Tag: dinner

• 

  Pork Belly Air Fryer

  Check out this super easy Asian styled pork belly recipe. With a few simple ingredients and my air fryer I turned out this punchy little salad.

  

  Simply

  Cut your pork belly portion into cubes.

  

  

  Then drizzle with dark soy and garlic infused olive oil. Add some black pepper and salt then marinade for several hours in the fridge. I also add sugar sometimes for it’s glazing properties. 

  

  Pop the cubes into the airfryer and cook for 15 – 20 minutes, turning them over once or twice.

  

  Serving

  Fried pork goes well with so many other ingredients. Salads, rice, potatoes, everything 🙂

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are more air fryer recipes and meals featuring pork: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  December 5, 2021

• 

  Chinese Minced Pork And Corn

  This basic pork mince and corn recipe is  light, full of umami favours and ready for your personal touches.

  I find that my favourite meals have  a few ingredients whose combination belies their individual simplicity. 
  This dish is the perfect example.  Serve with rice, noodles or potatoes and you are good to go!

  

  Ingredients

  • 500g pork mince
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • A good slug of sesame oil (the secret ingredient)
  • 1 can corn kernels or ~400g cut from cobs
  • 3 spring onions, sliced
  • 1 – 2 carrots, sliced
  • 2 sticks  celery, sliced
  • A sprinkle of white pepper
  • A sprinkle of salt
  • Chillies  , to taste, sliced, chopped,  whole…..
  • Water, just a little if the mince looks to be  sticking to the frypan

  Simply

  Heat  some sesame oil in your frypan  and prepare the vegetables.  Saute the onions and garlic. 

  Add  the pork mince and cook until browned.  Add the  rest of the chopped vegetables  and cook until the vegetables have softened a little but still have a bit of crunch. 

  A little bit of liquid will come out of the pork and corn kernels as they cook. I also keep a little bit of water on hand if  the ingredients are sticking to the pan.  I think it is nice for the finished dish to have a little sauce.

  

  Serving

  I like to serve it on a bed of rice and have condiments such as fish sauce and Sriracha on the table.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more Chinese cuisine  inspired dishes and simple meals: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  July 19, 2020

• 

  Cotechino

  Cotechino is a traditional Italian sausage found through the northern areas and the central mountain regions. 

  It is made from pork meat, rind and fat with spice blends that feature fennel but differ from one region to the next.

  Cotechino is slowly simmered in broth infused with herbs and spices over several hours. It makes the kitchen fragrant and heavenly as it slowly cooks.

  

  It is traditional served with lentils but I present here with carrot puree, capers and potato mash.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more posts about Italian cuisine and ways to preserve meat:

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  May 1, 2020

• 

  PK’s Simple Tom Kha Gai

  My way of making Tom Kha, a Thai coconut, chicken and galangal soup, one bowl at a time is great if you have a family with widely different stands on what they will or won’t eat. For example, I love tomatoes, mushrooms and spring onions so I use lots of them in my bowl. My lads don’t so they get more mushrooms, carrot and corn.

  It is also great when you have your friends over for lunch or dinner. Simply put a big pot of soup on the table with the vegetables and rice separate and everyone can build their own bowl. Don’t forget slices of lime, chopped Thai chilies and extra fish sauce. 🙂

  Note: I think this makes enough soup for 2 hungry adults.

  

  Steps

  1. Preparing the ingredients
  2. Bringing the soup to the boil
  3. Serving

  Ingredients

  • 1 poached chicken breast
  • 1 small coriander plant (roots and leaves), whole
  • 1 chunk of fresh galangal, bruised
  • 3 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised
  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce for the pot and 1 Tbsp for each serving bowl
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice for the pot and 1 Tbsp for each serving bowl
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 3 Thai chiles, sliced (optional but encouraged)
  • Your personal choice of vegetables
  • Coriander leaves to garnish

  Equipment

  • 1 chef’s knife
  • 1 chopping board
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 saucepan/soup pot

  Preparing the ingredients

  1. Cut your poached chicken breast into cubes or slices.
  2. Bruise the galangal chunk and the lemongrass stalk and add to the pot.
  3. Bruise the kaffir lime leaves, or like I have put little tears in the edges to release the flavour better, and add to the pot.
  4. Add one small coriander plant.
  5. Add:
     • 1 Tbsp fish sauce
     • 1 Tbsp lime juice
     • 1/2 cup water
     • 2 cups chicken stock
     • 1 cup coconut milk
     • 3 Thai chiles (optional)

  

  Bringing the soup to the boil

  1. Let everything come to a boil really slowly to infuse all the flavours. I don’t move it very often and then only a gentle swirl.
  2. Once you have a gentle boil, turn the heat down a bit and add the poached chicken.
  3. Cook until the chicken is safely warmed through but not for too long or it will go stringy.

  

  Serving

  1. Build up a bowl of your favourite vegetables and add 1 Tbsp fish sauce and 1 Tbsp lime juice.
  2. Add some chicken and then add as much soup as you want (liquid only, the rest stays behind).
  3. Provide your guests with some cooked rice, slices of lime, extra chiles and fish sauce.

  

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  ---

  YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

  MORE THAI DISHES

  MORE ASIAN CUISINE

  CHICKEN DISHES

  MORE SOUP POSTS

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  Written by

  PK

  ·

  September 19, 2018

• 

  PK’s Asian Style Crumbed Pork Loin Cutlets

  Just like my Crumbed Panko Chicken Breasts these crumbed eye of pork loin cutlets are so lite and easy.  Simply throw some noodles or rice at it and serve with wasabi paste, Japanese Mayonnaise and Japanese Roasted Sesame Dressing.

  Your guests will be blown away!

  

  Takes about 20 minutes of preparation and cooking not including 30 minutes of refrigerating the cutlets after crumbing them.

  Steps

  1. Crumbing the pork eye of loin
  2. Shallow frying the crumbed pork
  3. Serving

  Ingredients

  • 5 pork eye of loin cutlets, each one halved
  • 2 eggs, whisked
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • Cracked black pepper and table salt to taste
  • Panko breadcrumbs, enough to coat the cutlets
  • Peanut Oil, enough to cover the bottom of your fry pan

  Equipment

  • 1 chef’s knife
  • 1 chopping board
  • 1 plate for the panko crumbs
  • 1 bowl for the whisked egg
  • 1 whisk or fork
  • 1 tray, covered in baking paper
  • 1 fry pan to shallow fry the cutlets

  Preparing the pork eye of loin

  1. Take each cutlet and slice them to give you two thin cutlets a piece.
  2. Season them with a bit of cracked pepper and salt to taste.
  3. Whisk the 2 eggs in a bowl and then mix in the 1 tsp minced garlic.
  4. Add the cutlets to the egg mix and spread the panko breadcrumbs on a plate.
  5. Take each cutlet and roll in the panko getting a nice thick coating.
  6. Pop them on the the baking paper lined tray and then refrigerate for about half an hour.

  

  

  

  

  

  Shallow frying the crumbed pork

  1. Heat the oil over a high heat and then shallow fry the crumbed cutlets, in batches, until they are golden brown.

  

  Serving

  Goes great on a bed of rice and vegetables and your favourite Japanese condiments. Or in my kids case, tomato ketchup. 😉

  

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  ---

  YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

  MORE JAPANESE DISHES

  MORE ASIAN CUISINE

  PORK DISHES

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  Written by

  PK

  ·

  September 5, 2018

• 

  PK’s Moroccan Chickpea Stew With Lamb And Flatbread

  The inspiration for this North African style stew came from browsing Wikipedia for North African dishes. I pretty much started with their entry for Chakhchoukha (the picture of the dish captivated me) and worked backwards.

  Chakhchoukha is a stew of chickpeas, lamb and seasonal vegetables. It is beefed up with pieces of torn semolina flatbread. The flat bread pieces are added to the bowl and the stew ladled on top. They soak up the sauces in the most amazing way as you eat them during the meal. Then extra flat bread can be used to clean the bowl of every last bit of the amazing sauce.

  I have to mention the spices in the Moroccan spice blend. They alone have me wanting to eat my way across North Africa. The blend I used was a mixture of paprika, turmeric, cumin, salt, nutmeg, cloves and chili. It smells similar to garam masala.

  Dietary Note: Substitute the lamb with potatoes and or mushrooms to make a vegetarian version.

  

  Steps

  1. Cooking the ingredients
  2. Simmering the stew and making flatbread
  3. Serving

  Ingredients

  • 700g lamb shoulder cubed
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp chili powder (I used Kashmiri)
  • 1 tsp Moroccan spice mix
  • 1 large brown onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 zucchini, sliced
  • 400g tomatoes (canned)
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 800g chickpeas (canned)
  • Water, enough to cover the rest of the ingredients
  • Table salt to taste
  • Black peppercorns to taste, cracked
  • 1 -2 Semolina flatbread to line each individual’s bowl, roughly torn

  Equipment

  • 1 chef’s knife
  • 1 chopping board
  • 1 pan or oven proof dish
  • 1 wooden spoon

  Cooking the ingredients

  1. Soften the diced onion somewhat and then brown the 700g cubed lamb.
  2. Gently but thoroughly mix in the:
     • 1 tsp cumin seeds
     • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
     • 1 tsp chili powder (I used Kashmiri)
     • 1 tsp Moroccan spice mix
  3. Mix in the carrot, zucchini, 400g canned tomatoes and 1 Tbsp tomato paste.
  4. Add enough water to cover everything, mix gently and bring everything to a good boil for a minute or two.

  

  

  

  

  

  Simmering the stew and making flatbread

  1. Reduce the heat and simmer (uncovered) for about 30 minutes, stirring every now and again.
  2. Add the 800g canned chickpeas and gently mix everything.
  3. Start making your flatbread now – recipe here.
  4. Simmer for another hour (uncovered) or until the lamb is tender and the sauce has reduced somewhat.

  

  Serving

  1. Tear  1 – 2 Semolina flatbread pieces and line each of your guest’s serving bowls.
  2. Ladle the meat and vegetables into each bowl.
  3. Top up with the gravy and serve hot.
  4. Have some extra flatbread on hand.

  

  

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  ---

  YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

  MORE MOROCCAN DISHES

  MORE NORTH AFRICAN CUISINE

   SEMOLINA FLATBREAD

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  Written by

  PK

  ·

  August 8, 2018

• 

  PK’S Broccoli Filled Beef Meatloaf

  Meatloaf is a great way to make a little go a long way. I use minced beef, vegetables and cheese to hook my fussy little eaters (lamb, pork, chicken work a treat too). My wife loved it as well, mostly as it is a ‘one pan’ dish!

  The broccoli filling was supposed to stay hidden but they were too smart for me. It still worked though thanks to the grilled cheese. 🙂

  

  Steps

  1. Preparing everything
  2. Making the loaf
  3. Cooking and grilling the loaf
  4. Serving

  Ingredients

  • 500g beef mince
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 egg
  • 1 small broccoli head, chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 1/2 brown onion, diced
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 handful of parsley, rough chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (panko would go a treat)
  • Cracked black peppercorns and salt to taste
  • Olive oil spray

  Equipment

  • 1 chef’s knife
  • 1 chopping board
  • 1 mixing bowl
  • 1 non stick baking tin

  Preparing everything

  1. Beat the egg and mix in the 1 Tsbp Worcestershire sauce.
  2. Chop the broccoli into small pieces and microwave for 1 minute.
  3. Dice half of a brown onion, store the rest for another day.
  4. Grate enough cheddar cheese to get 1 cup.
  5. Roughly chop a handful of parsley and finely dice the garlic clove.
  6. Mix the above ingredients together in a bowl, sprinkling with salt and pepper as you go.

  

  Making the loaf

  1. Preheat your fan-forced oven to 180C.
  2. Put half the mince mix into the bottom of baking tin that you have sprayed with olive oil.
  3. Tamp it
  4. Layer the broccoli over this, leaving a gap right around the edges.
  5. Add a similar layer using half of the grated cheese.
  6. Top this with the rest of the mince and press down around the edges to make a bit of a seal.

  

  

  

  Cooking and grilling the loaf

  1. Pop the tin into the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
  2. Cover the mince loaf rest of the grated cheese and grill it until golden brown.

  

  

  

  Serving

  You could just serve it as is thanks to the broccoli filling but we try and use fresh greens from the garden with every meal. 🙂

  It makes for the best leftovers and  frozen lunches by the way.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  ---

  YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

  MORE KID FRIENDLY MEALS

   MORE ONE PAN RECIPE

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  Written by

  PK

  ·

  June 27, 2018

• 

  PK’S Rapid Fire Cheesy Potatoes

  I am calling this a rapid fire dish because it normally takes about an hour of cooking and 15 minutes to prepare. When I come home from work I often don’t have this amount of time.

  So we are going to use a microwave and a hotter than normal oven to cut the cooking time to half an hour at the most. The traditional method also calls for layering the potatoes then pouring the sauce over them in batches. That takes too much time so we are dropping that too. 🙂

  

  Steps

  1. Cutting and cooking the potatoes
  2. Making the cheesy white sauce
  3. Baking the potatoes
  4. Serving

  Ingredients

  • 2 cups cheddar, grated
  • A handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup plain flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
  • A dash of ground nutmeg

  Equipment

  • 1 chef’s knife
  • 1 chopping board
  • 1 bowl
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 oven dish

  Cutting and cooking the potatoes

  1. Slice the potatoes into discs of about 3-5mm (too thin and the potato tends to fall apart whilst cooking).
  2. Microwave the potatoes for about 8 minutes on high.
  3. Test one, they should have just lost or about to lose that crunchy raw taste but not be fully cooked.
  4. Preheat your fan-forced oven to 200C.

  

  Making the cheesy white sauce

  1. On your hob slowly melt the 2 Tbsp butter in the saucepan.
  2. Stir in the 1/4 cup plain flour, a little bit at a time.
  3. Slowly stir in the 2 cups of milk.
  4. Mix in the 2 cups grated cheddar, the chives and the sprinkle of nutmeg.

  

  

  Baking the potatoes

  1. Spray the oven dish with a bit of spray olive oil.
  2. Bundle the potato slice in any old way.
  3. Pour the cheese sauce in and gently combine everything.
  4. Level the top with the wooden spoon and then cover with shaved parmigiano-reggiano.
  5. Cook for about 15 minutes, the potatoes should be soft and the cheese golden brown.
  6. You can pop it under the grill for a few minutes to crisp up the cheese.

  

  

  Serving

  This is the perfect side for roasts and steaks. It makes for the best leftovers. 🙂

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  ---

  YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

  MORE POTATO

   MORE SAVOURY BAKING

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  Written by

  PK

  ·

  June 27, 2018

• 

  PK’s Thrifty Soft Wraps

  My family loves any meal where you prepare fillings in advance and then you build your own meal as you go. I have posted about our tacos, nachos, tasting plates and now……soft wraps :).

  Here we have leftover roast chicken, char-grilled corn, boiled eggs, cheddar cheese and coriander plus leafy vegetables from my kitchen garden:

  

  Simply plonk a bit of your chosen fillings mix in the top middle part of a circular soft wrap/tortilla. Then fold the left side over, then the right back over and then fold the bottom of the wrap up.

  Here are a few examples:

  You get bonus points for:

  • using leftovers.
  • using produce from the garden.
  • visual treats like the char-grilled corn.
  • making your own dips or sauces such as a mix of sour creme, coriander and lime juice.

  If there is anything left you can make a lunch out of it the next day.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  February 26, 2017

• 

  PK’s NoRecipe Build Your Own Soft Wraps

  My family loves any meal where you prepare fillings in advance and then you build your own meal as you go. I have posted about our tacos, nachos, tasting plates and now……soft wraps :).

  Here we have leftover roast chicken, char-grilled corn, boiled eggs, cheddar cheese and coriander plus leafy vegetables from my kitchen garden:

  

  Simply plonk a bit of your chosen fillings mix in the top middle part of a circular soft wrap/tortilla. Then fold the left side over, then the right back over and then fold the bottom of the wrap up.

  Here are a few examples:

  You get bonus points for:

  • using leftovers.
  • using produce from the garden.
  • visual treats like the char-grilled corn.
  • making your own dips or sauces such as a mix of sour creme, coriander and lime juice.

  If there is anything left you can make a lunch out of it the next day.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  February 26, 2017