Pork Lo Mein

This is my second lo mein post, but I feel that it's warranted. Both recipes are fantastic. This one is a little more detailed, whereas the other one has fewer ingredients that are thrown together a little less fussily. This one, as seen in the ATK issue Light and Healthy, specifically calls for pork tenderloin. I also used real lo mein noodles, which made the dish look exactly like the take-out version.

Pork Lo Mein
adapted from America's Test Kitchen, Light and Healthy 2010

1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
3 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs oyster sauce
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs sesame oil
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbs canola oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 c rice wine or dry sherry
4 oz shitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into thirds if large, halved if small
1 bunch scallions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 head Napa cabbage, halved, cored, and sliced into 1/2 inch strips
12 oz Chinese egg noodles, cooked according to the package directions
1 Tbs chili garlic sauce


Freeze the pork tenderloin for about 15 minutes, to make it easier to cut. Remove from the freezer, and slice crosswise into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Slice each round into 1/2 inch wide strips. Place pork in a sealable bag.

Whisk the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and five spice powder in a small bowl. Add to the pork, remove excess air, and seal. Chill for at least 15 minutes, and up to an hour.

Whisk the broth and cornstarch with the remaining soy sauce in a small bowl, creating a "slurry." Mix the garlic and ginger and set aside.

Heat 1 tsp canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the pork in a single layer, breaking up any clumps. Cook without stirring for 1 minute, then stir and continue to cook until pork is lightly browned. Add 2 Tbs of the rice wine to the skillet and cook until the liquid is reduced and the pork is well coated, about 1 minute. Transfer pork to a bowl and repeat with another tsp of canola oil, the remaining pork, and the rest of the rice wine. Transfer second batch of pork to the bowl. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel.

Return the skillet to high heat. Add 2 tsp canola oil and heat until just smoking. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until just golden brown. Add the scallion whites and greens and continue to cook until wilted. Transfer vegetables to the bowl with the pork.

Add remainding 2 tsp of canola oil and the cabbage to the skillet and cook until spotty brown, stirring occasionally. Clear the center of the skillet and add the garlic mixture. Cook, stirring the garlic mixture constantly, until fragrant. Mix the garlic mixture in with the cabbage. Return the contents of the bowl to the skillet, adding in any accumulated juices. Stir to combine. Whisk the slurry to recombine and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Toss in the noodles and the chili garlic sauce. Serve.

Chocolate Pavolvas with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse - June Daring Bakers

The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.

In the kitchen, some things elude me. Yeast rising, for one. The other is egg whites beaten to a stiff peak. I'd like to be able to blame the humid Florida climate, but I think it's just me.


If I had to give myself a grade for this challenge, it would be a C-. For one, my meringues fell. In fact, they did a total face plant. I tried twice, and ended up with the same result. Next, I overcooked the creme anglaise. It was the perfect consistency, then I stepped away for 5 seconds to grab a bowl and when I turned back to the pot, I had cooked egg bits in the sauce. By this time, I was too disheartened to try again, so I skipped the mascarpone cream.


I did manage to make a white chocolate version of the mascarpone mousse. I garnished with a remnant of meringue. One component out of four - okay, maybe my grade for the challenge should be a D.


Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse

1 ½ cups heavy cream (cream with a milk fat content of between 36 and 40 percent)
grated zest of 1 average sized lemon
9 ounces of 72% chocolate, chopped
1 2/3 cups mascarpone cheese
pinch of nutmeg
2 tbsp Grand Marnier (or orange juice)

Put ½ cup of the heavy cream and the lemon zest in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once warm, add the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let sit at room temperature until cool.

Place the mascarpone, the remaining cup of cream and nutmeg in a bowl. Whip on low for a minute until the mascarpone is loose. Add the Grand Marnier and whip on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. Do not overbeat or the mascarpone will break down.

Mix about ¼ of the mascarpone mixture into the chocolate to lighten. Fold in the remaining mascarpone until well incorporated.

Blueberry Pie

Blueberry season ended a few weeks ago. Luckily, we found some free time and a place to pick your own organic berries.


We enjoyed lots of blueberry goodies, none more so than blueberry pie.


It didn't last long.


The squirt also likes eating cooked and pureed blueberries for breakfast. His favorite way to eat them is mixed in with some yogurt.


Blueberry Pie
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated
July 2008

Pie dough for a double crust

7 c fresh blueberries
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated on large holes of a cheese grater
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
¾ c sugar
2 Tbs quick-cook (minute) tapioca, ground
Pinch table salt
2 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp water

Roll half the pie dough into a large round disk to 1/8 inch thickness. Place dough carefully in a deep dish pie plate, patting to fit snugly inside the plate. Let the extra hang over the edge.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position. Place a rimmed baking sheet on oven rack and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place 3 cups berries in medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Using potato masher, mash berries several times to release juices. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and mashing occasionally, until most of berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Place grated apple in clean kitchen towel and wring dry. Transfer apple to large bowl. Add cooked berries, remaining 4 cups uncooked berries, lemon zest, juice, sugar, tapioca, and salt; toss to combine. Transfer mixture to the dough-lined pie plate and scatter butter pieces over filling.

Roll out the other half of the pie dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut strips ½ inch thick and place across the top of the filling in a lattice pattern. Trim bottom layer of overhanging dough, leaving 1/2-inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that edge of fold is flush with outer rim of pie plate. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with tines of fork to seal. Brush top and edges of pie with egg mixture.

Place pie on heated baking sheet and bake until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 45-55 minutes. Transfer pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.

Enchiladas Verdes

wipes cobwebs off of computer screen....

Has it really been over a month since my last entry??? Slaps wrist. Bad food blogger!

Work kind of kicked my butt towards the end of the school year. The higher-ups decided to change lots of things around on us, and we scrambled around furiously to accommodate. Plus, a constantly teething baby left me exhausted at night. Anyway, I have just under two months of summer break, and have lots of fun stuff planned.

Today was Father's Day, and hubs celebrated his first. He requested enchiladas, and since we had already tried a red sauce, I decided to go with a recipe using a green sauce. Luckily, Rick Bayless had just the thing. I loved how the sauce turned a vibrant green. The poblano chiles I used were unusually strong - the sauce had more than a little kick, and my hand burned after handling the roasted chiles. A dousing in vinegar, followed by a soapy wash, then a dousing in alchohol followed by another soapy wash took the burn away.

The enchiladas were totally worth the burning hand.


Enchiladas Verdes
Adapted from a Rick Bayless recipe
As seen on rickbayless.com

1.25 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 fresh poblano chiles
1.5 cup (lightly packed) roughly chopped spinach leaves
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
5 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup flour
Salt
12 corn tortillas
A little vegetable oil for brushing or spraying
About 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
Chopped cilantro

Place chicken in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from heat, shred with a fork, and set aside.

Roast the poblanos on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler, turning regularly, until the skins have blistered and blackened on all side, about 10 minutes under the broiler. Place in a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel for 10 minutes. Peel off the blackened skin, tear open and pull out the seed pod and stem (wear gloves). Quickly rinse to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin. Roughly chop and put in a blender. Add the spinach.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and broth, set over medium-low heat to warm.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute to release its aroma, then add the flour and stir the mixture for a minute. Raise the heat to medium-high. Pour in the warm broth mixture and whisk constantly until the sauce boils. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Pour half the hot sauce into the blender with the chiles and spinach. Secure the lid, remove the center part, and cover loosely with a cloth. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining sauce. Taste and season with salt, usually about 2 teaspoons.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Smear about 1/4 cup of the sauce over the bottom of each of four to six 9-inch individual ovenproof baking/serving dishes or smear about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the chicken.

Lay half of the tortillas out on a baking sheet and lightly brush or spray both sides of the tortillas with oil; top each tortilla with another one and brush or spray those with oil. Bake just to warm through and soften, about 3 minutes. Stack the tortillas and cover with a towel to keep warm.

Working quickly, roll a portion of the chicken up in each tortilla, then line them all up in the baking dish(es). Douse evenly with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the enchiladas are hot through (the cheese will have begun to brown), about 20 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and serve.