ONE DISH MEALS
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! New Years seems to be a time for Resolutions, but quite honestly, I never make them. Unfortunately, most New Year’s Resolutions are never implemented. The trick is to just add new self-improvement items on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. One at a time would be much easier to do. All that being said, I am making myself a promise that I will pay more attention to this blog and try to write something, if not daily then at least twice weekly. And starting off will be a new series of ‘One Dish Meals’ or almost ‘One Dish Meals’. The first one is my Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry that we had for dinner last night. So, here goes!
Cut the Tenderloin in half lengthwise and rub with 2 Tbsps. of Granulated Sugar. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then Slice the Pork Tenderloin into thin crosswise slices, being sure to cut against the grain. Completely cover the Tenderloin pieces with the Marinade Mixture. (see recipe) pork-tenderloin-stir-fry/ Cover and refrigerate for several hours or even overnight.
Marinating the Tenderloin Halves
When ready to cook prep your Vegetables. The Vegetables you use are a matter of personal choice. Personally I usually like to use up what I have in the refrigerator. If I don’t have enough of those certain Vegetables that I like in Stir-Fry then I will purchase more. The Vegetables that I used this time were:
Shitake Mushrooms (any variety will do)
Onions
Garlic
Carrot
Snow Peas
Bean Sprouts
Scallions
Red Bell Pepper (The colored ones are sweeter than the Green)
Stir-Fry Vegetables
Clean the Mushrooms by wiping with a damp paper towel. Remove the stems (Shitake stems are too woody to eat) and then cut into quarters. If they are very large, then just slice crosswise.
Peel the Onion and then slice into petals – quarter the Onion and then slice each quarter into ¼” pieces lengthwise.
Wash and dry the Scallions and cut crosswise into thin slices – both the White and Green Parts.
Peel the Carrots and then slice diagonally into 3/8” slices.
Remove the string from the Snow Peas and the stem end. Rinse with cold water and drain. Cut each in half lengthwise.
Remove the stem and seeds from the Bell Pepper; wash and dry and then slice into julienne pieces. If these are too large for you, then slice again into halves or quarters.
Just before serving time heat a small amount of Peanut Oil (or Vegetable) in a wok or sauté pan. Just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. When the Oil is hot add the Mushrooms and Onions. Sauté until the Mushrooms are soft and the Onion is translucent. Add the Carrot slices and sauté just until the Carrots are almost fork tender. Transfer the Vegetables to a covered dish and then add the Pork. Sauté the Pork for about 2-3 minutes and then add the Sauce Ingredients (See recipe) along with the Snow Peas. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Return the Vegetables to the wok along with the Bean Sprouts, Scallions and Red Bell Pepper. Cook for another minute or so or until everything is hot.
One Dish Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry
Serve with Rice or Rice Noodles. Voila! Dinner is ready.
Categories: Dinner Ideas Tags: family dinner, Mushrooms, One Dish, Pork, Stir Fry, Vegetables
CULINARY MAKEOVERS #7 – Sweet Potato Croquettes
Sweet Potato Croquettes - Frying
Do you love Sweet Potatoes and Macaroons? This Makeover is a dish that combines the two into one. In our family we love both Sweet Potatoes and macaroons, so what better than to combine the taste of both into one dish? When I make Sweet Potatoes I always make an extra one. A leftover Sweet Potato is good for lunch or breakfast and it can be made into other dishes. For this makeover we are going to make Sweet Potato Pancakes ‘breaded’ with Macaroon Coconut. Macaroon Coconut is very finely cut Coconut. It is so finely cut that it almost looks like confetti.
For our dinner tonight I made Pork Tenderloin and Sweet Potato goes very well with
pork. But since we had sweet potatoes with our salmon dinner the other night, I wanted to remake them so that we would have a different dish incorporating the sweet potato flavor. For Sweet Potato Pancakes, you will need the following:
- At least 1 large cooked Sweet Potato
- ¼ cup minced Onion
- 1 tsp. Salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground Pepper
- Pinch freshly ground Nutmeg
- 1 Egg, beaten
- ¼ cup All Purpose Flour, Rice Flour or Bread Crumbs
- Macaroon Coconut for ‘breading’ or Panko Crumbs (Japanese Breadcrumbs)
Peel and mash the Sweet Potato and combine with the remaining ingredients. Mix well to incorporate everything into a homogenous mass. If the mixture seems too soft, you can add more starch to bind it together. Shape into patties, using a #30 food scoop or a heaping soup spoonful. You should have 4-6 croquettes.
Put the Macaroon Coconut on a large platter or into a pie pan. Coat each patty generously with the coconut. The patties may be refrigerated before cooking.
When ready to cook, heat some Olive Oil or Peanut Oil in a medium size skillet; when the Oil is hot (350 degrees), carefully place each patty in the pan. Cook until golden brown then carefully turn over each patty and cook on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve while still warm either with Maple Syrup or just by themselves as a side dish with your favorite meat such as pork, fish or chicken.
The Sweet Potato Croquettes may also be made for breakfast along with some bacon or cooked ham. Other leftover vegetables can be used in this manner and may even be an incentive for the non-vegetable lover to eat their share. If you don’t want to make croquettes from your leftover Sweet Potato you can make muffins or even bread. Check our recipe section for a generic fruit bread recipe in which you can use any kind of fruit including the sweet potato. http://sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/breads/fruit-muffins/ This recipe will work well as a quick bread or as muffins.
Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Cooking for Everyone, Dinner Ideas, Holiday Meals, Leftovers, Lunch Ideas, Main Tags: Chicken, family dinner, holiday recipes, Leftovers, Pork, Sweet Potatoes
