Pan-Fried Pork with Ginger Sauce

Ingredients:
1 lb     pork chops, boned and trimmed
1         onion, small- thinly sliced lengthways
1/4 c   beansprouts, rinsed well
1/4 c   snow peas, trimmed
1 Tbl   coconut oil

Marinade:
1 Tbl   shoyu (a soy sauce) Learn more here: http://www.soya.be/shoyu.php
1 Tbl   sake
1 Tbl   mirin (sweet rice wine) You can substitute with apple juice.
1 1/2"  piece of fresh ginger, finely grated, include juice.

Wrap pork in plastic wrap and freeze for 1 1/2 hours.
Cut into 1/8 " slices, then into 1 1/2" wide strips.
Combine marinade ingredients well, add pork slices and marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat the coconut oil in a wok or heavy skillet to medium-high heat and fry onions for 3 minutes.
Cook the pork in batches; remove half of the meat from the marinade and add to the onions until its colour changes, about 2 minutes.
Remove meat from the wok, repeat process with the remaining pork, and reserve the marinade.
Transfer all the meat and onions to a covered bowl.
Pour the reserved marinade into the wok and simmer until it is reduced by one-third.
Add the beansprouts and snow peas, then the pork and onions and increase heat to medium-high for 2 minutes.
Remove beansprouts and snow peas to serving platter and cover with the meat and onions.
Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Note: Apple juice does work. It has about the same consistency and sweetness of mirin, but no alcohol content. Mirin is a common staple in japanese cooking, as is shoyu. I suggest purchasing these staples if you're planning on making more japanese food. Apple juice and plain soy sauce packets from chinese take-out work, but nothing substitutes the flavors of the real thing. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my familly does. NOSH.

Drunken Crab (In honor of California's crab season starting Nov. 15th)

4 whole large crabs (3.5 lbs), rinsed, cleaned, and cut in half.
2 Tbl.   safflower oil or lard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp.    sesame oil, dark
2 ea.     garlic cloves, crushed
1 lg.      white onion, cut into wedges
1 lg.      tomato, cut into wedges
1 ea.     red chili, sliced
8 oz.     beer (I use a Pilsner)
1 c.       watercress

Fry crabs in safflower oil (or lard), salt, pepper, sesame oil and garlic over very high heat for 5 minutes. Add onion, tomato and chili. Stir fry quickly and add beer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until crabs are cooked. Serve garnished with watercress. NOSH!

Strawberry Bombs

Ingredients: Strawberries, Almond Butter, Grated Unsweetened Coconut

Use a paring knife, hollow out strawberries from top down while removing greens. Not too deep, but deep enough to make a decent cavity. Now fill it with Almond Butter and top with coconut. Enjoy.