Home-style Japanese Curry with Ground Pork

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 to 2 onions, depending on the size and your preference, diced
1/2 lb ground pork
1 to 2 carrots, depending on the size and your preference, diced
1 apple, peeled and grated
1 tbsp honey
1 box store-bought Japanese curry roux
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp tonkatsu sauce
30 g unsalted butter, melted
1 to 2 tbsp heavy cream
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Dashi Broth

4 cups water
45 g dashi powder

Method

1. In a heavy bottomed medium pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat.
2. Add ginger and garlic and stir. Add curry powder and cumin.
3. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add ground pork and cook until pork is well done.
4. Add diced carrots and dashi broth. Cook until boiling, and skim any scum from surface of broth.
5. Add grated apple and honey and reduce heat to low. Simmer for additional 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly.
6. Add curry roux in small pieces and slowly dissolve with chopsticks.
7. Add soy sauce, ketchup, and tonkatsu sauce.
8. Finish with stirring in melted unsalted butter and cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Source: Chef Kazuya Matsuoka

Thyme-crusted Pork Schnitzel

Ingredients

1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1-1/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs
sea salt and cracked black pepper
4 (6 oz) pork steaks
1 tablespoon hot English mustard
vegetable oil, for shallow-frying
10 oz green beans, trimmed and blanched lemon wedges, to serve

Horseradish Mayonnaise

1/2 cup store-bought whole-egg mayonnaise
1/4 cup horseradish cream

Method

1. Place the mayonnaise and horseradish cream in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Place the thyme, parsley, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Brush the pork with mustard and press into the thyme mixture.
4. Heat 1/2-inch of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the pork and cook in batches for 2 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through.
5. Serve with the beans, lemon and horseradish mayonnaise.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Donna Hay

1970s Grilled Ham, Cheese, and Pineapple Sandwich

Ingredients

6-8 ounces turkey ham, coarsely chopped or cut into ribbons if already thinly sliced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise or as needed
4 thick slices fresh pineapple or 5 slices canned in its own juice (if using fresh, a small sprinkle of sugar may be necessary)
8 slices whole-wheat or wheatberry bread, thinly sliced
about 12 to 15 slices of bread-and-butter pickles or 8 to 10 Peppadew Piquante Peppers
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
about 8 ounces Taleggio cheese (rind cut off), or sharp Cheddar cheese, sliced
extra-virgin olive oil for brushing bread

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine the turkey ham with the mayonnaise. Set it aside.
2. Dice or coarsely chop the pineapple and set it aside in a bowl. If using fresh, toss it with sugar to taste.
3. Lay out the bread slices. On 4 of them spread the pineapple. On the other 4, first place some of the pickles, then the turkey ham salad mixture, then some onion, and the Taleggio. Carefully top with the pineapple-topped bread slices to form sandwiches, and press together tightly. Brush each side lightly with the olive oil.
4. Heat a heavy nonstick skillet or panini press over medium-high heat. Place the sandwiches in the pan, browning and pressing, until the first side is crisp and golden and the cheese begins to melt; then using your spatula and possibly a little help from your hand, carefully turn the sandwiches over and cook on the second side, pressing as they brown.
5. When the sandwiches are crisp and lightly browned on both sides and the cheese is melted, remove from pan, cut into halves, and serve (this is a messy sandwich, so get prepared to lick the delicious goo from your fingers).

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Chef Austin Powers

French Pot-roasted Chicken

Ingredients

10 g dried porcini mushrooms
1/3 cup boiling water
8 French shallots, peeled
2 rashers bacon, rind removed and chopped
8 small Swiss brown mushrooms
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 x 650 g small chickens
1 tablespoon tarragon leaves
1 cup chicken stock

Method

1. Place the porcini in a bowl, cover with the water and set aside for 5 minutes.
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, bacon and mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add the oil and chickens and cook for 2 minutes each side or until golden.
4. Remove the porcini from the water and chop, reserving the porcini liquid. Return the shallot, bacon and mushrooms to the pan with the tarragon, porcini, porcini liquid and stock. Bring to the boil and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
5. Serve the chickens with creamy mashed potatoes.

Makes 2 servings.

Source: Fast, Fresh, Simple

Egg and Prosciutto Pitas

Ingredients

4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
6 (six-inch) pita breads
1 tub (227 g) herbed cream cheese
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
3 cups baby spinach
6 eggs

Method

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper until smooth.
2. Add spinach and toss until coated.
3. Spread each pita with a thin layer of cream cheese (approximately 1 tbsp per pita).
4. Divide the prosciutto evenly on top of each pita, and mound with spinach mixture.
5. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Crack the eggs directly into the pan and cook until the egg whites are set, 2-3 minutes.
6. Place fried egg on top of each pita and serve hot.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Manitoba Egg Farmers