I told you guys I heart Asian food in the springtime!  Might as well stick with the theme now…  This dish is just as quick, easy, and healthy as the others and is brought to life by Trader Joe’s Curry Simmer Sauce, not to be confused with the ever popular coconut based Thai curry.  TJ’s sells an Indian version that’s spicier than your average curry, but not so much that you can’t taste the cumin and clove-r flavors at play behind the scenes.  I decided to go vegetarian this time around, but you could compliment or, dare I say, substitute the eggplant for a multitude of things including paneer cheese, tofu, or the chicken that’s recommended on the bottle.  For garnish, I used some cashews that I found in our pantry and that were probably too…umm…old for my own good.  That said, I think that cashews go well with peas and carrots and I’m still here to write the tale.  The second time around I went the extra mile (to the grocery store) and got an avocado to brighten up the plate.  Avocado and cashews are the garnish of choice for my all-time favorite Massaman curry.  You could also chop some cilantro per TJ’s recommendation. 

Veggie Curry Simmer

Serves 3-4.

                                     

• 1 c brown rice
• 1 T vegetable oil
• ½ onion, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 eggplant, diced
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 jar Trader Joe’s Curry Simmer Sauce
• Cashews, opt
• Avocado, opt
• Cilantro, opt

 

In a saucepan, cook rice according to directions.

Heat oil in a large dutch oven or sauté pan over medium heat.  Add onions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes.  Mix in eggplant and peas and cook for another 5 minutes.  Stir in sauce and 1 cup of water, cover, and simmer over medium low heat for 15 minutes. 

Top rice with curry eggplant and garnish with cashews, avocados, and cilantro!

Hey guess what – January’s over!  Time to focus on chocolate, fondue, and something delicious to make for that special someone so they’ll still be yours after Valentine’s Day.   What’s more romantic than a dinner in?  Let me rephrase, what’s more romantic than a dinner in when you’re used to dining out?  I might, for once, prefer not to slave the day away, but I’ve no doubt put in more than my fair share of kitchen duty.  So what to make for that special someone who will, for this one day at least, be your culinary inspiration?  Well, if you’re a lady cooking for your mister, you cannot go wrong with this pork roast.  It’s juicy and tender and doesn’t require constant attention so you can focus your first course elsewhere.    If you’re a mister cooking for your miss, perhaps this is a selfish choice of meat, but she’ll never question your machismo. 

Since I did first whip this up back in 2009 when I was stuffed from an indulgent December, I left the meal at meat and veggies.  You surely have recuperated by now and are ready for some starch.  Try a mashed parsnip or simple risotto.  The gym lines are finally clearing, so you should have more than enough time to give this roast the extra hours of TLC it deserves.  I promise you’ll be paid back one hundred kisses over. 

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Roast Pork Loin w/Veggies

Serves 6.

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• 1 5-bone pork rib roast (about 5 pounds), chine bone removed, rack of bones cut off in 1 piece and reserved
• Coarse kosher salt
• 6 slabs of bacon
• 6 fresh rosemary sprigs, divided, plus more for garnish
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs, divided, plus more for garnish
• 6 fresh bay leaves, divided
• 1 pound brussel sprouts
• 4 large parsnips, peeled, each cut diagonally into 3 or 4 long pieces
• 4 large carrots, peeled, each cut diagonally into 3 or 4 long pieces
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into flowers

 

Italian Salsa Verde

 

• 1/4 cup salted capers, soaked for 30 minutes, drained, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 cup olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
• 1 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

   

Put first 5 ingredients in a food processor and blend.  Continue blending while streaming in olive oil.  Stir in salt & pepper.  

 

Arrange rib rack, bone side up, on work surface. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Place pork roast atop rib rack, nestled in curve; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Place pork belly, rind side up, atop pork to cover. Using kitchen string or twine, tie rib rack, pork roast, and pork belly together in several places to secure. Sprinkle assembled pork roast all over with coarse salt and pepper. Tuck 3 rosemary sprigs, 3 thyme sprigs, and 3 bay leaves under string in several places. Place roast, pork belly side up, in large roasting pan. Cut 1/4-inch-deep, 3-inch-long slits in rind of pork belly, down length of roast, spacing cuts 1 inch apart. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Place vegetables in roasting pan around pork; tuck in 3 rosemary sprigs, 3 thyme sprigs, and 3 bay leaves in several places. Sprinkle vegetables with coarse salt and pepper.

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Roast pork and vegetables 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Turn vegetables to coat with pan drippings. Continue to roast pork until thermometer inserted straight down from top into center registers 145°F to 150°F, turning and brushing vegetables occasionally with drippings, about 1 hour 25 minutes longer. Let pork rest 30 minutes.

Transfer roast to platter; surround with vegetables. Garnish with fresh herb sprigs and serve with salsa verde.