Week 25: Stir-fry ala Jonna

The Recipe
2dl rice (just under 1 cup)
1 tsp each of paprika and curry
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
300gr chicken, turkey or pork cut into bite sized pieces
1 bell pepper, sliced
3-4 carrots in thin sticks
1/2 "head" of Chinese cabbage (or any other cabbage if Chinese can't be found), sliced
Soy sauce

Put the cabbage in a bowl and pour 2-3 tbsp soy sauce on top to "soak" until ready for use.

Cook rice according to the instructions on the package.

Meanwhile heat oil in a wok over low heat until it starts to fizzle around a piece of onion. Add paprika and curry and cook it for a few minutes - keep the heat very low, or you'll burn it instead. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is starting to get soft. Add chicken/turkey/pork and stir until cooked through.

Add carrots and bell pepper and cook until the carrots are just al dente. Add the cabbage and stir until the cabbage has wilted somewhat. Add rice and mix everything up.

Serve with peanuts, extra soy sauce and sweet chili sauce.

The Verdict
I loved this as a child, but am somehow less fond of it as an adult without fully being able to say why. The different flavours worked well together, but it was just missing.... *something*. Ah well.

Week 24: Pasta With Bell Pepper

The Recipe
Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
150g bacon, sliced
2 large bell peppers, diced
1 can (400g) tomatoes
1dl white wine (optional)
1dl cream (optional)
50g cashew nuts
Pasta

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, warm the oil in a pot. Add onions, garlic and bacon and cook for about 5 minutes while stirring. Add bell peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, white wine and cream and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer under lid for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 15'ish minutes until the sauce has reduced to your liking. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add cashew nuts and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add pasta to the pot. Stir and serve.

The Verdict
Really good in all its simplicity. I added chili cream cheese to my serving which I think improved it GREATLY - so next time I might just add it straight to the pot.

Week 23: Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

The Recipe
1.2kg pork shoulder / butt ("nakkefillet" in Danish)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp each of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and cumin
1-2 tbsp BBQ sauce
1 tbsp butter
~2dl water (3/4 cup)
1 onion, chopped

In a small bowl mix together sugar and all spices. Rub the pork shoulder with the spice mix on all sides and place it in the slow-cooker.

Add chopped onion, BBQ sauce and butter. Pour water over.

Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or HIGH for 5-6 hours until the meat shreds easily. Remove any big fatty bits and let the shredded meat stand in the sauce for another 15-20 minutes to absorb as much of the sauce as possible.

Serve on bread rolls with coleslaw and more BBQ sauce.

The Verdict
The original recipe called for 2 entire cups of water!!! I used less than half of that, and it was still rather watery. Not too bad though, so I think I'll leave it at this.

It turned out really good, but the spices somehow lacked "depth" in taste (if that makes sense)... would perhaps have been better if I'd used stock or more BBQ sauce instead of the water? Or perhaps just more salt? Still, with coleslaw and extra BBQ sauce it was still really tasty and definitely something I'll want to make again.