Pork Lover’s Tamale Pie

Apr 082012
 
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I try not to like Rachel Ray, but this tamale pie that I adapted from one of her recipes was fabulous. Rachel’s raspy chirp and kitsch phrases drive me a little crazy.  She is constantly praising how great her food is smelling, tasting, and looking.  Now that may be something that I might, possibly, be known to do myself.  Maybe, I am, most likely, irritated by her boundless energy.

Rachel has that thing that Oprah & Martha has with her own magazine, food products and kitchenware that drives me crazy.  Julia would of never of done those things. As I judgmentally type my disdain, please note that I made this recipe in a Rachel Ray pan that I bought on QVC. (Great pan, btw.) Okay, I have to give Ms. Ray a break. She does produce recipes with ingredients that are easily gotten at the local grocery store. They are loaded with flavor and are easy on the pocket book. I also just love this pan that I got.

Now let’s get to the tamale pie. It only took me about 15-20 minutes and was not difficult in the least bit. The spicy rich meat with the creamy sweet polenta and gooey sharp cheese on top made us all happy. There is not a lot of heat in the recipe, which made it kid-friendly. I put a spicy salsa and sriracha on the table, so everyone could add more heat if they wanted it.  It is super affordable to make. The leftovers were used at breakfast with an egg on top. If you do not have every ingredient in the list, do not think you can not make it. Use beans, skip the beer…whatever you have about. Recipes are about giving you an idea, an inspiration.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk or rice/soy milk
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon corn oil or EVOO
  • 1/3 pound mexican chorizo (raw) or chopped spanish chorizo (cured)
  • 4 slices  bacon, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander (about 1/2 palmful)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 – 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 cup beer
  • 1 14 1/2 ounce can  diced tomatoes with chiles, drained
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican melting cheese
  • Cilantro leaves and sliced scallions, for garnishing

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk. Whisk in the cornmeal, then whisk in the boiling water and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until very thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the butter and honey.
  2. Preheat the broiler. Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the chorizo and bacon and render the fat for 3 minutes. Stir in the pork and cook, crumbling the meat, until browned, about 8 minutes. Season with the thyme, chili powder, coriander, salt and pepper. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes to soften. Stir in the beer to deglaze for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes to heat through.
  3. Spoon the thick cornmeal over the pan and spread evenly. Top with the cheddar and brown under the broiler for 2 minutes. Serve from the skillet, garnished with the cilantro and scallions.

ENJOY! Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Pork Chops and Sauerkraut

Jan 152012
 
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I have to share this hard to believe story with my fellow foodies. My friend, let’s call him Mark, confided in me the most peculiar aspect of his childhood.  Mark knew what he would be eating every day of his childhood. His mother cooked the exact same thing everyday of the week his entire life in his parents home. This took a while to sink into my foodie soul and conscious.  Mark had cereal for breakfast seven days of the week.  He had bologna or turkey sandwich, only, everyday for lunch. Not even an apple. They never had fruit in their house. Vegetables only came from a can.

Dinner…

Monday: frank and beans.
Tuesday: mac and cheese (from a box, mind you).
Wednesday: chili from a can with fritos
Thursday: hamburger on a bun with some store purchased coleslaw
Friday: fish filet with canned corn
Saturday: hot dog and chips
Sunday: Frozen pizza

No variation to the menu, ever. It was the same menu every week, week in and week out. It never changed his entire childhood. They didn’t even cook something different on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, no turkey. I have a hard time believe that these people are not missing some kind of gene for passion. How did they even find each other to marry?

Mark never went to a restaurant with his parents. They thought it was a waste of money. Mark loved eating over at his friend’s house, but his brother feared it and would avoid it at all cost. Mark  loved the food he was served at the dorm cafeteria when he went off to college. He grow up with such a disconnect from food as pleasure, he was insatiable. He would gorge himself on fresh fruit and would invent a new salad everyday from the array at the salad bar. The first time he had pot roast and mashed potatoes, he had three helpings. He went home with a friend for Thanksgiving and he had his first Thanksgiving meal. He was simply God smacked. Mark said he barely spoke a word at that first Thanksgiving meal and he had to do everything in his power not to cry.  He had only seen pictures of such an event.

Mark’s parents have never been overweight or even fluctuated a few pounds in their weight. They never ate out at a restaurant. That is a waste of money. They never travel to see their adult children. They have never have ever change their diet to this day. They are not close with their children.

 

 

Is the feeding our family the first way we show them love? How we nurture their soul? How we connect with people? Certainly, this family did not use food to celebrate,  console, or masque any emotions that pop up… now everyone in the room turns and looks at me. Okay, okay, guilty as charged.

Bless my father for raising me around some of the most interesting chefs and restaurant people in the US. Bless my mother. Her own passion for food and desire not to eat the same thing everyday, lead to a childhood with an amazing exploration of the world’s cuisines coming from my mother’s kitchen. Pork chops and sauerkraut was something that was an event in our household when I was growing up. The smell of this simmering would make all of us come out of our rooms and gather at the dinner table.

There was a point  that my mother was cooking for 9 people everyday and she would cook this in the electric fry pan. It really helped free up the oven for the rest of the meal. I am a big slow cooker fan. My mom would serve this with mashed potatoes. I have a Czech friend who would simmer dumplings in the sauerkraut while it cooked. I love that idea.

My version is easy, stick to your ribs fare, but on top of it, it is healthy homemade food. I spent ten minutes putting it together in the morning and we have a hearty dinner in the evening.

It is the morning…

Pull out your slow cooker and a skillet.

1. Season 4-6 pork loin chops with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a skillet with some olive oil.
3. Sear the pork chops on both sides. Not cooking, just browning the outside of chop.
4. In the slow cooker add:
2 cups sauerkraut, that had been rinsed
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 apple, grated
1/2 cup carrot, grated
2 gloves garlic, finely chopped
8-10 peppercorns
1-2 bay leaves
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 T. brown sugar (optional)
5. Place the chops on top, cover and set slow cooker for 6-8 hours.
6. Serve to your family around the dinner table and enjoy each other.

Mark’s brother never developed a taste for fruit and vegetables, but owns a diner. He married one of the waitresses are raising their child in the business. Mark, is an avid runner and his partner is a party planner. They have huge Thanksgiving gatherings and Mark does all the cooking.

The simple act of gathering around the table to share a meal is an important thing. It is love. Please join me anytime around my table.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

CSA recipe 3:Meatball and Swiss Chard soup

Oct 022011
 
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Ingredient used:

Rainbow Swiss chard

I have to admit I make meatballs and greens soup quite often in the fall/winter/spring. My son just inhales it. It could be either turkey, pork, beef or lamb meatballs and it could be one type or  a variety of greens, such as kale, arugula, or spinach, but it is all basically the same recipe. He inhales it every time, no matter what. Now if I put a pile of greens on his plate to eat, he does not want anything to do with it. Ahh, the power of soup.

I usually let the meat and the greens dictate the spices and broth used. If I have lamb meat, I may make it with Greek or Moroccan spices in a beef broth. If I have turkey meat, then I use turkey or chicken broth. One unique thing I do is use instant tapioca instead of eggs, milk and bread crumbs in the meatballs to make them tender, because of my son’s allergies. This is a great trick. Tapioca is gluten free as well.

1/4 lb. ground beef
1/4 lb. ground pork
1/4 cup instant tapioca
3 big dashes worcestershire sauce
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 t. salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Mix all the ingredients listed above together and make little meatballs. You can cook them in the soup or brown them off first on a sheet tray in the oven. It depends on what texture you want out of your meatball in the end. This time I baked them off in the oven first. I made them small, so one can fit in a spoon.

I usually have broth in my freezer, but I do not hesitate to use a bouillon to create my soup either. I have started working for Massel bouillon and have found it a quick and easy solution to have on hand. If I have some broth in the freezer, I will even add some bouillon to add another flavor profile to the soup. Today I used beef broth and added a couple tablespoons of tomato paste to liven up the broth.

4 cups beef broth
2 T. tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup sliced carrots
1 bunch of rainbow Swiss chard finely chopped (even stems)
1/4 cup onions, sliced or chopped

I heated up the broth and with all of the ingredients listed above until tender, then I added the cooked meatballs. If I was adding the meatballs raw, I would put them in the pot all at the same time. Cook until everything is tender and the meat is cooked. It usually simmers for about 15-20 minutes.

Served up warm with crusty bread is our favorite way to eat this up. I love how easy this is to prepare. I love that how healthy it is for my family and I love foefilling it is to eat soup with meatballs.

Can’t wait for you to pull up a chair, Elizabeth

CSA challenge 1: Asian Beef & Tofu Wrap

Sep 272011
 
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Ingredients used:

Romaine lettuce
Scallions
Purple Basil

When I first saw the beautiful lettuce, I knew that I was going to make a wrap. The crisp fresh taste of the lettuce wrapped around something sweet and spicy. I love the texture and tastes, but I love how easy it is to pull together. My son eats them up, lettuce and all. I add sriracha to mine and I eat them up, lettuce and all.

Clean lettuce and set aside.

Serves 2 generously.

1/3 pound beef or pork
1 t. corn oil

Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat until hot, about 30 seconds. Add meat, breaking up any lumps and cook until pink is gone. Drain on paper towel or in a colander. Wipe out wok. Reheat.

1 t. corn oil
3 T. scallions thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced pea pods or cabbage
1 1/2 T. minced ginger
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 t. soy sauce
1 T. hoisin sauce
3 oz. firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch cubes. (Ideally, wrapped in paper towel and weighted for 30 min, but I rarely have time for this.)

Add all the ingredients from above in the wok except the tofu. Let cook for about a minute until the flavor of the sauce come together. Then add meat and tofu. Toss in sauce and then serve in lettuce leaf.

Rice or not to rice? In your wrap or on the side? I like wraps both ways, but do not think that you have to serve rice. I had some leftover, so I heated it up and it worked perfectly on this night. My son likes to eat his rice on the side. Me, in the wrap.

Garnishing with herbs and sriracha is vital to me. I put one leaf of cilantro and chiffonade of the sweet purple basil on mine. Gabriel just put basil on his. I love how I can make a wrap spicy enough for me, but in a flavor that my young son’s taste buds enjoy.

Okay tomorrow…another recipe. Sneak preview. I am using the turnips and the cucumber together…umm.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

 

 

Sheep’s Milk Ricotta & Sausage Pizza

Mar 182011
 
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 Are any of you making your own pizza? Once I got my technique down, I find it easy to do. I make it healthier then the stuff I order. I can tailor each pizza to every one’s individual tastes and most importantly, I save sooo much money.

I typically make pizza when Gabriel has a friend over. I figure that a six year old will usually enjoy pizza that he can put all the toppings on himself versus the cassoulet or some other funky dish I have made. Gabriel is used to this, but most of his friends are not. He does have one friend, Paddy, that will try anything with gusto that I put in front of him. He then declares if he likes it or it is not really his style. He wins my heart every time. Gabriel can make his with his soy cheese and is just like his friend. I can not tell you how many “pizza parties” Gabe can not participate in because of his allergy to dairy. We are good at finding solutions, but I tell on his face it bugs him a little every time.

I am blessed to have a great local source for such a beautiful product. Sheep’s milk ricotta. It is the same source that I get pecorino romano(which is made from sheep’s milk as well). I came up with this pizza because it is the perfect way to show off these amazing ingredients. Every bite of this pizza is perfectly balanced. Feel free to buy ricotta at the grocery store for this, but make sure it is whole milk ricotta. It tastes so much better then the low fat or fat free versions. They are horrible tasting. Matter of fact, they are worse then horrible. Just don’t do it. You could also use Parmesan cheese instead of the romano. I have made my own pizza dough, but have also used Trader Joe’s brand of fresh dough.  Which ever works for you.

Serves 5
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausage, mild or hot
  • 1 cup sheep’s milk ricotta
  • 1 cup pecorino romano, finely grated
  • 3 gloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 pound pizza dough, traditional or whole wheat
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 ounces baby arugula, washed
  • 1 lemon, juice of
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • anchovy fillets, optional

  1. Put pizza stone on the middle rack of oven. Preheat oven to 500F.

  2. Remove sausage from casing and brown crumbles until cooked through. Drain on paper towel. Note: I like to have the mild sausage when I am having the more traditional crust. Everything is light and airy. When I chose the whole wheat crust, I like the hot sausage with it for more of a rustic taste. Your call. I like both.

  3. In a bowl, mix ricotta, pecorino romano, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside.

  4. I place the cup of cornmeal at the top of my work surface, so I can add it to my work surface easily. Divide dough into five equal parts. Generously flour work surface with cornmeal and roll out dough, rolling the cornmeal into the dough as you make it super thin. I go for a sorta circular shape and call it rustic. I can never seem to be able to make it circular, so rustic it is.

  5. On a upside down baking sheet, I place more cornmeal, then place on the rolled out dough. Now I start assembling. Ricotta mixture spread out over dough, then sausage crumbles and finish with a drizzle of olive oil on top.

  6. With the help of a spatula to guide you, your assembled dough should just slide right onto the stone in the oven. It takes about 3-5 minutes. I always look for that bottom of my pizza to be crispy and golden. I also like it when it gets a few brown edges. Pull it out when it looks just right to you.

  7. As the pizza is cooling a bit, (Okay, how many times have you gotten a upper mouth burn from trying to eat your pizza too soon?) mix your arugula with a squeeze of lemon, drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper to your taste in a small bowl. Toss together and place on top of pizza.

  8. I enjoy putting an anchovy fillet on the top, but I am rare in my group of friends. Now my siblings would all ask for the anchovy… enjoy.

My friend, Elizabeth, is a fabulous cook and food blogger. She makes pizza for her husband, Larry, every Friday night. What a simple, comforting way to spend the evening. I hope to someday join them out in San Diego on one of their Friday nights. Meanwhile, I am starting my own traditions.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Spiral Ham, my love

Feb 042011
 
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God Bless the first person that cured a hind leg of pork to create ham. In other parts of the world this curing of the pig leg becomes proscuitto, or jamon serrano. Oh, how I love spiral ham. I love the smoky salty taste. I love how it is cut in even slices all the way to the bone. You can not get more bang for your buck then you get from having a spiral ham on hand.

When I open up my packed ham and usually throw away the spice pack that comes along with it because it is loaded with sugar and things I can not pronounce. That is your call. Some people just love the sugar coating. Then I throw it in the oven to heat up and you have your main entree for meal one.

I like to crisp up a piece of ham in the morning in butter and serve it up with a poached egg. My son likes crispy ham on a biscuit. I will also make ham sandwiches for my son’s lunch. I also chop up pieces of ham into small cubes to throw in pasta with peas, garlic, and Parmesan cheese for quick comfort food meal. My mom’s luscious scalloped potatoes and ham is a fond childhood food memory that I try to recreate as well.

As my ham dwindles down to the bone I start anticipating the soup that will be made from the ham bone. I love homemade soup. Most people think of split pea with ham when they think of using their ham bone. I love it and just use the recipe on the dried pea package.

On this day, I made a soup broth with the ham bone. I cut off excess meat from the bone and then stick the bone in a stock pot full of water with sliced up carrots, onions, and celery. Then add a little salt and pepper, a few bay leaves, and what herbs I have on hand. Put on my lowest setting on my burner and let it simmer all night while I sleep.

Next morning, I strain the broth, let cool in fridge, and then skim the fat off the top. Now I have a great broth that I use as a base for a fabulous soup.  I throw in rice or noodles, a variety of veggies that I love and the last of the leftover ham that I kept for this sole purpose. I like mine with a squeeze of sriracha . Super satisfying. Super healthy for you. I save the rest of the broth in smaller containers to use in variety of different dishes.

One of new favorite ways of using spiral ham is quick homemade dinner of fried rice. My foodie friend, Mrs. Larkin, has a simple version of fried rice that I love. Gabriel is allergic to eggs, but I love it in fried rice. This recipe puts eggs in the end, so I can make it to satisfy us both. I usually have some dumplings in the freezer that I heat up as well. You can vary the ingredients to suit your needs. I add about 6 gloves of chopped up garlic. Why not?

I can purchase a spiral ham for approximately $20 that will be used to feed my family for quick, homemade and healthy meals the whole month long. It is low in fat and full of flavor. A little can really make a impact on a meal. I love having it on hand.

Let me know how you use your spiral ham. The possibilities are endless.

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth

Bacon Country Meatloaf

Mar 142010
 
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This sure is not your mother’s meatloaf. This recipe has cumin and coriander from Latin America. It has allspice from Jamaica. It has pistachios from Africa. Then I wrap the whole thing in bacon. Yum. When finished it reminds me of a terrine from France, though there is not much French about it. Thus, the name… Bacon Country Meatloaf.

This version of meatloaf tastes great served piping hot served with Jamaican jerk sauce, instead of the classic ketchup. When cold, I like to treat it like a country pate’ and serve it with a baguette, raw onion, pickles,and some mustard. My one rule about meatloaf is that is must taste delicious chilled as it does coming out of the oven. In the end, it is always about the sandwich.

Pull out the bacon and start making some meatloaf. I made this recipe small with only a pound of meat, but it is easily doubled, and tripled for more people. One pound of meat is plenty for the two of us with leftovers. I have also made this with pork and veal. It is equally delicious and more then delicate.

Serves 2-3
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 gloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup panko crumbs
  • 5 dashes worcestershire sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy creme
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino romano
  • 1/4 cup shelled whole pistachios
  • 4-6 strips of bacon

  1. I usually start with my ground meat first and make a well in the middle of the meat, then I start adding each ingredient one by one. Add all the ingredients on list, stopping at pistachios and bacon. Just a note: This time I used pecorino romano cheese, but I generally use what ever hard cheese I have on hand. It tastes great with parmesan cheese as well.

  2. Mix together well. I like to mix my meatloaf in a wide shallow bowl. My mom does it right on the chopping block. I can not imagine mixing meatloaf without getting my hands right into it. I have also made this meatloaf with ground veal and pork combination with great success.

  3. After meat mixture is mixed well, add in the pastachios and blend through out.

  4. Form into a loaf shape and place in baking dish.

  5. Wrap loaf with strips of bacon. Sometimes I like them to completely cover the loaf and other times I like to leave some space in between so that I can see the meatloaf. It depends on my mood and how much bacon I have.  

  6. Place in a 350F preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Sometimes, I like to crisp up the bacon more by sticking under the broiler for a minute. Other times, it does not feel necessary.

Porks chops always seem to make the world a little better.

Jul 282009
 
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I love love love pork chops. I like them anytime and any season. It comes as no surprise to me that my sons have this same love for pork chops. Who am I kidding, they share the same love  and passion for all things from a pig.

I call the pork chops above “Whatever I have in the house flavored pork chops.”

I start with bone in pork chops. Bones mean flavor. Period. Pork can handle a lot of different flavors and I usually just go with what I have around.

1.Uncork the wine that you are drinking, pour a glass for yourself and your handy sous chef. A properly chilled bottle of Chardonnay is the choice tonight.

2. Slice up mushrooms and chop up a shallot and a couple of  gloves of  garlic.

3. Heat deep sided fry pan over medium heat. While it heats, I season my pork chops on both sides with cumin, paprika, salt, creole seasoning and then let sit.  Put a couple tablespoon of olive oil in the heated pan.

4. Place mushrooms, onions, and garlic in oil and saute’ until tender. While  they are cooking, chopped up the herbs that you would like to finish with. I picked sage and oregano from the garden and chopped it up finely.

5. Spoon out sauteed veggies and place on side. Place pork chops in pan to brown. Oil might need to be added. Brown each side, then turn it down to low. Pour in some wine over the chops, add mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Put in half the herbs. Cover.

6. I usually can tell if the pork is done by touching it. You will learn this by simply doing it. Do not just lift up the cover and stare at it hoping you can just tell if it is done. Touch it. It should feel firmer then when it is raw. If there is no give, it is probably over cooked a little. Take it off the heat. Have your platter ready to put the chops on, then slotted spoon I scoop out mushroom mixture and place over chops. Then I add a few pads of butter to the juices in the pan and scrap the bottom. Pour over chops and spread the rest of the sage and oregano over the plate.

Now for the side dish…

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Red Potatoes with green beans in a bechamel sauce.

This side dish reminds me of my childhood. We would have this in summer with a variety of different meat from the grill. It goes with everything. I had gone to the farmers market in the morning and they had fresh red skin potatoes and deep green beans. I saw them and I knew what I was having that night for dinner. I knew that I wanted to pass my memory on to my sons.

While I was doing the chops, my trusted sous chef was making the our side dish. On this night my sous chef was my oldest son, Andrew. It is nice he is of the age that we can drink wine and cook together. There is no better moments in life.

The potatoes were cleaned and quartered and the green beans were trimmed on the ends. We  simply steamed them to tender.

Then I go my book. You know the book. The book that every mother must have to teach her children proper cuisine. The book from the master. My hero. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child. Look up … Bechamel Sauce… it is a simply white sauce.  Not hard to make at all. Do not be intimated by it. As Julia says, “Don’t be afraid.”

1.In a 6 cup saucepan melt 2 tbs. butter over low heat. Blend  in the 3 tbs.flour, and  coook slowly, stirring, until the butter and flour froth together for 2 minutes with coloring. This is now a white roux.

2. Remove roux from heat. As soon as roux has stopped bubbling, pour in 2 cups heated milk and 1/4 t. salt all at once. Immediately beat vigorously with a wire whip to blend liquid and roux.

3. Set saucepan over moderately high heat and stir with the wire whip until the sauce comes to the boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring. The sauce should be thicker at this point.

4. Remove from heat, and beat in salt and pepper to taste.  A little grated nutmeg is nice as well.

This the point that you put the steamed potatoes and green beans in the beautiful white sauce and we added chopped dill on the top.

The creamy summer vegetables with the earthiness from the mushrooms and pork chops  are a great blend. We made a simply mixed green salad with a simple vinaigrette. What a great meal. What good conversation. What an amazing time with my family. Food is love.