Hong Kong-Style Sausage Buns (Minis!)

I absolutely love making these! I had an entire bag of unopened cocktail smokies in my fridge and I did not want them to go bad. So I searched up a recipe for the Hong Kong-styled buns that the Chinese bakeries always sold because my brother loves to snack on them. The bread dough is a sweet, milk-based dough unlike the bread or pastry dough that pigs-in-a-blanket are usually wrapped in. The result is moist, sweet and yummy goodness!

They were so good the first time I made them, I decided to make a larger batch for a little Spring Party that I hosted at my house for the family. Recipe is an adaption of the recipe provided here.

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten and divided
• 2/3 cups lukewarm milk
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 8 hot dogs or around 20 cocktail smokies
• sesame seeds (optional)

Method

1. In a stand mixer bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add in 1 of the lightly beaten eggs and the milk, stirring until it starts to come together. Attach the bowl to the stand mixer.
2. Using the dough hook attachment, knead on medium-low speed (#4 on my KitchenAid) for 5 minutes. Add the softened butter and knead another 3 minutes or until the butter has been completely and thoroughly absorbed into the dough. The dough should feel smooth, satiny, and not sticky. If it's sticky, add more flour in tablespoon increments until you reach the right texture. The dough should pass the windowpane test (you can stretch it out very thinly without it breaking). Knead until it does.
3. Spray a good size bowl with cooking spray. Take the dough out of the mixing bowl and form into a ball, pulling the sides down so that it becomes taut. Place the ball of dough in the greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm area for about 90 minutes, until about doubled in size.
4. Take the dough out of the bowl and divide into 8 equal pieces, .
5. To form the poofy rolls, roll out one of the dough pieces between your hands until it's about 2 to 2 1/2 times the length of the hot dog. If you want the center to be bigger than the ends, make sure you roll your dough accordingly, so that the middle of your long piece of dough is bulkier than the ends. Wrap the length of dough around a hot dog; it should be enough to make 3 loops, with the tapered ends at the bottom of the hot dog.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the shaped buns on the paper, leaving enough room in between each for the dough to have a place to go while it's rising.
7. Cover the buns loosely with plastic wrap or a clean cloth (you don't want to ruin the rise by having to peel anything off them). Let the dough rise again for another 90 minutes or so, until it's about doubled in volume and look nicely plump.
8. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F.
9. When the buns have risen, gently brush egg wash (the remaining egg) generously onto each, making sure to get the sides as well, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top, if desired.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 5-8 minutes, until the buns are an attractive golden brown

I find that if you will be using hot dogs, it is better to cut the wiener in half so that it is the perfect snack/appetizer size!

The ones for the party!

Poached Egg Bites

I was hungry...and I did not feel like cooking up anything fancy. I had homemade bread in my fridge, free-range eggs and sun-dried tomato paste. In a desperate attempt to throw something together for a late night snack, I toasted thick slices of the bread, poached some eggs, and whipped up a simple sweet n tangy mayo spread. THE SPREAD WAS DIVINE. And it is so simple, it's ridiculous! Definitely making a jar of this for future sandwich usage.

Sweet n' Tangy Mayo Spread

 ¼ cup Canola Oil Mayonnaise

2 tbsp Japanese Mayo (Kewpie Mayonnaise)

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp stone ground mustard

1 tsp ground black pepper

Whisk all ingredients together. Done.

 

 

Look at that yolk!

Mommy, I Made Pho

This is the first time EVER that I made pho all by myself, without the help of my mom, who is not back from Vietnam yet. Today is my dad's birthday and his favorite dish is Pho. If you do not know, pho is a Vietnamese noodle dish consisting of rice noodles, spiced beef broth, beef slices, beef meatballs, beef brisket, beef tripe and tendons, accompanied with white onions, basil, mint leaves, bean sprouts, lime, chili peppers, cilantro, green onions, culantro/Eryngium foetidum (ngo gai), hoisin sauce, chili sauce and fish sauce. A lot of ingredients, I know. The pho I made only featured rare beef slices, beef meatballs and beef tendon.
There are many other variations, such as chicken pho or seafood pho but traditionally, it is beef. Sometimes an egg is added for EXTRA protein haha.
The most crucial part of a good bowl of pho is the broth. The criteria includes it being clear NOT MURKY, aromatic and full of flavor from hours of simmering beef bones, charred yellow onion, charred ginger and toasted spices such as cardamom, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves and coriander seeds. The entire dish took me 3-4 ish hours to prepare...phew.
Also, beef tendons are a bitch to cook. It takes waaaay more than 3-4 hours to get soft all the way through, so I suggest you put it in a slow cooker and cook it over night if you ever want to make pho. PAH.
No, this is not a quick dish.
Why did I want to go through the endeavor to make it from scratch? Because I am passionate about my food and it's my daddy's birthday. It's worth it either way. Plus my brother slurped up his entire bowl of soup, so I know it is good (he never slurps up an entire bowl of broth if it is not good, no matter who makes it).
So, if you want Pho without cooking it, go ahead and go buy a bowl at a Viet restaurant. I assure you they use msg, sweeteners and not a lot of good ol beef bones for the broth. Or, if you want to make it, then go ahead and go buy those pre-packaged pho spices and add it to a pot of ready made beef broth from Campbell. I promise you, it won't be the same.

Broth for two people:

1-2 lbs of beef bones
1 lb of oxtails
half a small cabbage

1 medium yellow onion, unpeeled
1 medium sized knob of ginger, unpeeled

4 sticks of cinnamon
5 anise stars
4 black cardamom bulbs
1 tsp of cloves
1 tsp of coriander seeds

1 tbsp brown sugar
Salt and mushroom granules for taste

In a large pot that can hold up to 6 cups of water, bring the bones with 1 tbsp of salt to a boil and skim off any foam and fat that emerges to the surface. Add in the cabbage once there is no more foam to skim and simmer for 30 minutes.
During the wait, char the onion and ginger on a grill or over a mesh on a gas burner until the onion skin and ginger are almost completely black and become aromatic. Let cool and under running water, scrap and peel off as much of the blackened bits as you can. Add to the pot of broth and simmer for 30 minutes.
Dry roast the spices in your oven or in a skillet over the stove until aromatic. Let the spices cool and tie it up in a spice bag or make a spice package with coffee filters, tied with kitchen twine. Plop that into the broth and simmer under medium-low heat for 1-2 hours. DO NOT COVER with a lid. If you feel there is not enough water, then you better turn the heat lower and add more water.
After 1-2 hours, broth should be aromatic with the spices. Gently stir in sugar and season with salt and mushroom granules to your taste. If you don't have mushroom granules, then salt should just be fine. Turn the heat to high and bring to a quick boil. Spoon hot broth over cooked rice noodles and your choice of toppings. Best served hot ;)
Enough for four servings.

Pho with beef balls, rare beef slices and beef tendon.

Curried Leg of Lamb Pot Roast

Made this for dinner today: boneless leg of lamb dry-rubbed with curry spice, salt, pepper, then browned in a little bit of grape seed oil and popped in the oven to roast with 1 1/2 cup of beef broth and a splash of red wine; onions, garlic, leeks, carrots and chayotes. I roasted mine for around 1 hour at 420 F but follow the packaging on your leg to see what it suggests for cooking time. Served simply over hot rice with generous scoops of the au jus and veggies. It would be great with rustic mashed potatoes as well! My dad loved it (he had three huge slices of the lamb, yikes!).
If you do not have time to wait an hour and want to eat it as soon as you're off work/school/whatever you do, then just pop everything in a slow cooker before you leave (cut things up and season the night before). The meat will be extra tender and you could serve it in anyway you see fit (as a sandwich, on rice, on potatoes, with quinoa etc.)!
Happy eating!!

Steelhead Trout: Baked in Exotic Herbed-Butter

Quick dinner today featuring steel-head trout baked in an aromatic butter spiked with Thai basil, coriander and mint. The fish takes 20-25 minutes to cook in a 375 C oven. Served with rice and a drizzle of coriander-lime brown butter. As for me, I had some fresh goat-cheese ravioli with fresh pasta sauce with lotssss of garlic and lotsss of basil.

Coriander-Lime Brown Butter

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tbsp fresh or dried coriander seeds
1 tsp lime zest
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Place the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the butter turns a golden brown color, and takes on a nutty aroma. Reduce heat and keep warm until ready to serve. When ready to serve, turn the butter up to medium heat and whisk in the lime juice. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, add the coriander seeds and zest, turn off the heat and spoon on fish and rice.

  

Raspberry Chipotle Flat Chicken

Hello all! I have been away to Montana since the last time I posted and I haven't had time to cook or bake since I got back. My dwelling is undergoing major renovations and that also includes a re-installment of cabinets and the counter top in our kitchen including refinishing and repainting walls and tiles. Before completely demolishing our kitchen, I made this dish using a sauce I bought in Helena, Montana. It's a "Roasted Raspberry and Chipotle Sauce," and though the idea of a fruit and spices usually does not mix well for me, this sauce had me go head-over-heels. I found this beauty at the local Costco Warehouse, sampled on a thin whole grain cracker with brie cheese. I basically melted along with the soft cheese as soon as the morsel was in my mouth. Tangy-sweet with a bit of savoriness from the cheese and cracker, it was a divine bite. What was even more incredible was the little kick of spiciness that rocked all the flavors together. It was f****ing delicious. Back at home with my prized bottle of the sauce, I couldn't wait to try it on the suggested meats (poultry, pork, salmon) and appetizer suggestions.
This chicken dish is the first time I have used the sauce since I bought it and I loved the color it gave the roasted chicken (as my family gobbled up almost all the bird). I decided to flatten (butterfly) the chicken so that it would be seasoned better, cooked faster and carved better.  To flatten a chicken, all you do is remove the spine and the breast bone (keel bone) so that you can flatten the bird out and have less bones to worry with when carving. When you season, the spices you use will be better penetrated into the meat so that your bird will be seasoned all over rather than just on the skin. Here's a great instructional video with how to butterfly a chicken.

I dry rubbed my chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (around 1-2 tsp of each) and roasted it at 200-250 degrees Celsius for about 45 minutes in my glass conventional oven* until the skin was semi-golden brown. I then brushed the bird with 2 tbsp of the Raspberry Chipotle and let it roasted for another 5 minutes until the sauce melted right into the chicken and the skin was glossy and golden. I let the bird rest for 15 minutes before carving so that the meat would retain heat and not dry out. I served the chicken with brown rice, pea tips sauteed in garlic and baked zucchini rounds. Our "last supper" before our kitchen's doomsday.

*butterfly chicken is awesome on the BBQ too so go ahead and preheat your grill to medium-high heat and grill the bird to your liking!

Red Velvet Cake Roll

So here is the Red Velvet Roulade Cake that I chilled over night. And all I have to say is, "I flippin' love it!!"

Recipe Courtesy of Flo Baker

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon apple cider or white vinegar, 5% acidity*
• 4 ounces unsalted butter , at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring (1/2 fluid ounce)

For the white chocolate–cream cheese

• One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 5 ounces white chocolate, melted
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup (1 1/4 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 cup (4 to 5 ounces) red raspberries, picked over for stems (optional)

For decoration

• Powdered sugar for decoration
• Red raspberries, picked over for stems, for serving

Directions

Make the cake

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Coat a small area in the center of a 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-by-1-inch pan (jelly-roll pan) with nonstick spray. Line the pan with aluminum foil, pressing the foil into the contours of the pan and leaving a 2-inch overhang at each short end (the spray anchors the foil in place to make buttering easier). Butter the foil, then flour it, tapping out the excess flour. Have all of the ingredients at room temperature.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the milk, vanilla, and apple cider. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-low speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and add the granulated sugar in a steady stream. Continue to beat until light in color and fluffy in texture, about 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg slowly, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. On the lowest speed, add the flour mixture in two or three additions alternately with the milk mixture in one or two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing after each addition only until incorporated smoothly. Stop the mixer after each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Maintaining the same speed, add the food coloring and mix well to color the batter evenly. Without delay, spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly with a rubber spatula.
4. Bake the cake until it is set on top and springs back when lightly pressed in the center, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack. If necessary, run a thin knife blade around the perimeter of the pan to loosen the cake sides. Then pull up on the foil overhang and carefully transfer the cake to a wire rack. Without delay, place a sheet of foil over the cake and manipulate the foil to make a shallow tent (a tent holds in the moisture as the cake cools, but prevents the foil from sticking to the cake). Let cool for about 45 minutes, then proceed to assemble the dessert.

Make the white chocolate–cream cheese filling

5. In a bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed until smooth. Pour in half of the chocolate and beat until smooth, stopping the mixer occasionally and scraping the mixture clinging to the sides into the center of the bowl. Pour in the remaining chocolate and beat just until combined. Add the butter and then the sugar and almond extract and beat until smooth and creamy. Use right away, or store in a covered container in the refrigerator. When ready to use, remove from the refrigerator, bring to room temperature, and beat with a rubber spatula, small whisk, or fork until smooth and creamy. You should have about 1 1/3 cups.

Assemble the cake

6. Remove the foil from the top of the cake. Transfer the cake on its bottom sheet of foil to a work surface, placing it so that one of its long sides is parallel to the edge of the surface closest to you. Place another long sheet of aluminum foil on the work surface nearby.
7. Using an offset spatula, spread 1 cup plus about 2 tablespoons of the filling evenly over the cake, leaving a 1/2-inch border uncovered on the long side farthest from you. (The leftover filling, along with a few berries, makes a good kitchen snack for the baker.) Place the raspberries, if using, randomly on the filling along the length of the cake.
8. Begin rolling the cake by flipping the edge nearest you over onto itself. Then, with the aid of the foil that extends beyond the short sides, roll up the cake lengthwise until you reach the far long side. As you work, wrap the foil around the roll to assist in rounding the shape (otherwise the cake will stick to your hands). To insure the roll is uniform, place the roll in its foil across the bottom third of a 24-inch-long piece of parchment paper, bring the top edge of the paper toward you, and drape it over the cake roll, allowing a 2-inch overhang.
9. Place the edge of a rimless baking sheet at a 45-degree angle to the roll and your work surface. Apply pressure against the roll, trapping the 2-inch overhang, and push while simultaneously pulling the bottom portion of paper toward you. This push-pull motion creates a resistance that results in compressing the log into a uniform shape. If any cracks appeared as you rolled the cake, they are consolidated in this compression and disappear from view.
10. Carefully lift the roll in the aluminum foil and set it, seam side down, on the fresh sheet of foil. Wrap the cake securely in the foil. Transfer the foil-wrapped roll to the baking sheet or shallow tray and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to help set the filling.

To serve

11. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and peel off and discard the foil. Carefully lift the roll onto a serving plate with the aid of a long, wide spatula or a rimless baking sheet. (If not serving right away, cover loosely with plastic wrap to keep the cake’s surface from drying out and return to the refrigerator to serve the same day.) Dust the cake with powdered sugar. Using a serrated knife and a sawing motion, cut the roll into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Center each portion on a dessert plate. Accompany with the raspberries.

*Instead of using apple cider or vinegar, I used  raspberry vinegar that added an awesome kick to the cake and a fruity aroma to the cocoa. Yum yum!

Red Velvet Cupcakes with White Chocolate Topping

Okay...if Heaven was a cupcake, then I must have died at least 5 times. This must be one of the best red velvet cake recipes I have ever tried and the white chocolate-cream cheese topping is absolutely glorious! Topped with fresh raspberries, I felt so guilty but soooo pleased. The recipe itself is used to make a cake roll but I accidentally doubled the butter so I had to double everything else (clumsy me). I had enough for a roll and several mini cupcakes. The redness in my batter was less vibrant because I used a red gel rather than the liquid food coloring so I couldn't really estimate how much I needed but I love it nonetheless.
The cake roll required refrigeration time so I will post the results tomorrow. This would be my first time making a cake roulade...let's hope it's not a disaster? I will post the recipe of the roll and red velvet batter in the Red Velvet Cake Roll post.

Portabella Florentine Lasagna

I had a huge craving for pasta today and decided to make a lasagna Florentine after rummaging through my fridge and found spinach and portabella mushrooms. The idea was simple: create a luxuriously rich and creamy Béchamel Sauce, make a savory mushroom and spinach filling and layer these divine assets between lasagna noodles and mozza cheese.  After baking for half an hour to have all the cheese and delious-ness melt together, I tossed up a quick salad so that I didn't feel too guilty with my indulgence.

I don't have a set recipe for my Béchamel Sauce but you can try following Chef Batali's recipe.

Portabella and Spinach Filling

1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large portabella mushroom caps, cut into bit-sized slices
3 tsp salt
3-4 cups fresh baby spinach, washed, spun dried and chopped
2 tsp nutmeg
Dried or fresh basil to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet and add the shallots. Cook until transparent, then add in the garlic until aromatic. Turn heat to medium-high and add in the mushrooms and salt, stirring until mushrooms become tender. Lower heat to medium-low and add in baby spinach and stir until spinach is completely wilted but not soggy. Stir in nutmeg and basil. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Let cool and remove any excess water/juices. Stir in 1/4 cup of Béchamel sauce.

To layer the lasagna, just go sauce, noodles, filling, cheeses (mozzarella and Parmesan), noodles, filling, cheeses, etc., until you end up with noodles. Top with sauce and cheese. Bake in a 400 F oven for half and hour until cheese have melted and are golden brown. Let sit for 20 minutes before serving.


**If you want real protein, chicken is the way to go. Just slice up some chicken and cook before adding in the mushrooms and spinach. If you have left over chicken, shred that up and add to the cooked mushroom/spinach filling. Easy Peasy.

Quinoa Stuffed Pork Roast

I prepared this late last night for my family to roast for dinner tonight, while I was at work. The filling is made up of cooked quinoa, chopped portabello, an egg, bread crumbs, garlic and seasonings.  Around 1 to 1-1/2 cup of  stuffing went into the roast since my roast was fairly large. I seasoned my roast with some J&D's original flavored bacon salt. I layered the bottom of my roasting pan with carrots and onions, trussed the roast, splashed with olive oil and placed it in the fridge to be cooked the next night. From what I heard after I got home, it was a success!

Stuffing:

1 cup quinoa, cooked in 2 cups of broth or water
1 large portabello mushroom, chopped and sauteed
1 garlic clove, minced or 1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp olive oil

Stuffing the Pork:
Slice the pork slowly until you have a flat piece of meat, resembling a mat. Rub with softened butter.
Press filling evenly on the mat of meat and roll up. Truss, rub with seasonings or bacon salt (even better, cover with bacon strips).
Roast in a preheated oven of 475 F for around 45 minutes or until cooked. Let rest for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Bacon goodness that is vegetarian friendly

Quick Creamy Mushroom Spaghetti

Just a very quick lunch I threw together using fresh mushrooms, cream of mushroom, some milk and whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Yum, yum, yum! Served with Parmesan and freshly ground pepper.

2 tsp olive oil 
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup of sliced button mushrooms
1 can of condensed cream of mushroom
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
Spaghetti noodles, cooked according to packaged instructions

Heat oil in a skillet and add the garlic until aromatic. Saute in the mushrooms with a pinch of salt until juices begin to emerge. Add in the can of condensed cream and stir on low heat until it breaks into lumps, then add in water and milk. Stir and let the mixture simmer and reduce to a desired thickness. Season according to taste. Add in cooked pasta and a small ladle of the pasta water into the mushroom sauce, stirring until noodles are coated. Serve hot with Parmesan, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!

Roasted Grey Mullet Congee

This weekend totally sucked, the sky has been all gloomy, cold and rainy. My mom got sick and I wasn't feeling good either so I decided to make a dish that was an absolute must for sucky days such as this: congee.
Congee is a comfort food made from simmering rice in water until a semi-thin porridge-like consistency is achieved. There are many variations of congee and my variation was a fish congee, using chunks of roasted grey mullet, ginger and scallions. I scaled and gutted a grey mullet, making sure to keep the delicious fat cushioning the fat. I placed the fish and the fat on some tin foil, scored the flesh and seasoned with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Baked the whole thing in a 450 F oven for approx. 20-25 minutes while I brought a pot of water to a boil and simmered around 3/4 to 1 cup of long-grain Jasmine rice, slightly toasted beforehand. Once the rice has broken up and the porridge becomes thick, I added my desired amount of thinly sliced fresh ginger and seasoned lightly with salt and pepper to taste. I left the pot on low heat while I went to de-bone the fish into meaty chunks. If you don't want to go through the process of de-boning an entire cooked fish, you can cook up some fillets (sole, cod, whatever you want) but I personally like to cook a whole fish cause all the juices and flavor are further enhanced. On very low heat, I added the grey mullet meat, gently stirred and added 1 tbsp of fish sauce to boost the flavor of fish in the soup. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot with sliced scallions for a nice hot meal on an ugly cold day.

For my own vegetarian twist, I made the same rice soup base and added around 1 cup sauteed Cremini mushrooms. I sauteed the mushrooms separately in a small skillet with some shallots and 1-2 tsp of Kikkoman soy sauce. The reason why I used Kikkoman instead of regular soy sauce is because Kikkoman is light to the palette and it does not give a sour-like after taste once added to the soup. Another alternative of Kikkoman is Maggi Seasoning Sauce. I seasoned the soup with salt and pepper and a bit of mushroom seasoning powder. (Sorry, I didn't take any pics...)

(Mock) BBQ Day 4

It was gloomy, cold and rainy today so I couldn't work the grill outside, so instead, I used my non-stick iron grill/skillet over a portable gas burner to make these succulent and awesome Aloha Pork Chops, once again, from my Kraft Canada magazine. I served these juicy chops with Vegetable Saffron Quinoa and Roasted Asparagus with Portabella. Yum Yum Yum!
The quinoa was just something I quickly threw together in my rice cooker, adding a cup of frozen mixed vegetables, the required amount of water (I used veggie stock 'cause I'm awesome), a pinch of saffron and salt and pepper to taste. I left that cooking in the rice cooker and kept it warm until ready to serve.
As for the asparagus, I was inspired by Chef John's recipe on Foodwishes via Youtube. The recipe is very straight forward and instead of the prosciutto, I used one chopped portabella mushroom. This dish is a must, it's soooo refreshing and delicious!
As for Evil Dr. Pork Chop (ahaha, I grew up with Toy Story...), instead of the Kraft BBQ sauce, I used Bull's Eye Original Bold and I added 2 tsp of Asian Five-Spice and 1 tsp of red chili hot sauce to kick the barbecue sauce an extra notch. My chops were not boneless as the recipe stated, I used bone-in since I think it adds more to the juiciness of the pork (Tip: Score the fat along the pork so that the meat doesn't curl when it's being grilled). Before cooking the chops, I lightly seasoned both sides with trusty salt n' pepper. I made sure my skillet was very hot before placing in the meat, and that delightedly sizzle was music to my ears. It's a very interesting recipe to try since it's a great twist on the ol' sweet and sour pork and the grilled pineapple adds a great touch to the boldness of the pork!