Pork Lo Mein

This is a win-win meat dish - good for you and good for the planet.  And great to eat!  How nice to strip away the meat guilt, finally!

This is a much more heart-healthy version of one of my favorite Chinese dishes.  I've cut the carbs (noodles) in half and eliminated the added sugar to the sauce, as we are learning how heart unfriendly processed carbs and sugar are (too bad... My Chinese cooking teacher added a few teaspoons of sugar to the sauce, which are certainly tasty, but both unnecessary and heart unhealthy).  I'm bumping up the veggies by about double - thank you Mark Bittman and others, who are urging a shift in ingredient ratios amplifying complex carbs like whole grains and fresh veggies.  

See Cook's Note:  I've also amped the meat proportion, as we learn that no correlation can be proven between saturated fat and heart disease.  And pork is such a wonderful meat to eat, and good for the planet.  Really.  Now enjoy.
2 Tbsp canola oil, and then some
1 lb pork, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 lb fresh, cooked lo mein noodles, cut in half
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 cups broccoli floweretts
3 cups savoy cabbage, sliced

Sauce:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili paste with garlic, or Sriracha sauce

Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
palmful fresh cilantro, minced, for garnish

Heat a wok to high heat. Add the oil and allow to heat just until smoking. Toss in the pork and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly and shaking the wok.

Make noise! Add the lo mien noodles and heat through, about 2 minutes.

Remove pork mixture to a bowl.

Add a dash more canola oil to the wok and heat again until smoking. Keep wok on high heat and work quickly. Add the onion and stir fry about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and and ginger and stir fry another 2-3 minutes.

Add the broccoli and the water and cook for about 3-5 minutes, just until the broccoli is dark green and just crisp tender. Remove to a bowl.

Finally add a dash more canola oil to the wok if necessary, and when very hot, add the cabbage.

Stir fry about 2-3 minutes, just to wilt a bit.

Return the pork and other veggies to the wok and pur the sauce over the mixture. Heat through and serve in a bowl. Garnish with sesame seeds and fresh cilantro.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  Whoa - apparently saturated fats, such as found in meats - including pork - have not been in fact correlated to heart disease.  Read "The Great Cholesterol Myth" by J. Bowden and S. Sinatra.  New findings: Inflammation, Oxidation, Sugar and Stress are really the KEY culprits.  Simply said: reduce sugars and simple, highly processed carbs from your diet.  Don't fret about saturated fats so long as you exercise well and often, and can metabolize those calories.  For goodness sake, get on your bike, or treadmill - find your Yoga matt :-))  Or just walk around the block a dozen times - better yet climb your stairs form garage to attic 6 times in a row.  Enjoy this dish afterwards :-))

And honestly, "Pork rules" (Thank you Emeril :-))  Read (if you can possibly stand the technical nutritional, chemical and agricultural detail and jargon - which I love) "Meat - The Benign Extravagance" by Simon Fairlie (an agricultural professional), for a thorough investigation of meat and it's role in the plant and in nutrition.  You'll see how fantastic our friendly pigs really are, and how they can balance a holistic approach to farming, nutrition management, and planetary global warming.  

Vegan?  Well, yes - a great aspiration and wonderful sentiment.  Simon would say un-sustainable, especially if organic, but a vector definitely pointed in the right direction.

Answer?  Not evident, but becoming so much clearer: BALANCE is certainly key.  

Butter Garlic Calamari and Shrimp

This dish cooks up in five minutes so be ready to eat as soon as you start.  This is a classic example of having everything 'mise en place' and ready before you start cooking because once you start, there's no stopping.  And calamari, while tender and fresh when quickly cooked, should be eaten as soon as it is just cooked through - not a second later.  It's rubbery overcooked calamari that gives it a bad name with some folks.

2 cups cooked rice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb cleaned whole calamari
1/2 lb shrimp, about 12, peeled and cut in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 jalapeño, ribbed and minced
2 Tbsp butter, cubed
palmful fresh parsley, minced
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Have your rice cooked and at the ready.  If your calamari is froze, thaw in the refrigerator. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut into 1/2-inch rings. Put the cut calamari and cut shrimp into a small bowl together.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic, shallot and pepper and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring and shaking the pan almost continuously. Allow the veggies just to soften and become aromatic. Remove to a small bowl.

Add the second tablespoon of oil to the pan and heat to just about smoking on high heat. Quickly and carefully, tip in the seafood into the skillet, shaking the pan as you go. Allow the seafood to cook about 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and return the veggies to the pan. Allow the butter to melt. Stir in half the parsley.

Serve the seafood with rice.
Garnish the plate with the remaining parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

Quinoa Pilaf with Black Beans and Roasted Veggies

Roasting veggies and combining with whole grains and beans, makes a wholesome dish which is perfect for Meatless Monday, if you are game. The roasting brings this dish to the top of the "Stick to my ribs, I just worked hard all day" plea - arguably one of the most pertinent pleas of the household!
Pilaf:
1/2 cup short grain brown rice
1/4 cup dark quinoa (red or black - I mixed)
1 Tbsp canola oil
1-1/2 cup water or broth
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt

1 carrot, sliced on a bias
2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved or quartered
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp brown sugar
freshly ground black pepper

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
palmful fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Preheat oven to 425F. Toss the carrot and Brussels sprouts together with the oil, sugar and pepper in a bowl. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast for 30 minutes, turning veggies over half way through.

When the veggies are done, turn the oven off. Season the veggies with salt and pepper and scrape them to one side of the pan. Lay out the black beans on the other side.

Return to the oven to just warm the beans through while the rice cooks. Otherwise, microwave the beans for just a minute or so to warm them through.

While the veggies are roasting, tip the rice and quinoa in a medium pot with the oil. Stir fry for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly over medium heat. This toasting develops a nutty flavor and helps keep the grains separated.

Add the water, garlic, onion and salt and bring to a gentle boil. Stir and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook about 15-20 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and place a clean tea towel over the pot and place the pot’s cover over the towel. Let this sit for at least 10 minutes.This helps dry out the rice a bit.

Now fluff the rice pilaf gently with a fork.

Gently fold together the veggies, beans, rice pilaf, parsley and feta in a large bowl.

Serves 4-6.

Cook’s Note: I have found that it is better not to salt veggies before roasting, but only afterwards. The salt seems to draw out moisture and make the veggies soggy, instead of crispy brown.

Mac & Cheese Shepherd’s Pie

As the snow falls and the need for comfort grows, think about this.
1/4 lb bacon, diced
12 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp herbes de Provence or Italian herbs
1 Tbsp tomato paste
4-oz can green chills, or 1 fresh jalapeño, diced (optional)

1-1/12 cups crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 lb elbow macaroni

Bechamel white sauce:
3 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp dill weed
freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4 tsp

1/4 lb cheddar cheese, cubed

topping:
1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/4 lb cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

Brown the bacon in a large skillet until well browned. Remove with a slotted spoon to a small bowl. Turn the heat up high and add the mushrooms to the skillet, Allow them to sizzle and cook off as much water as they will. Allow them to brown a bit more and then set them aside with the bacon.

Now add a dash of olive oil to the skillet and set the heat to high. Add the ground beef and brown well, shaking pan often. After the beef begins to brown well, add the onions and cook about 10 minutes to soften and caramelize a bit. Add the garlic (and jalapeño if using), and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a few quarts water to a boil in a pot for the pasta. Season generously with salt - to taste like the sea. Cook the macaroni until just past al dente. When cooked, drain well and keep warm.

Add the tomato paste to the ground beef and cook for another 3-4 minutes, to deepen its color and flavor. Now add the green chills, tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce.

Preheat oven to 400F. While the beef is browning, get the Bechamel sauce going. Melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the flour in it for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the milk and bring to a boil, whisking often. Add the dill and nutmeg and reduce to a simmer as the sauce thickens. Cover and remove from heat.

Tip meat mixture into an oiled 9x13-inch casserole, and spread evenly. Drain the macaroni and toss into a large bowl and toss gently with the Bechamel sauce and the cubed cheese. Tip the macaroni mixture on top of the beef in the casserole. The sauce should be moist and creamy and not too thick. Thin with some milk if necessary.

Melt the butter in the oil in a small bowl in the microwave. Mix together the panko with the cheeses in a small bowl, working mixture together with your fingers. Sprinkle mixture on top of macaroni and pop casserole into oven.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. If desired, turn oven broiler on and brown top, watching carefully until topping is just browned.

Serves 6.

Manhattan Sea Bass and Fennel Chowder

While a fan of thick and creamy New England clam chowder, I have come to love a Manhattan chowder so long as the seafood flavors rule.

Here, the sweet notes from the fennel, spring onion and caramelized tomato give an aromatic, yet delicate backdrop for the fresh sea bass and shrimp flavors to come through beautifully.
1 head fennel, diced 1/2-inch
4-5 spring onions, cut into 1-inch pieces, white parts and thicker stalks mostly
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and sliced, or 1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained, juices reserved

1 quart chiken broth
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2-inch, about 2 cups
1-1/2 lb Sea Bass fillet, skinned, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 medium shrimp, peeled and cut into 3-4 pieces each
fennel fronds, or fresh dill for garnish, optional

Reserve some of the fronds from the fennel for garnish. Sauté the fennel in a soup pot with a dash of olive oil for about 8-10 minutes, until softened and browning around the edges.

Add the onions, garlic, thyme and jalapeño pepper, and continue sautéing foe another 5 minutes or so.

Remove vegetables to a bowl.

Add a dash more olive oil to the soup pot and heat to high. When oil is very hot, carefully add drained tomatoes and allow to sizzle and deepen in color, stirring fairly often.

After about 5 minutes, the color should deepen. Add the broth, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce and potatoes, and bring to a gentle boil, Stir and reduce to a simmer.

Cook for about 8-10 minutes, just until the potatoes are just getting tender to the prick of a sharp knife.

Add the fish and shrimp to the soup and heat through.

The fish should turn from pinkish to white and the shrimp should turn pink. Spoon chowder into bowls and garnish with fennel fronds or fresh dill if desired.


Serves 4.

Thai Reunion Chicken

This is definitely a party dish.  I made it last weekend for a family reunion dinner of 12, while down in Sarasota, Florida, doubling up this recipe for the crowd.  Not a bite leftover.
6 chicken drumsticks
6 chicken thighs, skin and fat trimmed
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
1 jalapeño pepper, diced (or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch fresh ginger, minced

1 can coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
palmful fresh cilantro, chopped

Slice the red peppers into1-1/2 inch slices.

Heat a dash of canola oil in a large Dutch oven or pot. Brown the chicken in three batches until each side is browned about 8-10 minutes per batch.

Set chicken aside. Add the peppers and onion to the pot and sauté for about 8-10 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Now add the coconut milk, chicken broth, curry paste, fish sauce and sesame oil, and bring to a gentle boil. Return the chicken into the sauce and lower to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for about 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors have melded. Turn the chicken a few times while cooking.

Remove chicken to a wide serving platter and use a slotted spoon to spoon veggies over the chicken. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Strain sauce into a sauce boat and serve sauce on the side.

Serves 6-8.

Cook's Note:  I like the chicken on the bone as it renders a ton of flavor.  But yo could use boneless chicken for this dish if you peeper.  I's be very careful browning so as not to toughen the meat, and I'd remove the chicken at the end to reduce the sauce if necessary, without overcooking the chicken.

Lulled to a sweet slumber by this dish and the great company, we were rudely awakened at 3 a.m. to phone alarms announcing a tornado approaching Sarasota at 50 mph.  Luckily it passed within a mile of our house, but alas some poor souls were not so lucky.

Tempestuous seas the day after the Sarasota tornado
tempt brave (daredevil?) surfers.

Maple Dijon Roasted Salmon with Caramelized Leek

Each year the extended family congregates in northern Vermont for a New Year's reunion, and I stock up on real maple syrup.  Our niece Monica welcomed us at her home after a day-long drive, with salmon roasted with Dijon and maple syrup.  She said this is what you can do with salmon in Vermont, and we loved it.

Upon our return home I reverse engineered what I remembered of the dish and accompanied the salmon with tender leek, sweetened by caramelizing.
1-1/2 lb salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 servings
3-4 medium-sized leeks
1 Tbsp butter plus 1/4 cup water
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Maple glaze:
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp real maple syrup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425F. Whisk together the maple glaze ingredients in a small bowl.

Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet and spoon 1/2 tablespoon of sauce in four patches. Lay a salmon fillet on each of the 4 patches. Distribute the remaining sauce on top of the fillets.

Season with salt and pepper. Set salmon aside.

Meanwhile, Leave just about 1/4 inch of the root of the leeks attached and cut the dark green, tough portions of the leaves off. Slit in half being careful that the half remain intact, held together by the root base.

Rinse the leaves under running water to remove any dirt or sand.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Lay the leek halves, cut-side down into the butter and brown the leeks for about 3-5 minutes over medium heat.

Shake skillet often and watch that the leeks do not burn. Add the water and cover the skillet. Allow the leeks to braise on a low simmer, uncovered to evaporate the water. When all the water is evaporated, turn over and lightly brown the other side.

Keep your eyes on the leeks as you roast the salmon.

Roast the salmon in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, until just cooked through and slightly browned. If desired, finish under the broiler, but watch carefully to avoid burning the maple glaze. Remove from oven. Plate the salmon with some leek and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4.

I love Vermont - the only place I know where parking ticket machines get their own parkas!

Pesto Tuna Niçoise Lavash

Lavash, an unleavened Middle Eastern flatbread, makes a great base for what Italians might call piazza.  But of course the varieties of toppings peg the meter.  Here I use tuna with Mediterranean herbs and flavors - pesto, olives and onions.  A nice appetizer, or light meal.
1 can tuna, drained
2 Tbsp good real mayonnaise
1 green onion, sliced
1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 sheets lavash flatbreads
1/4 cup pesto
1/2 purple Bermunda onion, sliced
1 cup grated Monterrey Pepper Jack cheese
1/4 red pepper, finely diced
1/4 orange pepper, finely disced
1 small can sliced black olives

Preheat oven broiler. Mix the tuna, mayonnaise, green onion and lemon juice together in a bowl. Set a side.

Lay lavash sheets on individual oiled baking sheets. Spread pesto evenly about the two lavash sheets. 

Top with the tuna mixture and the purple onion.

Follow with the cheese, peppers and olives.

Broil lavash sheets about 4-5 inches from broiler elements, for about 5 minutes, or until browned and bubble. Watch carefully so as not to burn. Remove from broiler and slice to serve.
Serves 8 as an appetizer.

Kale Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

It really is winter and finally getting cold outside, despite el Niño.  Soup time.
1 onion, diced
6 cups peeled, cubed fresh pumpkin (or acorn squash)
8 cups chopped kale leaves
1 quart veggie or chicken broth (I use chicken)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Sauté the onion in a soup pot in a dash of olive oil for about 8-10 minutes, until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Stir, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook about 20 minutes, stirring a few times. Cook until the pumpkin is just softened and the flavors have melded. Check seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

Caulifloral Gratin

Amp up your antioxidants with cauliflower.  Cauliflower, you say? You bet.  There's purple, and orange and green, and if you can find 'em, nab 'em.  I find mine at the Framer's market, but rarely at the supermarket. When you get 'em, use 'em just like the white, but watch out, the purple color can run...
6 cups multicolored cauliflower and/or broccoflower, cut into bite-sized floweretts
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup good real mayonnaise
2 Tbsp milk or half and half
2 Tbsp lemon juice
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1 cup diced Swiss or Jarlesburg cheese
1/3 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp fresh oregano and/or thyme leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 375F. Fill an oiled casserole (about 9x13-inch) with the cauliflower and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and cover lightly with microwave-friendly plastic wrap or plastic top. Microwave for 3 minutes, then carefully drain veggies.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice and zest, dill and Swiss cheese. Add the cauliflower and the onion and mix well. You should have well-coated veggies - if too dry add a dash more milk. 

Season with freshly ground black pepper and pour back into the casserole. Top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and garnish with the fresh herbs.

Bake uncovered for about 30-40 minutes, until brown and bubbly.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Cook's Note:  There are many varieties and colors of cauliflower and broccoflower.  Use whatever you can get your hands on.  Here I made two versions - one with and one without the green broccoflower from our Farmer's Market.