Cozy Winter Dishes

With winter approaching and temperatures dropping, I find myself attracted to old-time dishes that grandmothers and mothers make. Hot Stews and soups are just a few that come to mind. Here I have my recipe for Pork and Beans, a classic, and my sister's recipe for Sheperd's Pie, which is so SO satisfying! Of course when it gets cold, I also find myself gravitating toward ethnic dishes with warming spices so I developed a recipe for Asian-style pork chops (probably not authentic but tasty!) flavoured with orange segments and orange juice.

Baked Beans With Pork

1 package navy beans, soaked overnight

1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped

3 tbsp Molasses
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp barbecue sauce

Any kind of cooked pork

1. Cover pre-soaked beans in water and simmer on the stove for 1 1/2 hours.
2. Place beans with the sauce-pan water in a crock pot. Add onions, celery, and all flavourings to the crock pot, and cook on high for 4 1/2 hours.
3. Add pork and cooked for another 1/2 hour. Beans are done when they're tender and the pork is heated through.

Megan's Shepherd's Pie

Mashed Potatoes
8 potatoes
2 tbsp butter or margarine
3 tbsp milk

Filling
4 small parsnips, sliced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 pounds ground beef
3 tbsp red wine
3 tbsp beef stock
156 ml can of tomato paste
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
salt and pepper

1. For mashed potatoes, boil potatoes on stove until tender. Use a masher to mash them and add butter and milk to make them creamy. Set aside.
2. For the filling, bring parsnips to a boil with just enough water to cover them, and cook until tender. Set aside.
3. Saute celery and garlic in a tbsp of oil until tender. Set aside.
4. Brown the ground beef. When cooked, drain out the grease. Place back on the stove and add the celery mixture and the parsnips to it. Add the mixed vegetables, tomato paste, red wine, and beef stock and simmer until all the liquid has evaporated and the mixed vegetables are tender. Make sure you season to taste at this point.
5. To layer, evenly place all filling in a casserole dish. Place the potatoes evenly over top.
6. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for approximately a 1/2 hour until the top has browned.

Asian-Style Orange Pork Chops With Sauteed Vegetables

8 pork chops
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper

4 clementines or mandarin oranges (I used fresh but I think canned would work best)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 carrots, julienned
1 zucchini, julienned
1 red onion, thinnly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce

1. Heat approximately 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan and brown all pork chops on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in an oven dish.
2. In a bowl combine orange segments (squeeze some of the juice out into the bowl if using fresh; if using canned, add the syrup in), brown sugar, flour, vinegar, spices and soy sauce. Pour over pork chops.
3. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for approximately 1 hour until done.
4. For vegetables, heat oil and add the carrots. Saute carrots until they just start to tenderize, then add the zucchini, onion, and garlic, and flavour with soy sauce. Cook until everything is tender but with a slight bite to it still.
5. To serve, place vegetables on a platter and layer pork chops over top. Pour pan juices over everything. Serve with a side of white rice.