Cashew Pork

Lesli made this for us when we were visiting and oh my goodness was it good! The whole house smelled like a gourmet restaurant and we couldn't get enough. Serves four plus a bit.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pork tenderloin
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into chunks
• 1 tsp cinammon
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 c + cashew butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• cooking twine

Directions:

1. Butterfly the pork to get a uniform piece(s).
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Pulse in a food processor (until chunky applesauce looking): apples to lemon zest.
4. Spread the mixture evenly over the tenderloin, and roll it into a jellyroll from the long side. Use twine to hold the roll together.
5. Bake 25 mins per pound, or until internal temperature is 150.
6. While resting, make the sauce. Mix cashew butter to pepper in a pan over low heat. Add water, about 1/4 c at a time, until the sauce is the consistency of a thick soup. Serve over top of tenderloin.

Great served with roasted brussel sprouts.

Credit Paleo Comfort Foods Cookbook.

Apricot Walnut Creams

I love these little treats -- check out these ingredients, how could you not love these? Another one from the Weeks family. Makes about 5 1/2 dozen and freezes well for keeping.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c dried apricots
• 1 lb confectioners sugar
• 2/3 c light cream or half and half
• 1/4 c light corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c marshmallow creme
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 c walnuts, chopped

Directions:

1. Place apricots in colander over boiling water in large saucepan. Cover and steam 10 minutes. Remove from colander and dice small.
2. Combine in heavy 2 qt sauce pan the sugar, cream, syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking until small amount forms soft ball in cold water (234 degrees in a candy thermometer), and then remove from heat.
3. Add but do not stir the marshmallow cream and butter. Let cool 15 minutes.
4. Add vanilla and beat until creamy.
5. Stir in the apricots and walnuts.
6. Drop teaspoon sized drops on wax paper or foil and let set until firm enough to move.

Pimento Cheese Spread

I have tasted the first pimento cheese that I like! Mrs. Weeks has adjusted this recipe many, many times and has found the jackpot. She happened to not have bell pepper on hand when she made this, but that may have been the trick since I don't like bell pepper flavor. Delicious spread on crackers.

Mix all ingredients together and keep refrigerated. Makes about 1 1/2 - 2 cups.

• 8 oz sharp cheddar, grated
• just less than 2/3 c mayo
• 2 oz pimentos
• 1 tbsp chipolte in adobo sauce
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp dried red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp sliced jalepeno

Anise Cookies

This is a Christmas favorite at the Week's house. Joe loves the anise flavor and we have anise hyssop growing in our backyard - we'll have to try to make the oil ourselves at some point. Makes 80-90 cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 c sugar
• 4 eggs
• 15 drops anise oil
• 2 c flour

Directions:

1. Beat first three ingredients for 20 minutes and then add flour and beat until combined. 
2. Drop onto greased cookie sheet and let sit overnight. 
3. Preheat oven to 375. Put cookies in and immediately turn oven down to 300. Bake about 14 minutes. 

Haystacks

Another great holiday recipe from my mother-in-law.

• 1/2 c peanut butter (plain or crunchy)
• 1 1/2 c "Chinese noodles"
• 6 oz package butterscotch morsels (can also make a version using chocolate morsels)

Melt morsels and peanut butter. Add noodles and mix together. Spoon tablespoon sized drops onto wax paper and let set for about an hour, long enough to cool down so that moving them will not break them apart. Keep refrigerated.

Basil Hayden Holiday Drink

I made up this cocktail with a bit of holiday flavor. I love the nutty smell of sucanat and clementines are always a family  favorite during the holidays.

• 1/2 jigger Basil Hayden bourbon
• 1/4 jigger honey syrup (make this by simmering equal parts sucanat and water into a syrup. could probably substitute simple syrup.)
• squeezed juice of 1/4 clementine
• 3 dashes bitters
• splash of water

Combine over ice and stir until cold. Serves 1, so make 2 :). Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Menu 2011

Making a lot of food made sense the for the first time ever since the Peterson clan joined us this year!

The best part of the menu is the Sovereignty Farms fresh turkey, raised just for us. We also enjoyed:

• Shimai and Chan Dressing (new this year!)
• Greenbean Casserole
• Apple, Onion and Potato Gratin
• Mashed Root Vegetables
• Ina Garten's Popovers
• Fresh Cranberry Sauce
• Pumpkin Pie (new this year!)

And of course our entire week was smothered in chocolate chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and homemade hot chocolate (although this time minus the chipotle and plus Grand Marnier). I'd say we're a chocoholic family, and the Savory Sweet Life creator is fabulous at cookie recipes!

Pumpkin Pie

• 2 cups canned organic pumpkin puree
• 12 oz can evaporated milk
• 1/2 c dark brown sugar
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamon
• zest of 1/2 large lemon
• 2 frozen prepared whole wheat pie crusts
• 1/2 heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix everything except the whipping cream in a large bowl and pour into the pie crusts. Bake for 40 minutes. Whip the cream until it fluffs and top each slice when serving.

Modified from Simply Recipe's version.

Cranberry Sauce

• 7 oz cranberries
• 1/4 c raw honey
• 2 oranges, juiced + zest of 1
• juice of 2 oranges
• cinnamon stick

Add all ingredients into a pot and cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until cranberries have all popped and some are mushy. Cool and then chill for about hour 1 before serving.

Shimai and Chan Dressing

To prevent taking our grocery shopping to yet another store, my sister and I made up this recipe for dressing on the fly, and it actually turned out really great - even worth a repeat in the future.

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf wheat bread, sliced
• 8 slices pumpernickel bread, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 sticks celery, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 lb bacon
• 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
• 1 apple, cored and chopped
• 1 pear, cored and chopped
• 1/2 c parsley, chopped
• 4-5 tbsp dried sage
• 1 large spring fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tbsp dried thyme
• 5-6 cups chicken broth, seperated 
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toast all the slices of wheat bread in toaster or oven until crispy. Break up the toast and the pumpernickel into bite size crumbles and put in a large mixing bowl.
3. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot until the butter stops making bubbles, and sauté the onion, celery, carrots and leeks until the onions are transparent. During the sauté flavor with some salt and pepper and add some of the parsley. Set aside to cool.
4. While the vegetables are sautéing, cook the bacon to be crispy and set aside to cool. 
5. Discard most of the bacon grease but leave a coating in the skillet. Sauté the mushrooms in the remaining grease.
6. To the bowl of bread add the sautéed vegetables, crumbled the bacon, mushrooms, apple, pear, remaining parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and about 1 cup of broth. Mix well. Add more broth if the mixture is dry.
7. Cover a large casserole dish or roasting pan in aluminum foil (for easy clean up), and pour the dressing mixture in. The dish should be large so that the dressing is only about 1/2 deep. 
8. Cover lightly with another sheet of foil and bake in oven for about 30-40 minutes, adding additional cups of broth during the cooking time to keep the entire thing moist. Remove the top foil and brown for another 10 minutes. Note: if your dressing is a thicker layer, then you may need to cook it longer to heat well all the way through, but continue to add more broth to keep it moist.

Note on labels: I think this would be a perfectly good recipe by leaving out the bacon and using vegetable broth.

Bok Choy Breakfast

This breakfast recommendation from Clean Eating Magazine surprised me so I had to try it. The best part about it is that I am not hungry mid morning!

• 2-3 baby bok choy, cleaned and chopped into bite size pieces (great to prep this the night before if you rush in the morning)
• 1/2 c instant brown rice
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp tamari (or coconut aminos)

Steam the bok choy and serve over brown rice mixed with tamari. Serve next to scrambled eggs with a little salt and pepper.

Artichoke Dip

This was a huge hit at a party because of the unexpected "kick," and it is incredibly easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 2 14 oz cans artichoke hearts in water (not oil)
• 2 c shredded parmesan cheese (shred it yourself so it melts better
• 1 c mayonnaise
• big dash of cayenne
• salt and pepper
• 1 baguette and olive oil or other "dipping device"

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Drain the artichoke hearts and cut large pieces in half.
3. Shred the cheese into a large bowl. Add cayenne, salt and pepper and mix well. Add artichoke hearts and mayo, mix well.
4. Pour into ungreased 8x8 baking dish and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until peaks in the dip start to brown slightly.
5. While that is cooking, slice baguette (or something else if you are eating this paleo) into very thin slices. Place on cookie sheet and drizzle very lightly with olive oil. Add to the oven and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until crispy. 

Adjusted from Simply Recipes.

Apple Pound Cake

It's apple season!! This recipe is absolutely delicious. As always, Elise of Simply Recipes totally rocks it. I adjusted the recipe for sugar and quantity to fill a different type of container. I use a stoneware container with two mini-loaves. I believe this recipe will work for one regular loaf, or cut it in half for a 9" pie pan.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of sucanat (or equal parts sugar)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 11 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 medium apple, peeled and sliced

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and butter the loaf pans or pie pan.
2. In a small separate bowl, combine 1/2 c of sucanat and all of the cinnamon. You'll use this later.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In an electric mixer blend the butter and remaining sucanat. Add egg and mix until combined. In three alternating parts, add the flour mixture and milk. Between each addition allow the mixture to combine completely.
5. Split your batter to allow the apples and cinnamon-sucanat to be added in the middle. For a single loaf pan or pie pan, add half of the batter first. Then add a layer of sliced apples, being careful not to allow them to reach the edge of the pan (if they do, the bread will not stick together well when cooked). Then sprinkle a layer of cinnamon-sucanat on the apples. Then pour the remaining batter on top of the apples, and sprinkle the top with more cinnamon-sucanat.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Latte

Fall is here! And that means it's pumpkin-everything time!


I think this is a pretty good recipe for anyone using an espresso machine at home. I've heard this recipe is excellent if you only have a french press.

Steam and froth about 1 c milk with 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Mix with a spoon while steaming to get the spice to dissolve. Make a double shot of espresso and combine like a normal latte.

Greek Salad with Chicken

I am generally not a big fan of Greek salad, nor am I huge fan of salad for dinner. But this recipe is awesome! The key to making this delicious is to take your time with the chopping to make it really all blend together.


Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
8 oz poached chicken breasts, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup sliced ripe black olives
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions:
1. Poach chicken: in a medium skillet place chicken breasts, then add slightly salted water just to cover it. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until cooked, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Whisk vinegar, oil, dill, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Add lettuce, chicken, tomato, cucumber, onion, olives and feta; toss to coat.

Credit: Eating Well

NUTRITION
Per serving: 343 calories; 18 g fat ( 5 g sat , 7 g mono ); 89 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 31 g protein; 3 g fiber; 618 mg sodium; 656 mg potassium.

Hurricanes!

Hurricane Irene means hurricanes for everyone!

• 1 part light rum
• 1 part dark rum
• 1 1/2 parts passionfruit juice
• 1/2 part fresh lime juice

Shake with ice. Serve with maraschino cherries.

Pizza Pizza!

Obviously you can make your own pizza out of just about anything, but we enjoyed these two varieties enough to record them. In both cases we used the ready-to-bake dough from Whole Foods bakery (which makes two small pizzas).

Pear and Prosciutto Pizza

• 1/2 Whole Foods pizza dough
• couple tsp olive oil
• 1 pear, sliced in long thin pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 large shallot, sliced in long thin pieces
• about 2 tbsp basil-based pesto (we used ready-made)
• a few basil leaves
• 4 tbsp gouda, shredded
• about 4 pieces of proscuitto, torn into bite sized pieces

1. Bake the pizza dough until almost done.
2. While the dough is baking, saute the shallot, pear, and garlic in a bit of olive oil.
3. Take out the dough and apply a very light brushing of basil-based pesto. Top with the pear mixture, then top with small proscuitto pieces. Sprinkle cheese over everything.
4. Return to oven until the cheese is fully melted.
5. Top with basil leaves and cook for one more minute.

Brocollini and Parm Pizza

• 1/2 Whole Foods pizza dough
• couple tsp olive oil
• 3 sprigs brocollini florets, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 c mushrooms, diced
• 4-6 pieces of marinated artichoke hearts
• tomato sauce (we used the pre-made pizza sauce from Whole Foods)
• handful of parmesan flakes

1. Bake the pizza dough until almost done.
2. While the dough is baking, saute the brocollini and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil.
3. Take out the dough and apply a very light brushing of pizza sauce. Top with the brocollini mixture, then top with artichoke hearts. Sprinkle cheese over everything.
4. Return to oven until the cheese is fully melted.

Rice Noodle Shrimp

We enjoyed this one-dish meal from Fresh20.com but we prefer a bit more kick in the broth, and more broth than noodles, so I've modified the recipe below (will try it this way next time).

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 onion, sliced into long pieces
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 6 c chicken broth
• 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, tail off
• 4 oz noodles
• 3 c broccoli florets
• 2 limes, juiced
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chiffonade
• black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large pot heat the oil and add the garlic, jalapeno and onion. Saute until onions are translucent and then add the ginger, cumin, chili powder, red pepper, and salt.
2. Pour in the broth and bring to boil.
3. Turn off the heat, add shrimp, noodles and broccoli. Cover and let sit for 8 minutes.
4. Add lime juice, soy sauce and mint. Stir to combine and serve!

PS - Fresh20 recommends a side of sliced mango, which is a great flavor combination. We added chopped mint on it too.

Appetite Suppressing "Soup" Snack

I've been trying to return to "normal" after over-eating for a few weeks, and I continue to get that "I'm going to eat a house" hunger at about 10pm every night. I found this reassuring, albeit common-sensical, article about just recognizing that weight loss will in fact mean some hunger occasionally and finding little no-calorie ways of dealing with it. I love this one and it worked perfectly for me tonight.

A quart of low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth has about 20 calories so you could have as much of this as you want, but just a cup did the trick for me. My favorite broth is Pacific brand.

Heat about 1 cup of chicken broth (about 45 secs - 1 min in the microwave). Add a sprinkle of Tony Sacherez, pinch of salt, and tsp of tamari sauce.

I bet a few teaspoons of chives would be nice as well but I didn't have any on hand.

Linguine with Pea Pesto

Holy freaking cow I love this pasta recipe: Linguine with Pea Pesto.

Thank you smitten kitchen!

Shrimp Fajitas

This is such as easy thing to do it doesn't require a "recipe" but I definitely forget to make it all too often. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp, raw, deveined, without tails, rinsed
• 2 bell peppers, cut into strips
• 1/2 onion, cut into strips
• 3 cloves garlic, finely diced or minced
• cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper
• olive oil
• tortilla wraps (at least 8)
• greek yogurt (as a topper)

Instructions:

1. In a medium skillet heat about 1 tbsp olive oil and cook the vegetables for about 5-8 minutes.
2. In another large skillet heat about 1 tbsp oil and add the shrimp. Sprinkle the spices on top and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Flip to the other side and sprinkle more spice. Continue cooking and stir a bit until shrimp are pink.
3. Add the vegetables to the shrimp, stir and cook for another couple of minutes. If anything starts to stick, add a bit of water or broth.
4. Heat the tortillas in the microwave wrapped in damp paper towels for 20 seconds.

Mango Salsa

Easy Peasy!!! Goes great with Mexican-type spiced dishes, or just on top of greek yogurt for breakfast.

Put these things in a bowl and stir:

• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1 tsp agave nectar (or raw honey)

Best if you let it sit for at least an hour before eating but it's pretty good immediately too.

Inspired by (but not copied from) The Fresh 20.

White Bean and Basil Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 cup basil
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and liquid reserved
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Sink basil into olive oil and muddle a bit to release the oil from the basil into the oil. Heat oil with basil in microwave for about 45 seconds to mix the flavors. Remove and set aside basil from the oil.
2. Heat the basil-infused oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until very soft, but not brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the beans and 1/4 cup reserved liquid from the can and season well with salt and pepper. Add a few chopped pieces of the basil used to infused the oil. Raise heat to medium-high and continue cooking until beans begin to break down, about 5 minutes.
4. Cool slightly and transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree, drizzling in more reserved liquid or a bit of water, if needed, until it is the consistency of thick hummus.
5. Serve with celery, pita, bagel chips or falafel chips.

Credit for original: Claire Robinson, Food Network

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach
• 2 14 oz jars artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or other very hard cheese
• 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese

Ingredients:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8x8 dish with nonstick spray, olive oil or butter.
2. Microwave spinach on high for 5 minutes and squeeze dry.
3. Drain the artichoke hearts and coarsely chop in a food processor.
4. Combine all the ingredients except the jack cheese in a large bowl. Stir well. Scrape into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the jack cheese on top.
5. Bake for 60 minutes. (Note original recipe was for 30 minutes but it took me twice as long.)

Credit for original: Paula Dean, Food Network

Dips!!

This weekend I decided to give a few different dip recipes a try - some were great, one was horrible, one so-so. Here are the results.

Thumbs up!

• White Bean and Basil Dip - We really liked this one. It was a bit warm when we served it and it got even better after sitting in the refrigerator overnight.
• Spinach and Artichoke Dip - This one was great and almost served as the "main dish" of our dip night. I like that the prominent flavor is cheese and artichoke, not spinach.
• Organic Chipotle Black Bean Dip Mix - not homemade at all! This isn't my favorite dip but it holds up as an alternative to salsa from a jar, for example.

No, thank you...

• Mushroom Dip - this recipe called for condensed soup. Unfortunately that's all it tasted like, too.
• Red Pepper Ricotta Dip - the flavor was OK, but it was just too runny and a bit too tart for my taste.

Swedish Summer Cocktail

We had this in Sweden, from our hosts and absolutely love it on a hot day.

Ingredients:

• seltzer
• english cucumber, sliced in rounds
• fresh ginger root, minced or finely chopped
• flat italian parsley (curly parsley is not a good substitute), cut into 2 inch sprigs (do not chop, it's hard to drink)
• vodka
• St. Germain OR Eldeberry Flower Syrup/Pressee

Instructions:

Pour equal amounts Vodka and Eldeberry flower liquid (maybe 2 jiggers each) over ice. Add cucumber, ginger and parsley. Top off with seltzer.

Asparagus & Mushroom Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

• 3 c milk
• 1 c chopped spring onions (about 1 large bunch)
• 1 loaf stale or toasted multi-grain bread
• 2 tbs butter
• 1 lb mixed wild mushrooms
• salt and pepper
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 c chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tbs dried oregano
• 3 c grated Swiss cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place milk and onions in sauce pan and bring to a boil, then set aside to steep for about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, break or cut bread into crouton sized crumbs and place in a medium size bowl. Once the milk steeps, pour over bread and let it sit while you continue, at least another 15 minutes.
3. Chop asparagus into 1/2" pieces and simmer or steam in boiling water until bright green, or about 4-5 minutes, and then strain.
4. Saute mushrooms in butter, salt and pepper until mushrooms begin to shine.
5. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper, and 2 cups of the shredded cheese. Add asparagus. Add bread mixture pieces one handful at a time and mix thoroughly. Do not use all of the bread if the egg mixture is not able to coat everything (loaves vary in size and you just want everything well coated.) Do include any milk and onions that have sunk to the bottom of the bread mixture.
6. Pour into a buttered 9x12 casserole dish and top with remaining cup of cheese.
7. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Best served hot.

Thanks to Deborah Madison, Local Flavors for the original. I modified the instructions to make them easier for myself.

Purple Cabbage Salad with Edamame, Golden Raisins and Smoked Almonds

This salad is nice and filling as a complete veggie meal, and super colorful.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c frozen organic shelled edamame
• 2 c red cabbage, thinly sliced and roughly chopped
• 1 orange bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1 c pineapple, diced
• 1/2 c golden raisins
• 16 smoked almonds, roughly chopped
• 1/4 c fresh mint, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about one juicy lime)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/4 tsp chile-garlic sauce

Instructions:

1. Boil edamame for about 10 minutes until cooked through. Drain and run under cold water to cool.
2. In the meantime, prepare the other vegetables and put into a large bowl. Mix the honey, lime, and garlic sauce to make it easier to blend in with everything else.
3. Mix everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Credit to Vegetarian Times.

Fabtabulous Thai Wraps

That title just rolls off the tongue doesn't it? These are great! The recipe starts to sound a bit complicated but it's really not. Just read the full set of instructions (a good tip for all recipes) before you start and it will be a breeze.

We found this from America's Test Kitchen but modified it slightly due to "ingredients on hand" (read: forgot to get something at the store). The most important thing we learned (it is an educational program) is the low quality of buying "ground pork". Going through this process to grind your own pork tenderloin tastes delicious, is not difficult, and is actually pink -- why is ground pork white in the store? Because it's fat. Not so yummy.

Ingredients:

• 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), trimmed of silver skin and fat, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 1/2tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon white rice
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium shallots , peeled and diced (remember that most shallots come with two inside)
• 3 tablespoons juice from 2 limes
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 head Bibb lettuce , washed and dried, leaves separated and left whole

Instructions:

1. Place pork chunks on large plate in single layer. Freeze meat until firm and starting to harden around edges but still pliable, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. In the meantime, heat rice in small skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring constantly (or shaking/shifting the skillet), until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool 5 minutes. Grind rice with spice grinder, mini food processor, or mortar and pestle until it resembles fine meal, 10 to 30 seconds (you should have about 1 tablespoon rice powder).
3. Place half of meat in food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, 5 to six 1-second pulses. Transfer ground meat to medium bowl and repeat with remaining chunks. Stir 1 tablespoon soy sauce into ground meat and marinate, refrigerated, 15 minutes.
4. Bring broth to simmer in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook, stirring frequently, until about half of pork is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon rice powder over pork; continue to cook, stirring constantly, until remaining pork is no longer pink, 1 to 1½ minutes longer. Transfer pork to large bowl; let cool 10 minutes.
5. Add remaining 1½ tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 2 teaspoons rice powder, shallots, lime juice, sugar, red pepper flakes, mint, and cilantro to pork; toss to combine. Serve with lettuce leaves.

Serves 4.