Archive for pork
Going Medieval
Posted by: | On: May 09, 2013 | CommentsIn case you missed Dr. Mike’s Just What the Doctor Ordered-Live at The Florida Blueberry Festival simulcast this weekend, we will be making available the shows in their entirety over the next several days. Here’s Saturday’s Medieval inspired cuisine program with the ever lovely Esther Edwards from Soiree Everyday with Esther Edwards!
Winter is Coming
Posted by: | On: Feb 21, 2013 | Comments
Seasoned Pork Stuffed Prosciutto Wrapped Cornish Hens with Pan-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Baby Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes
For those in the know, Winter will arrive in 39 days. This could come straight from The Inn at the Crossroads; Seasoned Pork Stuffed and Prosciutto Wrapped Boneless Cornish Hens with Pan Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Baby Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes. Winter is coming, eat well.
Day 6: Shrimp Diablo Pasta with Red Sauce
Posted by: | On: Dec 22, 2012 | Comments- Shrimp Diablo Pasta with Red Sauce and fresh baked French Bread
Today we use the rest of the spicy shrimp salad, but with a twist, a doughy twist. The spicy shrimp salad is used as a ravioli filling, topped with a lovely red sauce and served up with some from scratch French bread-which if served with a hunk of roasted garlic could be a meal on its own!
Basic Pasta
- 2 cups flour (about 9 ounces)
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 2 Tbs water
- ½ tsp. salt
Combine all the ingredients of a stand mixer, or make a well with the dry ingredients on a working surface, and add the eggs, water and oil. Gently start the mixer on low, mixing until the dough appears crumbly and binds together when squeezed in your hand. If mixing by hand, add the water to achieve the same consistency. The exact amount of water required may vary by the flour, ambient humidity, and other factors, so you need to go by the look and feel versus specific amounts. Next, knead the dough, if working by hand or use the dough hook attachment if using a stand mixer. Knead until the dough takes on a shiny appearance or pulls away from the ball. Rest at least one hour, wrapped in the refrigerator. Once the dough is rested, use the settings on your pasta rollers or measure out to about 1/32 of an inch for linguine or fettuccine. Cut the pasta with a sharp knife, or use the pasta cutting mechanism of your mixer. For raviolis, use a mold or cut out squares or circles, (size as you prefer), drop in a little filling and top with another piece of pasta. Seal the edges well. Dust the pasta with a little flour to prevent sticking. Bring salted water with a few drops of olive oil added to a boil, add the pasta, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until it is out al dente. The pasta can be made ahead of time and keep for several days in the refrigerator.
Red Sauce
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 ounce tomato paste
- ½ pound fresh tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbs basil
- 1 Tbs oregano
- 1Tbs thyme
- 1 tsp. red pepper
- ¼ cup madeira or wine
- 1 can (35 oz.) crushed tomatoes
- 35 oz. water
- 1 ounce grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- Staples: oil, herbs, wine, salt, spices
In a large stock pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pork and brown. Add the onion and cook about 4 minutes, until soft. Add the tomato paste and cook another minute. Add the fresh tomatoes, garlic, herbs and pepper. Add the wine and cook until almost all the liquid is gone. Add the tomatoes and water. Simmer for 2-3 hours. Using an immersion blender, or in small batches in a food processor or blender, puree the sauce until smooth. Add the cheese and season with salt and pepper.
Shrimp Diablo Pasta with Red Sauce and fresh baked French Bread
Freshly baked and cut French Bread
Mr. French Bread Risin’…
Day Two: Egg Flower Soup, Asian Stuffed Chicken Wings and Pork Stir-Fried Rice
Posted by: | On: Dec 18, 2012 | Comments
Asian Stuffed Chicken Wing with Pork Stir-Fried Rice
Day two takes us back to the game of chicken. This time however, we are going to change the rules, or at least the tastes and textures. Instead of the the more continental cuisine prepared yesterday, today we go East. With some some minimal effort we transform the bird into a porcine infused picture of pork-fection. The only take away here is a tummy full of delicious goodness!
Egg Flower Soup
Egg Flower Soup
- 1 egg
- 1 qt. light chicken stock
- 1 ½ tsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. + 1 Tbs water
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sherry
- ½ tsp. sesame oil
- 2 tsp. soy sauce
- ¼ tsp. Chinese 5 spice
- 1/8 tsp. crushed saffron (optional)
- Staples: cornstarch, spices, salt, soy sauce, sherry
Mix the egg with 1 tsp. of water and set aside. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining cold water in another bowl and set aside. Place stock in a medium or large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add the remaining ingredients except cornstarch and egg. Add the cornstarch. Once the mixture thickens turn to low. Swirl the mixture, as the mixture swirls add the egg so it forms strands
Asian Stuffed Chicken Wing
Asian Stuffed Chicken Wings
- 2 chicken wings
- 4 ounces Asian style minced pork (see recipe below)
- 2 Tbs. flour
- 1 tsp. Chinese 5 spice
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- Staples: Salt, pepper, spices
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Debone the chicken wings. Using a boning knife or other sharp knife cut around the first wing joint. Pull the skin and meat downward. It will stop at the next joint. Force the joint backward dislocating the top bone and remove. Pull the meat and skin downward. Repeat the severing process at the next joint and then pull downward. Again force the joint against itself dislocating the last two bones. Pull the wing tip back through. Stuff each wing with 2 ounces of the pork. Place on a baking pan and cook for about 25-35 minutes, remove and allow to cool. Heat oil in a wok or sauté pan until smoking. Combine the salt, pepper and 5-spice with the flour. Dredge the wings in the seasoned flour and cook until crispy on all sides. Serve atop Pork Stir-Fried Rice. 2 servings.
Deboning the wing
Stuffed wings
Asian Style Minced Pork
- 8 ounces ground pork
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 2 Tbs. soy sauce
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- 1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
- 1 dash Sriracha or other hot sauce
- Staples: soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce
Combine all ingredients.
Pork Stir Fried Rice
- Oil for wok (or pan)
- 4 ounces Asian Style Minced Pork
- 2 carrots, sliced thin
- 2 cups brown rice, cooked
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 Tbs cilantro
Sauce:
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbs soy sauce
- Juice ½ lime
- 1 tsp. Chinese 5 Spice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp. corn starch
- 1 Tbs. water
Heat a little oil over medium high heat until smoking. Add the carrots, cook for 1-2 minutes and remove. Add the pork and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Move the pork to the edges of the wok and add the rice. Stir for several minutes. Create a little well in the center and add the egg, stirring constantly for about a minute. Add back the carrots. Create another well and add the sauce, stir constantly to combine with all the other ingredients and it should thicken in about a minute. Add the cilantro, stir another 30 seconds, remove and serve. Four servings.
Asian Stuffed Chicken Wing with Pork Stir-Fried Rice
For those interested:
Asian Stuffed Chicken Wings Nutrition Label
Egg Flower Soup Nutrition Label
Pork Stir-fried Rice Nutrition Label
Eating Well, Living Better Fridays
Posted by: | On: Nov 16, 2012 | Comments
Herbed Pumpkin Seed and Apricot Crusted Center Cut Pork Rib Roast
Eating Well, Living Better by Dr. Mike available at bookstores everywhere (demand it if you don’t see it) and Amazon.com
Here is yet another way to use the book , Eating Well, Living Better, as a guideline. Instead of using just the herb crusting listed on page 221, the pork center rib roast was coated with an addition of dried apricot paste and pumpkin seed to form a delectable crust. Pumpkin seeds were seasoned, roasted (or can be purchased in this state where they are often called pepitas) and then ground. Combined with fall seasonings and some apricot paste the roast was finished off in the oven and served over a watercress purée and topped with a port and fig reduction sauce -with some butternut squash fries on the side for good measure!
The crusted pork topped with a port & fig reduction sauce served over watercress puree with butternut squash fries on the side
Buckwheat Crusted Pork Chops with Prickly Pear Glaze; Roasted Fennel, Apple and Pomegranate Slaw with Garlic Ginger Kale
Posted by: | On: Oct 15, 2012 | Comments
During the fall months in the South, prickly pear is available locally for a short time. A unique taste somewhat like watermelon bubblegum, it adds a regional seasonality to this festively fall dish. The buckwheat crust gives the double thick cut juicy pork chops a delightfully, slightly nutty crunch. A most excellent and stone ground (and therefore more healthful) version can be ordered from Nora Mills (http://www.noramill.com). Nora mills is located in Helen, Georgia where the mill has been since 1876. I also recommend their flours, cornmeal and grits amongst their other products. Enjoy your local fall flavors with this dish, or variations on the theme!
No tricks, all treat!
Simple, nutritious and so delicious even kids will eat this new fall classic
Roasted Fennel, Pomegranate and Apple Slaw: A Perfect Fall Side
Eating Well, Living Better Fridays: A Sweet and Sour Treat
Posted by: | On: Oct 05, 2012 | Comments
Sweet and Sour Tempura Pork atop Stir Fried Himalayan Red Rice and Vegetables
Eating Well, Living Better by Dr. Mike
Here is another great variation of the recipes found in the book. The recipe for tempura batter is on page 285. Instead of just vegetables, bite size pieces of boneless pork sparerib were used for this dish. These were served atop some stir fried rice (page 186) with some vegetables added. A drizzle of some sweet and sour sauce (recipe follows) and who needs to wait on take-out?
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Sweet and Sour Sauce
8 ounces duck sauce
3 Tbs. plum sauce
1 Tbs. Chinese style mustard
¾ cup rice wine vinegar
Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce by 1/3, sauce should thicken and coat the back of a spoon.
Sweet and Sour Tempura Pork withStir Fried Himalayan ed Rice and vegetables
Eating Well, Living Better Fridays
Posted by: | On: Sep 28, 2012 | CommentsEating Well, Living Better by Dr. Mike
The recipes found in Eating Well, Living Better: The Grassroots Gourmet Guide to Good Health and Great Food are a launching point. While providing incredibly delicious and healthful meals, each recipe highlights a technique or ingredient. The idea is that after you are comfortable with the basic recipe, you can go on to create individual variations. Utilizing the Grassroots Gourmet approach to sumptuous ingredients, flavorful dishes and local seasonality; the original recipes serve as a canvas for a new creation. That concept is highlighted today. Using the kale and sweet dumpling squash puree, substitute that for the saffron, mushrooms, peas and pearl onions in the risotto recipe on page 209 and you have the amazingly seasonal, incredibly healthful and succulent Kale and Sweet Dumpling Squash Risotto. It is a dish loaded with anti-oxidants. A recent Swedish study looking at over 30,000 women over a ten year period noted a diet rich in anti-oxidants conferred a twenty percent reduction in the risk of a heart attack (Rautiainen et al., Total Antioxidant Capacity from Diet and Risk of Myocardial Infarction, The American Journal of Medicine, October vol 125 (10), 2012.)
Kale and Sweet Dumpling Squash Risotto; a flvor powerhouse packed with anti-oxidants!
Substitute the Fall Spice Blend for the South African Five Spice on the pork tenderloin (page 239) and you have a whole different dish. If you don’t want to smoke the tenderloin, prepare the rub and apply as directed in the book. Sear it off in a hot pan, about 3-4 minutes per side to develop a crisp brown crust. Finish cooking in the oven at 425 degrees F until it reaches an internal temperature of about 140 degrees. Remove and allow to rest for at least 10-15 minutes. Slice the pork, place over the risotto and drizzle with the fig and fall fruit port wine reduction. A meal fit for the harvest king himself!
Kale and Sweet Dumpling Squash Risotto with Fall Spiced Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Fig and Fall Fruit Port Wine Reuction Sauce
Fig and Fall Fruit Port Wine Reduction Sauce and Fall Spice Blend
Posted by: | On: Sep 27, 2012 | CommentsFall Spice Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fig and Fall Fruit Port Wine Reduction Sauce over Kale and Sweet Dumpling Squash Risotto
Yesterday the kale and squash puree recipe was covered so it could be done ahead of time. Today there are the recipes for the spice blend and sauce for the pork tenderloin. These can also be done a day ahead. In fact, it is a great idea to use the spice blend as a dry rub and coat the tenderloin and allow it to rest in the refrigerator overnight. For the sauce, I used dried blueberries, pomegranate, raspberries and blackberries. Tomorrow the risotto and tenderloin preparation.
Fall Spice Blend
- · 1 Tbs. ground cumin
- · 1 Tbs. ground coriander
- · 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- · ½ tsp. ground ginger
- · 1 tsp. ground mustard
- · ½ tsp. dried oregano
- · ½ tsp. dried thyme
- · ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Fig and Fall Fruit Port Wine Reduction Sauce
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Fig and Fall Fruit Port Wine Reduction Sauce
- · 1 1/2 cups port wine
- · ~1/3 cup chicken stock or water
- · 10-12 oz. of dried fall fruits like blueberries, pomegranate, etc.
- · 1 pound fresh black mission figs, roughly chopped
- · 1 shallot, chopped
- · 1 Tbs. butter
- · 1 Tbs. juniper berries
- · 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- · 2 sprigs fresh oregano
- · 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- · ½ tsp. whole allspice
- · 1 tsp. salt
- · ½ tsp. black pepper
- · 1.5 oz. veal demi-glace
Heat ½ cup of port wine in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until it simmers. Remove from the heat and add it to the dried fruits in a bowl and allow the fruits to absorb the wine, about 15-30 minutes. Return the saucepan to the stove. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and sweat, cooking about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup of port wine, reconstituted fruits, figs, spices and herbs. Allow to reduce by ~ 1/3, about 15 minutes. Remove and run the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pushing the solids to extract the liquid. There should be slightly less than 2 cups of liquid. Use the chicken stock or water to bring the volume up to 2 cups. Return to the sauce pan, mix in the demi-glace and reduce by ½, the sauce should be thickened. Yield: approximately 1 cup
Fall flavors to chill out and cool down…Sweet Dumpling Squash and Kale Risotto with Fall Spiced Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Fig and Herb Port Wine Reduction Sauce
Posted by: | On: Sep 26, 2012 | CommentsFall is here. It may be punctuated by the appearance of brilliant forest colors, or a subtle change on the breeze. It may be a distinct chill to the morning air, replete with a light frost upon the ground or collection of wood smoke smells and the deep earth scent as she rolls over in preparation for winter slumber. These changes are mirrored in the local bounty. New fruit and vegetables appear amid a last gasp of summer’s late harvest.
Fall spiced roasted pork tenderloin with fig and herb port wine reduction over kale and sweet dumpling squash risotto
This is the perfect opportunity to chillax with a whole host of new kitchen goodness. And by chillaxin’ I mean really cooling down, literally. Not only does the ambient temperature drop, but a diet rich with fall fruit and veg can help drop your blood pressure. For example, a recent study looked at the effects of that quintessential fall favorite, cranberries. It found that 2 eight ounce glasses per day of cranberry juice modestly, but significantly dropped the average blood pressure after consuming it for only eight weeks[i].
Other sources of phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals that can also help reduce blood pressure are tasty winter squashes like sweet dumpling squash and piquant leafy greens like kale. Here is a delicious meal featuring a Sweet Dumpling Squash and Kale Risotto served with Fall Spiced Roasted Pork Tenderloin topped with a Fig and Herb Port Wine Reduction Sauce. Yummy and packed with an incredible array of potent nutrients, but most inportantly, just darn yummy. Relax, enjoy the pics-recipes to follow!
Sweet Dumpling Squash and Kale Puree
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2 pounds of winter squash like sweet dumpling
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1 pound kale, chop leaves and remove large central vein
-
1 ts.p salt
-
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
-
1 Tbs olive oil
-
2 tsp. maple syrup
-
1/2 cup milk
Start by making the kale and sweet dumpling squash puree. Any winter squash, like butternut or acorn will work here as well-pumpkin is delightful. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Peel the squash, removing both the hard outer rind and the seeds. Chop into rough chunks of ap[proximately the same size. Lay on a baking sheet and drizzle with salt, pepper, olive oil and maple syrup. Roast until fork tender, about 30-35 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. While the squash is roasting, heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and cook until tender about 7-9 minutes. Remove and place in an ice bath to arrest the cooking process. Place the kale and squash in a food processor and blend, slowly adding the milk. The resulting puree should be smooth and creamy, salt and pepper (white pepper is best here) to taste. The puree is a great side dish all by its lonesome and can be done ahead of time. Tomorrow the sauce and spice blend!
[i] (Novotny & etal, 2012)
Novotny, J., & etal. (2012). Low calorie cranberry juice lowers blood pressure in healthy adults. American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Research Meeting (p. HBPR 2012; Abstract 299). Wasington, DC: American Heart Association.
