Cashew Sweet and Sour Pork

This was an easy dish and really tasty! I loved the cashews in it. They added a yummy crunch. :)



Cashew Sweet and Sour Pork
from Our Best Bites

2 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided
1 Tbsp. apple juice
1 lb. pork tenderloin or boneless pork chops, thinly sliced
1/3 c. water
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. chopped cashews (or exactly one of those little .99 bags of Fritos cashews at the front of the grocery store)
¼ c. green onions
2 tsp. minced or grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced or pressed
6-8 oz. snow peas, trimmed ( I used a bag of those microwavable peas)
1 8-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained

Now…to get your pork super thin, you’ll need to partially freeze it. When it’s semi-frozen (or mostly-frozen), you can either cut it very thinly with a sharp knife or pop it into your food processor fitted with the slicing blade.

Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, sherry, and pork. Toss well.

Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and ketchup. Stir with a whisk; make sure there are no clumps with the cornstarch.

Now collect everything that’s going into the stir fry next to the stove so you can access it easily.

Heat 1-2 Tbsp. canola oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add pork and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add onions, ginger, and garlic.

Stir-fry 1 minute. Add snow peas and pineapple. Stir-fry 3 minutes more. Whisk sauce ingredients again and add to pan, bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in cashews and serve over hot rice. Garnish with more cashews and green onions if you want.

Brown Sugar Spiced Pork

I usually make this with garlic mashed red potatoes, and it is YUM-licious. I mean, YUM!!! Go make it soon. It's a great dish for when you have guests over, because it's easy, impressive, and mouth-watering. Seriously, my sister begs me to make this. Regularly. I almost had to cut her off, it was getting ridiculous. She was turning into an addict. A sugary, delicious, spicy pork addict. Oh well, I might as well join her.


Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Loin
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

Rub Ingredients:
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pork tenderloin cut into 3-4 chunks
1 tablespoons olive oil

Glaze ingredients:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 6-8 cloves)


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then rub the pork with the spice mixture. Heat the oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet  over medium high heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Brown the pork, turning to brown each side, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in the skillet. If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, brown the pork in a skillet and transfer it to a foil-lined baking pan.

Stir together the brown sugar and garlic and pat on top of each tenderloin.  If you have extra, dump it in as well! Roast in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes. Let pork stand in the skillet at room temperature for 10 minutes. Slice on the diagonal and serve, spooning the sauce from the skillet on top of the pork.

swei jows

All you have to do in my family to reduce any of us to salivating weirdos, is to say two words.

Swei Jows.

Let me explain. Swei Jows are our family dish. My dad went to Taiwan on his mission for the LDS church in the olden days (sorry Dad, hehe), and he ate these almost every day. They're kind of like boiled pot stickers...at least that's the way we usually try and explain them to newcomers. That, or we shove their faces in it and yell, "See? Aren't they yummy!?"

You should be so lucky.

Anyways, my dad had his birthday last week, so we celebrated by cooking up a couple hundred or so of these yummy treats, and then gorged ourselves.


Here's how you make them, if anything for future generations, should the Swei Jow love get lost in the shuffle somehow.

Swei Jows

1 lb of ground pork
1 egg (per lb of pork)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic
1/2 head shredded cabbage
1 package wonton wraps

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl, fill wraps, and press edges together with water. Boil in water for 5-6 minutes until edges are sealed together and they float to the top. Eat with soy sauce, hot pepper oil, and/or vinegar. (see my lovely instructions below for step by step directions)

Yes, this is really how much filling we use. (I think we usually quadruple the recipe)

You'll need: (as shown in the picture below)

Thanks to my brother Justin for his lovely swei jow instructional hand modeling. He has a future, I think.

So, take some of your filling, and plop it in the middle of your wrapper. (not too much or it will burst open while cooking and everyone will blame each other)

dab some water around the edges, and press together into a half circle shape.

crimp your edges like so...although Justin didn't do the neatest job, it will still taste delicious.

Repeat a bajillion times until you've run out of meat or wrappers, whichever happens first! Once in awhile you run out of both at the same time. I call that the Perfect Storm.

Prepare your bowl...with some soy sauce, hot oil, and vinegar, whichever combo you prefer. I usually do soy sauce with some hot oil. YUM!

Boil for 5-6 minutes or until they float to the top. Next: eat (with chopsticks unless you are chopstick-handicapped like Rory) by dipping into your soy sauce mixture, and try and eat as many as you can before the tray disappears. We have two trays on either end of the table, and everyone is always after the coveted middle spot that gets to eat from both trays.

By the way, liking Swei Jows is one of the requirements for marrying into the Lance family. That, and you have to like camping. Just so you know. In case any of you want to marry one of my siblings someday.

(and yes, Rory passed both tests)

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches

since all i've been blogging about lately is fabric and sewing (can you blame me?), i thought i'd break up the cycle a little and post that root beer pulled pork recipe i talked about last week.

this is also for the guys who read my blog. well...i know my dad and rory and my brothers do...not sure about anyone else. so, if you're a guy...who likes meat...and reads my blog...you're cool. way to stick around through the pink.

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches
from all recipes.com

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer 1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite

barbecue sauce 8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

Directions: Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.

**we liked how tender the pork was...and you got a hint of root beer once in awhile but it wasn't overpowering. i think i'll keep trying out pulled pork recipes though. if you have any great ones, send them my way!

Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage

wow this sure was delicious! and seriously easy too. i've had this recipe tucked away for FOREVER. look at that date! 4 years ago people. sad that i've been living this long without trying this recipe. now i don't want you to suffer the same fate! so try this soon. you won't regret it. (unless you don't like sausage, or broccoli, or pasta, or parmesan cheese, in which case you are very strange.)



Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage
adapted from Real Simple Magazine Sept 05 issue

1 pound pasta (would work with any type, i think!)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 head broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Mean while in a large saucepan, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the brother and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Then add the broccoli, cover, and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the butter and parmesan and cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the drained pasta, season with salt and black pepper, and toss to combine.

cafe rio

what can i say about the cafe rio salads that hasn't already been said a thousand times? that i pine for them, and dream about the day when i will go back to utah for a visit and eat a dozen of them?

ok, that might seem a bit extreme, but i seriously miss these salads. i'm sure all of you that have had one will agree/commiserate with me. yes?


we used to eat there at least two times a month, more if i could convince rory. so, since we don't have them here in cali, i tried the knockoff recipes circling the web. it was soo good. the dressing was spot on. it tasted just like i'd remembered it. the thing you must do with this salad is layer. layer layer layer. first a tortilla (we love the ones you cook yourself from costco), melt some cheese on top of that too, yum. then comes the black beans, lime cilantro rice, and meat. then the lettuce, tomatoes (or pico de gallo), avocado if you have it, more cheese...and tortilla strips. i forgot those, but it was still delish! next time i won't forget them!

now, i know you can't see the good stuff, and it just looks like some lettuce with dressing. but what lurks underneath that healthy stuff is the deliciousness.

now on to the recipes.

Creamy cilantro tomatillo salad dressing adapted from Becky Higgins

1 packet dry hidden valley ranch dressing
1/3 c. buttermilk
1 c. mayo or sour cream
2-3 tomatillos (peel off outer leaf/shell)
1 clove crushed garlic
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
juice from 1 lime (about 2 tsp.)
salt & pepper

Blend all ingredients in the blender. Refrigerate.


Cafe Rio Lime Cilantro Rice adapted from various recipes on the web

2 cups uncooked rice
4 cups water (mixed with 3-4 tsp chicken bouillion)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp butter

Saute garlic and butter until soft, don't let it burn! Add rice and cook for a minute or two, on medium heat. Add water and bouillion mixture, and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. After it begins to boil rapidly, reduce heat to low and cover with lid. Stir occasionally, and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

Lime Chicken from The "I don't cook" syndrome cookbook (so not really a "cafe rio" recipe, but it was very tasty!)

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Mix all ingredients and let chicken marinade in the fridge for several hours. Cook chicken however you like, grill, stovetop, or oven.

Or try it with some pork barbacoa!

Pork Barbacoa
from Wonder Mom Envy

2 pounds pork
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can RED enchilada sauce
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours.