Sweet and Sour Pork

We ate a lot of Chinese food growing up. A LOT. Maybe it was a Pacific Northwest thing. According to my sister Joy, this was the first Chinese (OK, "Chinese") recipe my dad tried making at home. He moved on to more complex recipes and flavors, ones that did not involve pineapple juice, but this stayed a family favorite.

When I make this recipe, I lighten it up by skipping the batter, and just browning the pork in a non-stick skillet with about a teaspoon of cooking oil. I also add sliced onions.

Sweet & Sour Pork

1 pound boneless pork loin (or boneless chicken breast), cut into strips

8 ounce can pineapple chunks with liquid

1 green pepper

vegetable oil for frying

Batter:

½ cup flour

¼ cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ cups cold water

Sauce:

¾ cup water-pineapple juice mixture

2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons ketchup

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

Mix together the batter ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Add the pork to the batter.

Chop the green pepper into 1/2 -inch cubes (and any other veggies you might feel like adding).

Drain the can of pineapple into a measuring cup and add water to make ¾ cup.  Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small saucepan.

Put oil into a wok to a depth of about one inch and heat on medium-high. When the oil is hot put in as much chicken as will fit. Cook the chicken about 5 minutes, flip the pieces over and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the pan, drain on paper towels, and then put in a bowl in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

When you’re on your last batch of pork, put the sauce over high heat and recruit a volunteer to stir it constantly until it boils. When it boils, turn the heat down to low and add the green pepper and pineapple.

To serve, pour the sauce over the bowl of pork. Serve with plenty of white rice.

 

Recipe from the Whitworth Elementary School Cookbook

Ham and potato casserole

While it hasn't been particularly cold this winter here in Dublin, who can resist a good casserole on a gray, drizzly day? This dish is pretty versatile, and we often use whatever leftover meat we have on hand, although I do think ham is best, (but smoked sausage is also delicious). I have been known to replace the onions with leeks (very tasty) or sometimes I will also throw in a bit of cauliflower or brocolli. But it's also delicious prepared exactly as described; this is total comfort food at its best.

Ham and Potato Casserole

½ pound cooked ham, cut into medium-small cubes
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds potatoes, medium dice, boiled
bread crumbs, mixed with a little melted butter

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk (or 1 cup milk and 1 cup cooking water from potatoes)
8 oz cheddar cheese (could also use gruyere or swiss, or a combination of cheeses)

Heat oven to 350°. Toss ham with mustard in a medium sized casserole dish. Let sit while you cook the onion in 2 tbsp butter and a bit of salt and pepper until translucent. Mix onions in with ham, then gently fold in cooked potatoes.

Make sauce: Melt butter over medium-low heat, add flour, then add the milk (to lighten the dish up a bit, you can also make the sauce using the water that you used to cook the potato in), whisking quickly to avoid lumps). Let thicken a bit, then add cheese. Cook until sauce has thickened, 2 or 3 minutes.

Pour sauce over ham mixture, and stir very gently just until combined. Top with buttered breadcrumbs. Bake for 45 minutes.

Recipe from Gwyneth, from a potato cookbook I found years ago