More Cooking... and my Massaman Curry recipe...

I am getting my fill of time in the kitchen while I vacation at my son's house over the holiday break while all of the roommates are away.

I made Crock Pot Honey Mustard Pork Loins on Friday... (sorry, no picture)

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
salt and pepper
1 small clove of garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch, flour or arrowroot starch with 1 Tablespoon cold water to thicken saucee to a gravy at the very end.

Wash and trim the pork and pat dry; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Place pork in the slow cooker.  Combine all other ingredients and pour over pork.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

Set pork aside and pour juices in small saucepan, bring to boil over medium heat.  Add thickener mixed in the water, stir well, bring back to a simmer and continue to stir until desired thickness.

This turned out well, although I will double the recipe of the sauce the next time I make it.  I only used thin pork loins that weighed less than a pound, so there would definitely not be enough liquid to make much of a gravy.

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Then I made a salted caramel nut candy, and I was not pleased with it at all.  Although sorta edible, it was scary to make because the sugar turned into crystallized balls before melting into a caramel where it actually got burned a little.  Again, even if this worked, there was not enough of it to cover all of the nuts, and I actually had less of them than called for.

I will try making my friend's peanut brittle recipe that is made in the micro wave and she claims is really easy to make.

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Next I gave the Chicken Curry another try, and both my son and I think it turned out just about perfect.  Yellow Curry recipes are like meatloaf... everyone has their own version.  Now I have one...

My Chicken Shrimp Massaman Curry

2 T. olive oil

3 T. yellow curry sauce

1 t. yellow curry powder

1 T. minced fresh ginger

Combine into a large saucepan/frying pan, cook and stir for about 2 minutes.

Add:  1 chicken breast cut into cubed, bite sized pieces

Half of a medium onion cut into small chunks,

Cook on medium to medium-high heat until chicken pieces turn white on the outsides.  About 3 minutes.

Stir in: 3 T. brown sugar

3 T. fish sauce

2 T. peanut butter

2  to 3 potatoes, cubed to less than ½ inch size.

1-  13.5 can of coconut milk, can shaken well

Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add in a PINCH of red pepper flakes,

And optional ingredients:

Short slices of green pepper for color

1/8 c. raisins

1/8 c. peanuts

Cook for additional 10 minutes until potatoes are almost soft.

Add 1/3 lb. cooked shrimp with tails pulled off

3 T. lime juice

Cook additional 5 minutes.

If sauce appears too thick, add water to desired consistency. 

:)