Tag Archives: pork

Feb24

Linguine all’amatriciana

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Our dinner plans for the other night were postponed, so we decided to stay in and open a bottle of wine instead of going out two nights in a row.  After browsing through Anne Burell’s Cook Like a Rockstar, I decided on a modified version of her bucatini all’amatriciana.

I used bacon and linguine because that’s what we had on hand, and the whole point was to not leave the house!  I also had to add garlic and only used one onion (the recipe in her book uses 2 onions for each 28 oz. can of tomatoes). In the picture you can see that I added peas, but honestly they didn’t add much to the sauce, so I didn’t include that in the recipe.

The sauce turned out really well!   Simmering it for an hour really developed the delicious bacon-y flavor.

Pasta All’Amatriciana
Adapted from Anne Burrell

olive oil
8 oz pancetta or bacon, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
kosher salt
black pepper
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, pureed in the food processor
1/2 lb. bucatini, spaghetti, or linguine
grated parmigiano reggianno

Coat a deep skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the pancetta or bacon, and cook until the meat is crisp and the fat has rendered out. Remove the pancetta or bacon from the pan, and drain on paper towels. Drain off about half the fat if using bacon, which is generally fattier than pancetta.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and stir to coat in the fat. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. When the onions are soft, add the tomatoes. Pour about a cup of water into the empty tomato can and pour the water into the pan (this rinses out the remaining tomato juice). Add 2/3 of the pancetta or bacon to the pan as well.

Bring the sauce to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for an hour. Taste and reseason, adding more water to thin it if necessary.

Cook the pasta in salted water for a minute less than the instructions on the package. Remove two cups of sauce from the pan and reserve, then add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Allow to simmer in the sauce for a minute or two to finish cooking.

Serve the pasta with some of the extra sauce if necessary.

Feb23

Grilled sweet potato salad

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On President’s Day, we decided to have a last-minute barbeque. Paco made ribs, and I made a grilled sweet potato salad and a broccoli salad.

When choosing sweet potatoes for this recipe, choose big fat ones. If you slice the smaller ones, they will fall through the slots in the grill. I followed the original recipe pretty closely, except I skipped par-cooking the sweet potatoes, and I added red pepper flakes for a little heat.

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad
Adapted from Bobby Flay

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
8 scallions
3/4 c olive oil
kosher salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T dijon mustard
1/2 c cider vinegar
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Put the sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl, then toss with 1/4 c of olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Grill for a few minutes on each side, until they are fork tender.

Brush or spray the scallions with a little bit of olive oil, then grill until they have grill marks. Remove from the grill and slice.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the 1/2 c of olive oil, the apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and honey.

Combine the sweet potatoes, scallions, and dressing in a large bowl and toss to combine. Garnish with parsley and serve while still warm. (You could serve this cold, as well, but make sure to combine the ingredients while they’re still warm so that the potatoes absorb the dressing.)

Feb13

Lentil soup with sausage

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I have been making Rachael Ray’s Hungarian Hot Sausage and Lentil Soup for years, it completely revolutionized my idea of what lentil soup can be.  I grew up eating relatively plain lentil soup with ham, which I also love, but Rachael Ray’s lentil soup is full of “stuff.”  Not just sausage, but portobello mushrooms and kale.  It is the perfect thing to make early in the week and eat for a few days.

Lentil Soup with Sausage
Adapted from Rachael Ray

olive oil
2/3 lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
kosher salt
black pepper
1 portobello mushroom, gills removed and sliced
3 small carrots, sliced
1 c of green lentils
2 small white potatoes, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
2 tsp smoked paprika (if you don’t have this, buy it!)
1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
14 oz can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes
6 c chicken broth
1 bunch of kale, stems removed, roughly chopped

Heat a little bit of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large dutch oven. Brown the sausage in the oil, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the onions and garlic, season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and cook until they are translucent.

Add the carrots, mushrooms, lentils, potatoes, bay leaf, paprika, and rosemary, and allow to cook for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth. (I also added a few fresh cherry tomatoes because I wanted to use them up.) Cover the pot and bring to a boil.

Uncover the pot and allow to boil for 20-30 minutes, until the lentils, potatoes, and carrots are cooked. Add the kale, stirring it in as it wilts. It might look like a ridiculous amount of kale at first, but I promise it will fit once it wilts down. Allow to simmer for a few more minutes.

This soup has enough starch to be eaten on its own, or you can serve it with crusty, toasted, buttered bread.

Feb9

Fried rice topped with eggs

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Here’s another of my favorites when I’m cooking for one–fried rice.  I was super short on vegetables, but I was able to pull together a very respectable fried rice with some leftover white rice, lap cheong (Chinese sausage), celery, and frozen peas. To make it taste Chinese, I use ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and fish sauce. Topped with two sunny-side-up eggs and tons of garlic chili sauce, I could eat this every day!

Nom.

Jan24

Slow-cooker pulled pork

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On weekends, I make pulled pork in the oven. The delicious smell of roasting pork will fill your house and get your guests excited for the meal to come. However, this slow-cooker method is perfect for making pulled pork during the week, if you have to leave the house, or when you don’t want to heat up the house by turning the oven on.

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

2 1/2 lbs pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
1/2 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3/4 tsp kosher salt
black pepper
cumin
chili powder
3/4 c bbq sauce
1/4 c water
1 T mustard
1/4 c apple cider vinegar

Line the bottom of a slow-cooker with the onions and garlic. Add the pork shoulder, then season with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder.

Add enough water to cover about 2/3 of the pork, then cover and cook on the high setting for 4-6 hours, or the low setting for 8-10 hours.

When the pork is tender, remove it from the slow-cooker and allow to cool. Shred the meat with two (large) forks or your fingers.

Remove the cooking liquid and onions from the slow-cooker. Return the shredded pork to the slow-cooker, then add the bbq sauce, mustard, 1/4 c of water, and apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine, then cook for another hour on the low setting.

I served this on toasted rolls with cole slaw.