Slow Cooker Smoky Pulled Pork

This recipe was the best pulled pork I've ever made.  The meat had a wonderful flavor and was so tender.  It only took me about 45 seconds to shred the meat since it was literally falling off the bone.  Yum!  This recipe is going back on the menu again this month.  The liquid smoke was a crucial element as it added a true barbecue flavor that is normally lacking in slow cooker recipes.  (I found liquid smoke in the aisle with the BBQ sauces.)

Also, I couldn't find less than a 9 lb pork shoulder roast at my grocery store, but the butcher was more than happy to cut it down for me.

Slow Cooker Smoky Pulled Pork

recipe from Six Sisters Stuff

3-4 lb pork shoulder butt roast (can be bone-in)
3 T paprika
1 1/2 T kosher salt
1 1/2 T pepper
1 t garlic powder
1 t dry mustard
1/3 c liquid smoke
1 (16-20 oz) bottle of BBQ sauce (I used Stubb's)
buns

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick spray.  In a small bowl, combine paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard and liquid smoke and whisk to combine.  Rub marinade into all sides of pork and place meat into slow cooker.  Cover with lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Remove pork roast from slow cooker and shred meat.  Add meat back into slow cooker and stir in BBQ sauce.  Serve on buns and enjoy!

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Cowboy Quesdillas

These quesadillas are a refreshing change of pace from the traditional quesadillas.  I love the addition of BBQ sauce to kick up the flavor a notch and they are a perfect dinner when you're running short on time or you need to feed a crowd.  To simplify things, I baked my quesadillas in the oven because I've learned from past experience that it's really not enjoyable to stand over a stove for 15-20 minutes flipping one quesadilla after another.  While the tortillas don't get as browned in the oven as they do on the stove, they do get just as crunchy - and that's the important thing!  The filling for these is very hearty, so you really don't need to add the chicken (unless you have a carnivore in the family that must be fed).

You'll notice that this recipe makes 10 quesadillas, so unless you want to feed a lot, you'll probably want to half the recipe.  But the quesadillas do reheat well in the toaster or oven, so I've been serving them for lunch for the past few days.

Cowboy Quesadillas
recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

for the quesadillas:
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed well
1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 large or 2 small chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
4 cups Mexican shredded cheese blend
20 tortillas

for the sauce:
2/3 cup fat free ranch dressing
1/3 cup BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put foil or parchment paper on two large cookie/baking sheets.  Arrange 10 tortillas on the two baking sheets, trying to overlap the tortillas as little as possible.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine black beans, pinto beans, corn, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, chicken and BBQ sauce.  Mix well.

Sprinkle a little cheese on the top of each of the tortillas on the baking sheets.  Evenly divide the filling between the 10 tortillas and top each with more cheese.  Cover them with the remaining 10 tortillas.  Bake quesadillas for about 15-20 minutes, or until the tortillas are toasty and the filling is hot throughout.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the ranch dressing and BBQ sauce.

Cut tortillas in half or quarters.  Serve hot with the BBQ-ranch sauce.

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January 2012 Potluck - Spanish Theme

This month's potluck was hosted by Candace and Craig and they chose to do a Spanish theme, Un Noche en Espana.  As always, the food was fantastic and the time spent with friends was even better.  Below I have all the recipes that we cooked up, and this month I included pictures of the people too!

(FYI - If the recipe doesn't have a link underneath it's picture, then the recipes will be at the very bottom of the post.)

 Robyn's Shrimp & Chorizo Tapas

 Stacy's Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

 Erin's Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates (this month's winning dish!)

 Lora's Cheese & Olive Platter with

Amanda's Spicy & Sweet Almonds

 Erin's Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Dip

 Jennie's Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

 Clint's Sun-Dried Tomato Goat Cheese 

 Amanda & Taylor's two Spanish tortillas - the first one had potatoes, egg, mushrooms, turkey bacon & spinach; the second one was traditional (eggs and potatoes)

 Candace's Paella

 Meagan's Spanish Chocolate Torta (AKA Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake!)

Jennie also made some awesome chocolate cake balls with orange frosting as the binder, but I didn't get a picture of them.  Oops, sorry Jennie!

 Jennie, Lora and Meagan

Amanda, Taylor, Casey and Baby Mae

Robyn & Cory

 Lora, Mae, Jennie, Erin, Meagan, Stacy, Amanda, Robyn and Candace

 Andrew and Clint blowing out their birthday candles (sorry you missed it Cameron!)

 Craig holding Mae

 Casey and the Cash-Man

 Robyn, Jennie & Clint

And it wouldn't be a potluck without some rowdy board games!  I think this was right around the time when the girls guessed Andre 3000 (we were wrong) and Craig, who was acting as the reader, got so excited he yelled out the answer (Dr. Dre) before the guys could guess...(Lora, we totally needed you on that question!)

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

1 tablespoon olive oil (can be omitted)

16 asparagus spears, trimmed

16 slices prosciutto

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with olive oil.

Wrap one slice prosciutto around each asparagus spear, starting at the bottom, and spiraling up to the tip. Place wrapped spears on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 5 minutes. Remove and shake the pan back and forth to roll the spears over.  Return to pan for another 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender, and prosciutto is crisp.  Serve immediately.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

8 oz sherry

1 8-oz package dried dates

4 oz cream cheese

16 oz bacon, cut in half

Marinate dates in sherry for at least 3 hours.  Drain.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a wire rack atop a foil-lined baking sheet. 

Slice dates open (it's really easy to do using kitchen scissors) and stuff each date with a little less than a teaspoon of cream cheese.  Wrap each date with half a slice of bacon and place seam side down on the wire rack. 

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and browned.

Spicy & Sweet Almonds

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups raw almonds

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

finely chopped fresh rosemary

Mix oil and spices together, add nuts and stir to coat thoroughly.  Spread the nuts on a baking sheet.  Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 25, or until nuts are toasted.

Paella

3.5 oz chorizo, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons olive oil

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

2 onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

2 cups paella or risotto rice

1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika

generous pinch saffron threads, about 1/2 teaspoon

scant 1/2 cup white wine

4 1/4 cups chicken or fish broth

6 small cleaned squid, sliced into thick rings

11 oz mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded

12 large shell-on uncooked shrimp

1 handful frozen baby peas

1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 lemon

salt and pepper

Put a large frying pan or paella pan over medium heat, then add oil.  After 30 seconds, add chorizo.  Fry until golden, about 5 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.  

Add chicken to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and fry for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden.  Add the onions, garlic and bell peppers to the chicken, stir well and then cook gently for 10 minutes, or until the onions and peppers are softened.

Add the rice and turn up the heat.  Stir well to coat with the oil, then add paprika, saffron, wine and broth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Simmer the rice for 20 minutes, or until nearly soft.  Stir several times as it cooks.

Meanwhile, tap any open mussels sharply on the work surface.  Discard any that do not close after a few seconds.

Add the shrimp to the pan, tucking them into what sauce is left around the rice.  Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, then scatter the squid, mussels, peas and chorizo over top.  Cover and cook for another 2 minutes, or until mussels have opened and the squid is no longer transparent.  

Discard any mussels that haven't opened.  Sprinkle parsley over the paella.  Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over paella.

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Spanish Roasted Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes

 {the finished product!}

{Finley was very interested in watching Daddy carve the chicken}

Oh my gosh, I absolutely loved this dinner!  I literally could not stop eating it!  I've roasted chicken before but none of them have turned out this delicious.  This recipe is company-worthy but with very little effort.  The presentation is beautiful and the herb gremolata really gives the dish a bright, vibrant fresh flavor.  Serve it with a simple green salad or throw some asparagus into the mix and you have yourself a fantastic dinner.  Yum!

I chose to truss the chicken to ensure even cooking and keep the breasts moist.  Here's an excellent YouTube video to teach you how to do it.

Spanish Roasted Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes
adapted from The Meal Planner, recipe originally from Jamie Oliver

2 lbs multi-colored fingerling potatoes, cut in half if large
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks (about the same size as the fingerling potatoes)
4.5 lb whole chicken, rinsed with water, patted dry, and giblets removed
1/2 onion, cut into large chunks
kitchen twine
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
paprika
11 oz chorizo, sliced on an angle

for the gremolata:
2 lemons, zested
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Make the gremolata.  Finely chop the parsley, reserving the stems.  In a small bowl, mix together lemon zest, parsley and garlic.  Season with a little salt.  Reserve the lemons.

Stuff the chicken's cavity with the reserved parsley stems, lemons (cut in half), and the chopped onion.  Using kitchen twine, truss your chicken.

Grease your baking dish.  Arrange fingerling and sweet potatoes in an even layer in the bottom of your baking dish.  Drizzle potatoes with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Place chicken atop the potatoes.  Drizzle olive oil over the bird and sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper and paprika.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Carefully remove dish and sprinkle sliced chorizo around the chicken.  Return dish to oven and continue to cook for 15 more minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.  Remove from oven, tent with foil and let sit for 15 minutes to allow juice to redistribute.

Carve the chicken.  Serve the chicken and potatoes drizzled with pan juices and sprinkled with the gremolata.

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Chicken & Edamame with Orange-Ginger Dressing

Since I'm playing major catch-up after having a sick computer for almost two weeks, I'll keep my recap short and sweet.  (PS - I'll update this post with a picture as soon as I figure out how to export my data from my external hard drive to my computer.  I tell you what, it's really difficult to be not tech-savvy in today's world!)

This dish is wonderful!  It has bright, flavorful tastes, comes together quickly for an easy weeknight dinner, the leftovers are great, and it's healthy to boot.  What more could you ask for?  The whole family liked this one and I think it will be served often in our kitchen.  The avocado really pairs brilliantly with the dish so please don't omit it.

And if you've never perused Confections of a Foodie Bride's website, I highly recommend it.  Her recipes are always good and her photography is stunning!

Chicken & Edamame with Orange-Ginger Dressing
adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

the juice and zest of 1 orange
the juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger (I had to substitute 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder because my
     grocery store was out of ginger and it turned out fine...but fresh is always better!)
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (I used a rotisserie chicken to save time)
1 cup shelled edamame, cooked
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 large avocado, sliced
1 cup brown rice

Cook the brown rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl (or blender), combine orange juice, orange zest, lime juice, lime zest, oil, ginger, garlic, and cilantro.  Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), blend until all ingredients are well combined.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To the dressing, add chicken, edamame, and bell pepper and toss to thoroughly coat.  Spoon mixture over cooked brown rice.  Garnish with cilantro and avocado.

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Colorful Chicken Salad

You know I love to mix savory with sweet when it comes to dinner. You also probably know that Andrew hates it when I do that. But yesterday I was craving a good ol' homemade chicken salad sandwich. Usually I make a pretty simple recipe with roasted or poached chicken breasts, mayo, celery, and onion, but I was feeling the creative vibe and made a totally different chicken salad. As I was prepping all the ingredients, I was a little worried that Andrew may not like it since I was putting a touch of sweet into the salad. But I had no need to be worried. After Andrew finished his sandwich, he commented on how great it was and promptly fixed himself a second sandwich! At the end of dinner, Finley even remarked that "dinner was really, really good, Mama." Warms my heart!

When I was assembling this chicken salad, I was hoping to create something that was a little tangy (which is why I went heavy on the Dijon and added a little sour cream too) with really bright flavors, as well as colors - orange from dried apricots, bright green from pistachios and deep purple from red onions. I think I succeeded, and I hope you agree!

Colorful Chicken Salad

a Baking and Eggs original

2-4 chicken breasts, about 1.25 lbs, cooked and chopped

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/2 cup pistachios, shelled and chopped

1/3 cup red onion, finely diced

2 celery ribs, diced

3-4 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons creamy Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons low fat sour cream

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

lettuce and/or good bread, for serving

Combine all ingredients except lettuce and bread in a large bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to marry. Serve on lettuce as a salad or on bread (or croissants would be great too!) as a sandwich.

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Spicy Bean Burritos

This is one of those great meals that you can keep on hand for nights when you don't feel like cooking but you don't want to go out either. I already had most everything stocked in my kitchen and it used up some random odds and ends that were hanging out in my vegetable bin. And it's quick and easy to prepare. I was pleasantly surprised at how those few ingredients combined to make some super tasty refried beans! They had a fantastic, slow cooked homemade flavor without very much time or effort. While they were great wrapped in the burritos, I think they'd be great all on their own too.

Feel free to stuff your burrito with whatever ingredients you enjoy. I used green onions, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, avocado slices, shredded cheese, lettuce and sour cream. I placed the assorted toppings on the table and let everyone wrap up their own burritos. It was fun to do it that way and it was less time-consuming for me. Win, win! For Finley, I reserved some of the bean mixture before adding the salsa so the beans wouldn't too spicy for her.

Spicy Bean Burritos

adapted from Annie's Eats

For the beans:

2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

kosher salt, to taste

Dash of cayenne pepper

1/3 cup chicken broth

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

4-6 tablespoons fresh salsa

For serving:

6 (9 or 10-inch) flour tortillas, warmed

Shredded chipotle cheddar cheese

Chopped tomatoes

Shredded lettuce

Sliced avocado

Chopped green onions

Minced Cilantro

Low-fat sour cream

In a saucepan over medium heat, add oil, garlic, chili powders, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often, until spice mixture becomes fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Add beans and chicken broth. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and mash beans to desired consistency.

Spread a large dollop of beans on each tortilla and top with shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, green onions, cilantro and sour cream.

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Grilled Shrimp Tacos

My sweet mother-in-law bought me five (5!) new cookbooks for Christmas this year and I've had such fun pouring through them ogling all the wonderful new recipes I have at my fingertips. My sweet mother (and father) bought me the new Amazon Kindle Fire for Christmas and I have been downloading new books like crazy, but I know that I'll never trade in my cookbooks. When it comes to cookbooks, I want the tangible copy versus its online companion. Besides, I hate when I'm cooking from an online recipe and my computer (or Kindle) goes to sleep and I have to 'wake' it back up to see the next steps of the recipe. Nothing like raw meat juice sluiced across the keyboard...

Anyway, this next recipe is from one of my new cookbooks that Ruthie gave me - The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2012. This cookbook is excellent! If you're unfamiliar with ATK, the chefs set out to master a recipe, making it in a multitude of different ways until they find the very best recipe. I love that they're doing all the hard work for me! And I have to say that this recipe for shrimp tacos was awesome! After dining out so much and eating all the rich holiday food, Andrew and I were ready for some lighter and healthier fare. The grilled shrimp tacos, paired with chips and queso, made for great football munchies to eat while we watched the Holiday Bowl. Go Horns!

This recipe came together fairly quickly, but if you're looking for a shortcut, make sure to buy already peeled and deveined shrimp from the seafood counter to save time. Also, if you can't find jicama in your grocery store, I think you could substitute a peeled tart green apple. While it wouldn't have the same taste, it would give the salsa a nice crunch and compliment the sweetness of the pineapple.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple-Jicama Salsa

adapted from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2012

Good quality store-bought (or homemade) guacamole

3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes)

salt

10 oz jicama, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 cups pineapple, measured and then cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and minced

1 small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chile powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 lb. small to medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Combine 2 tablespoons more lime juice, jicama, pineapple, cilantro, jalapeno and shallot in a bowl. Season with salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Heat oil in 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to medium bowl and let cool to room temperature, then stir in remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Add your shrimp to spice mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, covered for 15 minutes. Don't marinate shrimp for longer than 15 minutes because the citric acid will start to 'cook' the shrimp and turn them rubbery!

Meanwhile, heat an indoor grill pan to medium-high heat. Place tortillas on grill pan, flipping once, to heat through. Remove them to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Place shrimp on grill pan and cook, flipping once, until they turn opaque, about 2-4 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm until all shrimp are cooked.

To serve, place 4-5 shrimp in each tortilla, top with a dollop of guacamole mixture and a dollop of pineapple salsa.

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Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

I've seen this recipe floating around on Pinterest and decided to make it for dinner one night. Since it's supposed to be just like La Madeleine's soup, I served it with a Caesar salad - which is the classic combo I always order whenever I go to LM. Just for fun, I sprinkled grilled cheese croutons on top of the soup.

Usually when I make a meatless dinner, it's met with some resistance from the hubby and from the baby. (Seriously, the kid LOVES meat - she asks for meat as a snack!) But much to my surprise, I didn't hear one complaint and every plate was licked clean.

Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

adapted from GirlTalk

2 24-oz jars of tomato puree

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, measured and then finely minced

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup heavy cream (I think next time I will use less - maybe 1/2 cup)

1 stick unsalted butter

salt and pepper to taste

6 slices good quality bread

6 slices Muenster cheese

3 slices sharp cheddar cheese

butter

For the soup, heat tomato puree, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper over medium-low heat. Add cream and butter and stir mixture until butter is melted. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Meanwhile, assemble sandwiches by placing 2 slices of Muenster and 1 slice of cheddar between 2 slices of bread. Repeat to make 3 sandwiches. In a saute pan over medium heat, melt a small pat of butter and cook sandwiches, flipping halfway through, until both sides are golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove sandwiches to a cutting board. Slice sandwiches into small squares.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with a handful of grilled cheese croutons.

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Chicken Salsa Verde with Cornmeal-Cilantro Dumplings

This was a wonderful Southwestern spin on the classic chicken 'n dumplings. And it is the perfect kind of dinner to serve when it's cold and dreary outside. The recipe came together quickly, especially if you have your chicken, green onions and cilantro chopped ahead of time. While it baked, I was able to get the kitchen cleaned too. Nothing is more relaxing than sitting down to a hearty and delicious dinner with a glass of white wine and a clean kitchen to boot!

A quick word of warning: Depending on what brand of salsa you buy and it's level of spiciness, you may need/want to add more or less salsa to the chicken mixture. I used half of a jar of green salsa that was labeled 'medium heat' and it was still pretty spicy. Andrew and I liked it that way, but it was too spicy for Finley to eat.

Chicken Salsa Verde with Cornmeal-Cilantro Dumplings

as seen on Savory Sweet Life, recipe adapted from Pam Anderson's Perfect One-Dish Dinners

for the chicken

4 tablespoon salted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 (14.5-oz) can chicken broth

1/2 (15-oz) jar of salsa verge (about 1 cup)

1 (5-oz) can evaporated milk

1 large rotisserie chicken, meat picked off and left in large chunks

1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)

for the dumplings

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons salted butter

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

1/3 cup Monterey pepper jack cheese, shredded

For the chicken, heat butter over medium-heat in a large, deep oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven. Whisk in flour to make a paste. Mix broth, salsa verde and evaporated milk in a bowl. Add flour mixture to paste all at once. Whisk, vigorously at first, until mixture simmers and thickens to sauce consistency. Stir in chicken and corn and heat through. Lower heat to low and cover to keep warm. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For the dumplings, heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until steamy. Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, scallions, cilantro and cheese in a medium bowl with a fork. Stir in milk mixture to form a firm, sticky dough. With your fingers, pinch off large ping-pong ball sized pieces of dough and drop onto chicken mixture. Return chicken to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and transfer pan to oven and bake until dumplings are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.

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Sloppy Cubano Sandwiches

I'm not sure why I am so enamored by Sloppy Joes, but I am! While I love the original, I also like to spice things up a bit. This recipe popped up on my blog feed this weekend, and I immediately knew I had to try it. I've already professed my love for Sloppy Joes, but I also love a good Cuban sandwich - pork, ham, cheese, mustard and pickles sandwiched between some good, crusty bread. Yum! This recipe is a happy marriage between two great sandwich staples and I could not have been happier with how this turned out. A delicious revision to the Sloppy Joe!

I altered the recipe to have the slow cooker do most of the work for me. With a two-year-old, I always try to do as much work ahead of time (usually while Finley is in preschool or taking her nap) so that I don't have to be slaving over dinner when she's awake and wanting to play. But if you'd like make the recipe on the stovetop, then be sure and look at the original recipes here and here.

Sloppy Cubano Sandwiches

adapted from Taste and Tell and Rachael Ray

6 oz chorizo, casings removed and finely chopped

1 lb ground pork

1/2 white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon allspice

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 lime, juice and zest

1 cup chicken broth

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

2-3 tablespoons tomato paste

4 rolls or buns, split in half

4 slices Swiss cheese

dill pickle slices

yellow mustard

In a large saute pan over medium heat, cook chorizo until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the pork and onions and continue to cook another 4-6 minutes or until browned. If there is a lot of grease, drain the fat. (Mine didn't render much fat so I skipped this step.)

Meanwhile, in the pot of your slow cooker, stir together garlic, paprika, ground coriander, allspice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, lime zest, chicken broth, tomato sauce and salt and pepper (to taste). Add the meat and onion mixture and stir to combine. Cook on low 3-4 hours. Stir in tomato paste just before serving.

When you're ready to eat, preheat your oven's broiler. Toast the split buns. Divide the meat mixture between the buns and place a slice of cheese on each. Broil until the cheese melts, about 30 seconds. Top with lots of pickles, spread a liberal dollop of mustard on the top half of the bun and enjoy!

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Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Originally I had planned to make these taquitos and make a few changes to the recipe. But the more I thought about it, I realized how ambivalent I was feeling about them. While I love bacon, I was a little on the fence about whether or not I wanted bacon in my taquitos...So I decided to use the taquito recipe that I've used several times in the past and always enjoyed. Why mess with a good thing, right?

These taquitos are nothing like the fried-minuscule-virtually-tasteless-things-that-more-closely-resemble-cardboard-than-food you can find in the frozen foods section of your grocery store. These are creamy, crunchy, tasty bites of deliciousness that everyone - including Finley - loves!

It's also important to note that unbaked these freeze really well!

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

adapted from Our Best Bites

3 oz cream cheese, softened

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

4 oz sour cream

1/4 cup chipotle salsa (feel free to substitute your favorite salsa)

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

2 green onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

12 flour tortillas

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, cilantro, green onions, garlic,cumin, onion powder, oregano and chili powder. Stir until well combined and then stir in chicken.

Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on each tortilla and roll up as tightly as you can. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet and repeat with remaining tortillas. Lightly spray each tortilla with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the ends of the tortillas turn golden brown.

Serve with extra salsa, guacamole or this dipping sauce. (I made a simple sauce of equal parts guacamole and sour cream plus a squeeze of lime juice, a dash of chili powder, and a dash of cumin.)

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Mahogany Chicken

This is such a simple recipe with few ingredients, but it has such a wonderful depth of flavor. We loved it! Finley ate half of a chicken breast herself - and that is saying a lot since she usually eats minuscule amounts of food.

Mahogany Chicken

adapted from Food.com

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoon ketchup

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 chicken breasts

pepper

Combine soy sauce, honey, ketchup and garlic. Mix well. Place chicken breasts in ziploc bag and pour marinade over them. Marinate in fridge for 4-8 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish and discard marinade. Sprinkle breasts with fresh cracked pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. (If you're using really big or bone-in chicken breasts, the cooking time will be longer.)

* I cooked two breasts (but I would have cooked three had I known how much Fin loved this dish!) and froze the remaining two chicken breasts raw (uncooked). Hopefully they'll taste just as good the second time around! And since I also froze half of the hash brown casserole, I have almost an entire dinner in my freezer!

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Chicken Pot Pie

Recently, my friends and I had a freezer meal swap and the meal we received from Erika was Chicken Pot Pie. It was such a warm and comforting meal and I loved having leftovers for lunch the next few days. On a whim (and totally ignoring my carefully made meal plan), I decided to make a CPP for dinner last night. Unfortunately I didn't have Erika's recipe so I just winged it and it came out great. And it was exactly what the doctor ordered - Andrew and I both had second helpings and sweet Finley had thirds! Hopefully your family will enjoy it as much as my family did. It also got me to thinking about when CPP first came into our family...

Growing up, my mom made Chicken and Dumplings, which I didn't like because I had an unfair aversion to soggy/mushy food, but I don't remember her ever making Pot Pie. In my mind Chicken Pot Pie and Chicken and Dumplings were similar enough to one another that I just assumed I wouldn't like either of them. But you know what they say when you assume...Anyway, fast forward to when I was newly married and I realized that Andrew would buy frozen pot pies whenever he went to the grocery store. Poor guy! I decided to remedy that and make him homemade CPP.

Andrew was so excited that he volunteered to head to the store for me. I made out the list and gave it to him. I've learned over the years that I have to be very specific on the grocery list or else I'll end up with something weird. I usually include notes, brand names and location within the store to ensure he comes home with the right ingredients. But this little trip was early into our marriage and I hadn't yet learned this trick. When I unpacked the grocery bags, I found that Andrew had bought a graham cracker pie crust! Bug-eyed, I queried him, and he admitted he thought it was weird but it was the only pie crust he knew of. Ah, funny memories!

Chicken Pot Pie

a Baking & Eggs original

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 white onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

2 ribs celery, thinly sliced

1 potato, peeled and diced small

1 egg

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 1/4 cups whole milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 cup frozen peas

2 pie crusts (homemade or store bought)

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degree.s

In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt butter and saute onion, carrots and celery, until veggies are softened, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add potatoes and egg to a small saucepan filled with water. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and set potatoes aside. Peel and chop egg. Set aside.

In the saute pan with the veggies, melt butter. Stir in flour. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk until the mixture is smooth and thickened. Stir in salt, pepper, celery seed, parsley, garlic, chicken, frozen peas, cooked potatoes and hardboiled egg. Take pan off heat.

Roll out pie crust in deep-dish pie plate. Carefully pour chicken mixture into dish. (You may have a little filling left-over. I ate it for lunch!) Top with second pie crust. Crimp edges and cut a few steam vents on the top. Brush with egg wash. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until crust is golden.

(I made my pot pie during Finley's nap time, refrigerated it and then baked it for about an hour. You can also double the recipe and freeze one since they freeze great.)

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Roasted Vegetable Stromboli

This post marks an important day for Baking & Eggs - my sweet, wonderful, fantastically generous husband bought me a fancy SLR camera for my birthday, which means that this post will be the last one with horribly lit photos! Now if only I can figure out exactly how to use it...

Yesterday I baked three loaves of banana bread and a batch of peanut butter and nutella cookies (be still my heart!), so when dinner time rolled around, I was ready for something packed with healthy veggies. I used what we had on hand and it was delicious! I love a meal that tastes great and lets me clean out the fridge! Andrew wasn't happy when he found out it didn't have any meat, but once he tasted it, he admitted he didn't miss the meat at all.

Also, I think you could easily mix up the veggies and cheeses a bit to fit your tastes (or to clean out the random bits of this and that in your fridge). I'd like to try it again with asparagus, broccoli and grape tomatoes with some goat cheese thrown in. Yum!

Roasted Vegetable Stromboli

a Baking and Eggs original

1 zucchini, sliced

1 yellow squash, sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 large white mushrooms, sliced

1/2 small yellow onion, chopped

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

pizza dough (homemade or store bought)

2 handfuls baby spinach

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

2 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon olive oil

pizza or spaghetti sauce, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, arrange zucchini, squash, bell pepper, mushrooms and onions on a baking sheet. Sprinkle seasoning, salt and pepper over top. Drizzle veggies in olive oil and mix with hands until all veggies are evenly coated. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned. Keep oven preheated to 400 degrees.

Spray a second baking sheet with nonstick spray and lay the pizza dough out flat. Spread the vegetable down the long center of the dough. Top with the three cheeses. Wrap one side over the vegetables and cheese, followed by the second side. Pinch the ends together to close. Brush 1 tablespoon on olive oil over the top of the stromboli. Using a sharp knife make a few slits on the top to allow steam to escape while cooking.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the dough is puffed and lightly browned. Serve with pizza sauce on the side for dipping.

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Scooter's Spaghetti Pie

As a self-proclaimed lover of anything pasta, I knew I had to make this recipe when I first spotted it on Pinterest. It looks like a simple, classic spaghetti casserole with a fun layer of cream cheese and veggies thrown in to spice things up a bit. Oh, and it's topped with French Fried Onions!

While I'm sure the original recipe is to die for, I wanted to try to 'healthify' it a little bit. I substituted whole wheat pasta, low fat cream cheese, replaced butter with olive oil and added a shredded zucchini. Also, I've never cooked with Fried Onions before - I didn't even know where they were located in the store! I was pleasantly surprised that my grocery store sold an all natural French Fried Onion option, so I didn't have to feel guilty about serving my family something packed with tons of preservatives. Bonus! But of course, they are still fried...but every little bit helps, right?!

Also, this recipe made enough for two pies, one to eat for dinner and one to freeze for later. Double bonus!

Sccoter's Spaghetti Pie

adapted from Salad in a Jar

16 oz whole wheat spaghetti

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small white onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 zucchini, shredded

1 8-oz package low fat cream cheese

1 lb ground turkey, bison, or beef

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 large jar (26.25 oz) of spaghetti sauce

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 6-oz can French Fried Onions

Cook pasta one or two minutes shy of al dente. Drain.

Spray two deep dish 9-inch pie plates (or one 9-x-13-inch pan) with nonstick spray. Divide the pasta evenly between the two plates.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil. Add onions and bell peppers, stirring occasionally, and cook until softened and translucent. Add zucchini and cook 1 more minute. Lower heat and stir in cream cheese until just melted. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the noodles.

In a large pan, cook meat over medium heat. Drain grease. Stir in Italian seasoning and cook 1 minute. Add spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese and let cook for a few minutes. Pour sauce evenly over the cream cheese mixture.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove pan and sprinkle with French Fried Onions. Return to oven and bake 5 more minutes, being careful not to let them burn.

* If you're freezing half, let the casserole cool completely (do not bake or top with Fried Onions), wrap tightly with foil and freeze. If the casserole is defrosted, bake at 350 for 60-75 minutes, or until heated through. If it is still frozen, bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hours. Sprinkle Fried Onions on top and cook 5 more minutes.

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Beef Biryani...in the Slow Cooker!

Even with the ease of the Internet, I still love good old cookbooks! I was at my mother-in-law's condo last weekend and spotted a cookbook with the title The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World. You had me at Gourmet...and then you had me again at Slow Cooker!

While I love my slow cooker, I have a beef with the recipes for it. So many of the popular crockpot recipes call for cream of something soup or prepackaged spice packets. While I love the convenience of the crockpot, I don't want to sacrifice health (especially sodium content) just to use the crockpot. This cookbook is awesome because it uses all fresh ingredients and spices.

Okay, I'll step off my soap box now. This recipe caught my eye because I love Indian food and the picture corresponding to the recipe looks fabulous. An added plus is that Finley loves meat, rice and peas, so I thought this recipe would be right up her alley.

The Beef Biryani was great! It was flavorful, delicious and the meat was wonderfully tender. The spice mixture used was different than the traditional curry and since it didn't have a cream-based sauce, I felt good about eating it. If you haven't ever tried biryani before, Andrew called it the Indian equivalent to paella, and he's not far off. It's a dish made of seasoned meat and broth with rice and peas added towards the end. I served it with a simple cucumber raita and the creaminess of the salad complimented the biryani perfectly. (I'll post that recipe tomorrow.) We had my parents over for dinner and the recipe served the four adults, one child and we have enough left-overs for another two to three people. So it feeds a crowd!

FYI - This recipe calls for several spices that I didn't already have in my spice cabinet. I checked out the prices for bottles of the spices at my local grocery store but they were all pretty pricy. I made an extra trip to Central Market and bought the spices out of the bulk bins, buying only what I needed, and spent less than $1.50 for all of them!

Beef Biryani

recipe adapted from The Gourmet Slow Cooker by Lynn Alley

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

seeds from 3 cardamom pods (smack the cardamom pods with the back of a spoon a time or two to get the seeds out)

6 whole cloves

6 to 8 peppercorns

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 1/2 pounds lean beef stew meat

1 red or yellow onion, finely chopped

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup water

1 cinnamon stick

3 to 4 cups cooked Basmati rice

1 1/2 cups frozen peas

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 1/4 cup water for 20 minutes (reserve soaking liquid)

1 teaspoon salt

Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Combine cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves and peppercorn in a spice grinder or mortar and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Add beef and cook, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until browned on all sides. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.

Add the onion to the pan and saute, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until the onion is softened and starting to brown. Add garlic and ginger and stir for 3 minutes. Add the spice mixture and stir well. Add meat and yogurt and mix well.

Transfer meat mixture to slow cooker and stir in orange juice and water. Place cinnamon stick in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours, until meat is very tender. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in rice, peas, salt, saffron threads and their soaking liquid.

To serve, remove cinnamon stick and garnish with cilantro.

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Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Pasta

I absolutely adore pasta. I eat it at least three to four times a week, and I've been getting bored with my usual/traditional sauce recipes. I pinned this recipe on Pinterest (big surprise there!) and thought it sounded like a wonderful change of pace.

I came up with a few quick reasons why you too should try this recipe:

1.) I love that I was able to make the sauce from all fresh ingredients - nothing canned or processed here.

2.) Not only was it healthy, it was really tasty to boot!

3.) The brilliant red-orange sauce flecked with green from the basil and zucchini was beautiful as well as delicious.

4.) Texas has returned to 100 degree weather (ugh!) + a no-cook sauce = a much cooler kitchen

5.) By grating the zucchini and adding it to the sauce, you can sneak in an extra veggie and make it a one-dish meal.

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Pasta

adapted from Annie's Eats

3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded

1/2 cup pine nuts

2-3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup tightly packed basil leaves

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

1 lb. penne pasta (or your favorite small pasta)

1 zucchini, coarsely grated

heavy cream, optional

Preheat broiler. Place bell peppers on a cookie sheet, cut side down. Broil peppers until their skin is blistered and charred, about 10 minutes. Place bell peppers on a plate and cover with plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Peel off the skin of the peppers.

Place pine nuts and cloves in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add bell peppers, basil, and parmesan. Pulse until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil until incorporated.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return pasta to pot. Add zucchini and pesto and stir well to combine. Add heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time, if you desire a creamier consistency. Garnish with extra parmesan.

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Crockpot Baby Back Ribs

In celebration of the second weekend of college football, we decided to try yet another ribs recipe and serve them with sausage, potato salad, baked beans, cauliflower with cheese sauce, and banana pudding. Don't worry, we had friends over to share in the feast - there was no way we could haven eaten that much food on our own!

I spotted this recipe on Pinterest and it caught my eye. Ribs...in a crockpot? Say, what?!?We've previously tried smoking them (great flavor but not tender enough) and oven roasting them (again, great flavor but not tender enough), so I thought, "what the heck, why not try cooking them in the Crockpot?!". It could not have been easier and I knew they were going to be tender enough when I cut them to separate the ribs and the meat just fell off the bones. Ah, heaven - meat falling off a bone! At the end of the meal, there was lots of sausage, beans, and potato salad left over but nary a rib in sight!

Crockpot Baby Back Ribs

Adapted from Free Motion Quilting

3 lb rack of pork baby back ribs

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omitted this since kids were going to be eating with us)

Bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (I used Stubb's)

Mix all the dry seasonings in a small bowl, being careful to break up any lumps of brown sugar. Rub seasoning all over both sides of the ribs, ensuring every surface of ribs is covered.

Place rack of ribs on edge of crockpot, meat side out. I curved the ribs into a circle, the ends touching, so that the ribs are standing upright in the crockpot.

Cook on low heat for a minimum of 7 hours or on high for 5 hours. Remove ribs to a large cutting board and baste with your favorite BBQ sauce. Let rest 15 minutes before separating the ribs. Baste one more time and then serve the ribs with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

*It's important not to lift the lid of the crockpot as they ribs cook because they are essentially steaming in their own juices.

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PW's Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

Here's a great enchilada recipe that I made a couple of weeks ago and wanted to pass on. It is a Pioneer Woman recipe that she made on Paula Deen's cooking show, so you know it has to be good! Andrew even came home the next day at lunch so that he could eat the leftovers.

It makes a huge amount, so I made it in 2 9-inch x 9-inch pans - baked one for dinner that night and stuck the other one in the freezer for later.

Since I'm feeling lazy, I'm not going to type out the whole recipe. Instead I'll just provide the link!

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