Korean Pork and Slaw

One good thing.... well, two since one of them is having the problem resolved... is that I've been able to get my recipes organized and a meal plan completed for the month.  Since I'm going to continue on with the  WW plan it will allow me to know how many points I have set aside for dinner, therefor making it easier for me to plan out lunch and breakfast.  An added bonus is that it will also keep me on budget :-)

While these chops were good... it was agreed upon that for our tastes it wasn't "great."  So, you may ask, Why am I blogging about them?  Well, because this is a Lets Try blog and some things will be successful and others not so much.  I also believe that not everyone may not have the same taste as us and they may find these to delicious.  Which side will you be on? You won't know unless you give them a try.  

Korean Pork and Slaw

adapted from eatingwell.com

4 servings, 1 pork chop & 1 1/2 cups slaw each | 4 points per serving

Ingredients

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola oil, divided  (I used olive oil)

3 small cloves garlic, minced, divided

4 teaspoons chili powder, divided

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon fish sauce or reduced-sodium soy sauce  (I used soy)

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon lime juice  (We thought it needed more of a tang so made this addition)

6 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage   (I only had red cabbage on hand so used that)

4 radishes, cut into matchsticks

4 scallions, thinly sliced into 2-inch lengths

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 bone-in pork chops, 1/2-3/4 inch thick (about 2 pounds), trimmed  (I used boneless, leaner and what I had on hand)

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium.

Whisk together the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 teaspoons chili powder, sugar, soy, cayenne pepper, radishes, lime juice and scallions; toss to coat. Set aside

Take the remaining garlic and 2 teaspoons of chili powder, salt, 1 teaspoon of oil, and make a paste.  I just threw it all in my small Cuisinart.  Divide paste in half; rub each side of the chops with half of the rub.

Grill the pork chops, turning once, until cooked through, it was about 4 minutes per side on our grill. 

Make the slaw: Chop, or slice your cabbage and toss with the dressing.  Serve with pork.  We found that it produced the best flavor when it was a bit with both pork and slaw.

Nutrition

Per serving : 304 Calories; 17 g Fat;  8 g Carbohydrates; 29 g Protein; 3 g Fiber;

Scotch Eggs

 Deep Fried sausage rolled eggs.... talk about cholesterol on a plate!  But oh, it was indeed quite yummy! I've seen Scotch Eggs mentioned in several food magazines of late and had to admit my family and I were quite intrigued. I finally caved in when another food magazine came in and once again the Scotch Eggs were shown.  I sat back and enjoyed a glass of wine while my hubby and daughter put this dish together.  Its called living the good life :-)

Scotch Eggs
makes 4
adapted from Bon Appetit magazine

6 large egs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup finely crushed corn flakes
1/2  package Jimmy Dean sausage
Vegetable oil for frying
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
mustard, for serving

Directions:

 Place4 eggs in a small saucepan; add cold water to cover.  Bring to a boil; remove from heat, cover and let stand for 3 minutes.  Carefully drain, then fill pan with ice water to cool eggs.  Gently crack shells and carefully peel under cold running water.  Place eggs in a bowl of cold water; cover and chill until cold

Place flour in a wide shallow bowl and crushed corn flakes in another wide shallow bowl.  Divide sausage into 4 equal portions.  Pat 1 portion of sausage into a thin patty over the length of your palm.  Lay 1 soft-boiled egg on top of sausage and wrap sausage around egg, sealing to completely enclose.  Repeat with remaining sausage and eggs.

 Whisk remaining 2 eggs in a medium bowl to blend.  Working gently with 1 sausage-wrapped egg at a time, dip eggs into flour, shaking off excess, then coat in egg wash.  Roll in corn flakes to coat.
This can be made 1 day ahead.  Keep refrigerated and uncovered.

 Attach a deep-fry thermometer to side of a large heavy pot.  Pour in oil to a depth of 2" and heat over medium heat to 375 degrees F.  Fry eggs turning occasionally and maintaining oil temperature of 350 degrees F. until sausage is cooked through and breading is golden brown and crisp, about 5-6 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer eggs to paper towels to drain.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Serve warm with mustard.

The Daring Cooks: Cooking with Tea

This month, for the Daring Cooks Challenge, we are encouraged to experiment with savory dishes using tea.  I've had desserts that used tea - heck, I even made chai tea cupcakes, but never before in a main dish.  This pork dish was amazing!  So very moist and tender with just the subtle taste of peach.  I'm definitely going to try incorporating tea into more dishes!

Blog-checking lines: Sarah from Simply Cooked was our November Daring Cooks’ hostess and she challenged us to create something truly unique in both taste and technique! We learned how to cook using tea with recipes from Tea Cookbook by Tonia George and The New Tea Book by Sara Perry.

Peach tea pork tenderloin

http://www.greenteahouse.eu/stash-tea-recipes-pork-tenderloin-with-peach.html

4 Stash Peach tea bags 

Salt & Pepper 

1/3 cup brown sugar 

1/2 cup water

 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard 

1 pork tenderloin, about 2lbs

1/2 cup chicken stock

 1 tbsp olive oil 

4 sprigs fresh thyme

 Directions:

Place 4 Peach tea bags in a tea cup and pour in 1/2 cup of boiling water. Let steep for 4 minutes. Remove tea bags. In a sauce pan combine brown sugar and tea concentrate. Mix well. Add the Dijon mustard, mix and bring the sauce to a boil. Whisk in the stock and let simmer for 1 minute. Set aside.

Salt and pepper the tenderloin. Heat the oil in the skillet on medium-high heat and sear the pork on each side. Add the peach sauce and the sprigs of thyme. Reduce the heat and cover. Cook over low heat until the pork is cooked through, approximately 20-30 minutes. Pork should register at least 150 degrees on a meat thermometer. Remove the pork from the pan, cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Keep sauce warm over low heat.

Pour any pork drippings back into the sauce and slice the pork. Serve peach sauce over pork.

the daring kitchen: Moo shu pork

Its time for the Daring Cooks Challenge and one, I must confess, I was not thrilled with. Cooked cabbage and I are not friends. I don't like the smell nor do I care for the taste. Also, bamboo shoots are just plain icky. I'm totally blessed to have my mom living with us and it is times like these that I am especially thankful for her being here since she loves cooked cabbage and bamboo shoots! I halved the recipe of the Moo Shu Pork and made the recipe the traditional way. I made another batch not cooking the vegetable ingredients and leaving out the bamboo shoots. For the second batch I used the vegetables raw and just wrapped them in the pancake. Mom said the traditional way was delicious and both hubby and I loved the second method!'

Blog-checking lines: The October Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by Shelley of C Mom Cook and her sister Ruth of The Crafts of Mommyhood. They challenged us to bring a taste of the East into our home kitchens by making our own Moo Shu, including thin pancakes, stir fry and sauce.

Thin Pancakes:
Makes 24-30 pancakes
Preparation time: about 10 minutes plus 30 minutes' standing time
Cooking time: 45-50 minutes
Ingredients
4 cups (960 ml) (560 gm) (19¾ oz) all purpose flour
About 1½ cup (300ml) (10 fl oz) boiling water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vegetable oil
Dry flour for dusting

Directions:
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Gently pour in the water, stirring as you pour, then stir in the oil. Knead the mixture into a soft but firm dough. If your dough is dry, add more water, one tablespoon at a time, to reach the right consistency. Cover with a damp towel and let stand for about 30 minutes.
Lightly dust the surface of a worktop with dry flour. Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes or until smooth, then divide into 3 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a long sausage and cut each sausage into 8-10 pieces. Keep the dough that you are not actively working with covered with a lightly damp dish cloth to keep it from drying out.

I used my tortilla press for the next step... I pressed, rotated, pressed again, rotated and pressed for a third time.

Place an un-greased frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, lower the heat to low and place the pancakes, one at a time, in the pan. Remove when little light-brown spots appear on the underside. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to serve.

Moo Shu Pork:
Serves 4
Preparation time: 25-30 minutes
Cooking time: 6-8 minutes
Ingredients
2/3 cup (1 oz) (30 gm) Dried black fungus   I used canned mushrooms since I had that on hand
½ lb (450 gm) pork loin or butt
¾ cup (3½ oz) (100 gm) bamboo shoots, thinly cut
3 cups (6 oz) (170 gm) Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage), thinly cut, I used regular cabbage
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) salt
4 tablespoons (60 ml) vegetable oil
2 scallions
1 tablespoon (15 ml) light soy sauce
2 teaspoons (10 ml) rice wine
A few drops sesame oil
12 thin pancakes to serve

Directions:
Soak the fungus in warm water for 10-15 minutes, rinse and drain. Discard any hard stalks, then thinly shred.
Thinly cut the pork, bamboo shoots and Chinese cabbage into matchstick-sized shreds.
Lightly beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.
Heat about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil in a preheated wok and scramble the eggs until set, but not too hard. Remove and keep to one side.
Heat the remaining oil. Stir-fry the shredded pork for about 1 minute or until the color changes. Add the fungus, bamboo shoots, Chinese cabbage and scallions. Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes, then add the remaining salt, soy sauce and wine. Blend well and continue stirring for another 2 minutes. Add the scrambled eggs, stirring to break them into small bits. Add the sesame oil and blend well.
To serve: place about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of hot Moo Shu in the center of a warm pancake, rolling it into a parcel with the bottom end turned up to prevent the contents from falling out. Eat with your fingers.

Hoisin Sauce:
(source: http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/13249/hoisin-sauce.html)
Ingredients

4 tablespoons (60 ml) soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30 ml) peanut butter OR black bean paste
1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey OR molasses
2 teaspoons (10 ml) white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon (⅔ ml) garlic powder
2 teaspoons (10 ml) sesame seed oil
20 drops (¼ teaspoon) Chinese style hot sauce (optional, depending on how hot you want your hoisin sauce)
1/8 teaspoon (⅔ ml) black pepper

Directions:
Simply mix all of the ingredients together by hand using a sturdy spoon.
At first it does not appear like it will mix, but keep at it just a bit longer and your sauce will come together.

Bacon and Feta Pasta

One of the best things about the Secret Recipe Club is you get tons of great recipe ideas.  One recipe immediately jumped out at me since it had the words bacon and pasta in the title. The recipe is from Crumbs and Chaos, but I had to make several adjustments to make it with the ingredients I had on hand. The original recipe calls heavy cream and I like to substitute evaporated milk when asked for in sauces.


Bacon and Feta Pasta
8 ounces pasta of choice  (I used linguine)
8 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 tablespoons evaporated milk
4 stems of fresh thyme, leaves removed
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled with additional for topping if desired 


Directions:

     Cook pasta to al dente according to the package directions.  

While the water is boiling, heat a large skillet over medium heat.            

Add sliced bacon and cook until crisp.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.  Wipe skillet out with a paper towel.

Add butter to skillet and melt over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms.  When the mushrooms are soft, add garlic, thyme and evaporated milk.  When the milk, is warm, add feta and stir gently until melted.  Season with pepper and add bacon back to pan.

Add cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat.  

Serve immediately with feta sprinkled on the top.

Secret Recipe Club: Mahogany Pork and Veggies with Oven Baked Polenta

Its time again for the great "Secret Recipe Club" reveal.  If you haven't heard about SRC, it is another food challenge.  SRC assigns you a blog, which you secretly lurk on to, and find a recipe to make for yourself. This month the Secret Recipe Club assigned me http://pennypinchingprovisions.blogspot.com .
I had a great time browsing through her website and making a final decision on what to make was difficult.  Since I had never tried polenta before, I decided to go with her dish of Mahogany Pork and Veggies with Oven Polenta.  While I did make a few adjustments, I pretty much stuck with her recipe and everything was amazing!  My hubby can be a rather fussy eater and even he said to make everything again!  
I had a bigger piece of pork loin so I doubled the marinade and added half into a bowl of the meat, and the other half I used to marinate the vegetables.  For the polenta I used the sharp cheddar I had on hand instead of the Parmesan cheese. Thank you for giving me a new meal to put on our food rotation.  Absolutely fabulous! 

Mahogony Pork and Veggies
see the original recipe here
2 pound pork tenderloin, cut into strips
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red onion (I just cut the onion into 1/8 chunks)
2 large red or orange bell peppers, sliced

Directions:
Slice vegetables and Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, hot pepper sauce, olive  and garlic: mix and set aside

In a medium bowl add the peppers and onion and pour half of the marinade over it.  Mix together and set aside.  In another bowl add the meat, add some fresh ground black pepper (to taste) and pour the remaining marinade over the meat; toss to coat.  Let set for no longer than 1/2 hour.

Preheat skillet to Medium-High... you want a nice hot pan so that the vegetables will slightly carmalize and not steam cook.  Add the vegetables with the marinade and cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.  Remove, cover and keep warm

Let the pan preheat again, add meat to the skillet, cook about 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally until done. Pour meat over veggies to serve.

Oven Polenta

1-1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 Tbl olive oil
1/4 tsp salt1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350* Grease 8x8 dish. Combine all ingredients except cheese. Bake 50 minutes, stirring once.Stir in cheese. Bake 10 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  We didn't wait the ten minutes... we were too hungry!

THE DARING COOKS’ MAY 2011 CHALLENGE: GUMBO

We were challenged to make Gumbo for this months' challenge.  Never having made gumbo before I was excited to make a recipe.  I used Emeril Lagasse's recipe off of the food network website.  I'll admit, I wanted this recipe only because it did not include okra!  Slimey, nasty tasting stuff!!!  The process of getting my roux to darken took well over an hour.  Shouldn't have surprised me since my electric stove is a bit of a brat!  The wait was well worth it though as it was yummy!

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo with White Rice

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, cut crosswise 1/2-inch thick pieces

4 pounds chicken thighs, skin removed

1 tablespoon Essence or Creole seasoning,

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped bell peppers

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

3 bay leaves

9 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped green onions

2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

1 tablespoon file powder

White Rice, recipe follows

Hot sauce

In a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until well browned, about 8 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Season the chicken with the Essence and add in batches to the fat remaining in the pan. Cook over medium-high heat until well browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, let cool, and then refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup oil and the flour in the same Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, to make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate.

Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the reserved sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Stirring, slowly add the chicken stock, and cook, stirring, until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add the reserved chicken to the pot and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface.

Remove the pot from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken thighs from the gumbo and place on a cutting board to cool slightly. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Pull the chicken meat from the bones andshred, discarding the bones and skin. Return the meat to the gumbo and stir in the green onions, parsley, and file powder.

Spoon rice into the bottom of deep bowls or large cups and ladle the gumbo on top. Serve, passing hot sauce on the side.

Lasagne Soup

I have been waiting for the perfect time to try this recipe...this was the day.  Too much snow and freezing cold temperatures - could that make for a better day to have soup? I found this recipe over on Paula Deen's web site but had to make several alterations to make it palatable for my picky family.

I'm just going to post the recipe with my adaptation but I encourage you to take a look at the original recipe, too.

Not Quite Lasagne Soup

adapted from Paula Deen

1 pound Jimmy Dean Italian Sausage

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped (Ok, this would have been perfect for me so I included it in recipe.  Had to leave out for hubby though)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar

2 cans Swanson's Reduced Sodium chicken broth

2 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes with basil and olive oil (regular petite diced tomatoes would work great too... I just love these!)

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

4 ounces slightly broken egg noodles

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In a Skillet combine sausage and onion; just before completely browning add the garlic, finish browning.  Drain off grease.
In a large sauce pan: stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt (1/2 teaspoon if desired. I didn't think it needed it). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; add sausage mixture and reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes.

Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Preheat broiler.

Ladle soup into 8 to 10 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly.

To make again I would make the following changes:

  I would add the parmesan along with the mozzarella... going lighter on the mozzarella.  I found that to much of the cheese sunk to the bottem and just became heavy.  I would cook the pasta separately from the soup and put the pasta into the bowls then add the soup.  Cooking it the above way my noodles drank up most of the liquid after setting for a bit.

Monthly Challenge: Part Two Basil

I was a bit disappointed in the Strawberry Soup (although very very tasty) being rather soup-less.  So I thought with another attempt I would use Basil.  This is my first year of having success with growing my herbs in pots out on my deck.  My basil is especially lush and abundant and so I put together this recipe for Penna Carbonara with Basil Lemon Cream that I found here.  I loved the cream but honestly found more of the aroma of Lemon rather than any taste of lemon.  But ohhhhhh, this recipe is indeed lovely.

  The recipe claims to serve four but even with the three of us putting a good amount into our bellies there was still enough for all of us to eat it again for another meal. Also, because my hubby hates vegetables mixed in pasta dishes I had to omit the veggies.  Nuts are another no no for meals so the pine nuts were left out.  This is probably a good thing with the price of pine nuts these day!

Penne Carbonara With Basil Lemon Cream

Yield: 4 Servings

1/4 cup Smoked bacon, chopped  I used half a pound of bacon... never can have too much bacon!

2 oz. Butter

1 tsp. Garlic, minced  I used one clove garlic

1/4 cup Onion, diced  Used half of an onion

1 cup Mixed vegetables: carrot, peas, corn, Lima beans, green beans omitted

2 tsp. Pine nuts, toasted omitted

1 1/2 cup Chef Larry's Basil Lemon Cream (recipe follows)  I ended up using all the cream sauce because I felt it was too dry at the 1 1/2 cup amount

1 1/4 lb. Penne Rigate pasta, cooked "al dente"

1 tsp. Parsley, chopped

to taste Salt

to taste Fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup Shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)  I served with a tons of Parmesan... for me, Parmesan cheese is never optional!

to garnish Fresh chopped parsley

Method:

     Prepare Chef Larry's Basil Lemon Cream per recipe, reserve. Cook bacon in a sauté pan over medium heat until cooked. Add butter, garlic and onion. Sauté garlic briefly, do not brown. Add mixed vegetables and pine nuts. To heat pasta: place cooked pasta in lightly salted simmering water for 1-2 minutes to reheat (do not overcook.) Remove pasta from water and drain well. Add heated pasta to sauté pan with bacon and vegetables. Stir in enough of Chef Larry's Basil Lemon Sauce to coat pasta and vegetables. (Add sauce in intervals until pasta and vegetables are nicely coated.) Season pasta with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Add 2/3 tsp. of chopped and mix well. Portion pasta into heated pasta bowls. Top with optional shaved Parmesan cheese and additional chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Basil Lemon Cream

Yield: 2 cups

1 tsp. Butter

1 tsp. Shallots, minced  I used half of a shallot but could easily use onion

1/4 tsp. Garlic, minced  I used one clove garlic

2 oz. White wine

1 1/2 cups Chicken stock  only had canned chicken broth on hand

2/3 cup Heavy cream

1 1/2 tsp. Fresh lemon juice

to taste Salt

to taste Fresh ground black pepper

8 Basil leaves, finely minced

as needed Roux to thicken (equal parts flour and melted butter)  I used 1 tablespoon butter melted with enough flour to make a paste 

Method:

Melt butter in a saucepan, do not brown. Add shallots and garlic, sauté briefly. Add white wine, bring to a simmer and reduce by 1/2. Add stock, bring to a simmer. Cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes. Add roux to achieve desired consistency, continue to simmer. Add cream and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with fresh minced basil.

Pulled Pork with White Barbecue Sauce

Hubby and I were talking the other day about the states we have been in - no surprise here, I'm a military brat so won hands down on having been in the most states.  That got me to thinking about the different  foods of each state and what I haven't tried.  Doing a bit of research on the net, I discovered that iconic foods are very controversial! What is a must try food from your state?

Out of curiosity I looked up foods from Alabama. One item that continued to come up consistently with Alabama was a white barbecue sauce. I like a good barbecue sauce and love the ones that have a little kick to them.  All I have ever had though was the basic red sauces (i.e. tomato based) so curiosity had the best of me and we went with a recipe for pulled pork that had a white barbecue sauce(which I found on myrecipes.com and was taken from Cooking Light). The pork is supposed to be served on sweet potato biscuits but it's hot today and I'm not terribly ambitious so I'm serving them on buns I have on hand. As I was making the sauce I kept having this nagging feeling of "I know this recipe."  My first taste and I figured it out... duh... its the dressing I use on our coleslaw! Mayo, cider vinegar, sugar, salt and a bit of pepper.  I wanted a different taste so I combined two recipes and came up with my own version of  the white bbq sauce.  Want to see the originals? Check out these links Southern Living or  Myrecipes.com

Of course, if your going down south you have to have some sweet tea to go with your meal.  Nope, never had sweet tea either though I have had iced tea with sugar.  Purists have told me that my iced tea with sugar is nothing like a good southern sweet tea so I found a recipe on line and served that with dinner as well.

Overall, we liked the pulled pork but didn't think the white barbecue sauce was anything we needed to try again.  The sweet tea... well, it is indeed sweet! It was quite good though.  .

Alabama Pulled Pork Sandwiches with White Barbecue Sauce

inspired by Cooking Light and Southern Living

Ingredients

Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Coarsely ground fresh pepper

2 teaspoon Fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

Dash of salt

Pork:

1 1/4 pounds Pork tenderloin, trimmed

1/2 cup Apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup Water

3 tablespoons Brown sugar

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Ground red pepper

1/2 teaspoon Chili powder

1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder

2 tablespoons potato starch  this is my addition... we didn't care for how runny it was so we added thickener.

Preparation

1. Prepare sauce by combining the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

2. Prepare pork: cut pork into 2 1/2-inch pieces. Combine apple cider vinegar and next 7 ingredients (through garlic powder) in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add pork to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until tender. Remove pork from cooking liquid; shred with 2 forks (I cheated and just pulled it apart with my fingers).  In remaining liquid, add the two tablespoons of thickener and whisk smooth.  Bring to a boil and add shredded pork back into the liquid.  Allow to thicken, remove from heat. Serve on buns.

Smooth Sweet Tea

allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 pinch baking soda

2 cups boiling water

6 tea bags

3/4 cup white sugar

6 cups cool water

Directions

1.Sprinkle a pinch of baking soda into a 64-ounce, heat-proof, glass pitcher. Pour in boiling water, and add tea bags. Cover, and allow to steep for 15 minutes.

2.Remove tea bags, and discard; stir in sugar until dissolved. Pour in cool water, then refrigerate until cold.

The Daring Kitchen April 2010 Challenge: Brunswick Stew

The 2010 April Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Wolf of Wolf’s Den. She chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make Brunswick Stew. Wolf chose recipes for her challenge from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, and from the Callaway, Virginia Ruritan Club.

We were given two recipes to choose from and I chose the second recipe.  Only my mother and I care for stew in our household and so I didn't want to do the longer cooking version.  As it turned out, my husband liked the stew.  Perhaps I will ateempt the longer cooking recipe in the future.  Until then, Ill go ahead and share the results of the shorter version.  The preference for recipe was not as importatnt as the idea that," Brunswick stew is not done properly “until the paddle stands up in the middle.”

 The variations allowed were:

Recipes may be halved if you choose.

You may substitute any vegetables you don’t prefer. You may use fresh, canned or frozen vegetables. My variations are included in the notes. For example- some recipes include okra in their stew, others use creamed corn.

You may sub out the rabbit for pork, turkey, beef, or even another game animal if you have it available.

This version goes on the assumption that you already have cooked your meats and have broth on hand.

I used the leftover chicken stock I had from a previous challenge.

Brunswick Stew recipe from the Callaway, Va Ruritan Club,

served yearly at the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival in Ferrum, Va.

Serves about 10

2 ½ lb TOTAL diced stewed chicken, turkey, and ham, with broth -

 I used ham, a turkey leg and a cornish game hen.  Stewed in the broth.

3 medium diced potatoes -

I used gold yukon potatoes

2 medium ripe crushed tomatoes

2 medium diced onions

3 cups/ 689.76 grams / 24.228oz frozen corn

1 ½ cups / 344.88 grams / 12.114oz frozen lima beans -

I used another variety of bean to make it more appealing to my husband.

4-5 strips crumbled bacon

½ stick / 4 tablespoons / ¼ cup / 56.94 grams / 2oz of butter

1 Tablespoon / 14.235 grams / .5 oz sugar

1 Tablespoon / 14.235 grams / .5 oz ‘Poultry Seasoning’

Dash of red pepper

2 diced carrots (optional)

Tomato juice

The directions given were this:

In large stock pot or Dutch Oven, mix all ingredients, heat until bubbly and hot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add tomato juice as desired. Cook until all vegetables are tender. Serve hot.

I had a bit of confusion and wasn't sure how much broth to used.  The answer given to me was "use enough broth to cover the ingredients."  After I stewed the meat, I pulled it off the bone and then added it back to the broth.  I added the remaining ingredients and let the liquid cook down a bit.  If there wasn't enough liquid, that was when the tomato juice was to be added.  I guess you just add the amount of liquid you want for your stew preference.