Pasta Carbonara ala ~DKBB~

Pasta Carbonara ala ~DKBB~

2 egg yolks at room temperature
1 whole egg at room temperature
Freshly cracked pepper
1.5 oz. grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. spaghetti
1 tsp. salt
5 oz. pancetta OR 5-6 slices thick-cut bacon

Egg Mixture:

·       In a 2-cup or larger liquid measuring cup, whisk together the egg and egg yolks, grated cheese, and plenty of freshly-cracked pepper; set aside.

Cook Pork:

·       If using bacon, cut into small pieces before cooking.

·       Cook the pork in a large sauté pan over medium heat until browned and crispy (use a pan large enough to eventually hold all of the pasta); remove pan from heat; using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked pork to a paper-towel-lined plate. Do not clean out the pan.

Cook Pasta:

·       Add water to a large Dutch oven or stockpot; the water should be shallow because it needs to be very starchy; bring water to a boil; add 1 tsp. salt and then add spaghetti.

·       Cook pasta uncovered just a bit shy of al dente, stirring often so spaghetti does not stick.

·       Using tongs, transfer the spaghetti to the sauté pan with the pork drippings; mix in the minced garlic, set aside.

 Temper the Eggs:

·       While vigorously whisking the egg mixture with one hand, slowly drizzle ½ cup starchy pasta water into the egg mixture 2 Tbsp. at a time until incorporated (never stopping the whisking); set aside.

 Combine:

·       While continuously tossing the spaghetti, very slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the pasta; continue tossing until the cheese melts and the eggs thicken to form a glossy sauce.

·       Thin sauce with additional pasta water if needed.

·       Add the pork and toss to combine.

·       Transfer to a serving bowl (to remove from pan so eggs do not continue to cook); season to taste with more freshly cracked pepper and red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately.

Spring Pea and Radish Salad ala ~DKBB~

Spring Pea and Radish Salad ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from www.tasteofhome.com)

original photo from tasteofhome.com 

½ lb. fresh wax or green beans

½ lb. fresh sugar snap peas
2 cups water
6 large radishes, thinly sliced (you can use sliced daikon radish)
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. dried tarragon
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. coarsely ground pepper

• Snip ends off beans and sugar snap peas; remove strings from snap peas; cut beans into 1-inch pieces.
• In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil over high heat; add beans and reduce heat; simmer, covered, 4-5 minutes; add sugar snap peas; simmer, covered, until both beans and peas are crisp-tender, another 2-3 minutes; drain.
• Toss beans and peas with radishes; stir together honey, tarragon, salt and pepper and drizzle over vegetables.
• Serve salad warm/room temperature; heat the dressing just a tiny bit in the microwave so the honey flows freely and drizzles well.

 Balsamic Green Bean Salad ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from www.tasteofhome.com)

photo from tasteofhome.com

2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1½ inch pieces
¼ cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. ground mustard
½ tsp. white pepper
1 large red onion, chopped
cherry tomatoes, halved
crumbled feta cheese

• Place beans in a 6-qt. stockpot; add water to cover; bring to a boil; cook, covered, 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and immediately place in ice water; drain and pat dry.
• In a small bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, mustard and pepper; drizzle over beans; add onion; toss to coat.
• Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour (but the longer, the better).
• Mix tomatoes, feta cheese, salt, and cracked black pepper to taste into individual servings to taste.

Gochujang Grilled Pork Chops ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.theendlessmeal.com)

 

¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 to 2 Tbsp. gochujang
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. oil (vegetable or canola)
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 to 4 pork chops 

• In a medium-sized bowl whisk the first five ingredients.
• Place pork chops in resealable bag and pour in marinade; seal bag and squish around a bit so the pork chops are well covered.
• Refrigerate for 1 to 12 hours, turning now and again to make sure all is well covered.
• Grill the pork chops.
• Pour marinade into small pan over high heat and boil for 2-3 minutes until thickened (like a runny BBQ sauce); serve with chops.
• Optional (we fell on this accidentally): Serve with roasted red pepper hummus – goes together amazingly well.

You can increase the amounts (double or more) of this recipe and use it for pork tenderloin as well.