Roast Pork Egg Foo Yung

Crisp-fried egg patties, crammed  with soft onions and crunchy sprouts....mmmm.  I know there are more authentic and complex recipes, but I've happily thrown this one together for years and find it  not only acceptably passable  but delicious, and ready in 15 minutes.

 I can indulge myself  by  smotherimg  the patties  in gravy, substituting   an envelope of  dry  gravy mix   instead of making the gravy from scratch  with fat and flour.  Gravy.....at an   unbelievable  4 carbs per 1/4 cup..and almost no fat.....I now use no-sodium gravy mixes.  If you're not concerned with   carbs, serve  the patties with  steamed or  fried rice  or  lo mein noodles and /or a salad for a satisfying  quick supper. 

Feel free to change the meat to chicken, shrimp, or just  about anything,  but stick with pork or chicken  gravy.   If you can score some leftover Chinese-style roast pork  to use, all the better.

Prepare the gravy:  use a packet of  chicken or pork gravy mix and make  as directed,  using 3/4 c. broth or water, and adding  2 TB  soy sauce   as it thickens.  Have  the gravy  prepared and rice hot   before you fry the eggs.

In a big bowl beat 5 eggs well while 1/3 c. vegetable oil is heating in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  To the eggs, add 1/2 c. (cooled) diced  ham, roast pork, chicken or whatever,  1/2 c chopped onion ( not diced finely, just chopped up)  1/4 c. chopped green onion tops, 1/2 c. sliced or chopped water chestnuts , drained,   1 cup canned   bean sprouts, drained, 1/4 tsp salt.    When I use  ham I  like it a  bit crispy,  so I frizzle it briefly in a little hot oil and drain& cool briefly  before adding to the egg mixture.

Using a  1/4 c. measure, drop portions of the egg mix  into the hot oil and fry until golden and crispy on both sides, turning once. If your oil is hot enough it  will sputter and sizzle when poured in the pan.  Cook a minute or  two  on each side., just be sure the centers are firm.      Drain briefly  on paper towels.  Serve hot, with the gravy and extra soy sauce.   This will make about a dozen  4" patties and serve about 3-4  people. I usually make them twice that size.   If you  have a few  patties  left,   freeze or refrigerate.    Nuke them a few seconds to warm, then repurpose  as  a breakfast sandwich.

Apple Cider Pecan Pancakes with Cider Syrup

Crisp  blue autumn mornings inspire me to  make somethng special for breakfast,  forgetting about carbs  for a few  minutes  now and then.  Whether I  make the pancakes from scratch  or am in a hurry and/or  lazy and use whatever pancake mix I have on hand; the cider and other add-ins make them  delicious.   If you must,  top with  maple  syrup,   but  since you have the cider there  take a moment to make this tasty alternative.

Make almost   any pancake batter  as directed, with the amount  of oil and egg  directed on the box or following your usual recipe.  For the liquid, instead of milk or water use either regular cider or sparkling cider.   Look for sparkling cider  packaged like  a bottle of wine.   It  produces lighter,  pouf-ier  pancakes.    Stir   in chopped  apples, skin on, and chopped walnuts or pecans, and 1/4 tsp apple pie spice per cup of  dry  pancake mix. or flour.    Cook  as directed.

 Cider Syrup:
In  a small saucepan, combine  1/4 c.  sugar, 2 tsp  cornstarch and  2/3 c. regular apple cider until smooth; then add one cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard cinnamon stick. Stir  a dash of nutmeg into syrup along with a TB of butter.  Serve pancakes with warm syrup and additional butter if desired.   Makes 2/3 cup syrup that's also delicious on French toast.

Crispy Maple Green Salad

Funny that this is my favorite salad,  since I'm not a big  fan of maple. Yet, this just-right not- too-sweet  maple-y dressing is  undoubtedly   the perfect  topping for the salty curls of fresh Romano cheese, sweet caramelized onion, and smoky bacon.      

 Mix dressing ingredients together in a jar or briefly in a blender just long enough to emulsify well:   1/4 c. rice wine vinegar; 1/2 c canola oil, 1/2 c. maple syrup ( preferably 'real' maple, although I successfully use sugar  free maple flavored pancake syrup often ), 1/2 tsp dry mustard,  1 shallot, minced, s & p to taste.

Fry  8 oz.  bacon til crisp,  drain and break into thirds. Caramelize 2 medium vidalia  or other sweet onions, thinly sliced, in the bacon fat ...... cook over medium heat, stirring now and then, til slightly browned, probably about 10 minutes.   Drain on a paper towel.  You can do this ahead of time.

In a serving bowl or  on  individual plates,  mix  1 small head butter ( Boston)  lettuce & 1/2 bag baby spinach.  Top with bacon strips,  3/4 c pecan halves, 4 oz freshly shaved Romano or Parmesan cheese strips ( shaved off with  a vegetable peeler) and the caramelized onions. Pour dressing over all and top with a few pecans.
 I can  happily make a meal of this salad by itself.

Don't be tempted to use precooked packaged bacon for this -  the onions need to caramelize  in bacon fat.   And I will not even  entertain the horrendous thought that you might try to use powdered Parmesan cheese from a green can on this wonderful  salad.....right?

Polish Hunter's Stew

Bigos, or Hunter's Stew, is considered the most traditional of all Polish dishes. Often mentioned  in poetry and novels, this stew was served at royal banquets and hunts and still is the king of all dishes. Traditionally made with  several kinds of  wild game, this is a contemporary  'tamer' version that only  requires entering the nearest supermarket to capture the main  ingredients.

 Bigos is a thick, flavorful dish that's  is  perfect for fall and winter meals.  Serve with black bread to mop up the  sauce, and/or  braised cabbage or boiled  potatoes on the side to be authentic.    This  recipe makes  8-10 servings, and because  there are no potatoes or other starchy veggies to up the  carb ante, those who care will appreciate that a  very generous serving has  only 11 grams of carbohydrate.

I recommend making it a day or two before serving, because it  reheats so well and flavors intensify each time .  If  you're determined to enjoy it the same day, start it at least  3 hours prior to serving, so you can let it cool and reheat it at least once before serving.

Buy a pound of Polish sausage ( kielbasa) and slice it 1/2" thick,  Brown the slices, about one third at a time in a heavy skillet over high heat. As they are cooked,  transfer them to a 5 qt.  ovenproof casserole or  non-aluminum pot.  After the sausage is done, add 3 TB veg oil to the pan, and heat it.  Brown 1 1/2  lbs each of pork* and beef*, cubed in 1"  chunks, in batches, adding to the baking dish.   Don't crowd them, we dont want the meat to steam, we want it to brown. When all the meat is   browned and removed, add 2 1/2 c sliced onion to the skillet and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring several times, until soft.  Add to the casserole, along with 12 oz. fresh, halved mushrooms, a 1 lb. bag sauerkraut which has been rinsed and drained, 1 c. dry red wine, 8 oz. tomato sauce,  14 oz canned stewed or whole tomatoes, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp caraway seeds, 1/4 tsp pepper.

* use whatever beef and  pork you have on hand; cut up thick pork chops or a pork roast, use  beef stew meat, beef roasts or swiss or round steak...

Cover and bake 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 375 or until meat is tender,  stirring three or four times, and enjoy your 'not-so-wild game'.