MEATBALLS IN SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

Even if I like lumpia shanghai with sweet and sour sauce, I don’t like sweet and sour meatballs or pork. I guess it’s because the meat is drenched in the sauce, and I would rather have control over the amount of sauce. Especially since many restaurants make their sauces sickeningly sweet. I rather enjoy this recipe, which I adapted from Nora Daza’s, because it has a hint of heat as a backnote.

For the meatballs:

500gms ground pork

1 slice of bread, cubed small and soaked in app 1tbsp milk (just enough to moisten)

3/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp onion powder

1 chicken cube (grind to a powder)

3 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp pepper

1 egg

Mix together and form into a golf-sized ball. Chill for at least 20 minutes before frying. Set aside. Reserve cooking oil for the sauce.

Makes approximately 14 balls

For sauce:

1 clove garlic, sliced

1/2 small onion, french cut

1"x1" piece of ginger, sliced

1 banana chili pepper, sliced

1 small carrot, cut into half moons

1 green pepper, cut into squares

1/2 cup pineapple, cut into chunks

1/2 cup pickle juice

1/2 cup white sugar (you can reduce by as much as half if you like, since the pickle juice will already be slightly sweet)

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp catsup

1 tbsp hot sauce (use as much or as little as you want)

1 tbsp corn starch, dissolved in 1 tbsp water

In a bowl, stir together pickle juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, catsup, and hot sauce. Set aside. In the same pan where meatballs were fried, drop in garlic, onion, chili pepper and ginger. Saute until soft and fragrant. Add carrots, saute until glistening, and pour in sauce. Let simmer until slightly thickened and carrots cooked. Add cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water and stir until it boils again. Keep adding cornstarch mixed with water until desired consistency achieved, add the bell pepper and pineapple. Add cooked meatballs. Let simmer for at least 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately. 

ASPARAGUS AND BACON QUICHE WITH BASIL CRUST

I love quiches. But it can be a little hard to look for stores that sell them, and can be a little pricey.  This is my standard recipe that I use with various proteins.  Another favorite of mine is spicy sardines.

Quiche slice

Quiche ingredients

First, make the CRUST: Place 1/2 c very cold butter and 1/3 c very cold shortening, both cubed into 1/2 inch cubes, into a food processor. Add 1 1/4 c all purpose flour, a handfull of basil leaves and 1/4 tsp salt. Pulse until mixture is in pea-sized pieces. May have to add more flour. Add ice-cold water, tsp by tsp. I used about 5 tsps, which depends on the humidity. Pulse until mixture forms into a ball. 

dough ingredients

Form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 mins. 

When ready to prebake the crust, pre-heat the oven to a temperature of 400F. Oil a fluted quiche pan, approximately 10 inches in diameter. Place chilled dough on a floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.  Transfer to the pan and prick the bottom and sides with a fork to release any steam that might accumulate while baking. The usual procedure in blind baking is to put wax paper or parchment paper on the crust and fill with either raw rice, beans or special baking pebbles. I skipped this part because I find that enough pricking usually does the trick. Bake for app 15-20 mins, or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool prior to filling.

Crust, prior to baking

Assemble the FILLING:

LEFT, filling ingredients; RIGHT, custard ingredients

1. Prepare the ASPARAGUS. Depending on the size of the vegetable, cut 1-3 inches off the woody end. If stalk is still tough, peel around to expose the more tender part. Cut into 1 inch sections.  Blanch the asparagus by boiling salted water and dropping in the asparagus. Cook for app 2-3 mins, remove, and immediately drop into ice-cold water. Drain and set aside.

2.  Prepare the BACON. Cut meat into 1 inch pieces. Heat a pan and drop in bacon, without adding oil. Render out the fat until cooked, but not browned or crispy. Drain fat (leave in the pan) and set aside.

3. Prepare the CARAMELIZED ONION. French cut a medium-sized onion . Melt 1 tbsp butter in the same pan where the bacon was cooked. Add 1/2 tsp dried thyme, rubbing it first against your palm, and heat through until fragrant. Add the onions and gently saute over a low flame. Add 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Continue cooking until soft and lightly browned. Drain (leave fat in pan) and set aside. 

FROM TOP RIGHT CLOCKWISE, blanched asparagus,
cooked bacon, and caramelized onion

4. Slice 3-5 tomatoes, depending on the size, into 1/4 inch thick slices. De-seed. Toss in cooled cooking fat from the bacon and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a wire rack and roast in a 400F oven for app 15 mins (I roasted this with the crust). Set aside once done.

LEFT, sliced tomatoes prior to roasting; RIGHT, roasted tomatoes

5. Grate enough CHEESE to make approximately 1 c.

6. To prepare the CUSTARD: Whisk together 1 tbsp melted butter, 1 c cream, 1 c milk, 4 eggs, 1 tbsp flour, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg. Set aside. (Salt can be added, but because of the bacon and cheese, and since the onions and tomatoes are also seasoned, I didn't add anymore).

prepared custard

TO ASSEMBLE:  Layer the roasted tomatoes at the bottom of the cooled pre-baked crust. Scatter the caramelized onions as equally as possible over them. Do the same to the bacon and asparagus, reserving the asparagus tips for decoration. 

Sprinkle the grated cheese over and arrange asparagus spears on top. 

Carefully pour custard into the shell. Sprinkle with pepper and place in a 350F oven for around 35-40 mins, or until quiche has set and is not wet. Let cool for a bit before serving.

Finished quiche