After being intrigued with stinky's idea of an Asian meatloaf, I looked up a recipe, and the below this weekend. Prep time is not 15 minutes, it's more like 30. It serves 12, not 6. I couldn't puree as the equipment had gone caput. I loved the way this tasted. Both the sauce (which is completely necessary, a foil against the sweetness of the loaf) and the meatloaf. It filled two meatloaf pans. Will I make it again? Doubtful, unless I can cut down the prep time. Both the loaf and the sauce are very labor intensive. For the amount of time, all you get is meatloaf. Not that that is a bad thing, but it sure isn't boeuf bourginon. Asian Pork Meatloaf with Red Wine-Mushroom Gravy Copyright, 2000, Ming Tsai, All Rights Reserved Prep Time: 15 min -- Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min -- Serves: 6 servings Ingredients  Canola oil, to cook  1 tablespoon minced garlic  1 tablespoon minced ginger  1 tablespoon fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped  3 carrots, peeled and 1/4-inch dice  4 stalks celery, 1/4-inch dice  2 onions, 1/4-inch dice  1 zucchini, 1/4-inch dice  1 tablespoon sambal  1/2 cup hoisin sauce  2 cups cooked long grain rice  2 pounds ground pork  4 eggs, lightly beaten  Salt and black pepper, to taste Red Wine-Mushroom Gravy:  1 tablespoon minced garlic  1 large onion, roughly chopped  1 pound button mushrooms, sliced  1 bottle dry red wine  2 cups chicken stock  2 tablespoons soy sauce  2 tablespoons butter  Salt and black pepper, to taste Directions In a large saute pan coated with oil, add the garlic, ginger and black beans. Stir and season. Add carrots, celery, onions, zucchini and stir. Add sambal and hoisin and continue to stir. When the mixture is cooled, mix in the rice, pork and eggs. Season with salt and black pepper. (Test for seasoning by cooking a small piece in boiling water, a frying pan or even nuking it.) Spray a nonstick meatloaf pan and fill with mix. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes or until a knife/poker comes out clean. For the Red Wine Mushroom Gravy: In a saucepan coated with oil, caramelize the garlic, onions and mushrooms. Deglaze with red wine and reduce by 75 percent. Add the stock and soy sauce and reduce by 50 percent. Check for seasoning. Using a hand blender, puree the sauce and add the butter. Check again for seasoning. Keep warm. Plating: Sauce the plate completely then top off with a thick slab of meatloaf. Wine Suggestion: Rabbit Ridge. California Zinfandel, Barrel Cuvee, 1997

My favorite super-easy super good stir-fry: Saute one chopped onion and 1 chopped garlic clove in a little olive oil. Add one bunch cut up asparagus and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add a bunch of sliced portabella mushrooms and one sliced tomato and stir-fry a few minutes. Add 1-2 Tbl. of your favorite stir-fry sauce or black bean paste and big already-cooked shrimp (tail off). Let cook a few more minutes. Serve over rice, or not!

Made pork ragu today. It is wonderful! Here are the changes I made - used boneless pork shoulder ribs because a pork butt is too big for me and DH; - forgot to add the sugar; - did not add the pepper flakes (we don't like things too spicy); - There is no fresh oregano available, so I used dried; - Instead of semolina gnocchi, I made grits with a combination of chicken broth and milk for the liquid, then added swiss cheese and parm when the grits were done. I have no idea how much cheese I added...just eyeballed it and tasted as I went. This is a keeper. If you like braised meats, I think you will like this. Pork Ragu with Semolina Gnocchi Serves 8 For the pork ragu Canola oil 4 pound bone-in pork shoulder (approximately), trimmed of excess fat 2 - 3 slices bacon, chopped 1 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup chopped celery 3 - 5 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 cup dry white wine 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, with juice 1 cup chicken stock Pinch red pepper flakes Pinch of sugar Kosher salt and pepper 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano Parmesan cheese, to serve For the semolina gnocchi 4 cups whole milk 1 cup semolina flour 1 cup grated Parmesan, divided 3 eggs yolks, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon kosher salt Preheat oven to 325°. Pat the meat dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat a few glugs of canola oil over high heat. Sear the pork shoulder on all sides until golden brown. Remove it from the Dutch oven and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the bacon and let some of the fat render, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until soft and translucent, another 5 - 7 minutes. Toss in garlic and continue to cook for another 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and cider vinegar and reduce by half, turning up the heat if necessary (you want some good bubbling action here). Meanwhile, use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the tomatoes into large chunks while still in the can. Add the tomatoes with juices and chicken stock to the Dutch oven. Nestle the pork into the sauce and season generously with salt, pepper, a generous pinch of red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch of sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for approximately 3 hours, turning the pork once, until the meat easily falls apart with a fork. Remove the pork to a large cutting board while still fairly hot. Stir the minced oregano into the sauce. Remove excess fat, discard the bone, and carefully shred the meat; it is harder to "pull" once it has cooled. (I either wear heavy-duty rubber gloves on my hands or use my new "bear paws," but two large forks would work, too.) Place the shredded pork back into the Dutch oven and toss with its sauce. Cool to room temperature; refrigerate overnight. The sauce will naturally thicken (and the fat will congeal) as it cools, allowing all of the flavors to marry. To serve the ragu, reheat on medium-low until warm, adding additional chicken stock or water if you want a less thick ragu. Adjust seasoning, if desired. (I usually add some more chili flakes and another splash of cider vinegar.) Serve with warm semolina gnocchi, although this would also be delicious over Parmesan grits or pappardelle. For the semolina gnocchi, heat the milk in a heavy pan until a ring of bubbles form around the edges. Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir the semolina flour into the pot. Continue stirring constantly and firmly (there will be a bit of resistance) for 15 - 20 minutes, making sure to clear the bottom and edges of the pan. The mixture will be very dense and should pull cleanly away from the sides of the pot. Remove the gnocchi from the heat and let cool for a minute. Stir in the 2/3 cup grated Parmesan, then the yolks (with vigor so the eggs don't scramble) and salt. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight. Preheat oven to 375 ° and place rack in the uppermost position. Use a small spring-form ice cream scoop to shape even-sized balls of gnocchi and place on a greased baking sheet or dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and bake for 15 minutes, until the Parmesan begins to turn light golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Arrange gnocchi in the bottom of pasta/serving bowls, ladle ragu over top, and serve warm. Garnish with freshly chopped herbs and grated Parmesan, if desired. Nealey Dozier Here is a link that might be useful: The Kitchn Pork Ragu with Semolina Gnocchi

There are tons of great Indian vegetarian recipes! Here are a few: Aloo Gobi (Indian Potatoes and Cauliflower) 2-3 servings 1 lb waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 4 tablespoons cooking oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 teaspoons ginger, grated into pulp 1 - 2 green chilies, finely chopped 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1 lb cauliflower florets 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons fresh coriander (also known as cilantro) 1 Boil potatoes for 5 minutes then drain. 2 Heat oil in a skillet or wok; add onion and ginger, then cook until onion is golden brown. 3 Add chilies, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ground cumin and turmeric then cook for 2 mins, stirring continuously. 4 Add potatoes and cauliflower, stirring to coat all the pieces in the mixture, add salt and water then cover and cook gently until vegetables are tender but not overcooked. 5 Garnish with fresh coriander (cilantro) and serve as a main dish with warm Indian breads and/or basmati rice. Can also serve as a side dish with a meat curry. Note: For those who like foods less spicy, just omit or decrease the amount of seeds and membranes from the chiles, because they contain 80 per cent of the heat. *Always wear gloves when working with chiles! Melting in the Mouth Spinach & Potato Curry posted by Mini Ravindran 4 servings 2 cups spinach (blanched and pureed) 4 big potatoes (boiled/microwaved, peeled and cubed) 1 cup tomato puree 2 tablespoons onion paste 1 tablespoon garlic paste 1 tablespoon ginger paste 3 chopped green chilies (optional) *Use them if you want lots of heat! salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 2 tablespoons oil (preferably Canola oil) 1 Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. 2 Add fennel seeds. 3 Let them crackle. 4 Add onion, green chillies, garlic, ginger paste and sauttill it turns pinkish brown. 5 Add salt, turmeric and black pepper powder. 6 Sauté for 3-4 seconds and add tomato puree. 7 Wait till gravy is well cooked and raw smell is gone. 8 Add cubed potatoes and stir well for 4 minutes. 9 Add pureed spinach now and lower the heat. 10 Let it cook for 15 minutes on heat or microwave for 10 minutes. 11 Serve with Indian breads and add a dash of fresh cream while serving. 12 Serve hot. Bengal Spinach serves: 4-6 3 Tbsp. sesame oil 1 tsp. whole black mustard seeds 1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds (crushed slightly) 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds 4 tsp. brown sugar 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger root OR 2 tsp. ginger juice (it comes in a bottle) Minced fresh chiles or hot sauce to taste Spinach - 2 lbs fresh (washed, chopped) or 2 10-oz. pkgs. frozen (thawed, drained) 1/4 c. dried, shredded coconut salt to taste a dash of freshly grated nutmeg fresh lemon wedges squeezed over finished dish, plus a pat of butter if desired Heat the sesame oil in a large, heavy pan over medium. Add the whole spices and sugar, and stir fry until the spices brown and the sugar starts to carmelize. Add ginger, chiles, coconut, then the spinach, cover and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, so it cooks evenly. Make sure it doesn't boil dry--add a little more water if needed. Cook until it is very soft. Stir in the nutmeg, turn into a serving dish, and squeeze a bit of lemon over the top. Optional additions: 1/4 c. slivered, toasted almonds, 1/3. c. currants, or a few tablespoons of cream Here's a Thai recipe: Thai-Style Pasta Salad DRESSING: 1/2 cup natural peanut butter 6 Tbs. water 4 Tbs. vegetable oil 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice (1 lime) 2 Tbs. distilled white vinegar 2 Tbs. Asian (dark) sesame oil 2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce 1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or more, to taste SALAD: 4 oz. snow peas, strings removed 1/2 lb. Chinese rice noodles/vermicelli (can substitute angel hair pasta or spaghettini/thin spaghetti). 1 pkg. (8 oz.) coleslaw mix 5 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges 1 small cucumber, peeled and cut into thin strips 1 cup mung or soy bean sprouts 1/2 cup chopped scallions (or 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion) Dressing: In medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Set aside. Bring large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside. Meanwhile, cut the snowpeas into thirds on diagonal. Steam until just cooked, keeping them a little crunchy. Rinse under cold water. In large serving bowl, combine noodles, dressing, snow peas, coleslaw, radishes, tomatoes, cucumber, sprouts and scallions (or onion). Makes 6 servings