Shredded Sweet Pork

I saw this recipe in the Deseret News food section and decided I needed to test it out. Once I put it together, it cooked all by itself and was delicious. The only thing I would do differently is use a larger roast. Mine was between 3 and 4 pounds and in the end I ended up with too much sauce for the amount of meat that I had. I also omitted the cilantro. I served this on rolls-our favorite ones are from Wal-mart believe it or not. They are called French Steak Rolls and you get 2 dozen for $3.75. They are thick enough to hold a juicy filling like this but still have a nice chewy texture. (Also good for French Dip sandwiches.) You could also serve it on tacos or in pita bread.

SHREDDED SWEET PORK

5 lb. pork roast
1 T. cooking oil
1 chopped onion (or 2 T. dried onion)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 20 oz. bottle of Coca-Cola, may be caffeine-free but not diet
2 t. salt
2 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
2 small cans green chiles (I used mild)
1 19 oz. can red encilada sauce (I used mild)
1 c. salsa (again, I used mild)
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Pour cooking oil in a large roasting pan. Add onion and garlic and lightly brown the roast on all sides.
2. Pour in Coca-Cola, sprinkle on the salt, cumin, and brown sugar. Cover and cook at 275 degrees for 5 - 6 hours (or use a slow cooker on low for 5 - 6 hours.)
3. When the roast is done, pour off the liquid and allow the fat to rise to the top. This will take a few minutes. Let it sit while you shred the pork. Skim off the fat.
4. Using two forks, shred the pork, remove the bones and fat.
5. Add the chiles, enchilada sauce, and salsa to the liquid. Boil over medium-high heat. I added 1 1/2 T. of cornstarch to help thicken the liquid. To do this put a little of the liquid that you cooked the pork in into a cup and dissolve the cornstarch in the cup of liquid. When the rest of the liquid boils, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. It will thicken quickly.
   
6. Add pork to thickened liquid.
7. Serve on rolls or tortillas. akes 5 - 7 cups of pork.
   

Poppy Seed Loaves

This bread is so good that two loaves disappeared in one short evening. It's from a really old ward recipe book that my grandma gave me. It's tangy and delicious with a tart glaze to top it off. The only thing I don't like is the expense of the poppy seeds. The recipe calls for 1/4 of a cup which is about 2/3 of $4.50 bottle. If anyone knows where to find bulk spices for reasonable prices, please let me know. Luckily, the rest of the ingredients are relatively inexpensive. Try it, I think you'll love it!

POPPY SEED LOAVES

1 pkg. lemon cake mix
1 small pkg. instant lemon or vanilla pudding mix
1/4 c. poppy seeds
1 c. hot water
4 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
powdered sugar

1. Mix cake mix, pudding, eggs, seeds, water, and oil all at once on medium speed for 4 minutes.
2. Spread in 2 greased loaf pans (I use glass Pyrex.)
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
4. Make a glaze with the lemon juice and powdered sugar.
5. When loaves are done baking, remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes and remove from pans.
   
6. Put wax paper under the cooling rack to catch glaze drips. Drizzle glaze over the bread while it is still warm.
7. Slice and enjoy!
   

Ginger Cookies

These cookies are surprisingly addicting for a dessert that has no chocolate in it! Our preschool teacher Miss Denise served these at our Christmas program. I instantly loved the flavor and chewy texture and was pleased with how well they kept their softness in the cookie jar. My kids love to help by rolling them in the sugar. Gather your family and have a baking activity!

GINGER COOKIES

1 1/2 c. shortening
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. molasses
2 eggs
4 c. flour
4 t. baking soda
1 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 t. vinegar
1 t. vanilla
granulated sugar

1. Cream together shortening and sugar.
2. Add molasses and eggs, mix well.
3. Add vinegar and vanilla.
   
4. Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to the mixture.
5. Roll into 1-inch balls and coat in granulated sugar.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes.
   

Chicken Salad

This recipe came from my sister-in-law SW. It is my favorite chicken salad recipe. It tastes great and the measurements in this recipe make it very easy to make a lot of salad for a crowd. We 10x'd the recipe to make croissant sandwiches for her sons wedding brunch several years ago.

We've all tried many different kinds of chicken salad, some we never want to eat again! There are a couple of things I like about this one. The sweetness from the chopped fruit is appealing and I love the toasty flavor of the almonds. It also uses one of my favorite seasonings, Morton's Nature's Seasoning. This seasoning is very versatile. It is good in salads like this one or just to sprinkle on something like a chicken breast.

This salad is good served on croissants, small rolls, or pita's. I hope you enjoy it too!

CHICKEN SALAD

2 c. chopped, cooked chicken
2 apples, chopped (1 red and 1 green looks pretty plus you get the sweet and sour)
OR use 2 c. halved grapes instead of apples
2 green onions, chopped
1 c. sliced celery
1 c. cooked pasta shells
2 T. lemon juice
3/4 to 1 c. mayonnaise (I prefer mayo over Miracle Whip for EVERYTHING. However, I know there are those of you who like the "tangy zip" of Miracle Whip. You family members know who you are! We are a two jar household...his and hers. He-hee;)
2 - 3 T. toasted, slivered almonds
Morton's Nature's Seasoning to taste

1. Sprinkle chicken with Morton's Nature's and cook until juices run clear. Chop and put in a large bowl.
2. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Let cool and add to bowl.
3. Toast almonds in a pan over medium heat. Watch carefully so you down burn them.
   
4. Core and chop apples, onions, and celery. Add to bowl.
5. Add lemon juice and 3/4 c. mayo. Sprinkle several times with Morton's Seasoning. Stir and taste. If it needs more seasoning, sprinkle again. I usually do 2 or 3 good sprinkles.
   
6. Use 1/2 cup of salad per sandwich.
   

Spinach Salad

I tasted this salad at a wedding luncheon a while ago. The unique combination of flavors was delicious and the ingredient list so short that I decided to try it at home. At first my kids didn't want to eat spinach because as one of them said, "I don't like the sound of spinach." Once they realized it was just like lettuce and saw the yummy raspberries, they ate it up. I add the raspberries just before serving so that they are still slightly frozen when you eat the salad. It's delicious that way. At the luncheon it was served with a raspberry vinaigrette but I knew my kids wouldn't like that kind of dressing so I pureed raspberries with my hand blender and voila...instant, sweet and tangy dressing.

SPINACH SALAD

spinach
frozen raspberries
3 T. slivered almonds
1/2 c. sugar

1. Heat sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. It will begin to melt and turn to liquid. At this point add the slivered almonds. The mixture will begin to caramelize and the granules should be all dissolved. Keep a close eye on this...you don't want to scorch it. As soon as it starts to carmelize, remove from heat. Pour almond mixture out onto a plate that is sprayed with cooking spray. Let cool. Break into small pieces and crumble over the salad.
2. Puree about a half cup of raspberries to use as dressing.
3. Divide spinach onto individual salad plates. Sprinkle with almonds, add frozen raspberries, top with pureed raspberry dressing, serve.
   

Pasta Milano

This is a copycat recipe of Macaroni Grill's Pasta Milano. It has a creamy garlic sauce and lots of Parmesan cheese. The sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms add an interesting flavor that we loved. It takes a little extra time to prepare this dish, but it is well worth the effort. I've changed the quantities a little bit because it made a huge amount and I felt some of the amounts were a little bit off. This served 5 with leftovers.

Here is the whole list of ingredients, I will break it down as we go along:

1 whole garlic bulb
2 - 3 chicken breasts
2 c. heavy cream
1/4 t. black pepper
1 1/2 T. coarsely chopped fresh parsley (I left this out)
1 t. salt
1/2 c. Parmesan, shredded
12 oz. of bowtie pasta
3 T. butter
1/2 c. chopped, sun-dried tomatoes
6 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 T. grated Parmesan
olive oil

• First we need to roast a whole garlic bulb:

1. Chop off about 1/4 inch of the top of the bulb.
   
2. Line a custard cup with a large piece of foil. A muffin tin will also work.
   
3. Place the garlic bulb in the foil. Drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil over the top. Wrap the foil over the bulb.
   
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. Let the garlic cool and then remove the individual cloves and mash them with a fork.

• Second, we need to make the garlic cream sauce:

2 c. heavy cream
1/2 of the mashed, roasted garlic about 1 T. (save the rest for another dish)
1/4 t. black pepper
1 1/2 T. coarsely chopped fresh parsley (I left this out)
1 t. salt
1/2 c. Parmesan, shredded

Using a blender, (I used my Braun hand blender) process the cream and the roasted garlic until smooth. In a large saucepan, combine the garlic cream and the parsley. Bring to a boil and then simmer, while stirring, for about 15 minutes until thickened. When it is thick, add the salt and Parmesan.

• Third, we are going to cook the pasta:

Boil water and add 12 oz. of bowtie pasta. When it is al dente, drain, then drizzle with olive oil and cover.

• Fourth, while the pasta is boiling, we will saute the vegetables:
  

3 T. butter
1/2 c. chopped, sun-dried tomatoes
6 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 T. grated Parmesan

Saute the butter, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes for about 1 minute. Add this to the garlic cream sauce. Then add the sauce to the pasta. Just before serving sprinkle with the 3 T. Parmesan cheese

Last we will cook the chicken. The reason this is last is so that it doesn't dry out or cool off while you are doing the other more involved things.

Pound chicken breasts. Sprinkle with your favorite seasoning, I used Montreal Chicken seasoning, then grill or broil. It's a little cold here right now, and since I tossed the cheap grill in the trash last summer...I broiled about 5 minutes on each side. Cook until juices run clear. Slice and arrange on top individual servings of pasta. If you want to get really cute, add a sprig of parsley ;)

Tomorrow I'll post the recipe for the Spinach and Raspberry salad I served with this dish.

Apple Sauce Spice Cake

This cake looks beautiful and tastes delicious. It is from the recipe on the label of Western Family apple sauce. I tried it out on a whim and it was a success. A word of caution, add the ingredients in the correct order. Twice I've ended up with lumps of flour because I started dumping things in too soon. I like to serve it warm sprinkled with powdered sugar, real whipping cream (NOT Cool Whip), or vanilla bean ice cream.

APPLE SAUCE SPICE CAKE

3 1/2 c. flour
2 c. brown sugar
3 t. baking soda
3 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 c. butter
2 eggs
1/2 t. salt
3 c. apple sauce
1 c. pecans, chopped and toasted (I don't add these)
1/4 c. powdered sugar

1. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and mix for two minutes.
4. Add apple sauce to the sugar and butter mixture and mix thoroughly.
   
5. Gradually add the flour mixture. Fold in the pecans.
6. Pour into the pan and bake for 90 minutes.
7. Let cool 5 minutes then turn out of pan onto a rack to cool completely.
8. Dust with powdered sugar.