5 spice pork, wok fried veggies & soba noodlesWhen it's busy Holiday season and I'm juggling with sending out Christmas orders, organizing new venues and schedules for my cooking classes, I need to make it EASY on myself...
I roast a pork joint so there's enough for several meals. It's so simple, helps save time and most important, it's delicious! Also helps with cooking a batch of soba noodles, so all that's left to do is a side of stir fried veggies.
I serve the pork in different ways so it's not boring. On the first day, slice and eat, fresh out of the oven. Stir fried the veggies, tossed a little juice from pork joint on the soba noodles to give them some oompf! DONE.
I always cook more veggies, so there was enough of the whole meal for my husband's lunch box for the next day!
Only 3 seasonings for marinade paste:
Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce: 3 tblsp,
San-J Intl. tamari: 3 tblsp,
MySpiceSage Chinese 5 Spice powder: 3 tblsp
Pork butt was about 2 1/2 lbs.
Take out joint from the fridge an hour prior to roasting, use a fork and stab all over so marinade will infiltrate into joint. Slather marinade all over joint(that's why you want the marinade to be thick like a paste. If it's too watery, it just falls off) and let sit for 15 minutes. I didn't have 15 mins. to spare so I just threw it in the oven and still came out beautiful. While pork joint is roasting, I had plenty of time to prep my veg stir fry...
I roast a pork joint so there's enough for several meals. It's so simple, helps save time and most important, it's delicious! Also helps with cooking a batch of soba noodles, so all that's left to do is a side of stir fried veggies.
I serve the pork in different ways so it's not boring. On the first day, slice and eat, fresh out of the oven. Stir fried the veggies, tossed a little juice from pork joint on the soba noodles to give them some oompf! DONE.
I always cook more veggies, so there was enough of the whole meal for my husband's lunch box for the next day!
Only 3 seasonings for marinade paste:Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce: 3 tblsp,
San-J Intl. tamari: 3 tblsp,
MySpiceSage Chinese 5 Spice powder: 3 tblsp
Pork butt was about 2 1/2 lbs.
Take out joint from the fridge an hour prior to roasting, use a fork and stab all over so marinade will infiltrate into joint. Slather marinade all over joint(that's why you want the marinade to be thick like a paste. If it's too watery, it just falls off) and let sit for 15 minutes. I didn't have 15 mins. to spare so I just threw it in the oven and still came out beautiful. While pork joint is roasting, I had plenty of time to prep my veg stir fry...
I found in my fridge: bok choy, yu choy, asparagus, zucchini and red bell peppers leftover from a cooking class. Added pumpkin, scallions. See how I lay them all out on my chopping board? Saves cleanup, go from board to wok. Also had my handy caddy with my Asian seasonings, everything I need to make my dinner go FAST!
Started off with heating my cast iron wok, add oil (started using Tea Seed Oil from Earthy Delight), add garlic and ginger, add firm veggies in one batch. When veggies are nearly done, add dash of tamari and sherry, squeeze of lime, EASY!
Plate the firm veggies.
Fry leafy veg on its own.
Recombine firm and leafy veg in wok.
On the following day, I'll serve up pork cold with an interesting salad and red quinoa. Another day, I'll warm up the pork in my wok and eat with whole wheat pasta and different veggies to change it up. Add a side dish like my Easy Kimchi which is crunchy, light, refreshing and gives your dinner a little kick. My mom always says pickles 'open up your appetite' and helps you to digest your food. In Asia, some restaurants serve this as an appetizer, I always look forward to these, restaurants make their own so they're different.Here are lots more ideas for your Holiday meals, all cooked in my cast iron wok...
Stir Fry without recipes
Wok Up your Own Creations
One Dish Wok Meals
Organic and Farmers' Market
It's lovely to visit farmer's markets because you never know from one week to another what produce or new ingredients they have to offer. I keep updating this growing list. I added many new links, here are 4 new ones:
Take a look at Hong Kong Market where people like to shop right before they cook their dinner!
A new virtual friend, Carolyn who's starting a 'Wok Garden' with seeds I sent her for Asian veggies! Very exciting to see their progress, scroll to bottom of page.
Peter's (Jungle Walls) new hydroponic, stand-alone plant towers enables ANYONE to grow fresh herbs or veggies! Even if you don't have a garden or green thumb, cause it's got all the nutrients and timer to water and feed them at the bottom.
Lastly, a new South Miami Green Market just launched last weekend offering up some wonderful produce.
Go check it out.
Happy Holidays, how do you save time when cooking for your holidays?
