There is something irresistible about crispy fried food. This delicious pork cutlet is no exception. It can be made with chicken breast, pork loin, or better yet, pork tenderloin. Japanese dishes like tonkatsu and chicken katsu are prepared nearly the same way, except this pork schnitzel includes a bit of sour cream mixed in with the egg wash. After making this version, I will never leave out the sour cream again. It adds a richness to the egg mixture which contributes to the wonderful crispy exterior. Scrumptious!
If you prefer to use chicken, pound it into thin cutlets and follow the same procedure.
Season the pork with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, dip into the flour mixture followed by the egg and sour cream mixture. Lastly, dip into the panko bread crumb mixture.
Ah! Beautifully breaded pork cutlets.
I found these gorgeous rainbow carrots at Mana Foods in Paia. A light rub of olive oil, homemade whole grain mustard and salt and pepper, the carrots were ready after quickly being roasted in my toaster oven.
1/2 cup sour cream (I used Green Valley lactose free sour cream)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 1/2 cups panko
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 4 medallions and pounded 1/4 inch thick
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
In a shallow bowl, beat eggs with the sour cream. In another shallow bowl, whisk the flour, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and paprika. Spread the panko in a third shallow bowl.
Season the pork with salt and pepper. Dredge the cutlets in the flour mixture and dip them in the egg mixture. Coat with panko; transfer to a baking sheet.
In a very large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil. Add half of the cutlets and fry over moderately high heat, turning once, until just cooked through and nicely browned, about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
Serve cutlets with capers, fresh lemon wedges and a side of roasted carrots and potatoes.
Our mango tree (White Pirie) provides us with the sweetest fruit imaginable. These little, nondescript mangoes are a revelation to those who are not familiar with this particular variety. I have to give credit to my mom who told me how delicious this mango is, and, that I should plant a White Pirie tree in my yard. Now, more than 25 years later, this tree is the crown jewel of our garden.
This is a quick salsa that is particularly good with grilled fish. It goes especially well with Cajun style blackened fish: it’s really the perfect summer meal.
During the summer months when mangoes are in season, there are a number of ways I like to use them. Sorbet, jam, pickled and occasionally a nice mango crisp for dessert. This salsa recipe is one of the most delicious ways to enjoy this fruit.
Mango Salsa
2 generous servings
Ingredients
1 cup diced, sweet mango (ripe but not too soft)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped Maui onion
jalapeño to taste (I like to use our nacho jalapeños but feel free to use fresh jalapeños)
juice of 1/2 lime
Preparation
Combine mango, cilantro, onion and jalapeño in a medium bowl. Squeeze lime juice over and toss very gently to combine ingredients. Refrigerate until well chilled. Serve over fresh, grilled fish or chicken.
*Salsa is best made within a couple of hours before serving.
The June/July issue of Fine Cooking magazine has a terrific article about quinoa and a number of tempting recipes that feature this unique grain/seed. Quinoa is frequently referred to as a grain because it is cooked and used like one, however, quinoa is actually the seed of the Goosefoot plant. Quinoa is so versatile and cooks quickly, 15 minutes to be exact. It is delicious sprinkled on a kale salad with lemon-honey dressing. The recipe that caught my attention was the quinoa and black bean burger. I love burgers, beef as well as vegetarian, and this one is particularly good.
This recipe is quite simple. It involves just a can of black beans, quinoa, a few sautéed ingredients, spices, and guacamole. Delicious straight out of the frying pan, the cooked patties firmed up nicely after being refrigerated. We had the leftover patties the following day and they were perfect. I warmed them briefly in the microwave, though you may choose to quickly pan fry them. Served on a toasted onion bun or English muffin as the original recipe calls for, they are quite delicious.
The poblano pepper, garlic and green onions are briefly cooked, just to soften them slightly before adding to the other ingredients.
I had tricolor quinoa in my pantry however any quinoa (white, red, or black) works well.
Once you form the patties, chill them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. They are beautiful, filled with healthy black beans, quinoa, cilantro, and poblano pepper.
Quinoa & Black Bean Burgers with Tomatillo Guacamole
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh serrano chile, or jalapeño
Preparation
In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, turn the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, keep the cover on the pan. Let stand for 15 minutes then fluff quinoa with a fork.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the poblano, green onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, until just softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a food processor. Add the drained beans and quinoa, and pulse until the beans are chopped and the mixture is combined. Do not over process, you want the burger to have a nice texture.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and gently stir in the cilantro, panko, egg, chile powder, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gently form the mixture in to 6 patties. Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
Meanwhile, make the guacamole. Dice the avocado and squeeze lime juice over it, toss to coat well. Sprinkle the avocado with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and mash the avocado lightly. Stir in the tomatillo, cilantro, onion, garlic, serrano or jalapeño. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, lime juice, and more serrano pepper if desired. The guacamole keeps well, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
When you are ready to cook the burgers, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. I was able to cook all 6 patties at one time though you can cook them in two batches if your pan cannot accommodate them all at once (use less oil). Once the oil is hot, add the burgers and cook until nicely browned, about 6 minutes. Adjust heat as needed. Check the burgers by lifting up an edge with a spatula. You want the burgers to be well browned and sort of crispy on the outside. Flip and brown on the other side, about 4 more minutes.
You may serve the burgers right away, on toasted English muffins or onion rolls. I prefer to make the burgers in advance, chill them until they firm up, then gently reheat and serve. The texture improves once the burger has cooled completely. Spread a bit of mayonnaise on the bun then top it with a burger and a generous dollop of guacamole.
For years my hands down favorite Italian meat sauce was beefy Bolognese. However, I found an intriguing pork ragu recipe in Bon Appétit’s February 2013 issue. Hot and sweet Italian sausage, ground pork and savory tomato sauce, this pork ragu is now on my favorites list.
There are all sorts of canned tomatoes available these days. My favorite by far is Rao’s Homemade Italian Peeled Tomatoes. Certified organic, these tomatoes are of high quality and very flavorful. I once found them at Whole Foods but when I checked back again they were not on the shelf. Not to worry, these days you can find almost anything on-line. I’ve purchased other brands of whole canned tomatoes and had to peel off skin that was left on by poor handling. Rao’s tomatoes are always peeled well, the tomatoes and puree are a beautiful deep red, and they taste delicious. They make a really good homemade pizza sauce too.
The prices at Whole Foods markets can be high, however, I’m willing to spend a bit more for excellent quality meat and fish, unique and sometimes difficult to find (on Maui) pantry ingredients, and fruits and vegetables that are not easy to come by. At the meat counter I found many choices of fresh Italian-style sausage to use in this recipe so I decided on a couple of different types for the ragu (including chicken as well as pork).
Hot chicken, sweet chicken, and hot pork sausage.
You begin with a mirepoix which is a combination of finely diced celery, onion, and carrot, the foundation of many meat dishes and sauces.
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound hot and/or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I used both chicken and pork sausage)
1 pound ground pork
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound rigatoni or penne pasta
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano
Preparation
Pulse onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup parsley in a food processor until finely chopped ; transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Puree tomatoes with juices in processor, set aside.
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; add sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add ground pork, fennel seeds, and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook, breaking up pork with a wooden spoon until no longer pink. Add wine, and stir until wine has evaporated, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
Increase heat to medium-high. Add reserved vegetable mixture to pan, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until golden 8 – 10 minutes.
Stir tomato paste and 1 cup water in a small bowl; add to pot. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, 6 – 8 minutes.
Add reserved meat and tomato puree and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, until meat is tender, about 3 hours. Bon Appétit’s recipe mentions adding more water as needed to keep the meat submerged however I found this was not necessary. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup parsley. Adjust seasoning, adding salt if needed.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water just before you are ready to serve dinner. The original recipe calls for reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid then adding it to the sauce along with the pasta and 3/4 cups parmesan and remaining 1/4 cup parsley. I did not add any additional liquid and plated the ragu in individual bowls, spooned the sauce over the pasta and sprinkled with parmesan before serving.
*Leftover ragu freezes well in airtight plastic containers.
Every now and then I have a craving for ahi tuna, either as sashimi or seared. Although Hawaii has an abundance of fresh fish, it’s not always available at the markets. Most of the premium fish is sold to restaurants who then charge premium prices. But don’t get me wrong. You’ll never have to drag me out of the house to go out to dinner. I’m always available.
Our local Whole Foods market has a small seafood section that I normally don’t pay much attention to. Instead, I head to the meat department to check out their wonderful steaks. One day as I was shopping, I noticed beautiful sashimi grade ahi blocks at the seafood counter. I couldn’t resist buying one, even though I paid dearly for it. John sliced the ahi into perfect pieces and we enjoyed it sashimi-style with wasabi soy sauce. It was delicious. So now when I go to Whole Foods, I pay more attention as I walk by their seafood section. If I see beautiful ahi, I buy it.
In Hawaii, everyone has their favorite ways of preparing this luscious fish. Here is one of mine. I coat the ahi with a bit of canola oil, season it with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, then dredge it in furikake. There are no measurements for this simple dish, just a short list of ingredients.
Furikake? Delicious sprinkled over hot rice. My favorite furikake is simple. Seaweed, white and black sesame seeds and a bit of seasoning.
Kikkoman wasabi sauce or a mixture of wasabi paste and soy sauce
Preparation
Lightly coat the ahi with canola oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle a generous amount of furikake over the ahi, pressing gently to coat all 4 sides well.
Place a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 – 3 teaspoons of canola oil and swirl to coat the pan. Once the pan is hot and you see a few wisps of smoke, add the ahi block to the pan and sear about 1 minute per side, or until desired doneness is reached. The ahi should be rare in the center.
Remove ahi to a cutting board. Let rest for a few minutes then slice ahi into 1/3 inch thick pieces. Serve with wasabi sauce or wasabi soy sauce, a bowl of steaming rice and homemade takuan.
I can hardly wait to return to the Bay Area this summer. I get excited just thinking of all my favorite dishes at all my favorite restaurants such as Redd’s duck confit served on a bed of lentils with a poached egg or the best beef filet I’ve ever tasted at Alexander’s Steak House (where they give each table cotton candy on a stick after dinner). Speaking of my favorite vacation city, Corey Lee, owner of Benu restaurant in San Francisco was featured in the January issue of Food & Wine magazine. This particular issue contains a slew of recipes I want to try, however, it was Corey Lee’s Pork-Kimchi Dumpling Pancakes that really caught my eye.
These savory dumplings are very easy to put together once your mise en place is done.
A dollop of filling on the wonton wrapper, fold and press the edges together.
Ten dumplings are arranged around the edge of an 8″ skillet, overlapping slightly. After quickly frying the dumplings for 4 minutes, a slurry of cornstarch and water is added to the pan. This creates crispy, lacy, edges and adheres the 10 dumplings together making one impressive pancake that you invert on a platter and serve with dipping sauce.
Pork-Kimchi Dumpling Pancakes
Adapted from Corey Lee’s recipe ~ Food & Wine Magazine
6 – 8 servings
Ingredients
Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Korean chili flakes or 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sugar
Dumplings:
14 ounces ground pork
2 tablespoons minced scallions
1/2 cup finely chopped and drained kimchi
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup firm tofu, finely chopped
30 round wonton wrappers
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons canola oil
Preparation:
Mix all of the sauce ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix all of the dumpling ingredients except the wrappers, cornstarch and oil. Arrange 4 wrappers on a work surface (keep the rest covered with a damp paper towel). Brush the edges of the wrappers with water and drop 1 tablespoon of the filling in the centers of each wrapper. Fold over one side of the wrapper to form a half-moon, pressing the edges together. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap; assemble the remaining dumplings.
In a bowl, stir the cornstarch with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in an 8-inch non-stick skillet over moderate heat. Arrange 10 dumplings around the edge of the skillet overlapping slightly (there should be almost no empty space). Cook over moderate heat until golden on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Drizzle one-third of the slurry over and around the dumplings, cover the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Uncover and cook until the dumplings are cooked through and the slurry forms a thin crust, about 4 minutes. Carefully invert the dumpling pancake onto a plate. Repeat to make 2 more pancakes. Serve with dipping sauce.
There is something irresistible about crispy fried food. This delicious pork cutlet is no exception. It can be made with chicken breast, pork loin, or better yet, pork tenderloin. Japanese dishes like tonkatsu and chicken katsu are prepared nearly the same way, except this pork schnitzel includes a bit of sour cream mixed in with the egg wash. After making this version, I will never leave out the sour cream again. It adds a richness to the egg mixture which contributes to the wonderful crispy exterior. Scrumptious!
If you prefer to use chicken, pound it into thin cutlets and follow the same procedure.
Season the pork with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, dip into the flour mixture followed by the egg and sour cream mixture. Lastly, dip into the panko bread crumb mixture.
Ah! Beautifully breaded pork cutlets.
I found these gorgeous rainbow carrots at Mana Foods in Paia. A light rub of olive oil, homemade whole grain mustard and salt and pepper, the carrots were ready after quickly being roasted in my toaster oven.
