Thai green curry pork

I picked up some ground pork from Rocky Canyon at the farmer's market this weekend and thought I'd make some pork patties for dinner. Of course since I like everything to be really  flavorful, I pondered my options with the ingredients I had lurking in my kitchen.

Thai green curry sounded good, so I thought I could mix in some curry paste (Mae Ploy) in with the meat to make savory patties.

Since I like things hot, I mixed in quite a bit. That was a mistake. The pork patties turned out really tasty but too salty. Next time I'd use a bit less paste and add some chopped serranos and garlic to the meat as well.

Alongside I made a simple salad of chopped romaine and cilantro. The dressing was lime juice, a bit of curry paste, and jalapeno-lemon olive oil. That was yummy! I had some leftover roasted poblano so I chopped that up and threw it on the plate too.

Have a fantabulous day!

Smoked pork ribs

Hi there friends! Happy Friday!

Just a little post about a tasty meal I had earlier this week: smoked pork ribs that I picked up from Whole Foods, a salad and guacamole.

The avocado was really big and made a lot of guac. I didn't eat it all. It was also kind of tasteless. I usually get my avocados at the farmer's market and this one was from the grocery store. It really had a blah taste. Sad.

I hope everyone had a lovely week and has an even better weekend! Adios!

Indian spices

Happy Monday all!

Here's a meal I made with some Indian flair! I roasted some of that delicious fractal cauliflower under the broiler, after sprinkling it with garam masala, cumin and turmeric. Meanwhile in a saute pan, I cooked onions and serranos in coconut oil and the same spices, along with amchur powder and a spice mix called Panch Puran. Once the onions were translucent, I added some ground pork meatballs that I had flavored with chopped garlic and cumin.

Once everything was done, I served it up with some yogurt mixed with cucumber, lemon juice and a dash of cumin, and a little spicy mango chutney. Cilantro and a squeeze of lemon over the top, of course. Wow! The serranos were hot, making this meal tasty but spicy! I was glad I had the yogurt, and ended up serving myself more to tame the heat.

I often cook like this, adding a dash of spices and seasonings on a whim rather than measuring and planning. What about you? Do you follow a recipe? Do you measure your spices? Or are you 'free-wheelin' like me? haha!

It sure was a nice weekend! I must say I am not ready for the week to begin. However, St Patty's Day is this week and I do love the color green! :) In fact, I once dyed my hair green. Yup.

I hope you all have a lovely week!

Pork and veggies

Happy Friday!

I got some organic, free-range ground pork at the farmer's market a while back and threw it in my freezer. I was happy to find it and make some delicious pork patties out of it!

I chopped up a bunch of garlic and mixed it in with the meat. Fried the resulting patty in some bacon grease, of course. Alongside, a little stirfry of broccoli, red pepper, onion, and some really interesting mushrooms I also got at the farmer's market. I have no idea what they are, I'll have to get some more and take a photo for you next weekend. They are blackish and look kinda gross but they are pretty tasty!

Have a wonderful weekend my friends! xoxo

Spicy pork stew

This weekend I picked up some free-range pork at the farmers market and decided to make a spicy stew from ingredients I had lurking in the refrigerator. With a few old tomatillos, half an onion and some jalapenos...I could make a chile verde inspired meal!

I sliced up the pork and mixed it with a combination of herbs and spices: garlic, coriander, cumin, red pepper, salt, garlic, thyme and oregano. I let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so, then browned it in a pan and set it aside.

I chopped up the half an onion, two jalapenos, and three tomatillos and sauteed them in the same pan until a little caramelized. I added some lemon juice and zest to about three cups of homemade chicken stock, then threw the pork back in the pot. I put the cover on and let it simmer away on the stovetop for an hour or two. The pork softened, the veggies melted and the stock thickened to a spicy liquid.

Served with a squeeze of lemon and some fresh cilantro...a hot and satisfying meal for a cool autumn evening spent watching Weeds on dvd. Terrific leftovers too!

Have a great day!

Dinner

Hi all, Happy Tuesday!!!

I had a few peeps over for dindin the other day and cooked up some vittles. I thought I would share some pictures with you!

A couple of snacks to start...

Sliced black mission figs, La Quercia prosciutto, arugula, balsamic vinegar - simple but decadent with some red wine.

And sauteed shisito peppers with cumin and hawaiian pink salt. Have you had shisito peppers before? I love them! I haven't seen them in any regular groceries before, only the asian grocers and the farmers market. I cook and serve them sort of in the style of pimentos de padron - have you heard of those? Popular tapa in Spain, I guess, though I haven't had them YET!
These are an awesome drinking snack...salty, slightly spicy, yummy. Goes great with beer, or my personal fav drink - champagne!

Then for the main meal, I made my chile crusted pork loin. It is coated with chile powder, cumin, garlic salt, red pepper flakes and olive oil. Then I throw it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes at 350-400. I take it out every 10 minutes or so, flip it, add more spices. Sometimes, I throw it under the broiler so the crust dries out a little. After it cooks, take it out of the pan to rest, then make a sauce with the drippings plus lime juice. I usually add more spices and olive oil because the sauce is the best part. Make sure to cook the spices if you add more, they taste gross "raw". You can do this on the stovetop or throw the pan in the hot oven for a few minutes.

Served it up with cauliflower rice, and roasted zucchini and eggplant. Here's an overflowing plate!

A big thank you to Alisha who recommended just breaking up the cauliflower in the food processor instead of grating it. YES! It worked just as well. No bleeding grated fingers! YAY! I added turmeric to it to give it a pretty color.

Have a great day my friends!

I'm in love!

Oh darling readers...I am in LOVE!

I have found my dreamboat at last...let me introduce him to you...

Mr. Cauliflower Rice!!!

He is delectable, delicious, delightful. He is everything I ever wanted in a companion. Versatile, flexible, and oh so yummy!

Sorry to be a freak! but I have discovered the best food ever. I know that many of you have already tried this tasty treat, but for some reason, I never have! Thanks to Elizabeth's great blog Caveman Food, I finally decided to give it a whirl. Her food always looks SO amazing!

I ate this side dish with other scrumptious foods. I made these really fantastic spicy pork patties with tons of Pimenton de la Vera, garlic and thyme, sauteed some onions with turmeric, a little salad and my new love...HEAVENLY! Who gets this excited over cauliflower? But it tastes like rice! Only better!

My new passion has one drawback. It's kind of a pain to grate by hand. I'm afraid I will grate off my fingers in my zeal. Should I purchase a food processor with a grating attachment just so I can enjoy this delight on a regular basis?

Zucchini and chorizo

MMMmm. Last week I sauteed up some of the homemade chorizo I made and ate it for dinner with some zucchini, cilantro and a squeeze of lemon.

Whenever I make zucchini for family gatherings it disappears. Even the non-vegetable eaters devour it. I always make it with different seasonings and it always gets raves and requests for the recipe. Well, the secret is not in the seasonings - it is in the cooking method!

Lucky readers, I share the simple secret of cooking yummy zucchini (and all other veggies) with you: slice up the zucchini however you like, I think it tastes extra great when cut in little lengthwise strips. Take a big cookie sheet and throw the sliced up zucchini, seasoned with a little salt and olive oil, under the broiler, until it gets brown spots and is tender. Then you can add whatever other seasonings you like - red pepper flakes and lemon, pesto, or just eat as is. The broiler creates a sweet caramelization that makes this humble veggie one of my all time favorites.