Pork Potstickers - with a Thai bent

This is such an easy recipe.  Rather than try to mince so much of it by hand...run it all through a meat grinder with the fine grind disk and you are done pronto.  Either the grinder that attaches to your stand mixer or a hand operated works fine.  It yields the perfect texture.

Not quite sure where this Thai bent has come from...but I do like the Thai flavors as they have a pretty awesome blend of sweet-savory-hot-acid going that just dances in your mouth.  A happy dance if you will.

This recipe is also an example of how to repurpose a left over rather than just reheat as is the next day.  For this I used the Thai Pork Roast from the other day, but you can use any other chunk of left over cooked pork roast just as easily.

Of course I cheat...am a better flavor maker than a dough maker.  I pick up a package of potsticker wrappers already made at the local Asian market.  Voila for a buck forty nine I'm in business and no aggravated swearing as I can't get the dough right.

The last tip I offer up is that I use a non-stick skillet.  Makes it easier to release the dumplings when they are seared on one side without tearing them up in the process of flipping to brown the other side.  A good, heavy non-stick skillet with a lid can be had for under $50 and worth the investment.

Pork Potstickers

• 1 lb left over cooked pork roast
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1" finger of ginger
• 1/2 c loose packed cilantro leaves and stems
• 2 green onions thinly sliced
• 1 T lemongrass puree
• 1 T fish sauce
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 T sesame oil

Assemble meat grinder according to your manufacturers instructions.  Cut pork into chunks that will fit into the feed tube.  Place ginger, garlic and cilantro into feed tube and top with some of the pork.  Grind through fine disc.  Repeat with remainging pork until it is all ground.

Mix together lemongrass puree, fish and soy sauce with the sesame oil.  Pour over the ground meat mixture.  Add thinkly sliced green onions.  Toss with fork until all ingredients well blended.

In palm of hand place 1 potsticker wrapper.  Weet edges with water.  Place scant tablepoon of filling into center of wrapper.  Fold edges over and  press to seal the edges.  Place on tray and cover with plastic wrap so they don't dry out while assembling the rest of them.  (This makes about 4 dozen pot stickers).

In non-stick skillet over medium heat spray with cooking oil.  Arrange potstickers in pan so edges don't touch.  Add 1/3 c water and cover.  Steam 5-7 minutes until water just about evaporated.  Remove cover, drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons sesame oil and turn the potstickers over and brown on other side.  Repeat until all pot stickers are cooked.

Potsticker wrapper with edges wet ready for filling

filling placed in wrapper ready to fold and seal edges

Assembled potstickers waiting cooking

Potstickers steamed and one side seared ready to turn over

Add bonus...pays to scroll to the end.  Half the fun of potstickers is dipping them in a flavorful dipping sauce.  Here's my go to recipe for potstickers...doesn't matter what kind, its still uber delicious.

Dipping Sauce

• 1/2 C orange marmalade
• 1/2 c reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1  clove garlic
• 1/2" finger of ginger
• 1 t red pepper flakes

Place marmalade and soy sauce in small sauce pan over low heat.  Using a microplane grate in the ginger and garlic.  Add pepper flakes.  Stir until marmalade melts and its all combined. Cool to room temp.  Store leftovers in fridge for up to a week.

Pasta fagioli, fazool or minestrone?

Maybe I should call it Italian Left Over soup.  Whatever you call it I am certain there is an Italian grandmother somewhere rolling in her grave by what I did or what I call it.

I started off raiding my fridge and pantry this cool damp L.A. day.  Found was a leftover porchetta that I needed to do something with and re-purposing made more sense than just reheating and serving it up that way.

I also had the tops of a bunch of beets I had the other day.  The beet greens actually make for very tasty greens sauteed on their own or in soup.  If you don't have beet greens, kale, collards, mustard or any other greens you have around would be a reasonable substitution.

I also used both dried and fresh basil in this recipe.  The former in the soup itself for the simmer and the latter as garnish torn and served on the individual servings.  Each bring a slightly different flavor to the party, I really like the fresh green flavor of the raw basil on top the soup.

Italian Style Left Over Soup

• 1 1/2 lb roast pork/porchetta
• 1 onion diced
• 2 large carrots sliced
• 1 T minced garlic
• 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 3 cans cannellini beans, drained
• 1 t fresh ground black pepper
• salt to taste
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1 t dried basil
• 2 bay leaf
• 1 32 oz can chicken stock
• 1 1/2 c tiny macaroni noodles
• 4 c beet greens coarse chopped
• fresh basil
• parmesan

In large stock pot over medium heat add a couple of tablespoons olive oil.  Add onion, carrots and garlic, cook until onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes.  Cut pork roast to small dice, about 1/2 inch square.  Add pork to stock pot and stir in cooking a couple of minutes until it is warmed up.

Add undrained tomatoes, beans, oregano, dried basil, bay leaf, fresh ground black pepper and chicken stock.  Stir and taste for seasoning, adding salt if needed.  Simmer over low heat for an hour until flavors are combined.  Add macaroni and greens.  Simmer 10 minutes longer.

Serve hot with a couple of tablespoons fresh grated parmesan and a few basil leaves torn on top.

Seared Salmon, two ways, two nights

I'm a big fan of making enough of something so I can use it another time in something different. Life is frantic and eating out just isn't always the indicated option. I got the idea for this from a recent cooking magazine and a trip to Surfas where I found some affordable smoked paprika.
I opted for a sweet smoked paprika as I don't usually care for things to bitter on the entree. Just me on that decision. I am going to eventually try the bitter and hot versions and will drop a note on how I like them.

Seared Salmon Steaks

• 6 oz salmon steak
• 1/2 t steak seasoning salt blend (I use Lawry's Montreal)
• 1/2 t onion powder
• 1 t smoked paprika

Divide the seasoning for each side of the salmon steak. Heat nonstick pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Heat to shimmering. Add salmon and sear about 3-4 minutes, flip and cook another 3 -4 minutes until just cooked through.

I served the ones for the first night over steamed rice and green beans on the side. The next night with the extra small filets I warmed just a bit, sliced them and put them on a tossed salad of mixed greens with a light vinaigrette

Barley Soup

Barley Soup was one of those winter staples when I was a kid. My Mom had it growing up in the Section 30 area outside of Ely MN. She learned it from her Mom, a great cook in her own right who was born and raised on a farm in South Dakota. This like almost all comfort food has its start in the simple and humble foods put together from what was available on the Farm. In this case it is the left over ham bone from a holiday dinner, barley and a few vegies that is much greater sum than the ingredients would suggest. It is so filling and comforting when there is a chill in the air.

This soup is pretty much what my Mom's version was when I was a kid. A bit more vegies and visible chunks of vegies to suit my tastes. My Mom's version bless her soul, wasn't as rich in vegies as too many of my siblings would just not eat it if they could see a carrot, celery or horrors, a bit of onion. I ask you, what the hell kind of soup doesn't have veg of some sort in it?

Now for the recipe:

Barley Soup

• 1 large ham bone, meat cut off as close to bone as possible, coarse chopped about 2 cups
• 1 yellow onion, coarse chopped
• 1 c diced celery
• 1 c chopped carrots
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 c barley
• 2 c water
• 2 - 3 cans low sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley

In large stock pot add oil and heat to shimmering. Add the celery and onion, stir and salt to taste. Pepper to taste. Saute about 5 minutes until starting to turn clear. Add ham bits and cook another 5 minutes or so until the onions are clear and bits are starting to brown. Stir in barley and cook for another minute until all barley is coated and bits are starting to brown.

Add 2 c water, 2 cans chicken broth and bay leaf. Add ham bone. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the ham bone, cut off remaining meat bits and return to soup. (Toss the bone over the fence to treat the neighbors dog if you don't want to bin it). Adjust seasoning. Add the additional can of broth to bring the soup to right thickness. Barley unlike some other grains can vary on how much water it takes to cook al dente so it can take 1 2- cans of additional broth at the end to get the right soup like consistency. Add chopped parsley and bring back to simmer, approx 5 minutes. Serve hot with crusty bread or simple bread and butter.

There you go one of my family favorites for you to enjoy. Total comfort food, total peasant food, but good food is good food no matter the historical source. Long live leftovers!