Comforting bisque and Oriental pork
Last week we were promised a rousing departure of summer as we tracked hurricane Lee along the Eastern seaboard with a promise of high winds and lots of rain. By Friday, anyone with a boat had it safely stashed away for storage or in a safe harbor. Homeowners secured anything liable to topple or be blown away. My five-foot potted dahlia in full second bloom was moved to our porch for protection.
When Saturday arrived, it became clear that the air and water currents of the Atlantic had once more saved the Maine coast from such an unwelcome visitor. The national weather service declared that Lee was now only a tropical cyclone with minimal rain for us, though the winds still might cause some damage. Comfort food might not be a requirement, but since the ingredients were now on hand, the cook might as well produce the planned menu.
Most recipes for butternut squash soup start with cooking peeled, seeded, and cubed squash in a broth, but roasted squash provides a richer and deeper flavor for this dish.
Cut a large butternut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, spray the cut sides with olive oil and roast in a shallow pan, cut side down at 425-degrees for 45 minutes. There will be enough roasted squash to serve two as a side dish with butter and salt, while the rest will be basis for the bisque. A good way to save on time for two meals.
Break half of the roasted squash in large pieces and place a 3-4 qt. pot. Add ¾ cups dry white wine, 3-4 cups chicken broth, 2 sweet peeled and cored apples cut in 1-inch pieces, 1 tsp. onion powder, ½ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. turmeric, 1 inch peeled and shredded fresh ginger, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.
Allow soup to cool and puree in a blender. Return thick soup to the pot and adjust to desired consistency with chicken broth as well as salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and chopped chives.
Chicken, veal, and pork cutlets are easy meat dishes to prepare on a busy day. These thinly pounded slices of meat are dipped in a combination of flour, egg, breadcrumbs or panko and are quickly fried for a delicious meal. Pork tenderloin, usually made as a quick tender roast, is also excellent when sliced in ½ inch slices for making very tender pork cutlets and is amenable to many flavors as shown in this Oriental pork cutlet recipe.
Oriental pork cutlets
Start with 6-8 one half inch thick slices of pork tenderloin and pound them to ¼ inch thickness.
For marinade combine: 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar, 2 tblsp. miso paste, 1 tsp. sugar, ½ tsp. lemon pepper, ¼ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. Chinese 5 spice, ¼ tsp. white Oriental pepper. Marinate the pork slices for 2-6 hours in the refrigerator.
Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge the meat in cornstarch spread in a shallow bowl, shaking off excess and fry in hot vegetable oil 30 seconds to a side. Drain on paper towels.
Serve hot with rice and a colorful vegetable sauté of zucchini, red bell pepper, shallots, and some corn kernels seasoned with celery salt and lemon pepper.
Our bright blue sky of Sunday morning made the previous weeks hurricane trepidations seem overblown. To quote Shakespeare: “All is well that ends well”, the broken tree across the road in the next block notwithstanding.
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)
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