BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES
Prelude: Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into interesting and fun dishes. To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.” This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the month of June is all about incorporating“The Blend”(mushrooms + meat) into brunch dishes. For this reason, I have developed a recipe for Savoury Blenditarian Brunch Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs.
A Thai dish called ‘larb’, which is one of the most popular street foods in Thailand, has inspired this Savoury Brunch Blenditarian Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs dish. The addition of many types of vegetables just adds to the appeal. I enjoy having vegetables cooked in creative ways to produce different textures. I also like the idea that the dish can be served warm, cold or at room temperature.
Savoury Blenditarian Brunch Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs
CHEF TALK: This versatile meat, mushroom and vegetable dish will become a family favourite because it is quick and easy to make and, as well, can be made ahead of time. It is delicious served at room temperature or cool. Try substituting the lean ground pork with ground turkey for a Weight Watchers friendly option. (lean ground pork = 3 points; ground turkey = 0 points). The dish is also gluten-free, grain-free and dairy free. CHEF TIP: If you are using ground turkey keep in mind that it is milder in taste compared to ground pork. Therefore, my suggestion for additional seasoning is to add 2 teaspoons cumin and 1/2 cup red bell pepper to the mixture while cooking the pork, mushrooms and onions. Add hot sauce or a chopped red chili pepper, if desired.
INGREDIENTS:
SERVES: 4 – 6 portions
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 8 minutes
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) olive oil, avocado oil or coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound (454 g) lean ground pork
- 8 oz. (226 g) Cremini mushrooms, minced finely
- 1 cup finely shredded purple cabbage
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fish sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- ½ cup (125 ml) chopped parsley
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh mint
- Salt and pepper to taste
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- Eggs for poaching
METHOD:
- In a large frying pan, add the oil and sliced onion and cook until softened – about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds further.
- Add the pork and the mushrooms and cook. Stir to break up the meat with a spatula or wooden spoon until it is no longer pink (about 4 minutes).
- Turn off the heat. Fold the cabbage and the carrots into the mixture. The heat from the pan will soften the vegetables while leaving a pleasant crunch. Alternatively, if you prefer well-done vegetables, stir the vegetables over low heat for two minutes.
- Add the lemon zest, fish sauce and lime juice. Stir the mixture thoroughly. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary with salt and pepper.
- Mix in the parsley and mint.
- In the meantime, poach the eggs: In a small 1 or 2-quart saucepan, heat water to a simmer. Pour a few tablespoons of plain white vinegar into the water. CHEF TIP: adding vinegar to the poaching water allows the egg whites to firm faster so it prevents them from dispersing into the water.
- Swirl the water in the saucepan with a spatula, and then gently drop the eggs individually into the simmering water. Poach the eggs to your desired doneness (about three to four minutes).
- Lift the egg/s out with a slotted spoon. Place the poached egg on top of a serving of Blenditarian Brunch Pork (or Turkey) with Vegetables & Fine Herbs.
TO SERVE: I typically use a deep bowl to serve. Garnish with additional parsley and mint. Enjoy!
Here is a visual step-by-step how to make Blenditarian Brunch Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs:
The ingredients for this dish are simple, visually appealing and mostly vegetables
In just a few minutes, the mise-en-place is ready to start cooking this quick and easy dish
Cooking the ground pork and minced Cremini mushrooms to create ‘The Blend’ in this recipe
I like to use the residual heat from the frying pan to ‘cook’ the vegetables, which retains their beautiful colour and nutrients
The final step in the mixture is adding the fresh herbs and zest. Look at that colour!
For brunch, place a poached egg on top of each serving of Savoury Blenditarian Brunch Pork with Vegetables and Fine Herbs. Delicious!
What Else Can I Do With This Recipe?
Blenditarian Brunch Pork (or Turkey) with Vegetables & Fine Herbs is great in lettuce wraps. Serve the mixture on crisp cold lettuce cups. This dish is a tasty option for a light lunch or dinner or patio gatherings. Serve the lettuce cups paired with a chilled Pinot Blanc or Riesling. Enjoy!
SAVOURY BLENDITARIAN BRUNCH PORK WITH VEGETABLES & FINE HERBS
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4-6 servings
This Savoury Brunch Blenditarian Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs dish was inspired by a Thai street food dish called 'larb.'
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) olive oil, avocado oil or coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound (454 g) lean ground pork
- 8 oz. (226 g) Cremini mushrooms, minced finely
- 1 cup finely shredded purple cabbage
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fish sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- ½ cup (125 ml) chopped parsley
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh mint
- Salt and pepper to taste
_______________
- Eggs for poaching
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, add the oil and sliced onion and cook until softened over low-medium heat (about 2 minutes). Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds further.
- Add the pork and mushrooms and cook. Stir to break up the meat with a spatula or wooden spoon until it is no longer pink (about 4 minutes).
- Turn off the heat in the frying pan. Fold the cabbage and the carrots into the mixture. The heat from the pan will soften the vegetables while leaving a pleasant crunch. Alternatively, if you prefer well-done vegetables, stir the vegetables over low heat for two minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Add the lemon zest, fish sauce and lime juice. Stir the mixture thoroughly. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary with salt and pepper.
- Mix in the parsley and mint.
- In the meantime, poach the eggs: In a small 1 or 2-quart saucepan, heat water to a simmer. Pour a few tablespoons of plain white vinegar into the water. CHEF TIP: adding vinegar to the poaching water allows the egg whites to firm faster so it prevents them from dispersing into the water.
- Swirl the water in the saucepan with a spatula, and then gently drop the eggs individually into the simmering water. Poach the eggs to your desired doneness (about three to four minutes).
- Lift the egg/s out with a slotted spoon. Place the poached egg on top of a serving of Blenditarian Brunch Pork (or Turkey) with Vegetables & Fine Herbs.
Notes
The addition of many types of vegetables just adds to the appeal of this dish. I enjoy having vegetables cooked in creative ways to produce different textures. I also like the idea that the dish can be served warm, cold or at room temperature. It is also a Weight Watchers friendly dish (using ground turkey). I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
TO SERVE: I typically use a deep bowl to serve this brunch dish. Garnish with additional parsley and mint. Enjoy!
CHEF TALK: This versatile meat, mushroom and vegetable dish will become a family favourite because it is quick and easy to make and, as well, can be made ahead of time. It is delicious served at room temperature or cool. Try substituting the lean ground pork with ground turkey for a Weight Watchers friendly option. (lean ground pork = 3 points; ground turkey = 0 points). The dish is also gluten-free and dairy free.
Courses Brunch; Lunch; Patio Dinners; Weight Watchers Friendly; Blenditarian
Cuisine Thai; American; Canadian
You Might Also Enjoy:
Turkey, Mushrooms and Power Greens Pasta
Savoury Meat, Mushroom and Vegetable Blend
Please CLICK the link above to access my Urb’n’Spice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:
- Favourite Kitchen Tools – The Simple Spatula
- Chiffonade
- Folding
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If you try my recipe for Savoury Blenditarian Brunch Pork with Vegetables & Fine Herbs, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.
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Denise Paré-Watson
The Urb’n’Spice Chef
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I could eat this for brunch, lunch, or dinner. It looks delicious and I especially love the lettuce wrap idea. Great recipe, Denise!
Thank you so much, Colleen! It reminds me a bit of your colourful purple cabbage salad – so pretty and colourful. I think you will love this recipe. We tried it tonight with ground turkey instead of the pork – so good! Thanks for your comment 🙂
This is a great recipe and a definite keeper. We love Thai food and used to order Larb from our favorite Thai place when we live in Vancouver. We have Thai here, but no Larb on the menu. I say we have Thai, but it’s what I call Thaish. A blend of Thai and Swedish. So, your Blenditarian Larb this will slide right into our recipe box. Great post.
I am delighted to hear that, Ron! This is my version, and likely a little more on the savoury side than the traditional larb that you have tasted but oh! – so flavourful! We tried it recently with ground turkey and applied extra flavouring ingredients freely. I believe that you will find it a very versatile recipe. Thanks for stopping by – always a pleasure! 🙂
This looks so good, Denise, and when I read your suggestion to try it with ground turkey, I knew it was a keeper recipe! Love all the different veggies packed into one dish. Thanks for sharing!
It is a delicious dish, Elaine. I think you will enjoy it very much. Thanks so much for your comments. It is very much appreciated. 🙂
It’s always nice to find another gluten-free brunch recipe, and I think the Blenditarian idea is a great one! I also appreciate that this dish can be served hot or cold. I’m Pinning it to try!
Thanks for your comments, Cathy! I am finding more and more ways to use “The Blend” (ground meat and mushrooms) in dishes such as this Pork with Vegetables and Fine Herbs. This particular dish is very flavourful with tons of vegetables. Thanks for pinning it, Cathy. When you try it, please let me know what you think! I would love your opinion. 🙂
Your dish looks delicious! The recipe is so flexible with alternative options to help accommodate anyone’s taste.
Love seeing your recipes!
Thank you so very much, Melissa! I appreciate your kind comments. It is a delicious, quick and easy dish – I hope you get a chance to try it. 🙂