#pork

Electric Lunchbox #36: Mama Tuca’s Lentils

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My mother-in-law is a wonderful cook! Lucky for me, she is always more than happy to teach me how to prepare Peruvian food whether in her kitchen in Lima, or mine in Orange County. She is very kind and gentle but strong and determined. She likes to go out on her own, fearless, and discover places. I grew up more sheltered, more scared, careful of the outside world. I remember once when she was vacationing here in the US, my husband and I came home from work and she was gone…we had to go and drive our cars to look for her all over our city. I found her walking by Trader Joe’s, arms full of grocery bags with treasures she found to make a meal. She is good at substituting and making a new dishes.

When we were in Peru, breakfast is usually turkey, cheese, ham sandwich, with fruit juice and my essential, coffee. Lunch is the biggest meal, and she would always prepare a salad to go with it. Everything tasted really good. This is one of those recipes. Healthy and easy to make, it quickly became a staple as both my husband and my son likes it.

I adapted it to the ELB, substituting garlic and onion powder for the real thing as we will not be sautéing it. If you have a red bell pepper and aji amarillo, please use that instead of the paprika and turmeric I used. I just used those as it is something we are all familiar with and probably have in our pantry already. When mama Tuca made this, she used pork, but I had used beef, and chicken when I’m too lazy to go to the store.

Please remember to soak the lentils for about couple of hours. We are using raw lentils and they do cook faster than regular beans, but soaking helps it along.

I hope you like this recipe. I’m sure my family does!

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*NOTE that this recipe uses regular sized measuring cups, NOT the tiny Itaki cup, unless specified.*

1/2 cup lentils, soaked at least 1 hour, up to overnight

1 cup water, for cooking

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika powder (or 1/4 red bell pepper, pureed)

50 – 60 grams cubed pork or chicken, or ground beef

1 small potato, peeled and cubed

120 ml water (for steaming)

Drain the lentils after soaking. Transfer to the big bottom bowl of the ELB. Add all ingredients and stir to mix. Place in the ELB base.

Add the water for steaming to the base. Cover the ELB snd let steam until done, about an hour. Check lentils and meat for doneness , adding more water to the base and steaming longer, if necessary.

Serve hot, over rice (can make some in the little nesting bowl at the same time!).

My husband usually asks for a fried egg on top of the lentils. I like it this way too so I happily fry some eggs to serve with this dish.

If you have a jumbo, make lentils in the bottom bowl, poached egg in the small nesting bowl, and rice in the top medium bowl! Perfect meal!

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Electric Lunchbox #14: Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)

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I have been wanting to try this Brazilian Black Bean stew but I only have mild Italian sausage and no kielbasa. I decided to give it a go anyway, but I removed the sausage casing and roughly chopped the sausage. I encourage you to try substituting when needed, you might just create a new favorite!

I made my farofa using bread crumbs as I bake some of our bread and always have day old bread on the kitchen counter.

It did turn out good but will make it again with kielbasa and more bacon as soon as I get some to see which I would like better!

*Please note that the word “cup” in any of my electric lunchbox recipe refers to the little itaki cup included with the lunchbox. It holds 40ml.*

Place the following in the big bottom bowl:

A few slices of smoked sausage (kielbasa or linguica), diced – for this batch, I used 1 link of mild Italian sausage

A small piece of pork, cubed

1 slice of bacon, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon thyme, chopped

Dash of red pepper flakes

4 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained

3 cups chicken broth

In the smaller top bowl, place the following:

2 cups long grain rice, rinsed and drained

2 cups water

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Chicken/tomato bouillon

Place both bowl in the Itaki and add 3 cups water in base. Cover and press start button.

Steam until it shuts down on its own, about 50 minutes.

Carefully open the Itaki and fluff the rice. Set on a heatproof surface. Stir the black bean stew, if there is too much liquid, you can drain some off. Sprinkle with Farofa, if using. Serve hot with rice.

Breadcrumb Farofa

Farofa, if desired, for serving

Farofa: Toast cassava flour (or breadcrumbs) in melted butter until golden. Cool and stir in chopped Italian parsley and a pinch of orange zest.

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Electric Lunchbox #11: Braised country style ribs

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My son loves braised ribs(that’s why there are 3 recipes for ribs in my blog!) but right now, with purchase restrictions and some unavailability on certain cuts of meat, I am trying country style ribs…in the Itaki!

This is an easy recipe to put together as the sauce is ready made and bottled. Just add ginger, star anise and onions. I dressed the rice up with some turmeric and olive oil. It gives plain rice a festive look and is good for you. Just a little bit works well, because if you put too much, you can actually taste the turmeric and not everyone is crazy for that taste.

Ingredients you need on the left(forgot to include the ginger!); rice bowl on the right

*Please note that the word “cup” in any of my electric lunchbox recipe refers to the little itaki cup included with the lunchbox. It holds 40ml.*

In the bottom big bowl, add the following:

160 – 175 grams country style pork, cut into small cubes

1 cup Lee Kum Kee brown braising sauce

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 star anise

1/2 teaspoon ginger

Stir and set on the base. On the smaller upper bowl, add:

2 cups rice, rinsed and drained

2 cups water

A dash of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon olive oil

Place the little bowl on top of the bigger bowl in the base.

Add 3 cups water in base and let steam until it shuts off (about 45 minutes).

Check to see if pork is cooked through. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons chopped green onions.

Serve hot!

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Electric Lunchbox #8: Nilaga (Filipino Pork Soup)

Theresa Pizarro1 Comment

This is a simple all in one meal regularly served in the Philippines with a side of rice. It’s kind of resembles the French pot au feu and my husband said in South America they call this kind of soup Sopa de Viernes.

Typically made with pork, beef and beef shanks also go perfectly with the veggies! (The one with the big beef bones and marrow is a special version in the Philippines called “Bulalo”). If you have plantains, add some with the potatoes. I remember we add them to this soup too and I love how it adds a little sweetness to this dish.

This recipe has an option of adding dessert (Filipino Flan!) on the upper tier if you use an itaki jumbo!

*Please note that the word “cup” in any of my electric lunchbox recipe refers to the little itaki cup included with the lunchbox. It holds 40ml.*

Place the following in the bottom bowl being mindful to leave at least an inch space between the ingredients and the top of the bowl since the little bowl will be placed on top.

A handful of pork, diced

1 small potato, peeled and diced

1 small carrot, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons diced onions

2 leaves cabbage, cut into squares or shredded

3 Green beans, cut into 1 inch long pieces

2 tablespoons kernels or a couple of canned baby corn

Water to cover

1 – 2 teaspoon pork bouillon (adjust to taste)

1 teaspoon fish sauce

Dash of ground pepper

Top bowl:

2 cups rice, rinsed and drained

2 cups water

If you have the Itaki Jumbo you can make dessert – Filipino Leche Flan – at the same time in the top second tier! Then you have a full Filipino meal!

3 cups water in base (about 1 hour 6 minutes).

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