Recipes and Ingredient Preparation
Braised Pork & White Bean Stufato with Ham Hocks & Parsnip
Stufato is Italian for Stew. Therefore, Italian accents make up this beautiful winter stew. It’s hardy, healthy and super easy to make.
This recipe serves about 8 people and will require about 20 minutes prep time and 3 hours or so cooking time. So, be sure to plan your dinner for the evening accordingly.
Due to the time constraints of this recipe, I recommend prepping the ingredients prior to the start of class.
Vegetarian Version; Omit the meat items and sub Vegetarian Broth for Chicken Broth.
Ingredients
2lbs. Pork Shoulder (small cubes)
1 each Smoked Ham Hock
1 cup Dry White Northern Beans (Small White Beans)
1 White Onion (diced)
1 ½ Cup Parsnips (diced)
3 Cups Diced Tomato
1 t-spoon Fennel Seed
½ t-spoon Dried Chili Flake
5 cloves Whole Garlic (fine chopped)
5 Cups (or so) Chicken Stock (homemade or store-bought broth)
4 Sprigs Fresh Marjoram (chopped)
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary (chopped)
1 each Navel Orange (zest of)
Method
Using a heavy bottom pot or Dutch-oven, heat and sear the pork until slightly colored. Remove from the pot and set aside. Add the onions, garlic and hock. Sauté for a few minutes to brown. Add the dried spice and return pork back to the pot. Add the dried beans. Cover with broth and bring to a boil. Add Parsnips. Reduce and cover. Simmer until meat is tender and beans are cooked through. Ham Hock will also be tender. Remove and when able to handle, carefully slice or pull tender meat from the bone and add to the stew. Add the fresh herbs and zest before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Gingered Sugar Pumpkin Soup
The option of preparing this soup with or without cream is yours. You will also need a blender for a silky texture. Ginger reminds me of Winter and its seeming ability to warm you. I love the two texture feel with the chopped toasted pumpkin seeds and the smooth creamy feel of the soup. Sugar pie pumpkins are fairly small and have a great flavor for soups and pies. The apples help balance this comforting soup.
Please pre-prep the ingredients prior to the start of our class.
Serves 8 big bowls or 16 little bowls
Ingredients
3 lbs. Sugar Pie Pumpkin (quartered and seeded)
1 White Onion (Diced)
2 T. Fresh Ginger (peeled and chopped)
4 Granny Smith Apple (peeled, seeded and diced)
½ cup Toasted and Chopped Walnuts (optional)
2 T. Brown Sugar
5 cloves garlic (chopped)
½ t-spoon Ground Cinnamon
¼ t-spoon Ground Nutmeg
¼ t-spoon Ground White Pepper
¼ t-spoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
1 cup Apple Cider (unfiltered)
3 cups or so Homemade Vegetable Broth or store-bought
½ cup ½ and ½ milk (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 T. Unsalted Butter
1 cup Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (use as desired; see below for roasting instructions)
Method
Pre-Roast the pumpkins in the oven until tender @375 About 20 minutes.
Using a heavy bottom pot or Dutch-oven, melt butter and sweat onions, ginger and garlic with dried spices. Add the cider and diced apples and pumpkins. Add the sugar and Broth. Simmer for about a half hour. Transfer to a blender. Carefully! Blend until smooth. Return to stove and
incorporate the cream (optional) and season to adjust the flavor. Serve by garnishing with toasted pumpkin seeds.
Braised Pork & White Bean Stufato with Ham Hocks & Parsnip
Stufato is Italian for Stew. Therefore, Italian accents make up this beautiful winter stew. It’s hardy, healthy and super easy to make.
This recipe serves about 8 people and will require about 20 minutes prep time and 3 hours or so cooking time. So, be sure to plan your dinner for the evening accordingly.
Due to the time constraints of this recipe, I recommend prepping the ingredients prior to the start of class.
Vegetarian Version; Omit the meat items and sub Vegetarian Broth for Chicken Broth.
Ingredients
2lbs. Pork Shoulder (small cubes)
1 each Smoked Ham Hock
1 cup Dry White Northern Beans (Small White Beans)
1 White Onion (diced)
1 ½ Cup Parsnips (diced)
3 Cups Diced Tomato
1 t-spoon Fennel Seed
½ t-spoon Dried Chili Flake
5 cloves Whole Garlic (fine chopped)
5 Cups (or so) Chicken Stock (homemade or store-bought broth)
4 Sprigs Fresh Marjoram (chopped)
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary (chopped)
1 each Navel Orange (zest of)
Method
Using a heavy bottom pot or Dutch-oven, heat and sear the pork until slightly colored. Remove from the pot and set aside. Add the onions, garlic and hock. Sauté for a few minutes to brown. Add the dried spice and return pork back to the pot. Add the dried beans. Cover with broth and bring to a boil. Add Parsnips. Reduce and cover. Simmer until meat is tender and beans are cooked through. Ham Hock will also be tender. Remove and when able to handle, carefully slice or pull tender meat from the bone and add to the stew. Add the fresh herbs and zest before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Gingered Sugar Pumpkin Soup
The option of preparing this soup with or without cream is yours. You will also need a blender for a silky texture. Ginger reminds me of Winter and its seeming ability to warm you. I love the two texture feel with the chopped toasted pumpkin seeds and the smooth creamy feel of the soup. Sugar pie pumpkins are fairly small and have a great flavor for soups and pies. The apples help balance this comforting soup.
Please pre-prep the ingredients prior to the start of our class.
Serves 8 big bowls or 16 little bowls
Ingredients
3 lbs. Sugar Pie Pumpkin (quartered and seeded)
1 White Onion (Diced)
2 T. Fresh Ginger (peeled and chopped)
4 Granny Smith Apple (peeled, seeded and diced)
½ cup Toasted and Chopped Walnuts (optional)
2 T. Brown Sugar
5 cloves garlic (chopped)
½ t-spoon Ground Cinnamon
¼ t-spoon Ground Nutmeg
¼ t-spoon Ground White Pepper
¼ t-spoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
1 cup Apple Cider (unfiltered)
3 cups or so Homemade Vegetable Broth or store-bought
½ cup ½ and ½ milk (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 T. Unsalted Butter
1 cup Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (use as desired; see below for roasting instructions)
Method
Pre-Roast the pumpkins in the oven until tender @375 About 20 minutes.
Using a heavy bottom pot or Dutch-oven, melt butter and sweat onions, ginger and garlic with dried spices. Add the cider and diced apples and pumpkins. Add the sugar and Broth. Simmer for about a half hour. Transfer to a blender. Carefully! Blend until smooth. Return to stove and
incorporate the cream (optional) and season to adjust the flavor. Serve by garnishing with toasted pumpkin seeds.