Think deconstructed egg roll that is neither rolled or has any egg. Think really delicious pork and cabbage. It’s really that easy.

We’ve made this at least five times now. It’s the new Thai Basil Pork. The original recipe is below, but I’ve taken liberties these days. I really like using the spicy Italian pork sausage instead of regular pork and a few dashes of fish sauce really add something to the dish. But it’s still plenty good as is. The amount of cabbage and meat are satisfying enough that I don’t miss some sort of grain/carb substitute.

The chili mayo pretty much makes the dish. I’ve been known to make larger than normal quantities just to slather it on every bite. We’ve used both kinds of chili sauce, the garlic-chili and the Sriracha, and they’re both good. Find out which one you like better. Experiment. Do it.

Inspiration: 40 Aprons

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 6 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1lb ground pork
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce or Sriracha
• 14oz bag coleslaw mix
• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• sesame seeds for garnish

Preparation

Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the white parts of the green onion, diced onion, and minced garlic to the pan. Stir frequently for about five minutes. The onion should start to soften. Add the ground pork, grated ginger, and one tablespoon of the chosen hot sauce. Break up the pork and mix in the ginger and hot sauce. Once the pork is browned, add the coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, and the coleslaw mix. Stir to combine. Cook for another five minutes, stirring often until the cabbage is tender and broken down.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and the remaining chili-garlic sauce or Sriracha. Stir to combine.

Serve in a bowl, topped with chili mayo and sesame seeds.

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Because I knew cooking this dish would be a minor pain [THAT MESS THOUGH], I went the frozen vegetable route. I couldn’t be bothered with anything more complicated, like knife skills or sautéing. Actually, I’m pretty sure I did at least cook them in a pan instead of cheating with the microwave. That’s probably the only reason why my boots didn’t end up more coated in oil than they did. I now understand why things like this exist.

The double dipping of the arrowroot on the steak strips did yield a crispy coating, but I could have done a better job at letting them crisp up. I was a touch freaked out with all the oil going everywhere that I was more inclined to get the cooking over with.

The overall flavor of the sauce is a touch on the sweet side thanks to all that orange juice. I’d love to dial that back and increase the umami with some more fish sauce. Or add some garlic-chili sauce to tone down that sweetness. Next time. I’m sure there will be a next time.

Inspiration: I Heart Umami

Ingredients

• 1lb sirloin steak, thinly sliced against the grain into strips
• 10oz bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables
• 2 cups of frozen broccoli crowns
• 4 tablespoons arrowroot flour
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 4 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• sesame seeds for garnish
• salt and pepper

Preparation

In a bowl, toss the steak strips with two tablespoons of arrowroot flour, a pinch of salt, pepper, and the garlic and onion powders. Store in the fridge while you finish the rest.

In a medium pot, combine the rice vinegar, coconut aminos, orange juice, garlic cloves, ginger, sesame oil, fish sauce, and tomato paste. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Stir until combined. Reduce the sauce to about 1/3 cup. Stir often. Remove from heat once done.

In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of ghee over medium-high heat. When the ghee is hot, reduce the heat to medium. Toss the beef strips in the remaining two tablespoons of arrowroot. Pan fry the strips in batches to not overcrowd the skillet. Once the last batch is complete, add all of the fried pieces of beef to the pan. Add the sauce, stirring once before pouring in. Toss to combine.

While the steak is cooking in batches, steam the frozen vegetables according to the package. Season them with salt and pepper.

Serve the vegetables with the crispy steak. Top with sesame seeds.

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I rebelled in the fish department. I didn’t want to go buy fancy halibut when I had perfectly good tilapia in the freezer. It unthaws so easily. It cooks so quickly. It’s at least a white fish. It had that going for it.

As expected, when you have boring tilapia and boring roasted potatoes, the sauce is absolutely what makes it. The recipe wasn’t kidding when it says your tahini sauce mixture will begin to seize up when you add the lemon juice. Science is so awesome. The sauce was refreshing thanks to an entire bunch of parsley. The parsley and the lemon did the job of cutting through the rich tahini to create a flavorful sauce. I could have stood to thin it a little more, but it was perfectly acceptable the way it was. It’s also a really easy way to put down almost a cup of tahini in a single sitting without batting an eye. Everything in moderation.

Inspiration: Food52

Ingredients

• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 3/4 cup tahini
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 – 3/4 cup water
• 1lb potatoes, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1/4″ rings
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2lbs white fish [recipe called for halibut, but I used tilapia without an issue]
• salt and fresh cracked pepper

Preparation

In a food processor, pulse the parsley and garlic together until minced and combined. Add the tahini and blend well. Drizzle in the lemon juice and blend again until the tahini starts to thicken and seize up. Add a pinch of salt and drizzle water into the food processor while it’s running until the mixture becomes a pourable consistency. Taste for additional salt and lemon juice. I added both.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the potatoes in a large bowl with two tablespoons of olive oil, a couple pinches of salt, and cracked pepper. Spread them evenly on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Stir the potatoes and return the pan to the oven for another 10-20 minutes. The potatoes should be crispy on the edges and soft in the middle.

In a large pan, add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil on high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are browned and caramelized. Set aside.

When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and change the oven temperature to broil. Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side until the edges are browning and the fish is cooked through.

To serve, place the fish on a bed of potatoes and caramelized onions. Spoon/pour the tahini sauce on top.

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I think ground beef is boring unless you’re making a burger. Next time pork or some sort of sausage. I think that would have gone a long way. The vegetables helped add bulk to an otherwise boring meatloaf baked in a pepper. I mowed down two of them and ended up comfortably full, but in that “I really didn’t have carbs” kind of way. It’s a weird kind of full.

I will forge ahead in the world of stuffed peppers.

Inspiration: No Crumbs Left

Ingredients

• 4 red bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pound ground beef, 15% fat or less
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 2 handfuls of chopped spinach
• 28oz can of crushed fire roasted tomatoes, drained
• salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cut the tops off of the peppers. Clean out the seeds and membrane from the inside. Blanch the peppers in the pot of boiling water for five minutes. Remove from the pot, drain, and cool.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they start to become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for only one minute more, stirring often. Add the mushrooms and a large pinch of salt, cracked pepper, and a pinch or two of cayenne. Stir until combined. Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.

Brown the ground beef int he pan. Break the beef up into small chunks. Once browned, add the zucchini and spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted and the zucchini is starting to soften. Return the mushroom mixture to the pan with the beef. Add 1 1/2 cups of tomatoes and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil before turning off the heat.

Bring the oven to 350 degrees and pull out an 8″ x 8″ pan. Stuff the peppers with the meat mixture. Top with the remaining tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pepper is easily pierced with a knife. Allow the peppers to cool for a few minutes before serving.

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Inspiration: Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 1″ piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 4 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 pound of hot Italian sausage, casing removed if links
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 6oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 small-ish head of Napa cabbage, shredded [approx. 6 cups]
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced chives
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Preparation

In a bowl, use your hands to mix the ginger and garlic into the sausage. Don’t over mix. You still want it to be chunky. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage through and break up into small pieces. Once it’s browned and crisp, about 6-8 minutes, transfer the mixture to a clean bowl.

Turn the heat up to high and add the mushrooms to the pan. Stir them often so they don’t burn. They’ll release juices in about four minutes and shrink down. Add half of the shredded cabbage and cook it with the mushrooms. Toss it often. Once it’s wilted and tender, drizzle in the vinegar and soy sauce. Stir to incorporate and keep cooking until the skillet is mostly dry.

Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the chives, sausage, and remaining cabbage. Drizzle the sesame oil over the top and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Serve hot over rice or with tortillas/mu-shu wraps.

This is an unbelievably simple recipe that comes together as fast as you can shake the dressing together.  I had no idea that miso paste could be so stubborn. It just doesn’t want to incorporate into the oil without some serious shaking. It’s the kind of dressing that holds up to the thicker ingredients of this salad and softens it in a delightful way. The hint of sweetness from the maple works well with the sweetness of the beets, and you get all kinds of contrast between the crunch of the vegetables and the softness of the bean. You could make your own beans if you were just that ambitious, but I am not.

I will be making this again for sure. That dressing though…

Inspiration: Emma Frisch

Ingredients

• 10oz bag of Trader Joe’s kohlrabi salad blend
• 2 5oz cans of unsalted, albacore tuna in water, drained
• 15oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• Small shallot, peeled and sliced thin
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white miso paste
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Preparation

In a large bowl, toss the salad blend, tuna, and beans together until well mixed.

In a jar, add the remaining ingredients. Screw on the lid and shake until mixed together. This will take some work since the miso can be clumpy, but it will eventually break down.

Pour the dressing over the salad and massage in with your hands until it’s thoroughly incorporated. Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes before serving so it will soften the vegetables. Serve.

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San Diego was lovely, as usual, and our friends’ wedding was beautiful. The Timbers are in the playoffs and their chances were decent until the slew of injuries in the most recent game. Tomorrow’s game should be questionable. Work has slowed down immensely after the latest deadline, so I’m playing all kinds of catch-up on the “normal” things. I’m headed to Boston soon for a conference. I’ll spare you the details, but I’m excited for it. Getting nerdy with taxes, that’s my jam. Speaking of my jam, Stranger Things. Ooooh boy, it’s a good season. I’ve managed to avoid binging, so I’m only six episodes in. Six glorious episodes.

Source

As if I needed a reason to drink tea, there is geeky tea.

Someday I’d like to drive the Cascade Loop too. Look how beautiful it is!

Hilariously bad photos from real estate listings.

Ham and cheese? Meet biscuits. Biscuits? Meet ham and cheese.

There is a new Myers-Briggs test, and I’m not sure why I haven’t taken it yet. I love these things.

Because you can always use more internal controls in business finances.

Science says your vacations should last eight days. Pretty sure that’s not going to stop me from taking multiple week ones. Diminishing returns be damned!

Steak and mushrooms. Don’t mind if I do. Such a classic combination.

Grey and Swedish. Swoon.

Since I’m headed to Boston soon — 10 fun things to do.

Since certain people in my life hate sweet potatoes, I’m thinking of testing out butternut squash for the holidays.

We all know I’m never making marzipan challah hedgehogs, but LOOK at them!

I equal parts love that the brand here is I Dew Care and the product is Blackhead Killer. I want to try them!

We’re still going out of our way to go to Trader Joe’s weekly, so I’m always into these lists of things to buy from there.

Speaking of, I bought this moisturizing cream and I really like it.

I feel like these pork chops are in my future. Roasted roots! Same with this cauliflower stir-fry!

They call these time management tricks, but I’d really just call them skills. And good ones too!

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Bone-in pork chops made for a particularly juicy chop. I don’t tend to make pork chops for this reason, but a cheesy crunchy topping was enough to woo me. The method of placing it on a wire rack within a baking sheet keeps things crunchy, and there is something insanely satisfying chewing the meat off the bone [sorry, not sorry meat-eating friends].

The roasted cabbage was equally delicious. That walnut salsa is heavenly. It takes serious self-restraint not to eat it by the spoonful while the cabbage roasts. Try to hold out. It makes that tender, yet crispy-edged cabbage that much better. It says a lot when I halve the meat recipe, but totally make the full amount of cabbage. We love cabbage, what can I say?

They both come together at relatively the same time. The original roasted cabbage recipe had the oven at 475 degrees, but I dropped it for the pork chops and just let the cabbage go the whole time. It takes longer, but it works with the pork’s timing. It’s pretty great.

Ingredients

Pork Chops

• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 egg
• 2 bone-in pork chops, approximately 1/2 pound each
• kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Roasted Cabbage

• 1 head small savoy cabbage, quartered and cored
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• juice of one lemon
• olive oil
• kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

Pork Chops

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Make sure oven rack is in the middle. Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven while it comes to temperature. Rub a wire rock with some olive oil. It will be placed on the rimmed baking sheet when the time comes.

In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of grated cheese, garlic powder, and ground paprika. You want to be able to fit the pork chops in it one at a time. Once combined, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir until it’s incorporated into the breadcrumb mixture.

In a second bowl that will fit the pork chops, whisk the egg until the egg yolk is thoroughly incorporated.

Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Dip each pork chop into the egg mixture and then dredge it in the breadcrumb mixture. Use your fingers to make sure all sides of the pork chop are covered in the mixture. Place them on the wire rack.

Remove the preheated pan. Place the wire rack into the pan and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the pork chops. Bake for another 10+ minutes, until the internal temperature of the pork chop is 145 degrees and the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Allow the chops to rest a couple minutes before serving.

Roasted Cabbage

Rub the softened butter on all sides of the cut pieces of cabbage. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Arrange on a separate baking sheet if you don’t have room on your pork chop pan. Roast until the edges are crispy and brown. It should take about 15-20 minutes.

While the cabbage roasts put the minced garlic and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a small bowl. Add the walnuts, breadcrumbs, and cheese to the olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir to combine. It should be a chunky, loose mixture.

Drizzle the vinegar over the roasted quarters and then sprinkle the walnut salsa on top. Serve immediately.

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If I were to change anything it would maybe be to try slicing the fennel in the mandoline super thin like I did the apple. There wouldn’t be as much [if any?] steaming to do, but it would probably be less confusing for my mouth to eat. The thicker pieces of fennel were tricky at times, and it made me glad I was shoveling it in alone. I probably would have been a proper lady with a knife and fork if I had been eating it with anyone else.

The flavors were oh-so-cozy. Definitely an A++, would eat again, situation. Next time, I would even share.

Inspiration: Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 bulbs of fennel, about 1 1/2lbs, green parts removed and white part cut lengthwise into eighths
• 1/2lb fennel sausage
• 1 large apple [Braeburn or Fuji], peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted
• 6oz Tallegio cheese, rind removed and “cubed” [it’s going to stick to your fingers!]
• 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• Fennel fronds for garnish

Preparation

Heat the oven to 375 degrees and get a 2-3 quart baking dish out.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat before adding 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the sausage. Cook until it’s cooked through, breaking it up into popcorn sized pieces. Remove it from the pan.

Reduce the pan’s heat to medium-low and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the smashed garlic. Cook it slowly until it’s soft and golden brown. It should take about five minutes and smell heavenly. Add the chile flakes for a few seconds and then add the fennel. Pour 1/3 cup of water into the pan and cover it allowing the fennel to steam. Check every few minutes to make sure everything stays moist. Add more water as necessary. I didn’t end up needing any.

Once the fennel is about 3/4 of the way cooked through and the water has evaporated, add back the sausage. Add the apples, toasted almonds, thyme leaves, and half of the Tallegio cheese. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Top with the rest of the cheese and the breadcrumbs. Dot the top of the breadcrumbs with small pieces of butter.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. The cheese should be melting and the breadcrumbs golden brown. Let the mixture rest for about five minutes before serving.

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[Roma not digging this cool, wet weather or mornings in general]

As if I needed an excuse to visit Bologna, Eataly is opening a theme park.

“Please stop asking me when I’m going to get married.” More of this please.

Cinnamon pita crisps sound dangerously delicious.

The new season of Parts Unknown started, which is one of my favorite shows and routinely helps us pick our next travel destination. Here’s how Bourdain picks the destinations.

Speaking of travel—take me here pronto.

Instead of copying all these great reads, you should just go check them out here.

Better Than Bouillon is magical. I always have jars in my fridge.

Saying thank you instead of sorry. I’ve consciously been wiping “sorry” out of my vocabulary. It’s such an easy thing to fall back on.

A stunning little remodel that took a good base and made it that much better.

Australia has never been high on my travel list, but this boutique hotel is making a strong case. Beautiful.

“The Asshole Survival Guide, which is basically what it sounds like: a guide for surviving the assholes in your life.”

Clicking buy is a whole lot easier if you know you’re not making a survival kit a priority.

$160 rainboots don’t exactly scream “practical,” but man I want them.

A really great “30 things I’ve learned” list. “Just because you’re not a natural at something immediately doesn’t mean you can’t get good at it.”

I always yawn when I workout, now I know why.

I love nearly everything about this house.

Since we’ve been all about fish tacos lately, I needed some new topping ideas.

Heroine.fm has some really great podcasts, but this one interviewing Margaret Stewart, VP of Design at Facebook, has particularly stuck with me.

Two words to stop using emails. I’m employing this regularly now, too.

I’m not-so-secretly an economics nerd. I’ve added Tim O’Reilly’s book to my list.

“How to Not Harass Woman as Told Through The Office Memes.” I’m don’t know that I’ve ever sat through an entire episode of The Office, but this was perfect.

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