Pork and Cauliflower Stir Fry for the Workin' Folk

Happy New Year Y'all. Mine has already started off with a bang. Work's crazy. Toddlers are crazy. Oh and all that holiday eating and drinking has left me feeling less than virtuous. Enter the stir fry. Chock full of veggies and about a million miles away from cheese-laden holiday casseroles. Not that there's anything wrong with cheese-laden casseroles, we just need to take a break from one another for a little while.

The beauty of this recipe is you can prep all the veggies and even the sauce in the morning and store them in the fridge until you're ready to make it. I bet you could even do this the night before.

Hope your new year is starting off wonderfully.

Pork and Cauliflower Stir Fry

Veg to prepare and store ahead (or use right away):
1 large shallot, sliced into thin rings
2 green onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped or cut into strips (I like one red and yellow)
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets (to cook faster)

Sauce (mix the following together and chill in a small airtight container or use right away):
1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup soy sauce (use low sodium if you are sensitive to salty food)
1/3 cup sake
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (I like brown rice)
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Also needed:
Canola/peanut or oil of choice (I like Spectrum non GMO canola/coconut blend)
1 pound lean ground pork
1 cup rice combined with 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock in a medium stockpot with lid - bring to boil then reduce heat to low and let cook for 10-12 minutes, fluff with a fork and set aside
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Red pepper flakes, optional

To make stir fry:
Add just enough oil of to lightly coat bottom and sides of a wok or large cast iron skillet, turning to help coat. Heat over medium/high heat and allow to warm through for one minute.

Add the ground pork and cook, stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes until cooked through. Kill the heat as you transfer the pork to a holding plate or bowl and set aside. Add a little more oil to the pan and turn the heat back onto medium/high.

Add the veggies (do not season with salt if using regular soy sauce) and sauté, using your spoon to disperse them over as much of the surface area as you can to help sear them. Cook and stir for about 7-10 minutes until you have a good sear on the veg and the cauliflower seems mostly cooked.

Return the cooked pork into the pan and pour over the prepared sauce. Crank the heat up all the way and stir everything to coat in the sauce and let it reduce and bubble away for a couple of minutes.

Serve over the prepped rice.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and/or red pepper flakes if desired.

Flank Steak Stir Fry, My New BFF

I'm crazily gathering recipes that are fast and easy and can be thrown together even when you have the coordination and where with all of a zombie which I understand is about to be the new norm for me with a newborn.

This one is modified from The Pioneer Woman and really aside from from a few tweaks the main difference is that I dump everything into a giant ziploc first (a step that can even be done several hours ahead) and then from the bag straight into a heated wok. Then while it's cooking all you have to do is cook the rice and dinner is DONE.

I realize I'm probably butchering wok cooking here by dumping everything in at once but I promise you it's still delicious and as long as you let everything rest a couple of minutes with the heat off after cooking the steak will be tender and delicious.

The secret is to reserve some of the chopped green onions and cilantro for garnish (though I doubt I'll remember to do this once sleep deprivation kicks in.)

Flank Steak Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (I've used regular and it was fine just don't add additional salt)
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, optional
2 whole peeled garlic cloves
good pinch red pepper flakes
1 to 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed of excess fat and sliced against the grain into thin slices (I like to then take the slices and cut them into 2 inch pieces but it's up to you)
5 green onions cut into 1/2 inch pieces plus 2 green onions, chopped and reserved for garnish
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
Optional (or use all!) veg: 8 oz snow peas, 1 red bell pepper cut into slivers, 2 carrots sliced into thin rounds, 16 oz frozen broccoli, 1/2 small sweet onion cut into thin strips
2-3 tablespoons canola oil or peanut or olive oil
Rice, cooked according to package, to serve alongside (my recipe is 1 cup rice to 1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken stock, brought to a boil then reduced to low with lid on for 12 min but follow whatever yours says for the amount you want)
Wok or a large dutch oven or cast iron pan for frying

How To:
Add the soy sauce through the sesame oil to a large ziploc. Gently smush around while holding the top (you can seal and shake it if it helps) to mix everything together and help dissolve the cornstarch and brown sugar. You can also mix this up in a small bowl first but this saves a step and washing it up by doing it right in the bag. Win-win.

Add the ginger (if using) and the garlic, red pepper flakes, steak, 1/2 inch pieces of green onions, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and the veggies of your choice. Smush everything around, seal and refrigerate if not making right away or simply seal and set aside while you prepare your wok.

Add the oil to the wok and turn it around carefully so that the sides get coated. Put over medium high heat and let get nice and hot for a couple of minutes. Carefully add the stir fry - the contents of the entire bag - to the wok using a wooden spoon to spread everything out as much as possible so it cooks evenly.

(FYI now is also the time to start your rice in another pot.)

Lower the heat slightly and cook, stirring every so often to keep everything from sticking as well as cooking evenly, for 4-5 minutes until the steak is cooked through and veggies have softened. This might take a little longer if you've opted for all the veggies as well as the full 1 1/2 pounds of steak as opposed to a pound.

Turn the heat off and let the stir fry rest for a couple of minutes. Serve over rice with chopped green onion and cilantro.

Chicken with Goat Cheese, Herb and Panko Crust

                                      

Chicken with Goat Cheese, Herb and Panko Crust
* A fast and delicious favorite.
* Serves 2 or 3, depending on # of chicken breasts used.

Ingredients:
2 large or 3 smallish chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
salt and pepper, for seasoning

4 oz goat cheese
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
3 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
couple shakes onion powder
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of kosher salt
pinch black pepper
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (might need a little more or less depending on the size of your chicken breasts - I like a good crust though)
olive oil

How to:
Pull the chicken and goat cheese from the fridge and let sit out 20 minutes to take the chill off while you chop up the herbs and assemble the rest of your ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 and spray a medium baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and trim off any fatty or unpleasant bits. Place in your baking dish and season the tops very lightly with salt and pepper.

In a small/medium bowl, mix the goat cheese, chopped herbs, onion powder, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper with a fork. You can also add a little olive oil if you like to make it easier to spread onto the chicken, just depends on the moisture content of your goat cheese.

Divide the cheese mixture evenly over the tops of the chicken breasts, carefully spreading it out with the back of a spoon, or more easily - your hands. Next sprinkle the panko crumbs on top of the cheese mixture, lightly pressing the crumbs into the cheese so they stick and form a crust. Drizzle the tops lightly with olive oil, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the foil and bake another 5 or so minutes just until the panko has lightly browned and the chicken is cooked through. Let rest a couple of minutes before serving.

Seared Pork Chops with Prosciutto, Mushrooms, and Wine

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil (just enough to lightly coat a nonstick pan)
2 boneless pork chops, about 3/4 to 1 inch thick (neither the super thin scallopini ones nor the crazy double cut ones)
salt and pepper for seasoning
1 cup Cremini mushrooms, large ones quartered and small ones halved
1/2 cup white wine (or just enough to create a super shallow pool for the chops to sit in)
5-6 fresh sage leaves
3 slices prosciutto, folded in half length-wise and snipped into lardon (little strips) with kitchen shears
splash chicken stock
small pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter
handful chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Directions:
Season both sides of the chops with salt and pepper and set aside. Add the oil to a large nonstick skillet and bring over medium heat. Let heat through for a couple minutes or until the oil moves freely in the pan when tilted then carefully add the chops, leaving them alone for a couple of minutes to brown. Once you have a golden sear, flip to the other side and add in the mushrooms distributing evenly around the pan (they all need contact with the heat and oil - don't let any sit on the chops at this point.)

Stir the mushrooms occasionally around the pan while the pork browns on the second side. After 2 minutes, pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer over medium/high heat. Once simmering, add in the sage leaves, prosciutto, a splash of stock and nutmeg. Let simmer another minute, then remove the chops and set aside while you finish the sauce. Basically you want the amount of moisture to reduce a little and the prosciutto to continue to infuse its flavor for a bit longer without over cooking your chops.

Once the liquid has reduced a little (careful though to not let the pan dry out or you won't have a sauce!) - lower the heat to its lowest setting and remove from the heat a second while you stir in the butter and a teensy bit more of salt and pepper (if you're salt sensitive check it before adding.) Add the chops back into the pan, scoop some of the sauce/mushrooms/prosciutto over the chops, garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley and serve.

Creamy Parmesan and Lemon Chicken

This is one of those recipes you can make as is or bedazzle the hell out of. Mushrooms, olives, or artichoke hearts would be welcome additions though it's pretty damn good as is. I labelled it 'fast' because you don't have to saute the shallots or green onions first but can just chop and mix them with the rest of the ingredients. Even better you can whip up the 'sauce' the night before and keep in the fridge until you're ready to assemble. Or even assemble the whole dish, cover it, and refrigerate overnight before baking off uncovered in a cold oven at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Though it's not a pretty dish I'd serve this to friends who wouldn't judge me for it. Come to think of it I wouldn't serve food to any other kind. And since I'm laying it all out on the line here, I have to admit if I had my druthers, I'd flatten the chicken a little to keep the sauce-to-chicken-ratio equal from start to finish. Because at the end of the day, ain't it all about the sauce?

Creamy Parmesan and Lemon Chicken
* recipe easily doubled. As is, sauce will accommodate up to 3 medium chicken breast cutlets

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
1/2 cup sour cream (light is fine)
3 oz cream cheese (sold in little 3 oz packages in some stores)
2 teaspoons whole grain dijon mustard
1/4 cup white wine or chicken stock (use less salt if using stock)
1 fat green onion, chopped plus another for garnish
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
zest of a small lemon or 1/2 of a large
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan, plus additional for topping (if desired)
pinch black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a tiny pinch to season breasts
pinch red pepper flakes, optional
handful chopped fresh basil, optional

Directions:
Spray a small/medium casserole dish with nonstick spray and set aside. Meanwhile, mix together the sour cream, cream cheese, dijon, wine or stock, green onion, shallot, garlic powder, lemon zest, Parmesan, peppers, salt and basil if using in a medium bowl.

Place your chicken breasts in your greased dish, lightly season with salt and pepper, then pour the sauce evenly over and around the chicken covering them completely.

Either cover and refrigerate overnight until baking or bake right away at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until the edges of the dish are bubbling and the chicken is cooked through. If topping with extra Parmesan, be sure to sprinkle it over in the last 10 minutes of baking so it gets brown but doesn't burn. Garnish with additional green onions or fresh herbs and serve with rice or noodles.

*As stated above, if you are assembling this ahead and refrigerating it, place the dish uncovered in a cold oven, heat to 350 and bake for 35 minutes just until the sauce around the edges is bubbling and the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Hummus Pizza with Kalamata, Feta and Basil

I made this a few weeks ago when Kris was out of town. That's about the only time I can get away with making a pizza covered in hummus. But that doesn't stop me from fantasizing about it. Night after night.

After night.

Hummus Pizza with Kalamata, Feta and Basil

Ingredients:
1 fresh pizza dough crust, rolled thin to about a 12x14 inch diameter
Small handful cornmeal or grits, optional
10 oz store bought hummus (I prefer Sonny & Joe's, found at Whole Foods) mixed with zest of 1 lemon
3 zuchinni cut into 1/4 inch dice (don't leave this out! The sweetness against the salty feta and kalamata MAKES it!)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup feta cheese
3 tablespoons roughly chopped kalamata olives (seeds removed)
Couple handfuls fresh basil

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 then grease a large rimmed cookie sheet with nonstick spray. Add the diced zuchinni, drizzle with just enough oil to coat, season with salt and pepper and and roast at 375 for 35 min. Set aside while you prepare the rest.

Kick up the heat to 450 or 500, depending on what your instructions are for your particular pizza dough. Transfer the dough to a greased cookie sheet (I like to sprinkle some grits or cornmeal on the sheet before adding the dough onto it for texture and easier removal) and bake until the crust is just golden and beginning to brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and spread with the hummus/lemon zest mixture. Sprinkle the roasted zuchinni evenly over the top, then the oregano, feta and kalamata. Finish with fresh basil, cut and serve (add salt/pepper if desired.) Slice and serve.

Lauren's Pan Roasted Shishito Peppers. Let the party begin.

The only thing more fun than cooking is cooking with a friend that loves to cook as much as you do while another friend whips up margaritas. I was lucky enough to experience all of the above this past Labor Day weekend with our dear friends from New York. We had come back from a day on the lake (witnessing the horrific fires at Steiner Ranch), we were starving and attempting cooking on the Big Green Egg for the first time ever.

Things could have (and almost did) go horribly wrong. But then Lauren whipped up these amazing pan roasted peppers, sprinkled sea salt on them, and all was well. Three ingredients and ten minutes is all you need to create the most addictive, delicious appetizer I've ever eaten. And while generally mild, like any pepper you never really know what you're going to get which only adds to the fun of eating them. Every couple of minutes somebody yells "I got a hot one!"

Lauren's Pan Roasted Shishito Peppers

Ingredients:
15-20 shishito or padron peppers, rinsed and pat dry
1 tablespoon good quality olive oil
flaky sea salt - a good pinch or so to taste
1 large rimmed nonstick or cast iron skillet

Directions:
Put the skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and let heat through for one minute. Add the peppers and saute, flipping every couple of minutes until the sides become just blistered and deeply bronzed. You still want some green on them so don't let them completely blacken - just get some good color on them.

Remove to a serving platter and sprinkle immediately with flaky sea salt. Serve hot (though they're still good at room temp or even cold.)

Recession Chicken

I am very suspicious when I see recipes with very few ingredients, but I assure you - this is as cheap and as easy and as delicious as I say it is - cross my heart. Of course - you can't over bake the chicken - or it will be stringy and dry and I can't be held responsible for that, my love.

Finally, I know it's an old adage, but as this recipe proves, some of the best things come from being forced to cut down and improvise. Though if you compare me to Sandra Lee I'll shoot you dead.

Recession Chicken (Crispy Parmesan Baked Chicken)

1 cup Pepperidge Farm Seasoned Croutons
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
salt and pepper
2 generous tablespoons olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (pounded out a little if ridiculously thick - no more than 1/2 an inch at their widest)

Preheat your oven to 350.

Meanwhile, place the croutons in a large ziplock bag, seal it, and bash them with either the flat side of a mallet, a frying pan or the bottom of a heavy can (i.e. a can of tomatoes or beans.) You don't want to make a crouton powder - you just want to make crouton crumbs, breaking them up a little. Add your parmesan to the bag and give a good shake to combine.

Grease a baking sheet with a rack on it (you could make your own by placing a cooling rack on a baking sheet) and grease well with nonstick spray. (A good tip is to line the bottom with aluminum foil, so you only have the rack to clean afterwards.)

Place your chicken breasts on the rack a few inches apart and season with salt and pepper. Carefully sprinkle over the crouton/Parmsan mixture, distributing it as evenly as possible covering the entire surface of both breasts.

Drizzle evenly with the olive oil (a tablespoon per breast - maybe a hair more if your chicken is really big.)

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until tops are golden brown and chicken is cooked through (my chickens were really big and this was the perfect amount of time - if yours are small, I'd check them at 18-20 minutes.)