Summer means family time, lots of family time together. This year, we explore natural parks, biking trails, and of course our backyard. We even have a little garden with cherry tomatoes, butternut squash, and many herbs. My dear hubby had a brilliant idea of adding a watermelon plant (not even a mini-one, mind you) in our tiny raised garden bed. I will let you know how it goes soon enough.

And our 8-year-old is into the Stone Age lately – he made his own stone axe, bamboo bows and arrows. That also means we use a lot of grilling lately. I guess cavemen didn’t have an induction cooktop back then.

Grilled pork belly

(Adapted from Vietspices)

4 lbs pork belly
2 lemongrass stalks (slightly mashed)
1 fuji apple (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
6 garlic cloves (peeled)
1 piece of 2″ ginger (peeled and sliced)
1 green onion (chopped)
3 tbs soy sauce
3 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs chili paste (to taste)
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

1. In a large stockpot, boil pork belly with lemongrass stalks + 1 tbs salt + 5 pieces of rock sugar. Boil for about 30 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, use a handheld blender to puree apple + onion + garlic + ginger + green onion + soy sauce + brown sugar + sesame oil + chili paste + salt.
3. Marinate pork belly for at least 1 hour.
4. Grill pork belly until cooked.
5. Serve with white rice or steamed sweet rice, or grilled sweet rice.
   • To make grilled sweet rice: wrap steamed sweet rice on a piece of banana leave. Grill for 5 minutes, flip it over and grill for another 2 minutes.