Sweet N' Sour Pork

This was quite contradictory to most "Chinese" inspired dishes. It actually felt rather light and had a really great flavor profile. The cashews give it a nice creamy crunch, and the pineapple follows that up with a sweet and tangy kick. Next time I make this I will add a few red pepper flakes to give it a hint of spice though.

2 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided
1 Tbsp. cooking sherry or apple juice
1 lb. pork tenderloin or boneless pork chops, thinly sliced (partially freeze and pop into a food processor to easily slice thin.)
1/3 c. water
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. chopped cashews
¼ c. green onions
2 tsp. minced or grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. fresh garlic,minced or pressed
6-8 oz. snow peas, trimmed
1 8-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained

 Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, sherry, and pork. Toss well.

Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and ketchup. Stir with a whisk; make sure there are no clumps with the cornstarch.

Now collect everything that’s going into the stir fry next to the stove so you can access it easily.

Heat 1-2 Tbsp. canola oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add pork and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add onions, ginger, and garlic.

Stir-fry 1 minute. Add snow peas and pineapple. Stir-fry 3 minutes more. Whisk sauce ingredients again and add to pan bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in cashews and serve over hot rice. Garnish with more cashews and green onions if you want.

Brunch Stuffed Peppers

4 yellow bell peppers
1 cup frozen country style hash browns, thawed
1/2 (16-ounce) package bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 large eggs
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend, plus more for garnish
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup biscuit mix
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the top 1/2-inch of each pepper. Discard the tops and seeds. Arrange the peppers, cut side up, in an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Fill the bottom of each pepper evenly with hash browns and bacon.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, milk, baking mix, sour cream, green onion, salt, and pepper. Whisk until combined. Evenly distribute the egg mixture into each pepper. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out dry, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with cheese and serve immediately.

Key Lime Pie

Key lime pie is my absolute favorite pie and until now I had yet to find one that appeased the palate in a way that only a key lime pie can. Up until now they have either been too gelatinous, too limey, too bland, and so forth. Now I'm not a key lime pie coinsure by any means, but I know what I like :) This pie has it all; the proper amount of creaminess, and just the right ratio of limey tang to sweet. If you like key lime pie, you will LOVE this pie!!!

Crust:
1 package graham crackers (1/3 of a 16 ounce box)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Filling:
3 egg yolks
1-1/2 teaspoons lime zest (about 2 Persian limes)
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup freshly squeezed Key lime juice (about 1 lb. of key limes)

Topping:
1 cup heavy or whipping cream, chilled
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the graham crackers into the bowl of the food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Add the sugar and melted butter and pulse until the mixture the crumbs are all wet. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pie pan, pressing up the sides and forming a rounded or squared off top edge. Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside on a wire rack and leave the oven on.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, whip the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the condensed milk and continue to whip until thick, about 3 or 4 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the lime juice, mixing just until combined. The mixture will start to thicken as soon as you add the lime juice. Pour the mixture into the crust. Bake for 10 minutes or until the filling has just set. Cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate. Freeze for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Chill a mixing bowl. Using the wire whisk attachment, whip the cream and confectioners sugar until you have stiff peaks. Pipe the whipped cream around the edges and in the middle of the pie, or put a dollop on each slice. Top with a lime wedge for that extra umph!!!