Pork Barbacoa (Cafe Rio)

If you throw all of this into your pressure cooker and cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours then it's much faster than using the crock pot the way this recipe suggests.

2 lbs. Pork
3 Cans of Coke or Dr. Pepper (not diet)
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
Dash of Garlic Salt
1/4 C. Water
1 Can Sliced Green Chilies
3/4 can Red Enchilada Sauce (I use whatever color sauce I have on hand and just use the whole can, it always is fine)
1 C. Brown Sugar

Put pork in a heavy Ziploc bag to marinate. Add a can and a half of coke and 1/4 C. of brown sugar. Marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Drain Marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, & garlic salt in crock pot on high for 3-4 hours (until it shreds easily, but don't let it get too dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain liquids then shred pork. In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can coke, chilies, enchilada sauce, & 1 cup of brown sugar. If the mixture is too thick add more coke little by little until desired consistency is reached. Place shredded pork and sauce back in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours.

Serve however you like. I like it in a tortilla with cilantro and any other yummy goodness I have on hand like salsa, beans, rice, cheese, tomatoes, etc.

Marsala Cream Sauce (Macaroni Grill)

I recommend doubling this recipe. I found it barely made enough sauce for two generous servings. I ended up back in the kitchen trying to whip up another batch real quickly as we had dinner guests.

Ingredients
1 Shallot -- minced
1 tb butter
1 c Dry marsala wine
1 t Fresh thyme
1 c Heavy cream
2 tb butter -- cubed
Salt and white pepper -- to taste
1/2 c Grated parmesan (use the expensive stuff, you won't be sorry)

Instructions
Saute shallot in the butter, covered, for 5 min.
Add wine and thyme and reduce until only about 2 tbsp of liquid remain.
Add cream and simmer until reduced by half.
Add butter and stir continuously until fully emulsified.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in parmesan.
Keep warm until ready to serve. Serve over whatever kind of pasta you like.

I added sundried tomatoes and some sauteed orange and yellow peppers. So good!

Pasta Milano (Macaroni Grill copycat)

Ingredients:

12oz. bowtie pasta
1 Tbs unsalted butter
8oz. sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups fat free half & half* (regular half and half will make for a creamier sauce)
1 pkt. (1.6oz) Knorr garlic herb sauce mix
6oz. grilled chicken breast strips
1/3 cup sliced sundried tomatoes
1 Tbs grated parmesan
2 Tbs chopped parsley

Directions:

- Cook pasta
- Melt butter in large skillet. Add mushrooms, saute 5 minutes. Remove when tender.
- Add half & half and sauce mix to skillet. Bring to boil stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes until thickened.
- Stir in remaining butter, chicken, mushrooms, parmesan, tomatoes; heat through.
- Add pasta to sauce, top with parsley and serve.

Cheese Soup

In one pot:
4 Cups cubed potato
2 Cups celery
2 cups carrots
1 1/2 cup onion (chopped)
3-4 cups water
Simmer 20 min.
Boil then put on med-low

In a separate pot:
3 c cold milk
1 sq. maragarine/butter
6 chix bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
1/3 c. flour
salt and pepper
2lbs. Velveeta cheese
Cook on Medium heat until cheese melts and sauce thickens

Add sauce and vegetables together (Do not drain veggies)
Add a package of frozen broccoli
Cook until hot and vegetables are tender.

Apple Puffed Pancake

Apple Puffed Pancake

This is my a recipe I got from my sister's cooking blog. Jordan and Afton loves it. I try to make it a lot for Sunday breakfast, it is kind of easy. I find that a blender does work the best.

Yummy...I usually tweak the butter & sugar in this recipe. Here's the original.

6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch grated nutmeg
1/2 cup butter
4 apples peeled & thinly sliced
1 TBSP brown sugar

Preheat to 425 degrees
Combine eggs, milk & vanilla in a blender
Add flour, granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg
blend
Place butter in 9x13 pan put in oven until melted
Place apples in baking dish & cook for 4 mins
Pour batter over apples & sprinkle brown sugar
cook for 20 mins

Irish Soda Muffins

I made this for St Patty's dinner last week, and Lara requested that I post it. This a really good every day muffin too, I love the flavor that the sour cream gives. Remember this recipe only yield 6, so you might have to double or triple it. Enjoy!

I got this from Taste of Home magazine Fed/Mar 2007 issue

Irish Soda Muffins

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons beaten egg
1/3 cup raisins

In a small bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk the sour cream, oil and egg; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raisins.

Fill six greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Serve Warm. Yield: 6 Muffins.

Mushion Pork

Ingredients:

4 pork chops
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 onion, chopped
2/3 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Season and sear pork on stove (optional)
3. Place pork chops in a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl combine the soup, onion and water. Mix well and pour mixture over pork chops. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 15 minutes.

Amount Per Serving Calories: 197
Total Fat: 8.3g
Cholesterol: 65mg

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Seriously easy and quite tasty. Nothing too spectacular, but a definite addition to the easy dinner repertoire. There will be some gravy left, so cook up a serving of rice or mashed potatoes.

- Lara