JJ's Asian-Inspired Slaw

My mom rarely cleans her plate at the dinner table, but last night when I cooked for the family, she had a second sandwich - and ate all of it. That's how I knew this was a recipe I will have to make again & again, so I'd better write it down.

Most of the time when I'm cooking I don't measure out the ingredients - I just fly around the kitchen, tossing ingredients together by intuition. I'm not sure of the measurements for this dish, but since I had a lot of requests for the recipe, I figured I will share the basics & let you all try it per your own intuition!

I initially was making this slaw to accompany BBQ pulled pork tenderloin sandwiches and was going to make my homemade BBQ sauce, but lost track of time. Last minute, I decided to top the pulled pork tenderloin sandwiches with this slaw, some vegenaise, Sriracha pepper sauce, and a little hoisin sauce. YUM. Directions are below for the pulled pork as well. :) -JJ

Ingredients:

• Half a head of green cabbage, shredded
• 2 large radishes, peeled & julienned
• Bragg's Apple Cider vinegar (add gradually to taste)
• Mirin (add gradually to taste)
• Fresh lime juice (maybe 1/4 lime?)
• Black sesame seeds (shake generously!)
• Tupelo honey (maybe a heaping teaspoon?)
• Toasted sesame oil (add gradually - it's a strong ingredient!)
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (to taste)
• Sea salt (to taste)
• Chopped roasted peanuts (to top)

Directions:

Toss cabbage, radish, vinegar, Mirin, lime juice, sesame seeds, honey, sesame oil, salt and cilantro in a large bowl. Taste it. Love it. Top with peanuts. Done.

✳✳✳

Asian Pulled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches...

• Pulled pork tenderloin
• JJ's Asian-Inspired Slaw
• Toasted buns
• Vegenaise
• Sriracha pepper sauce
• Hoisin sauce

Pulled Pork Tenderloin

Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 pork tenderloins (~2.5 lbs.), halved lengthwise & cut into 2.5 inch pieces
• 1.5 beers
• 3/4 cup Bragg's apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 garlic cloves, bruised
• Black pepper
• Dried chili pepper
• Kosher salt (~2 tsp)

Directions:

Bring all of the ingredients to a boil, add the pork, cover, reduce heat to low, simmer for at least 1 hour or until pork is tender when stabbed with a fork. Remove pork from liquid, and pull apart using 2 forks.

Thai-Inspired Chili

This. This is really, really good. The photo of it… Not so much. ;)

My dad & I conceptualized the idea of a Thai-inspired chili recipe at least 4 years ago. The idea has been scribbled on a tattered piece of paper, hidden in a family recipe box, and we decided last night that it was finally time to make it come to life. The addition of red curry paste, fresh basil & cilantro, and a coconut drizzle to a pot of chili seemed like the perfect match - and it sure was!

I made enough for an army, so this recipe serves, like, 12 people. You will probably want to half it if you want to make it for a family of four - but I suggest you go ahead and just make a big pot of it so you have lots of leftovers. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. peanut oil
• 3 sweet onions, chopped
• 3 small bell peppers, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
• 3 lbs ground pork
• 28 oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes
• 2 cups sliced button mushrooms
• 22 oz. can of Sapporo beer
• 1 can tomato paste
• 4 oz. jar red curry paste
• 1 quart beef broth
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 cans red kidney beans, drained
• 1 red chili pepper, deseeded & chopped
• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• Salt, to taste
• Coconut milk, to drizzle (optional, but suggested)

Directions:

Heat peanut oil over medium heat in a large pot. When the oil is hot, add onions, bell peppers, garlic, and pork until browned.

Add tomatoes, beer, tomato paste, red curry paste, beef broth, basil, cilantro, brown sugar, salt and turmeric. Mix well. 

Stir in 2 cans of kidney beans, mushrooms & chili pepper. Reduce heat & simmer for 1.5 hours.

Add 2 remaining cans of kidney beans & simmer for another 30 mins. Serve hot with a swirl of coconut milk.

Summertime Penne

Serves 4

Well, hello blog! I've been really bad about posting lately. I posted a photo of this dish on Instagram & Facebook and had a lot of requests for the recipe, so here we go! I didn't actually measure anything out while I was making this, so this isn't going to be a very "exact" recipe with measurements, etc. I suggest you only make this one if you're comfortable feeling things out in the kitchen. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 box Dreamfield's Penne Pasta
• A handful of freshly shredded Pecorino Romano cheese
• 3ish sun dried tomatoes (in olive oil), thinly sliced
• A bunch of fresh green beans... maybe 4-5 cups? (see, this is really not exact at all)
• 4-5 tbsp. good, unsalted butter
• 2-3 tbsp. good extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• A handful of fresh tarragon leaves
• About 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• Sea salt & freshly grated black pepper

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, snip the ends of your green beans, and wash them in cold water. Add them to the boiling water, and let them boil for about 1-2 mins, or until they are bright green & at your desired done-ness. I like mine very al dente so that they have a nice crunch to them. Set the beans aside.

Bring your water back to a boil, and salt it (I used the same water, but you can switch it out if you want). Cook pasta as it describes on the box.

When you have about 5 minutes left for your pasta to cook: In a large skillet (or a wok pan), melt the butter & add olive oil over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the garlic. Let cook for about 30 seconds, while stirring, then add the green beans. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the sun dried tomatoes. Add a little sea salt.

When the pasta is finished, strain, and add to the pan (or add everything to a big bowl if you can't fit it all in the pan). Mix in Pecorino Romano cheese, lemon juice and tarragon. Salt & pepper to taste.

Voila!

This was, seriously, one of my favorite dishes that I not only have made, but that I've eaten. The flavors worked perfectly, which could've gone either way since it was a complete experiment. I hope these directions do it justice. Enjoy!!

Spicy BBQ Baby Back Ribs

Serves 4-6 

My mom found some delicious-looking organic baby back pork ribs yesterday at Native Sun in Jacksonville, FL, for me to make for a family dinner. I'd never cooked ribs before, so I researched some different cooking methods. I found a wonderful recipe on AllRecipes.com (link to original recipe below) that had rave reviews. I altered the sauce and cooking method, and got very lucky! The sauce turned out incredible (I will use it for different BBQ meats in the future), and the meat was literally falling off the bone. The garlic is a nice touch, and I'm going to double it next time! I cannot wait to make these yummy ribs again. :)

Ingredients:

Ribs:

• 4 pounds baby back pork ribs 
• 2/3 cup water 
• 1/3 cup Bragg apple cider vinegar 
• 6 large garlic cloves, barely chopped 
• 2 bay leaves 
• Freshly ground black pepper 

Barbeque Sauce:

• 1/2 cup Melinda's Jalapeño ketchup 
• 1/2 cup ketchup 
• 1 cup water 
• 1/2 cup Bragg apple cider vinegar 
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/4 cup organic creamy yellow mustard 
• 4 tablespoons butter 
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha pepper sauce 
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place ribs in two 10x15 inch roasting pans. Pour water and apple cider vinegar into a bowl, and stir. Sprinkle some freshly cracked black pepper over the ribs. Add the garlic and bay leaves to each of the pans. Pour diluted vinegar over ribs, and cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Baste the ribs with their juices. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F. Bake for 35 minutes more. 

In a medium saucepan, mix together jalepeño ketchup, ketchup, water, Bragg apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, butter, brown sugar, Sriracha pepper sauce, and sea salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer barbeque sauce for 2 hours. 

Place all ribs into one container, discarding cooking liquid and bay leaves, keeping garlic. Pour half of your BBQ sauce all over them. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hrs in the refrigerator. (I marinated for 3 hrs.) Take the ribs out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you're ready to cook them to let them get to room temperature. 

Preheat grill for medium heat. 

Lightly oil preheated grill. Grill ribs (with garlic) over medium heat for 10 minutes, turning ribs once. Baste ribs generously with barbeque sauce, and grill 2 minutes. Turn ribs, baste again with barbeque sauce, and grill 2 minutes. 

Place ribs on a serving platter, and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping. Garnish with grilled garlic.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

Orecchiette with Browned Butter and Snails

Serves 2-4 (I suggest doubling if you have 4 people with big appetites!)

Last week, my family and I went to North Carolina to unplug for a few days. We stopped by Dean and Deluca (an amazing specialty grocery store), where I picked up a can of gourmet French Wild Burgundy Snails. I also found some delicious looking orecchiette pasta, which seemed like the perfect pairing for the snails.

While in the mountains of North Carolina, I visited the Ashe County cheese shop and picked up some Ashe County butter, which I used in this recipe. On the last day of our vacation, we went to the West Jefferson, NC, farmer’s market - incredible! A very nice couple, Ron and Suzanne Joyner, of Big Horse Creek Farm, were set up at the farmer’s market. They specialize in Antique and Heirloom Apple Trees, but at the market, they had a booth for their fresh produce, and they had 4 different types of garlic. I bought a few bulbs of each kind, and couldn’t wait to get home to Florida to try them all! From other vendors, I also purchased some beautiful heirloom tomatoes, hot peppers, and a few other goodies.

This past weekend was the perfect weekend to experiment in my new kitchen. The day after we returned back to Florida, I spent the entire morning/afternoon chopping, tasting, and experimenting with a bunch of fresh ingredients gathered from our mountain getaway. I made habanero salsa and two different kinds of bruschetta with the juicy, flavorful heirloom tomatoes, but my favorite dish of the weekend was this pasta. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 8.8 oz. Orecchiette pasta (or about 1/2 lb.)
• 7.5 oz. can of Wild Burgundy Snails (4 dozen small)
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 tsp. Herbs de Provence, ground in mortar & pestle
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I used Persian Star garlic from Big Horse Creek Farm)
• 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Cook orecchiette pasta as directed on package.

While pasta is boiling, heat butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until butter has a golden brown color. When butter has desired coloring, add garlic, Herbs de Provence, and snails. Stir to combine, and remove from heat. 

Strain pasta out of boiling water when finished, and add directly to the browned butter saucepan. Immediately add Parmesan cheese and parsley, and stir to combine all ingredients.

Serve in your prettiest bowls, and serve with fresh French bread if desired.

Garlicky Spaghetti Squash

Serves 4-6

Spaghetti Squash is an amazing veggie. It blows me away every single time I have it. It’s so easy, so delicious, so healthy, and so cool! I love the way it comes apart with a fork, and with a little imagination, it tastes like pasta! There are two ways to go about cooking it, as I will explain below. This recipe is super simple & yummy, and I recommend using the “poking holes” method if you don’t own a REALLY sharp, serrated knife. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2 tbsp. good olive oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• Fresh basil leaves, shredded
• Kosher or sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

COOKING YOUR SPAGHETTI SQUASH:

Method 1 (Cooking time: 30-35 mins | you will need a VERY sharp, serrated knife):

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and halve squash lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard seeds from the middle of each half. 

2. Arrange squash in a 9˝ x 13˝ casserole dish, cut sides down. Pour 1/2 cup water into the dish and bake until just tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

3. Rake a fork back and forth across the squash to remove its flesh in strands… it looks just like spaghetti!

Method 2 (Cooking time: 1 hour):

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prick the spaghetti squash all over with a skewer so it will not burst while baking.

2. Place the whole squash in a shallow baking pan and bake for 1 hour.

3. When cool enough to handle, cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, with a serrated knife.

4. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard seeds from the middle of each half. 

5. Rake a fork back and forth across the squash to remove its flesh in strands.

SEASONING YOUR SPAGHETTI SQUASH:

Place spaghetti squash strands in a serving bowl. Add the 2 tbsp. of olive oil & minced garlic, and toss well. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Garnish with fresh basil shreds. Delicious!

Curried Harissa Cauliflower

In the mood for a delicious, easy dinner on the healthier side? This side dish is it. My friend, Barbara (whom I mentioned in an earlier post - she gave me the Harissa olive oil from The Olive Oil Store), told me about a yummy cauliflower dish that she makes frequently. I decided to add a couple of ingredients and try it out myself. I LOVE spicy food, and LOVE curry, so really this dish was the main focal point - the shrimp & salad I made along with it were an afterthought. The cauliflower came out beautifully!

Ingredients:

• 1 med. head cauliflower, separated and cut into even pieces (the size of the smallest florets)
• 1 large (or 2 small) clove garlic, lightly chopped
• 1 large shallot, sliced
• 2 tbsp. Harissa olive oil* (or 2 tbsp. regular olive oil with a few drops of chili oil)
• Organic curry powder (about 1/8 tsp.)
• Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat broiler on high - about 10 minutes. Arrange cauliflower florets, garlic, and shallot onto a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with Harissa olive oil, and dust with curry powder. Sprinkle with sea salt & black pepper. Broil on high for 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve while hot.

Blood Orange Cashew Salad

Ingredients:

• A 5 oz. package of baby arugula
• 1 blood orange, peeled, quartered, and separated
• Sahale Snacks brand "Sing Buri Cashews" nut blend

Dressing:

• 1/8 cup Blood Orange infused olive oil* (or good regular olive oil)
• 1 tbsp. Serrano Honey Balsamic vinegar* (or regular Balsamic vinegar)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Squeeze of 1 lemon wedge
• Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Mix all salad ingredients in a pretty bowl, set aside. Mix together dressing ingredients, and toss into salad when ready to serve. Easy!

Note:

*You can purchase these infused olive oils & Balsamics at The Olive Oil Store, Jacksonville, FL.