The "Lost" Meal

I had my sister over on Sunday for the final episode of Lost, and inspired by this post at The Kitchn, I fixed us a Lost-themed meal. Pork, signifying the wild boar the characters hunted, would have to be on the menu. The Losties also ate mangoes found growing in the jungle, and as I am on a huge mango kick right now, a mango salsa sounded like the perfect accompaniment to the pork.

I'd been dying to try another braised pork shoulder since my incredibly successful pork braised in cider over New Years Eve. I wanted an easy recipe with few ingredients to be cost-effective, and simply because I don't think that this type of dish needs a lot to make it delicious. I ended up adapting my recipe from this tutorial How to Cook (and Shred) a Pork Shoulder and Cheater Pulled Pork from The Splendid Table.

Unfortunately I was unable to find a pork shoulder at my local, crappy store, but instead, they had country-style pork ribs, which are similarly laced with fat and very tender. They worked just fine. A beer braise gave the pork a lightly sweet flavor and it pulled apart like nothing. The onions are worth saving and mixing in with the shredded meat - they melt in your mouth.


To make the meal a little fun, I thought I'd be cute to serve it as a rice bowl. I cheated and bought a box of yellow Goya rice but any sort of rice will do. We layered black beans, pork, pickled jalapenos, and mango salsa, topping the bowls with a dollop of sour cream. It was comforting but summery; a mix of sweet, salty, and hot flavors.




I found the mango salsa particularly divine. This Tropical Fruit Salsa was the basis of the recipe. I couldn't find papaya so I doubled the mango. Scallions went in place of white onion (to accommodate the onion-haters I was about to serve), and parsley in place of cilantro (I'm not a big fan of the herb, and I already had parsley). It is colorful and sweet, with a pleasantly strong kick.


This recipe makes a huge serving of pork, probably enough for 6 at one meal, but it's worth it to have leftovers. Tonight, we put the meat into quesadillas, topped with even more flavorful mango salsa, thanks to a night to marinate.


Lost Rice Bowls
Time: 4 hours
Serves 4, with leftover pork

4 lbs. pork shoulder or country-style pork ribs
4 medium onions, quartered
5 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
3 tablespoons seasoned salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
16 oz. bottle of beer - lager preferably but any beer you like will do
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 15oz. cans black beans, drained of most of their liquid
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 box of yellow Mexican rice (or any sort of rice you like)
sour cream, for serving
Mango Salsa (see recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Season the pork shoulder or ribs with the seasoning salt and pepper, coating all sides well. Heat olive oil is a large dutch oven, then add the pork to sear, 3-4 minutes per side. You should have a nice crust on the outside.

When all sides are seared, add onions, garlic, and beer. The liquid should just almost reach the top of the meat lying flat, so add water if more liquid is needed. Cover tightly and place in the oven.

Braise the meat for 3 hours, turning the meat over once during cooking. When it is done, the meat should break apart easily and the onions will be golden and melting. Shred the meat, discarding any bones, into a large bowl, scooping a few spoonfuls of braising liquid into the meat.

Sprinkle black beans with cumin, chili powder, and a dash of salt, and heat in a pot or in the microwave until warm. Cook the rice as the package instructs.

To put together the bowls, layer rice, beans, and pork. Top with mango salsa and a dollop of sour cream.



Mango Salsa
As adapted from Epicurious.com

2 mangoes, peeled, cored, and diced into small cubes
2 scallions, diced
1 small jalapeno, diced very small, ribs and seeds discarded
3 tbsp. chopped parsley or cilantro (I already had parsley, so I used it)
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Salsa is even better if allowed to marinate a few hours.

The Big Salad

Have you ever thought about what might have made up Elaine's infamous "Big Salad" on Seinfeld? I have. In fact, I imagine it may have been quite similar to the salad we made tonight - lovingly called That Good Salad via AllRecipes.com.

The salad is much like a slightly lighter and more gourmet chef's salad. Chef's salad was my first salad love, even if it was mostly for the pieces of meat and cheese in it. As I child I'd eat it drowned in ranch dressing! This version uses bacon (turkey for us) rather than ham, and leaves out the traditional turkey altogether, though it would be delicious in this salad as well. Almonds add a nice crunch, and we left our Swiss cheese cubed instead of shredded. I love a big hunk of cheese. The light lemon vinaigrette was all the dressing it needed, though I omitted the garlic. There was enough flavor already! We also threw in a bunch of kalamata olives at the last minute while cleaning out the fridge.


Indeed, it was a "big salad." This salad is a true meal all in one with meat, cheese, vegetables, and bread. That Good Salad is filling, but not heavy. Also, do yourself a favor and bake your own croutons! A baguette is barely $2 and they are done after 15 minutes in an oven. You'll notice the difference.

Time Warp Enchiladas

Enchiladas are one of the first things I learned to make myself. My seventh grade Spanish class had a Mexican food day and I decided to make a whole pan of enchiladas. Admittedly, I cheated, then and now, by using pre-made enchilada sauce, but I think they can be very good. This week, I tried out Trader Joe's version, my "impulse buy" this week while shopping. For years following my enchilada success, I would make the same recipe over and over again with my mom for easy family dinners. It is so simple to make and incredibly comforting.


Start with boneless chicken breasts or tenders and dice them into cubes. Saute the chicken until just barely done with diced onions, garlic, and really any sort of vegetable you have on hand - I often use a green bell pepper. This week, I didn't have anything in stock so I used only the onions and garlic. Once the chicken is done and the vegetables are soft and brown, you're ready to roll up your enchiladas. I just place one 10 inch tortilla in pan (be sure to spray it with some cooking spray), then put about 3 big spoonfuls of the chicken mixture and a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese straight down the middle. Next, roll them so the seam side is down. Once they are all wrapped, pour enchilada sauce over the top until they are completely coated in sauce but not drowning, otherwise they can get too mushy. Bake 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted, and that's it! I almost always serve with either some beans or Mexican rice. This night we ate pinto beans seasoned with a bit of cumin and chili powder.

Italian Chicken Salad

Italian Chicken Salad is another masterpiece to add to the salad collection, I must say. This recipe is also via Gourmet. I only substituted sliced grilled chicken tenders for rotisserie chicken because it's what I had. This recipe called for home baked croutons to be added directly into the salad but I thought that felt heavy. I preferred the bread served in a hunk on the side, warmed with a bit of olive oil and rubbed with a garlic clove.


How could this possibly be bad? Mozzarella, roasted red peppers, olives...classic Mediterranean flavors. I went a little heavy on the Dijon in the dressing, too.

A Hearty Pasta Dish

I was craving a hearty pasta. Lately I've been doing many more olive oil-based sauces so it felt like a great chance to change it up and break out the dutch oven. I chose this delicious-sounding dish from Gourmet called Pappardelle with Chicken and Mushroom Ragu.

Sauce...

Plus pasta!

The only change I made was to trade out the rosemary for a bit of oregano and red chili flake because oddly, I hate rosemary. I find the taste too woody and overpowering. I also used regular spaghetti as the pasta because it is what I had, but this ragu would taste good over any sort of pasta, long or short cut. I loved this dish for several reasons:

1. I adore chicken thighs. While fattier than breast, the thigh is tender and really absorbs flavor. These pieces of chicken just melted in my mouth. Just be careful not to fully cook them as you saute.
2. I loved the lightness of the sauce with the chunky tomato. This recipe calls for whole tomatoes to break up with a spoon. I was tempted to just buy diced tomatoes but I was smart to choose the whole. I guess that is what makes it a ragu.
   
3. Wilting in arugula added a nice bite and texture. I don't use greens enough in my cooking.

The recipe makes food for four at least and is super-cheap, so I'd highly recommend this for a potluck or dinner party! Hearty pasta craving satisfied!

One Pasta, Two Ways!

Spring always includes fresh asparagus for me. It's prime season is now and it undoubtedly appears on sale at the grocery store, which makes it impossible to resist. I had a bunch calling to me from the fridge! My favorite way to eat asparagus is roasted, but this evening I needed something more of a main dish. Asparagus in pasta is always delicious. As I usually do, I found a recipe to start with and worked with what I had. The dish I began with Penne with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes by Giada De Laurentiis.

I chose a whole wheat pasta, which I rarely do, because I wanted to make this super-healthy. I had also been planning to use a jar of sun-dried tomatoes that I'd had for too long in place of fresh tomatoes, but last minute I noticed one single tomato that missed out on Salad Wednesday. Finally, I exchanged white wine and lemon juice for chicken stock -it sounded lighter. Lemon and asparagus work perfectly.

I just loved this. The asparagus stayed incredibly crisp and provided a nice mix of texture with the chewy pasta. I found the wheat pasta to be delicious - a bit nutty and with a firm texture. The peas were great too. And how could you make this any more healthy? OK, maybe I should lay off the cheese a bit but hey, its cheese!


Three nights later, in the middle of the week, I was desiring the rest of the whole wheat penne. I often make impromptu pastas, most often with just some olive oil, garlic, and sauteed chicken sausage. I grabbed whatever I had around - half a red onion, the remnants of a bag of baby spinach after Salad Tuesday, a few extra asparagus spears...and figured I'd just saute it all with garlic and toss with the pasta. Along the line, a few other ingredients were added - a splash of red chili flake, some cubed up rotisserie chicken, and goat cheese.

I recalled a recent episode of Giada at Home in which Giada had made a pasta sauce by simply mixing goat cheese with a little of the pasta water. It acts as a bind for a creamy light sauce. So I did this (in about 5 seconds) and tossed it all together. It was utterly delicious, and dare I say, one of the best pastas I've made. The sauce is delicious and I absolutely loved the crisp asparagus with the wilted spinach. As I usually do, I went heavy on the garlic and made sure to season it thoroughly. It is truly all about making each part taste good!


Penne with Asparagus in Lemon Sauce

8 oz whole wheat penne pasta
1 lb. asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tomato, diced
1 cup peas
1/2 cup white wine
juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp. basil, chopped
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook penne in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add garlic. Saute one minute, then add asparagus. Saute 5 minutes, or until just tender. Add peas, lemon juice, and white wine, then simmer about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and taste for salt and pepper. Simmer 3 more minutes.

Add pasta to the pan along with basil and toss, adding pasta water if more liquid is needed to coat the pasta. Toss with Parmesan cheese and serve. Serves 3-4.


Penne with Asparagus and Goat Cheese Sauce

8 oz whole wheat penne pasta
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large or 2 small clove garlic, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 lb. asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 cup rotisserie chicken, cut into 1 inch cubes (can substitute 1 chicken breast, roasted in the oven or grilled)
salt and pepper
3 oz. goat cheese

Cook penne in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add onion and garlic. Saute three minutes, then add asparagus and red chili flake. Saute 5 minutes, or until just tender. Add spinach and chicken, and toss until spinach is wilted. Taste for salt and pepper.

Place goat cheese in a large boil and add pasta water, a little at a time, stirring to create a sauce. Add water until the sauce is still thick but will coat the pasta. Add pasta and saute to the bowl and toss together. Top with extra goat cheese crumbles or Parmesan cheese. Serves 2.