Recipes Discovered

Sweet and Sour Pork

Seth and I were watching a recent episode of Good Eats titled Down and Out in Paradise. It was about basic Island food – mangoes, coconuts, papayas, and pineapple – but the recipe that stood out for me was for sweet and sour pork. Although I ended up changing the recipe slightly, it turned out to be outstanding. Marinating the pork overnight is a must because it really tenderizes the meat and gives it amazing flavor ginger/garlic flavor, not salty like I thought it would be. The sauce was a little sweet for my taste, but cutting down on the sugar would solve that problem. I can’t really think of any other criticism for the dish. It had a ton of flavor, and was seriously Good Eats! (haha)

Pulled Pork Sandwiches Recipe

I think Seth is getting a little impatient waiting for summer to come. He has been asking for everything barbecued recently. Who can blame him – with all the dreary weather we have had, I am ready for some sunshine as well. I made these pulled pork sandwiches last week, and I like to think they brought the nice weekend weather we just had. The pork was roasted in the oven for a couple hours, making it super tender before I pulled it apart and it in homemade BBQ sauce. Neither Seth or I really enjoy the vinegar based sauces typical of pulled pork sandwiches, so I opted for a ketchup based sauce. The cole slaw was especially for Seth, who loves it piled on his sandwiches. The creamy cole slaw did pair nicely with the smoky BBQ sauce. The sandwiches turned out great, and they also brought a sunny weekend, so who can complain about that?

Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Cole Slaw Recipe

BBQ Turkey Meatloaf Recipe

Sometimes, Seth tells me, it’s nice to have old fashion comfort foods, like meatloaf and mashed potatoes. While I’m not the biggest fan of meatloaf and mashed potatoes, I do agree with his basic statement, so I made him an updated version of the old fashion meal. The meatloaf is made with turkey instead of beef, and before you dismiss the recipe, let me tell you that I’ve never had a moister meatloaf. Seth, who usually shuns ground turkey, loved this meatloaf. Instead of ketchup or tomato sauce, the meatloaf is made with a tangy BBQ sauce that is amazing. It gives the meatloaf a ton of flavor while keeping it moist. I really liked the individual portions of meatloaf because then everyone got more of the crispy outside crust. As for the mashed potatoes, I went with roasted sweet potatoes, smashed with some butter, sugar, and orange juice. I was unimpressed with the potatoes, but will definitely be enjoying the meatloaf again.

Orange Smashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Thai Curry Shrimp and Broccoli

I’ve been posting a lot of desserts lately, so here is something a little different. Red Curry Shrimp is something that I would typically order at a Thai restaurant. It’s one of my favorites, so I turned it into a simple stir fry. The sauce is only 4 ingredients – coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar – but it’s a pretty intensely flavored. If you don’t like a lot of heat, cut back on the curry paste – it can be spicy! As with any stir fry, the shrimp and broccoli can be substituted out for anything you prefer. Seth and I really enjoyed this combination though. It was sweet and spicy, and made a wonderful dinner.

Moussaka Parmesan Recipe

Moussaka, a traditional Greek dish, is a layered casserole consisting of sauteed eggplant, ground lamb-tomato sauce, and a white bechamel sauce. The lamb-tomato sauce is usually cooked with onions and garlic, and seasoned with oregano and cinnamon. The dish is baked until the top is golden brown. On the other hand, eggplant Parmesan is an Italian dish made with layers of breaded and fried eggplant, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Although both dishes are delicious, they are rather heavy. I recently came across a recipe for Moussaka that used feta cheese instead of the typical bechamel sauce. About the same time, I saw a recipe for roasted eggplant Parmesan. Using techniques from each recipe, I made a very light dish that I call Moussaka Parmesan. >> Read more