Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and Sour Pork, originally uploaded by Sweet Sugarplums.

I usually make this with chicken breast, or sometimes use pork cubes that have been battered and fried. I tried it with some browned pork cubes, and it turned out okay. I only used half the meat and half the tofu, and it could have used more - next time I'll try 3/4 of a pound of each.

The recipe is adapted from Madame Wu's Art of Chinese Cooking,. Madame Wu's is a famous Chinese restaurant in Santa Monica, California which was frequented by movie stars and the like. The recipes are traditional Cantonese-style.

SWEET AND SOUR PORK

1 pound pork loin, cubed
1 pound firm tofu, cubed and drained
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 cup catsup. no salt added preferred
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/3 cups pineapple juice
1 1/2 carrot, cubed
2/3 cup onion, cubed
1 1/3 cups green bell pepper, cubed
1 1/3 cups canned pineapple chunks (1 large can)
4 teaspoons cornstarch combined with 4 tablespoons water

Stir pork and tofu with cornstarch and soy sauce and let sit for 30 minutes.

Cook carrot in sherry or water until almost cooked. Add peppers and onions, add more liquid, and cover. Steam for 3 minutes until desired doneness is reached. Remove from pan.

Brown pork cubes, half batch at a time, and remove. Do the same with the tofu until browned . Return pork to the pan. Add vegetables and pineapple. Add sauce and heat to a boil.

Stir in cornstarch mixture until thickened.

If preferred, create a batter for the pork: Combine 1/2 cup of flour, 1/4 cup of cornstarch, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 cup of water to make a smooth, thin batter. Dip chunks of pork in batter and deep-fry for 5-10 minutes.

Per Serving (non-battered): 283 Calories; 6g Fat (19.0% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 24mg Cholesterol; 609mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Jambalaya

Jambalaya, originally uploaded by Sweet Sugarplums.

Here's another Frugal Gourmet recipe. It's pretty much as printed in "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American". Feel free to use whatever leftover meats are on hand.

"Originally this dish, like so many dishes that have become classics, was designed to use up leftovers. The dish stands in that great tradition of frugal cooks who could not afford to throw anything away, or, in the more profound tradition, that good community of cooks who refused to throw out any edible leftovers. This bit of Cajun ingenuity is now common all over New Orleans, and there are as many variations on this dish as any one I know. I think I love them all!" - Jeff Smith, "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American"

JAMBALAYA

1/2 pound bacon, sliced
1/2 pound cooked shrimp
3 tablespoons oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 green peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
28 ounces canned tomatoes, crushed with your hands, then drained, juice reserved
3 cups chicken stock, use a total of 3 1/2 cups liquid including tomato liquid
1/2 pound sausage links, Hot links, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup ham, diced
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons thyme
salt and pepper
2 cups long-grain white rice

Cook the bacon until crisp. Drain and set aside.

Pan fry the sliced sausage until it just begins to brown. Remove the sausage. Saute' the rice in the drippings and remove from the pan.

Add a tablespoon of oil. Saute the ham, onion, green peppers, garlic and celery until the vegetables are tender. Add seasonings and liquid and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Add the rice and sausage and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in the bacon, shrimp and green onions and adjust the seasonings.

If using cooked rice, use 4 cups of cooked rice. Heat it in the pan. Use 16 oz tomato sauce and about 1 cup of chicken broth.

Per Serving: 609 Calories; 33g Fat (49.8% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 108mg Cholesterol; 1980mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 5 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

Clubhouse Sandwich

Clubhouse Sandwich, originally uploaded by Sweet Sugarplums.

According to The Food Timeline, this sandwich was originated by accident. A man arrived home after his family and servants had already retired. Being hungry, he rummaged through the ice box and concocted a sandwich consisting of toast, mayonnaise, chicken, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. He spoke of the sandwich to friends at his club, and they made one then and there as an experiment. It was then referred to as the "club sandwich." It's name went out to other clubs, restaurants, and individuals. The first published recipe appeared in the Good Housekeeping Everyday Cook Book, Isabel Gordon Curtis [Phelps Publishing:New York] in 1903 (p. 224).

This is a great quick-fix dinner when I'm stumped about what to make. It's not diet food, even without the avocado. I use mustard instead of mayonnaise and have always used turkey instead of chicken. Regardless, it's a tasty meal. One sandwich can easily feed two people, or one hungry teenage boy.

CLUBHOUSE SANDWICH
Makes 1 large sandwich

3 slices bread, use good-quality sandwich bread, such as buttermilk or sourdough
3 ounces deli-style sliced fat-free turkey, or sliced roasted turkey breast
3 slices turkey bacon, cooked
1 small tomato, sliced
romaine lettuce leaf, or iceberg lettuce
1/2 avocado, sliced
1 tablespoon brown mustard, 1-2

Toast bread. Spread mustard on each slice.

Create 1st layer: Layer avocado, bacon, and turkey on one slice of bread.

Create 2nd layer: Layer tomato and lettuce on another slice. Place this layer on top of the first layer.

Top with third slice of bread, mustard-side down.

Slice into 4 triangles. Insert toothpick into each triangle to hold the sections together.

Per Serving: 583 Calories; 28g Fat (41.3% calories from fat); 32g Protein; 57g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 77mg Cholesterol; 1922mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 5 Fat.

Spicy Korean-Style Pork Tenderloin Medallions

Spicy Korean-Style Pork Tenderloin Medallions, originally uploaded by Sweet Sugarplums.

We've been dealing with a round of colds in the house. Bob's been sick three times in the past two months and just got over the last one a week ago. I wasn't so lucky this time and got caught. I'm not sure if it was just a bad cold or the flu, but I was pretty wiped out for two days and finally started feeling more like myself just today.

The family's had to fend for itself, eating leftovers and fastfood. I decided to celebrate my improved health by fixing one of my favorite new pork dishes. I found this recipe in Fine Cooking Magazine about two months ago and happened to have some tenderloin in the freezer. I like the lean quality of tenderloin, but I've been wanting a recipe that improves the moisture and flavor because of the lack of fat. I love Chinese food and have recently started experimenting with Thai, Indian, and Korean cooking. The combination of vinegar, sugar, garlic and ginger makes a deeply-flavorful marinade. The quick-cooking keeps the meat tender. Original recipe suggests serving the meat over a bed of Thai-style coleslaw.

SPICY KOREAN-STYLE PORK TENDERLOIN MEDALLIONS

Serves 4

1 1/4 lbs pork tenderloin, trimmed of all silverskin, partially frozen
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons chili sauce, like Sriracha

Cut the pork on the diagonal into 1/2-inch medallions. Set aside.

Mix together marinade ingredients in a ziploc bag. Add the pork medallions. Seal the bag and be sure the meat is evenly coated with the marinade. Marinate for up to 2 hours in the refrigerator or 25 minutes at room temperature, rotating the bag after half the time to keep the meat coated..

Spray a heavy 12” skillet with non-stick spray. Heat over a med-high flame until shimmering hot. Remove the pork from the marinade, shaking off the excess, and transfer the pork to a clean plate. Discard the marinade and add half of the pork medallions to the skillet, spacing them evenly. Cook them without touching until well browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the pork is just cooked through, about 2 more minutes.

Wipe out the pan if the drippings look too brown and spray the pan again. Add remaining meat and repeat the cooking process.

Serve immediately, sprinkled with cilantro and/or chopped green onions.

Adapted from a recipe in Fine Cooking Magazine #78

Per Serving: 316 Calories; 12g Fat (33.9% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 92mg Cholesterol; 1140mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Sausages, Peppers and Onions

Sausages, Peppers and Onions, originally uploaded by Sweet Sugarplums.

SAUSAGES, PEPPERS AND ONIONS
Serves 4

1 pound turkey Italian Sausage
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 onions, slivered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

Brown sausages in non-stick skillet for about 5 minutes. Add white wine and simmer for 10 minutes until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, heat oil in another pan. Add pepper flakes. Saute onions and peppers in olive oil for 5 minutes.. Add garlic. Simmer for 10 minutes until almost tender.

Combine all ingredients, simmer for 5 minutes.

Nutrition Facts:
Per Serving : 252 Calories; 13g Fat (48.3% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 58mg Cholesterol; 1021mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.