Some days all you need is a bowl of pasta. I feel a little sorry for pasta these days. The ‘clean eating’ crowd have made it almost a sin to enjoy this much loved easy and simple ingredient. These guys have more or less put pasta under the same category of bad foods as frozen ready-meals. But pasta has been serving the Italians, and Mediterranean diets, perfectly well for a very long time. For me this is a key ingredient, it crops up on my meal plan once, or twice, a week as it is so versatile and is perfect for a quick yet delicious meal. This Pappardelle with Pork and Sage Meatballs…
pork
Pork Belly Roast with Baked Apples
There is something so indulgent about this Pork Belly Roast with Baked Apples. This recipe perfects that beautifully soft and juicy flesh under that crisp and crunchy layer of crackling. And yet it is a meat that is still relatively cheap and so easy to prepare. It does require a little cooking time but what I like about it is that you can simply shut the oven door and sit back for most of it, while the meat roasting away will fill your kitchen with that beautiful home cooking smell….
Cranberry and Orange Pork Stuffing
Personally I like to stuff the bird, whether it is a Roast Chicken for a Sunday Roast or a Turkey for Christmas Day, the stuffing keeps the meat soft and moist. But I know that a lot of people do prefer to cook the stuffing separately. If I am cooking my stuffing separately then I like to make it in a tin, like this Apple, Sage and Pistachio Pork Stuffing but it is also nice to serve them as little balls and scatter them alongside the carved up turkey. That way everyone can get a scoop of delicious stuffing to go with the main meat of the feast….
Lemongrass Meatball Banh Mi
I have long been making a Banh Mi. I was first introduced to it years ago when Coco Banh Mi Deli opened up in Berlin and because a regular lunch spot. I am a big fan of grabbing a sandwich for lunch as I don’t always want something really big and feel that sometimes those ‘grab n go’ lunches offer something still delicious on a busy and short lunch break. And while I like to sometimes prepare ahead for those days that I know …
Thai Pork Larb
As much as I appreciate living in central Berlin and having easy access to a wide range of good restaurants and different cuisines the one thing that still upsets me is the lack of good Thai or Vietnamese food in Berlin. And what is more upsetting is the fact that every street is full of restaurants serving up Thai or Vietnamese dishes but are sadly generally awful. I am talking about dishes that are bland, lacking in spice and just some kind of generic coconut curry or a simple noodle dishes smothered in a cheap peanut sauce or topped with some mango and chillies….
Pork Souvlaki with Tzatziki
I always say that Greek food is so much more than Gyros and Souvlaki served with chips, and it is. Greece is one of my favourite cuisines as it combines both Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours and I am especially a fan of Eastern Mediterranean dishes. I love the fact that it is a diet that includes the freshest of fish including seabass, octopus, squid and succulent prawns. My favourite vegetables are aubergines and courgettes and just like it’s neighbours, Greece makes the most of these in it’s food. Kolokithokeftedes,…
Creamy White Asparagus and Pork Pasta
I have made no secret of my love for asparagus, especially the white kind that is hugely popular in Germany. The other week I picked up my first lot of asparagus of the season and made a simple but delicious White Asparagus with Cured Ham and a Chive Sauce. The smokey ham goes so well with the delicate white asparagus and the chive sauce has plenty of fresh lemon juice to add that almost sour kick to the dish. I like to plain boil my white asparagus with a pinch of salt…
Crispy Pork Wontons with a Chilli Dipping Sauce
My previous blog post was full of celebration for Chinese New Year and I kicked off the weekend with one of our favourite take away dishes – Chicken Chow Mein! I love combining sweet, sour and salty flavours and using ingredients such as ginger, chillies and fresh spices. It is one of the reasons why Chinese food is one of my favourite cuisines. There are so many delicious dishes of slow cooked meats in a sweet and sour sauce or steamed noodles in a hot and spicy broth and fresh fish grilled with a hot and citrus infused salad…