Banana Bread

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Nancy's Take:  YUMMY!!  Make it right now.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (17.5 fluid ounce) bottle buffalo wing sauce, divided
1/2 (1 ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix
2 tablespoons butter
6 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise

Place the chicken breasts into a slow cooker, and pour in 3/4 of the wing sauce and the ranch dressing mix. Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours.
Once the chicken has cooked, add the butter, and shred the meat finely with two forks. Pile the meat onto the hoagie rolls, and splash with the remaining buffalo wing sauce to serve.

Nancy's Take:  A little spicy.  However, Ev loved it!  Dave liked it, but had to cut the spice.  Ev did not need to cut anything - she loved it.

Chicken Divan

    2 10 ounce packages frozen chopped broccoli - drained          
    6 cups shredded cooked chicken                                 
    2 10 3/4-ounce cans cream of mushroom soup                     
    1 cup mayonnaise                                               
    1 cup sour cream                                               
    1 cup sharp cheddar cheese                                     
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice                                 
    1 teaspoon curry powder                                        
    Salt                                                           
    Black pepper                                                   
    1/2 cup dry white wine                                         
    1/2 cup parmesan cheese                                        
    1/2 cup soft bread crumbs                                      
    2 tablespoons melted butter                                    

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the outer wrappers from the boxes of broccoli. Open 1 end of each box. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, until thawed. Drain the broccoli and put into a casserole dish. Add the shredded chicken.

In a medium bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, Cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper, to taste, and wine. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.

Place the mixture into an 11 by 7-inch casserole dish or 2 (9-inch) square disposable aluminum foil pans that have been sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes.


Nancy's Take:  Too soupy.  Perhaps way more broccoli or chicken, but this was not very good.

Bombay Sloppy Joe's

Sauce:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced (save the other half for the turkey)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water

Sloppy Joe's
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
Small handful shelled pistachios, about 1/4 cup
Small handful raisins, about 1/4 cup
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 large white onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced
1/2 serrano chile, seeds intact (don't chop it up unless you like things spicy!)
Kosher salt
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup half-and-half
Small handful chopped fresh cilantro (soft stems included)
4 to 6 hamburger buns

Begin by making the sauce: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Saute until the ginger and garlic brown a little. Add the garam masala and paprika and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile for the turkey, in large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. When shimmering, add the pistachios and raisins. Cook until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 10 seconds, or until some of the sizzling subsides. Stir in the onions and bell pepper; saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the serrano pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, seasoning with a little salt. Stir in the turkey, breaking up the big lumps. Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, your sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Once the turkey is cooked and the sauce has thickened a little, remove the serrano pepper (unless you want to eat it whole, like my Dad does!). Add the honey, half-and-half, pistachios and raisins. Stir through and taste for seasoning. Before serving, garnish with fresh cilantro.

Toast the buns, fill with the turkey mixture and serve. Eat (with your hands!) and enjoy!

Nancy's Take:  Dave ate 3/4 of a pound of it.  I think he liked it ... a lot!

Orange Chicken w/ Rice

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or thighs
1 (18-ounce) jar orange marmalade
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup chicken broth

Put the chicken into the bottom of your slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the marmalade with the dry spices and chicken broth.

Pour this on top of the chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for about 4. If when fully cooked the chicken isn't quite as moist as you'd like, you can cut it into strips, then return it to the pot to soak in even more of the yummy sauce.

Serve over brown basmati rice.


Nancy's Take:  Don't try it - not a winner... Tough and just not very good at all.   Bummer!

Beer Can Chicken

Rub
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Chicken
4 pound whole chicken, washed and dried
Vegetable oil
1 (12-ounce) can beer

For the rub:

In a small bowl mix all the ingredients together and use for the grilled chicken. You can store extra rub mixture in an airtight container for up to 6 months. 


For the chicken:
1 Prepare your grill for indirect heat. If you are using charcoal, put the coals on one side of the grill, leaving another side free of coals. If you are using a gas grill, fire up only half of the burners.

2 Remove neck and giblets from cavity of chicken, if the chicken came with them. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil. Mix the rub in a little bowl, then sprinkle it all over the chicken.

3 Make sure the beer can is open, and only half-filled with beer (drink the other half!) If you want, you can put a sprig of thyme (or another herb like rosemary or sage) in the beer can. Lower the chicken on to the open can, so that the chicken is sitting upright, with the can in its cavity. Place the chicken on the cool side of the grill, using the legs and beer can as a tripod to support the chicken on the grill and keep it stable.

4 Cover the grill and walk away. Do not even check the chicken for at least an hour. After an hour, check the chicken and refresh the coals if needed (if you are using a charcoal grill). Keep checking the chicken every 15 minutes or so, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F - 170°F or the breast reads 160°F - 165°F. The total cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken, and the internal temperature of the grill. A 4 lb chicken will usually take around 1 1/2 hours. If you don't have a meat thermometer, a way to tell if the chicken is done is to poke it deeply with a knife (the thigh is a good place to do this), if the juices run clear, not pink, the chicken is done.

5 Carefully transfer the chicken to a tray or pan. I say "carefully" because the beer can, and the beer inside of it, is quite hot. One way to do this is to slide a metal spatula under the bottom of the beer can. Use tongs to hold the top of the chicken. Lift the chicken, beer can still inside, and move it to a tray. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Carefully lift the chicken off of the can. If it gets stuck, lay the chicken on its side, and pull out the can with tongs.
 

Nancy's Take:  Made this for friends - bummed I did not get to eat it!  Looked awesome.  Will make again.

Rosemary Chocolate Chip Shortbread

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cream the butter with sugar using a handheld mixer. Mix in the rosemary, salt, and flour, 1/4 cup at a time. Sprinkle in the chocolate chips, and stir by hand until well-distributed. Gather the dough into a ball. Cook's Note: If the dough begins to soften or feel greasy, chill the dough for 15 minutes.
Roll the dough out into a rectangle of 1/2-inch thickness and cut into rectangles about 1/2-inch by 2-inch. Place the dough on a cold ungreased baking sheet. Prick the top with a fork. Bake the shortbread for 25 minutes, or until the dough starts to turn a golden color. Remove the shortbread from the baking sheet and let cool completely on a rack.

Nancy's Take:  Loved it - and so did the friends I made it for.  The rosemary adds a unique taste - you could omit it if you don't like it.  A great base for so many other ideas........  lemon, lavender, almond...............

Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps

3 T oyster sauce - I only had fish sauce
2T dry sherry
1/4 c water
1 lb ground beef
1 red pepper - seeded & diced
5 scallions - sliced thin
1 T chili garlic sauce - I used sriracha
1 T fresh grated ginger
1 head bibb lettuce - I also used flour tortillas, as they are easier to eat.....
1/4 c chopped peanuts - forgot them........

whisk oyster sauce, sherry and water in bowl.

cook beef over med-high heat until just cooked.  drain - reserve 2 T fat.

heat fat in empty skillet.  Add pepper and scallions and cook until soft.  Clear center of skillet and add ginger and chili sauce - cook until fragrant.  Return beef to skillet with oyster sauce mix and cook until thick - about a minute.  Spook mix into lettuce and sprinkle with peanuts.

Nancy's Take:  I made these for friends - all of whom loved them - even the kids.

Green Chicken Curry

2 small bunches cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, 1 1/2 cups
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves, coarsely chopped, 1 1/2 cups
1 red onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup water, plus 1 1/2 cups
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 1 3/4 pounds, halved
1/2 teaspoon malt vinegar
1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt, whisked until smooth
Cooked basmati rice or warm naan bread, for serving

Add the cilantro, mint, red onion, garlic, ginger, and salt, and pepper, to taste, to a food processor or blender. Puree on high until smooth. With the processor running, add about 1/4 cup water, and blend until the mixture is the consistency of a thick paste, a.k.a. "masala". Set aside.

In a large pot or deep skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until golden brown.

Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the masala mixture into skillet and cook, stirring often until it deepens in color and aroma. You'll know it's ready when it looks shiny, little droplets of oil will appear on the surface, and the masala will hold together as a cohesive mass.

Add the chicken, coating every piece in the masala and stirring often. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, so that the masala really adheres to the chicken. Add about 1 1/2 cups water, just enough to cover the chicken, and the vinegar. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and sauce has thickened slightly, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the yogurt. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and serve over rice or with warm naan bread.
 
 Dave's Take:  Dave liked it a lot and enjoyed the leftovers too!

Nancy's Take:  Yummy - even the kids liked it!  Even the baby liked it!!  Will make again.

Chocolate Nutella Cookies

I don't bake cookies or cakes very often.  Today I wanted to make a different cookie - not the traditional chocolate chip cookie.  I saw this recipe on a blog I enjoy and it looked super yummy!!


1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of white sugar
1 cup of Nutella
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of chopped hazelnuts
 
1 Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter in an electric mixer for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and Nutella and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing. 

2 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds between each. Add the vanilla and mix for 10 seconds.

3 Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda (do not skip this step as sifting eliminates clumps of cocoa). Mix into the butter mixture on low speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides at least once to ensure even mixing. Fold in the chocolate chips and hazelnuts and refrigerate the dough for ten minutes. 

4 Spoon tablespoon-sized drops of dough onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool on the sheets for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. 

Dave's Take:  He LOVED them!



Nancy's Take:  Terrific!!  A glass of milk and you are done.  Everyone loved them from my parents to the kids.  Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

Curried Ground Turkey with Potatoes

Wanted to make something different for dinner and a blog I follow had this recipe - looked interesting, so I gave it a shot........

3-4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound ground turkey (thigh meat if you can get it)
1 chopped onion
2 chopped garlic cloves
1-2 chopped fresh red chiles (optional)
A 1-inch piece of peeled ginger, grated fine
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp garam masala (or curry powder)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2-4 Roma or other plum tomatoes, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1/2 cup (loosely packed) chopped cilantro or parsley

1 Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large pot with a lid. When the oil is hot, add the ground meat, spreading it out over the pan. Try not to crowd the meat (you may need to cook in batches). Cook the meat without stirring, until it begins to brown. 

2 Add the chopped onion and chiles. Stir and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion begins to color a bit. Sprinkle salt over everything.

3 Add the grated ginger and garlic, mix well and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.

4 Mix in the spices, water, and the potatoes. Stir to combine and cover. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

5 When the potatoes are tender, add the diced tomatoes and peas. Mix well and cover the pot. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add salt, if needed, to taste.

6 Right before you serve, mix in the chopped cilantro. Serve alone or with flatbread or white rice. 

Dave's Take:  He liked it a lot!  Will ask for it again.

Nancy's Take:  Liked it a lot!  Had my nose running from the spice - in a good way!  I'd imagine this is what Indian Chili would taste like - and it gives me ideas to try adding other things to it.  Might try ground chicken or beef next time - the turkey was a little tough.

Cold Oven Pound Cake

Today I wanted to bake with my little girl, Erin.  So, we made a wonderful pound cake recipe.  It makes a nice dessert or even breakfast bread. 

3	cups cake flour
1/2	teaspoon baking powder
1	teaspoon salt
1	cup whole milk
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
20	tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
2 1/2	cups sugar
6	large eggs

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Grease and flour 16-cup tube pan. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Whisk milk and vanilla in measuring cup. 

2. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of milk mixture. Mix on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Use rubber spatula to give batter final stir. 

3. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Place cake in cold oven. Adjust oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake, without opening oven door, until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 to 80 minutes. 

4. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Serve. (Cooled cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

Dying to know why a cold oven makes the difference?? A Cold Oven Really Makes a Difference Curiosity led us to try baking our Cold-Oven Pound Cake in a preheated oven. The cake baked more quickly (no surprise), but it was squat and lacked the thick crust we’d come to expect. Evidently, the hot oven stopped the small amount of leavener in our recipe before its work was done. And it turns out the crust on our Cold-Oven Pound Cake is formed by moisture in the oven reacting with starch in the batter. A hot oven is drier than a cold oven (heat evaporates moisture), so there wasn’t enough moisture in the preheated oven to form a nice, thick crust.

Dave's Take:  Another slice please!

Nancy's Take:  Everyone loved it!!!  Super easy and tastes just great!

Salsa Verde

2 cans tomatillos  - drained                                   
1/2 onion  - quartered                                         
1-2 jalapeño peppers                                           
2 cloves garlic                                                
Lime juice of 1/2 lime                                         
1/2 teaspoon salt                                              
5-6 sprigs cilantro                                            

Put all of this into the food processor and just process until you get the right consistency. 

Easy as pie.


Nancy's Take:  AWESOME!!  The trick is salt and lime - and a little kick.  I know it is right when my shoulders bounce up and down with delight.

Apricot Chicken

Tried a new recipe last night...

1 1/2 pounds apricots, roughly chopped, pits removed and discarded

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

2 pounds skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces

Salt

1 Tbsp unsalted butter (can sub olive oil)

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 chopped onion

2 cups chicken stock or broth (use gluten-free stock if you are cooking gluten-free)

1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons Tabasco or other hot sauce (you can add more if you like)

Black pepper

1 Place the chopped apricots in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and the vinegar. Let sit while you brown the chicken in the next step.

2 In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, place chicken pieces in the pan, without crowding the pan, and brown them on each side. As the chicken cooks, sprinkle salt over it. Once the chicken is browned, remove the pieces from the pan to a bowl and set aside.

3 Add the remaining oil to the pan and sauté the onion until it begins to brown. As the onion cooks and releases moisture, use a flat edged spatula or wooden spoon to scrape off the browned bits from the chicken (called fond) from the bottom of the pan.

4 Once the onions have browned a bit, add the chicken stock and lower the heat to medium.

5 Put about 2/3 of the apricots, along with any juice they have given up, into a blender and blend into a purée. Pour the purée into the pan with the chicken stock and onions.

6 Add the cinnamon, rosemary and Tabasco and taste. You may need to add some salt. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and gently simmer for 10-20 minutes.

7 When you are ready to serve, put the chicken and the remaining apricot pieces into the pan and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Serve hot with rice.

Dave's Take:  Good, but surprisingly spicy.  Would enjoy it again with a few less shakes of Tobasco.

Nancy's Take:  Super yummy.  Liked it a lot.  Did not taste too spicy for me.  Will make again ... with lots of Tobasco!

Red Quinoa with Grilled Summer Veggies

Quinoa has also scared me for a while.  Could not even think of trying it.  Not even sure why - it was different.  But, I've been adventerous lately...................

1 small zucchini
1 orange pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 white onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup quinoa (I used 2 cups water, 1 cup quinoa)
Salt and pepper
4 ears of corn

1.Chop 1 zucchini, 1 orange pepper, 1/2 yellow pepper, 1/2 onion and minced garlic and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper.I added the corn to the basket - but some will fall out.  But, I liked the flavor of it grilled.

2. Grill in a vegetable grill basket.

3. Cook quinoa according to instructions on the package.

4. Combine cooked quinoa with grilled summer vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add some fresh chopped parsley or basil from the garden if you have it!

Dave's Take:  Awesome.  Never had it before and did not know what it was, but really good.

Nancy's Take:  Loved the grilled veggies!  Making again this week - a total keeper!!  I've missed out on so much..................

Fish Tacos

Fish tacos have grossed me out for years.  Just the thought is icky.  I like fish - I like tacos - I didn't think I'd like fish tacos and never gave them a try.

Well, I've been feeling adventurous lately.  And, today was the day to try them out. 

For the fish:
1lb fish, skinned and de-boned.  I used tilapia.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp ground garlic powder
Pinch of cinnamon
Salt & pepper

For the mayo:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 large bulb green garlic, or 2 cloves regular garlic, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin, toasted in a pan over medium-low heat until fragrant
8 sprigs mint, leaves picked, stalks discarded
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper

For the tacos:
10 corn tortillas
1/4 head of green cabbage, shredded - toss in a little rice vinegar - I didn't have rice, so used cider.
Pickled banana pepper strips (optional)
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

1) Marinate the fish: In a bowl, combine oil, spices, salt and pepper. Add fish and make sure each piece is coated with the marinade. Let sit for 20 – 30 minutes.

2) Make mayo: Put mayo, garlic, mint, cumin and lime juice in a food processor. Whizz until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and more lime juice if necessary. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

3) Grab a large nonstick saute pan, and warm it gently over medium heat; no need to add oil since the fish is already coated in oil. Once warm (test by sprinkling some water into the pan, if it sizzles and evaporates, you’re ready), place each piece of fish in the pan. It should sizzle gently but firmly when it hits the pan. Cook about 3 minutes per side, until cooked through, but still moist. The fish should flake easily with a fork. Don’t overcook your fish! It’ll taste awful!

4) Remove fish from pan and cut into 1/2″ chunks. Serve immediately with warmed tortillas: I put a light layer of cabbage on the bottom, then the sauce, a few chunks of fish, a couple of slices of banana pepper and a squeeze of lime. 

Dave's Take:  Thought they were excellent.  Never had them before - Nancy wouldn't let me.  But, they were really good.  makes me less afraid of fish tacos in the future.  Really liked the mayo and don't skimp on the banana peppers.


Nancy's Take:  Yummy!!!  Will definitely make again.  Super yummy.

Roasted Orange Chicken

8 skinless boneless chicken breasts                            
Salt                                                           
Black pepper                                                   
1 cup orange marmalade                                         
1 tablespoon soy sauce                                         
1 teaspoon liquid smoke                                        

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray.

Season chicken all over with salt and black pepper. Arrange chicken in prepared pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine orange marmalade, soy sauce and liquid smoke. Mix until blended. Pour mixture over chicken.

Roast 35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve 4 chicken breast halves with this meal and refrigerate remaining chicken until ready to use.

Turkey Breast

4-6 pounds turkey breast - bone in our out - I always use bone-in.                     
2 cups white wine - I have substituted chicken stock                                                                              
1 onion                                                        
Black pepper                                                   
Salt                                                           

Unwrap the turkey breast and pat it dry with paper towels. Susan taught me this. If desired, cut off the skin with poultry shears, and discard.  Salt and pepper the breast liberally.

Plop it, breast-side down into the crockpot. Wash your hands well.

Cut up an onion coarsely and push some pieces down next to the turkey and put a few in the rib cavity. Add the stick of butter.  Pour the wine over the top.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6. Use a meat thermometer to test doneness--it should register at 170°.

Remove from crockpot, and let sit for about 20 minutes before carving. The meat will be much more tender than if cooked in an oven.


Nancy's Take:  One of my FAVORITE crock-pot recipes.  Just delicious.  Meat can then be used for a varitey of casserole type things - or tacos - or just with rice and veggies.  So easy and tastes just wonderful.

Dave's Take:  He is out of town, but he likes it a lot.   Don't you miss his wit.............

Brown Sugar Chewies

Dave is out of town and I am bored.  So, what do I do?  Bake - and I don't want to go out for ingredients.  So, I am a little limited - that never stopped me before........

1/4 cup butter 
1 cup packed light brown sugar 
1 egg, beaten 
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract - I used 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup chopped pecans - no pecans in the house, so used toffee chips
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Turn off the heat, add the brown sugar and stir until smooth. Stir in the egg. Stir together the flour and baking powder and stir into the brown sugar mixture. Stir in the vanilla and pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. When cool, dust the top with a sifting of confectioners' sugar.

Nancy's Take:  Not great, but I've eaten 3, so they must be good.  Super easy to make, but did take longer than 20 minutes to cook - more like 27.  Thankfully, I'll be giving them away this evening at dinner club.  Better on their hips than mine.

Orange-Apricot Pork Chops

6 pork chops                                                   
1 cup apricot preserves                                        
3 tablespoons brown sugar                                      
1 teaspoon salt                                                
1/2 teaspoon black pepper                                      
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon                                          
1/4 teaspoon ginger                                            
1/4 teaspoon cloves                                            
11 ounces mandarin orange segments - plus juice!               

Put pork chops into your crockpot. In a small bowl, combine jam, brown sugar, and spices. Spoon over pork chops. Add the entire can of mandarin oranges evenly over the top.

Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or on high for about 4.

Serve with rice to soak up the yummy juice.


Nancy's Take:  Okay - major problem here.  I made this dinner for my "dinner club".  It was so bad I had to throw it all away - yep - what a waste.  Who knew I could turn perfectly fine pork chops into hockey pucks.  TERRIBLE!!  But, I think it was me - not this lovely recipe.......

Buttermilk Pancakes

These are the best pancakes ever!!  The recipe is from Cooks Illustrated and there are a few twists that were different from any pancake recipe I'd ever made - which was probably off the back of a Bisquick box.  But, last year our pancake eating went up significantly and these became my specialty!  They are good with syrup - my girls prefer them with jam or preserves.  Sometimes to save time in the morning I would gather all my dry ingredients ahead of time so things were ready for a quick prep.

2 cups flour                                                    
2 tablespoons sugar                                            
1/2 teaspoon salt                                              
1 teaspoon baking powder                                       
1/2 teaspoon baking soda                                       
2 cups buttermilk                                              
1/4 cup sour cream                                             
2 larges eggs                                                  
3 tablespoons melted butter                                    
1-2 teaspoons oils                                             

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Spray wire rack set inside baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; place in oven.

Whisk flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in medium bowl.

In second medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, and melted butter.

Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients; gently stir until just combined (batter should remain lumpy with few streaks of flour). Do not overmix.

Allow batter to sit 10 minutes before cooking.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Using ¼ cup measure, portion batter into pan in 4 places. Cook until edges are set, first side is golden brown, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, 2 to 3 minutes. Using thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve pancakes immediately, or transfer to wire rack in preheated oven. Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining oil as necessary.

Kool Aid Play Doh

Why make play doh when you can buy it?  Not sure.  But, the girls preschool teacher asked me to make it and here is the recipe.  I've actually made it twice and it was much easier and less sticky the second time.  So, I'll make sure to give you those tips...

2 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 cup salt
2 packages dry unsweetened Kool-Aid
2 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons oil

Mix the dry ingredients (minus kool-aid) together in a large bowl. 

Mix hot water and kool-aid together in a measuring cup.  Pour over the dry ingredients. 

Add oil.

Stir the mixture until it forms a ball (this may take a while - keep stirring). As the mixture cools, it will become less sticky. After the mixture has cooled, take it out of the bowl and knead it until it is smooth.  


I used a silicone spatula and the whole mixing process was simple and clean.


Nancy's Take:  Easy to make - probably cheaper than store-bought.


Erin & Evie's Take:  They love it!  They love the different colors!!

Leg of Lamb

Dave loves leg of lamb!  We don't have it often, but he loves it!  I wanted to make it, but had no idea how and did not have too much patience to try something fancy.  So, I went with the good old crock pot - having no idea what to expect.  I think this is a pricey cut of meat to use in a crock pot, so I hope it is good!

1 Leg of Lamb (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup Water

Veggies of your choice - onions, potatoes, carrots, whatever............

Run hot water over the frozen lamb package, just so it thaws enough that you can cut open the package and peel it away from the meat

Plop it into your crockpot along with veggies of your choice.

Add a half cup of water

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours.

you don't need to add any additional water as long as you keep the lid closed and don't futz with it.

*If you are using fresh leg of lamb with a dry rub, cover the meat with the 1/2 cup of water and cook on high for 4-6 hours.*

Dave's Take:  Again, he is out of town.  But, he LOVED it.  Ate it like he had not eaten in a LOOOOONG time.  Total and complete hit!

Nancy's Take:  I don't like leg of lamb too much, but this was yummy.  Super easy to cook and tasted really yummy.  I'd make it again - I am sure that would make Dave happy.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

Well, Saint Patrick's Day has come and gone.  And, that means corned beef & cabbage!  Yummy!!!  I wanted to try something different and this recipe looked very different.  So, I gave it a go!

Corned Beef:
3 lbs corned beef (in package)
10 whole cloves
1/4 cup hot sweet honey mustard
2 Tbsp brown sugar


1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain the corned beef from the package and discard the spice packet. Lay corned beef, fat side up, on a large piece of heavy duty, wide, aluminum foil (you may have to get creative with the way you wrap the beef if your foil isn't wide enough). Insert the cloves into the top of the slab of corned beef, evenly spaced. Spread the top with the hot sweet honey mustard. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top. 


2 Wrap the corned beef with foil in a way that allows for a little space on top between the corned beef and the foil, and creates a container to catch the juices. Place foil-wrapped corned beef in a shallow roasting pan and bake for 2 hours. 


3 Open the foil wrapping, spread a little more honey mustard over the top of the corned beef, and broil it for 2-3 minutes, until the top is bubbly and lightly browned. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then place on cutting board and cut at a diagonal, across the grain of the meat, into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Serve immediately.

Cabbage:
Olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 large head of cabbage, sliced into 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch wide slices
Salt

1 Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil (enough to well coat the pan) on medium high to high heat in a large, wide pot (8-quart if available) or large, high-sided sauté pan. Add chopped onions, cook for a couple of minutes, then add garlic.
2 Add a third of the sliced cabbage to the pan. Sprinkle with a little salt and stir to coat with oil and mix with onions. Spread out the cabbage evenly over the bottom of the pan and do not stir until it starts to brown. If the heat is high enough, this should happen quickly. The trick is to have the burner hot enough to easily brown the cabbage, but not so hot that it easily burns. When the bottom of the cabbage is nicely browned, use a metal spatula to lift it up and flip it, scraping the browned bits as you go.

3 Once the cabbage in the pan has browned on a couple of flips, add another third of the cabbage to the pan. Mix well, then spread out the cabbage and repeat. You may need to add a bit more olive oil to the pan to help with the browning, and to keep the cabbage from sticking too much to the pan. Once this batch has cooked down a bit and browned, add the remaining third of the cabbage and repeat.
Serve with the corned beef. Serve with boiled new potatoes. Can be made ahead and reheated.C

Nancy's Take:  Total bummer.  Apparently you have to cook it forever - and 2 hours is not nearly long enough.  How was I supposed to know?  But, I did like the cabbage... a lot!

Dave's Take:  Dave is out of town, so I'll let you know his thoughts.  He'll eat a shoe.  So, he did not think the beef was as bad as me.  But, he did not want more - and he said to toss the leftovers.  But, he really liked the cabbage.

Microwave Popcorn

Well, the girls wanted to watch a movie and I wanted to make them a healthy snack.  Hence, make your own microwave popcorn!  No chemicals - no additivies - just good old fashioned popcorn!

1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 

In a cup or small bowl, mix together the unpopped popcorn and oil. Pour the coated corn into a brown paper lunch sack, and sprinkle in the salt. Fold the top of the bag over twice to seal in the ingredients.

Cook in the microwave at full power for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, or until you hear pauses of about 2 seconds between pops. Carefully open the bag to avoid steam, and pour into a serving bowl. 

Nancy's Take:  Well, it took me twice to make it without burning it.  But, that was no biggie - it takes no time at all!  It was tasty - I missed the fattening butter!  Thankfully, the girls didn't!

Erin's Take:  YUMMY!  It smells like popcorn!  Mom - this is good.

Ev's Take:  Mom - can you make this again?


Success!

Enchiladas w/ Creamy Green Chile Sauce

3 tablespoons butter                                          

1 medium onion - chopped                                      

1 large garlic cloves - minced                                

1 teaspoon cumin                                              

2 tablespoons flour                                           

2-3 cups hot water w/ 1 extra large Knorr chicken bouillion cube

6 smalls cans green chilies - I used 3 cans mild and 1 can hot                            

12 corn tortillas  - oops I used wheat flour tortillas!

2 cups shredded mexican cheese                                  

4 cups shredded chicken                                       

In a pan, melt butter and saute onions till transparent.  Stir in garlic, salt, and cumin.  Then stir in flour.  Slowly stir in chicken broth.  Add chiles and stir well until bubbling.  Reduce heat to simmer, cook uncovered for 15 mins.  Add 1 c of cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine chicken and 1/2 the green chile sauce.  Heat tortillas in microwave to soften.  Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture and little bit of remaining cheese.  Roll up and place seam side down in 13x9 pan.  Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas.  Bake 20 mins uncovered.

Serve with sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce.

Notes:

- If you make as casserole - lay tortillas on the bottom of pan, then layer chicken, green chile sauce, and cheese.  Repeat layer and finish with torillas on top and a little sauce to cover. IF you decide to make the Green Chile Enchiladas in a casserole form, then do not mix half the sauce with the chicken.  Just layer the tortillas, shredded chicken, sauce, and cheese.

- Sauce can be prepared and refrigerated for 24 hours

Nancy's Take:  Yummy!!  This was a great way to use up a rotisserie chicken - they are my best friend!  It was pretty darn spicy - might not need the can of HOT I used - all mild would probably be fine.  I also accidentally used flour tortillas and they were fine.  I really liked it - did not try to give it to the girls - too spicy.  The enjoyed the chicken - I saved them some.  They always love rotisserie chicken!!

Dave's Take:  This dish was rather interesting.  First of all, I can't help but compare it to one of my favorite dishes which is buffalo chicken enchiladas.  This was no buffalo chicken enchiladas and the first night we ate this I think it was actually a bit too spicy.  But strangely enough, when we put away the extra and warmed up the left overs the next day it was so much better.  I don't know what happens to casserole type foods and how a day in the fridge helps release their hidden goodness but this was certainly the case this time.  I think next time I'll ask Nancy to make this ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of days before serving.

Arroz con Pollo

If you don't speak Spanish, you might not know today I made Rice with Chicken - or I would say Chicken with Rice.  The recipe is from a friend that is from Cuba - so she knows how to make this kind of thing!  I've tried hers and don't really know if mine was the same, but I seem to be getting ahead of myself.................

Nancy's Take:  I liked it.  I wanted more.  I used self restraint.  I think it would also be good if you added artichokes and maybe even some other veggies.  I might also use a  but more spice.  I do better when the recipe tells me how much to use - none of this pepper, oregano business - how much??  Next time, I'd add more - and probably use a rotisserie chicken - that would save time.  I used thighs tonight.

Dave's Take:  This was a dish I first got to try around Christmas.  When I had this for dinner I remembered that I didn't really like it then either.  I've been sort of a stick in the mud about these new recipes lately, but just being honest.  I think one thing that could make it better is to use white meat chicken instead of the thighs.

I (Nancy) want to label this a good - or maybe an okay.  Dave wants it labeled a yuck.  He's a yuck.

Chicken Tikka Masala

This recipe is one of our favorites.  It is a mildly annoying to make - so many ingredients and takes a while to make.  But, this time I tried to do as much in advance as possible, and that helped.  Even just measuring out spices and cutting the onion ahead of time.  It is one of Dave's all-time-favorites!  The gets super excited when I make it.  It is copied from Cooks Illustrated.
 
1/2 teaspoon cumin                                             
1/2 teaspoon coriander                                         
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper                                    
1 teaspoon salt                                                
2 pounds chicken breasts - skinless                            
1 cup plain yogurt                                             
2 tablespoons vegetable oil                                    
2 cloves garlic - minced - or crushed                          
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger       
                        
SAUCE                                                          
3 tablespoons vegetable oil                                    
1 medium onion - diced finely                                  
2 cloves garlic - minced or crushed                            
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger                                
1 serrano chile - ribs and seeds removed - flesh minced        
1 tablespoon tomato paste                                      
1 tablespoon garam masala                                      
28 ounces crushed tomatoes                                     
2 teaspoons sugar                                              
1/2 teaspoon salt                                              
2/3 cup heavy cream                                            
1/4 cup chopped cilantro                                       

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

2. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

Gingered Carrot Sweet Potato Soup

I bought a new cookbook.  I need another cookbook like I need another hole in my head.  But, it caught my eye and has SO many recipes that look tasty.  Today as I was making the kids lunch I popped this into the crock pot - so easy and so few ingredients.  Looks pretty strange for me, but we'll see!  I am on Weight Watchers, so this is a great recipe for me - only a few points per serving!

1 medium-large sweet potato

6 medium carrots

1 medium-large sweet onion

1 inch long piece of ginger

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

Yogurt or heavy cream or creme fraiche - optional

Peel sweet potato and chop into 1 inch pieces.  Peel carrots an chop into 3/4 inch pieces.  Peel onion and chop into 3/4 inch pieces.  Add all vegies to crock pot.  Peel ginger and mince (or grate) into crock pot.  Add broth.  If using canned broth, hold off on salt & pepper to see if you need it. Cover and cook on LOW until veggies are tender 9-11 hours.

Turn off slow cooker, uncover and allow soup to cool a few minutes.  Puree in blender or food processor.  Obtain the smoothest consistancy possible, so let the blender go for a few minutes.  Check the seasonings and add salt and pepper if needed.  Serve hot or cold and garnish with yogurt or cream as desired.

Nancy's Take:  I wanted something this simple to taste wonderful!  I wanted to love it.  And, in a small dose I think it is good.  But, a big bowl is just too much.  I could see having it at a formal dinner as one of several courses.  But, who entertains like that???  I did bite the bullet and buy a stick blender and it was amazing!!  I can't wait to get more use from it.

Dave's Take: I've had versions of carrot soups before and I don't think I really care for soups from carrots.  The consistency reminded me of baby food.  The ginger in the soup was interesting and gave it a nice kick.  Nancy and I spoke about the potential of using this soup as some sort of sauce.  It might be rather nice over some rice or chicken.  I didn't ask for seconds.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts always sounded pretty gross to me.  Then, several months ago I tried them - laden with butter, oil & garlic.  They were excellent!  These should be a little healthier - and hopefully still just as tasty!


1 pound Brussels sprouts, rinsed, ends trimmed
1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place Brussels sprouts in a cast iron frying pan (or a roasting pan, but a cast iron frying pan will work great for this recipe). Toss in the garlic. Sprinkle Brussels sprouts with lemon juice. Toss with oil so that the sprouts are well coated. Sprinkle generously with salt (at least a half teaspoon) and a few turns of black pepper.

Put Brussels sprouts in oven on top rack, cook for 20 minutes, then stir so that the sprouts get coated with the oil in the pan. Cook for another 10 minutes. Then sprinkle with Parmesan (if using) and cook for another 5 minutes.

The sprouts should be nicely browned, some of the outside leaves crunchy, the interior should be cooked through.  

Add more salt to taste. (Salting sufficiently is the key to success with this recipe.)

Nancy's Take:  Well, they taste better with more butter, oil and fatty goodness!  But, these were pretty good.  I really liked them re-heated in the microwave.  I'd definitely make them again.  I did not have cheese, but I'd try sprinkling it on next time.  The girls did not try them - no surprise there...

Dave's Take: Let me first make this full disclosure.  I don't like brussel sprouts.  It would have taken a miracle, a name change, and the removal of the brussel sprout from this recipe to give it a chance.  But with that said, I did choke down about 3 or 4 so I could write this review.  The seasoning did in fact help.  But even more would have been better.  I can't, for the life of me, imagine asking for additional servings of brussel sprouts... ever.

West African Chicken and Peanut Stew with Chiles, Ginger, and Green Onions

Just the name of this dish made me want to try it.  It is actually a South Beach Diet recipe.  But, it looked yummy to me.  I don't know what to expect, but it sounds yummy!  Probably to be served with rice - not that SB Diet people eat rice........

1-2 T olive or canola oil (the recipe called for 2 T, but I think you could use less)
1/4 cup finely diced red onion (could also use regular onion)
1 T finely minced fresh ginger root
2 tsp. finely minced jalapeno

salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt)
1 tsp. chile powder
1 cup chicken stock (chicken broth from a can is fine)
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (use natural peanut butter without added sugar for South Beach Diet)
2 T tomato paste
1 T cider vinegar
3 cups diced, cooked chicken (I used Costco Rotisserie)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
3-4 green onions (scallions) thinly sliced

Finely chop the red onion, ginger, and jalapeno, and roughly chop the chicken. Heat oil in a heavy pan, add finely diced onion, ginger, and jalapenos, season with salt, and saute about 2 minutes. Add the chile powder, stir into other ingredients, and saute about 1 minute more.

Add chicken stock, peanut butter, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar, stir, and bring to a slight boil. As soon as it starts to boil, lower heat to a very gentle simmer, add roughly chopped chicken, gently stir to combine, and let simmer 10-15 minutes. (Resist the urge to stir it very much, or the chicken will shred apart, which you don't want here.)

While mixture simmers, wash, dry, and slice green onions. After 10-15 minutes, gently stir again if the oil from the peanut butter has separated. Serve hot, with a generous handful of green onion slices on each serving.

Nancy's Take:  I normally don't cook with peanut butter - I swear!  This was a good dish.  Not a favorite, but good.  I'd make it again - but not too often.  It went well with rice and peas.  And, the kids liked it.... which is always a plus!!

Dave's Take:  This was pretty good.  I don’t think I would ask for it, but if Nancy planned it for dinner and told me we were having peanut chicken stew I’d not complain.  The consistency was good for a stew.  Not too thin or too thick… just right.  I think Nancy didn’t add a jalapeño pepper because I forgot to get that from the store.  I wonder how that would have changed the dish.  Next time (and I think there should be a next time) we need to make sure to add the jalapeño.

Jambalaya

It is almost Fat Tuesday - which means Jambalaya!!  This is a great recipe to make on Sunday and have throughout the week for lunches.  So yummy and not too tricky to make.

3 cups chicken broth                                           
3-4 pound whole chicken - I used a chicken from Costco         
2 medium onions chopped                                        
3 cloves minced garlic                                         
2 tablespoons coarse salt                                      
28 ounces canned whole pealed tomatoes                         
1 tablespoon allspice                                          
1 tablespoon thyme                                             
1 teaspoon basil                                               
1 teaspoon oregano                                             
1 teaspoon hot sauce                                           
1/4 cup vegetable oil                                          
1 1/2 cups celery                                              
1 green bell pepper chopped                                    
2 pounds kielbasa or andouille sausage, sliced - turkey sausage works fine

2 cups long grain rice                                          

1 pound medium shrimp peeled, deveined and tails removed - I omit the shrimp often...
1 red bell pepper chopped                                      

In a large dutch oven, combine chicken broth, tomatoes, allspice, thyme, basil, oregano, and hot sauce over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery, chopped onions, bell peppers, and minced garlic. Cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes; add to Dutch-oven.

In the same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over high heat; add sausage, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to Dutch-oven. Add shredded chicken, rice, and salt; simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add shrimp, and simmer, covered, until rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand for a few minutes, and serve.

Carnitas

3 pound pork roast

5 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
12 ounces Beer

• Place pork roast in bottom of slow cooker.
• Toss the pepper, salt, jalapeno and garlic together.
• Spread around and over roast.
• Pour beer over everything.
• Cover and cook on high 5-6 hours until pork is tender and fork pulls easily.
• Serve with warm tortillas, your favorite toppings and salsa.

Nancy:  This was great!!  So super easy and so wonderfully delicious!  I'll definitely make it again - and the kids are already asking for it!  They seem to want everything taco style lately!  I even found really tasty whole wheat tortillas we've been enjoying.  I'll try to spice it up a bit next time.  I did not have a jalapeno, so we did not include that in the recipe.  From the looks of this blog, we eat a lot of pork!  That was not until this blog started - not sure what's going on that I keep making it, but my kids are loving it!

Dave: What a welcome change to taco night.  The pork was tender and the girls DEVOURED it.  They ask for seconds and finished.  I really liked it too.  The carnitas along with avocado, salsa, cheese, beans, and rice made great tacos.  The one thing I would suggest for next time is that the carnitas when all by itself was a bit bland.  I think some spices (not too much but some) would go along way, just like the ground beef usually has some taco spices.  I don't think this should permanently replace ground beef for taco night, but alternating or switching it up with this carnitas recipe every now and then would be a good thing.

BBQ Pulled Pork

4 lbs pork roast (shoulder or butt)
2 large sliced onions
1 cup ginger ale
1 bottle favorite BBQ sauce - I bought based on the label I liked best - used a bottle of spicy and sweet because I had to make a larger roast to serve more people...
Barbecue sauce, for serving

Place one onion in crock pot. Put in the roast & cover with the other onion. Add ginger ale. Cover/cook on LOW for about 12 hours. I had to start mine on high due to time constraints... Then cooked on low... Just don't check on it too often - you lose a lot of heat every time you open the crock pot.

Remove the meat, strain and save the onions, discard all liquid. With two forks, shred the meat, discarding remaining fat, bones or skin. Most of the fat will melt away.

Return the shredded meat and the onions to the crock pot, stir in the barbecue sauce. Continue to cook for a few hours on LOW.

Serve w/ buns or rolls and bbq sauce. Leftovers freeze well.

TIP: freeze ready-made sandwiches - a scoop of meat on a bun, well-wrapped. To reheat, remove wrapping, wrap in a paper towel, and zap 1-2 minute in microwave.

Note: Shoulder or butt are recommended because the meat shreds very well. I used a Boneless Boston Butt – and it was great! The bone is no big deal – but buy more than you think you’ll need, as the bone is weighty.

Note 2: If you have a newer or bigger crock pot, you may need to revise times downward, esp. after the bbq sauce is added.

Note 3: Turn the roast over after it's cooked a while, to ensure more even cooking.

Nancy's Take: Yummy! I really liked it and have nothing bad to say about it! I think it would be yummy on a flour tortilla with crispy onions and maybe pickles! But, a real winner – my entire family enjoyed it. It also reheated very nice. I might make a batch and have Dave take it to work for lunches periodically.

Dave's Take: This was a winner. The pork was extremely tender, the onions added a tangy sweetness and the sauce was a hit. It was a combination of both a sweet and hot BBQ sauce. And that made me wonder, how much of this execution was actually determined by the selection of the sauce? I bet you could have very tender pork and everything could be great but if you choose the wrong sauce I bet you could spoil the whole thing. But, not today!! Nancy told me that her selection of sauce in the supermarket was based entirely on the label and its marketing presentation on the shelf. There was an old black gentleman and Nancy said “that guy looks like he knows how to make BBQ”. And low and behold, he did. I would recommend this recipe along with a mixture of mild and spicy Stub’s Texas BBQ sauce.