Swedish Meatballs with Spicy Plum Sauce

I'm back...! I haven't written for a while for too many (not necessarily very good!) reasons. So I do have a backlog of posts. I will start with this meatball recipe that I made for "snack" time at work (every Friday at 10 am - I still love it!). I think I've referred to this recipe before but have never posted it. Whenever I've made these meatballs, they have been quite a hit. The combination of the different types of ground meat makes for a great tasting meatball. I love the sweet and creamy sauce. I also like that it is an authentic "Swedish meatball" recipe (and not those overly sweet frozen ones with a rubbery texture) since Marcus Samuelsson is Swedish!



Swedish Meatballs with Spicy Plum Sauce - Makes 40 meatballs
Adapted from Marcus Samuelsson.
While the original recipe called to fry the meatballs in butter, I baked the meatballs this time. I don't know why I never did this in the past because I actually really dislike the task of frying meatballs, smelling like a meatball myself and worrying that they're not cooked through. Baking the meatballs is healthier, easier and ensure they're all cooked through! On another note, I follow the same recipe for spaghetti & meatballs!

For the meatballs
½ cup fine dry breadcrumbs
½ cup heavy cream
1-½ Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, minced
⅔ cup ground beef
⅔ cup ground veal
⅔ cup ground pork
2 Tbsp honey
1 large egg
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and ½ cup heavy cream.
Stir with fork until smooth; set aside.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, and add the onion.
Sauté until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine beef, veal, pork, honey, cooked onions and egg.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the breadcrumb-cream mixture to the meat, and mix well (I find this step takes a while to make sure there are no breadcrumb lumps).
In a frying pan, cook a small meat patty in oil or butter; taste the meat and adjust the seasoning.
With wet hands (to keep the meat from sticking), shape the remaining meat into meatballs the size of a golf ball
Lay the meatballs on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Bake the meatballs for 30 minutes at 350F. (Check that meat is cooked through by cutting one in half; bake longer if required).


Making the meatballs.

For the sauce
3 Tbsp butter
1 large shallot, minced
½ red bell pepper, minced
6 dried plums, chopped finely
2 cups chicken broth
¼ cup + 2 Tbsp plum sauce

In a skillet, melt the butter on medium-high heat.
Add shallots, red pepper and plums.
Saute until softened and lightly browned.
Add chicken broth and heavy cream.
Stir in plum sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add meatballs to sauce and simmer over medium heat, until sauce thickens slightly and meatballs are heated through, about 5 minutes.
Tada!


Making the accompanying spicy plum sauce.

I like serving these meatballs with slices of bread to sop up that sauce! None of it should be wasted. Make these meatballs at your next party. I promise there won't be any leftovers!

Chinese Style Eggplant

I have a confession. As my blog roll indicates, I've been cheating on food blogs with fashion blogs. I guess I live vicariously through all the stylish bloggers out there (even my sister L has started one!). Sometimes I get lucky with a blog, and they also share recipes. This is what happened when Not Just Another Blonde in Beijing shared recipes from her cooking course in Beijing. I was very excited to try making fish flavored eggplant (no fish involved!) since I do love my eggplant!



I have to be honest. I love this recipe. Since I've made this dish for the first time over a month ago, I've probably made this another ten times! I even made a vegetarian version, replacing pork with tofu! This is reminiscent of my mom's stuffed eggplants that I love, but with less work!

Chinese Style Eggplant (鱼香茄子 - Fish Flavoured Eggplant)
Adapted from Not Just Another Blonde in Beijing.
While I closely followed the recipe the first time around, now I improvise slightly. I don't always add ginger because I'm lazy. I also really like the addition of lemongrass chili sauce which makes this dish extra spicy!

* oil
* 2-3 eggplants, sliced into 2-3" sections and quartered lengthwise
* ½ tsp salt, (or to taste)
* 2 Tbsp ground pork or firm tofu (cubed)
* 1 Tbsp ginger, minced
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 tsp (or to taste) chili sauce, like sambal oelek or lemongrass chili sauce
* 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
* 1 Tbsp Chinese vinegar
* 1-2 Tbsp sugar
* 1 spring onion, sliced thinly
* 2 tsp sesame oil

In a work or frying pan, on medium-high heat, add a generous amount of oil (eggplants tend to stick).
When the oil is hot, add eggplant splices, until they becomes soft; set aside.
In the same pan, add a bit more oil.
Add the ground pork or tofu.
When the pork is cooked through (the tofu takes less time), add chili, ginger, garlic, and stir.
Add the soy sauce, vinegar and water if necessary.
Season with salt and sugar.
Add the eggplant pieces back into the sauce.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and sugar if necessary.
Turn off heat, add sesame oil and green onion; mix in.
Tada!



Eggplant slices and pork.


Chinese style eggplant with ground pork.

Every time I dig into a dish of these eggplants, I am happy. I love the soft pieces off eggplant that have absorbed the sauce. I also really enjoy the spicy pieces of meat or tofu. As well, I find the addition of Chinese vinegar really adds a distinctly Chinese flavour that I have never cooked with (I went out and bought the vinegar for this recipe). While my dad is Chinese, he was born and raised in Vietnam. I feel like I don't know authentic Chinese food that well and hope to learn more!



Chinese style eggplant with tofu.

Măng Kho Thịt (Braised Pork with Bamboo Shoots)

I got to spend another week working out of our Montréal office while my boyfriend A was working in Montréal also. I stayed at my mom's during the week since the office is 5 minutes away. This means that I got to enjoy some home cooking! I've written this before but while I do enjoy the special "weekend" treats (that we ate on the weekend) like bánh xèo (Vietnamese crepes), I do also miss the "week day" food we ate with rice. A lot of this food is kho, meaning braised in Vietnamese.

This time around I asked for măng kho thịt (braised pork with bamboo shoots). Like all kho food, is it very flavourful so you can eat rice with it. To get this flavour, you have to take your time to cook it. This is no stir fry! There is usually a tasty sauce that you can add to your rice. One main difference from eating such dishes in Vietnam is that we enjoy a lot more meat. In a similar dish, there might be a handful of pieces, mainly fatty ones. To meet my pickiness, my mom picks less fatty cuts of meat.

You can buy bamboo shoots in plastic packages in the refrigerator section of Asian grocery stores or you can even use canned bamboo shoots. Eating bamboo shoots is a very Asian specific ingredient and I love it. I love the slightly crunch texture of the bamboo and it's a perfect vehicle to absorb all of the flavours from the sauce. I think I might even like the bamboo better than the pork...!

Măng Kho Thịt (Braised Pork with Bamboo Shoots)

* oil
* ½ onion, sliced thinly
* 1 lb pork shoulder, cubed into 1" pieces
* 3 tsp salt
* 1 tsp pepper
* 3 tbsp sugar
* 2 lbs bamboo shoots, canned or bagged
* 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Season pork with 1 tsp salt and allow to marinate for 1-2 hours.
Heat oil in a medium pot.
Add onion slices to the oil and cook until softened for 1-2 minutes.
Add the pieces of meat.

Season with the remaining remaining 2 tsp salt, pepper, sugar.

Add chopped bamboo shoots, soy sauce and 1 cup of water.
Bring up the liquid to a boil and bring down to a simmer.
Add more water if necessary and the liquid dries up.
Allow to braise for 1 hour or so (until the pork is tender).

Serve with a bowl of rice.

Tada!


All you need is rice!

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

Ok, I have been slow writing these brunch posts because I have been quite busy at work. Yes, excuses, excuses. So I promise I will pound them all out this week. These breakfast sausages were my favourite recipe of the brunch. First, because I had never attempted homemade sausages before. Secondly, because they were easy to make. Thirdly, they were tasty little porky bites! This is a perfect recipe for those who worry about all the nitrites added to store-bought sausages!



I was actually inspired to make homemade sausages when I read the same Canadian House & Home issue from which I got the Baked Egg Florentine recipe. However, I did some internet research and found Alton Brown's sausage recipe. (I can't help but mention here that my pal Trapezista got Alton Brown's latest cookbook and has a crush on him! I will have to check out his book!)

Homemade Breakfast Sausage - Makes 40 small sausages
From Alton Brown.
Alton Brown's recipe calls for buying pork butt and fat, and grinding your own meat. I couldn't be bothered and just bought ground pork. I'm sure it's just as good. I get very impatient when frying meatballs and sausages. My tip is making the sausages as flat as possible so they cook more quickly. I froze these sausages, ensuring the sausages had a plastic film in between each. I allowed them thaw the night before, and they tasted as good as when I cooked them fresh! So make a big batch and have them on hand in the freezer!

* 2 lbs ground pork
* 2 tsp kosher salt
* 1-½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tsp finely chopped fresh sage leaves
* 2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
* ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 1 tbsp light brown sugar
* ½ tbsp nutmeg
* ½ tsp cayenne pepper
* ½ tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
* oil
* whole sage leaves for frying

Combine ground pork with all the other ingredients (up until the oil) and mix thoroughly.
Form into 1-inch rounds. (At this point, the sausages can be refrigerated and used within 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.)
Heat up oil in a non-stick pan.
Fry sage leaves and set aside.
Fry patties over medium-low heat until brown and cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve with the fried sage leaves.
Tada!


The lady at the Farmer's market gave me a tip for saving sage: wrap the stems with a wet paper towel and place back in a plastic bag, in the fridge


Cute little round sausages!


I really enjoyed the fresh herbs and the chili flakes in these sausages!

For other brunch recipes:
* Apple Pancakes
* Baked Egg Florentine
* Pumpkin Muffins
* Homemade Baked Beans
* Breakfast Potatoes
* Pumpkin Muffins
* Berry Fruit Salad
* Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Bún Thịt Heo Băm Xào (Rice Vermicelli with Ground Pork)

The best combination for a dish when you've had a long day is easy and tasty. Bún thịt heo băm xào (rice vermicelli with ground pork) fits these requirements. It can also be really quick if you have the ingredients on hand. I had some leftover bún (rice vermicelli) from making bún thịt bò xào (vermicelli with stir-fried beef). So I took out some frozen ground pork to thaw for the next day.

Pork, including ground pork, is used a lot in Vietnamese cuisine, like in nem nướng (grilled pork meatballs). I remember when I was young wondering why we didn't eat more ground beef like other people. Now I think I might even prefer ground pork over ground beef. I think its added fattiness adds more flavour.



Bún Thịt Heo Băm Xào (Rice Vermicelli with Ground Pork)
This groud pork mixture is used in many dishes, sometimes with the addition of wood ear mushrooms, like in bánh giò. It's also great cooked as little patties!

* oil
* ¼ onion, chopped small
* 100 g ground pork
* salt, to taste
* ground black pepper, to taste
* a pinch of sugar, or to taste
* a handful of bún, cooked (for cooking instructions)

Heat up oil.
Stir fry onion.
Add ground pork and break into pieces.
Add salt, sugar and pepper and mix.
Adjust seasoning to taste - I like it very peppery.
Turn off the heat.
Add the bún and mix it with the ground pork. (You don't want to cook the bún or it could get mushy. If you have leftover like meat, heat it up beforehand in the microwave.)
Tada!

Leftover bún feeding me a second meal.

Cooking ground pork.

So quick and it just hits the spot!

For other porky recipes:
* Chinese Bao Steamed Bun
* French Canadian Tourtière
* Homemade Breakfast Sausage
* Vermicelli & Pork Meatball Soup
* Vietnamese Pork Meatballs
* Vietnamese Style Pork Chops
* Wonton Soup

Bún Thịt Nướng (Grilled Meat with Rice Vermicelli)

Bún thịt nướng (grilled meat with rice vermicelli) is a summer staple at my mom's. I actually associate barbecuing with this dish. We didn't really do hamburgers and hot dogs growing up... I also associate barbecuing with my mother, hair covered with a bandana, cooking over a charcoal grill. No propane for us, no sirree! My mom is a firm believer that charcoal adds more flavour to meat!

My mom makes thịt nướng (grilled meat) with both pork and beef although I think pork is more traditional. This is served with bún (rice vermicelli), fresh vegetables and sweet pickled carrots, and finally, doused with fish sauce. When we have a lot of people over, my mom cooks a ridiculous amount of meat and everyone assembles their own bowl of bún.

Thịt Heo Nướng (Grilled Pork)

The key to this recipe is marinating the meat overnight for maximum flavour. If you can't, at least marinate it for a good 3 hours. The main flavour for the pork is lemongrass; this recipe is really just a guideline and you can adjust the ingredients as you like! Adding sugar may seem odd but Vietnamese food tends to have a sweet side, even in savoury dishes. Traditionally, a fattier cut of pork is used for this but my mom uses leaner pork butt.

* 1 kg pork butt, sliced ⅛" thick
* 1-½ tsp salt
* 3 tbsp sugar
* 1-½ tsp garlic (3-4 garlic cloves), minced
* 1 heaping tbsp minced lemongrass (can be purchased frozen)
* 1 tsp dark soy sauce
* 1 tsp black pepper
* 1 tsp chili flakes
* ⅛ tsp baking soda

* bamboo skewers, soaked in water

* 1 tbsp sesame seeds, optional (my mom likes to add them but finds it does tend to burn)

Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.

Add the pork slices and let marinate overnight, making sure all the meat is well coated.

Skewer the pieces of meat (or use a metallic grill like my mom's below).

Grill on barbecue or broil in the oven.

Turn over the meat until both sides are cooked.

Marinating pork makes it tasty!

Thịt Bò Nướng (Grilled Beef)
The marinade below is the same as for the pork, except for the addition of sesame oil.

* 1 kg beef sirloin tip, sliced ⅛" thick

* 1-½ tsp salt

* 3 tbsp sugar

* 2 tsp garlic (5-6 garlic cloves), minced

* 1 tbsp minced lemongrass (can be purchased frozen)

* 1 tbsp sesame oil

* 1 tsp dark soy sauce

* 1 tsp black pepper

* 1 tsp chili flakes

* ⅛ tsp baking soda
* bamboo skewers, soaked in water

Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the beef slices and marinate overnight.
Skewer the pieces of meat (or use a metallic grill if you have one).
Grill on barbecue or broil in the oven.
Turn over the meat until both sides are cooked.

Vietnamese style grilled beef.

Cooking Bún (rice vermicelli) - Serves 4-6

Bún is the basis of many Vietnamese dishes, including fried spring rolls. I have difficulty cooking bún so I thought I'd write down how to properly cook it, if just for myself.

½ 454g bún package

Bring water to a boil in a big pot.
Turn the heat down to medium.
Add the bún (no lid), ensuring all the vermicelli is submerged in the water.
When the bún is no longer holding its square shape, turn off the heat (about 5-7 minutes).
Leave the bún to cook in the water for another 8-10 min.
Rinse in cold water until you can handle it with your hands.
Make little bundles and pile them in a strainer - this ensures it doesn't all get stuck together (that's usually my problem!).

My mom prefers bún that comes in little square shapes.

My mom makes little bundles and places them in a strainer.

Serving Bún
For grilled meat or spring rolls, you serve bún with fresh vegetables and fish sauce. Refer to the toppings for bún post!

* cooked bún
* hành mỡ (scallion oil)

* lettuce, sliced thinly

* cucumbers, sliced thinly

* mint, sliced thinly

* pickled carrots

* peanuts, ground
* nước chấm (dipping fish sauce)

Place bún in a bowl.

Mix in with some scallion oil.

Add lettuce, cucumber, mint, carrots and peanuts (or whatever you prefer).

Add as much fish sauce as you'd like.

Serve with grilled meats or spring rolls.

Tada!

A bowl of bún.

Easter Dinner: Baked Ham

My family congregated in Hamilton for Easter dinner. My sister suggested making a baked ham. I had no experience with baking a ham but I do enjoying eating it. We then created a menu around ham. I think all the food came out well. Unfortunately, the pictures came out poorly. Not sure if it's because I was feeling rushed, the poor lighting in my house or because I need work on my photography skills in general. You'll just have to imagine the pictures in focus!



The Menu
* Pan-Fried Onion Dip
* Parker's Split Pea Soup
* Baked Ham with Orange-Mustard Glaze
* Potato Gratin
* Buttered Green Beans
* Apple Pie

Pan-Fried Onion Dip
My sister wanted to try making this onion dip from my Barefoot Contessa cookbook. The recipe is on foodtv. She bought kettle chips (no, we did not make our own chips like the book suggests...). The only con is that she made half a recipe which was definitely NOT enough. If you make this recipe, make the ENTIRE recipe!! Otherwise, it was delicious!!

Fried onions make this appetizer!

Parker's Split Pea Soup

I thought making split pea soup would go well with our menu and we turned again to Barefoot Contessa. In the recipe, Ina Garten writes that Steven Spielberg told her that it tastes just like his mother's. I guess this recipe tasted just like Steven Spielberg's mother's, with the addition of bacon! We were going to cut a piece from the ham and add it but forgot. The recipe does suggest first cooking half the split peas first, then adding the second half later. This gives a great texture, unlike mushy peas. Everyone really enjoyed this soup. Two for two for Barefoot Contessa!

Baked Ham with Orange-Mustard Glaze

I love ham. I would pick ham over a turkey or roast beef any day. At my previous employer, the cafeteria made ham once a month. We referred to it as "ham day". I was always first in line, asking for the brown bits (the best part - the glazed exterior! ). They would make three whole hams and sell out very quickly.

I have never bought or made ham so I went and bought a (8 lbs.) half fully cooked bone-in ham at the Farmer's Market for $3/lb just to find hams at the supermarket for $0.99/lb. That was upsetting. That said, our ham was delicious. My sister and I roughly followed Martha Stewart's Glazed Ham 101. Our glaze was made up of Dijon mustard, marmalade and garlic. We baked the ham with some improvising since I did not have a roasting pan!

The ham first has to be rinsed and baked for half an hour to melt some of the fat. Let's just say, my oven was pretty dirty afterward!

After the initial baking, you have to cut off the fat and apply the glaze.

Bake again - we actually broiled it a bit to get colour but forgot it, oops - and voilà (horrible picture!).

Potato Gratin

Again, we referred to Barefoot Contessa's potato-fennel gratin but made it without fennel. It was good but we did not cook it long enough (the potatoes were raw). This happened when we had too many things in the oven I think. Oopsy...

Potato Gratin.

Buttered Green Beans
For a vegetable dish, we had green beans, with simple butter, salt and pepper. I usually eat my green beans with eggs. I enjoyed this so much I had it a few times the following week, until... I got sick of it!

Apple Pie
My sister's boyfriend D volunteered for dessert and made an apple pie. He is an expert at making pies while I am... not! Which meant that when he asked for a pie dish, I could not produce one for him. I don't think I've ever baked a pie although I do like eating them! So I borrowed my friend T's deep cake pan and he made us a delicious apple pie. I do like most desserts with apple in them!

Making the pie dough.

The final product.

The pie had a very generous amount of apples which is the way I like it.

All in all, a great Easter weekend with great food. Thank you to my family for driving all the way here for the weekend!