FRIED RICE

Finally . . . I've found a great fried rice recipe!!

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a pinch of kosher salt

4 scallions (white and green), thinly sliced

1/4 cup grated carrot

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

Pinch red chile flakes

1 tablespoon of minced peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce (sometimes I substitute a tablespoon of kecap manis)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

3 cups cooked jasmine rice

1 cup cooked meat cut in 1/2-inch cubes, such as pork, ham, beef, or chicken

1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted in a strainer at room temperature

It may be worth your while to have EVERYTHING prepped to go BEFORE you start cooking.

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a well-seasoned wok or large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl to coat the pan. Pour in the eggs, swirl the pan so the egg forms a large thin pancake. As soon as the egg has set, turn it out of the pan onto a cutting board. Cool, cut into 1 inch pieces.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and heat the remaining vegetable oil over high heat. Add the scallions and carrots and stir-fry for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the garlic, chile, and ginger, stir-fry for 1 minute more. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and rice and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the meat, peas, and reserved egg, cook, stirring until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

PORK LOIN WITH PEANUT SLATHER

This is a wonderful tasting recipe, but I have yet to take a decent pic of it. I had some pics of it being served with roasted green beans and jasmine rice, but somehow or another I deleted the pics before I could post them. {sigh} You can use your oven or your grill. I've tried it both ways.

If you like peanut sauces, you'll like this. I usually make a double batch of the slather.

You'll need . . .

2 pork tenderloins, each about 12 ounces

Flavorless cooking oil to brush on the cooking rack

Trim off and discard any excess fat from the pork. Set aside the cooking oil, if grilling.

Ingredients for Slather

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter, salted

1/4 cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry 

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce 

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons flavorless cooking oil 

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon Sambal Badjak Fresh Ripe Chili Paste with Onion or other Asian chile sauce

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons finely minced ginger 

1/4 cup minced green onion

To Make the Slather

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredi­ents for the peanut slather and mix to combine evenly. Reserve, cover, and refrigerate 1/2 cup of the slather. Evenly coat the pork with the remaining slather and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. All advance preparation may be completed up to 8 hours be­fore you begin the final steps.


Final Steps

Thirty minutes prior to cooking, remove the pork and 1/2 cup reserved peanut slather from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.

To Grill: If using a gas or electric grill, preheat to medium (350°). If using char­coal or wood, prepare a fire. When the gas or electric grill is preheated or the coals or wood are ash covered, brush the cooking rack with the oil, then lay the pork in the center of the rack. Make sure the pork is lying open on the grill. Cover the grill and regulate the heat so that it remains at a medium tempera­ture. Grill the pork until an instant-read thermometer registers 150° when in­serted deeply into the meat, about 20 minutes.


To Roast: Preheat the oven to 450°. Roast the pork until the internal temperature reaches 150°, about 30 minutes.

To Serve: Let the pork rest for 5 minutes. Cut the pork into serving-sized pieces and transfer to a heated serving platter or 4 dinner plates. Spoon the reserved peanut sauce around the meat and serve at once. 

TILAPIA ROASTED WITH LIME

Ingredients

2 lbs. tilapia filets
3 tbsp extra-virgin Olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2-3 pickled jalapeno chilies, chopped
6-8 tbsp chopped fresh basil
lemon and lime wedges


1 Place the fish fillets in a nonmetallic bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice from the lime halves over the fish.

2 Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Remove the skillet from the heat.

3 Place a third of the onion mixture and a little of the chilies and basil in the bottom of a shallow ovenproof dish or roasting pan. Arrange the fish on top. Top with the remaining onion mixture, chilies, and basil.

4 Roast in a preheated oven, 350°F/180°C, for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish has become slightly opaque and firm to the touch.

5 Serve at once, with lemon and lime wedges for squeezing over the fish.

GOOD EATS REVISITED - CHIMICHURRI MEATBALLS

I have been dreaming of chimichurri meatballs. For the past 2 weeks, I have tried to make them, but each time I'd try, I 'd realize that I was missing an important ingredient. The first time it was the pork, then the feta, then the green onions. I finally got my act and groceries together.

Chimchurri sauce originated in Argentina as a marinade and basting sauce. The prime ingredient is parsley, although many recipes call for cilantro. While there are many commercial brands of chimichurri sauce out there,  nothing tops a sauce made from fresh herbs and other fresh ingredients. It is easy to make and you can adapt it to your tastes and dishes.

These meatballs are easy to make. The recipe should make 48 small meatballs. You want to keep them small so they cook quickly. You also want the freshest parsley possible. I grow 2 kinds and always have it readily available.

This time I put them and the chimichirri sauce over fettuccine. Worked out well.

Even if you aren't interested in the chimichurri sauce, the meatballs are excellent and could be used for other recipes. I have used the chimichurri sauce as a dressing for salads and it tastes good over pasta or rice.

Check out the recipe for yourself.
Chimichurri meatballs

WHITE TRASH RAINY AFTERNOON MENU

I have been stuck inside for days now. I've grown bored, and slightly bitter. And hungry, of course. I'm also broke which has limited my menus. I went on a tightly budgeted shopping trip yesterday and came home with ingredients for ranch pretzels, Texas hash, and easy yogurt pie.

Soy and Garlic Pork Chops

Many many years ago . . . I was given a recipe for grilled pork chops. Amy, the recipe donor, tried to impress upon me just how great these chops were. I shrugged and smiled, thinking to myself, "Soy sauce, garlic, and brown sugar? I don't think so." Then I made them. I changed my mind.

I've lost the actual recipe that she gave me, but here is the way I do it. I've used fresh garlic rather than the powder she had listed and I switched the regular soy sauce for low sodium.

• 4-6 center cut pork chops

Marinade

• 1 cup of low sodium soy sauce
• 1 head of bruised (before peeling and chopping, use the flat side of a knife to crush the cloves. This will also make it easier to peel the skin from the cloves.) and then coarsely chopped garlic
• approx. 1/4 cup of brown sugar (I don't really measure mine. I want the soy to thicken a little.)
• chopped ginger (optional, I add it when I have it.)

Stir all marinade ingredients together. Let sit for a few minutes so the sugar can dissolve. Then stir again before adding marinade to pork chops.

Place the pork chops in a 9x12 glass dish. Pour marinade over them. I usually marinate the chops for 24 hours in the refrigerator, turning them occasionally. The original recipe said to marinate for an hour at room temperature, but I think they have a much better flavor with the lengthened marinade time and leaving pork out on my counter for any length of time concerns me.

Then grill.

Pan-Browned Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pine Nuts

1/2 pound Brussels sprouts
2 large garlic cloves
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts

Trim Brussels sprouts and cut in half lengthwise. Slice garlic into very thin slices. In a 10-inch heavy skillet (preferably well-seasoned cast iron) melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil over medium heat and cook garlic, stirring, until pale golden. Transfer garlic with a slotted spoon to a small bowl. Reduce heat to low and arrange sprouts in skillet, cut sides down, in one layer. Sprinkle sprouts with pine nuts and salt to taste. Cook sprouts, without turning, until crisp-tender and undersides are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Transfer sprouts to a plate, browned sides up. Add garlic and remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until pine nuts are more evenly pale golden, about 1 minute. Spoon mixture over sprouts and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

MRS. MISUNAS'S PICKLES

It took me over five years to get this recipe. I had to grovel for it. As soon as I got it, I gave it to everyone who asked for it. I don't understand recipe hoarding.

2 quarts of water

1 cup of vinegar (the crappy distilled white actually works the best)

1/2 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of salt

large bunch of fresh dill

at least one head of garlic, chopped

approx. 16 pickling cukes (It ain't gonna work with regular cukes)

Combine first four ingredients in pot and bring to boil.

While waiting for brine to boil, pack a pickle jar with dill on bottom, half the chopped garlic, the pickling cukes cut into spears, and top with remaining garlic.

When brine has cooled, pour into pickle jar. Refrigerate for two days and then eat!!