Chili Jam Korean Pork Ribs

Load these up in front of the game and watch some chowin' go down!
2-1/2 lb pork spare rib, cross cut

Chili jam glaze:
1 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Chili jam
2 Tbsp Gochujang
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Sambal Matah

Whisk together the chili jam glaze ingredients in a small bowl.

Slather half the chili jam mix onto ribs and allow ribs to marinate at least an hour or two - best if left overnight (wrapped in the refrigerator).

When ready to cook, return the ribs to room temperature. Heat a grill to high. Grill ribs about 5-8 minutes per side, total.

Turn ribs when grill marks form nicely, basting generously with the remaining chili jam mix.

Serves 2-3 as a main dish or 4-5 as an appetizer.

Cook's Note:  If you are serving these as a main dish, I think a nice crispy fresh cole slaw works beautifully as a bed.  It gives welcome crisp and chilled contrast to hot and spicy ribs.

Broccoli Bacon Gratin

Bacon makes everything better.  And so it follows that bacon makes broccoli better.  This is reminiscent of a dish our old friend Cindy would make for us - bubbly, comforting and flavorful.
6 cups broccoli flowerettes
4 oz bacon, chopped

3 eggs
3/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 oz jalapeño Jack cheese, grated
4 oz aged cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp smokey Spanish pimenton paprika
2 Tbsp panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375F. Tip broccoli into a casserole pan and add 1/4 cup water. Cover and microwave for 5 minutes, stirring half way through. Drop broccoli into a large bowl of very cold water to stop the cooking, and then drain well. Spinning in a salad spinner works very well.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon until just browning, in a small pan with a dash of canola oil. Do not let bacon get crispy. Remove to a paper towel.

Mix together the eggs, half and half, sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Now place the broccoli in a large mixing bowl and poor the egg mixture over it. Add the jack cheese and the bacon and mix well. Spray the casserole with a bit of oil and tip the broccoli into the casserole. Top the broccoli with the cheddar cheese and sprinkle with the paprika. Finally, scatter the panko over top and spray with oil.

Bake for about 20 minutes covered, and then about 10-15 minutes uncovered, until brown and bubbly.

Serves 6 as a side dish.

Mexican Red Rice

Though I try to lean towards whole grain rice, certain dishes just call out for a nice white long grain rice. I'll never give up my Thai Jasmine or Basmatti rice!  Here, on a base of white long grain rice, a  tomato base flavors and sweetens, and peppers excite.  But you can use what rice you like: for example, substitute short grain brown rice, or a quarter of the rice with dark quinoa - you'll have another dimension of flavor, texture, and nutrition. Either way be sure and use the Bloody Mary Mix - so good.
1 shallot, sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1-1/2 cup long grain rice
1-1/2 cup Bloody Mary Mix, V8 or tomato juice
1-1/2 cup water
1 tsp powdered cumin
1 tsp salt
2 tsp strong Mexican or Spanish paprika (pimenton)

Sauté the shallot and peppers in a bit of olive oil in a medium (1-1/2 quart) pot. Cook for about 5-8 minutes and then add the garlic. Cook another two minutes, then set veggies aside in a bowl. Add the rice to the pot with a bit of canola oil and toast the rice for about 5 minutes, until the rice turns from translucent to white. Stir constantly over medium heat, and be sure the rice does not brown, or it will taste burnt.

Return the veggies to the rice and add the tomato liquid and water. Season with the salt, cumin and paprika, and bring to a gentle boil. Stir, reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Remove top and cover pot with a clean tea towel, replacing cover on top. Allow rice to sit off the heat for about 8-10 minutes. This allows the rice to dry out and to fluff with a fork nicely.

Makes 4 cups rice.

Cook's Note: Instead of the tomato juice, you can also use the liquid you reserve from straining diced or canned tomatoes.

Thai Spicy Beef on Rice Noodle

Chop, chop.  Stir, stir.  Done.
Sauce:
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp Trader Joes Chili jam, or 1 tsp chili paste with garlic

1-1/2lb chuck beef, sliced thin (freeze slightly to achieve this)
1/2 lb dry Thai (or vietnamese) rice noodles

1 red pepper, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup slivered carrot

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch fresh ginger, minced

1 jalapeño pepper, minced

1 Tbsp black toasted sesame seeds
palmful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges

Whisk sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

Toss together with the beef in a large bowl and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes.

Bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil for the noodles. Place noodles in a large bowl. When the water comes to a boil, pour over noodles. Periodically nudge noodles gently as they hydrate - about 10 minutes total. Drain noodles and gently toss with just a dash of canola oil to keep from sticking. Cover noodles to keep warm.

While the noodles hydrate, heat a wok to high. Add a dash of canola oil and toss in the pepper, onion and carrot.

Stir fry for about 5 minutes, until the veggies begin to soften but are still crisp-tender. Set aside. Heat wok to high and add another dash of canola oil. Add the beef and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, just until the beef is cooked rare. Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeño and cook another 2 minutes.

Toss the veggies back into the wok and mix.

Plate the noodles as a bed on four plates. Top with the stir fry. Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  This sauce and technique works beautifully with shrimp and tofu, and probably other proteins as well.  See Thai Spicy Shrimp on Rice Noodles.

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.