Barbecued Pork (Cha Shiu)

I don't think that the name "barbecued pork" describes this dish very well. The little slices of meat are delicately flavored and roasted in the oven, then served with a variety of dipping sauces. My recipe is based on a Chinese version that I found in my old Complete Asian Cookbook, by Charmaine Solomon. I have given you a link to the latest edition; my tattered old copy was published in 1976.

1/2 pound pork loin, cut in 1/4 inch slices

3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1 tbl. soy sauce
1 tbl. honey
1 tbl. sherry (I substituted white wine, and it worked just fine)
1/2 tsp. five spice powder

Grind up the garlic with the salt in a mortar and pestle. Add the ginger, soy sauce, honey, wine, and five spice powder. Mix well and pour over the pork slices, stirring the meat around until well coated. Marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Pour an inch or so of hot water into a flat pan and arrange the pork slices on a wire rack placed on top of the pan. (I used a round pizza pan with holes in it, sprayed with Pam, and placed over a broiler pan). Roast the meat for 15 minutes, turn the slices and baste with any remaining marinade and roast another 10 to 15 minutes until done.

Serve with steamed rice, stir-fried vegetables, and some dipping sauces. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce
Peanut Sauce

Plum Sauce: Mix 1/2 cup plum jam (raspberry works, too), 1 tbl. chili sauce, 1 tbl. soy sauce, pinch of grated ginger, and Chinese rice vinegar to taste.

Jeanne's Blueberry Coffee Cake

My knitting friend, Jeanne, brings this coffee cake to our winter knitting get-togethers. It's always such a hit that she brings along copies of the recipe to hand out.

2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

Topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups blueberries (if frozen, thaw and drain)

Sift flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder together.

In a large mixing bowl, cream sugars and oil, then add the eggs and beat well. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9" x 13" pan.

In another bowl, mix all the topping ingredients together and spoon on top of the batter.

Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus

My friend, Jean, tells me that this is her favorite chicken recipe ever. It comes from Martha Stewart, and this version (with photos) can be seen on Cooking San Francisco.

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (about 3 pounds)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
4 cloves garlic, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Toss potatoes with the olive oil in a roasting pan; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.

3. Scatter asparagus, lemon, and garlic around chicken. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 5 to 15 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.

Serves: 4

Kilian's Bread and Butter Pickles

Kilian is married to Maura, who is the daughter of my half-sister. We love his pickles, which are kind of a hobby for him, as he is a professional restaurant chef in Boston.

6 cups loosely packed pickling cukes, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 red or green pepper, sliced
A few cauliflower florets
1/4 cup salt

Mix all together in a large pot. Let stand for three hours.

Combine in a sauce pan and boil for 5 minutes:
2 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 tbl. pickling spices
1 tsp. celery seed
2 cups apple cider or malt vinegar

Rinse the cucumber mixture thoroughly, with several changes of water. Let soak in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and return to the large pot. Add the boiling syrup mixture.

Heat slowly to just below boiling point, stirring occasionally. Place in sterilized jars and cover immediately.

Note: If you increase the recipe, increase the salt just slightly.

Homemade Cracker Jacks (Caramel Corn)

Our recent trip to Fenway Park left us craving Cracker Jacks. I looked around for a homemade recipe online, and combined several to come up with this one.


2 quarts freshly popped popcorn
1 1/2 cups peanuts


1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/6 cup light corn syrup


1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. vanilla


Mix the popcorn and peanuts in a large bowl; set aside.


Mix the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until boiling. Simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Pour the syrup over the popcorn and peanut mixture and stir to coat well. 

Spread on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees F. for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool, break apart and store in tightly covered container. 

Grilled Shrimp and Roasted Pear Salad

I had the best salad EVER at the Metro Deli in Chicago's Union Station while waiting for our train. It was very much like this one, which I found here and in several other places around the Internet. It seems like everyone has posted the same recipe, so I don't really know where it originated online. 

16 jumbo (U/15) shrimp

2 whole fresh pears of your choice, cut in 1/2 (core and stem removed)

2 Tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 oz dried cranberries

2 oz candied cashews

12 oz mixed baby greens 

5 oz balsamic vinaigrette

1/2 Tbs pure maple syrup

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 oz croutons made with cinnamon and raisin bread

Directions

1. Mix 1 ounce balsamic vinegar with Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon oil and coat shrimp. Season with salt and pepper, grill 1 1/2 minutes per side until done, then keep warm.

2. Toss pears with remaining oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in 450° F oven for 14 minutes and allow to cool.

3. Mix remaining balsamic vinegar and maple syrup in a medium sized bowl and toss in mixed greens and gently coat, add croutons, cranberries and cashews.

4. To serve: Divide greens onto 4 plates, arrange 4 grilled shrimp per plate and top with a sliced roasted pear half and serve.

My note: Add some gorgonzola, crumbled

Red Chile Caesar Dressing

Based on the Great Caesar Dressing in the book, The El Paso Chile Company's Burning Desires; Salsa, Smoke, and Sizzle, by W. Park Kerr.

Combine in a food processor or blender:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 large egg at room temperature
4 to 6 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbl. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground red chile

Process until smooth.

With the motor still running, add through the feed tube in a quick, steady stream:
1 cup corn oil
1 cup olive oil

The dressing will thicken up nicely. Refrigerate in a covered storage container. Can be prepared up to three days before using.

Roasted Vegetables

Ready to go into the oven

Scrub, peel (if necessary), and slice thinly:

Sweet potatoes
Onions (any kind: red, white, yellow, or green--or a combination)
Sweet red, green, yellow, and/or orange peppers
Carrots

You can also add any kind of root vegetable, like turnips

Place all in a large pyrex dish. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with thyme and fresh ground pepper.

Roast at 400 F. for at least an hour, stirring every 20 minutes or so. Check to see if vegetables are tender. If they still need more roasting and are getting too brown, cover the pan with aluminum foil. At our altitude (3900 feet) I roast them for a total of an hour and a half.

Whole Grain Waffles

2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups skim milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together wet ingredients; sift together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet, stir well. Bake in waffle iron. Serve with blueberry syrup. Source:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Whole-Grain-Waffles/Detail.aspx