a very brown but yummy meal

Last week… was a LOOOOOONG week in the M household. I was stuck in lots of numbers at work… and Mr. M was held hostage at work by an evil 600+ page document that kept him in the office night after night. Normal dinners went out the window, as I prepped things for myself and Mr. M grabbed anything/everything on the way home. I decided to upset that trend on Friday and actually planned out a big “prep needed” dinner… and we both sat down at 7pm to eat together for the first time all week.

Now, looking at the photo above, I realize there is a lot of brown there. I’m not really big on the greens, but if you made a simple salad you’d easily erase the dominant earthy colors. But despite the monotone palette, I can guarantee you that this meal is absolutely yummy beyond mention! Seriously!!!

It’s an African inspired menu… with all of the recipes from a tried and true dining experience that Mr. M and I enjoyed at Walt Disney World in Februrary. In fact, he actually sent me a photo text during our meal that said, “Learn to make fufu!!!” with a photo of the dish. I did just that… and it turned out just as wonderful at home! So here are the details and recipes for the husband-pleasing food above. WARNING: peanut butter rice is insanely addictive – cook at your own risk!

Cured Pork Loin
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

3 1/3 pounds pork loin
¼ pound kosher salt
¼ pound sugar
½ pound brown sugar
2 T. minced herb (thyme or rosemary), chopped fine
2 T. ginger, fresh and chopped
2 T. cinnamon
ground black pepper to taste

Method:

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients except the pork. Rub the mixture into the pork and let marinate overnight. Cook in the oven at 350ºF for one hour or until done. (Note: Make a different variation by adding different spices.)

[I halved the recipe for our purposes… and I ended up with plenty of rub for 1.2 lbs]

Fufu

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound Sweet Potatoes, peeled, medium dice
1 pound Potatoes, peeled, medium dice
To taste Salt and Pepper
2 T. Coriander, roasted
2 T. Cinnamon, toasted
¼ cup Sugar
¼ cup Butter

Method:

Steam all of the tubers until tender. In a mixer mash everything together. Check the seasoning, adjust if needed. Make sure the potatoes are cooked well.

Peanut Butter Rice

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups Basmati Rice
6 tablespoons Peanut Butter
1 cup Coconut Milk
½ cup Soy Sauce
1/8 teaspoon Ground Ginger (dry)
1/8 teaspoon Ground Coriander
¼ teaspoon Granulated Garlic
½ cup Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/8 bunch Parsley, rough chop

Method of Preparation:
1. Cook the basmati rice according to direction ration (normally 1:1¼ liquid.) In a small pot, combine all the ingredients. Mix well until smooth and heat to proper temperature – 145 o or above. Taste and adjust seasonings. Mix the hot basmati rice with the peanut butter sauce in a large bowl and add the parsley. Mix well.