a comment and tell me the ingredient that you are most afraid or cautious of using. Whether it is because it seems scary, or you just don't know what the heck to do with it, or maybe it's a cooking technique that you aren't sure about. Tell me! What I'm thinking is I can pick some of the ingredients you all mention and either give you ideas of ways I've used them before....OR if I've never tried them, then maybe I will and then I'll post my experience for you to see.....then it won't be so bad for you to try after all. :)

I can't wait to "hear" what you all have to say!

Fresh from the garden!

Short and sweet, but basically I am just so happy! My little babies, all grown up.

From this:

To THIS:

I put these in my Pork & Hominy Stew tonight and it was delicious. My yellow squash are just about ready to start picking also....and I was peeking tonight and there's already 2 more zuchini ready to pick and some red tomatoes! Yum....

:)

Dinner Time - Pork & Hominy Stew

This was another one of those recipes I consistently flipped past in one of my favorite cookbooks. It didn't have a picture. Plus it had words like "Hominy" in it. I had used Hominy once before but overall I was just never drawn to make this recipe. Something changed this week....and I thought I'd give it a whirl. Maybe it was the word "Stew" and the looming weather reports threatening clouds and rain. (which by the way, I saw the clouds, but no rain, and um...it was kind of warm...?) Didn't turn out to be stew weather. Getting done with a work out, being hot, tired and sweaty....the thought of making and eating stew was the last thing I wanted. But I had to do it! The 2 lb pork loin was already fully defrosted so I had no choice.... (some of you cooks out there understand the dilema of the already thawed meat that you just have to use....don't you? I know I'm not alone....) 

So, I'll start with the recipe. Then I'll tell you what I added to make it my own. ;)

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup water

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin, trimmed & cut into 1 inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt

3 carrots cut into 1 inch pieces

1 (14 1/2 oz) can reduced sodium chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can white or yellow hominy, rinsed and drained (So Hominy, if you aren't familiar with it, is almost like a corn kernel. It's a bit more dense but it's almost like a starch in a way, like a bean texture? It adds a mild but delicious flavor and texture. You can find it in most mexican food isles. You just rinse and drain it like a can of beans. Don't be afraid to try "Strange" ingredients!) Below is a pic of it draining after I rinsed. You can see that it does look like little corn - but it does not taste like corn so don't let that fool you!

OKAY: So here's the thing. I forgot to buy cilantro at the store this weekend! I was very disapointed because I love cilantro. So, I had to leave it out. It ended up being just fine though!

Also - I was itching for a way to use my fresh zuchini from my garden so I cut up 2 medium sized green zuchini into chunks and put it in after the carrots were soft (see recipe steps further down). It was yummy!

Last - I also added a can of drained and rinsed black beans at the simmer step (YUM) and another 1/2 to 3/4 of a can of chicken broth for extra liquid since I was adding more veg with the beans and zuchini. Turned out perfect I dare say. :)

COOK

1. Puree onion, cilantro, water, garlic, oregano and cumin in a blender; set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a nonstick dutch oven (or large stock pot), add pork and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. About 4 minutes. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften. About 2 minutes. (here is where I added zuchini)

3. Add reserved onion mixture and the broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (added beans here and also extra broth), partially covered, until poark and carrots are fork tender. About 30-40 minutes. Stir in the hominy and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

~~I decided to slice up some corn tortillas and toss them in olive oil, salt, garlic powder, a pinch of chili powder and pinch of cumin and put them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degree heat for about 20 minutes (check every so often) until crispy. Whala! Instant tortilla crisps for topping.

~~I topped my soup with the tortilla crisps, some avocado and that was all I needed. I suspect when Caleb comes home he will probably add sour cream. You could also add some chopped tomatoes or green onions. The cilantro would sure come in handy. I did miss it personally but I don't think the recipe lacked without it at all. It was very filling, full of protein, low in fat, easy and fast to make. I was very surprised at how good it was, and the pork in a stew was a nice change from the usual suspects of beef or chicken.

Here are some pics, I know the one below of it simmering doesn't look terribly appetizing....but I put it up there anyways so that ... a) you can see I actually do make this stuff and b) to use as a guide in case you do make this, you can see if yours looks like mine or not. Maybe that's good or maybe that's bad, who knows.... :)

Turkey Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries

Last night was home made turkey burgers & home made sweet potato fries for dinner. Super easy, healthy, and yummy. :) I put Caleb in charge of mixing up the meat. No specific recipe for this one - I always change it up with whatever I have in my pantry or fridge. Any flavors I feel like, but I just make sure to put enough flavor since it's very lean ground Turkey .... and I always put an egg in to mix up. It acts as a great binding agent to hold the burgers together while cooking. You can also add a little bit of bread crumbs with the egg for extra umph. So, this is what Caleb came up with, for the most part.

Salt

Pepper

Dried Cranberries

Trader Joes "Soyaki" sauce

Egg

"21 Seasoning" (See pic)

And I'm not sure what else. Seems so simple, if that really was it then that's awesome. I wasn't home to watch him do it either...so we'll just take his word for it.

Mix it up really well, then form into patties. I got 5 patties out of about 1 lb of ground meat. I cook them on the stove top in a skillet but if you want to BBQ then go ahead! :) Roughly 4-5 minutes per side, I can tell when they are done by pushing slightly with my spatula on the top of the patty and when the juices run clear that's a good sign it's done.

We topped our patties with fresh spinach leaves, tomatoes, and I put ketchup/mayo and Caleb used BBQ and Dijon Mustard. The burgers were really juicy though! And as odd as the dried cranberries may seem.....just add them. They add a great slightly sweet little pop of flavor and you're not even sure what it's coming from until you remember what's in them. For buns, we are big fans of the super thin "orowheat" brand, or I think I bought another brand that was on sale (check out the picture) .... less bread so I know it seems like you're getting jipped. But it's a bit healthier and you still get the feeling of eating bread with a burger. Just our preference :)

NOW - for the sweet potato fries. I LOVE LOVE LOVE sweet potatoes. A lot of people get confused. Sweet potato. Yam. Sweet potato. Yam. They are different! Very different! A yam for instance, dark skin and bright orange flesh. This is that thing that you get served sliced open with butter and brown sugar dripping from it.(yummmy by the way) It's also the thing that people bake with marshmallows on top for Thanksgiving meals. HOWEVER.....a sweet potato is actually with the consistancy of a potato. Skin looks like a regular potato skin. The shape is normally longer than a normal baking potato shape and it tends to be irregular and funky looking. Here is a great article on sweet potatoes http://www.sheknows.com/articles/803254/sweet-potato-nutrition-cooking-sweet-potatoes

So what I like to do is peel the sweet potato then slice it in a way that it resembles french fry shape. Personally, we prefer the thicker "steak cut" fry shape. Then you can kind of season how you like, be creative! I like to mix them up with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Play around with dried herbs too though, I have had these fries with herbs in restaurants and it was good!  Then I bake at a very high heat, 400 or so, for about 40 minutes until they are good and crispy. Or less time if you like them a bit softer. Anyways, they are tasty, and good for you! A great substitute for regular potato fries. Try it :)

Dinner Time - is Breakfast Time! :-)

Well....not much in the grocery budget this week so I ran short on groceries by today. Good thing pay day is tomorrow! That meant that tonight was breakfast for dinner! Which by the way I love anyways, not just because my fridge was empty.

Caleb was home, which was nice, and he helped me out..... 1) because I burnt the pancakes last time I made them (I think that it's kind of like doing garlic bread. I seem to just burn it each time!) and 2) I'm sick....or getting sick. What the heck? But that's another story I suppose. So either way I was just happy to have company in the kitchen.

Caleb gets into cooking and kind of "goes all in". So.....how can you do that for breakfast consisting of the standard bacon, eggs and pancakes? Well, make a berry reduction sauce....duh! Right....LoL. Well it was very yummy. We had some frozed mixed berries in the freezer that we mixed with water, sugar and some cornstartch and boiled away 'till it was nice and thick. That topped off our pancakes.

As for the pancakes, well I just used boxed baking mix....gotta love it! I had exactly 1 cup of it left, thankfully just enough for the minimal serving. We baked the bacon instead of frying it....nice alternative. The bacon, which I don't normally have on hand....happened to be buy 1 get 1 free at Vons a few weeks ago so I figured it would come in handy.

At the end of all of that....this is our dinner.... =)

Gotta love the nights where you just eat everything that's left in your pantry! ;-)

We'll see what next week holds.....depends on what is on sale at the grocery store....

I'm going to take night time cold medicine and pass out in bed now. Goodnight.....

The Verdict...

So....over all the "Hunter Chicken" was a win-win. Some comments/adjustments though: 1) a bit too saucy. my addition of the can of chicken broth was too much, so I'd suggest either cut that in 1/2 or leave it out. 2) it was still lacking in a little bit of flavor though I'm not sure why. Caleb added some additional pizza tomato sauce to his which he said was great, I left mine as-is just added the fresh thyme and some additional salt/pepper.

Some plus sides: chicken is very moist! Also, this is a recipe you can play with and exchange veggies out for ones that you particularly enjoy, etc. If you find something that works well, let me know!

Tomorrow is "breakfast for dinner" at our house. AKA, out of groceries 'till the weekend so eat whatever we have left around the house. :-) I think I will skip the dinner blog about my pancakes and eggs.....

Gnite!