Braised Lion Heads For the ‘meatballs’
1/2 lb ground pork (lean is better)
4 oz shrimp (cleaned and shelled)
1/4 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped
1 t fresh ginger, minced
green onion, chopped, pieces same size as water chestnuts
1 T each soy sauce and dry sherry
1/2 t each salt and sugar
1T cornstarch
2 T vegetable oil
For the sauce:
2 cups chicken broth
2T soy sauce
1/2 t sugar
1 head of napa cabbage
2T cornstarch
1t sesame oil
Combine all the ingredients for the ‘meatballs.’ Make equally sized meatballs.
Put the 2 T of oil into a large heavy bottom non stick skillet on medium high heat.
Cook the meatballs in the oil making sure to brown on all sides. Once they are browned, remove meatballs and put them into a medium stock pot.
Add 1 cup chicken broth, soy sauce and sugar, bringing to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
While the meatballs are simmering, prepare the cabbage. Core and separate the leaves, rinse and pat dry. Cut them horizontally halfway way up, saving the thicker bottom sections. Cut the top (leafy) part of the leaves in half vertically through the stem.. Cut the bottom portions into 2 inch squares.
The broth in the simmering meatballs should cook down until almost carmelized in appearance. Pour in the rest of the chicken broth, put the nappa leaves on the meatballs, cover and simmer an additional 10 minutes.
Carefully remove the leaves and the meatballs to a dish. Dissolve the cornstarch in a tablespoon of water. Gradually whisk into the sauce in the pan until thickened.
Plate presentation:
Layer the nappa leaves on your serving dish. Place the meatballs on top. Spoon sauce over the meatballs. Serve. |
Grandma Mella's Vinegar Shrimp 1lb 21 count white shrimp, shell on, deveined
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
2T grapeseed oil
1 T red wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 T dried oregano (2 T chopped if fresh)
Method:
Fill a 3 qt saucepan half full with water. Add Old Bay Seasoning to the water. Bring water to a rolling boil. Drop in the shrimp. As soon as they turn pink remove and reserve 1/4 cup of the shrimp stock.
Place a large saute pan on high heat, add grapeseed oil and heat until almost smoking.
Add the shrimp, vinegar and spices. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the stock and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.
Plating:
Spoon shrimp into serving bowl with sides. Pour ‘sauce’ over shrimp. Garnish with flat leaf Italian parsley. Serve with a piece of crusty Italian or French bread. |
Pulled Pork Saffron Speckled Wraps Rub:
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin, freshly ground
1 T paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp cayenne
5 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt crystals
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp cardomom, freshly ground
4 whole cloves
Sauce:
5 T rub mixture
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 T ketchup
1 cup water
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Put a rack into a roasting pan that has 1/2 cup of water in it, set aside.
Put all ‘whole’ rub ingredients (cardamom pods, peppercorns, salt crystals, fenugreek seeds and cloves) into a spice grinder. Grind until all ingredients are a fine powder. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and mix throughly. Rub all sides of the roast with the spice mixture. Don’t be afraid to make it thick. Place the roast on the rack and cover with aluminum foil. Cook for a minimum of 5 hours or until pork pulls away from the bone with barely a touch.
Remove from the oven and let rest. While the meat is resting, whisk together all the ingredients to make the sauce.
Pull the pork and put into a shallow dish, pour the sauce over all the meat and cover with foil. Let rest for at least an hour. Overnight is even better.
Saffron Speckled Wraps:
Saffron threads
1/12 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 T grapeseed oil
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Combine 1/4 tsp saffron with 1/2 cup boiling water. Set aside.
Combine remianing flour and salt in a food processor and gradually add the saffron liquid. Pulse until smooth and not sticky when pinched. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
Use 1 T of saffron threads and make saffron crumbs by rolling threads between your fingers. Sprinkle crumbs over fllattened dough. Speckling will occur.
Roll dough into a log and cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball. Use a rolling pin and flatten into shape of wrap about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with grapeseed oil.
In a large sautepan on medium high heat, cook the wrap until golden. Remove from pan and transfer to oven proof dish. Repeat. Wrap cooked pancakes in aluminum foil and put in oven at 200 F to keep warm. No longer than 10 minutes. Plating
You can use this meat in so many things. Filling for a sandwich or in a salad with blue cheese dressing. If you are pressed for time use a prepackaged refrigerator biscuit dough shaped into circles and stuff, thus creating pockets or ‘dumplings.’ Great for your Super Bowl menu. Try using as the meat in your chili, your guests will be wowed! |
Chorizo Shrimp Adobo Pot Pie 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
6 strips of smoked bacon, crumbled
1/2 lb chorizo, skin removed
12 – 40 count white shrimp, deveined and shelled, cut into 1/4” size chunks
1/2 of large red onion, diced
1/2 each of medium size green, yellow and red peppers, diced
1 ear of fresh corn, kernels removed
1 tsp adobo powder
1 T cornmeal
3 T regular flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (low or no sodium)
Frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten
Using a large skillet make the bacon, nice and crisp. Remove the strips, cool and crumble. Set aside.
Reduce heat to medium and add chorizo to the pan drippings and cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes. Remove the sausage, still keeping the bacon drippings in the pan.
Next add the the onions and cook until translucent, add the peppers and corn continuing to stir. Put the chorizo back in with the vegetables, Sprinkle the adobo powder over the mixture and stir for 1-2 minutes. Remove all the ingredients to a bowl.
Deglaze the pan using the chicken broth. Add the cornmeal and flour, lower the temperature, cook until it begins to bubble and thicken.
Add the shrimp and cook until they just begin to turn pink, then drop in the crumbled bacon. Stir.
Now put the chorizo mixture into the shrimp mixture and stir until mixed well. Remove from heat. Let rest.
While filling is resting, take the puff pastry and roll out onto floured surface. Scatter the toasted cumin seeds over the crust and ‘roll them’ into the dough, gently. Be sure to roll out the dough to fit the size of your baking dish. (For individual mini pot pies, use a biscuit cutter).
Next lay the crust over the contents, keeping it loose. Create your corner seams first and then adjust the sides. I used a lacy edged baking dish, but you may have to create your edges.
Brush the beaten egg in a thin layer over the crust and make a steam vent.
Put into your preheated 400 degree oven and bake until golden. A 2 qt size dish will take between 25 and 30 minutes.
The length of time will depend on the size of your baking dish. Glass dishes need to decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees.
For your Super Bowl Menu, create individual pies by using ramekins or double the recipe and cook in a lasagna pan. A wonderful alternative to chili. |
