A Multi National Meal

I had the day off on Saturday so i decided to make a meal for when Mrs Monday Baker came home from work.I had found a few recipe ideas from a magazine called 'The Simple Things'.It is a difficult magazine to describe as it features articles on food,lifestyle,living,escaping,travel,unusual collections and other points in between.Every month though it features some recipes including a selection of recipes on a theme.This month it was Mexican. I chose one of the dishes,Tacos al pastor,to try,which i adapted to suit my tastes.As this was likely to be spicy i chose a cooling dish for dessert.A previous edition of the magazine had featured pizzas as there theme.One of them was a recipe for a sweet pizza.I had been wanting to try this for a while and this seemed like the perfect excuse.To go with the main dish i decided to make another cornbread only this one was an ordinary cornbread without cheddar cheese.
The original recipe for the tacos said to use a pork roasting joint but i decide this was expensive so i brought some pork rashers instead.I also used carton orange juice instead of freshly squeezed orange juice,again this was cheaper.It should also have had pineapple slices in it but i made a mistake and brought pineapple chunks instead.As i was making some cornbread to go with the main dish i served the meat and rice on the plate rather than in a tortilla wrap.

Tacos Al Pastor

Ingredients

1 x pack of pork rashers(Enough to feed the amount of people the meal is for).
100g of pineapple slices.
2 tbsp orange juice.
3 tbsp tomato paste.
2 garlic cloves.
1 small onion.
7 ml dried oregano.
7 ml cumin.
7 ml paprika.
2 ml black pepper.
 2 ml ground cinammon.

Recipe

1.Mix all the marinade ingredients together.
2.Cut the meat into medium chunks.
3.Rub the marinade all over the pork pieces,cover in a bowl and refrigerate for at least a few hours.
4.Chop up the pineapple.
5.Add the pork to a frying pan and add the marinated pork.
6.Cook together.Make sure that the pork is cooked through.

This was served with brown rice originally but i used wild rice.

Slow Cooked Rice Ingredients

120ml brown rice.
1 chicken stock cube.
1 small onion.
2 garlic cloves.
1/2 tsp salt.
Pinch of black pepper.
1/2 tsp of paprika.
1/2 tsp oregano.
1/2 tsp tomato puree.

Recipe

1.Saute onions in butter until translucent.
2.Add the garlic and saute until golden.
3.Add all the other ingredients except the stock cube and stir until the rice is coated in spices and butter.
4.Add the stock cube.
5.Bring to the boil then reduce to the lowest simmer.
6.Cover and cook without disturbing for at least 40 minutes.
7.Serve on the plate and add the cooked pork and pineapple on top.

This tasted really nice.It probably should have been spicier but as Mrs Monday Baker doesn't like things to spicy it was perfect.


Corn Bread

Ingredients

175g plain flour.
1 tsp salt.
4 tsp baking powder.
1 tsp caster sugar.
280g polenta.
115g softened butter.
250ml milk.
3 tbsp double cream.

Recipe.

1.Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees c/400 degrees f/gas mark 6.
2.Brush a 20cm/8 inch cake tin with oil.
3.Sift the flour into a bowl.
4.Sift the salt into the bowl.
5.Sift the baking powder into the bowl.
6.Add the sugar and polenta and stir to mix.
7.Add the butter and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
8.Beat the eggs in a bowl with the milk and cream.
9.Stir into the polenta mixture until thoroughly combined.
10.Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a knife.
11.Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of  the loaf comes out clean.
12.Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes.
13.Turn out onto a plate and cut into squares.

This loaf turned out alright but didn't have a lot of flavour.The cheese cornbread loaf that i had made previously had a lot more flavour.


Sweet Pizza

Pizza Dough ingredients

125ml lukewarm water.
1tsp yeast.
3/4 tsp sugar.
1/2 tsp olive oil.
227g flour.
3/4 tsp salt.

Recipe

1.Mix lukewarm water,yeast and sugar then leave in a warm place for 5 minutes or until frothy.
2.Stir in olive oil.
3.Sift the flour into a bowl.
4.Sift the salt into a bowl.
5.Pour in the yeast mixture and use your hands to form a dough.
6.Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and work for 5 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
7.Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a cloth.
8.Leave in a warm place for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
9.Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knock the dough back.


Pizza Topping Ingredients

3 tbsp chocolate spread.
1 banana,sliced.
1tbsp ricotta cheese.
2 tbsp chocolate,shaved.
2 tbsp hazelnuts.
2 tsp honey.
icing sugar,for dusting.
vanilla ice cream.


Recipe

1.Preheat the oven to 250 degress c/500 degrees f/gas mark 9
2.roll out the pizza to a rough circular shape.
3.Spread the chocolate spread over the pizza base.
4.Place the banan onto the pizza base.
5.Add the ricotta cheese.
6.Toast the hazelnuts,then peel and chop them.
7.Cook in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
8.Transfer the pizza to a plate.
9.Add scoops of vanilla ice cream onto the pizza.
10.Sprinkle with the shaved chocolate.
11.Sprinkle with the hazelnuts.
12.Drizzle with honey.
13.Dust with icing sugar.

The pizza turned out really well despite 2 mistakes.I forgot to put the chocolate spread on first so i had to dollop it where i could.And i forgot to oil the pizza stone.Fortunately the pizza came off the stone okay.It tasted absolutely fantastic and i will definitely be making it again.

                                                                                                            The Monday Baker