Banh Mi Bowls

All the goodness of a banh mi sandwich, captured in some easy to make rice bowls.

Banh Mi Bowls

From Pinch of Yum

Ingredients

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
6-8 carrots, peeled into ribbons or cut into matchsticks

1 lb ground pork
1 tbsp lemongrass paste (it's with the herbs in the produce section)
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp corn starch
1 tsp salt

cooked rice
scallions
sesame seeds
tzatziki sauce, or a spicy mayo, or nothing...

1. Preheat oven to 475. Combine the first set of ingredients in a bowl and set aside for the carrots to pickle.
2. Mix second set of ingredients in a bowl.  Roll into small balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake about 15-20 minutes.
3. Build your bowls with some rice, meatballs, scallions, sesame seeds, and sauce of your choosing.

These are so damn good I cannot wait to make them again!

Yes! I really love dinner in a bowl.  It is quite glorious.

Foodie Dice

Sorry I seem to have taken a bit of a leave of absence from the blog so far this year, but I promise new recipes are in the works as you read this very post!

FYI: This is not a sponsored post.  It's just me showing off a fun gift I got for Christmas.  I present to you, foodie dice!  The idea is you roll the dice to decide what ingredients get included in a recipe.  This version has a different vegetable die for each season.

Above you can see what I rolled, below you can see what the end result looked like. I roasted a rosemary and garlic covered pork loin along with potatoes and carrots.  I tossed in some shredded purple cabbage for the last few minutes of cooking.

This was just the inspiration I needed to come up with something different to cook for dinner. Can't wait to see what the dice have in store for me next time!

Kimchi Pork Fried Rice

I was recently gifted some homemade kimchi! Yes, I know, not many of you would be that excited to get a Tupperware of stinky fermenting cabbage. That is why I'm the food blogger, and you are here for the food porn.

Note that the kimchi is not going to make or break this recipe so if your Korean friend's mother didn't whip you up a batch, don't worry.

Kimchi Pork Fried Rice

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp sriracha

1 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp ground ginger, or 1 tbsp fresh grated

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tbsp oil, sesame if you have it

3 eggs, beaten

4 slices bacon

1/2 lb pork loin sliced into bit sized pieces* 

4 cups cooked rice

1 cup cubed pineapple

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup kimchi

salt and pepper to taste

sesame seeds, optional

1. Mix up the first 5 ingredients in a bowl or measuring cup. Set aside

2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet or wok. Cook eggs until soft and set. Remove from skillet and set aside.

3. Cook bacon in same skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Crumble when cooled.

4. Cook your meat in bacon fat with about 2-3 tbsp of the sauce you made.

5. Add pineapple chunks, kimchi, and vegetables and cook until heated through.

6. Add rice, eggs, bacon, and remaining sauce. Stir to combine. Serve topped with sesame seeds.

*You can use any meat you like here. I had the pork in the fridge from a previous meal.

FYI: This is a ton of food which is totally fantastic because you are going to love eating it for lunch all week long.

National Taco Day!

Hey guys word around the street is that it's National Taco Day and taco Tuesday all in one magical 24 hours.

I have collected all of my favorite recipes to ensure you have the tastiest taco day ever. 

You're welcome.

Center: Slow Cooker Carnitas

Top down on the left: Creamy Chicken Tacos, Chipotle Salsa Chicken, Chicken Salsa Verde, Slow Cooker Barbacoa

Top down on the right: Sweet and Spicy Pork Tacos, Taco Burgers, Roasted Heirloom Tomato Salsa, Homemade Corn Tortillas

Wishing you all the most delicious taco day ever!

Grilled Pork Burgers

These zesty burgers have bacon inside! Bacon! Inside the burger! Yea, get excited because there are some chilies in there too along with fancy cheese on top.

Grilled Pork Burgers
Adapted from Food52

Ingredients
1 1/2 tsp cumin
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1 tbsp diced green chilies
2 lb ground pork
3 oz smoked bacon, chopped
2 tbsp chopped parsley
6 slices Manchego cheese
burger buns

1. Heat oil in a small pan, cook onions until softened.  Add chilies, garlic, thyme, cumin, and salt and pepper. Cook until another minute or 2.  Set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl mix pork, bacon, cooled onion mixture, parsley, and salt and pepper.  Portion into 6 oz burgers,  I was able to make 6 because my pork packages were a little bigger than 1 lb each.
3.  Grill burgers 3-4 minutes on each side.  Top with Manchego cheese and grill until melted. Toast up those buns and eat up!

This is a really tasty alternative to your run of the mill burger that you probably need a break from by the summer's end anyway.

Pineapple Pork Sandwiches

Pulled pork is one of those slow cooker dinners that last and lasts. I always make way more than I need for dinner.  It's on top of pizza the next night, then it's time for taco Tuesday, and then mixed into macaroni and cheese later in the week.

Pineapple Pork Sandwiches

Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds pork loin

2 cloves minced garlic

1 onion, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup soy sauce
1 can pineapple rings
sandwich buns

1. Dump pork, garlic, onion, jalapeno, pineapple juice, and soy sauce in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 450.  Shred cooked pork.  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet (don't dump the liquid on the baking sheet) and crisp in the oven for about 15 minutes. Drizzle pork with a little extra juice from the slow cooker.
3. Brown pineapple rings in a small nonstick pan for a few minutes on each side. Place pork and pineapple atop sandwich buns.

Enjoy a little tropical bbq flavor as the nights get colder.

Monroe County Pork Steaks

If you're like me you have no idea where Monroe County is and what the heck a pork steak could be.

Fear not, none of that matters.  Sure, Cooks Illustrated can enlighten you as to the origins of this recipe, but I know you just want to see the recipe! So let's go!

Monroe County Pork Steaks

From Cooks Illustrated Magazine

2 tbsp salt

2 tbps pepper

1 tbsp paprika

3/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp corn starch

8 pork bone-in blade cut chops, I used whatever pork chops I had in the freezer

8 tbsp butter

1/2 cup white vinegar

1.Combine salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne in a bowl.  Transfer 2 tbsp to a separate bowl and mix in corn starch.  Season pork chops with corn starch mixture.

2. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Cook until butter turns dark golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Add reserved spice mixture and cook until fragrant. Carefully add vinegar, mixture will bubble up. Bring to a quick simmer then remove from heat. Let cool completely.

3. For a gas grill: turn all burners to high and heat for about 15 minutes. Place chops on grill and cook without moving them until well charred on the first side, 3-5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook 3-5 minutes longer. Transfer to a rimmed pan or baking sheet and pour sauce over chops. Tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes, flip halfway through. Serve and scoop up plenty of that spicy buttery sauce!

This is not an "eat with your eyes" moment, but I can assure you this is a delicious (and spicy!!) new way to jazz up your pork chops this summer.

Cinco De Mayo Recipes

If you're like me you are totally psyched to try out a new taco recipe for Cinco de Mayo next week.

Here is a collection of my biggest taco hits. From left to right.

Row 1: Creamy Chicken Tacos, Cheese Enchiladas, Chimichangas

Row 2: Chipotle Salsa Chicken, Sweet and Spicy Pork Tacos, Burrito Casserole

Row 3: Slow Cooker Chipotle Copycat Barbacoa, Taco Burgers, Roasted Heirloom Tomato Salsa

I hope one of these gems makes it to your table this year, buen apetito!

Slow Cooker Double Apple Pork Loin

I am really excited for this recipe and hope you will be too.  The "double apple" comes from sliced apples and apple cider. It's super simple to put together and will surely warm you up as the nights get colder.

Double Apple Pork Loin

Ingredients
2lb boneless pork loin
1 apple, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 cup apple cider
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place pork on slow cooker.  Place remaining ingredients around the pork.  Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook pork on low for 6 hours.  When pork is cooked, remove from slow cooker.  Using an immersion blender, blend cider, apples, and onion until smooth.  Place pork back into slow cooker and shred.  Mix, ensuring pork is covered in sauce.

*Note: If you don't have an immersion blender, you can feel free to use a regular blender or food processor.

I served some broccoli cheddar mashed potatoes on the side. So good!  I had some leftovers today in a sandwich and it was glorious.

Smothered Pork Chops

I made this recipe ages ago and now here I am looking longingly at the pictures.

Also, little known fact: I had no idea that gravy is delicious.

Now, for the recipe!

Smothered Pork Chops

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook

Ingredients

3 slice of bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

2 tbsp flour

1 3/4 cup beef broth

4 center cut pork chops

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, sliced thin

2 tbsp water

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fresh thyme, minced

1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

1. Fry bacon in a small sauce pan over medium heat, until lightly browned. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon. Reduce heat and whisk in flour.  Cook, whisking frequently, until mixture has browned. Whisk in broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and cover.

2. Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet. Add onions, salt, and water.  Cook until onions are browned and softened.  Stir in garlic and thyme. Place chops in the skillet and cover with onions. Pour in the warmed sauce.  Reduce heat to low, cover, cook about 30 minutes, until pork is cooked through.

3. Transfer chops to a serving platter.  Increase heat to medium high and simmer sauce rapidly, stirring frequently, until thickened. Pour sauce over chops, garnish with bacon and parsley.

Check out those fresh herbs from my garden!

I served these smothered chops with some mashed potatoes on the side.

Words cannot express how much I enjoyed this recipe.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Pork

I have finally taken my slow cooker out of hiding.  I hadn't used it since I moved into my new house.  This balsamic pork recipe is ridiculously easy and delicious.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Pork
Adapted from Skinny Taste

1 pork tenderloin
salt and pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2/3 cup beef broth
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp liquid smoke

1. Place tenderloin in the slow cooker.  Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes on all sides of the pork.  Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup, pour over pork.
2. Cook 4-5 hours on low.  After 3-4 hours pork should break down easily.  Break pork into large chunks with tongs so more surface area cooks in the sauce.  When ready to serve, shred pork into smaller pieces and place on serving plate.  Drizzle remaining sauce on top of pork.

I am super excited that I now have Pyrex measuring cups AND serving platters!

I served this pork with an Italian potato salad.  I bet it would also go great on top of some Texas toast.

Where did I put those leftovers.....

Bacon-Herb Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

This recipe is fancy enough that you could serve it for company, but simple enough that you can prepare it on a weeknight.  Have company coming over on a weeknight? Here ya go!

I am so happy with my herb garden this year.  I have been so excited to add fresh herbs to everything!

Bacon Herb Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Adapted from Bobby Flay

Ingredients
1 pork tenderloin
salt and pepper
2 tbsp fresh thyme
12 fresh sage leaves
2 cloves garlic
6 slices bacon
2 tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Place garlic cloves on cutting board and sprinkle salt on top.  Mince garlic and using the side of your knife, mush salt and garlic together to make a paste.  Mince herbs and mix together with garlic salt paste.  Rub herb mixture all over the pork tenderloin.
2. Drizzle olive oil onto a baking sheet.  Place pork on sheet and wrap bacon slices around it.  Cook 20-30 minutes until pork reaches 165 degrees.

Looks fancy doesn't it?

Yum!  Don't be shy about the herbs here guys, load it up!

Glazed Pork Chops

I'm on a mission right now to make use of the cookbooks I own as much as possible.  That means staying away from the time-sucking world of Pinterest, which is not always an easy task.

On to the glazed pork chops!  Yet another great recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  I promise they are not handing me any cash or prizes to promote their cookbooks and recipes...not that there's anything wrong with that. *wink*wink America's Test Kitchen...

I did some ingredient substitutions in the glaze, to use what I had available to me at the time.  I also used boneless center cut pork chops, which take less time to cook.

Glazed Pork Chops
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook

Ingredients
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
5 center cut pork chops

1. Combine vinegar, sugar, orange juice, mustard, and soy sauce in a bowl, mix thoroughly.
2. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until smoking.  Brown pork chops on one side, flip chops and cook 1 minute more. Transfer chops to a plate and pour off any extra oil in the skillet. Return chops to skillet, browned side up, add glaze mixture. Cook until chops reach 145 degrees in the center.
3. Remove chops from skillet and move to a plate, tent with foil.  Cook glaze on high heat, whisking frequently, until glaze thickens, 2-6 minutes. Coat chops with glaze on both sides, plate and pour remaining sauce on top.

I served some roasted brussel's sprouts and cous cous alongside the glazed pork chops.  This meal, along with the chilly summer weather, has me ready for fall flavors in the middle of August.  Bring on the sage and pumpkin!

Pork and Snap Pea Stir-Fry

Surprise! Another gem from Cook's Country Magazine.  This is a fantastic stir-fry, perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

Pork and Snap Pea Stir-Fry
Adapted from Cook's Country Magazine

Ingredients
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
5 tsp corn starch
1 tbsp siracha
12-16 oz pork loin, cut crosswise and into 1/2 inch strips
3 tbsp oil
16 oz snap peas
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
cooked white rice for serving

1. Whisk 1/2 cup broth, soy sauce, 2 tsp corn starch, and siracha in a small bowl and set aside. Toss pork with 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp corn starch.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Brown pork, 3-5 minutes and remove to a plate.

2. Add oil and snap peas to empty skillet, cook until slightly browned.  Add remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth, cover, and cook 2 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

3.  Whisk sauce mixture from step 1 and add to skillet along with pork.  Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, 1-2 minutes.   Stir in peanuts and serve with white rice.

Just a heads up, you will most likely not have many leftovers.  This was crazy delicious.

Everything I Ate For My 30th Birthday

On Wednesday I turned 30.  I'm really not too torn up about it though because 30 is going to be a pretty incredible year for me, buying a home and getting married!

I celebrated my birthday the only way I know how....lots of FOOD!

To begin with I had an apple fritter at Dean and Deluca that basically blew my mind.  I could have had nothing else the whole day and still been in a happy place from this fritter.  It's totally packed with nutrients because it has apples in it and they cancel out all the sugar and deep-fried bad stuff.

For lunch I dined at the famed Ippudo. I had the akamaru modern which is described as "a more bold, modern translation of the original pork broth; thin noodles topped with Ippudo's secret "umami dama" miso paste, pork chashu, cabbage, sesame kikurage mushrooms, scallions, and fragrant garlic oil."  It most definitely lived up to all the hype I had been hearing.  And I surprised even myself with my chopstick noodle skills!

After a total mind-blowing Aladdin experience, we got dinner and craft beers at Tink's.  This little lower east side restaurant serves comfort food style tapas.  It was pretty damn incredible for my introduction to the world of tapas, as nontraditional as it may have been.

We had the chocolate pig sliders with cabbage slaw.  These might have been the winner of the evening: braised pork butt, chocolate mole sauce, brioche bun, cabbage slaw.

These are the pretzel crusted chicken fingers served with a chipotle honey dipping sauce and cornichons. Loved them.

This won the most challenging to eat award, making it no less delicious I assure you.  "A lotta buratta"  consisted of buratta, sliced baguettes, tapenade, chili honey oil, balsamic vinegar, and sliced tomato.

I think this was my favorite of the night. The naan pizza was topped with goat cheese, red wine braised figs, bacon and arugula.  Surprise, it was fantastic!

To top the night off right I had my long standing birthday cake flavor: strawberry shortcake.  We went to this little Asian bakery, Panya, and you guessed it...it was delicious!

So there you have it folks, my 30th birthday food fest.  I hope you were able to live vicariously through me a bit here.  If you weren't then I highly recommend you eat at each and every one of these restaurants I visited.

P.S. Did anyone know they sell 32oz beers in Penn Station, and they have 20 different kinds!  That was the real finale of the evening and it was a welcome surprise.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Tacos

The sweet? Pineapple.  The spicy? Chipotle peppers.  Don't be weirded out by the addition of pineapple here.  It works really well with the pork and actually soaks up lots of chiptole.  You end up with spicy pineapple chunks in your tacos and that is pretty tasty.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Tacos
Adapted from Cook's Country Magazine

Ingredients
1 lb boneless pork ribs chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 can chopped pineapple, with 1/2 cup juice reserved
1 tbsp diced chipotles in a adobo
salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp cumin
cilantro
torillas

1. Season pork with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet.  Cook pork in skillet until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
2. Add additional tbsp of oil, cumin, and garlic, cook until fragrant.  Add pineapple juice and chipotle, bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is cooked through and sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.
3. Garnish with cilantro and serve in warmed tortillas.

This is a great quick and easy weeknight meal.  Delicious and easy, what more can you ask for?

Pork Chops With Ginger Pear Sauce

Ginger, pears, rosemary, I am just so damn seasonal.  Don't you love it?  Now if we could sneak some local artisan ingredients in there I would be hipper than ever.

For a complete list of ingredients and directions look here.  The only change I made was that I used pomegranate vinegar instead of cider vinegar.  Let's be real, pomegranate sounds way better doesn't it?  Oh also I didn't have shallots so I just opted out of them.

I chose to cook the sauce while the chops were cooking instead of cooking it in the pork chop pan once they were done cooking.  It was really just a matter of impatience, usually I always agree with pot reduction.

I made that fun little potato fan in the background too.  I'll say those babies look better on pinterest than they did when I cooked them.  The ginger pear sauce way much more successful.

Elevate your pork chops tonight with ginger pear sauce!

Pulled Pork Wontons With Cheese Sauce

I'm back babies!!!

Let me just start out by saying I did not have power for 11 days.  11 f-ing days with no power and no heat.  Can you just imagine that for a second.  Imagine sleeping in a house that is 40 degrees.  And then its snowing out. And I can't bake anything! And it's dark and I can't cook! Yea it's been one heck of an 11 days.  I really missed this blog and I missed cooking even more. 

For the first time I made pulled pork with the cut of meat you are supposed to use, pork shoulder butt.  This meant there was waaaaay more pulled pork leftover than usual.  What to do with an excess of pulled pork? Why, make pulled pork wontons of course!  They will require a dipping sauce though and yes a home-made cheddar cheese sauce is the one to do the trick.

The idea for the wontons came from Life's Ambrosia.  She uses all sorts of fun ingredients to jazz her's up, but I just took the pork and plopped it in a wonton wrapper.

The cheese sauce recipe came from Serious Eats.  I followed this recipe exactly as is and I wouldn't have it any other way.  It's crazy good make it even if you don't make the wontons.  

Ooooooohhhh I am drooling.  My stomach is grumbling for these babies.  They were so damn good.