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Chinese-Style Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Really good – tastes like Chinese BBQ ribs, but I think that we could have made do with about half the amount of marinade/glaze – maybe try that next time. A Cook’s Country recipe.

SERVES 4 TO 6
Leftover pork makes an excellent addition to fried rice or noodle soup.

  • 2 (12- to 16-ounce) pork tenderloins, trimmed
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup apricot jelly
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • ¼ cup dry sherry
  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1. Lay tenderloins on cutting board with long sides running parallel to counter edge. Cut horizontally down length of tenderloins, stopping ½ inch from edge so halves remain intact. Working with one at a time, open up tenderloins, place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, and pound to ¾-inch thickness.

2. Combine soy sauce, jelly, hoisin sauce, sherry, ginger, sesame oil, garlic, five-spice powder, and pepper in bowl. Reserve ¾ cup marinade. Place pork in large zipper-lock bag and pour remaining marinade into bag with pork. Seal bag, turn to coat, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

3. Combine reserved marinade, ketchup, and molasses in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to ¾ cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup glaze for glazing cooked tenderloin.

4. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.

5. Clean and oil cooking grate. Pat pork dry with paper towels, then rub with vegetable oil. Grill pork (covered if using gas) until lightly charred on first side, about 2 minutes. Flip and brush grilled side of pork evenly with 2 tablespoons glaze. Continue grilling until lightly charred on second side, about 2 minutes. Flip and brush evenly with 2 tablespoons glaze. Repeat flipping and glazing twice more, until pork registers 140 degrees and is thickly glazed, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer pork to cutting board and brush with reserved glaze. Tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

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Pressure-Cooker Parmesan Risotto

Cook’s Illustrated, published January 1, 2013.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
A dish that typically requires near-constant stirring, risotto is probably low on most lists of side dish options. But not for home cooks with a pressure cooker. After sautéing aromatics and toasting the rice for a few minutes, we stirred in wine, then broth. Then, instead of stirring for up to 30 minutes, we simply locked on the lid and let the magic happen. Six minutes under pressure delivered risotto that was almost done. From that point, we simmered the risotto for a few minutes, stirring for just 6 minutes, until it was perfectly creamy. A little Parmesan was the only finishing touch needed for this simple recipe, although you may also garnish with parsley and shaved Parmesan, if desired.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, warmed
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for serving
Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1. BUILD FLAVOR: Melt butter in pressure-cooker pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in rice and toast lightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in wine and cook until almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in 3 1/4 cups broth. Using wooden spoon, scrape up any rice sticking to bottom of pot.

2. HIGH PRESSURE FOR 6 MINUTES: Lock pressure-cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over medium-high heat. As soon as pot reaches high pressure, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 6 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain high pressure.

3. QUICK RELEASE PRESSURE: Remove pot from heat. Quick release pressure, then carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

4. BEFORE SERVING: Continue to cook risotto over medium heat, stirring constantly, until rice is tender and liquid has thickened, about 6 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and season with salt and pep- per to taste. Before serving, add remaining 3/4 cup broth as needed to loosen risotto consistency.

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Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Prosciutto Pizza

This is delicious, a nice contrast to my favorite – arugula, spicy Italian sausage, and mozarella pizza. Adapted by LKD from the recipe at Handle the Heat, http://www.handletheheat.com/caramelized-onion-goat-cheese-and-prosciutto-pizza

Changes I made: used my own pizza dough recipe (half) and waited to add the prosciutto until the last few minutes of baking. The prosciutto got plenty crisp, so I think it might have burned if I’d put it on in the beginning

1/2 recipe pizza dough
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup caramelized onion (from about 1 large onion)
1 tablespoon high quality balsamic vinegar
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
3 thin prosciutto slices, torn into pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Place a pizza stone on middle rack of the oven and preheat to 450°F for 30 minutes.

Stretch and roll out pizza dough on a floured work surface until as thin as possible without tearing. You should get about a 12-inch circle. If the pizza dough springs back, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes before continuing shaping. Transfer the pizza to a parchment lined pizza peel or flat cookie sheet.

Brush pizza dough evenly with the olive oil. Top with the goat cheese and onion. Sprinkle with the rosemary and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bake the pizza for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and top with pieces of prosciutto. Bake or until the edges of the crust are golden.

Make caramelized onions: 

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Caesar Salad Deviled Eggs

This is really, really good as a first course, or it could be a tasty lunch. I think next time I’ll make a base of lettuce, topped by egg salad (deviled egg recipe with the chopped egg whites mixed in), topped with the bread-crumb mixture. I made 2 eggs (and cut the rest of the recipe to 1/3) to serve two. http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/12/caesar-salad-deviled-eggs/

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Coconut-Lime Turkey (or Chicken) and Rice Soup

My favorite recipe for turkey soup. I make turkey stock in a 6qt pressure cooker: leftover turkey carcass, 2 carrots in chunks, 3 stalks celery in chunks, medium onion in chunks, 2 bay leaves, salt, pepper corns, water to the maximum line; bring to pressure, then cook for one hour with weight gently rocking; allow pressure to drop naturally; strain.

Adapted from http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2010/11/recipe-for-coconut-lime-turkey-or.html (adapted from Coconut-Lime Chicken Soup from The Sunset Cookbook).

Makes 4-6 servings; I usually double the recipe.

  • 4 c. homemade chicken or turkey stock (Note to LD: one pressure-cooker potful – to the line – of stock is sufficient for a double recipe; no need to add water.)
  • 5-6 thin slices fresh ginger root
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, sliced in half
  • 1 1/2 T soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 T brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. (or more) green Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce of your choice, or use a diced fresh chile if you really like it spicy)
  • 3 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (I use Alton Brown’s baked brown rice recipe)
  • 2 cups leftover diced or shredded turkey
  • 4 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 can light coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or use 1/4 cup chopped basil, Thai basil, or sliced green onions)

Slice 5-6 thin slices of ginger root. Peel 2 medium garlic cloves and slice in half. Put chicken stock into a heavy soup pot and start to simmer, then add ginger root slices, garlic cloves, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Let simmer on low for about 20 minutes, or until flavors are well blended.

After 20 minutes remove the garlic and ginger pieces and add Tabasco, lime juice, rice, mushrooms, and diced turkey to the soup and let it continue to simmer on low about 6 minutes more. Stir in coconut milk and simmer 6 minutes more. Be sure the heat is low enough that the soup won’t boil after the coconut milk has been added.

Add chopped herbs or green onions and simmer for 1-2 minutes more. Serve hot, with sliced limes to squeeze into the soup if desired.

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Hearty Spanish-Style Lentil and Chorizo Soup

From America’s Test Kitchen Season 14. We prefer French green lentils, or lentilles du Puy, for this recipe, but it will work with any type of lentil except red or yellow. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater. If Spanish-style chorizo is not available, kielbasa sausage can be substituted. Red wine vinegar can be substituted for the sherry vinegar. Smoked paprika comes in three varieties: sweet (dulce), bittersweet or medium hot (agridulce), and hot (picante). For this recipe, we prefer the sweet kind. Serves 6 to 8. Note from LKD: I followed the instructions exactly and thought it was a bit fussy, but the results were absolutely delicious, so I guess it’s worth the trouble.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (2 1/4 cups) lentils, picked over and rinsed
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 large onion (1/4 = grated, 3/4 = finely chopped)
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds Spanish-style chorizo sausage, pricked with fork several times (I use one 12-oz pkg Wellshire Farms from Whole Foods)
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (I used 5 carrots)
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, plus extra for seasoning (I substituted a 2:1 mixture of red wine vinegar and sherry)
  • 7 cups water, plus extra as needed (I use homemade chicken feet stock to make up for the lesser amount of chorizo)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 tablespoons sweet smoked paprika (smoked paprika is essential)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Place lentils and 2 teaspoons salt in heatproof bowl. Cover with 4 cups boiling water and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain well.
  2. Meanwhile, finely chop three-quarters of onion (you should have about 1 cup) and grate remaining quarter (you should have about 3 tablespoons).
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add chorizo and cook until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chorizo to large plate. Reduce heat to low and add chopped onion, carrots, 1 tablespoon parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft but not brown, 25 to 30 minutes. If vegetables begin to brown, add 1 tablespoon water to pot.
  4. Add lentils and sherry vinegar to vegetables; increase heat to medium-high; and cook, stirring frequently, until vinegar starts to evaporate, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 7 cups water, chorizo, bay leaves, and cloves; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low; cover; and cook until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove chorizo and bay leaves from lentils. When chorizo is cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half into ¼-inch-thick slices.
  5. Meanwhile, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add paprika, grated onion, garlic, and ½ teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute longer. When lentils have finished simmering, stir paprika mixture into lentils and continue to cook until flavors have blended and soup has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Return chorizo to soup along with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and heat through, about 1 minute. Season with salt, pepper, and up to 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar to taste, and serve. (Soup can be made up to 3 days in advance.)

 

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Chinese Meatballs with Cabbage

Ingredients:

  • 1lb ground turkey
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 1 TBS Hoisin *
  • 1 TBS minced ginger
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/4c egg whites
  • 1 bag shredded cabbage
  • 1 TBS sherry
  • 2 TBS low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil *
  • 1/2 tsp sugar *
  • Salt/pepper
  • 1 TBS cornstarch w 2 TBS water, mix, set aside

Directions:
Combine top ingredients through egg whites in bowl and form into small meatballs. Bake in oven at 400 for 10-15 minutes until beginning to brown. I put them under broiler for a few extra minutes to crisp them a little. Take out and put to side.

In a large pot, add the cabbage, soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil and sugar. Cover and cook the cabbage over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Add the baked meatballs into the pot and toss with cabbage. Turn heat up to medium, cover the pot and cook for another 5 minutes. Push meatballs and cabbage toward the sides of the pot. Add dissolved cornstarch to the liquid in center of the pot. Stir for a few seconds, until the sauce has slightly thickened. Mix well with the cabbage and meatballs. (Note from LD: Actually, I don’t usually mix the meatballs in with the cabbage, but serve them on top instead. That way I can portion the meatballs more equitably.)

Posted by BOOTHER1 (Erin) on the WW message board.

 

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Chicken foot stock (pressure cooker)

Absolutely the most flavorful chicken stock ever and it’s really easy to make. Don’t be too skeeved out by the chicken feet. If you are careful, you won’t even need to touch the chicken feet.

Place in 6-quart pressure cooker (see safety tips below):

  • 1 – 1.5 lb. chicken feet
  • 1 onion cut in quarters (I like to use a large onion)
  • 2 carrots, chunked
  • 2 celery stalks, chunked
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbl. cider vinegar
  • fish sauce (optional)
  • fill with water up to the line

Bring up pressure, turn heat down to a slow rock, then cook for 1 hour. Remove from heat and allow to cool until pressure drops naturally. Place pressure cooker in the sink and remove solids into a colander set in a bowl. Press liquids out of the solids, and return liquids to pot. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer. Chill the stock after it cools. Freezes well. Makes about 1 gallon.

Safety tips for using a pressure cooker:
After cooking, ALWAYS 1) remove the gasket from the lid and wash in soapy water, making sure to check for cracks or damage; 2) scrub the lid inside and out, especially under the rim; 3) ream the vent hole with a toothpick.
Before cooking, ALWAYS 1) visually check the vent hole; 2) check that the gasket is properly seated; and 3) check that the rubber relief valve is not stuck.

 

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Parmesan Crusted Zucchini

Best use of zucchini I’ve found yet. Recipe from http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2007/09/parmesan-encrusted-zucchini-recipe.html, adapted from Vegetables Every Day. Four servings.

Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini, about 8-10 inches long
olive oil, for misting zucchini (and for mixing with butter if desired)
1 tsp. Italian Herb Blend (or your favorite seasoning blend)
1-2 T butter, melted
3/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese, more or less to taste

Instructions:
Preheat the broiler and adjust the rack so your pan will be about 6 inches away from the heat.  Spray a large baking sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray.

Wash zucchini skins and pat dry, cut off stem and blossom end of each zucchini, and cut zucchini into lengthwise strips; then cut away the inner seedy white part of each piece.  Cut the zucchini pieces into strips about 3 inches long.

Arrange zucchini on broiler pan in rows, close together, skin side down.  Mist or brush the zucchini with a tiny amount of olive oil and season the zucchini with the Italian Herb Blend (or your favorite seasoning blend).  Broil zucchini about 6 minutes, or until it’s starting to feel barely tender when you pierce it with a fork.  (If your broiler is powerful I’d start checking after about 4 minutes.  Remember the zucchini will cook more when you melt the cheese.)

When the zucchini is barely tender, remove the pan from under the broiler, brush zucchini with melted butter (or whatever combination of butter and olive oil you’re using, and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the zucchini, trying to get most of the zucchini covered.

Put zucchini under broiler and cook until cheese is completely melted and well-browned, about 6-8 minutes, or a little more or less, depending on how hot your broiler is and how close the pan is to the heat source. Serve hot or warm. There won’t be any leftovers, so you don’t need to worry about whether this will keep in the refrigerator.

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Tomato Salad with Avocado, Tuna, Cilantro, and Lime

Makes 2 servings, but can easily be doubled. Recipe created by Kalyn Denny on KalynsKitchen.com.

  • 1 avocado, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 can tuna (I like Tonno Genova Italian tuna in olive oil)
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes (cut into 1/2″ inch pieces)
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onion (or less)
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (measure after chopping)
  • 1 cup diced cucumber (cut into 1/2″ inch pieces)
  • 2 T + 1 T fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Peel avocado and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Put avocado pieces into a plastic bowl and toss with 1 T lime juice. Season generously with salt. Cut tomatoes and add to avocado in bowl.

Drain tuna well, flake apart slightly with a fork, and add to bowl with avocado and diced tomatoes. Add sliced green onions and chopped cilantro, then stir very gently to combine. Don’t overmix at this point.

Whisk together 2 T lime juice and 2 T olive oil. Add dressing to the salad and stir a couple of times, just enough to distribute dressing through salad ingredients. Season salad with fresh ground black pepper and more salt if desired. Serve immediately.