Cooking with Eowyn

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Well, fun as that feminism post was, how about something yummy and non-controversial? lol

I don't know why I decided to make pork chops. I hardly ever eat meat anymore, but I had them in the freezer and figured I ought to do something with them. I saw this marinade recipe on cooking, but I didn't write down who posted it. I'm pretty sure it was a family recipe or something.

Pork Chop Marinade

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 1/2 oz soy sauce
4 TB dark brown sugar
2 tsp dry mustard
1 TB oregano
1 TB thyme
2 tsp garlic

Mix it all together and let the pork marinate for around 24 hours, turning to cover it all every 2-4 hours. The recipe is for about 12 pork chops, so I ended up cutting it way down. I also didn't have any dry mustard, so I used regular mustard instead (1 tsp dry mustard = 1 TB prepared mustard, I looked it up!). I baked the pork chops in the oven, but you can cook them any way you like. The marinade was really tasty, tangy and sweet. I ended up freezing the leftovers, since I didn't want to eat meat too many days in a row. Hopefully it'll still taste good later!

Now that broccoli is an "only for special occasions" food, asparagus has become my new go-to green vegetable. I also, on a whim, bought goat cheese at the supermarket (they had free samples! Wave something in front of me and I will buy it!) and so I decided to make this Creamy Fettuccine with Asparagus recipe from my cookbook. It was pretty yummers. One thing I will say, though, is that one cup of pasta water was too much - I ended up draining it out because it was so soupy (and then of course I had to add more cheese and mustard because I'd drained most of that with the water).

Another thing I've really been wanting to try is risotto. I actually bought arborio rice a while ago, but didn't have any specific ideas to use it. On a whim (are you starting to see how I shop? lol) I'd bought some scallops and I decided they might go well together. Here's the recipe for the risotto, which was on the back of the rice container:

1 cup uncooked rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper

1. Saute onion in oil and butter for 3 minutes.
2. Add rice, stirring for about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in 1 cup of broth. Continue cooking and stirring until liquid is absorbed.
4. Gradually stir in remaining broth 1 cup at a time, cooking and stirring until liquid is absorbed before adding the next cup.

Yields approximately 3 cups cooked rice.

Since this was all rather spur of the moment, I didn't have any onion, so I just threw the rice in with the butter and oil and went from there. Also, probably the ideal would've been to use fish stock with scallops, but since I didn't have any, I used half chicken and half beef stock (apparently, now that I don't really eat beef anymore, I can make do with beef-flavored rice, lol). I sauteed the scallops like I usually do, then deglazed the pan with a splash of white wine and added both scallops and wine to the risotto when it was just about done cooking. Mmmmm yummy in my tummy. Maybe next time, if I actually plan ahead, I might do something more adventurous with the risotto.

And right now, I am eating ciabatta bread with leftover goat cheese, topped with a sliced pear and walnuts and toasted in the toaster oven. Mmmmm!

Comments

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

The pork chops sound delicious!

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They were!

[lostboy-lj.livejournal.com]

Non-controversial, huh?




You monster...

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What are you, PETA now?

[lostboy-lj.livejournal.com]

I'd like some pork on a pita please.

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I really need an icon of someone sticking their tongue out, so I can use it on you. :-P

[lostboy-lj.livejournal.com]

Guh?

But, I ruv roo!

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Then why does your icon look like it's about to eat me?

[lostboy-lj.livejournal.com]

I RUV ROOOO E! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXo3NFqkaRM)

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I ruv roo tooooo!

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

One thing I will say, though, is that one cup of pasta water was too much

Usually you add about 1/4 cup and then additional if you feel it needs more.

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Ah, NOW ya tell me!

[dragonflylady77.livejournal.com]

*is jealous you get to eat goat cheese*
New Zealand is a cheese desert (unless you like 1kg block of tasteless cheddar) and I'm a French person who loves cheese, feel my pain!!!

Yummy food you're making!!

I once had pork chops cooked in orange juice and brown sugar and something else. Yummy too.

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I could never live in a country without cheese. I would DIE.

[dragonflylady77.livejournal.com]

Oh they have cheese... They make brie type cheeses that they sell for a forture and that are pretty tasteless (and then they put things like dried apricots in them).

There are people making cheese but they're hard to find unless you live in Christchurch (http://www.cheesemongers.co.nz/)...

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That might as well be no cheese at all! I'm Italian, so I will shrivel up and die without parmesan and mozzarella, at a minimum. Ricotta, gorgonzola, asiago, and goat cheese strongly preferred, but not necessary for survival. :)

[dragonflylady77.livejournal.com]

I know, it's uber lame.

My favourite cheese is goat cheese and my mum knows to have plenty there for me when I get back for holidays. That's the first thing I eat when I get off the plane!!

These people here have no idea!! I mean, 1kg cheddar (plastic cheese) blocks!!