Reducing animal-based fats and protein sources can help lower your total LDL cholesterol (so-called "bad" cholesterol). Moving from a meat-heavy diet to a vegetarian or vegan one does not have to mean facing a lifetime of boring meals, though. Once you figure out which fruit, vegetable and grain combinations result in complete proteins, creating tasty meals is a snap.
Extra-firm tofu is a complete protein, which means that it contains all of the nine essential amino acids. Its texture -- chunky and crumbly -- makes it a great substitute for eggs and sausage. Firm tofu, on the other hand, is missing methionine and cysteine, so mix it with complementary fruits and vegetables for optimum effect on your overall health.
Tofu's bland flavor can be a big turnoff for the carnivores in your family. Marinating tofu without turning it into a pile of goo takes practice, but it results in a tastier dish.
Start with a package of extra-firm tofu. I used International brand, distributed by Fuji Natural Foods of Ontario, California. Their tofu comes in 19-ounce packages, divided into four single-serving bricks. Each brick is 135 grams, which is just a little over 1/2 cup of tofu. According to the package, each brick has 120 calories, 60 from fat. Since that fat is from soybean oil, it will help you raise your level of HDL (so-called "good") cholesterol.
We poured off the liquid and placed the tofu bricks in a large, square-sided mixing container that had just enough bottom surface area for all four blocks to sit side by side without touching each other. We poured just enough double-black soy sauce over the tofu to cover it. Double-black soy sauce contains molasses, which is a good source of iron. It has a rich, caramelized flavor and clings to the tofu better than regular soy sauce.
I used Koon Chun Sauce Factory brand, which I bought at Mekong Market, a local Vietnamese grocery store. Each single-tablespoon serving has just 15 calories, and provides 20 percent of your daily iron needs, 8 percent of your daily vitamin C and 6 percent of your daily iron needs, according to the nutrient data on the label.
We wanted the tofu to taste like sausage, so we added ground sage, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to the sauce. I also chopped one whole yellow onion into quarter-inch bits and added that to the marinade. We gently rocked the container back and forth to blend the sauce and spices together, then marinated the tofu overnight.
The next afternoon, we poured the marinade into a pan, brought it to a rolling boil, then let it cool back to room temperature. Once cool, I poured it into a small container and put it in the freezer for the next batch of tofu.
We broke the tofu into ragged, one-inch to half-inch chunks so it would resemble bulk sausage in texture, but you can cut the tofu into long, small blocks or strips if you prefer. Breaking it makes it feel more like scrambled eggs while cutting it thin makes it feel more like bacon or pork patties.
I added four cups of a mixture of chopped onion, minced garlic, diced green and yellow bell peppers, chopped celery and chopped Roma tomatoes before stir-frying the mixture in a little extra-virgin olive oil, which is another source of HDL (so-called "good") cholesterol.
The results? A breakfast or brunch dish that is high in HDL cholesterol, low in LDL cholesterol, contains all nine essential amino acids and provides calcium, iron, protein and vitamin C in abundance. Enjoy!
19 ounces firm tofu
1 C double-black soy sauce
1 T ground sage
1 T black pepper
1 T garlic powder
1 T Onion powder
4 C chopped, mixed salad vegetables (onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic and Roma tomatoes)
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
Large, flat-bottomed plastic container with tight-fitting lid
Skillet or wok
Wok tool set
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Hummus Burgers
Limiting LDL cholesterol (so-called "bad" cholesterol) from your diet overnight takes a lot of planning. Rather than making the person eating the low-cholesterol diet feel deprived, we decided to use an empowered approach. We looked at all the foods that fit into a minimal LDL cholesterol diet. We used the Self Nutrition Data site to see what nutrient values each food had then used the University of Maryland Medical Center Complementary and Alternative Medicine Guide to look up what each nutrient in that particular food item does for the body. Then we created a list of ingredients that would help lower total serum LDL cholesterol intake.
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| Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and Tahini Paste Photo by Jack V. Sage 08/30/2015 |
To make the radical changes we needed, we decided to experiment with the ingredients and see what tasty alternatives (or total disasters) resulted. Today's recipe started out as a batch of simple, homemade hummus. While I was mixing it, the dog started pestering us, and I realized it was because the mixture smelled good enough to make some almost-real, protein-rich veggie burgers. Only later, while the burgers were baking and I had time to look up chickpeas and sesame paste did I discover that garbanzo beans are a complete protein all by themselves, with more iron and calcium than a standard quarter-pound hamburger made from 85 percent lean ground beef.
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| Hummus Burgers Photo by Jack V. Sage 08/30/2015
Our handheld egg slicer made it easier to mash the chickpeas. It took about 10 minutes longer than a food processor would have taken, but it left the hummus with a better texture. After taste-testing, we decided that our next attempt would include at least four cups of cooked, whole lentils for added texture.
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| Egg Slicer Photo by Jack V. Sage 08/30/2015 |
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| Egg Slicer Photo by Jack V. Sage 08/30/2015 |
We used the hamburger press that we bought last year at Harbor Freight to make the patties. Each burger is one cup of hummus pressed about 3/4 inches thick.
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| Harbor Freight Hamburger Press Photo by Jack V. Sage 08/30/2015 |
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| Harbor Freight Hamburger Press Photo by Jack V. Sage 08/30/2015 |
This recipe requires a #10 can of chickpeas (close to seven pounds) a 16-ounce jar of tahini paste, one small lemon, 1/4 cup of onion powder, two tablespoons of garlic powder, one tablespoon of ground black pepper, one teaspoon of coarse sea salt and one tablespoon of paprika. You will also need a colander; a large 8-quart mixing bowl; an egg slicer, potato masher or food processor; a hamburger press, a vegetable grater, two cookie sheets and a pancake turner.
Drain the chickpeas in a colander for five minutes, rinsing with cold water at least once. Force the drained chickpeas through the egg slicer one small handful at a time until all of them are mashed, or whirl them in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add the entire 16-ounce jar of tahini paste and all the spices.
Slice the lemon, pulse it in the food processor or blender until finely ground and add it to the chickpea and tahini mixture. Mix all the ingredients together by hand until well-blended.
Wipe the inner surface of the hamburger press with olive oil to prevent the hummus mixture from sticking to it. Wipe olive oil onto the two cookie sheets as well. Place the bottom ring of the hamburger press on the first cookie sheet, starting in one corner. Fill the ring with as little as 1/2 cup or as much as one whole cup of hummus mix. Press the top down gently, twisting it into position as marked on the ring, to make a 1/4 pound, 1/3 pound or 1/2 pound burger.
Brush the top of each burger with olive oil, and then sprinkle each burger with sea salt, black pepper, and paprika.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the burgers in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Switch to "broil" and broil for 10 minutes until the tops brown. Makes 10 to 12 burgers.
Allow the burgers to cool on the cookie sheets, and then freeze them overnight. Place each burger in a zipper bag and keep frozen until ready to use.
Drain the chickpeas in a colander for five minutes, rinsing with cold water at least once. Force the drained chickpeas through the egg slicer one small handful at a time until all of them are mashed, or whirl them in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add the entire 16-ounce jar of tahini paste and all the spices.
Slice the lemon, pulse it in the food processor or blender until finely ground and add it to the chickpea and tahini mixture. Mix all the ingredients together by hand until well-blended.
Wipe the inner surface of the hamburger press with olive oil to prevent the hummus mixture from sticking to it. Wipe olive oil onto the two cookie sheets as well. Place the bottom ring of the hamburger press on the first cookie sheet, starting in one corner. Fill the ring with as little as 1/2 cup or as much as one whole cup of hummus mix. Press the top down gently, twisting it into position as marked on the ring, to make a 1/4 pound, 1/3 pound or 1/2 pound burger.
Brush the top of each burger with olive oil, and then sprinkle each burger with sea salt, black pepper, and paprika.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the burgers in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Switch to "broil" and broil for 10 minutes until the tops brown. Makes 10 to 12 burgers.
Allow the burgers to cool on the cookie sheets, and then freeze them overnight. Place each burger in a zipper bag and keep frozen until ready to use.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Bananaloupe Orange Crush
It's Hell No O'Clock here in Arizona, so hot meals are just not going to happen today. Instead, we took advantage of the abundance of cantaloupe, oranges, and bananas that we froze over the past few weeks. Gypsy opted for last week's Cucumber Citrus Breakfast Crush for lunch, but I wanted something different. This recipe needs no sweetener, thanks to the banana.
Place three slices of frozen orange (with peel) in the blender jar, followed by two cups of frozen cantaloupe chunks and one whole, large, ripe banana. Add 100 percent juice of your choice (I used apple) until even with the top of all the cantaloupe chunks. Pulse until the solids liquefy, then blend until smooth. Makes one 30-ounce smoothie.
Place three slices of frozen orange (with peel) in the blender jar, followed by two cups of frozen cantaloupe chunks and one whole, large, ripe banana. Add 100 percent juice of your choice (I used apple) until even with the top of all the cantaloupe chunks. Pulse until the solids liquefy, then blend until smooth. Makes one 30-ounce smoothie.
Monday, August 17, 2015
Cucumber Citrus Breakfast Crush
If you have tried and liked Prevention Magazine's original cucumber-lemon Sassy Water recipe floating around the internet, then you will enjoy this blended wake-up version. I buy lemons and cucumbers when they are on sale. I give the cucumbers a quick, three-sided partial peel, so they have a variegated look. I then crinkle-slice the lemons and cucumbers and freeze them on cookie sheets. Once they are frozen, I bag the slices separately to use in smoothies.
Last week, cucumbers were six for a dollar at Food City, and each one weighed almost two pounds, so I wound up with close to twelve pounds of cucumbers for less than the price of a jar of store-bought pickles. Lemons were $2.99 a bag at Sam's Club, 10 to a bag, with nearly unblemished skins. I sliced and froze them all right away. I did not have any ginger in the house, so I stopped at Haji Baba to buy a jar of minced ginger paste for $5.99, a way better deal than I could have gotten on the same weight of fresh ginger.
Start by placing two frozen orange slices and five frozen lemon slices in the blender jar. Fill the blender three inches from the top with frozen cucumber slices. Add a tablespoon of dried mint and two teaspoons of ginger paste. Add 1/4 cup honey or one large, ripe frozen banana (or substitute your preferred sweetener). Fill the jar with 100 percent apple juice until even with the sliced fruit and cucumber but at least one inch below the top of the blender jar. Put the cover on the blender and hold gently to ensure that it does not get pushed up while you pulse everything two or three seconds at a time until the majority of the fruit and cucumbers disappear into the liquid. Stop the blender, remove the top and use a wooden spoon or rubber scraper to push any large bits down into the blender jar.
Start pulsing again until you are sure that all the solids have shredded. Hold the pulse button down and grind the contents until you no longer see any large, green flakes of mint or cucumber skin. Serve right away. Makes two 24-ounce smoothies.
Last week, cucumbers were six for a dollar at Food City, and each one weighed almost two pounds, so I wound up with close to twelve pounds of cucumbers for less than the price of a jar of store-bought pickles. Lemons were $2.99 a bag at Sam's Club, 10 to a bag, with nearly unblemished skins. I sliced and froze them all right away. I did not have any ginger in the house, so I stopped at Haji Baba to buy a jar of minced ginger paste for $5.99, a way better deal than I could have gotten on the same weight of fresh ginger.
Start by placing two frozen orange slices and five frozen lemon slices in the blender jar. Fill the blender three inches from the top with frozen cucumber slices. Add a tablespoon of dried mint and two teaspoons of ginger paste. Add 1/4 cup honey or one large, ripe frozen banana (or substitute your preferred sweetener). Fill the jar with 100 percent apple juice until even with the sliced fruit and cucumber but at least one inch below the top of the blender jar. Put the cover on the blender and hold gently to ensure that it does not get pushed up while you pulse everything two or three seconds at a time until the majority of the fruit and cucumbers disappear into the liquid. Stop the blender, remove the top and use a wooden spoon or rubber scraper to push any large bits down into the blender jar.
Start pulsing again until you are sure that all the solids have shredded. Hold the pulse button down and grind the contents until you no longer see any large, green flakes of mint or cucumber skin. Serve right away. Makes two 24-ounce smoothies.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Grandma's Sweet Apple Dill Pickles
For those of us of a certain age, homemade pickles sat on every table for every Sunday dinner or holiday. The pickles started with fresh cucumbers picked that same day, with maybe a little onion, celery or hot chili pepper thrown in for extra flavor. Taking a riff from pickles my grandmother, Virginia Stapleton, used to make, and a riff from Gypsy Wilburn's memories of Aunt Irene's bread and butter pickles. We came up with these festive, flavorful, sweet dill pickle slices.
Cucumbers were six for a dollar this week at Food City, so I picked out the six biggest, freshest ones I could find, total weight almost twelve pounds. Food City also had Red Delicious apples on sale at four pounds for a dollar, so I bought eight pounds. This recipe uses eight pounds of crinkle-sliced cucumbers and two pounds of crinkle-sliced apples.
8 lbs. cucumbers, partially peeled, crinkle-sliced
2 lbs. Red Delicious or Gala apples, crinkle sliced (do not peel)
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C dried dill
1 T sea salt
3 T onion powder
3 T garlic powder
4 cups apple cider vinegar
Large mixing bowl
1-gallon clear plastic container with screw-top lid
Toss the cucumbers, apples, dill, salt, brown sugar and spices together in a large mixing bowl until evenly coated with the spices. Pour the apple cider vinegar over everything in the bowl, stir and allow everything to marinate for 10 minutes.
Transfer the marinated cucumber and apple slices to the one-gallon plastic container. Pour the marinade over everything. Fill the container the rest of the way with cold water, until it just barely covers the fruit and vegetable slices. Screw the lid on tight, invert the jar and shake to ensure that the water and the pickling marinade are evenly mixed. Place in the refrigerator on the lowest shelf. Allow the pickles to rest for two to four days before eating them.
Cucumbers were six for a dollar this week at Food City, so I picked out the six biggest, freshest ones I could find, total weight almost twelve pounds. Food City also had Red Delicious apples on sale at four pounds for a dollar, so I bought eight pounds. This recipe uses eight pounds of crinkle-sliced cucumbers and two pounds of crinkle-sliced apples.
8 lbs. cucumbers, partially peeled, crinkle-sliced
2 lbs. Red Delicious or Gala apples, crinkle sliced (do not peel)
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C dried dill
1 T sea salt
3 T onion powder
3 T garlic powder
4 cups apple cider vinegar
Large mixing bowl
1-gallon clear plastic container with screw-top lid
Toss the cucumbers, apples, dill, salt, brown sugar and spices together in a large mixing bowl until evenly coated with the spices. Pour the apple cider vinegar over everything in the bowl, stir and allow everything to marinate for 10 minutes.
Transfer the marinated cucumber and apple slices to the one-gallon plastic container. Pour the marinade over everything. Fill the container the rest of the way with cold water, until it just barely covers the fruit and vegetable slices. Screw the lid on tight, invert the jar and shake to ensure that the water and the pickling marinade are evenly mixed. Place in the refrigerator on the lowest shelf. Allow the pickles to rest for two to four days before eating them.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Chicken and Melon-rind Stir Fry
After getting a screaming deal on watermelon -- nearly thirty pounds for nine dollars -- we cut and cubed the red flesh, leaving almost eleven pounds of rind. We put about half of the cubed watermelon on cookie sheets and froze it to use as ice cubes in summer beverages, and ate the rest fresh. But that huge amount of "waste" rind bugged me, so we went online to see what we could do with it.
I already knew that we could somehow pickle it, thanks to a favorite poem, "Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle," by John Tobias, but we already had 20 pounds of pickled vegetables and homemade kimchi taking up all the space on the bottom shelf of our refrigerator. Then Gypsy found some videos using watermelon rind in stir fry.
We processed about six pounds of rind by using a peeler to remove the green outer skin, then cutting the remaining light green to light pink rind. We cut the rind with a little pink on purpose, because the slices had more visual appeal. We just bagged it and froze it, without laying it out on the cookie sheets first.
Today, I took about a pound and a half of the sliced rind and left it in a strainer so it could drain as much as possible. I also drained about a pound of frozen California blend vegetables, half a pound of long green beans, half a pound of fresh, sliced Portobello mushrooms, half a cup of sliced celery, one whole, thin-sliced white onion (about a cup) and three cloves of minced garlic.
I sliced one pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1/2-inch wide strips and stir-fried them in extra-virgin olive oil until the meat was a uniform color, then added the onions and celery. I continued stir-frying until the onions and celery were translucent, then set the meat mixture aside, uncovered.
Next, I stir-fried the sliced melon rind and green beans in olive oil, deglazing the pan as I stirred. Once the melon was soft and the beans were flexible, I removed those from the pan and set them aside, covered.
Finally, I stir-fried the remaining vegetables in two batches, to prevent steaming. I added those to the chicken mixture and returned the new mixture to the wok. I added double-black soy sauce (about 1/4 cup), two tablespoons of honey, 1/3 cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice, one tablespoon of Cajun seasoning mix, and a sprinkle of sea salt. After about three minutes of stir-frying this new mixture, I sprinkled one-fourth cup of cornstarch over the contents of the wok and gave everything a good toss. I stir-fried the new mixture until all of the cornstarch was evenly incorporated and the sauce became glossy.
I spooned one cup of the green beans and watermelon rind on one side of the plate, and heaped one cup of the chicken mixture beside it. It looked really festive on our green enamelware plates, and tasted far better than I thought it would.
I already knew that we could somehow pickle it, thanks to a favorite poem, "Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle," by John Tobias, but we already had 20 pounds of pickled vegetables and homemade kimchi taking up all the space on the bottom shelf of our refrigerator. Then Gypsy found some videos using watermelon rind in stir fry.
We processed about six pounds of rind by using a peeler to remove the green outer skin, then cutting the remaining light green to light pink rind. We cut the rind with a little pink on purpose, because the slices had more visual appeal. We just bagged it and froze it, without laying it out on the cookie sheets first.
Today, I took about a pound and a half of the sliced rind and left it in a strainer so it could drain as much as possible. I also drained about a pound of frozen California blend vegetables, half a pound of long green beans, half a pound of fresh, sliced Portobello mushrooms, half a cup of sliced celery, one whole, thin-sliced white onion (about a cup) and three cloves of minced garlic.
I sliced one pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1/2-inch wide strips and stir-fried them in extra-virgin olive oil until the meat was a uniform color, then added the onions and celery. I continued stir-frying until the onions and celery were translucent, then set the meat mixture aside, uncovered.
Next, I stir-fried the sliced melon rind and green beans in olive oil, deglazing the pan as I stirred. Once the melon was soft and the beans were flexible, I removed those from the pan and set them aside, covered.
Finally, I stir-fried the remaining vegetables in two batches, to prevent steaming. I added those to the chicken mixture and returned the new mixture to the wok. I added double-black soy sauce (about 1/4 cup), two tablespoons of honey, 1/3 cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice, one tablespoon of Cajun seasoning mix, and a sprinkle of sea salt. After about three minutes of stir-frying this new mixture, I sprinkled one-fourth cup of cornstarch over the contents of the wok and gave everything a good toss. I stir-fried the new mixture until all of the cornstarch was evenly incorporated and the sauce became glossy.
I spooned one cup of the green beans and watermelon rind on one side of the plate, and heaped one cup of the chicken mixture beside it. It looked really festive on our green enamelware plates, and tasted far better than I thought it would.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Beverages
Living on a budget does not mean you cannot enjoy
yourself. While a glass of ice water costs pennies, every now and then
you want a little flavor and pizazz. Take advantage of in-season
ingredients from your own yard, garden or CSA, or use foraged fruits, herbs
and spices to keep costs under control. The right beverage for the weather
soothes a sore throat, eases an upset stomach or stimulates the taste
buds, making meals more enjoyable. A book of homemade holiday drink recipes makes a
welcome hostess gift or token of appreciation for friends, neighbors and
the people whose services make your community an enjoyable place to
live.
Sangria Punch: Shiraz Box Wine Recipe
Box wines are both affordable and delicious and make excellent mixers. Mix Shiraz box wine with fresh summer fruit for a flavorful sangria punch for your wedding or beach party. Shiraz is a rich red wine with intense blackberry, plum and pepper flavors that pair well with red meats, wild game, pizza and other spicy dishes when mixed into sangria.
Large punch bowl
Icy Ginger Lemonade
Keep your cool when summer temperatures rise with a tall glass of frosty ginger lemonade. The ginger soothes your stomach while the lemonade and ice cool your body. Find a comfy lounge chair in the shade, kick back to your favorite tunes and sip away.
Sangria Punch: Shiraz Box Wine Recipe
Box wines are both affordable and delicious and make excellent mixers. Mix Shiraz box wine with fresh summer fruit for a flavorful sangria punch for your wedding or beach party. Shiraz is a rich red wine with intense blackberry, plum and pepper flavors that pair well with red meats, wild game, pizza and other spicy dishes when mixed into sangria.
Large punch bowl
Glass pitcher
Sangria glasses
1 box Shiraz wine (I prefer Franzia)
4 whole blood oranges
3 lemons
1 lb. fresh strawberries
4 fresh peaches
4 nectarines
4 Asian pears
1 cup white granulated sugar
2 liters ginger ale (Canada Dry tastes best)
Pour the Shiraz wine into a large punch bowl and allow it to warm to at least 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice the oranges and lemons 1/4-inch thick. Cut the tops off the strawberries and cut them in half. Cut the Asian pears in half from stem to base. Substitute Mutsu apples if you cannot find Asian pears.
Cut around the peaches and nectarines up to the pits and twist them to separate the two halves. Remove and discard the pits. Slice the peach, nectarine and pear halves.
Toss all the fruit in sugar until well-coated. Drop all the sliced fruit into the punch bowl to soak in the Shiraz wine overnight.
Add the ginger ale and stir gently to mingle all the flavors.
Sangria glasses
1 box Shiraz wine (I prefer Franzia)
4 whole blood oranges
3 lemons
1 lb. fresh strawberries
4 fresh peaches
4 nectarines
4 Asian pears
1 cup white granulated sugar
2 liters ginger ale (Canada Dry tastes best)
Pour the Shiraz wine into a large punch bowl and allow it to warm to at least 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice the oranges and lemons 1/4-inch thick. Cut the tops off the strawberries and cut them in half. Cut the Asian pears in half from stem to base. Substitute Mutsu apples if you cannot find Asian pears.
Cut around the peaches and nectarines up to the pits and twist them to separate the two halves. Remove and discard the pits. Slice the peach, nectarine and pear halves.
Toss all the fruit in sugar until well-coated. Drop all the sliced fruit into the punch bowl to soak in the Shiraz wine overnight.
Add the ginger ale and stir gently to mingle all the flavors.
Serve your Shiraz punch in sangria glasses, which have a large bowl that nips in about an inch from the top and flares back out. Pair Shiraz sangria punch with pizza and spring green salad, enchiladas and guacamole or buffalo, beef or venison steaks and corn on the cob.
References:
Resources:
"Wine News"; The Barossa Valley; Gerald D. Boyd; Feb./Mar 1999
Icy Ginger Lemonade
Keep your cool when summer temperatures rise with a tall glass of frosty ginger lemonade. The ginger soothes your stomach while the lemonade and ice cool your body. Find a comfy lounge chair in the shade, kick back to your favorite tunes and sip away.
Ingredients and Utensils
4 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. grated ginger
32-oz. beverage glass
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. grated ginger
32-oz. beverage glass
4 tbsp. plus 24 oz. water
Crushed ice
Beverage spoon or muddler
Crushed ice
Straw
Crushed ice
Beverage spoon or muddler
Crushed ice
Straw
Pour 4 tbsp. lemon juice, 2 tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. grated ginger into a 32-oz. beverage glass. Stir the sugar and lemon juice with a beverage spoon or muddler while tilting the glass, until the sugar and juice are completely mixed. Add 4 tbsp. water and stir again.
Add crushed ice to within an inch of the lip of the glass. Fill with water and stir again, pressing the muddler through the ice and pulling back up to bring the juice from the bottom of the glass to the top. Sip slowly and allow your taste buds to appreciate the lemon and ginger while the crushed ice cools you.
Soy Chorizo Kitchen Tests
Cacique launched soy chorizo as a new product in April 2011. I decided to kitchen-test the product in June, 2011. I used Cacique's soy chorizo in my kitchen tests because it was priced the same as regular chorizo.
I divided the first 10-oz. package of Cacique soy chorizo into a 2-oz. control portion, which I placed in a separate pan, two three-oz. portions and four 1/2-oz. portions. I added nothing to the control portion. I added 1 egg to the remaining soy chorizo after breaking the roll into bits with my fingers. The roll separated very easily, and the control portion of soy chorizo felt like cooked, chopped taco meat, only lighter and spongier.
After I added the egg, I used my fingers to mix it into the Cacique soy chorizo. The soy chorizo absorbed the egg, becoming more dense and expanding the individual bits by 1/3 to 3/4 their original volume. At that point, the soy chorizo would not form into patties. I continued to mix it while the chorizo absorbed the egg, noting that it took three minutes before it expanded to its maximum volume.
I added 1/2 cup bread crumbs next, and mixed the soy chorizo again until everything was incorporated. The texture changed as the bread crumbs absorbed the remaining egg and the spiced sauce from the chorizo itself. Once the bread crumbs were fully incorporated, the chorizo was slightly sticky but easily formed into a small loaf, which I then divided into two 1/2-inch thick, 3 1/2-inch diameter patties and four 1-inch diameter "meat" balls.
I used the digital timer on the stove to track cooking time. I tested three cooking temperatures: medium-high, medium, and medium low, using one portion of the first roll of Cacique soy chorizo at a time for comparison. I also tested using two different oils: extra-virgin olive oil and canola, discovering that at every temperature except medium low, the olive oil began to smoke well before the soy chorizo was done.
I repeated the most successful test methods with the second package of soy chorizo to ensure that all necessary time and temperature adjustments were made before taste-testing the product with my family and friends. I repeated those methods with a third package of soy chorizo. I used an electric tabletop grill for the patties and a slow cooker for the soy chorizo meatballs.
I divided the first 10-oz. package of Cacique soy chorizo into a 2-oz. control portion, which I placed in a separate pan, two three-oz. portions and four 1/2-oz. portions. I added nothing to the control portion. I added 1 egg to the remaining soy chorizo after breaking the roll into bits with my fingers. The roll separated very easily, and the control portion of soy chorizo felt like cooked, chopped taco meat, only lighter and spongier.
After I added the egg, I used my fingers to mix it into the Cacique soy chorizo. The soy chorizo absorbed the egg, becoming more dense and expanding the individual bits by 1/3 to 3/4 their original volume. At that point, the soy chorizo would not form into patties. I continued to mix it while the chorizo absorbed the egg, noting that it took three minutes before it expanded to its maximum volume.
I added 1/2 cup bread crumbs next, and mixed the soy chorizo again until everything was incorporated. The texture changed as the bread crumbs absorbed the remaining egg and the spiced sauce from the chorizo itself. Once the bread crumbs were fully incorporated, the chorizo was slightly sticky but easily formed into a small loaf, which I then divided into two 1/2-inch thick, 3 1/2-inch diameter patties and four 1-inch diameter "meat" balls.
I used the digital timer on the stove to track cooking time. I tested three cooking temperatures: medium-high, medium, and medium low, using one portion of the first roll of Cacique soy chorizo at a time for comparison. I also tested using two different oils: extra-virgin olive oil and canola, discovering that at every temperature except medium low, the olive oil began to smoke well before the soy chorizo was done.
The results: Use canola oil or other fats and oils with a smoke point above 400 degrees Fahrenheit for best results when frying soy chorizo.
I repeated the most successful test methods with the second package of soy chorizo to ensure that all necessary time and temperature adjustments were made before taste-testing the product with my family and friends. I repeated those methods with a third package of soy chorizo. I used an electric tabletop grill for the patties and a slow cooker for the soy chorizo meatballs.
Medium-low cooking for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side for patties and 3 to 4 minutes of continuous stir-frying for meatballs resulted in a product that still needed 1 minute on HIGH in the microwave to be considered safe to eat. Soy chorizo meatballs are ready to eat in two hours when slow-cooked on the HIGH setting in Hawaiian-style sauce. The spicy heat of the chorizo provides a perfect counterpart to the sweet-tart pineapple.
You can make your own soy chorizo using textured vegetable protein -- also known as TVP -- and the typical chorizo seasonings -- vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, paprika and cumin. Homemade soy chorizo performs nearly the same as ready-made soy chorizo in identical kitchen tests, but you need one additional hour of prep time for the vinegar and seasonings to soak into the textured vegetable protein.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Bean(t) Poet
S&W Premium Beans had a poetry contest running for the month of April. They want eight lines or less, and a maximum of 100 words. The prize is a case of S&W Premium Beans and 17 autographed children's poetry books. So let 'er rip!
Here's my entry:
Bean(t) Poet
by Jack V Sage
I grab the first thing I touch as I walk through the store:
a can of S&W beans.
I hold it up to the light, pondering
how much the can feels like home
in the land of potlucks and church suppers,
where beans are the go-to food.
I realize that sometimes, the familiar is the best.
Here's my entry:
Bean(t) Poet
by Jack V Sage
I grab the first thing I touch as I walk through the store:
a can of S&W beans.
I hold it up to the light, pondering
how much the can feels like home
in the land of potlucks and church suppers,
where beans are the go-to food.
I realize that sometimes, the familiar is the best.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Fiesta Tuna Salad
Cooking using items already in your refrigerator helps reduce food waste and stretches your weekly food budget. I still had about two-thirds of a head of romaine lettuce and seven multi-color sweet bell peppers left from last week's vegetable purchases (see my Tempe Frugal Life post for Monday, March 2, 2015), so I decided to use them in this week's Fiesta Tuna Salad.
Tuna can be a real budget buster depending on the brand and quality. Most standard-size tuna cans contain just 5.5 ounces of tuna, along with the water or oil in which the tuna was packed. At up to 1.25 per can, you pay as much as $3.75 a pound for tuna of sometimes dubious quality. I discovered four-pound cans of tuna at Smart-N-Final, and was so pleased with the quality that I now buy my tuna there any time I want some.
Their lower-priced tuna is pink and flavorful, with medium-sized chunks through tiny flakes, and costs just under $9 per can. The slightly pricier white tuna comes in the form of tuna steaks: fist-sized chunks of albacore that fall into palm-sized flakes about 1/8 inch thick, about the size and thickness of large artichoke leaves. The albacore costs just under $14 per four-pound can.
I used about one-third of a can in my fiesta tuna salad, reserving the other two-thirds of the can in two equal-sized portions that I put into small containers in the freezer for use on another day. I cut the tops off the peppers and cored them with a steak knife before cutting them into rings. The serrated edge on the steak knife allowed me to cut the peppers without squashing and breaking them, resulting in a more attractive appearance in the salad.
Using my largest covered mixing bowl, I added the tuna, 15 ounces of mixed canned peas and carrots, seven multicolored baby bell peppers cut into rings, two cups of chopped romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup of minced yellow onion, 1/4 cup of minced homemade dill refrigerator pickles, the juice of one large lemon, three tablespoons of Valentina hot sauce, and 16 ounces of French onion dip. I used a fork to blend everything together before placing the mixture in the refrigerator to chill and to allow all the flavors to meld together.
1.5 pounds canned tuna
7 multicolor baby bell peppers, cored and cut into rings
1 can (14.5 to 16 ounces) of mixed peas and carrots
2 cups rinsed, drained and chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
1/4 cup minced homemade dill refrigerator pickles
3 TBSP Valentina hot sauce
1 lemon, sliced and squeezed, seeds removed
16 ounces French onion dip
Tuna can be a real budget buster depending on the brand and quality. Most standard-size tuna cans contain just 5.5 ounces of tuna, along with the water or oil in which the tuna was packed. At up to 1.25 per can, you pay as much as $3.75 a pound for tuna of sometimes dubious quality. I discovered four-pound cans of tuna at Smart-N-Final, and was so pleased with the quality that I now buy my tuna there any time I want some.
Their lower-priced tuna is pink and flavorful, with medium-sized chunks through tiny flakes, and costs just under $9 per can. The slightly pricier white tuna comes in the form of tuna steaks: fist-sized chunks of albacore that fall into palm-sized flakes about 1/8 inch thick, about the size and thickness of large artichoke leaves. The albacore costs just under $14 per four-pound can.
I used about one-third of a can in my fiesta tuna salad, reserving the other two-thirds of the can in two equal-sized portions that I put into small containers in the freezer for use on another day. I cut the tops off the peppers and cored them with a steak knife before cutting them into rings. The serrated edge on the steak knife allowed me to cut the peppers without squashing and breaking them, resulting in a more attractive appearance in the salad.
Using my largest covered mixing bowl, I added the tuna, 15 ounces of mixed canned peas and carrots, seven multicolored baby bell peppers cut into rings, two cups of chopped romaine lettuce, 1/2 cup of minced yellow onion, 1/4 cup of minced homemade dill refrigerator pickles, the juice of one large lemon, three tablespoons of Valentina hot sauce, and 16 ounces of French onion dip. I used a fork to blend everything together before placing the mixture in the refrigerator to chill and to allow all the flavors to meld together.
1.5 pounds canned tuna
7 multicolor baby bell peppers, cored and cut into rings
1 can (14.5 to 16 ounces) of mixed peas and carrots
2 cups rinsed, drained and chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
1/4 cup minced homemade dill refrigerator pickles
3 TBSP Valentina hot sauce
1 lemon, sliced and squeezed, seeds removed
16 ounces French onion dip
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Have a Gluten Free Thanksgiving!
My brother advised me to go gluten free back in fall 2007, saying that it helps with all manner of things, including depression and anxiety, and he seemed to be correct at the time. I experimented with several gluten free recipes back in November 2007 and I was satisfied enough with two of them to share them on Xanga. I have moved them here to make them easier to find. Keep in mind that gluten free does not mean carb free or sugar free, although most of the recipes I am working on are definitely sugar friendly and carb light.
Here is a delicious berry pudding recipe I've created in November 2007. This seems to be the best version of the several tries:
Kephirra's Berry Blitz Pudding (Gluten Free)
One pound frozen mixed berries
One pint heavy cream or half and half (evaporated milk will also work)
1/2 cup white graulated sugar (Splenda will work if you need a diabetic version of this recipe)
3T local honey
1/4 cup rice flour (for thickener)
1 t vanilla extract
food mill or strainer lined with cheesecloth
large mixing bowl
4 quart saucepan
wooden spoon
Thaw the frozen berries in a microwave using the defrost button, or sit them out the night before. Mix the rice flour into the heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Fold the heavy cream mixture and vanilla into the berries, and mix well. Fold in the sugar and honey. Heat the resulting mixture to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat until the berry mixture bubbles but does not rise up to spill over the pan. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for ten minutes until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat.
Pour the berry mixture into a food mill or strainer lined with cheesecloth. Run the mixture through the food mill until all the liquids have gone back into the bowl and only solids are left behind. Discard the solids, unless you like the texture and don't want to give up the fiber they provide. Return the now-smooth berry mixture to your stove top and heat back to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and continue boiling for five minutes. Remove from heat and pour into serving dishes.
This pudding makes a great parfait. Pour it into the bottom of a parfait dish and tilt on its side slightly. Let the pudding cool, then add a layer of whipped topping or ice cream, then a second layer of pudding. Return to your fridge. Add a second layer of whipped topping or ice cream. Sprinkle each parfait with chopped pecans and grated dark chocolate. Enjoy! Serves 4 to 6.
Kephirra's Pork and Italian Sausage Scalloped Potato Casserole (Gluten Free)
One pound boneless pork chops (About four to six chops)
One pound Italian Link Sausage, cut into four inch links.(hot tastes best, okay to substitute bratwurst or kielbasa)
Six to eight medium potatoes, scrubbed and sliced, peels on
One large onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 t minced fresh garlic
1 t seasoned salt
1/2 cup rice flour
one cup water
One cup half and half or heavy cream
3T bacon grease
large 9" by 11" oblong glass baking dish
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss together the vegetables, herbs, spices, and sliced potatoes. Let stand for ten minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture into a glass baking dish. Sprinkle rice flour liberally over the entire casserole. Pour half and half over your casserole, making sure to wet the rice flour. Let stand ten minutes. Pour one cup of water over the casserole. Toss the vegetable mixture together until you are sure all the rice flour has been moistened. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measure, place dots of bacon grease all through the casserole, about two inches apart.
Lay the pork chops on top of your casserole, arranging so that they have just enough space to lay sausages between each one. Arrange the sausages on top of the casserole as well. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Line your oven rack with foil or place the glass baking dish on a larger cookie sheet, as this dish will sometimes run over and drip onto your oven.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for thirty to forty minutes, until you can smell the meat roasting. Remove foil and continue baking another ten to fifteen minutes until meat begins to brown. Serves 6 to 8.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Caldo Des Camarones (Shrimp Soup)
Shrimp have always symbolized good times to me, due to their cost, so it made perfect sense to include a shrimp dish in my holiday menu. I served this soup as an appetizer at every holiday meal for fifteen years, after my two daughters and I returned to Ohio from Florida in 1992.
The original version of this recipe used canned salad shrimp, because I got it on sale at the Big Lots store that used to be on Lincoln Way East between Canton and Massillon. This recipe uses fresh, shell-on shrimp instead, because it makes richer-tasting broth.
2 pounds fresh, shell-on shrimp
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Wok or 12-inch saute pan
Colander
6 quarts frozen chicken stock (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
8-quart stockpot
1 cup red and green bell pepper strips
1 tablespoon chicken soup base
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
Zest from one whole lemon
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced red onion
6 diced Roma tomatoes
1/2 pound diced carrots
12 ounces tomato paste
Optional:
Bread bowls
2 pounds cooked tricolor pasta (any shape)
Fresh chives
Croutons
Defrost 6 quarts of chicken stock in an 8-quart stockpot. While the broth defrosts, preheat a wok for two minutes on medium-high before adding the olive oil. Allow the oil to heat for one additional minute.
Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and place them in a colander to drain. Pat each shrimp dry.
Place 1/2 pound of shrimp at a time in a single layer in the wok. If you do not have a wok, you can use a 12-inch saute pan instead. Stir-fry the shrimp until the flesh turns opaque and the shell changes from blue to a red or reddish-brown color.
Peel the shrimp and place them in a covered container in the refrigerator until later. Add the shells to the defrosted broth and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Bring the soup back to a rolling boil for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
Pour the broth through a colander to remove the shrimp shells and return the broth to the stockpot. Add the pepper strips, spices, celery, onion, Roma tomatoes and carrots. Stir the tomato paste into the mixture to ensure that it does not stay clumped. Bring the soup back to a rolling boil for 15 minutes.
Add the peeled shrimp. Serve the soup right away. You can serve caldo des camarones in bread bowls or ladle it over cooked tricolor pasta. Garnish with fresh chives and croutons. Serves 12 to 16.
***Chicken Stock***
2 pounds cut-up chicken
8 quarts water
2 tablespoons chicken soup base
1 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
3 ribs diced celery
1 cup diced tomato
1 cup Italian salad dressing
3 large eggs
2 cups bread crumbs
Boil 2 pounds of cut up chicken in 8 quarts of water. Add 2 tablespoons of chicken soup base or 4 bouillon cubes. Add 1 tablespoon garam masala and stir the broth. Add 1/2 cup diced yellow onion, 3 ribs of diced celery and 1 cup of diced tomato. Boil all the ingredients together for 1 hour.
Remove the chicken from the pot. Strain the broth into 1 quart containers and freeze it. Set the chicken aside in a 9- by 13-inch rectangular baking pan or glass baking dish. Marinate the chicken overnight in 1 cup of Italian salad dressing. Beat 3 eggs to a froth in a 2-quart mixing bowl. Dip the chicken pieces in egg. Shake the chicken in a bag of bread crumbs before you fry it on top of stove or bake it in your oven. Serve the chicken with twice-baked potatoes and garden salad.
The original version of this recipe used canned salad shrimp, because I got it on sale at the Big Lots store that used to be on Lincoln Way East between Canton and Massillon. This recipe uses fresh, shell-on shrimp instead, because it makes richer-tasting broth.
2 pounds fresh, shell-on shrimp
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Wok or 12-inch saute pan
Colander
6 quarts frozen chicken stock (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
8-quart stockpot
1 cup red and green bell pepper strips
1 tablespoon chicken soup base
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
Zest from one whole lemon
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced red onion
6 diced Roma tomatoes
1/2 pound diced carrots
12 ounces tomato paste
Optional:
Bread bowls
2 pounds cooked tricolor pasta (any shape)
Fresh chives
Croutons
Defrost 6 quarts of chicken stock in an 8-quart stockpot. While the broth defrosts, preheat a wok for two minutes on medium-high before adding the olive oil. Allow the oil to heat for one additional minute.
Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and place them in a colander to drain. Pat each shrimp dry.
Place 1/2 pound of shrimp at a time in a single layer in the wok. If you do not have a wok, you can use a 12-inch saute pan instead. Stir-fry the shrimp until the flesh turns opaque and the shell changes from blue to a red or reddish-brown color.
Peel the shrimp and place them in a covered container in the refrigerator until later. Add the shells to the defrosted broth and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Bring the soup back to a rolling boil for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
Pour the broth through a colander to remove the shrimp shells and return the broth to the stockpot. Add the pepper strips, spices, celery, onion, Roma tomatoes and carrots. Stir the tomato paste into the mixture to ensure that it does not stay clumped. Bring the soup back to a rolling boil for 15 minutes.
Add the peeled shrimp. Serve the soup right away. You can serve caldo des camarones in bread bowls or ladle it over cooked tricolor pasta. Garnish with fresh chives and croutons. Serves 12 to 16.
***Chicken Stock***
2 pounds cut-up chicken
8 quarts water
2 tablespoons chicken soup base
1 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
3 ribs diced celery
1 cup diced tomato
1 cup Italian salad dressing
3 large eggs
2 cups bread crumbs
Boil 2 pounds of cut up chicken in 8 quarts of water. Add 2 tablespoons of chicken soup base or 4 bouillon cubes. Add 1 tablespoon garam masala and stir the broth. Add 1/2 cup diced yellow onion, 3 ribs of diced celery and 1 cup of diced tomato. Boil all the ingredients together for 1 hour.
Remove the chicken from the pot. Strain the broth into 1 quart containers and freeze it. Set the chicken aside in a 9- by 13-inch rectangular baking pan or glass baking dish. Marinate the chicken overnight in 1 cup of Italian salad dressing. Beat 3 eggs to a froth in a 2-quart mixing bowl. Dip the chicken pieces in egg. Shake the chicken in a bag of bread crumbs before you fry it on top of stove or bake it in your oven. Serve the chicken with twice-baked potatoes and garden salad.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Grilled Pepper Jack Meat Loaf Burgers
Safeway had Nature's Pride multi-grain bread on sale this week for $2.50 per 24-ounce loaf and Jennie-O lean ground turkey patties for 99 cents per pound. They also had Lucerne cheese for $5.99 per 2-pound block, prompting me to create this recipe. If you prefer a vegan version, omit the egg and cheese and use a mixture of cooked lentils, chickpeas and black beans to make your burger.
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 eggs (omit for vegan version)
2-quart mixing bowl
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
8 slices multi-grain bread
Food processor
1 pound ground beef or vegan substitute (see suggestions above)
4 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese
4 ounces tomato paste
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
Yellow pepper rings
Hamburger buns
Step 1: Chop the parsley as fine as you can.
Step 2: Use a fork to beat the eggs to an even, light-yellow froth in a 2-quart mixing bowl. Add the parsley, hot sauce, pepper, onion and garlic and stir until well-blended.
Step 3: Pulse the bread in your food processor until you get even-textured bread crumbs. Add the bread crumbs to the egg mixture and stir until well-blended. Omit the eggs when making a vegan version.
Step 4: Add the ground beef or vegan substitute. Mix just enough to distribute the bread crumb mixture throughout the ground beef or vegan substitute.
Step 5: Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Flatten four portions to 1/2-inch thickness.
Step 6: Make a slight depression in the center of each portion, using the back of a tablespoon.
Step 7: Fill the depression with 1 ounce of shredded pepper jack cheese, vegan cheese substitute or diced vegetables of your choice.
Step 8: Flatten the remaining four portions of ground beef or vegan substitute. Top each of the first four patties with one of the remaining four patties.
Step 9: Pinch and smooth the patties along the seam.
Step 10: Grill each patty for 4 minutes on each side. Top each grilled patty with 1 ounce of tomato paste and grill for one additional minute.
Step 11: Serve on hamburger buns, topped with grilled red and green bell pepper slices and yellow pepper rings.
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 eggs (omit for vegan version)
2-quart mixing bowl
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
8 slices multi-grain bread
Food processor
1 pound ground beef or vegan substitute (see suggestions above)
4 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese
4 ounces tomato paste
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
Yellow pepper rings
Hamburger buns
Step 1: Chop the parsley as fine as you can.
Step 2: Use a fork to beat the eggs to an even, light-yellow froth in a 2-quart mixing bowl. Add the parsley, hot sauce, pepper, onion and garlic and stir until well-blended.
Step 3: Pulse the bread in your food processor until you get even-textured bread crumbs. Add the bread crumbs to the egg mixture and stir until well-blended. Omit the eggs when making a vegan version.
Step 4: Add the ground beef or vegan substitute. Mix just enough to distribute the bread crumb mixture throughout the ground beef or vegan substitute.
Step 5: Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Flatten four portions to 1/2-inch thickness.
Step 6: Make a slight depression in the center of each portion, using the back of a tablespoon.
Step 7: Fill the depression with 1 ounce of shredded pepper jack cheese, vegan cheese substitute or diced vegetables of your choice.
Step 8: Flatten the remaining four portions of ground beef or vegan substitute. Top each of the first four patties with one of the remaining four patties.
Step 9: Pinch and smooth the patties along the seam.
Step 10: Grill each patty for 4 minutes on each side. Top each grilled patty with 1 ounce of tomato paste and grill for one additional minute.
Step 11: Serve on hamburger buns, topped with grilled red and green bell pepper slices and yellow pepper rings.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Cacique: They Liked Me, They Really Liked Me
Every writer lives for the day when they receive professional recognition that what they produce is worth reading. Today was that day for me. I wrote an article in June 2011 called "Soy Chorizo Kitchen Tests" and published it at Triond.com on its Notecook site. I had kitchen-tested a new product: Cacique soy chorizo, detailing each step and all the results. Yesterday, I left a link to the article on Cacique USA's Facebook page. To my delight, Cacique USA sent me the following email message:
"Wow!
Very educational, Jack. And it sounds like the Hawaiian-style sauce
really tied it all together... But you left us on a cliffhanger -- how'd
it TASTE?!"
Thank you, Cacique USA, for taking time to read my article!
Update, April 5, 2015: Due to page-loading issues at Triond, I have moved the article to Heritage and Home. You can find it here at Soy Chorizo Kitchen Tests.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
B Is for Bread: Safflower Petal Bread Recipe
I made safflower-petal bread a few weeks ago and promised to post the recipe. I bought the dried safflower petals at the Mesa, Arizona Pro's Ranch Market. I found them in the Spanish-language spice section, and I thought that they were saffron strands, but I was incorrect. Safflower petals impart a slight citrus-floral note to the bread. The bright orange strands are easy to spot when you slice the loaf. Serve this bread with orange-blossom honey and homemade butter for a farmhouse treat that beats cake hollow.
Ingredients and Equipment:
8-quart mixing bowl
8 sifted cups enriched all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons dried safflower petals
2 cups water or pan drippings
1 cup cola
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
11- by 17-inch glass casserole dish or a no-stick baking pan
If you want a fat-free, gluten-free version, substitute 6 cups of besan (chickpea flour) and 2 cups of finely-ground cornmeal for the flour and add 1/2 cup of applesauce instead of using 1/4 cup of canola oil. You will still need a tablespoon of canola oil to grease the glass casserole dish, unless you have no-stick baking pans. Remember to raise the baking temperature by 25 degrees if you use a metal baking pan instead of a glass casserole dish.
Sift the flour into an 8-quart mixing bowl. If you do not have a sifter, simply sprinkle or shake the flour into the bowl rather than dumping it. This will result in lighter, airier loaves with more appealing texture.
Add the baking powder and the baking soda. Although it sounds like a large amount, you are not using eggs or yeast, so the loaf needs all the help it can get.
Stir in the dried safflower petals. Sift the mixture again to ensure even distribution of the two leavening agents throughout your dough.
Add the water or pan drippings. I prefer pan drippings, because I hate waste in the kitchen, and because they flavor the bread, but water works just as well if you need a vegan or vegetarian option. You can use vegetable broth, almond milk or rice milk in place of water for a more full-bodied vegan bread.
Add the cola, which should cause the dough to foam, then add all but 1 tablespoon of the oil. Mix the dough until all the dry ingredients and wet ingredients merge. There should be no leftover flour in the corners or "mushy" portions in the dough. The dough should feel stretchy and should not stick to your hands.
Grease the casserole dish. Divide the dough into two equal portions and place them in the casserole dish, at least two inches apart. Pat each portion of dough into an oval loaf and allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F if using the glass casserole dish, or 425 degrees F if using a metal, no-stick baking sheet. Bake the bread for 20 minutes, then turn the pans around and bake for another 20 minutes to ensure even baking.
Allow the bread to cool on the counter before slicing it into 1/2-inch thicknesses with a serrated knife.
Ingredients and Equipment:
8-quart mixing bowl
8 sifted cups enriched all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons dried safflower petals
2 cups water or pan drippings
1 cup cola
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
11- by 17-inch glass casserole dish or a no-stick baking pan
If you want a fat-free, gluten-free version, substitute 6 cups of besan (chickpea flour) and 2 cups of finely-ground cornmeal for the flour and add 1/2 cup of applesauce instead of using 1/4 cup of canola oil. You will still need a tablespoon of canola oil to grease the glass casserole dish, unless you have no-stick baking pans. Remember to raise the baking temperature by 25 degrees if you use a metal baking pan instead of a glass casserole dish.
Sift the flour into an 8-quart mixing bowl. If you do not have a sifter, simply sprinkle or shake the flour into the bowl rather than dumping it. This will result in lighter, airier loaves with more appealing texture.
Add the baking powder and the baking soda. Although it sounds like a large amount, you are not using eggs or yeast, so the loaf needs all the help it can get.
Stir in the dried safflower petals. Sift the mixture again to ensure even distribution of the two leavening agents throughout your dough.
Add the water or pan drippings. I prefer pan drippings, because I hate waste in the kitchen, and because they flavor the bread, but water works just as well if you need a vegan or vegetarian option. You can use vegetable broth, almond milk or rice milk in place of water for a more full-bodied vegan bread.
Add the cola, which should cause the dough to foam, then add all but 1 tablespoon of the oil. Mix the dough until all the dry ingredients and wet ingredients merge. There should be no leftover flour in the corners or "mushy" portions in the dough. The dough should feel stretchy and should not stick to your hands.
Grease the casserole dish. Divide the dough into two equal portions and place them in the casserole dish, at least two inches apart. Pat each portion of dough into an oval loaf and allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F if using the glass casserole dish, or 425 degrees F if using a metal, no-stick baking sheet. Bake the bread for 20 minutes, then turn the pans around and bake for another 20 minutes to ensure even baking.
Allow the bread to cool on the counter before slicing it into 1/2-inch thicknesses with a serrated knife.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Orange-Cardamom Pork Chops and Fried Potatoes
We've been buying a lot of pork recently, because we are making bone art for Wasteland Weekend, leaving me scrambling for different ways to prepare the meat. We use pork shoulder bones because they resemble skulls. We posted a few photos of two of the skulls in progress on Facebook. Once they are finished, we will post an article and photos on Tempe Frugal Life.
Once I removed the shoulder bone from the two roasts I bought at Ranch Market last week for 98 cents a pound, I sliced 15 pounds of the shoulder meat into chops. The other 5 pounds got chopped to make pulled pork in the slow cooker. Today I thawed 2 pounds of chops. While they thawed, I grated the zest from one whole navel orange, then squeezed the juice over the chops. I added the orange zest and 3 cloves of finely-minced fresh garlic, about 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom and about a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning. I rubbed the spices all over the meat, turning it repeatedly in the orange juice to ensure complete coverage. I let the meat marinate in the refrigerator in a 4-quart plastic storage container while I scrubbed three fist-sized potatoes. I trimmed away some bad-looking spots and pierced each potato, then microwaved them together for 6 minutes on high. I turned each potato over and microwaved them for another two minutes, quartered them and sliced them into 1/2-inch thicknesses.
I heated 1/2 cup of canola oil in a 12-inch diameter saute pan on medium-high for three minutes, then used the lid as a shield while I slid each chop into the pan to avoid splashing the hot oil. I pan-fried the chops for three minutes per side, turning them twice on each side, for a total of 6 minutes per side. I pulled the chops from the oil, holding them over the saute pan until the oil stopped dripping before transferring them to a serving platter.
I used the lid as a shield again when I slid the sliced potatoes off the cutting board and into the oil. I pan-fried the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until they were just past golden-brown, then removed them from the pan using a slotted spoon. I pulled the double-layered paper towels over them and patted the excess oil away before sliding the potatoes onto the serving platter with the pork chops.
I boiled the marinade and added it to the shrimp-infused gravy I had made to go with the river-raised catfish we cooked two nights ago. I'll post that recipe another day.
Ingredients and Equipment:
2 pounds sliced pork shoulder roast
4-quart plastic storage container
Grater
Juice and zest from 1 navel orange
3 large cloves garlic
Chef's knife
Cutting board
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
3 fist-sized potatoes
1/2 cup canola oil
12-inch saute pan with lid
Serving platter
Slotted spoon
Small glass casserole dish
1 pint shrimp-infused gravy (recipe to come tomorrow)
Once I removed the shoulder bone from the two roasts I bought at Ranch Market last week for 98 cents a pound, I sliced 15 pounds of the shoulder meat into chops. The other 5 pounds got chopped to make pulled pork in the slow cooker. Today I thawed 2 pounds of chops. While they thawed, I grated the zest from one whole navel orange, then squeezed the juice over the chops. I added the orange zest and 3 cloves of finely-minced fresh garlic, about 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom and about a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning. I rubbed the spices all over the meat, turning it repeatedly in the orange juice to ensure complete coverage. I let the meat marinate in the refrigerator in a 4-quart plastic storage container while I scrubbed three fist-sized potatoes. I trimmed away some bad-looking spots and pierced each potato, then microwaved them together for 6 minutes on high. I turned each potato over and microwaved them for another two minutes, quartered them and sliced them into 1/2-inch thicknesses.
I heated 1/2 cup of canola oil in a 12-inch diameter saute pan on medium-high for three minutes, then used the lid as a shield while I slid each chop into the pan to avoid splashing the hot oil. I pan-fried the chops for three minutes per side, turning them twice on each side, for a total of 6 minutes per side. I pulled the chops from the oil, holding them over the saute pan until the oil stopped dripping before transferring them to a serving platter.
I used the lid as a shield again when I slid the sliced potatoes off the cutting board and into the oil. I pan-fried the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until they were just past golden-brown, then removed them from the pan using a slotted spoon. I pulled the double-layered paper towels over them and patted the excess oil away before sliding the potatoes onto the serving platter with the pork chops.
I boiled the marinade and added it to the shrimp-infused gravy I had made to go with the river-raised catfish we cooked two nights ago. I'll post that recipe another day.
Ingredients and Equipment:
2 pounds sliced pork shoulder roast
4-quart plastic storage container
Grater
Juice and zest from 1 navel orange
3 large cloves garlic
Chef's knife
Cutting board
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
3 fist-sized potatoes
1/2 cup canola oil
12-inch saute pan with lid
Serving platter
Slotted spoon
Small glass casserole dish
1 pint shrimp-infused gravy (recipe to come tomorrow)
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Tell Me About Yourself
I check my audience profile about once a week. I've been fascinated by the fact that people all over the world are reading my recipes. I love it when I see that people from places like Moldova (I had to look that one up) Latvia, Poland, South Africa and the Philippines apparently enjoy this blog.
I would love to hear from each of you. Tell me where you are located, what you enjoy about this blog and the recipes I have posted, and what you would like to see in the future. Post a photo of an ingredient you would like me to include in my next recipe.
Let me know whether you use a desktop or laptop computer, mobile phone or other device to access this page, and let me know what would make this blog more personally useful to you.
o zi bună! (Have a good day, moldoveni!)
ir laba nedēļa! (Have a good week, latvieši!)
mieć dobry tydzień! (Have a good week, Polacy!)
het 'n goeie week! (Have a good week, Suid-Afrikaners!)
Mayroon ang isang magandang linggo (Have a good week, Pilipinas!)
I would love to hear from each of you. Tell me where you are located, what you enjoy about this blog and the recipes I have posted, and what you would like to see in the future. Post a photo of an ingredient you would like me to include in my next recipe.
Let me know whether you use a desktop or laptop computer, mobile phone or other device to access this page, and let me know what would make this blog more personally useful to you.
o zi bună! (Have a good day, moldoveni!)
ir laba nedēļa! (Have a good week, latvieši!)
mieć dobry tydzień! (Have a good week, Polacy!)
het 'n goeie week! (Have a good week, Suid-Afrikaners!)
Mayroon ang isang magandang linggo (Have a good week, Pilipinas!)
Friday, March 9, 2012
Roast Chicken with Apple Stuffing and Ginger-Saffron Rice
Fry's grocery store had whole frying chickens on sale for 77 cents a pound this week, so I bought two of them. I had a few apples, an orange and some celery that needed to be used before they went bad. Since I still had nearly 4 1/2 pounds of rice left from our last trip to Pro's Ranch Market, I decided to go Asian with this chicken. We've been making masala chai every day, so I had ginger, allspice and coriander on hand. I found a jar of saffron strands that I had forgotten in our pantry cabinet. I don't usually use an expensive spice like saffron, but the gentle, slightly floral flavor was perfect when combined with the apple slices and orange juice.
Ingredients and Equipment:
5 1/2-pound whole frying chicken
9 tbsp cooking oil
Salt
Dried basil
Roasting pan
3 to 4 stalks celery
Chef's knife
Cutting board
2 Red Delicious apples
1 seedless navel orange
12-inch diameter saute pan with tight-fitting lid
Wok spatula
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 to 8 saffron strands or 1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric powder
Serving platter
1 cup uncooked rice
6 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon dried ginger powder
1 teaspoon allspice powder
Chicken giblets (gizzard, heart, liver, neck)
Thaw the chicken overnight in the refrigerator or in a pot of cold water. Rub the entire chicken with oil, working it into all the folds and cavities of the wings and thighs.
Sprinkle the entire chicken with salt, including the neck and main body cavities. Repeat with dried basil. Place the chicken in the roasting pan and allow it to rest while you prepare the apples, rice and giblets.
Chop 1 cup of celery very fine. Quarter, core and thin-slice two Red Delicious apples and cut the orange in half.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch diameter saute pan on medium high. Add 1 teaspoon each of coriander seed and red pepper flakes, plus 6 to 8 saffron strands, or you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder for the saffron.
Stir-fry the spices for 1 minute to release all the flavors. Add the celery to the pan and stir-fry it for 3 minutes. Toss the sliced apples into the pan and stir-fry everything for another 3 minutes. Remove the apples and place them on a serving plate.
Add 1 cup of uncooked rice to the saute pan. Stir-fry the rice constantly until it turns golden-brown. Pour 6 cups of water or chicken stock and stir to ensure that none of the rice grains stick to the bottom of the pan.
Squeeze the juice from the orange halves into the pan. Tear the orange peel into four pieces and float it on top of the rice water. Stir in 1 tablespoon of powdered ginger and 1 teaspoon of allspice powder and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid.
Simmer the rice on medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes.
Slice the gizzard and heart into 1/8-inch thicknesses. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a separate skillet for 1 minute. Carefully slide the sliced giblets into the oil to avoid spatter. Pan-fry them for 3 minutes, until they are browned on all sides.
Add the apple slices and stir-fry everything for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the giblets to a separate plate. Stuff half the stir-fried apple slices into the chicken, followed by the pieces of orange peel.
Stuff the remaining half of the apple slices into the chicken. Spoon the rice around the chicken and over the body cavities. Press the wing tips against the chicken's body and cover them with rice.
Bake covered at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes. Turn the roasting pan around in the oven to ensure even cooking. Remove the cover and bake the chicken for another 20 minutes. Turn the oven to broil for 7 minutes to crisp the skin.
Allow the chicken to rest in the oven for 15 minutes before serving
Ingredients and Equipment:
5 1/2-pound whole frying chicken
9 tbsp cooking oil
Salt
Dried basil
Roasting pan
3 to 4 stalks celery
Chef's knife
Cutting board
2 Red Delicious apples
1 seedless navel orange
12-inch diameter saute pan with tight-fitting lid
Wok spatula
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 to 8 saffron strands or 1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric powder
Serving platter
1 cup uncooked rice
6 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon dried ginger powder
1 teaspoon allspice powder
Chicken giblets (gizzard, heart, liver, neck)
Thaw the chicken overnight in the refrigerator or in a pot of cold water. Rub the entire chicken with oil, working it into all the folds and cavities of the wings and thighs.
Sprinkle the entire chicken with salt, including the neck and main body cavities. Repeat with dried basil. Place the chicken in the roasting pan and allow it to rest while you prepare the apples, rice and giblets.
Chop 1 cup of celery very fine. Quarter, core and thin-slice two Red Delicious apples and cut the orange in half.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch diameter saute pan on medium high. Add 1 teaspoon each of coriander seed and red pepper flakes, plus 6 to 8 saffron strands, or you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder for the saffron.
Stir-fry the spices for 1 minute to release all the flavors. Add the celery to the pan and stir-fry it for 3 minutes. Toss the sliced apples into the pan and stir-fry everything for another 3 minutes. Remove the apples and place them on a serving plate.
Add 1 cup of uncooked rice to the saute pan. Stir-fry the rice constantly until it turns golden-brown. Pour 6 cups of water or chicken stock and stir to ensure that none of the rice grains stick to the bottom of the pan.
Squeeze the juice from the orange halves into the pan. Tear the orange peel into four pieces and float it on top of the rice water. Stir in 1 tablespoon of powdered ginger and 1 teaspoon of allspice powder and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid.
Simmer the rice on medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes.
Slice the gizzard and heart into 1/8-inch thicknesses. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a separate skillet for 1 minute. Carefully slide the sliced giblets into the oil to avoid spatter. Pan-fry them for 3 minutes, until they are browned on all sides.
Add the apple slices and stir-fry everything for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the giblets to a separate plate. Stuff half the stir-fried apple slices into the chicken, followed by the pieces of orange peel.
Stuff the remaining half of the apple slices into the chicken. Spoon the rice around the chicken and over the body cavities. Press the wing tips against the chicken's body and cover them with rice.
Bake covered at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes. Turn the roasting pan around in the oven to ensure even cooking. Remove the cover and bake the chicken for another 20 minutes. Turn the oven to broil for 7 minutes to crisp the skin.
Allow the chicken to rest in the oven for 15 minutes before serving
Monday, February 20, 2012
Pork Chops in Lemon-Cola Marinade
I picked up another 20 pounds of pork shoulder roast at Pro's Ranch Market last week. After I cut the 3-pound arm-bone portions from each roast, I sliced the remainder into 3/4-inch thicknesses, resulting in 15 pork chops. Unlike the roast we bought three weeks ago at Ranch Market, these had the skin and most of the fat removed. I froze the chops in single portions for convenience, since we cook meals on the spur of the moment rather than on a set schedule, especially if we are working on a project.
Today, I marinated 3 of the pork chops in a mixture of 1/4-cup lemon juice; 5 cloves of fresh, minced garlic; 1/2-cup thin-sliced Vidalia onion; 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; 1 tablespoon of rehydrated, minced ginger root; 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of cola.
I thawed the pork in the refrigerator by placing it -- still wrapped in plastic -- in an 8-cup plastic storage container with a tight-fitting lid. After the chops thawed, I removed the plastic wrap and rinsed each one under cold running water.
I added the lemon juice to the container and rolled the pork around in it to ensure that the juice covered the entire surface of each chop. After five minutes, I added the ground spices, minced garlic, sliced onion and minced ginger. I turned the chops several times to ensure that the spices were evenly distributed over the meat. I waited another five minutes before adding the olive oil and turning the chops again. Next, I added the cola, turning the pork chops several more times.
After two hours, I pan-seared each pork chop. I heated a 12-inch skillet on medium-high heat for one minute before placing the pork chops in it, spaced 1/2-inch apart and 1 inch away from the sides of the pan.
I seared the chops for 5 minutes on each side before checking the internal temperature.The USDA recommends pan-searing for 7 minutes on a side, but here in Arizona, using a stainless steel saute pan, the chops only needed 5 minutes per side. The test chop I cooked was dark brown at 6 minutes and scorched black at 7.
The USDA recommends cooking pork roasts and chops to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, as measured with a meat thermometer. To check the internal temperature, insert a meat thermometer horizontally into the side of the thickest portion of each pork chop without touching any bone or the sides of the pan.
I allowed the chops to rest for 3 minutes before serving. This gave the juices in the meat time to redistribute and resulted in a more tender, juicy pork chop.
Today, I marinated 3 of the pork chops in a mixture of 1/4-cup lemon juice; 5 cloves of fresh, minced garlic; 1/2-cup thin-sliced Vidalia onion; 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; 1 tablespoon of rehydrated, minced ginger root; 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of cola.
 | |
| Marinated Pork Photo by Jack V. Sage, February 20, 2012 |
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| Marinated Pork Photo by Jack V. Sage, February 20, 2012 |
 |
| Garlic, Onion, and Dehydrated Ginger by Jack V. Sage, February 20, 2012 |
I thawed the pork in the refrigerator by placing it -- still wrapped in plastic -- in an 8-cup plastic storage container with a tight-fitting lid. After the chops thawed, I removed the plastic wrap and rinsed each one under cold running water.
I added the lemon juice to the container and rolled the pork around in it to ensure that the juice covered the entire surface of each chop. After five minutes, I added the ground spices, minced garlic, sliced onion and minced ginger. I turned the chops several times to ensure that the spices were evenly distributed over the meat. I waited another five minutes before adding the olive oil and turning the chops again. Next, I added the cola, turning the pork chops several more times.
After two hours, I pan-seared each pork chop. I heated a 12-inch skillet on medium-high heat for one minute before placing the pork chops in it, spaced 1/2-inch apart and 1 inch away from the sides of the pan.
 |
| Lemon-Cola Pork Chops by Jack V. Sage, February 20, 2012 |
I seared the chops for 5 minutes on each side before checking the internal temperature.The USDA recommends pan-searing for 7 minutes on a side, but here in Arizona, using a stainless steel saute pan, the chops only needed 5 minutes per side. The test chop I cooked was dark brown at 6 minutes and scorched black at 7.
The USDA recommends cooking pork roasts and chops to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, as measured with a meat thermometer. To check the internal temperature, insert a meat thermometer horizontally into the side of the thickest portion of each pork chop without touching any bone or the sides of the pan.
I allowed the chops to rest for 3 minutes before serving. This gave the juices in the meat time to redistribute and resulted in a more tender, juicy pork chop.
 |
| Lemon-Cola Pork Chops by Jack V. Sage, February 20, 2012 |
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Palate-Pleasing Pork Recipes
Bacon-Wrapped Apple-Raisin Pork Loin
Crisp Virginia bacon keeps your pork loin tender while tart Granny Smith apples and sweet California raisins flavor the meat, providing your taste buds with an avalanche of savory delight. Serve with baked acorn squash, roasted new potatoes, chunks of tender turnip and whole carrots.
Place the pork tenderloin in a plastic zipper bag with the apple cider, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and star anise pods. Marinate it in the refrigerator for 6 to 12 hours.
Remove the pork loin from the bag and pour the marinade into a saucepan, including the cinnamon and star anise. Wash your hands with soap and water.
Add the apple butter, raisins and molasses and bring the mixture to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Remove the anise pods and cinnamon sticks from the raisin sauce.
Lay the pork loin on a plastic cutting sheet so its length runs left to right. Make a slit from left to right, halfway down the side. Make a second and third slit, if needed, until the pork loin will open like a book.
Cover the pork loin with the second cutting sheet and pound it to 1/4-inch thickness with the meat mallet.
Slice the apples into 12 pieces, from stem end to blossom end without peeling them. Trim away the core and seeds and lay the apple slices on the flattened pork loin.
Drain the raisin sauce through a strainer into a mixing bowl. Spread the drained raisins evenly over the apples on the pork loin. Reserve the raisin sauce for later.
Roll the pork loin into a tube and fold each end closed. Cut two pieces of string twice the length of the pork loin plus three inches. Lay them side by side, one inch apart.
Cut at least four more pieces of string the same length as the circumference of the pork loin, plus three inches. Lay them across the first two strings, one inch apart.
Lay the pork loin on the net pattern you made with the strings. Pull the ends of the short strings together and knot them tight against the pork loin. Repeat for the long strings.
Heat the saute pan on high for three minutes. Rub the pork loin with olive oil and lay it in the saute pan. Pan-sear the pork loin on all sides, including the ends.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pork loin on a broiler pan and cover it with foil. Roast the pork loin for 45 minutes.
Lay half the Virginia bacon on a clean cookie sheet in a single layer, with all the slices running left to right, with their long sides touching, to form a rectangle.
Weave the remaining bacon strips between the strips of the rectangle. Fold every second bacon strip to halfway to the left and lay a bacon strip across the ones you did not fold. Return the folded strips of bacon to their original positions.
Repeat folding every other strip of bacon and laying strips across the ones you did not fold, until all the strips have been woven together.
Remove the partially-cooked, apple-raisin-stuffed pork loin from the oven and lay it on the bacon weave. Fold the left and right sides over the ends of the pork loin. Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees F.
Roll the pork loin in the bacon weave and place it on a cookie sheet with rolled sides. Bake for 30 minutes at 275 degrees F before inserting a meat thermometer into the roast. Remove the roast from the oven when the internal temperature registers 145 degrees F.
Ingredients and Equipment:
Plastic zipper bag
2-pound pork tenderloin
1 cup apple cider
4 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
6 star anise pods
2-quart saucepan
2 polyester cutting sheets
Meat mallet
3 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup apple butter
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons molasses
Strainer
Small mixing bowl
Kitchen string
Saute pan
Olive oil
Broiler pan
Foil
2 pounds Virginia bacon
Cookie sheet with rolled sides
Meat thermometer
Roasting the bacon-wrapped pork loin at 275 degrees for 30 minutes prevents the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines.
References
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Fresh Pork From Farm to Table
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: What Are Nitrosamines?
More Palate-Pleasing Pork Recipes:
I needed to do something with the 4-pound cauliflower, oranges and
cilantro I bought at Pro's Ranch Market this past Friday. This recipe is
the tasty result. Cauliflower lacks the zest that I prefer in my food.
Cooking it with pork roast for 1.5 hours at 375 degrees F allowed the
pork juices to blend with the flavors of the apples, onions, oranges and
cilantro. The cauliflower absorbed all the flavors and turned
butter-soft.
Center-Cut Pork Loin Roast with Cilantro and Guacamole
Slow-roast center-cut pork loin stuffed with chorizo, cilantro and guacamole. Serve the tender slices of stuffed roast pork with a generous helping of casamiento, or beans and rice, blended with grated cheese and jalapeno rings. Top the casamiento with strips of roasted red bell pepper and sun-dried tomatoes.
Luau Pork Roast and Grilled Plantain with Ginger
Taro-wrapped pork tenderloin with citrus, mango, bell pepper and grilled plantain provides 1/4 of your daily vitamin A, over half your daily vitamin C, and almost half your daily thiamine.
Crisp Virginia bacon keeps your pork loin tender while tart Granny Smith apples and sweet California raisins flavor the meat, providing your taste buds with an avalanche of savory delight. Serve with baked acorn squash, roasted new potatoes, chunks of tender turnip and whole carrots.
Place the pork tenderloin in a plastic zipper bag with the apple cider, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and star anise pods. Marinate it in the refrigerator for 6 to 12 hours.
Remove the pork loin from the bag and pour the marinade into a saucepan, including the cinnamon and star anise. Wash your hands with soap and water.
Add the apple butter, raisins and molasses and bring the mixture to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Remove the anise pods and cinnamon sticks from the raisin sauce.
Lay the pork loin on a plastic cutting sheet so its length runs left to right. Make a slit from left to right, halfway down the side. Make a second and third slit, if needed, until the pork loin will open like a book.
Cover the pork loin with the second cutting sheet and pound it to 1/4-inch thickness with the meat mallet.
Slice the apples into 12 pieces, from stem end to blossom end without peeling them. Trim away the core and seeds and lay the apple slices on the flattened pork loin.
Drain the raisin sauce through a strainer into a mixing bowl. Spread the drained raisins evenly over the apples on the pork loin. Reserve the raisin sauce for later.
Roll the pork loin into a tube and fold each end closed. Cut two pieces of string twice the length of the pork loin plus three inches. Lay them side by side, one inch apart.
Cut at least four more pieces of string the same length as the circumference of the pork loin, plus three inches. Lay them across the first two strings, one inch apart.
Lay the pork loin on the net pattern you made with the strings. Pull the ends of the short strings together and knot them tight against the pork loin. Repeat for the long strings.
Heat the saute pan on high for three minutes. Rub the pork loin with olive oil and lay it in the saute pan. Pan-sear the pork loin on all sides, including the ends.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pork loin on a broiler pan and cover it with foil. Roast the pork loin for 45 minutes.
Lay half the Virginia bacon on a clean cookie sheet in a single layer, with all the slices running left to right, with their long sides touching, to form a rectangle.
Weave the remaining bacon strips between the strips of the rectangle. Fold every second bacon strip to halfway to the left and lay a bacon strip across the ones you did not fold. Return the folded strips of bacon to their original positions.
Repeat folding every other strip of bacon and laying strips across the ones you did not fold, until all the strips have been woven together.
Remove the partially-cooked, apple-raisin-stuffed pork loin from the oven and lay it on the bacon weave. Fold the left and right sides over the ends of the pork loin. Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees F.
Roll the pork loin in the bacon weave and place it on a cookie sheet with rolled sides. Bake for 30 minutes at 275 degrees F before inserting a meat thermometer into the roast. Remove the roast from the oven when the internal temperature registers 145 degrees F.
Plastic zipper bag
2-pound pork tenderloin
1 cup apple cider
4 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
6 star anise pods
2-quart saucepan
2 polyester cutting sheets
Meat mallet
3 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup apple butter
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons molasses
Strainer
Small mixing bowl
Kitchen string
Saute pan
Olive oil
Broiler pan
Foil
2 pounds Virginia bacon
Cookie sheet with rolled sides
Meat thermometer
Roasting the bacon-wrapped pork loin at 275 degrees for 30 minutes prevents the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines.
References
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Fresh Pork From Farm to Table
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: What Are Nitrosamines?
More Palate-Pleasing Pork Recipes:
Roast Pork with Oranges, Apples and Cauliflower
Center-Cut Pork Loin Roast with Cilantro and Guacamole
Slow-roast center-cut pork loin stuffed with chorizo, cilantro and guacamole. Serve the tender slices of stuffed roast pork with a generous helping of casamiento, or beans and rice, blended with grated cheese and jalapeno rings. Top the casamiento with strips of roasted red bell pepper and sun-dried tomatoes.
Luau Pork Roast and Grilled Plantain with Ginger
Taro-wrapped pork tenderloin with citrus, mango, bell pepper and grilled plantain provides 1/4 of your daily vitamin A, over half your daily vitamin C, and almost half your daily thiamine.
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