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Pork Ragu with Penne

Pork Ragu with Penne

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
  • ½ cup shredded carrots
  • ½ cup white onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • ½ cup half and half
  • Salt
  • ½ pound penne, al dente- ½ cup spare pasta water
  • 2 tablespoons truffle paste or 1 tablespoon truffle oil

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the pancetta and sauté for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add the pork and separate with the back of a wooden spatula while sautéing the meat on medium high heat about 2-3 minutes. Add the beef broth and cook on medium low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, till a thick sauce is formed. Add salt and half and half. Add the truffle paste or oil. Mix well and add the cooked pasta and pasta water. Check for seasonings and serve.

Pork Ragu Lasagna with Pesto Bechamel

Pork Ragu and Pesto Bechamel Lasagna

Pork Ragu

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 cups fresh tomato sauce
  • Salt

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the pork and cook on high heat and separate the meat with a wooden spoon. Saute for a 3 to 4 minutes on medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Saute for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomato sauce and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add salt if necessary and turn heat off and keep aside.

Bechamel Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups milk
  • ¼ teaspoon powdered nutmeg
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ cup fresh or store bought pesto

Heat a medium saucepan and add the flour and butter. Melt the butter on medium high heat. Cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Slowly add the milk and whisk to make sure all the lumps are taken out. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to medium. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the nutmeg and salt. Turn the heat off and keep aside. Add the pesto and mix well.

Lasagna

  • 1 cup shredded Pecorino Romano
  • 12 lasagna sheets (I used no boil pasta)

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.

Line a 9 X 11 glass pan with a quarter cup of béchamel sauce. Cover the bottom and add four pasta sheets. Spread one cup of meat sauce on top. Sprinkle ¼ cup shredded Pecorino. Place another 4 sheets on top. Pour about ¾ cup of béchamel sauce- spreading it all over the pasta. Add another cup of meat sauce. Add ¼ cup of shredded Pecorino. Place another 4 sheets on top and cover with the remaining béchamel sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take the cover off, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake for another 15. Serve hot with salad and garlic bread.

Udon Noodles with Sesame Pork

I love, love noodles.. here is another yummy recipe.

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

Mix the pork, tamari, garlic, ginger and shaoxing wine and marinate for 2 to 3 hours. Keep aside.

Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • ¼ cup Asian sesame paste
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey

Mix all the ingredients and set aside.

  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 2 to 3 baby bok choy, chopped, whites and greens separated
  • ½ cauliflower head, chopped
  • 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, ground
  • 1 pound Udon noodles, prepared according to package directions
  • 1 ½ cups chicken broth

Heat a wok with peanut oil and add the Szechuan peppercorns. Saute for 20 seconds on medium heat and add the ground pork. Cook on high heat stirring and breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon. Saute for 5 to 6 minutes or till golden brown. Take the meat out and add some more peanut oil and add the mushrooms. Saute on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bok choy whites and cauliflower and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the meat, noodles, sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cover on a simmer to cook the cauliflower through. Check for seasonings and garnish with bok choy greens.

 

Turkish Style Kebabs

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 2 tablespoons harissa
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground sumac
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 small yellow onion, grated
  • 2 inch piece of ginger, grated
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup mint, chopped

Transfer all the ingredients to a mixing bowl, mix well and let sit for 2 to 3 hours. Form about 12 sausage shaped kebabs and then insert a skewer through each and grill till done. Serve in warm pita with some greens like arugula topped with the harissa sauce.

Harissa Sauce

  • 1 cup full fat yogurt
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • ¼ cup mint, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons sumac
  • 2 tablespoons harissa
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Mix everything in a small bowl, taste for seasonings and serve over the kebabs.

Ground Pork with Cauliflower in Cilantro Sauce (Keema Gobi)

Ground Pork with Cauliflower in Cilantro Sauce

One of our favorites…

Cilantro Sauce

  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ yellow onion, chopped

Blend the cilantro, green onions, ginger, garlic and onion in a blender till veggies form a smooth paste. Keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • Salt
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the cumin seeds and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the ground meat and sauté on high heat. Separate the meat while stirring with a wooden spoon- for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cilantro paste and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. Add the cauliflower, coriander powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Mix well and lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and turn the heat up, stirring constantly, cook for another five minutes or till the excess moisture has cooked through. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.

Middle Eastern Style Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

This is a great take on your regular, run of the mill, meatballs- not that any thing is wrong with that… but sometimes it is nice to change it up a bit…. they are really good to entertain with… I served mine with delicious couscous…

  • 1 pound ground pork (any ground meat can be used)
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh mint, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs soaked in ½ cup milk (let sit for at least 10 mins)

Mix all the ingredients and set aside for at least an hour.

Tomato Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon sumac
  • Zest of one orange (keep juice aside)
  • 3 cups tomato sauce, homemade or canned crushed tomatoes
  • Salt

Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the tomato paste, fennel seeds, ground cumin, cinnamon and orange zest. Saute on medium heat for a minute and add the tomato sauce and the saved orange juice. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat with lid on for at least 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Take lid off and increase heat and form meatballs and drop gently into the pan. Lower the heat to a simmer with the lid on and cook for 30 minutes. Check for seasonings and add salt. Serve on top of couscous topped with yogurt sauce.

Yogurt Sauce

  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon dried mint, crumbled
  • ½ cup grated cucumber, water squeezed
  • ½ cup grated carrot, water squeezed.
  • 1 to 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sumac

Mix all the ingredients and check for seasonings. Serve with meatballs.

Middle Eastern Style Meatballs1

Beef and Pork Ragu with Spaghetti

If it was up to my daughter, I would be making spaghetti bolognese once or twice a week.. this is twist on a true bolognese..

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ pound ground grass fed beef
  • ½ pound ground pork
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 cups milk
  • Salt

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the ground beef and pork. Saute on medium high heat while breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and brown for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the thyme, onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Add a teaspoon of salt. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Add the red wine and bring to a boil and add the tomato sauce and milk. Bring to a boil and simmer with lid on for an hour. Take lid off and cook for another 20 minutes. Check for seasoning and add salt. Serve with spaghetti.