My Pork Creation

Pork roast with a butternut squash crust #pork #butternut #squash #roast via caseygoduti

Have you ever had a moment of inspiration that turned itself into something totally amazing. That was what it was like for me, in the creation of the dish above. I literally created this dish at the grocery store, while thinking of the leftovers I wanted to use in the refrigerator.

This meal was made in two parts.

The first part was the butternut squash mixture, where I roasted the butternut squash, mashed it, and added ginger, Chinese 5-spice, Duck Sauce, Soy Sauce, celery and garlic.

"Let's see, I have half a butternut squash mash mixture I used for stuffing potstickers Asian style. What do I want to do with it?"

The only meat that came to mind to me was a pork loin.

Putting the pork loin in the pan, I poured sesame oil over the top and placed the butternut squash mixture on like a crust. I then stuck a thermometer into the pork and put it into a 350f  oven. I put 1/2 cup white wine into the button of the pan and cooked the pork until it reached 170F.

When it was done it was moist and juicy and a real treat.

It is not that often that I come up with such a creative meal. I was really proud of myself.

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How to Make a Won ton

Wontons are the easiest little goody. You can put a variety of things in them, just like the beloved pot sticker. In this little cooking adventure

I decided to put ground chicken in mine (since it was on sale). I added celery, white onion, soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, panko, fresh ginger and an egg,

Take your won ton wrappers and lay them out on a pan or a large plate. Add a teaspoon of filling to the center of the won ton and fold the won ton in half.

Fold the won ton and wet the edges. Seal to close.

Then you fold the won ton in half again by bringing the ends together.

Here is the won ton folded in half  and you can see it rounded. Do not pull to tightly on them. Take the ends and wet them and seal them together so the won ton keeps its shape.

Here are a bunch of wont tons all folded. 

Then you can cook them in the manner which you desire. Whether you boil them, saute them or fry them up like I did in vegetable oil. 

And if you have any extra filling leftover. Feel free to make some little meat balls.

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General Tsao's Chicken

I don't remember where I found this recipe but I made it the other night. This is one of my boyfriend's favorite takeout meals. I made this recipe with chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts. 

GENERAL TSAO'S CHICKEN
Prep Time | 20 min Cook Time | 10 min Level of Difficulty | Moderate
You can enjoy this Asian classic once again by sauting instead of deep-frying it. Serve it over rice to sop up every drop of the sauce.
¾ cup canned chicken broth, reduced-sodium
2 medium scallion(s), chopped
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
2 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp red pepper flakes, or 1 dried chili pepper, minced
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 pound uncooked chicken breast, boneless and skinless,  cut into 2-inch pieces
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp ground ginger
2 cup cooked white rice, kept hot
2 tsp peanut oil
In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger; set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic and pepper and cook 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes.
Add reserved sauce and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Serve chicken and sauce over rice. Yields about 1 cup of chicken and sauce and ½ cup of rice per serving.
Chef Tips
We renovated General Tsao's Chicken by:
Cooking the chicken in a small amount of oil, instead of deep-frying it. Eliminating the egg that would have been used in batter-fried chicken. Using reduced-sodium chicken broth and soy sauce.

This recipe was good, but we loved the Kung Pao Chicken I made with sherry. It is still worth a try for anyone who doesn't care to cook with alcohol. 

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Honey Barbecue Chicken

This was dinner tonight and here is the recipe...

This recipe came from a book/magazine called American Classics Easier-Than-Ever Chicken and Poultry and is published on page 24.

The first change was just that I bought chicken pieces (thighs).  I didn't have enough soy sauce. The recipe calls for 1 cup but I didn't realize that I only had a couple of tablespoons. The day after marinating I added Hoison sauce to the barbecue marinade. I also used Beringer Pinot Grigio.  I broiled the chicken instead of grilling.

It was tangy and delicious. If you love barbecue this is definitely worth a try.