Category:  Pork Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
4 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup cottage cheese or 1/2 cup sour cream
6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
8 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
1 1/2 cups cooked chopped broccoli
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Prick the potatoes with a knife and bake them on a foil-lined baking sheet until tender, about 1 hour. Remove the potatoes, but leave the oven on.

2. Cut off and discard (or munch) the top quarter of each potato. Scoop out the flesh and mash it with the butter, cottage cheese or sour cream, and cheddar. Stir in the bacon and broccoli and pile the stuffing back into the potato skins.

3. Bake another 20 to 30 minutes, or until browned and piping hot. Serves 4.

Top 10 reasons why you need to make this hors d’oeuvre:

1. Do-ahead: Mix your ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon (no mixing gadget required), roll into smallish balls (think ping pong).  If not baking right away, freeze in plastic zip-top bags.
2. Convenient: When ready to bake, place on greased disposable baking sheets.  If frozen, they can go right into the oven.  Toss baking sheet when done and voila!  No clean up.
3. Tasty: Sausage mixed with Cheddar, onions and other savory flavors baked until crispy on the outside and juicy inside makes one darn good hors d’oeuvre.
4. Festive: Stick a frilly toothpick in each sausage sleigh ball for a festive presentation.  Look for toothpicks in any supermarket.
5. Complimentary: Your new neighbor who just moved from Manhattan will beg you for the recipe.
6. Nostalgic: Aunt Franny from Philadelphia will exclaim it tastes just like the sausage balls her grandmother made when she was a girl and she’ll beg you for the recipe, too.
7. Fancy: Kids love these.  They might just mingle with the adults and engage in interesting conversation instead of slinking off to the basement to play video games.
8. Indulgent: It’s not any time in the year you whip up a batch of sausage sleigh balls.  So, pour a glass of egg nog and go for it.
9. Crowd pleasing: Don’t worry about your vegetarian friend.  Whip up a batch of hummus with golden raisins and they’ll be begging for the recipe, too: puree 1 can drained chick peas, 1 garlic clove, 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste), juice from 1 lemon, salt to taste.  Place in a serving dish and stir in 1/2 cup golden raisins.  Serve with veggies and crackers.
10. Versatile: Use up any leftovers by dicing and tossing into scrambled eggs for breakfast.  Just add toast and juice and you’ll continue to be loved by all.

Sausage Balls Recipes

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Makes about 3 dozen

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage

2/3 cup flour

2 cups (8 oz) sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 small onion, minced

1 celery stalk, minced

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees (unless making ahead and freezing)

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and form into 1 1/2 inch balls.  If freezing, place in a zip-top plastic freezer bag in a single layer.  If baking, place on a (disposable) rimmed baking sheet coated with non-stick spray.  Place balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheet.

Bake 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Holiday shopping, parties, good food, family, friends, screaming kids and more. Sound familiar? Yes, the joys of Christmas are upon us and and that means so are the stresses that accompany it. If you are planning on having a lot of people over on Christmas morning, why not serve something that makes things easy on you, but that also impresses your hungry guests. The solution? Breakfast Casserole. My secret is, on Christmas Eve while you’re waiting for Santa to come down the chimney, whip this recipe together and then go to bed. Then, the next morning, while your kids are plowing through gifts and having a ball you can just pop the casserole in the oven and relax knowing the crowd will be thrilled with your Christmas culinary creation!

Breakfast Casserole (Serves 4-6)

6 Large Eggs, whisked
2/3 Cups Milk
1 Cup Cheese, shredded (you can use Mexican cheese blend, Mozzarella, Cheddar, or Monterey Jack)
1/2 Tsp Salt
5 Slices day-old Whole Wheat Bread, cut into cubes
4 Pieces of Bacon, cooked and crumbled into bite-size pieces
1 Cup Cooked Vegetables, chopped (broccoli, corn, bell peppers, onions or anything you have leftover from last night’s dinner)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a bowl whisk the eggs, milk, cheese and salt until thoroughly combined.
3. Soak the cubed bread in the egg mixture and stir until just combined (you don’t want to over mix the bread or it will break apart).
4. Fold in the remaining ingredients.
5. Pour the mixture into an 8×8 inch greased pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden.
6. Serve.

*Can be doubled and cooked in a 13 x 9 inch dish

1. Stir together flour and water (amount is for Asian flour, if you live in the US, increase amount of water by 30% or more) until it forms a soft dough
2. Let dough rest for at least half an hour, covered (this relaxes the gluten and makes it easier to roll out)
3. soak vermicelli in hot water until soft, drain and chop into short pieces
4. Combine chives, ginger, pork, vermicelli, and egg yolks in a bowl
5. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and cook filling materials until pork is almost done. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame oil
6. The dough should be ready by now. Divide dough into quarters, working with one quarter at a time, covering the rest to prevent drying.
7. Roll one quarter of the dough into a rope, and divide into five equal parts. Roll each part into a ball and roll each ball into a round about 4 inch in diameter. Place 2 tbsp of stuffing onto dough, and seal by folding it into a semicircle and pinching the sides together, then again folding the seal over itself (optional). Next, stand it up and flatten with the palm of your hand.
8. Repeat until all the dough is used up. You now have 20 “boxes”
9. Heat 1 tsp oil in a heavy frying pan until hot. Place “boxes” in pan and fry for about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden

Eat with porridge, dipped in Chinese black vinegar.

You may freeze the boxes before you fry them. When you want to eat them, take out the freezer and fry without defrosting.

Ingredients

• 3 c flour
• 200ml boiling water
• 2 bunches of Chinese chives (200g total), chopped
• 1-2 tbsp minced ginger
• 200g ground pork
• 50g Chinese vermicelli (optional)
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp vegetable oil + 1 tsp
• 2 tsp salt
• white pepper to taste
• 1 tsp sesame oil

1. Heat a 6-qt. pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until just tender, 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer Brussels sprouts to a bowl of ice water; let sit for 5 minutes. Drain Brussels sprouts and pat dry with paper towels; set aside.

2. Heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a 12″ cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until soft, about 2 more minutes. Transfer chorizo mixture to a bowl. Increase heat to high and add the remaining oil and the reserved Brussels sprouts; cook, flipping once or twice, until the Brussels sprouts are browned and tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the reserved chorizo mixture and season with salt and pepper.

• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 oz. cured Spanish chorizo, quartered lengthwise
• and cut crosswise into 1/4″ slices
• 1/2 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste