Crispy Pork Belly + Creamy Black Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad

We're baaaaack!

We had a great month travelling around Boston, then California. We saw some great friends and family - and of course, we ate some great food. Hang tight, I'm working on a review of our favorites for all of you.

In the meantime, we want to share this pork and quinoa recipe with you. Quinoa is a very versatile grain-like ingredient, used often in salads or paired with a protein/veggie combo. You can even make quinoa smoothies! It's seen a surge in popularity in recent years, and the price has tripled due to high demand in the Western world. In fact, the UN recently named 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa. Our quinoa obsession is due in part to the food's numerous health benefits - it's full of lysine, calcium, phosphorous, and iron. As its popularity increases, however, concerns have sparked about the impact of increased demand on the availability of the crop to citizens of countries which grow it - Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, and others.

There are multiple varieties of quinoa, each with its own color and flavor. For this recipe, I used black quinoa simply because I had it on hand. The quinoa and sweet potato salad in this recipe is vegetarian friendly,  but we have some crispy pork belly to top the whole thing if you're so inclined.

Black Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad
Serves 3-4

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups light cream
• 1 cup black quinoa
• 1 Carrot
• 1 sweet potato
• 1/8 cup maple syrup
• 3 tbsp vegetable (or peanut or canola) oil
• Shaved romano or parmesan cheese (optional, but seriously who doesn't want cheese?)
• Salt + pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut carrots and sweet potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Add maple syrup and toss until the vegetables are coated. Spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet (or use a baker's mat. The idea here is not to let the maple syrup ruin your baking sheet).
Add salt and pepper
Bake about 30 minutes until tender. Stab 'em with a fork to see if they're soft enough. Set aside.

While your vegetables are roasting, bring water to a boil and add quinoa. Remember cooking quinoa is like cooking rice, not pasta - if you add too much water you're going to have a soupy mess. Reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and leave covered for at least 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat 2-3 tbsp of oil on medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the cooked carrots and sweet potatoes. Spread them out but don't stir or toss them until you see a little char on the bottom. Add light cream and bring to a simmer. Add quinoa and stir it up, then remove from the heat.


Crispy Pork Belly

• 2-3 tbsp vegetable (or peanut or canola) oil
• As many 1/4 inch thick or thinner strips of uncured pork belly as your heart desires 
• Salt + pepper

Note: If your pork belly is thicker than 1/4 inch, we highly recommend slicing it about as thick as  a nice thick-cut bacon strip. Thicker cuts of pork belly will need to be braised in the oven before frying to make the fat tender. By slicing it thinly you're effectively creating uncured bacon, which will fry up nicely. 

Season the pork bellies with salt and pepper. You can keep them in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

In a medium skillet heat oil on medium-high head until smoking. Place the in the pan (be careful of oil splashes!) and cook about 2 minutes per side.

If you've worked with pork belly before, you can "cook by color" here - keep them in the pan until you get the color you want on each side. Personally, I like my pork medium-rare to medium. The days of overcooked pork for fear of trichinosis are behind us, people!



The Angry Chef is a tiny family operation and many of our original recipes are hot off the press. Have you made this or anything else featured on the blog? Let us know here - we want your feedback!

Not your Grandma's: Brisket with butternut squash lentils and slow-cooked mustard sauce

We've been saving this triple-decker recipe for a while. Now seemed like a good time to share - we're happily on vacation in Boston, and heading to California at the end of the week.

I promise I will take a picture of my favorite burrito and share it with all of you. Plus there will be plenty of Filipino recipes from my family, who seem to have a constant stream of pancit and lumpia coming our way. I'm looking forward to documenting some of my favorite recipes from childhood, and sharing them here. Once I've had my way with them, of course.

In the meantime, enjoy this three-in-one recipe collection that works together or separately. Brisket in a slow cooker is incredibly easy. Set it and forget it. Is that a slogan for something?

For our vegetarian friends as a solo dish or for a meat-supporting side dish, the butternut squash lentils are creamy and comforting. To top it all off, I made a slow-cooked mustard sauce using the vegetables reserved from the brisket - a nice way to recycle what you make.

Enjoy! We're coming at you next from California!

Slow Cooker Brisket

• ~ 3.5 - 4 lbs brisket
• 2 yellow onions
• 2 carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 4 cups water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tbsp savory (substitute thyme if necessary)
• 1/2 tbsp pepper
• 1/2 tbsp salt

Rough chop all vegetables.

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.


Butternut Squash Lentils

• 1lb (1 package) lentils
• 1 tbsp bacon fat or butter 
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup roasted butternut squash, cubed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Salt + pepper

Cover lentils and bacon fat with water and boil 15-20 minutes until tender. Strain and set aside.

Add vegetable oil to a hot pan and let sit until it starts to smoke.

Add carrots and roasted squash, stirring occasionally. Let a few sides brown or even caramelize (about 5 minutes of no stirring).

Add lentils and heavy cream. Reduce heat to simmer and cook about 5 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste.


Honey-Mustard Vegetable Sauce

• 2 cups reserved and strained vegetables (from the slow cooker)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and GO!  

After about 10-15 seconds, stop the blender and stir. Repeat until smooth.

This sauce is customizable - play around with the flavors until you arrive at something awesome. Try adding more dijon, honey or hot sauce.

Lemon Roasted Okra

Spring is coming, and as it gets warmer I like to incorporate citrus into my cooking. It's a nice way to transition from hearty winter fare into something a little lighter.

This is the kind of recipe that you learn to build your cooking skills with. All of the ingredients above are approximate. You can add as little or as much of each as you like.

If you're a salt nut, have at it. If you like the contrast between the earthy okra and the citrusy lemon, use more juice and make it taste exactly how you'd like. Use cayenne instead of paprika. The possibilities are endless. Even the cooking time for this dish can vary. The longer you roast, the more the sticky stuff inside the okra will dry out.

Don't be afraid to play around with any recipe like this - add small amounts until you get it just right. If you over-do something, don't panic and dilute it with a little more olive oil.


Lemon Roasted Okra
All of the following amounts are approximate! 

• 20-25 okra pods
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1-2 tsp salt
• 1-2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 lemon's juice

Clean the okra and cut the top off the each pod. Slice about 1/2 inch thick.

Coat slices with olive oil (about 1-2 tbsp)

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Drizzle with lemon juice.

Roast at 450 for about 10-15 minutes

RAMEN.

Soup is the best. Specifically, ramen is the best. There's not much better than a huge bowl of steaming broth and all your favorite fixins. This recipe is a fresh and simple version of what can often be a day-long process. Though it's true that you'll get superb results by making your own broth from scratch, we thought you'd appreciate a time-saver for those late-night ramen emergencies. You're welcome.

Ramen Broth

• 3 quarts water
• 1 sheet nori
• 5 grams bonito flakes 
• 4 tbsp miso
• 2 tbsp lite soy sauce
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• Pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

Simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to develop.

Remove bonito flakes, garlic, and nori by pouring through a wire strainer. Reserve broth.

Add pepper to taste.

Combine with noodles, fresh veggies, and chicken or pork (or beef, or fish...) and celebrate your status as the ruler of the soup.

Fixins - use as much or as little as you want!

• Ramen (wheat flour) noodles
• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Bean sprouts
• Hard boiled egg
• Oyster mushrooms
• Bamboo
• Panko fried chicken (egg, rice flour, panko)
• Pork belly (salt, black peppercorns, garlic cloves, and bay leaves)
• Green onions

The most important thing to remember here is thin slices. If your vegetables are sliced thinly enough, a nice steamy broth will soften them nicely. If the vegetables are too thick you're going to have a delicious-yet-crunchy soup. 

Your egg can be soft boiled, hard boiled, or anything in between. For a soft boiled egg, bring eggs and water to a boil and continue to boil for five minutes. For a hard boiled egg, make it seven minutes. Remember to start timing once the eggs and water begin to boil, not when the eggs go in. 

To cook pork bellies:

Boil 1 lb of pork bellies with 2 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp black peppercorns, 4 garlic cloves, and 2 bay leaves. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, depending on thickness. When ready to serve, deep fry or pan fry in oil until sides are heavily browned.

To cook chicken: 

Pound chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer until 1/2 inch thick. Coat both sides evenly with rice flour and dip the breast in raw scrambled eggs. Bread with panko, sprinkle salt and pepper. Deep fry at 375° until golden brown (about three minutes). Slice on a bias and soup it up.

Ramen. Amen!

Make This Tonight: Roasted brussels sprouts!

Roasted vegetables! This is a favorite for our family, especially in the winter months. It's also a very simple and versatile recipe, which you can use with so many different vegetables. This time we used brussels sprouts, but eggplants, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, onions, potatoes, and mushrooms work just as well!

Simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
1 lb brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste (we prefer kosher salt and cracked black pepper)

• Cut brussels sprouts in half and coat with olive oil. 
• Mix in minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste.
• Roast at 450° for 35-40 minutes.

The great thing about this recipe is its versatility. Add chili powder to make it spicy! Butter! Honey! Lemon juice! Bacon! Anything you think will add a nice touch - all these and more will work great! Use your sense of smell and taste to get a sense of what your final dish will taste like. 

This oil-salt-pepper-garlic combination works wonderfully with a variety of different vegetables. Use it as a base, and feel free to experiment! Happy roasting!