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Friday, May 23

Not your regular Pork and Beans

3 lb pork loin roast (browned - although I have done it without and it seems to work fine)
4 cans of beans (15 oz) any mixture will do i.e., pinto, kidney, black etc. drained and rinsed. (I am a big fan of black beans)
1/2 Cup chopped onion
1 4 oz can chopped green chilis
2 garlic cloves - minced
1 TBS chili powder
1 TBS cumin
1 TBS salt
1 tsp oregano.

Dump the above ingredients over the meat and mix a little bit. Cook in crock pot until it falls apart, on high for half day or low for all day. Shred with a form and mix well. This makes a LOT, so you may want to make half. You can put this in tacos, tostados, burritos etc, top with cilantro, cheese, salsa, sour cream etc.

Fruit Clouds

1 8oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBS lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 Cup whipping cream, whipped, assorted fruit

Combine cream cheese, sugar, juice and peel, mixing until well blended. Fold in whipped cream. With back of spoon, shape on wax paper-lined cookie sheet to form 10 shells; freeze. Fill each shell with fruit.

Asparagus Artichoke Pasta

1 Cup chopped asparagus
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1 box whole what pasta, cooked
2 TBS olive oil
minced garlic to taste
Balsamic vinegar

Saute asparagus and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes and cook 2 minutes. Add pasta and cook 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat and serve, drizzling with balsamic vinegar, if desired.

This recipe would also be good with sauteed chicken.

Friday, May 9

Blondies

1 cup Pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 TBS unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs - lightly beaten
4 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz white chocolate chips (1 cup) or chopped bar or 3 oz each white chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips.
(For congo bars add 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut)

Cut 18 inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8 inch width. Fit foil into length of 9 x 13 pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14 inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in medium bowl - set aside.

Whisk melted butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using the rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in chocolate and nuts and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.

Bake until top is shiny, cracked and light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not overbake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil over hang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Tuesday, May 6

Sister Owen's Granola


12 C. QUICK OATS
2 CUPS BROWN SUGAR
2 C. COCONUT (I PREFER THE KIND FROM WHOLE FOODS, IT IS AMAZING)
2 C. NUTS (PEPITAS, SUNFLOWER SEEDS, WHOLE ALMONDS, CASHEWS, ETC.)
1 1/2 C. CANOLA OIL
2/3 C. WATER
3 TEASPOONS VANILLA EXTRACT

STIR SUGAR AND OATS UNTIL MIXED. IN A SEPARATE BOWL MIX COCONUT, SALT AND NUTS. MIX IN OIL AND WATER AND VANILLA. ADD TO COCONUT AND THEN ADD TO OATS. BAKE ON 2 LARGE COOKIE SHEETS WITH SIDES. BAKE AT 250 DEGREES FORALMOST 2 HOURS BEFORE ADDING RAISINS, CHOPPED DRIED APRICOTS OR DRIED CRANBERRIES. BAKE FOR 30 MINUTES MORE.

Marcie's Chicken Salad


Sorry you folks who keep checking to see if there is something new on this recipe blog - with Rachel's recital it was just too crazy and then I kind of lost some steam - (cooking doldrums). I'm feeling some cooking breeze coming.

1/2 bag baby spinach
1 pint strawberries - sliced - probably 2-3 pieces per strawberry
1/2 red onion finely sliced in rings
3 chicken breasts - cooked and cubed
Carmelized pecans (recipe following)
Toss together with dressing (recipe following)

Carmelizled pecans
Line cookie sheet with tin foil, melt 1 cube unsalted butter, add 1/3 cup sugar and blend together.
Add 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 4 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp mace and 1 pound of pecan halves (yes they do have a little kick to them - perfect with the salad - I also freeze the extras - the whole pound do not go with this one salad). Coat pecans and pour on cookie sheet. Bake for 40 minutes at 250 degrees turning every 10 minutes with a fork.

Dressing:
2 TBS poppy seeds
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup mayo
2 TBS vinegar.
Mix in blender.