Maiale Umido – Stewed Pork

I love a good snow storm…and a delicious stew! I don’t think I’ve ever made two stews exactly the same (sort of like snowflakes), but the tasty and comforting results have always been consistent.

This Pork Stew requires minimal effort and is uniquely flavored with paprika, caraway seeds and marjoram.

Recipe:

Take some pork butt and cut it into large stew pieces. Alternately, you could buy the pre-cut pork stew meat. Season and brown the pork meat in a large hot pan coated with olive oil.

Finely chop some celery, carrots and onions and add it to the pork. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften. Season with paprika and caraway seeds.

Add tomato paste or some crushed tomatoes. Add whole sprigs of fresh marjoram and rosemary and cover everything with fresh meat stock and a bottle of red wine. Cover and simmer for almost 2 hours.
Taste, season and serve!

  

Note:

• This stew works well with homemade potato gnocchi. The lighter Ricotta Gnocchi are too delicate for this rich sauce.
• If serving over pasta, you can remove the pork pieces, purée the sauce and then return the pork to the sauce.
• You can make this stew even heartier by adding whole baby potatoes or by cutting your vegetables into larger chunks.

Guacamole

Avocado.org provides these useful facts about the nutritional benefits of avocados.

• Avocados are one of the few fruits that provide “good” fats.
• Avocados contribute good fats to one’s diet, providing 3g of mono and 0.5g polyunsaturated fat per 1 oz. serving.
• Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid.
• They also act as a “nutrient booster” by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

With that in mind and only 10 minutes to prepare, I enjoy dipping warm tortilla chips into freshly made Guacamole all summer long and any time of day.

1. Take 2 medium avocados, cut them lengthwise, and remove the pits.
2. With a spoon, scoop the flesh of the avocado into a bowl.
3. Next add in 1 finely chopped tomato and 2 tablespoons minced onion.
4. Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro and juice from a fresh lime.
5. Add 2 seeded and minced jalapeño peppers or similar chile pepper and season with salt and pepper.
6. Coarsely blend the ingredients together with a fork or a potato masher. Pair with tortilla chips and serve.