Cheap Pork and Pea Pods

Um, okay, so if you haven't noticed, we're in a recession. The unemployment in my county just dropped down to 15.0% from a high of 18.3%. I think we can come to one or two conclusions here. 1) the economy is getting a teensy bit better and/or 2) recessions are not good in rural areas that depend on the automotive industry. Either way, it pays to be cheap.

I'm very very blessed that my garden is flourishing and that we have a chunk of pig and lamb to eat up before the county fair next month where we will most likely be buying a new pig and lamb to eat. We also have what seems like 30 pounds of green beans in the fridge. Anyone know something good to do with green beans?

Last month, while hunting for a job (which I've pretty much been doing all summer), I just happened to be wandering through the Borders ( fyi- you need to apply to them online) and found this book Eat Cheap but Eat Well by Charles Mattocks. Charles Mattocks is apparently "TV's The Poor Chef" but I'm sorry to say I've never heard of him. Anyhow, I've made a couple recipes from the book and they are tasty! He has a recipe for Stuffed Pepper Jack Peppers that's worth the cost of the book, but we ate those so fast I didn't have time to take a photo.

On the next page is a recipe for Beef with Pea Pods. Now, we do have a bunch of beef in the freezer also, but we don't buy a cow at the fair. And remember that chunk of pork? Well that's what I used instead. I believe it was a fresh ham steak package. The peas in my garden had become home to a family of rabbits by this point so I bought the peas. I have to tell you that this was delicious, cheap, and really fast to make. And I really like Mr. Mattocks' idea that just because you are eating cheap, it doesn't mean you have to eat crap (like a certain TV "chef" who decorates her kitchen to match her "tablescape" and uses prepackaged processed garbage instead of just chopping a vegetable).

Cheap Pork and Pea Pods

as adapted from Eat Cheap but Eat Well

1 pound pork (I used a fresh ham steak, but I think any cut would work)

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp soy sauce

3 Tbsp canola oil

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 pounds fresh snow peas, stemmed

1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained

2 cups hot cooked white rice

Cut the pork into bite size slices about 1/4 inch thick. Set aside

In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend in the soy sauce and 1/4 cup water. Mix well with a wire whisk to remove any lumps.

Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until a sprinkle of water causes it to "pop". Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until they begin to release fragrance, about 30 seconds. Add the snow peas and water chestnuts and cook, stirring until the pea pods are crisp tender. 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside.

Add another 1 or 2 Tbsp of oil to the skillet and then add the pork. Cook, stirring, until the pork is done, about 3 minutes. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the pan, stir with a whisk, and then add the cooked vegetables. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

Serve with the rice.

Mutter Kheema

Also known as Ground Lamb with Peas.

I really like Indian food. Indian food seems to have just the right amount of spice and complexity and heat to make being stuck inside (for various reasons) on a day that the snow is piling up outside. And Indian food is a lot like American food in that each region is vastly different in the spices and flavorings used.

One of my favorite Indian cookbooks, is interestingly enough the Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking cookbook with recipes by Raghavan Iyer. Although Betty Crocker seems an odd choice for an Indian cookbook, but there's all sorts of interesting comments in it, as well as a discussion of the spices and regions of India.

For example, about this recipe, Mr. Iyer says "Mutton, which can be either mature lamb or goat in India, is a delicacy, not only in the North, but also in the south-central city of Hyderbad where many Muslims dwell alongside their Hindu neighbors. The have retained their Moghul influences, as is evidenced by the city's architectural wonders and their spices of choice: cinnamon, cloves and garlic. Along with these seasonings, they have incorporated such quintessential South Indian elements as popping mustard seed and using fresh karhi leaves to create an altogether unique culinary style."

One thing that comes to mind is that you should avoid inhaling a great amount of the vapors from popping the mustard seeds and then when adding the onions, Serrano peppers, and garlic. I still can't smell anything but a scorching burning smell inside my nose. And I think there may be a cloud of mustard gas in my kitchen. Well maybe not mustard gas, but my nose is a running. Other than that this is one tasty dish. I followed Mr. Iyer's subsititutions and used bay leaves instead of the karhi leaves.

And where did I find ground lamb? At that lovely grocery store by my mom's house. There's loads of ground lamb up there.

Ground Lamb with Peas (Mutter Kheema)

from Better Crocker's Indian Home Cooking

6 servings

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp black or yellow mustard seeds

2 three-inch cinnamon sticks

1 cup finely chopped onion

5 medium cloves of garlic finely chopped

2 Serrano peppers finely chopped

3 dried bay leaves (or 10 to 12 fresh kahri leaves)

1 pound ground lamb

1 cup frozen peas

1 medium tomato finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1 tsp salt

1 tsp Garam Masaala

1/2 cup plain yogurt (regular or fat free)

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil and mustard seed in wok or deep 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Once seed begins to pop, cover and wait until popping stops.

2. Add cinnamon sticks, onion, garlic, chilies and bay leaves; stir-fry 2 to 4 minutes or until onion is brown.

3. Stir in lamb and peas. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lamb is brown.

4. Stir in remaining ingredients except cilantro. Cook 1 to 2 minutes stirring occasionally, just until tomato and yogurt are warm. Remove bay leaves and discard. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with cinnamon sticks left in, but do not eat them.

1 Serving: Calories 205 (Calories from Fat 115); Fat 13g (Saturated 5g); Cholesterol 50mg; Sodium 460mg; Carbohydrate 9g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein15g

Mushy Peas

I really like peas, but I'm stretching my comfort zone tonight. Peas, in my opinion, should never be mushy. They are great cold and firm on a salad. They are great steamed in the microwave. As a single person, I could make a meal out of a bag of frozen peas. But in my household canned peas are forbidden. They are salty and mushy and downright gross.

When we had to eat peas as kids and my sister G, who hates peas, would chew and chew and chew. G could make a spoonfull of peas last for what seemed a lifetime. Like most kids growing up when I did, we couldn't get up from the table until we finished our dinner. Unfortunately, no one could get up from the table until we all finished our dinners. That meant that we all sat there and watched G take forever to finish her peas. Chewing away and crying that she hates peas. We all tried to tell her that if you didn't like something to chew maybe twice and then swallow as fast as you can and rinse it down with milk. She never tried, she just kept chewing. She still won't eat peas.

So, what was I thinking making Mushy Peas? Well because they're pretty. And tasty. And for me, they're like comfort food without the calories of mashed potatoes. I have to admit that I was skeptical about pureeing peas. I mean it just sounds icky. But it wasn't. In fact we have none left. I don't think the Brain showed my enthusiasm for them though. I was thinking to myself, while eating my second helping, that if I had never had peas before, that I would instantly fall in love with them while eating this dish. But after spending a lifetime eating my peas that I could skewer on each tine of a fork, it took a little getting used to the idea of pureed peas. But they are definitely tasty.

Minty Mushy Peas
recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver and The Food Network

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 handfull fresh mint, leaves picked off
1 pound frozen peas
2 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a pan and add the chopped onions, mint leaves, and peas. Cover and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occaisionally so all the peas are hot and bright green. Pour the peas into the food processor and puree unti smooth. When it's done add the butter and season very carefully, to taste.