Category: PORK

Glazed Stuffed Pork Chops

Glazed Stuffed Pork Chops

4 VERY thick pork chops
8 slices oatnut bread
butter
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup apricot pineapple jam, room temperature
1 tablespoon peach schnapps
1 large lemon, juiced

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Slit each pork chop along 2 sides to create a large pocket.
  • *Toast each slice of bread well and then lightly butter.
  • Cut each piece into small squares.
  • Toss with thyme, garlic salt and pepper.
  • Stuff each pork chop with 1/3 cup of mixture.
  • Whisk together the jam, peach schnapps, red pepper flakes, ginger and lemon juice.
  • Place chops in a square greased baking dish.
  • Arrange remaining stuffing around the edges.
  • Glaze chops and stuffing tops.
  • Bake uncovered 30 minutes.
  • Turn chops, glaze chops and stuffing again. Bake another 30 minutes.

*If you prefer, prepare 1 box of stove top stuffing instead.aprons 3

TRADITIONAL CARNITAS

CARNITAS (my most favorite way to make this recipe)
2-3 pound boneless pork roast with fat
1 can Old El Paso verde enchilada sauce
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced, Jar
sea salt
white pepper

  • Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
  • Lightly spray your baking dish with PURE.
  • GENEROUSLY salt and pepper both sides of your roast. Put in the baking dish.
  • Cover the roast with the onion pieces.
  • Whisk the minced garlic into your enchilada sauce.
  • Pour over the onions and roast to coat well.
  • Cover loosely with foil.
  • Bake for 3 hours or until fork tender.
  • Remove to cutting board with a juice well.
  • Shred the meat and return to pan with the juices.
  • Increase heat to 325 degrees.
  • Cook uncovered 30 minutes until tops are slightly crispy.
  • Turn the meat and bake another 30 minutes. There should be virtually no juices left.
  • Serve with warm tortillas, guacamole and salsa.

This makes enough for 4 large burritos. It is a lot of time and work so I usually double everything and then portion out for freezer packs.
aprons 3

CARIBBEAN PORK STEAKS & TOASTED CREAM CHEESE CROUTONS with MIXED GREEN SALAD and GRAM’S VINAIGRETTE & MAGIC MARSHMALLOW CRESCENT PUFFS with a TWIST

I want to make sure you know that this weekend Chris from Nibble Me This is hosting a Valentine’s Romance weekend over at OUR KrAzY kitchen and Dave from My Year on the Grill who hosts I CAN COOK THAT! at OUR KrAzY kitchen has been running a Romance series on his regular day where he tells us what men really want for Valentine’s Day. Now my hubby would tell you that Dave is so right as far as the dilemma between moink balls and flowers and chocolates. The recipes below are what hubby would prefer I serve for Valentines. Of course LOL he would also prefer it be served in bed by me already naked.

CARIBBEAN PORK STEAKS

Now I had to do these inside with the broiler this time, but they are sooooooooooooo much more impressive with the grill marks from the BBQ, yet it doesn’t change the flavor much.



2-3 pounds of pork, 4 chops or 2 steaks
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pineapple sundae topping*
1 teaspoon Caribbean jerk seasoning
pineapple slices

  • In a small bowl whisk together the pineapple topping, red pepper, Caribbean jerk seasoning and garlic. Set aside.
  • Salt and pepper the chops on both sides.
  • Grill or broil chops until they are no longer pink near the bone.
  • Brush with glaze on both sides of pork chops and pineapple slices and return to the grill or broiler until the glaze bubbles and the pineapple is heated through.
  • Garnish with grilled pineapple slices.

*apricot pineapple preserves substitutes really well.

TOASTED CREAM CHEESE CROUTONS with MIXED GREEN SALAD

I found the recipe for the croutons in some magazine. It was from Kraft, but fell in love with it and immediately adapted to our favorite salad. You can also make lots of the cream cheese croutons in advance and just pull out as many as you need each meal.

Romaine hearts, chopped

grape tomatoes, halved
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
English cucumber, sliced & chopped
kiwi, chopped
pomegranate seeds
Philadelphia cream cheese
walnuts, finely chopped (I used my mini food processor)
cream cheese croutons

  • Cut the cream cheese into 1/2 inch cubes.
  • Coat cream cheese cubes with the walnut pieces.
  • Freeze overnight or up to 2 months.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare salad.
  • Spray cookie sheet with PURE.
  • Remove as many cream cheese cubes as you need 5 minutes before baking them.
  • Spread out the cream cheese cubes.
  • Bake for 5 minutes until golden brown.
  • Toss salad with vinaigrette and top with croutons.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green onion, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
3/4 cup olive or peanut oil

  • In a dressing bottle combine the garlic and onion. sugars, salt and pepper.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, oil, sugars, salt and pepper.
  • Pour over the garlic and onion.
  • Shake well to combine until well blended.
MAGIC MARSHMALLOW CRESCENT PUFFS with a TWIST
The original recipe that won the Pillsbury Grand Prize Winner of $25,000 in 1969 seems to be surfacing everywhere lately. I have finally decided to give it a try by adding my own signature twist.
This recipe was the Pillsbury Grand Prize Winner of $25,000 in 1969 for a very good reason, it really is magical. The cinnamon-sugar marshmallows melt away during the baking, leaving an ooey-gooey caramel center behind. And while they are delicious warm from the oven I defy anyone seeing a baked one for the first time to identify the inigredients that made the whole or to resist even a cold one especially now that they leave an ooey gooey caramel chocolate center behind. The BIG trick is making sure that the marshmallow is wrapped really well inside and sealed tight.


1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2-8 ounce cans Pillsbury Refrigerated Quick Crescent Dinner Rolls
16 large marshmallows
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped nuts
16 cherry HERSHEY’S KISSES*
crushed walnuts, optional
  • Combine sugar with cinnamon.
  • Separate crescent dough into 16 triangles.
  • Push a cherry Kiss into the center of each marshmallow
  • Dip marshmallow in melted butter and then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  • Wrap a dough triangle around each marshmallow, completely covering marshmallow and squeezing edges of dough tightly to seal.
  • Dip in melted butter and place in regular sized muffin cups.
  • Roll in crushed walnuts.
  • Repeat with remaining marshmallows.
  • Place pan on foil or on a cookie sheet during baking to guard against spill-overs in the oven.
  • Bake puffs at 375 degrees for 10 – 14 minutes until golden brown.
  • Wait a minute or two, then remove from pans and drizzle with glaze and sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.

GLAZE PREP

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 teaspoons milk
  • combine powdered sugar, vanilla and milk, and mix well.
  • drizzle
*Also good with other flavor HERSHEY kisses.

JAMBALAYA

JAMBALAYA

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large bunch green onions, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced cooked ham
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup long grain rice

  • Heat the oil in a dutch oven. Add the green onions and garlic and sauté until fragrant and tender.
  • Mix in remaining ingredients except for the rice and bring to a boil.
  • Add rice and reduce the heat. Simmer until rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.

TROPICAL GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN

TROPICAL GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN
2-3 pound pork tenderloin
1 cup apricot pineapple preserves
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Whisk together brown sugar and pineapple juice.
  • Blend in preserves.
  • generously salt and pepper the pork loin.
  • Spread a small layer of the glaze on the bottom of the roasting pan.
  • Lay the pork loin on top and spread the remaining glaze on top and along the sides.
  • Baste as necessary
  • Bake 45-60 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.

Asian Influenced Pork Loin Wellington – an original recipe

Hi everybody… It’s the resident cook in training again, as Dave from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL amazes you all (but mostly myself) as I post again that I CAN COOK THAT !!!

I am hoping that you have been paying attention over the last two weeks. It all seems a natural progression to me…

In week one of my postings, I used store bought puff pastry to see what happens when I follow a recipe for PUFF PASTRY WITH A BLUE CHEESE FILLING. I made a few mistakes, but I gained a bit of knowledge about how puff pastry works, what it does and I pondered what the advantages of using it were. In all humility, I was pretty amazed at the results, and you can read about them by clicking HERE.

It sounds silly to say, but I amazed myself the next week when I made the exact same dish. Two big differences, The recipe came from Julia Child (It was my first, she was very gentle). But the main difference was that I made my own puff pastry. It was a natural progression for my learning curve to go from store bought to home made. Once again, if you will forgive my braggadocio, I was even more amazed at the results, and you can read about them by clicking HERE.

So, to me, the next logical progression to my puff pastry journey would be to create an original recipe, and justify my ingredients for you “real” cooks to critique.

It is always a dangerous thing to claim any recipe as original. I have never seen this combination of ingredients, combined with this cooking method. So, while it is possible (and actually, considering the number of ingredients, probable that somewhere in the world another cook assembled these ingredients and possibly published them, I am raising my virtual right hand and swearing on a stack of Julia Child cookbooks that to me, this is an original recipe. Since it is my original recipe, I get to name it. If I were writing a boring cookbook, I would indeed name this, Asian Influenced Pork Loin Wellington”. But, I am not, so I get to have a little fun with the name… And so, in honor of my favorite Asian American Poker Playing Actress, I give you…

Jennifer Tilly’s
PORK WELLINGTON!

The name is very logical and makes sense to me…

My two hobbies are poker and cooking. The recipe calls for a couple of main ingredients that are hidden by a beautiful protective shell. Jennifer Tilly also has a couple of almost always hidden assets that she uses to her advantage at the poker table. And finally, the recipe, like Jennifer is much better than you think. Jennifer is one of only a hand full of players (and the only actor) who has won not only a World Series of Poker Bracelet, but also is a World Poker Tour championship. The honor of having a recipe named for her is fitting and well earned.

At this point in the recipe and my postings, I always include a photo of the ingredients (Mise en Place). Unfortunately, The photo did not turn out, so live with this…

Here’s what I needed to make my recipe…

1 – 3 pound Pork Loin (one of the hidden ingredients)
1/2 gallon water for brining
1/2 cup of kosher Salt for brining
1/2 cup of Honey for brining

1/2 pound of Spinach (the other hidden ingredient)
1/2 cup finely chopped Pecans
10 cloves of Garlic (minced)
1 Tbs Ginger Molasses (if you can not find ginger molasses, combine 1 Tbs of molasses with 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger… If you do not have molasses, feel free to use honey and ginger. I hate buying ingredients that are rarely used for such a small amount. But once you have ginger molasses, you will use it up, it is that good… but I digress)
1/4 cup Peanut Sauce
2 TBS Chinese 5 Spice
1 Egg for an egg wash

OK… Here’s what I did and why. If any of you real cooks have a comment or critique, I would love to hear it. Before working on this, I did quite a bit of research, and read several recipes. I think I got it right (it tasted and looked as I wanted). But if I lucked into something, and it worked, but for a wrong reason… let me know. I really was making it all up as i went along.

First, Brine your meat. Brining is that little secret that chefs never tell you. It makes pork more succulent and flavorful. Modern pork producers have evolved the pig into a very lean product. If you have ever over cooked a pork chop to the hockey puck stage, you know that there is not much margin for error between cooked and dried out. Brining will increase that margin drastically, while at the same time add flavor.Brining is VERY easy.

Take 1 cup of the water, and get it boiling. Add the honey and salt and stir till dissolved. Add the cold water and remove from heat. Place the pork in a non reactive container, and add the water. If need be, add more water til the pork is completely covered. Place the whole container in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, but no more than 12. Rinse the pork twice before proceeding to the next step. Pat dry with paper towels.

Next, get your hands dirty. You are adding a wet rub to the pork. The key word… it’s a RUB, not a drizzle. Take the peanut sauce. And rub all over the loin. Next, apply the 5 spice to the loin. Again, rub well, till it is all mixed in with the wet rub.

Next, we combine the pecans, garlic and ginger molasses… Mix well to form a paste. Spread this all over the loin. Keep caking it on as it falls off. Again… USE YOUR HANDS, get dirty. Set this aside, and let it absorb into the meat.

And now it’s time to assemble… While the paste is marinating into the wet rub and the wet rub is spicing the pork, lay out your puffed pastry. roll it out until it is wide enough and long enough to roll around the pork loin. Lay out the raw but washed spinach, and then lay the pork loin on top of the spinach. Push the spinach all up under the loin as much as you can. When you roll up the pastry, you do not want any of the spinach on the top (which will be the bottom when you cook).

Roll the pastry up over the loin and seal as best you can. Everything nice and tight, with a double layer of the pastry on the bottom (actually the top, til you turn it over… make sense???) so that it can soak up the juices and still retain it’s shape and integrity.

Take your egg wash and help keep everything sealed up by painting the egg over the seal. And now, it is time to flip it over, so the smooth side with all the spinach is now on top, and the side with the edges is on the bottom.

It is now time to decorate. When you rollout the pastry, there are always little bits that stick out. I take a pizza cutter and trim the edges square. I used these to cut out shapes. These are supposed to be elephants from a tiny Noah’s Ark cookie cutter set. When i serve these, I am going to serve a one inch slice, so the elephants were placed so that i can cut the loin and each slice will have an elephant. Paint the entire surface of the pastry with the egg wash, then place the decorations down. When you have them where you want them, add another layer of egg wash over the decorations. Take a knife and put a few holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape. If you don’t, your pastry will split.

I bake this on a sheet of parchment paper at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Actually, I used an instant read meat thermometer, inserted into the niddle to measure the internal temp/ It was 140 degrees… perfect.

I removed from the oven, and put a piece of tin foil over the top, sealed as best I could and worked on a side dish. I made some HARICOT VERT (Green Beans) – Restaurant Quality Vegetable. to serve with them. Those only take 5 minutes, so I made them while the meat was resting. Also, while the meat was cooking, I made a batch of garlic mashed potatoes. when all was ready, I made a presentation plate to take to the table, with the beans on teh bottom and slices of the wellington on top…

It was a HUGE hit. The pork was fork tender, even at the 1 inch thickness. Each bite that contained a bit of the pastry also contained some of the now steamed and cooked spinach! The spinach was flavored with the Asian influenced rub and paste, as was the pork. The crunch of the nuts added a delicious texture, and the peanut sauce/Chinese 5 spice wet rub flavored perfectly. I worked hard on the prep for this recipe. I thought about each ingredient and what it would add to the dish. In the end, it was just as good as I had hoped. Jennifer Tilly should be very proud.

So, all that’s left is to explain what the pastry shell does… First, it makes a dynamite presentation. Very pretty. But as important, it improves the taste of the pork. It forms a shell around the meat so that as the wet rub and the moisture in the paste heats and starts to stem, it acts as a mini pressure cooker to force the aromatic flavors into the meat. Almost every bit of the moisture from the pork and the rub/paste is retained and improves the texture of the pork. Moist, tender and delicious; full of flavors… What pork should be!

And with this post, I am ending my puff pastry recipes for a bit… Kind of, I do have a recipe for a Salmon wellington on my “REAL” site, MY YEAR ON THE GRILL, which you can see by clicking HERE.

Come back next Thursday to see what I amaze myself with next!

7UP TROPICAL PORK CHOPS ~ Simply Delicious Sunday

We don’t have a lot of rules here at ThE KrAzY kItChEn. We do ask that whatever meme you are participating in that you use good blog etiquette and link to us here at ThE KrAzY kItChEn. We have been experiencing, like so many others, SPAMMING and you can help us eliminate a good deal of it, by making it easier for us by using a meme badge if you like, and by linking back to us.

Here at Simply Delicious Sunday I’ve made a few badges for you to choose from. Some of you still have the even older ones and those are okay too if you like them. The most important part is to be sure and link to us. We really appreciate your help.


7UP TROPICAL GLAZED PORK CHOPS
4-6 large pork steaks, chops or loin
4 ounces 7UP
3/4 cup apricot pineapple preserves
1 cup brown sugar
8 ounces crushed pineapple juice
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Whisk together the 7UP, pineapple, apricot preserves, red pepper flakes and brown sugar.
  • Generously salt and pepper the pork chops.
  • Spread a small layer of the glaze on the bottom of the roasting pan.
  • Lay the pork chops on top and spread the remaining glaze on top and along the sides.
  • Baste as necessary.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 165-170 degrees.

This is also a great way to prepare chicken.

Simple Supper Saturday – Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Welcome to Simple Supper Saturday! You know it doesn’t get much more simple than letting your slow cooker do the work for you! I originally found this recipe at Problem Solvin’ Mom. My version is adapted just a teeny tiny bit.

What you’ll need
Pork loin, cut into large pieces to fit into your slow cooker
Beef broth, enough to cover the meat
BBQ sauce (optional)

How to make it
Place pork loin into slow cooker – go ahead stuff it full! (I usually use about a 5 pound loin). Cover with beef broth. Cook on low heat 6 hours. Remove pork and shred using 2 forks. Place your shredded pork into a baking pan(s). Add some beef broth if you are serving it plain or add BBQ sauce – if you’re like me you’ll make a lot and make a pan of each! Bake at 350 uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Note – The pulled pork freezes great for some quick BBQ sandwich nights! Serve with coleslaw and corn on the cob – or even just with some chips on the side for a great quick and easy meal!

I’m also linking this to Debbie’s all new Crock Pot Wednesdays. Check it out for lots of great slow cooking recipes 🙂

Pineapple Cider Brine Pork Chops w/ Root Beer Pineapple BBQ sauce, Broccoli Green Bean Almond Saute & StrawBlackberry topping for Magazine Monday

Magazine Mondays is hosted by Ivonne over at Cream Puffs in Venice. All 3 of these recipes are loosely based on recipes from magazines, but the main ingredients have been changed to protect my family. No seriously, the main ingredients were changed to make my family happy as the original recipes had ingredients that my family just won’t eat! Also Healthy Helpings is debuting over at ThE KraZy KitcHen tomorrow. Stop by and join in.
When I do ‘recipe experiment’ night I try to do EVERY part of the meal as a new recipe. Some times I get lucky and they ALL are worth sharing. I’m a ‘no measure’ cook, well at least a no exact measure cook so when I invent a new recipe, it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. But, today worked!

PINEAPPLE CIDER BRINE PORK CHOPS
1 1/2 cup water
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sea salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
4 thick pork chops

  • In a large sauce pan whisk together water, cider vinegar, sea salt and brown sugar together until salt and sugar are dissolved.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Add seasonings and blend well.
  • Slow simmer 10 minutes.
  • Cool.
  • Immerse pork chops and soak 12-24 hours. I used my 8 cup pampered chef batter bowl so the chops had plenty of room to ‘swim’.
  • Drain chops.
  • Grill or broil 5-6 minutes on each side.
  • Heat enough Root Beer Pineapple BBQ sauce to cover the chops.
  • Brush each side of chops with BBQ sauce for the last few minutes.

ROOT BEER PINEAPPLE BBQ SAUCE

12 ounce MUG root beer
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
4 tablespoons butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sun dried tomato pesto
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Frank’s hot sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • Melt butter in a large saucepan.
  • Add onions and garlic, Saute’ until tender.
  • Add other ingredients, except cornstarch, and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
  • Remove 1 cup of sauce and whisk cornstarch into it.
  • Return mixture to the sauce pan and simmer 15 minutes.
  • Cool 15 minutes.
  • Refrigerate,
  • Makes 4 cups.

BROCCOLI GREEN BEAN ALMOND SAUTE’

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons White Balsamic Vinegar
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed
1 broccoli crown, chopped small
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

  • Heat olive oil in large skillet.
  • Add vegetables and saute’ until tender.
  • Add soy sauce and white balsamic vinegar.
  • Sprinkle with sea salt and white pepper.
  • Add almonds, blend well and heat through.
  • This dish is good hot OR cold!

STRAWBLACKBERRY SHORTCAKE TOPPING

1 pint blackberries, washed and sliced in thirds
1/2 pint strawberries, washed and chopped small
1/4 cup brown sugar

  • Toss Together and marinate several hours.
  • Serve over shortcake.

♥final blog signature. ♥

Dimsum/Potstickers ~ Daring Cooks June challenge

It is time to post out our completed June challenge for Daring Cooks. Jen from Use Real Butter.

The dough wasn’t very difficult. You just have to be sure to use the right amount of the flour and water, which can be a bit tricky. The filling was our choice and as my hubby likes his meat, I choose a pork filling. This was a lot of fun and hubby thoroughly enjoyed being a taste tester. The dough wasn’t so difficult – though, you have to make right the amount of the flour and water, that can be tricky. My first few tries at rolling out the dough I got it way too thin, but finally found a medium consistency that held together for frying.

I made a tart raspberry soy sauce dip that really topped it off well. Hubby all but licked his plate! is hosting our challenge this month for traditional Chinese Dumplings, commonly known as Dimsum or Potstickers or Wontons which we love when we go out so this was a great opportunity for me to try my hand at it!

Dough:
– 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
– 1/2 cup (113g) warm water
– flour for work surface
Jen’s Filling:
– 450g ground pork
– 4 large napa cabbage leaves, minced
– 3 stalks green onions, minced
– 7 shitake mushrooms, minced (if dried – rehydrated and rinsed carefully)
– 1/2 cup bamboo shoots, minced
– 1/4 cup ginger root, minced
– 3 tablespoons soy sauce
– 2 tablespoons sesame oil
– 2 tablespoons corn starch
Jen’s Dipping sauce: (I made my own out of homemade tart raspberry jam and soy sauce)
– 2 parts soy sauce
– 1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
– a few drops of sesame oil
– chili garlic paste (optional)
– minced ginger (optional)
– minced garlic (optional)
– minced green onion (optional)
– sugar (optional)

Instructions how to make the dough by Jen:
Method 1: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.[Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water).

Make the dough, Method 2 (Jen’s mom’s instructions): In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch.

Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking – about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side. Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.

Filling – meaty: Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly (I mix by clean hand). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two). – Easy peasy

To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

Don’t forget to check out some really amazing dumplings by the other Daring Cooks by clicking on the links to their blogs at the temporary Daring Cooks Blogroll.

final blog signature. ♥

Tropical Glazed Pork Tenderloin ~ Favorite Ingredients Friday

Last week I offered you our proposed Easter Menu for my favorite ingredients Friday entry hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy, but this week I offer you what we actually had after much discussion about it just being the two of us and not needing all that food.



TROPICAL GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN
2-3 pound pork tenderloin
1 cup apricot pineapple preserves
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Whisk together brown sugar and pineapple juice.
  • Blend in preserves.
  • generously salt and pepper the pork loin.
  • Spread a small layer of the glaze on the bottom of the roasting pan.
  • Lay the pork loin on top and spread the remaining glaze on top and along the sides.
  • Baste as necessary
  • Bake 45-60 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.

final blog signature. ♥

Vegetable Pork Stir Fry & Fried Rice


VEGETABLE PORK STIR FRY
Peanut Oil
egg white (save the yolk for the fried rice)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 pound thin pork chops (chicken works great too)
1 large bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 cup snow peas
3/4 cup carrots slices
1 cup broccoli florets
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup orange juice

  • An hour before you plan on cooking slice pork chops into thin strips.
  • Whisk together the egg white and cornstarch.
  • Coat pork strips in egg mixture and chill for 1 hour.
  • Slice the onions, carrots and broccoli to bite size pieces.
  • Cut the snow peas in half if they are large or leave whole.
  • Heat peanut oil to medium high.
  • Stir Fry pork pieces quickly and remove to drain on paper towel.
  • Add vegetables and stir fry until tender. Add pork slices back in.
  • Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil and orange juice.
  • Add to the pan and toss to coat.
  • Heat through until glaze forms.
  • Serve with Fried Rice (recipe follows).

FRIED RICE
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 eggs + the yolk from the above recipe
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 cup soy sauce
2 green onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup diced broccoli
1/4 cup peas
1/4 cup diced carrots

  • Cook rice according to package directions.
  • In a small pan scramble the eggs and set aside.
  • Melt the butter in a skillet and saute vegetables until tender.
  • Add the rice, soy sauce and sesame oil, stirring constantly.
  • Just before serving add egg back in and heat through.

final blog signature. ♥