Saturday, April 23, 2011
Cafe Rio Dressing
2 tomatillos, papers removed
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño (Use the seeds too if you like it spicy. You could substitute a few drops of green Tabasco for the jalapeno.) You can also use canned jalapeños, or the juice from the can
Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.
Cafe Rio Pork
Chile Verde
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (bright green are better than yellowish ones)
- 5 garlic cloves, not peeled
- 2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
- 2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles (optional)
- 2 to 4 pounds pork shoulder (also called pork butt), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes (really almost any type of pork will do, I prefer very lean cuts)
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil
- 2 yellow onions (or dried minced onion)
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped (or dried minced garlic)
- 1 t dried oregano
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (or more to thin out)
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 2 T bacon drippings, or cook one strip of very finely minced bacon with the pork
- To adjust heat, you may need to add at the end: one can diced chiles, 2 t diced canned jalepenos and some of the juice
- Dash of pappy’s seasoning, or seasoning salt
If you want the additional flavor of chiles other than jalapenos, you can add a couple Anaheim or poblano chiles. Either use canned green chiles or roast fresh chilies over a gas flame or under the broiler until blackened all around. Place in a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Let them sweat for a minute and their skins come right off. Remove the skin, seeds, and stem.
2 Place tomatillos, skins included, into blender or food processor. Remove the now roasted garlic cloves from their skins, add them to the blender. Add chopped Jalapeño peppers, other chilies (if you are using them). Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
3 Season the pork cubes generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat and brown pork chunks well on all sides. Work in batches so that the pork is not crowded in the pan and has a better chance to brown well. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, lift pork out of pan and place in bowl, set aside.
4 Pour off excess fat, anything beyond a tablespoon, and place the onions and garlic in the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until limp, about 5 minutes. (if you are using dried onions and garlic, just skip that step) If your skillet is large enough to cook the entire batch of chile verde, with the sauce and meat, then add the pork back to the pan. If not, get a large soup pot and add the onion mixture and the pork to it. Add the oregano to the pan. Add the tomatillo chile verde sauce to the pork and onions. Add the chicken stock (enough to cover the meat). Add a pinch of ground cloves. Add a little salt and pepper. (Not too much as the chile verde will continue to cook down and concentrate a bit.)
5 Bring to a boil and reduce to a slight simmer. Cook for 2-3 hours (or more) uncovered or until the pork is fork tender. If desired, get a potato masher and break up pork into smaller pieces
Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, pappy’s, or add other peppers to adjust your liking for heat. Serve with rice and warmed flour tortillas or freshly made corn tortillas. I like to cook tortillas, sprinkle mozzarella or another cheese in tortilla, add an “over medium” fried egg and top with chile verde.
Serves 8 or more, flat freeze in ziploc bags, plan on about 1 cup or more per dinner
Peach Muffins
1 ½ C flour ½ C brown sugar ½ C white sugar ¾ t salt ½ t baking soda ¼ t pumpkin pie spice ¼ t cinnamon 2 t vanilla 2 eggs ½ C vegetable oil 1 15-oz can sliced peaches, drained and chopped well, (we like chopped rather than pureed) Mix dry ingredients, mix in wet and fold in peaches. Sprinkle top of muffins with cinnamon sugar mixture before baking. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes for regular size, about 15 minutes for mini size. |
Massaman Potato Curry
Massaman Potato Curry
2 T oil
3 lbs cut up chicken breast (Freeze for 10 min, then thinly slice)
1 large chopped onion (sometimes I used dried minced onion)
2 C cubed potatoes (I like Yukon gold or red potatoes)
2 carrots peeled and chopped (baby carrots work well)
2/3 C Massaman curry paste (it has to say Massaman--its best if you go to Super China in Sandy or a store like that and buy the "Mae Ploy" brand that comes in a pink plastic cup container with a bag inside, keep the leftover in the fridge)
1 can chicken stock
4 C coconut milk (2 cans)
1 C cashews (optional, I don’t put them in)
1 t cinnamon
1/3 C palm sugar (6 small disks)
1/4 C Thai fish sauce
1 T tamarind paste
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime
Heat the oil in a LARGE saucepan (I use my soup pot) over medium heat, then add the massaman curry paste to it and saute it for maybe about 2 minutes--until its really fragrant--don't burn it. Open the cans of coconut milk--DON'T SHAKE them. Pour the solid white part of the coconut milk ( the cream at the top) into the saucepan and save the rest of the milk stuff for a little later. Stir the cream and paste together and simmer, stirring frequently--probably about 3 minutes. Now add the chicken and everything else including the rest of the coconut milk--and simmer until the chicken and potatoes are done—I like to cook it for about 3 hours at low heat, or you could try it in the crock pot? Serve with Jasmine rice.
Creamy Chicken Taquitos
Love this recipe!! It is from the Sisters Cafe Blog, and Our Best Bites. It has quickly made it into the regular dinner rotation. I also love that you can easily double it so that you are using full cans instead of having little bits left over. The extra filling freezes beautifully by itself, or you can put into tortillas, roll and then freeze. We like using either the fresh tortillas that you cook before hand, or the low carb tortillas. Make sure you spray them, and sprinkle some kosher salt on the tops before you bake, it seems to make all the difference!
Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
submitted by Brittany ~ The Sisters Cafe
from Our Best Bites
1/3 cup (3 oz.) cream cheese
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tb fresh lime juice (1/2 lime)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
3 Tb chopped cilantro
2 Tb sliced green onions
2 cups shredded chicken
1 cup grated pepperjack cheese
fajita size flour tortillas (or small corn tortillas)
cooking spray
kosher salt
Again, if you double it you can use the full cube of cream cheese, the full can of enchilada sauce, and a full lime. Soften cream cheese in microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stir in green salsa, lime juice and spices until well mixed then add cilantro and green onions. Stir in shredded chicken and pepperjack cheese and combine well. **this can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line cookie sheet withtin foil, lightly sprayed with cooking oil.
Spoon 2-3 Tb of mixture in a row across the bottom third of tortilla, keeping 1/2 inch away from edge. This makes it possible to roll it up very tightly. Place taquitos seam side down on cookie sheet, making sure they are not touching. Lightly spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and edges start to turn golden brown.
Serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Spinach Salad
Wassel
Chicken Salad
Best Brownies
Caramel Apple Pie
Picnic Cake
Chocolate Peanut Squares
Blonde Brownies
Prosciutto and Peas Pasta
Texas Sheet Cake aka Birthday Cake
Black Bean Salsa
Banana Cream Pie Bars
Slower Cooker Beef Stew
Quiche
Funeral Cauliflower
Makes 6 servings
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Berry Cobbler
From the Pioneer Woman
Ingredients
1 stick Butter
1-¼ cup Sugar
1 cup Self-Rising Flour
1 cup Milk
1 cup blueberries/other berry
(or more depending on how much you want)
Directions
Melt butter in a microwavable dish. Pour 1 cup of sugar and flour into a mixing bowl, whisking in milk. Mix well. Then, pour in melted butter and whisk it all well together. Butter a 9X13 baking dish. Now rinse and pat dry the berries. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle berries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar over the top.
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly. If you desire, sprinkle an additional teaspoon of sugar over the cobbler 10 minutes before it’s done.
Irish Soda Bread
Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter. Pour into prepared pan.
Cool on a wire rack.