So the boyfriend has this thing with food with fruits in it. In my opinion, what's better with fruits than pork? I've had quite a few bad experiences with pork chops so I decided that as much as pork chops and applesauce might be the thing that the boyfriend would be like most, I went with a nice pork loin.
I googled some recipes for marinating the pork loin but ultimately settled for a variation of a few dry rubs that I found. I used a dry rub consisting of garlic powder, chilli powder, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and brown sugar. It gave the pork loin a nice spicy kick and the brown sugar made a nice crispy coating. Oh but I didn't stop at the dry rub. I also made fruity glaze to go on top of the pork loin which doubles as a glaze and dipping sauce. I reduced some concentrated raspberry juice, added in some apricot jam, some garlic powder to make it a savory glaze and a slight touch of honey to mellow out the tartness of the raspberry juice. And then of course, I must have applesauce. Made some homemade applesauce which the bf thought was store bought. Guess I did my job there.
Now the question came down to, what about the side dish? I left that up to my trusty Fresh & Easy stor3. Found myself some arborio rice. Why of course~! Risotto~!
I've never attempted risotto before. It always seems to me that it's something that's slaved over and has to be done just right, preferrably in a full stocked kitchen at a five star restaurant prepared by a chef that studied under some french chef in Paris for 10 years or something. Well, I've definitely never studied under any french chef in Paris nor do I have a full stocked kitchen (I live at home and shares the kitchen with a 2 yr old niece that likes to play tea with the pot and pans). But there were definitely some slaving away in front of the stove. Apparently you can't take your eyes off the risotto or it burns. And the constant stirring. Seriously, I couldn't even tear myself away for long enough to give my bf the proper greeting when he showed up =P.
Thankfully the risotto didn't burn, the pork loin came out perfectly cooked and the bf now thinks I'm an awesome cook (ok, I lied about the awesome part but at least he thinks i'm a decent cook). Can't wait to finally have my own kitchen where my electric mixer attachments won't mysteriously end up in my niece's playhouse.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Whore's Spagehtti
Yes, I said whore. I made Pasta Puttenesca for my mom today for mother's day. It turned out great. It's a great salty dish consistign of anchovies, olives, garlic, tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes. Of course, I didn't exactly do my homework until afterwards. I wikipediaed pasta puttanesca and realized that it's commonly known as whore's pasta. Oi. Well, I guess no one has to know about that lil part. Anyway, happy mother's day to all the mothers out there~!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Carb-o-rific Weekend
Oh the carb overload this weekend~! I wonder how many bike rides or skipped lunches it takes to make up for my carbfest this weekend.
Let's start with how I came about the guilty pleasure that is baked brie. A few weeks back, me and Kathy went to a hole in the wall wine bar for some girl time. We had heard that they served one mean baked brie in bread bowl. We heard right. So about 10 minutes before leaving work on Friday, I'd decided that I'm going to recreate that baked brie. Did I ever mention that I love Fresh & Easy? Since I don't exactly live near a farmers market nor am I snotty enough for places like Gelsons, Fresh & Easy has been my go to store for all spur of the moment food obsessions. And it does help that there's one right around the corner from my house.
So, I found some brie, sourdough bread bowl and some Granny Smith green apples. And this is where the excess indulgence begins. I cut off the top of the bread bowl and hollowed out the inside. I cut up the brie into half inch cubes to allow for faster melting and placed them in the bread bowl. I actually stuck the bread bowl into the microwave for about a minute to help the melting along. Set the oven at 400° F and then popped it in for about 15-20 minutes.
All I can say is MmmmMmmMmmmmMmMmmmm. The bread came out nice and crunchy on the outside but warm and chewy on the inside. The cheese was all gooey and melty and made a perfect dip for the sliced green apples. The saltiness of the brie works great with the tangy sweetness of the apples. And of course, I devoured the apple slices with the brie like I
had the body of Heidi Klum. Oh but it didn't stop there. The best part was the actual bread bowl. The oil from the melted cheese had seeped into the bread bowl and a layer of the brie had adhered itself to the bread as if to say "eat me". Who am I to say no to that? Yup, I ate the whole bread bowl.
What I've learned this weekend - yeasty, chewy, crunchy bread makes me happy. =D And the guilt that comes with scarfing down a giant wedge of brie and a whole sourdough bread bowl? Considering how I made another baked brie in sourdough bread bowl (3 more to be exact) for a lunch party my brother threw at the house - I think it's safe to say that the yummy goodness of the baked brie totally eclipse the number of hours of biking that I'll have to do to get rid of all those calories. =P
Let's start with how I came about the guilty pleasure that is baked brie. A few weeks back, me and Kathy went to a hole in the wall wine bar for some girl time. We had heard that they served one mean baked brie in bread bowl. We heard right. So about 10 minutes before leaving work on Friday, I'd decided that I'm going to recreate that baked brie. Did I ever mention that I love Fresh & Easy? Since I don't exactly live near a farmers market nor am I snotty enough for places like Gelsons, Fresh & Easy has been my go to store for all spur of the moment food obsessions. And it does help that there's one right around the corner from my house.
So, I found some brie, sourdough bread bowl and some Granny Smith green apples. And this is where the excess indulgence begins. I cut off the top of the bread bowl and hollowed out the inside. I cut up the brie into half inch cubes to allow for faster melting and placed them in the bread bowl. I actually stuck the bread bowl into the microwave for about a minute to help the melting along. Set the oven at 400° F and then popped it in for about 15-20 minutes.
All I can say is MmmmMmmMmmmmMmMmmmm. The bread came out nice and crunchy on the outside but warm and chewy on the inside. The cheese was all gooey and melty and made a perfect dip for the sliced green apples. The saltiness of the brie works great with the tangy sweetness of the apples. And of course, I devoured the apple slices with the brie like I
had the body of Heidi Klum. Oh but it didn't stop there. The best part was the actual bread bowl. The oil from the melted cheese had seeped into the bread bowl and a layer of the brie had adhered itself to the bread as if to say "eat me". Who am I to say no to that? Yup, I ate the whole bread bowl.
What I've learned this weekend - yeasty, chewy, crunchy bread makes me happy. =D And the guilt that comes with scarfing down a giant wedge of brie and a whole sourdough bread bowl? Considering how I made another baked brie in sourdough bread bowl (3 more to be exact) for a lunch party my brother threw at the house - I think it's safe to say that the yummy goodness of the baked brie totally eclipse the number of hours of biking that I'll have to do to get rid of all those calories. =P
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Comfort Food
What do I want after a long day at work surrounded by people who irritates me simply by existing? Oh the answer is clear. Good old fashion, make you smile and give a sigh of contentment, grits. I'm sure it's not everyday you find a lil asian girl eating grits let alone making grits and calling it comfort food. Oh but it is so comforting. Today I made grits with sharp cheddar cheese, black forrest ham and corn. I have to admit that it's nothing fancy and bacon would've made this dish even yummier. But alas, this lil asian girl was not blessed with the genes where she can eat anything and not have it all go to her butt and thighs.
Oh yes, back to the grits. I used 2% milk instead of water to make it even creamier. Brought it to a boil and added in some ham for flavor. Feel free to substitute the ham with bacon. Added the grits as the bag instructed. Once it's all nice and cooked, I added in a tab of butter because I just couldn't help myself. Some cheddar cheese, canned corn and a dash of sea salt and yayyyy, I've got me some cheesy, creamy, comforting grits. Now all I really need is a nice cold beer and for all the annoying stupid people to disappear from the face of the earth. *Sigh* if only.
Oh yes, back to the grits. I used 2% milk instead of water to make it even creamier. Brought it to a boil and added in some ham for flavor. Feel free to substitute the ham with bacon. Added the grits as the bag instructed. Once it's all nice and cooked, I added in a tab of butter because I just couldn't help myself. Some cheddar cheese, canned corn and a dash of sea salt and yayyyy, I've got me some cheesy, creamy, comforting grits. Now all I really need is a nice cold beer and for all the annoying stupid people to disappear from the face of the earth. *Sigh* if only.
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