Gaby
In winter, the people who feel the cold most are those who don’t eat meat and who are weakened by malnutrition. Nutrition experts suggest that meat products should make up about 40% of our diet during the colder months. Meat strengthens muscle tissue and boosts the body’s ability to fight off viruses. A slowdown in metabolic processes and a lack of vitamins can lead to rapid fatigue and lethargy. To avoid going into hibernation, winter dishes should be heartier and balanced in proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Ingredients: pork – 1 kg; pumpkin – 1.5 kg; eggplants – 1 kg; onion – 500 g; carrot – 500 g; bell pepper – 500 g; adjika – 2 tablespoons; cream – 400 g; hard cheese – 100 g; salt, black pepper, and spices – to taste; vegetable oil – for frying; herbs – for garnish.
Cut the pumpkin, carrot, bell pepper, onion, and eggplant into pieces. Salt them and refrigerate for two hours, keeping each vegetable separate.
Drain the liquid from the eggplants and fry them in oil in a preheated skillet. Fry the pumpkin, carrot, bell pepper, and onion separately.
Combine all the fried vegetables in a pot for stewing, add spices and cream, and simmer for five minutes.
Wash the pork, pat it dry, cut it into strips, and salt it.
Add adjika and spices to the pork, and fry the pork in vegetable oil. Remove the pork from the heat and let it cool.
Grate the cheese using a coarse grater.
In a greased baking dish, layer some of the fried vegetables and the fried pork. Then add more vegetables and another layer of pork. Top the meat with the remaining vegetables and sprinkle the top with grated cheese.
Place the dish in the oven (180°C) and bake until cooked through. When serving, garnish the dish with herbs.
Life Hack
Avoid serving fried potatoes or French fries with fatty pork; those foods are heavy on the stomach and not great if you’re watching your figure. The ideal vegetable side dish for this type of meat is stewed or fermented cabbage, or grilled vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, or eggplants. A great sauce for pork is an apple-honey sauce made from tart apples and honey. Keep in mind that sauces make dishes juicier but also add calories.
