Pork and Pineapple Fried Rice

For those who read my blog, you might be wondering where the heck I have been. Did the holidays swallow me hole? Did I bake so much I never want to see a chocolate chip again?

The true reason from my c absence is ironic really. I have been eating take out and going to restaurants the past 2 weeks BECAUSE I love to cook so much. Because I spend more time in my teeny, tiny kitchen than any other room in the house, we finally decided to redo it! Truly my dream come true.

I always try to be positive. There are those without a kitchen, or kitchens smaller than mine (although I have yet to see them). But, the terrible, outdated countertops and dirty linoleum floor had annoyed me to the point of insanity. And although I will still have a small space for my hours of cooking, it will be a pretty space. Which, truly, is all I can ask for!

My dear brother-in-law (thank you, John!) and husband (thank you, Rob!) put in new, gorgeous ceramic tile while I was on a work trip,  then my husband and I put in new trim and threshholds, put in new hardware, painted the walls a beautiful neutral color, and now the kitchen is plugged back in and back in business (no more appliances in the dining room, thank goodness!). The final step is in the beginning of February – new granite countertops.

Instead of boring you with fragments of photos, I will wait until the renovation is complete so I can give full before and afters.

Before the demo of 2011 began, I got one last recipe in – leading the way for many nights of Chinese takeout.

I am actually embarrassed to admit that since I couldn’t find Chinese sausage (does anyone know where I can find it? Findley market perhaps?), I substituted lil’ smokies. Sad, I know, but I figured it would have the same smokiness that the Chinese sausage supposedly has.

Despite my desperate substitution, the dish was amazing! Make sure to use a wok and let the rice sit for a minute to get the crusty edges that will soon become your favorite part of the dish. This one is a quickie, and can be easily done on a weeknight. Thanks to Food & Wine for this home version of take out – much better than any takeout I have had (and now I am officially a connoisseur!).

So, hears to my kitchen being open once again, and a newer kitchen on the way!

PORK AND PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE
4-6 servings

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons canola oil
4 ounces ground pork
3 small Chinese sausages (5 ounces), thinly sliced
3 scallions, white parts minced and green parts sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 hot red chile, seeded and minced
4 cups cold cooked jasmine rice or other long-grain white rice
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup finely diced fresh pineapple

1. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the hoisin and vinegar. Heat a wok or large skillet. Add the oil and heat until smoking. Add the pork and Chinese sausages and cook over high heat, stirring, until the pork is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the minced scallion whites, ginger, garlic and chile and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice, breaking up any lumps with your hands as you add it to the wok, and stir-fry until heated through and lightly browned in spots. Stir the hoisin-soy sauce, add it to the wok and stir-fry until nearly absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the scallion greens, cilantro and pineapple. Transfer the fried rice to bowls and serve.

Pork Tonkatsu

I will admit this dish might have been my first attempt at Japanese food. It isn’t that I don’t love Japanese food because I really do, I just never seem to find many recipes, and when I do they seem a bit intimidating.

But this Japanese classic looked easy enough. Apparently, pork tonkatsu is incredibly common in Japanese cuisine – it consists of any type of pork that is dredged and then coated in Panko. Many people serve it with a Japanese Worcestershire sauce that includes pureed apples, mustard and soy. This recipe calls for making your own sauce, which gives the dish a rich and tangy flavor. It tastes like a Japanese BBQ sauce and would probably be fantastic used in other ways (glazing chicken, etc.).

This recipe comes from Food & Wine. I recommend serving it with rice and steamed spinach (with a little soy).

PORK TONKATSU
Serves 4

1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple butter or applesauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 egg whites, beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Two 8-ounce pork tenderloins, cut into 2-inch pieces and pounded 1/2 inch thick
Salt
1/4 cup canola oil
Steamed rice and steamed spinach, for serving

In a saucepan, bring the ketchup, apple butter, Worcestershire, soy, mustard and vinegar to a simmer; transfer to 4 bowls. Cool.

Put the flour, egg whites and panko in 3 separate shallow bowls. Season the pork cutlets with salt, then dredge in the flour, tapping off the excess. Dip the cutlets in the egg white, followed by the panko, pressing the crumbs to help them adhere.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the cutlets and cook over moderate heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil on the cutlets. Flip and cook until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the tonkatsu to a work surface and cut into strips. Transfer to plates and serve with rice, spinach and the dipping sauce (either serve dipping sauce in small bowls, or pour over the pork like I did).

Sate Chicken Salad

If you love Thai food, but don’t always want the heavy rice or fried noodles, this recipe won’t disappoint. I made it hot for dinner but it would work well cold as a summer dish, too. Omit the chicken and it would make a great side as well.

Instead of the rotisserie the recipe calls for, I just cooked some chicken in sesame oil and red pepper flakes in a non-stick skillet. Also, I was out of soy sauce, so I substituted fish sauce (since the ingredients are slightly similar). It was amazing and I didn’t taste the omission, but I will certainly add the soy next time around. It was a great, light, crunchy dish with tons of flavor. Thanks to Gourmet magazine for this one!

SATE CHICKEN SALAD
Serves 6-8
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1 large garlic clove
1 (1-inch) piece peeled ginger
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter (not natural-style)
6 tablespoons warm water
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2.5 tablespoons soy sauce
1.5 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
3 cups slices or coarsely shredding rotisserie chicken
1 lb coleslaw mix
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Lime wedges for garnish

Pulse peanuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped, then transfer to a bowl. With motor running, drop garlic and ginger through feed tube and finely chop. Add peanut butter, water, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and red-pepper flakes and blend until smooth. Add more water to obtain desired consistency.

Toss chicken and vegetables with enough dressing to coat, then sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.