Larb (Minced Meat Salad)

A Laotian/Thai minced-meat salad made with ground pork (or chicken), fish sauce, lime juice, toasted ground rice, and fresh herbs/vegetables.

I'm a big fan of Southeast Asian cuisine.  Mostly I've had Vietnamese and Thai food but, looking for something new to try, I searched for recipes online.  I found this recipe that sounded delicious and simple with easy to find ingredients.  I also saw a local cooking show where the chef made this dish and gave me more ideas on how to make it and what to serve with it.  Many of the recipes for larb use ground/minced chicken but you can also use pork, beef, or even fish.  It's easiest for me to pick up ground pork in Chinatown (and I prefer pork) so that's what I used.  This recipe has so much flavor I think any meat would be delicious or you could even try mushrooms (for a meatless version).

Like many Thai dishes, this is spicy, salty, sour, and sweet.  It is served with fresh vegetables, herbs, and sticky rice.  I like to pile the larb and rice onto lettuce leaves and eat it like that.  I made mine with fresh cilantro and green onions on the side as well as a shredded daikon, carrots, and cabbage slaw.  Then before eating I mixed it all together.  Mint is another herb that is commonly served with this dish.  In my opinion, you can use just about any fresh herbs and vegetables you like with this salad.  Once you have all the ingredients prepared it all cooks in no time and is a delicious, fresh, quick, and easy meal.

Larb

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork
1/4 red onion (or 1 shallot), thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
*2 Tbsp toasted, ground rice
**1 tsp toasted, ground, dried Thai chilies (or you could use fresh or try Sriracha)
fresh herbs such as cilantro, green onions, and mint
**Daikon, carrot, and cabbage slaw
Crisp lettuce leaves

First prepare all of the side ingredients (those with *s).

* Toasted ground rice:  toast about 1/2 cup of sticky rice in a dry frying pan until it browns.  Remove it from the heat and grind it roughly with a mortar and pestle (or by pulsing in a blender).  Extra can be kept in a sealed container (like a spice jar).
**Toasted ground dried Thai chilies:  (I often buy extra Thai chilies and let them dry out) Place the dried chilies in a dry frying pan and toast them at medium heat until they start to brown and become brittle.  Crush the dried chilies with a mortar and pestle or in a blender (be careful of the chili powder/dust it will make you sneeze like crazy...I tied a bandanna over my nose and mouth).  Again store extra in a sealed container.
***Daikon, carrot, and cabbage slaw:  Shred one small daikon (about the size or a carrot), one carrot, and about 1/2 head of cabbage.  Mix it together with the juice of 1 lime and a dash of fish sauce.  Refrigerate in a sealed container.

In a large frying pan cook the pork until browned/ cooked through.  Pour out extra grease and add the onion cooking until soft.  Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, toasted rice, and chilies.  Taste and adjust seasoning to suit your tastes.

Serve with fresh herbs, slaw, lettuce leaves, and sticky rice.  I put everything on the side so each person can mix it together how they like.  Sprinkle a little more toasted rice on top for added crunch.

Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy.

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Char Siu (Barbecue Pork) Vermicelli

A salad of crisp vegetables and lettuce with noodles and pork all brought together with a sweet, salty, spicy, and sour sauce.

Vermicelli is one of my go to quick meals.  I've written about it before in my Vermicelli Salad where I used slices of left over Prime Rib.  You can use just about any leftover meat, or even tofu, you have and like but Char Siu is my absolute favorite.  We have found a great brand of Char Siu at  CostCo and it comes in a big package that we split into 3 or 4 smaller packs and keep in the freezer.  I just pop one of these packs into the refrigerator the night before then slice it when thawed and we have enough for about 4 servings of vermicelli.

For the noodles I always try to keep some thin bean thread or rice noodles in the pantry.  These cook in no time.  I usually just put them in a big bowl, pour boiling water over them and let them sit for about 10 minutes.  Once the noodles have softened I drain and rinse them in cold water.  Leftover noodles are fine refrigerated for a day or two in a sealed container.

The vegetables are very simple.  Just wash them and cut them however you like.  I use sprouts, lettuce, carrots, sometimes cucumbers, and jalapenos (for my husband).  Then you have your herbs.  You can use them or not depending on your own personal tastes but I think they add a little something to the dish.  Thai basil is my favorite and what I usually use, but mint, cilantro, and green onions are also good options and/or additions.

Most important is the sauce Nuoc Cham.  It is a great combination of flavors salty, sweet, sour and spicy and it helps add flavor to the noodles and keeps them from sticking together.  I love this stuff and am so happy I now know how to make it.  I like to add my julienned carrots to the sauce and let them soak in it for even more deliciousness.  Making the Nuoc Cham is probably the most time consuming part of this meal but it only takes about 10 minutes to prepare.  Nuoc Cham can be made the night before and refrigerated until ready to use.  It tastes even better the longer it sits.  I've kept it refrigerated for about a week before (I don't know how long it actually lasts because we use it up rather quickly).

Char Siu Vermicelli

Ingredients:

Char Siu (barbecue pork), sliced
Lettuce, torn
Sprouts
Thin rice noodles (or bean thread noodles), cooked and rinsed
Carrots, julienned
Thai basil
Nuoc Cham
Cucumbers, sliced (optional)
Jalapenos, sliced (optional)
Green onions, sliced (optional)
Mint leaves (optional)
Cilantro (optional)

It's real simple just sit every thing out and let each person make their own salad.

I like to put sprouts and lettuce in first.  Then, noodles, pork (cold is fine but you can heat it if you prefer), carrots (and other veggies), and herbs.  Lastly I pour a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham over everything.

The hardest part for me is getting everything to fit in the bowl.  I've been looking for some really big serving bowls but haven't been able to find any yet that I like.

Enjoy.

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Pork and Peas Stir Fry

A sweet and spicy stir fry made with leftover Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin and a variety of peas.

This is my third and final new meal from the same pork tenderloin.  Stir fries are a staple in my house because they cook up quick and are relatively inexpensive.  I wanted to do something a little different from my usual stir fry so when I saw beautiful sugar snap peas and snow peas, at my local market, I knew I had to use them.  I also like the sound of pork and peas and the color is great.  The peas make this dish super simple too.  No need to chop just wash and add them to the stir fry.  Young sugar snap and snow peas do not even need to be trimmed and stringed; but if they are a little older just snap off the ends and pull off the strings along the seams because they can be a little tough.

Pork and Peas Stir Fry

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp ginger, minced
1 onion, sliced
1/2 pound sugar snap peas
1/2 pound snow peas
Leftover Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin, cut into bite sized pieces

Sauce:

1 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp Sriracha
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
Honey to taste

Mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Meanwhile wash and string the peas (if necessary) and prepare the other ingredients.

Heat a large saute pan (or wok) over medium high heat.  Add about 1 Tbsp vegetable, peanut, or canola oil to the pan and swish around.

Add the ginger and garlic, stirring constantly, until fragrant.  Then add the onion and peas cooking until tender crisp.  Add the pork and sauce and stir until everything is coated and pork is reheated.

Remove from heat and serve with rice.

Makes 2 servings.

Enjoy.

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Pork Tenderloin Salad

Tender Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin on a green salad tossed in a lemon thyme dressing.

On Monday I posted my Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin recipe.  In that post I mentioned that I made 3 different meals from the tenderloin.  This is the second meal made from it.

Pork Tenderloin Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup pork tenderloin pieces (cut bite sized)
Lettuce, or salad mixed greens
Dried cherries
Pecans
Red onion, sliced thin
Feta
Lemon Thyme Dressing

**Lemon Thyme Dressing:  mix together the juice of 1 lemon, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, and 1 clove of garlic that has been grated on a microplane (or finely minced).  Allow to sit for at least a few minutes for the flavors to meld (the longer it sits the better it tastes you can mix some up the night before or keep some in your fridge, it's delicious).

Toss enough lettuce for 2 salads in the Lemon Thyme Dressing until thoroughly coated.

Separate the lettuce into individual bowls and top with red onions (to taste), pecans, dried cherries, half of the pork, and a sprinkle of feta.

You could alternatively just toss everything together with the dressing but I prefer to only toss the greens in the dressing.  Do whatever you like.

Serve immediately.  Makes 2 salads.

Enjoy.

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Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin

A juicy pork tenderloin rubbed with thyme and other herbs and spices then roasted to perfection.

Whenever I find pork tenderloin on sale at my local grocery store I buy it. It's so simple to cook and very tasty.  It's also quite a bit of meat.  For two people, we got 3 different meals from one loin that was under 10 dollars.  I think this tenderloin was Hormel brand, one of those that is pre-marinated.  I don't like the flavor of the pre-marinades.  They always seem too salty or are just not to my tastes but the meat is always juicy (maybe they are brined too).  I bought the original flavor because it looked like it had the least seasoning.  When I took the meat out of it's package I could feel the almost sliminess (not like it's gone bad slimy) of some kind of marinade on it so I just rinsed it under cold water and patted dry.  Then I prepared my own herb rub for it (with no salt because in my experience these loins that are pre-marinated are usually salty enough) and tossed it in the oven to bake while I relaxed.

I served this loin with baked sweet potatoes and steamed artichoke.  It made a very filling meal and tasted great with out taking much prep time.  The artichoke steamed for about 45 minutes, the potatoes baked for about 30 minutes and the loin baked for 30 minutes.  So I started the artichoke and then put the potatoes and pork into the oven at the same time at the same temperature.  Then I had 30 minutes to relax before dinner.

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried minced garlic
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 24 ounce pork tenderloin, rinsed and patted dry

Mix all of the spices together in a small bowl.   Then rub all over the pork loin until coated.  Place into a shallow roasting dish and bake at 425 for 30 minutes.

Let rest for about five minutes before slicing and serving.  Serve with sides of your choice.  Makes about 6 servings.

Enjoy.

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Pork Scallopini

Thinly sliced pork served with a white wine mushroom sauce.

When planning dinner I had only one pork chop that needed to feed two.  Luckily the pork chop was thick (at least 1 inch).  What I decided to do was cut this pork chop into 4 thin slices and make scallopini.  It turned out great.  I sauteed the pork then reheated it in a white wine mushroom sauce.  To make sure we had plenty I served this with Wild Rice Cherry Pecan Salad, mashed sweet potatoes (they are under the pork in the center of the plate), and steamed broccoli.  It turned out to be quite a large meal.  My husband and I enjoyed it and stuffed ourselves on only one pork chop.

Pork Scallopini

Ingredients:

4 thin slices of pork (about 1/4 inch thick)
flour for dredging
1-2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
20 mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 cup white wine
1 lemon, juice
salt and pepper to taste

Season both sides of the pork slices with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.  Shake off excess flour and fry the pork in oil, over medium high heat, in a large saute pan.  Since the pork is thin it only takes a couple of minutes per side.

Remove the pork from the pan, set aside, and keep warm.  Pour out excess oil from saute pan.

Saute onions, in butter, in the same pan.  When onions start to soften add mushrooms and garlic.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until the mushrooms have softened then pour in the wine.

Let wine reduce by about half and then add in the fresh lemon juice.  Return the pork to the pan until just reheated and serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.

Enjoy.

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Pulled Pork Taco Salad

A taco salad topped with spicy black beans, pulled pork and avocado.

We always get these big bags of tortilla chips from Costco.  It's a 2.5 pound bag so that is a lot of tortilla chips for two people.  I love it.  They are organic and taste great...and are inexpensive.  So, whenever my husband goes to Costco, (yes my husband does the heavy bulk buying/shopping) we have over 2 pounds of chips to eat on for weeks.  I love this because I like chips with my sandwiches, there is always and excuse to make salsa, guacamole, or hummus. And my favorite, plenty of chips to make taco salad.

Taco salad is my favorite meal.  I could eat it all the time and my blog would be non existent or very boring.  One good thing about blogging is that it has made me more creative with taco salad.  Instead of just having plain ground beef taco salad all the time I've started trying new things.  I've found that you can make just about anything into taco salad.  This pulled pork taco salad is one of my first creative ventures and it turned out great.

Whenever we see pork butt on sale my husband or I will always pick it up.  We love pulled pork.  For this pork it was cooked in the slow cooker with just basic seasoning and I made a separate vinegar based sauce to pour on it individually (it was very hot (spicy) so I used less and my husband used more).  We had plenty of pork witch we froze some, ate barbecue pulled pork for a few days and still had some left over for this delicious taco salad.

I did not add taco seasoning to the pork for this salad.  I wanted the slow cooked pork flavor to stand out but I did want some spiciness so I made spiced beans.  It was very simple I just tossed about 1 cup of hot salsa into 2 cups of black beans and let them simmer.  For something a little different, instead of topping this taco salad with cheese, I decided to use mashed avocado.  It was delicious and I think I will use it more often.

Pulled Pork Taco Salad

Ingredients:

Pulled pork
2 cups black beans, precooked
1 cup hot salsa
1 avocado, mashed
juice of 1 lime
lettuce, torn
tortilla chips
green onions, sliced
jalapenos, diced

In a medium-large sauce pan heat the black beans and salsa and some salt until simmering.  Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes until the flavors meld.

Meanwhile, mash the avocado with a little salt and the lime juice, set aside.

Prepare all of the other ingredients and set out so each person can make their own salad.  I made my salad with lettuce, chips, black beans, pulled pork, avocado, and green onions.  Other toppings could include jalapenos, cilantro, carrots, or whatever you like.

Enjoy.

Linked to:  Eat Create Party, Freedom Friday. Best of The Weekend, Show Stopper, Shine a Spotlight, Saturday Night Fever, Random Recipe Roundup, Much Ado About Monday, Two Cup Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Brag About It, Whimsy Wednesday, Saturday Dishes Tex Mex




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Pork Fried Rice

Simple fried rice made with leftovers and char siu (Chinese BBQ pork).

When ever I make rice I always make extra.  The leftover rice is great for another quick meal of fried rice.  Fried rice is a great way to use all kinds of leftovers and clean out your refrigerator.  For this fried rice I had leftover green bean stir fry, carrots and celery (that had been in my fridge a while), and char siu.  None of the ingredients would have been enough for a meal on their own, but put together it made a great meal for two with enough left for one lunch.

My favorite thing about fried rice is that it seems almost free.  Everything used has been part of other meals.  The char siu wasn't a leftover, I had some in my freezer, but you could use any pork, chicken, beef, or shrimp that you have on hand.  Be creative, fried rice is hard to mess up.

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp veg oil
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, slivered
~1 cup green beans
~ 2 cups cooked rice
1 1/2 cup pork, bite sized
dash of soy sauce

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high heat.  Pour in oil and then add the ginger and garlic.  Stir fry breifly until fragrant then add the onions, carrots, and celery.

Continue stir frying for a couple of minutes and then add the pork and green beans (both of these are already cooked they just need to be reheated).  Stir for about a minute then add the rice.

Stir quickly and break up any rice that is sticking together.  Add a dash of soy sauce for some salt and color (the green beans had plenty of sauce on them, that was 2 parts hoisin and 1 part soy sauce) and stir fry until everything is mixed and heated (only a couple of minutes more).  I still haven't figured out how to keep some of the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan but it''s not much and as long as you soak your pan for a few minutes the clean up isn't too difficult.

Makes 3 servings.  Enjoy.

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