Afelia (Pork In Red Wine With Dried Coriander Seeds)

December Cuisine Spotlight : Holidays Around The World, is the theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs.

I've made Tessa Kiros's, Afelia, a traditional Cypriot dish, which I think is perfect for any festive holidays or simply anytime of the year. 

Pork is marinated, soaked in red wine for a few hours, then braised with garlic, generous amount of cracked coriander seeds, bay leaf, and seasoned with salt and pepper. 

Tessa says Afelia is usually served with fried potatoes, bulgur wheat or a simple white pilaf. 

I wanted to eat the Afelia with rice, so I've made a simple rice pilaf, Rice With Butter And Lemon, another of Tessa Kiros's recipe, from the same book. Potatoes are our favourite, so I made some fried potatoes seasoned with salt and black pepper. Of course, we need our greens, so french beans sauteed with lots of crispy chopped garlic complete the set.

This Afelia dish is delicious. The pork is soft and tender, very flavourful from the red wine and coriander seeds.  This dish is wonderful with the fried potatoes, the rice pilaf, and the greens. A complete satisfying meal!

Afelia (Pork in Red Wine With Dried Coriander Seeds)
(Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros)
1.3kg boned shoulder of pork with some fat, sliced into 3/4 inch thick
2 cups (500ml) good red wine
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed a bit
5 heaped teaspoons of coriander seeds, lightly crushed
1 or 2 bay leaves

If there is rind on the pork, remove this and any excess fat. Cut the pork into chunks of about 2 inches. Put in a bowl with the wine and leave to marinate overnight, or for a few hours in the fridge. Lift out the pork pieces with a slotted spoon (keeping the marinade) and pat dry with kitchen paper. (I drained the pork pieces in a colander in a single layer for 5 minutes).

Heat the oil in a casserole and fry the pork until it is dark golden on all sides. Season with salt and pepper, then add the garlic and coriander.  Continue cooking until you can smell the garlic and then add the marinade with the bay leaves and about 1 cup of water. When it begins to boil, lower the heat to a minimum, cover and simmer for about 1-1/2 hours, or until the pork is very tender and there is a fair amount of sauce in the pan. If necessary, add a little more water during cooking. Serve warm.

Rice With Butter and Lemon
(Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros)
30-40gm butter
1 long strip of lemon rind
400gm basmati rice

Put the butter, lemon rind, a pinch of salt and 1 litre (4 cups) water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil for a couple of minutes. Rinse the rice a few times with cold water, drain and add to the pan. Stir through once and then leave the rice. When it comes back to the boil, lower the heat to a high simmer and cook for 10 minutes, uncovered, until the rice seems dry and there are lots of holes in the surface. Don't stir the rice at all. Remove from the heat, fluff up from the bottom upwards with a fork and transfer gently to your serving bol.
(I cook the rice in the rice cooker ; boil the lemon rind and water in a pot on the stove. Place the washed basmati rice in the rice cooker, add the butter, and pour the hot lemon water into the rice cooker pot. Cook as per the rice cooker instructions).


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Cookbook Countdown #48

Lightning-Fast Tahini Pork

An easy and quick pork dish, just as it's name, Lightning-Fast Tahini Pork, another nice recipe from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook, Every Day Dorie. This recipe is one of the two selected for this month's cook-along at Cook The Book Fridays. 

Pork tenderloin, cut to cubes then marinated in a spice mixture ; harissa powder or chile powder, ground ginger, ground cumin, ground turmeric, salt. The pork pieces are then browned on all sides with some olive oil, add some honey, stir for a minute, then stir in vinegar and water. A mixture of tahini and lemon juice, is then added in, and cook for a few minutes until the sauce is smooth and the pork are cooked through. Serve immediately with some sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. I have however doubled the amount of spices, which I'm glad I did, and a little extra water, simply because I wanted a little more sauce. Dorie says that sauteed spinach is delicious with this pork dish, but I have stir-fried some baby kai lan greens instead. We enjoyed this with white fluffy rice. 

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Cookbook Countdown #47

Pork Stew With Potatoes And Rosemary

This delicious pork stew recipe is from Martha Stewart's cookbook, One Pot. Potatoes and Rosemary is one of the four variations that was given in the book. 

There's 2 whole cups of red wine in the stew, with 2 cups of chicken stock. I have added about a cup of cooked black-eyed beans. Did not have any fresh button mushrooms, so I"ve used canned ones instead. The two sprigs of rosemary are from my garden pot. The pork pieces are first browned in a little oil, then remove and transfer to a plate. The onions, mushroom, pepper and rosemary are sauteed in a little oil until the onion softens, then stir in flour and cook for a minute. Add the red wine, bring to a boil, then add the chicken stock and the pork. Simmer until pork is tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. If the gravy appears to have reduced a lot, add some water or stock. The potatoes, (canned mushrooms and beans) are added in, continue to simmer until the potatoes are tender. 

The stew smells so good while braising in the Dutch oven. 

This stew is so delicious. Soft tender pork full of flavour, with tender potatoes and beans. The gravy is so flavourful and tasty. We had this stew for dinner with my homemade Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Sourdough Bread, so good to mop up every last drop of the gravy! 

Pork Stew With Potatoes and Rosemary

(One Pot, From The Kitchens Of Martha Stewart Living)

1-1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, sliced

8 ounces quartered button mushrooms

2 sprigs rosemary

2 teaspoons ground pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups dry red wine

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 pound red or white potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup cooked black-eyed beans (my addition)

1. Season pork with salt and pepper. In a small Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Working in batches, add the pork and cook until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining tablespoon oil, the sliced onions, mushrooms, pepper and rosemary, cook for 7 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the red wine and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Add the broth and pork, and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook, partially covered, until pork is tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes, (together with the canned button mushrooms and the cooked beans, if using) and return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender.
4. Stir in parsley, and season with salt and pepper.

Join us at Cookbook Countdown #39

Pasta with Meatballs

What's not to love about meatballs? Cooked in a saucy tomato sauce and top over pasta, makes a satisfying meal. This delicious recipe comes from Nigella Lawson, from her book, Nigella Bites. In her recipe, she served with her homemade pasta, but I have taken the easier route, with dried pasta, Spaghettini, which I had in my pantry.

The meatballs are very tasty. We did enjoy this pasta meal very much!


Pasta with Meatballs
(Nigella Bites, by Nigella Lawson)
for the meatballs :
9 ounces ground pork
9 ounces ground beef
1 egg
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons fine bread crumbs
good grind of black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Just put everything together in a large bowl and then, using your hands, mix to combine before shaping into small balls (about a teaspoon amount). Place the meatballs on baking sheets or plates that you have lined with plastic wrap, and put each in the refrigerator as you finish them.

for the tomato sauce :
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra-virgin)
24 ounces canned tomatoes in puree
3/4 cup water
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon while milk (I use 2-3 tablespoons)

Put the onion, garlic and oregano into the processor and blitz to a pulp. Heat the butter and oil in a deep, wide pan, then scrape the onion-garlic mix into it and cook over low to medium heat for about 10 minutes. Don't let the mixture stick, just let it become soft. Add the tomatoes and then add about 3/4 cup cold water to the pan with the pinch of sugar and some salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes. The tomato sauce may appear thin at this stage, but don't worry, as it will thicken a little later. Stir in the milk, and then drop the meatballs in one by one. Don't stir the pan until the meatballs have turned from pink to brown, as you don't want to break them up. Cook everything for about 20 minutes, with the lid only partially covering it. At the end of cooking time, check the seasoning, as you may want more salt and a grind or two more of pepper.

Cookbook Countdown is cooking with Nigella Lawson this month. Make any dish of Nigella and join us. Or simply cook any recipe from any of your cookbook collection (other than Nigella's), and join us at Cookbook Countdown.

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Char Siu Pork with Snake Beans

A delicious stir-fry veggie dish with char siu. To make it a quick and easy stir-fry, I bought the char siu from the market, complete with the sweet sauce. If you are up to making your own, it is given in the recipe, how to make a simple char siu for this dish.

I microwaved the long beans for 3 minutes on high, and stir-fry them for a few minutes with the rest of the ingredients in step 3, it makes for shorter cooking time.

We love this dish, great with white fluffy rice. Will definitely be cooking this dish again. Would be great with French Beans as well. Yum!


Char Siu Pork with Snake Beans
(Wok Simple, by The Australian Women's Weekly)
200gm pork strips
2 tablespoons char siu sauce
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 shallot (25gm), sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, crushed
100gm snake beans, chopped coarsely
1 tablespoon mirin (I use Hsiao Shing wine)
1/4 cup (50gm) rinsed, drained sliced bamboo shoots (omitted, not a fan of bamboo shoots)
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

1. Combine pork, sauces and five-spice in small bowl.
2. Heat half the oil in wok; stir-fry pork mixture until browned and sticky. Remove from wok.
3. Heat remaining oil in wok, stir-fry shallot, garlic and beans until beans are tender. Return pork to wok with mirin and bamboo shoots; stir-fry until hot, season to taste. Serve topped with sesame seeds.

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Stuffed Bitter Melon

Bitter melon or bitter gourd is an acquired taste, either you love it or you hate it. In my house we love bitter melon except for my daughter, who does not like the bitter taste of the melon.

Bitter melon is sliced to about 1/2 inch thickness, remove the seeds and white pith in the centre, then blanched in salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, drain, let cool a little and stuffed with pork-dumpling style filling. Place on steaming tray and steam over high heat for 10 minutes or until the filling is cooked through. 

These are for my daughter, made with Fuzzy Melon or also known as Hairy Gourd, and it works well too. Both the stuffed bitter melon and fuzzy melon dish are very tasty. 

Stuffed Bitter Melon
(The Food of Taiwan, Cathy Erway)
for the stuffing
1/2 pound ground pork
2 whole scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 medium bitter melons
1 to 2 cups hot stock (optional)

For the stuffing :

In a large bowl, combine the pork, scallions, soy sauce, oil, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper. You can do this up to a day ahead and store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Trim the ends from the melons and slice into rounds about 1/2-inch thick. Entirely scoop out the seed pockets from the centres of the slices. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and submerge the slices. Blanch for 2 to 3 minutes, then drain.

Arrange the melon slices on a flat plate that fits inside a steamer (or directly onto a bamboo steamer rack lined with parchment paper). Fill each centre completely with a scoop of the filling mixture. Steam until the filling feels firm to the touch and is entirely cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer carefully to a deep serving dish. If desired, lade the stock in a shallow pool at the bottom of the dish for serving.

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Sweet-And-Sour Spare Ribs

Come and join us at Cookbook Countdown. This month we are cooking Chinese Cuisine. Cook any Chinese dishes, desserts, or refreshments and link with us at CC. You are welcome to link any other recipes, not necessarily Chinese dishes. As long as you are using any of your cookbooks, you are good to go! More details at CC.

One of my favourite cookbook on Chinese cooking is Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop. The recipes are simple and doable for the home cooks. This Sweet-and-Sour Spare Ribs recipe is similar to our local Pai Kuat Wong (directly translated as King Spare Ribs), with sticky sweet and sour glaze and tender meat. It is always one of the favourite dish to order when eating out at Chinese restaurants. 

This dish takes a few extra steps to make. You would want to get the meaty spare ribs for this dish. The spare ribs are first boiled in water with a few  ingredients, then remove, drain and deep-fried until golden. The ribs are then cooked in the sweet-sour sauce until the sauce thickens and the ribs are coated with the sticky sauce. According to the author, this dish is served as an appetizer in many parts of China, though over here, it is usually served as part of a meal with rice. Delicious dish!

Recipe for this dish can be found here
or get the book, Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop, pg 58

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Shell-Stuffed Baked Pasta with Spicy Pork and Tomato Sauce

A sweet friend gifted me with a packet of conchiglie, a jumbo size shell-shaped pasta, used for filled pasta recipes. I found the perfect filling, a recipe of Gino d'Acampo, Spicy Pork and Tomato Sauce. His recipe uses small shell pasta which are tossed with the cooked sauce before serving. I have however made the sauce and fill the jumbo shell pasta with it, arrange on a baking dish, scatter some mozzarella cheese on the top, and bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese melts.

The filling is very tasty. I have added a can of chopped tomatoes because I wanted more sauce. And used chilli flakes, about 1 tablespoon instead of fresh chopped chillies. Other than that, I followed the recipe as written. There's sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped olives, passata, onions and minced pork. Such a tasty and delicious sauce!  We've enjoyed this delicious pasta for dinner and I will make the sauce again, to serve over spaghetti the next time.

The recipe for Spicy Pork and Tomato Sauce can be found from his website here, or from his book, Gino's Pasta.

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Pork Vindaloo

It has been sometime since I've tried any new meat curry recipes from Madhur Jafrrey because I keep going back to the few favourite recipes that I've made before. Among my top MJ's favourite meat curry dishes are Meatball Curry, Kerala-Style Bhuna Pork, Pork In A Mustard Spice Mix, Goan Pork Vindaloo with Potatoes, and our top favourite in my house, Red Pork Curry. I have cooked this many times since then.

Last week I've made Ina Garten's Scallion Basmati Rice, Madhur Jaffrey's Cabbage with Garlic and Shallots, and to complete the menu, this Pork Vindaloo, another one of MJ delicious curry.

This recipe has very few ingredients, and if you love cooking curries at home, like I do, you would probably have the spices needed, ground cumin, ground turmeric and chilli powder. Yup only three spices! The surprise ingredient here is grainy French mustard. In Madhur Jaffrey own words, "Most recipes for vindaloo involve grinding mustard seeds in vinegar. To save this step, I have used grainy French Pommery mustard (Moutarde de Meaux) which already contains vinegar. It works beautifully." And I totally agree with her, it works deliciously!

And in a vindaloo recipe, garlic is one of the essential ingredient. Along with the onions used, this is my third post for this week's IHCC theme, October Monthly Featured Ingredient Challenge : Alliums !

I've doubled the recipe, as always, for curries like this, as a single recipe is never enough. I would suggest you do the same if you are cooking for 4-6 people. Leftovers is always a good thing for curries like this. The only changes I've made is to use 2-1/2 times more of the spices. For the chilli powder, MJ says that more can be added if you prefer a spicy dish. Of course we do! I have used 2 tablespoons, as the one I used is medium-hot. Use less if the chilli powder is extra hot.  I have however reduced the amount of coconut milk, as I have always prefer to use less coconut milk for curries like this. I want the flavour and taste of the spices to stand out boldly, and not to be tone down by the creaminess of the coconut milk. So for double recipe, I have used only about 150ml of coconut milk, with 350 ml water. 

Using French grainy mustard is indeed a great idea of MJ! The grainy mustard is mixed with the three spices, salt and vinegar in a small bowl. Slice the onions into half rings and crash the garlic into a pulp. Fry the onions in some oil until medium brown, then add the garlic, stir for 30 seconds, then add the mustard mixture. Stir and fry for about 1 minute, then add in the meat, stir fry for 3 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and water. Cook for about an hour, stirring now and then, until the meat is tender. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water if the curry appear dry during cooking. 

Delicious Pork Vindaloo! Tender meat, infused with the flavours of the spices and vinegar. And we love the gravy. This delicious dish is so good with the Scallion Basmati Rice and the Cabbage. Looks like this is one more curry that will be repeated in my kitchen! 

Pork or Lamb Vindaloo

(adapted from 100 Essential Curries, Madhur Jaffrey)

serves 3-4

1-1/2 tablespoons grainy French mustard

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 - 1 tsp chilli powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

100gm (4oz) onions, peeled

6 large garlic cloves, peeled

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

550gm (1-1/4 lb) boned hand of pork or shoulder of lamb, cut into 2.5cm (1 in) cubes

150ml (5 fl oz) tinned coconut milk, well stirred

Step One

Combine the mustard, cumin powder, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and vinegar in a cup. Mix well.

Step Two

Slice the onions into fine half-rings and crush the garlic to a pulp. Put the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions. Stir and fry until they are medium brown. Add the garlic. Stir and fry for 30 seconds. Add the paste from the cup. Stir and fry for a minute, then add the meat. Stir and fro for about 3 minutes.

Step Three

Now add in the coconut milk and 150ml (5fl oz) water if you are going to cook in a pressure cooker and 250ml (8fl oz) water if you are going to continue to cook in the frying pan. (Transfer to a pressure cooker at this state if that is your intention). Cover and either bring up to pressure, or to a boil if you are using the frying pan. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes in a pressure cooker and 60-70 minutes in the frying pan.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week,

October Monthly Featured Ingredient Challenge : Alliums

and 

 I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #22 hosted by 

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Pork With Cumin

Originally, this recipe is Beef with Cumin, but I have replaced the beef with pork fillet. This is a simple and quick stir-fry. 

The meat are sliced into thin bite-sized pieces and then marinated with Shaoxing wine, salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and potato flour. The pork slices are then stir-fry briskly in some hot oil in a  wok over a high flame until the pieces separated, then remove to a plate and set aside. I stir-fry until the meat are cooked.

Heat some oil in a wok, add the chopped garlic and ginger, stir until they are fragrant, then add the sliced red and green peppers, continue to stir-fry until hot and fragrant. Return the meat slices to the wok, give a good stir, then add the cumin and dried chillies, When all is sizzling and smells delicious, toss in the chopped spring onions. Remove from heat and stir in some sesame oil. 

This is a delicious dish! So fragrant from the cumin and so very tasty! We really like this dish, delicious as part of a meal with white fluffy rice. 

The recipe can be found here
(or get it from Every Grain Of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop, pg106)

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Braised Pork with Potatoes

Another delicious recipe from Every Grain Of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop. The author describes this as a heart-warming stew, one of those you find on display outside Sichuanese restaurants specialising in braised dishes. This stew uses just a few ingredients, the main ingredient that gives the lovely red colour and delicious flavour, is the Sichuan chilli bean paste.

I have used wavy potatoes instead of floury. As suggested by the author, carrots or other root veggies can be used instead, whichever we prefer, or a mixture of root veggies. The next time I would use daikons, one of my favourite root veggies in stews.

The Sichuan chilli bean paste makes a delicious flavourful stew with the pork braised to a soft tender texture. With a bowl of hot fluffy rice, makes a satisfying meal.

The recipe can be found here
(or from Every Grain Of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop, pg 100)

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Pork And Root Vegetable Stew

It's Potluck Week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). I've made our current featured chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's delicious stew.

In the recipe, either good quality sausages or pork chops can be used, or a mixture of both. I have used pork shoulder, as I love it for braising and slow cooking dishes. I have omitted the celeriac as it is not an ingredient which is easily available over here. For the parsnip, I have replaced with carrots. I did not tie the bouquet garni together, I merely drop into the pot, the bay leaves, parsley stems, and some dried thymes. Firstly the meat has to be browned first in some hot oil, which are then removed and keep aside. White wine is then poured into the casserole to deglaze all the caramelized bits that got stuck in the pot, smells really nice, and pour onto the pork. The vegetables are then sauteed in some oil for 10 minutes until they are softened, then return the pork along with their juices, to the casserole along with all the other ingredients. Simmer over a low heat until everything is tender, about 1 hour to 1-1/4 hours. I've added the potatoes during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

This is a delicious stew. The meat and vegetables are tender and the soup is so tasty and full of flavour. We enjoyed this stew with slices of homemade bread, Rustic Country Bread for dinner. There's no leftovers! Yum!

Sausage and Root Vegetable Stew
(River Cottage Everyday, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall)
serves 4
2-3 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
6 good sausages, cut into large chunks, or 4 pork chops (or 4 of each) (I use pork shoulder)
1 glass of dry cider or white wine (use white wine)
2 onions, chopped
1 leek, sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4-1/2 celeriac, cut into chunky cubes (omitted)
2 medium floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunky cubes
1 large parsnip, cut into chunky cubes (replace with carrots)
1 bouquet garni (a bay leaf, 2 sprigs of thyme and some parsley stalks, tied together with string)
1 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a casserole or large saucepan. Add the sausages (and/or chops) and brown them well over a medium heat - if you're using chops, you might need to do this in 2 batches. Transfer them to a dish.

Pour the cider or wine into the casserole and stir to deglaze, scraping to release any bits of caramelised meat from the base of the pan. Pour the pan juices into the dish with the sausages (and/or chops).

Heat another 1-2 tablespoons of oil in the casserole, add the onions, leek and celery and cook gently for 10 minutes or so, until softened. Then return the sausages (and/or chops) to the casserole with their juices and add the celeriac, potatoes and parsnip. Tuck in the bouquet garni, season with salt and pepper and add enough water to almost cover everything. Bring to a very gentle simmer.

Cook uncovered, or partially covered very gently over a low heat (or with the lid on in the oven preheated to 140C/Gas Mark 1) for about 1 hour, until everything is tender.

Take out the bouquet garni and check the seasoning. The potatoes should have started to break down and thicken the liquor a little. If not, just mash some of the vegetables against the side of the dish with a fork. Scatter over some chopped parsley, if you like, and serve.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week

July IHCC Potluck

and

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #19 hosted by 

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Salt-Fried Pork with Garlic Stems

Another delicious quick stir-fry dish from Every Grain Of Rice cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop. I love garlic stems, they are sweet, crunchy and delicious. In this recipe, very thinly sliced pork belly are fried in a little oil until they are curved and browned in places. They are then removed and keep aside.

To prepare the garlic stems, chilli bean paste and fermented black beans are stir-fried until the oil is red and fragrant, then the fried pork slices are added in, season with some sugar to taste. Add the garlic stems and continue to stir fry until the garlic stems are cooked through.

This is a delicious stir-fry. With minimal ingredients, but very tasty. Delicious with fluffy rice. We love it.

The recipe can be found here.
(from Every Grain Of Rice, Fuchsia Dunlop, pg 98)

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Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Soup With Vegetable and Meatballs

This is a simple soup of winter melon and pork meatballs. The author mentioned that she came across this simple meal at the tranquil old lanes of central Chengdu, where a woman was eating her supper of this lovely soup of meatballs and winter melon, with a bowl of rice.

You can use any vegetable you like, such as bean sprouts, choy sum, cabbage or tomatoes. But take note that if the vegetable you choose takes a few minutes to become tender, cook it before you add the meatballs. If it cooks almost instantly, then add them in when the meatballs are just about ready. 

According to the author "If you want to make this into a one-dish meal, like the lady in the old lanes, use your chopsticks to pluck out the meatballs and vegetables and them with your rice, then drink the soup from your empty rice bowl."

We had this soup as  part of a meal with rice, along with some other main dish and a stir-fry veggie.

The recipe can be found here.
(or from Every Grain Of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop, pg 248)

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Caramel Pork Ribs

Cook the Book Fridays recipe pick for this week is Caramel Pork Ribs. CtBF is an online group of lovely bloggers who are currently cooking from David Lebovitz's cookbook, My Paris Kitchen.

To make this dish, the caramel must be prepared first. There's beer and bourbon in the caramel sauce, which already sounds so delicious! Granulated sugar is cooked in a large pot (one that can be used in the oven, with a cover) to a caramel, colour similar to dark maple syrup, and it will be smoking, but take care not to burnt it. My caramel turns out great. It was smoking, with the colour of dark maple syrup. I removed the pot from the heat, then add the brown sugar and beer. Mixture will sizzle, then harden. 

Let the mixture cool down a bit, then add the rest of the ingredients; bourbon, cider vinegar, ketchup, ginger, soy sauce, harissa, Dijon mustard, pepper and the ribs. Return the pot to the stove and let come to a boil, turning the ribs now and then to coat with the sauce. Cover and place in the oven to bake for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. I baked the ribs for 1 hour 45 minutes, turning the ribs every half hour, then remove the cover and continue to bake for another 40 minutes, turning halfway.

The caramel sauce has thickened a bit, with the ribs coated gloriously with the sauce. The ribs are tender and soft, and have soaked up the flavours of the sauce. I thought that this dish is delicious, but it is a little too sweet for me. The next time I would probably either omit the brown sugar or go easy on it.

I served this Caramel Pork Ribs with rice and a green bean dish. The son loves it. There was some leftover, which reheated well the next day, and was finished off by the two men in my house.

The recipe can be found here, or from My Paris Kitchen, on page 187.

Shortcut Sausage Meatballs

It's Potluck time at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). This week we get to select any recipes from either our present or past featured chefs, and once again, I've cooked with Nigella. I've made her Shortcut Sausage Meatballs, though it is not shortcut for me. Nigella's recipe using store bought Italian Sausages, but I have made my own, without the casing.

For the Italian sausages, I used minced pork mixed with some salt, coarse black pepper powder, fennel seeds, paprika and hot red pepper flakes. Combine well and leave covered overnight in the refrigerator. Taste the seasoning by frying about a teaspoon of the mixture in a little oil. Add more salt or any of the spice ingredients if needed. 

The sausages are then rolled into small balls, about the size of cherry tomatoes, and fry in some oil until golden, then the rest of the ingredients are added in. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.

A very easy and simple meatballs in tomato sauce, and do not take long to cook. We had this meatballs served over spaghetti for a weeknight dinner.


Shortcut Sausage Meatballs
(Nigellissima by Nigella Lawson)
serves 4, approximately 40 meatballs
450-500gm Italian sausages
2 tablespoons garlic oil
4 fat or 6 spindly spring onions, finely sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
60ml white wine or vermouth
2 x 400gm cans chopped tomatoes, plus water to rinse 1/2 can
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
chopped fresh parsley, to serve (optional)

Squeeze the sausage meat from the sausages, and roll small cherry-tomato-sized meatballs out of it, putting them onto a clingfilm-lined baking tray as you go. Your final tally should be around 40.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan or flameproof casserole and add the meatballs, frying them until golden; as they become firmer, nudge them up in the pan to make room for the rest, if you can't fit them all in at first.

When all the meatballs are in the pan and browned, add the spring onion and oregano and stir about gently.

Add the wine or vermouth and chopped tomatoes, then fill half of one of empty cans with cold water and tip it into the other empty can, then into the pan. The can-to-can technique is just my way of making sure you swill out as much of the tomato residue as possible.

Pop in the bay leaves and let the pan come to a fast simmer. Leave to cook like this, uncovered, for 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and the meatballs are cooked through. Check the sauce for seasoning, adding some salt and pepper, if you like.

During this time you can cook whatever you fancy to go with the meatballs, whether it be pasta, rice, whatever.

Once the meatballs are ready, you can eat them immediately or let them stand, off the heat but still on the stove, for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken up a bit on standing. Sprinkle with parsely on serving.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week

"November Potluck"

Pork, Broccoli & Crisp Garlic Saute

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

To link to Cookbook Countdown #10, click here
To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

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My selected cookbook for this month, 

Williams-Sonoma, Cooking From The Farmers' Market 

by Jodi Liano & Tasha DeSerio

The star ingredient : Broccoli

An easy stir-fry dish. I have replaced the beef with pork fillet. And have used more garlic cloves, probably about 8. If you love garlic, then 3 cloves is not enough!

A tasty vegetable stir-fry, great dish as part of a main meal, with rice.

Beef, Broccoli & Crisp Garlic Saute
(adapted from Williams-Sonoma : Cooking From The Farmers' Market)
makes 4 servings
1 lb (500gm) flank or skirt steak (I've used about 300gm pork fillet)
1 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp canola oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (about 8 cloves)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups (8oz/125gm) small broccoli florets
3 tbsp dry white wine
2 tbsp soy sauce
cooked white rice for serving

Cut the beef across the gtrain into strips 3 inches (7.5cm) long and 1/4 inch (6mm) thick. In a bowl, stir together the cornstarch, salt, sugar, baking soda, and 2 tbsp water. Add the beef and stir until well mixed. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In a frying pan over high heat, add the canola oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels.

Add the beef, broccoli and 2 tbsp of the wine to the pan and cook until the beef is opaque and the broccoli is tendeer, about 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce andf the remaining wine and stir for 1 minute. Transfer to warmed plates and accompany with steamed rice.

Grab a  cookbook and join us!

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #10 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Spiced Meatballs with Sriracha Sauce

The next recipe selected for this week at Cook the Book Fridays (CtBF) is Spiced Meatballs with Sriracha Sauce. These meatballs are David Lebovitz's take on the North African merguez sausages.

To make the meatballs, toast the coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cumin seeds in a small saucepan until fragrant. Leave to cool and grind to a powder in a spice mill. Mix the ground spices in a bowl with chopped cilantro, minced garlic, sweet paprika, harissa, salt, cinnamon, allspice and sumac. Add the ground meat, of which I have used ground pork, and mix well. I left the mixture in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavours to blend. 

Pinch off some of the meat mixture about the size of an unshelled walnut, roll them into meatballs. These meatballs can either be fried over the stove or baked in the oven.

I baked the meatballs instead of cooking them over the stove. Put the meatballs in a greased baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes until cooked. The meatballs will release some of the oil and juices, and smells fantastic, aroma from all the combined spices!

The dipping sauce is made by mixing mayonnaise and sriracha sauce. Very nice!

The warm baked meatballs, very delicious! Love the spice taste and aroma in the meatballs.

These are very good! We actually had the meatballs with rice, and the tasty liquid from the baking tray is great spoon over the rice with the meatballs. My kids love the dipping sauce, but then they love anything with mayonnaise! 

Do stop by CtBF to view everyone's take on this delicious meatballs. If you have the book or thought of getting one, please do, and join us! Full details here.

Madras Meat Curry : Cookbook Countdown #9

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here. 

To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

To link to Cookbook Countdown #9, click here

************************

My selected cookbook for this month, 

500 Curries, Mridula Baljekar

I love Indian cuisines. The recipes that I have been trying are mostly from Madhur Jaffrey's books, one of my favourite chef. She has some seriously good curries and some has become my family's favourite. The next Indian cookbook that I used the most is this book, 500 Curries by Consultant Editor, Mridula Baljekar. A quite number of recipes that I have made from this book are winners. I have about a dozen or so, of Indian cuisine cookbooks, and I will be trying out from other books as well, but for now, I've decided to use this book, for this month's Cookbook Countdown, as there are many more recipes which I have been wanting to try for ages. This is quite a large book, with curry recipes from India, Thailand, South-East Asia, Africa, Middle East  and the Caribbean. There's side dishes, rice, breads, vegetarian, chutneys, pickles, salad and appetizers. 

One of the recipes which I have been wanting to make for ages is Madras Meat Curry. I especially love meat curries. For this recipe, goat or mutton is the traditional choice, though lamb on the bone can be used. But I have used pork shoulder meat instead.

The meat pieces are first marinated for a few hours with vinegar, turmeric, garlic, ginger, chilli powder, tomato puree and salt. Then put the meat in a  heavy pan with some water, bring to a simmer cover and cook until the water evaporates, stirring a few times in between. I cooked the meat for only 30 minutes, still with some gravy left, and proceed with the recipe below. Meanwhile, prepare the spices.

Toast in a small heavy pan, the peppercorns, coriander, cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeds, with the curry leaves, until fragrant, then add in the coconut. Stir-fry until the coconut is lightly browned, remove from heat, transfer to a plate and allow to cool.

Grind the spice mixture until fine.

Heat some oil in a large saucepan, add the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Stir for 30 seconds and add the onion, stir until brown. Add the ground spice mixture, stir for a minute and add in the cooked meat. Add some water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. I have however, simmer for about an hour since I've only cooked the meat for 30 minutes at the initial step. 

There are a little extra step or two in making this recipe, like precooking the meat first, toasting of the spices, then grind to a powder, but it is really an easy recipe to follow. The end result is a delicious meat curry, with tender meat, full of flavour from all the spice ingredients. We had it with pilaf rice, a potato dish and raita which I will share in the coming posts. The gravy alone is delicious over rice. This dish definitely worth a repeat! 

Madras Meat Curry
(adapted from "Curries 500", by Mridula Baljekar)
Serves 4
675gm boned leg of lamb, fat trimmed and cut into 1 in cubes (I use pork meat)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp garlic puree
2 tsp ginger puree
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp tomato puree (paste)
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp black peppercorn
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
20 curry leaves
1/3 cup dessicated (dry unsweetened shredded) coconut
4 tbsp sunflower oil or light olive oil
1 in piece of cinnamon stick, halved
2 black cardamom pods
4 cloves
1 large onion, finely chopped

1. Put the meat in a non-metallic bowl and add the vinegar, turmeric, ginger, garlic, chilli powder, tomato puree and salt. Mix thoroughly, cover the bowl and marinate for 4-5 hours.
2. Put the marinated meat into a heavy pan and add 2/3 cup water, bring it to a slow simmer, cover and cook until the water evaporates. Stir several times during cooking so that the meat does not stick to the bottom of the pan. (I cooked for about 30 minutes).
3. Preheat a small heavy pan over a medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the peppercorns, coriander, cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeds, and the curry leaves. Stir until the spices release their aroma, then add the coconut. Stir-fry until the coconut is lightly browned. Remove the spices from the pan and cool, then grind them until they are a very fine texture.
4. Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Leave to sizzle for 30 seconds, add the onion and brown. Add the ground ingredients and stir for 1 minute, then add the cooked meat. Add 2/3 cup warm water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. (I cooked for about an hour, stir a few times and make sure it does not dry out, adding some water if necessary). Take off the heat and adjust the consistency with a little water. Serve immediately.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #9 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray