Ham & Caramelized Onions Panini

Ingredients

6 slices of sourdough bread (any other bread works too)
6 slices ham - cute into small pieces
1 big onion - thinly slices
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon sriracha
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar (regular sugar works too)
1 cup cheddar cheese - shredded (optional)

Method

In a frying pan add the oil - when it gets hot, add the sliced onions along with the salt and brown sugar and let it get a nice caramelized golden brown. Remove the caramelized onions into a mixing bowl. To the same pan add the chopped slices of ham along with the worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup and sriracha and mix well untill you get a nice caramelization on the ham. Add this to the same mixing bowl with the onions. Mix well till onions and ham are incorporated.
Place a bread slice on the panini maker/press and add the ham and onion mixture to it. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and place another slice on top of it. Close the panini maker or press with the panini press till the bread gets a nice crust and grill marks on top.
Serve with colseslaw and fries or chips.

Moo Shu Pork

This was cooked by me for the Daring Cooks challenge in October 2011. I know I know I am posting it late - but as they say 'better late then never'

Well, I googled a lot to see how to cook Moo Shu Pork and ofcorse there were the recipes provided by  "Shelley" from "C Mom Cook" who had set up the challenge. Moo Shu Pork is nothing but pork, eggs and veggies together.

I used bits and pieces from the various sites and came up with a mixed concoction of moo shu pork my way.  It was  easy to make the Mandrain pancakes that accompany it. They are actually like thick roomali rotis with a strong seasme oil flavor

I used the recipe here "lotus-pad-mandarin-pancakes" for the mandrain pancakes.

Ingredients

1/2 lb pork loin, cut into strips
4 tbs soy sauce
2 cups shredded napa cabbage (you can use regular cabbage too)
4 eggs beaten
1 bunch of green onions/scallions - cut into 1/4 inch pieces diagonally - leave a few of the green leaves for garnishing
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
5 tbsp vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sriracha - you can add more if you like
salt to taste

Method

marinate the pork in soy sauce, garlic powder, little salt and rice wine vinegar and let it stand for 1/2 hour. In a wok add 2 tablespoons of oil and stir fry the pork till its well done. Remove the pork on a plate. Then add 1 tablespoon oil and add the beaten eggs with a pinch of salt and scramble them well. Remove it in the same plate as the pork. Now add the remaining oil in the wok and add the scallions and napa cabbage and the sriracha and stir fry for 2 minutes. To this add the pork and the eggs and mix well. Add salt if required. Moo Shu Pork is ready.
Make a burrito roll with Moo Shu Pork on a Mandrain Pancake and enjoy.

You can add mushrooms, bean sprouts, bell peppers and even tender bamboo shoots to this (cook it along with the scallions and cabbage)