Hong Kong style pork with tomato sauce

Ingredients

Makes: 4 - 6 servings

• Marinade:
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce or 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons cornflour, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
• 
  
• 6 boneless pork chops, pounded evently and cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon groundnut oil
• 
  
• Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 125ml water
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon groundnut oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon black soy sauce
• 3 beef tomatoes, cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation method

Prep: 10 min |Cook: 15 min | Extra time: 15 min, marinating

1.	Make the marinade by mixing together the sugar, salt, soy sauce and cornflour slurry. Mix in the pork, let marinate for 15 minutes.
2.	In a small bowl, mix together the tomato ketchup and water to make the sauce. Set aside.
3.	Heat a large frying pan with 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Stir-fry the pork until done, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
4.	Heat the same large frying pan with 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until aromatic, about 2-3 minutes. Add the onion, shallot, salt and soy sauce, cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with sugar, mix well until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sauce, stir, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning accordingly and serve.

Ingredients

Black soy sauce is thicker and richer than ordinary soy sauce.
It can be purchased from Chinese/Oriental speciality stores.

Pork Tenderloin with Apples

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6, depending on the size of the tenderloins

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pork tenderloins
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into slivers
• Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp canola oil or grapeseed oil
• 1 cup (235 ml) of chicken or beef broth
• 1 cup (235 ml) dry white wine (can sub with apple brandy or apple cider)
• 2 medium sized apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 400° F (205°C). With the tip of a sharp knife, make deep little slits all over the tenderloin and insert the garlic slivers. Season with salt, pepper and cumin.

2 Heat the oil in a skillet on medium high heat and sear the tenderloin well on all sides (about 10 minutes).

3 Remove the tenderloins from the skillet (do not discard the juices in the skillet) and place the tederloins in a roasting pan. Add the broth and white wine to the roasting pan. Cook in the oven at 400°F (205°C) for 10 minutes.

4 After you've placed the tenderloins in the oven, cook the apple slices in the same skillet (with the remaining oil and juices) that you used to brown the tenderloin. Sauté until soft. Remove the apples from the pan, set them aside, saving the juices once again in the pan.

5 After the tenderloins have cooked in the oven for 10 minutes remove them from the oven. Remove the tenderloins from the pan to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes. The tenderloins will continue to cook while they sit. While the pork is resting, pour the roasting pan juices into the skillet and boil everything on high heat for 5 minutes, or until you get a gravy the consistency of melted ice cream.

6 Slice the tenderloins into 1/4 inch thick slices, add the sliced apples to the meat in the serving dish, drizzle some gravy over and serve immediately.

Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for 10 minutes. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil and whisk for 5 min. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 1 (10 oz) bag fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cubed
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Spray a slow cooker (I used a 4 quart slow cooker) with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together spinach, artichoke hearts, sour cream, mayonnaise, onion, garlic, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and milk. Add salt and pepper as desired. Dump into your slow cooker.
3. Place your cubed cream cheese on top of spinach/artichoke mixture, spread out as evenly as possible.
4. Cook on high for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, or until ingredients are cooked through and the cream cheese is melted. Mix in the cream cheese keep dip on "warm" setting until eaten. Serve with crackers, bread, or vegetables.

Beefy Macaroni Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• 2 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into medium dice
• 1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
• 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (with juices)
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or stock
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the bell peppers, onion, garlic, measured salt, oregano, paprika, and measured pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, stir to combine, and cook until the raw flavor has cooked out, about 1 minute. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking the meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until it’s just cooked through and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling pot of water and cook until still chewy and underdone, usually 1 or 2 minutes less than the package directions suggest (the pasta will finish cooking in the oven). Drain and rinse with cold water until no longer steaming; set aside.
4. Add the flour to the beef mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the raw taste has cooked out of the flour, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, tomatoes and their juices, and broth or stock, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer.
5. Add the cooked pasta and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and stir to combine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is heated through and steaming, about 1 minute. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Transfer to a 5-quart baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and bake until bubbling and lightly browned on top, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

One-Pan Paprika Chicken with Potatoes and Tomatoes

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 45 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

• 6 to 8 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds, bone-in and skin-on)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes
• 1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
• Handful of thyme sprigs
• Leaves from 3 to 4 parsley sprigs, for garnish

METHOD

1 Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a rack in the middle position.

2 Prepare the chicken: With scissors or a sharp knife, trim the excess chicken skin and fat from the thighs. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.

3 Marinate the chicken in the sauce: In a large bowl, stir together the mustard, lemon juice, paprika, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat. Set aside while you chop the vegetables.

4 Prepare the vegetables: Cut the baby potatoes into halves. Peel the red onion and cut it into 8 wedges through the root end. Smash the garlic cloves lightly with the flat of a knife, just to break the skin. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, but keep them separate from the other vegetables.

5 Bake the chicken and vegetables: In a large baking dish (9x13-inch pan, 3-quart dish, or other similar sized baking dish), toss the potatoes, onion, and garlic with salt, pepper, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread them evenly in the pan and top with thyme sprigs. Nestle the chicken into the vegetables and scrape any extra sauce over top. Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.

6 Add the tomatoes: Remove the pan from the oven, scatter the cherry tomatoes on top, and return the pan to the oven.

7 Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of a thigh registers 165F. Serve with a salad or crusty bread.

Gingerbread Waffles

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 to 5 large Belgian waffles

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/3 cups milk, warmed to room temperature
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups (290g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• Melted butter or cooking spray for coating the waffle iron.
• Powdered sugar for serving (optional)

Special Equipment:

• Waffle iron

METHOD

1 Make the waffle batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, molasses, brown sugar, and egg until everything is well incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder and salt together.

Gradually mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. (I usually pour half of the flour into the wet ingredients and stir until the flour is absorbed before adding the rest of the flour.) Mix until you no longer see streaks of flour. Small lumps are okay.

2 Let the batter rest as you preheat your Belgian waffle iron to medium-high. Warm the waffle iron for at least 5 minutes, or until a drop of water sizzles on contact with the griddle.

3 Make the waffles: Brush melted butter onto the waffle iron or coat with cooking spray. Scoop 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the batter into the waffle iron and use the bottom of the cup to spread the batter around into the edges. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or according to your waffle maker's instructions, until the waffles are golden brown on the outside. Remove the waffle from the iron with tongs or a fork and place on a cooling rack.

Cook the remaining waffles and serve immediately. Sprinkle waffles with powdered sugar, if you like, or serve with whipped cream and maple syrup.