Korean food is wonderful, and in my opinion, under-appreciated. When I lived in Sao Paulo, I loved a restaurant that specialized in Korean barbecue, a gastronomic experience not to be missed.   Unfortunately, our current location is less blessed with good restaurants, and Korean food is nowhere to be found.  The only way to satisfy my cravings is to cook it at home! I’ve made this dish many times since it was first published in Fine Cooking, and it’s become one of our favorites.

(receita em portugues na pagina seguinte)

KOREAN-STYLE PORK WITH ASIAN SLAW
(adapted from Fine Cooking #78, April 2006)

2 small pork tenderloins (about 1-1/4 lb.)
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs rice vinegar
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1/2 Tbs. Asian sesame oil
1/2 Tbs.  Asian chile sauce (like Sriracha)
2 to 4 Tbs canola oil

for salad
1 lb. napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
1 cup grated carrot
4 scallions (both white and green parts), trimmed and thinly sliced
1 Tbs. canola or peanut oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 Tbs brown sugar
Kosher salt

Trim the pork of any silverskin and excess fat, and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick medallions. Pound each slice gently with a meat mallet, protecting it with plastic wrap as you pound it.

In a small measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, 2 Tbs. of the rice vinegar, 2 Tbs. of the brown sugar, the garlic, ginger, 1/2 Tbs. of the sesame oil, and 2 tsp. of the chile sauce. Toss 1/2 cup of this mixture with the pork medallions in a large bowl; reserve the remaining mixture to use as a sauce, if you want.  Let the pork sit at room temperature for 25 minutes or refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

Meanwhile, in another large bowl, toss the cabbage and the carrot with half of the scallions, 1 Tbs. of the canola oil, 1 tsp. salt, and the remaining 2 Tbs. rice vinegar, 1 Tbs. brown sugar, 1/2 Tbs. sesame oil, and 1 tsp. chile sauce. Let sit for 15 minutes, toss again, and transfer to a large serving platter.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the canola oil in a 12-inch, heavy-based skillet over medium high heat until very hot. Remove the pork from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and transfer the pork to a clean plate. Discard the marinade. Add half of the pork medallions to the skillet, spacing them evenly. Cook them without touching until well browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the pork is just cooked through about 2 more minutes. Set the pork on top of the slaw. Pour out the oil and wipe the pan with paper towels (if the drippings on the bottom of the pan look like they may burn, wash the pan). Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. canola oil, and cook the remaining medallions in the same manner. Top the slaw with the remaining pork, and pour the reserved soy-ginger sauce over the medallions. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining scallions.

to print the recipe, click here

Comments – Napa cabbage is best in this recipe, but I’ve made it with regular green cabbage too.  In that case,  it’s important to slice it thin, otherwise it can be a little too crunchy.   This dish surprised us because it’s tastier than  expected from the ingredients and preparation.  I usually marinate the meat in the morning, and leave it in the fridge the whole day, for a super-easy dinner after work.  Don’t be alarmed by the state of the frying pan when you finish cooking the meat: the high sugar content in the marinade tends to cause it to stick  to the pan, but it rinses off quite easily… no elbow grease needed. 

Instead of adding the reserved marinade on top of the meat, I advise you to try a little on your plate – some people might find it too strong.  I often skip the additional sauce, particularly when the meat was marinated for several hours.

CANTINHO BRASILEIRO

LOMBINHO DE PORCO A MODA COREANA COM SALADA DE REPOLHO
(adaptado de Fine Cooking)

2 lombinhos de porco pequenos
1 / 3 xícara de molho de soja
2 colheres de sopa de vinagre de arroz
2 colheres de sopa  de  açúcar mascavo
1 dente de alho picado
1 + 1/2 colher de sopa de gengibre fresco picado
1 / 2 colher de sopa de oleo de gergelim
1 / 2 colher de sopa de molho de pimenta (de preferencia oriental)
2-4 colheres de sopa de óleo

para a salada
repolho branco cortado ultra fino (cerca de 6 xícaras)
1 xícara de cenoura ralada
4 cebolinhas cortadas em fatias finas
1 colher de sopa de oleo de amendoim
1 / 2 colher de chá de oleo de gergelim
2 colheres de sopa de vinagre de arroz
1 colher de sopa de açúcar mascavo
Sal

Corte os lombinhos em fatias diagonais de 2 cm. Proteja cada fatia com filme plastico e bata suavemente com um batedor de carne para obter fatias de espessura homogenea e um pouco mais  finas (cerca de 1 cm de espessura).

Misture o molho de soja, 2 Tbs. do vinagre de arroz, 2 Tbs.
do açúcar mascavo, o alho, gengibre, 1 / 2 Tbs. do óleo de gergelim, e 2 tsp. do molho de pimenta. Coloque as fatias de carne em uma tigela e adicione metade desse molho, deixando a carne marinar por 2 a 12 horas. Reserve o restante para servir com a carne.

Prepare a salada: em outra tigela grande, junte o repolho e a cenoura com metade da cebolinha, 1 colher de sopa de oleo vegetal, 1 colher de cha de  sal, 2 colheres de sopa de vinagre de arroz, 1 colher de sopa de
açúcar mascavo, 1 / 2 colher de sopa de óleo de gergelim e 1 colher de cha de molho de pimenta. Deixe descansar por 15 minutos, misture
novamente e coloque numa tigela para servir.

Aqueca 2 colheres de sopa de oleo de amendoim em uma frigideira grande, ate’ que comece a mostrar sinais de fumaca. Retire a carne do molho de soja, deixando escorrer todo o excesso.    Adicione metade das fatias na frigideira e cozinhe cerca de 2 minutos por lado.  Adicione os pedacos de carne sobre a salada. Limpe a frigideira, se necessario, adicione mais 2 colheres de sopa de oleo e frite o resto da carne.  Sirva imediatamente, com o molho de soja reservado, e salpique com a cebolinha.

The economy has gotten so bad, according to ABC’s Nightline, that Nevada’s brothels are seeing a rise in applications. Things are getting so bad, a girl can’t even compete in the world’s oldest profession. While we contemplate the current state of affairs, join me in cooking up an easy dish of Pasta Puttanesca, also known as Harlot’s Pasta. Bold in flavor, it’s a tasty dish for someone on the run. Think Duece Bigelow in a hurry. There’s really no trick to it. So, let’s whip some up and hope for better days ahead.

Pasta Puttanesca

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic pressed
1/2 onion chopped
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoon capers
1/3 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
4 anchovy fillets chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 box pasta, your choice

Over medium heat, saute onions and garlic in olive oil in the onions are translucent. Add the anchovies and stir, allowing the anchovies to break apart. Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer, 5-10 minutes until warmed. Toss with pasta and serve.

Stumble It!

Throughout summer and early fall, we have taco bar at our house a few times a month. Everyone loves it because the ingredients are put out,  and we all get to pick and choose our toppings. In the end, everyone is happy. It’s great for a Friday night dinner when it’s too much to prepare an elaborate spread. From a seasonal perspective, I think this may be one of the last taco bars of the year, because tomato, corn and pepper seasons are coming to a close. Besides being delicious, I love this dish for the main reason that every color of the nutritional rainbow is represented – so it’s a home run. You can make these tacos with chicken, ground beef, ground buffalo or ground turkey. If you don’t want meat as your filler, you can always make this a vegetarian meal with some rice and beans on the side.

For the meat: 

1 one pound package organic white meat ground turkey
1/2 white onion, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
pinch cayenne

For the (optional) toppings:

1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
1 green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
1 14 oz can Amy’s Traditional Refried Beans
1 tomato, diced or gluten free salsa of your choice
1 jalapeno, chopped finely
2 avocados, cubed
lettuce
corn chips
rice (Spanish or cilantro lime)
corn (cut from the cob)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. While oven is heating, slice the 3 peppers into strips. Toss in a baking dish or shallow pan with olive oil, garlic and salt & pepper. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
3. While the peppers are roasting, measure out spices and set aside in a glass bowl. Set a skillet over medium heat and add the spice mixture. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until the spices become fragrant. This is called “blooming” the spices. Remove spices from the skillet and set aside in a glass bowl. 
4. Heat 2 tblsp olive oil in the skillet and add the onion. Saute for about 8 minutes. Add the meat. Stir occasionally to ensure all the pieces are broken up. 
5. After about 5 minutes, sprinkle the spice mixture over the meat/onion mixture. Saute  for another 5 minutes.
6. While the meat is simmering, prepare the toppings of your choice into small to medium size bowls in a “buffet style” set-up.

Summer is quickly approaching us. The weather is getting warmer (I’ve been wearing tank tops a ton!), the sun is shining more brightly (I’ve been getting burnt a lot, remind me to buy sunscreen!), and the ice cream man is just around the corner (I heard the ice cream man jingle just the other day!). You know what that means, right?!

Grilling! And yummy, fresh ingredients!!

That’s why you should go make this delicious dish, that I’m about to tell you about, right away…or this weekend…or later next week. But, soon! Hurry!

I’ve recently subscribed to Cuisine at Home. A great magazine. No ads, purely cooking. They explain things so well and show step-by-step pictures of many of their recipes. It’s like a cooking blog, but in magazine form instead! Wow,…what a concept!!! (he he he…) This is what they offered to the public before blogs, folks!

If you’re into cooking magazines, I encourage you to try this one out. Their recipes are delicious, usually very simple to make, and thoroughly explained.

So in this months June issue, I tried out the “Honey-Lime Chicken” marinade with the “Grilled Fresh Corn in Spicy Lime Dressing” and Pico De Gallo”. Chicken sometimes gets dull for me, but this dish spiced things up and gave me a new love for our poultry friend, along with the yummy, accompanying salsas.

Of course I didn’t have enough lime or cilantro in our house when I decided to make this dish, but I improvised. Such as using a 1/2 cup of Hansen’s tangerine lime soda instead of a 1/2 cup lime juice. (HA!) And, you know what?! It was still amazing!

I switched things up a little bit and turned these “Honey-Lime Chicken Fajitas” into more of a “Honey-Lime Chicken Taco“. I served them with flour tortillas, chopped lettuce, and sprinkled shredded sharp cheddar on top, along with the corn salsa, pico de gallo, and sour cream. It was DE-LIC-IOUS!

The next day, J and I had the chicken on top of a salad with the salsa’s on top and other various toppings. It was DE-LIC-IOUS once again! See,….you get a 2-for-1 meal!

Honey-Lime Chicken Marinade (adapted from Cuisine at Home, June 2008 Issue):

-1/2 cup fresh lime juice (or if you’re like me and don’t have lime juice, you can use Hansen’s Lime and Tangerine soda,..YES! It worked and was delicious or you could even use lemon instead of lime)

-1/3 cup honey (more or less)

-1/4 cup minced garlic

-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

-1 1/2 lb. boneless chicken breasts (or, chicken tenders is what I used)

Marinade for about 45 minutes…as long as you like ’til you’re ready to grill. I’m sure you could also cook these in a skillet too!

Grill for about 6 minutes on each side til chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees inside. Brush with marinade every few minutes. Slice into strips before serving.

Grilled Red Peppers (as shown above)

-2 Red Peppers

Slice into flat strips, throw onto grill, keep on til cooked through, flipping a couple of time.

Voila! Grilled Red Peppers! Yummy, Healthy, and good to throw in a taco, salad, or fresh corn salsa!

Fresh Corn Salsa (adapted from Cuisine at Home, June 2008 issue)

This recipe called for a bunch of cilantro and fresh corn off the cob. I didn’t have either of these, so instead. just mixed together what I had and added a few things of my own… such as frozen corn, grilled red peppers and diced onion.

-1 bag of frozen corn (doesn’t matter what size really, just go with what you have)

-2 tbsp. of vegetable oil

Throw oil and frozen corn into a skillet. Cook on medium til frozen corn is thawed out and cooked through. Let sit and cool for a few minutes while you combine the rest of the salsa.

Rest of the Salsa Mix:

-2 tsp. of vegetable oil

-1 tbsp of fresh lime juice

-1 tbsp. of Hot Sauce or Tabasco (I ended up adding about 2 Tbsp. by the end of the mixing. Add as much as you like!)

-1/4 cup. fresh cilantro (I didn’t have this, but it still turned out delicious. Add if you like, but don’t worry if you dont’, it’ll still be good!)

-2 tsp. of seeded and minced jalapeno

-1/2 tsp. sugar

-About 1/3 cup of diced onion

-About 1/3 cup of diced red pepper (grilled or raw)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Crumbled Queso Fresco

Mix these ingredients together with a whisk. Once corn has cooled a bit, throw it in with the rest of the mix. Stir together and sprinkle with Queso Fresco (Mexican Cheese).

Pico De Gallo (adapted from Cuisine at Home, June 2008 issue)

-2 cups diced tomatoes (seed before you cut, then it won’t be overly runny)

-1/2 cup fresh cilantro (once again, I had no cilantro… didn’t use it and it was still yummy!)

-1/4 red onion, diced

-2 tbsp. jalapeno, seeded and diced

-2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

-2 tbsp. vegetable oil

-1 tsp. minced garlic (yeah,… I think I added more than one tsp.!)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Stick in the fridge to chill before serving.

Extra stuff you’ll need for the tacos:

-Flour or Corn tortillas (I used 6 inch)

-Sour Cream

-Shredded Cheese (whatever kind you like)

-Shredded romaine lettuce

-Whatever else you’d like to top it with!

So, my friends….try this out. You’ll thank me later….and, uh,…Cuisine at Home. Let me know how it turns out!