Sweet Pork Smothered Burritos

If you have not had the euphoric experience of eating Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork, I have only one thing to say to you; "Na-Na-Na-Na! Ha!"

It really is amazing. I can only imagine that it must be one of the very few reasons that people live in Utah. Lucky you, you don't have to move to the "Green Jello Capitol of the West" in order to share in this bliss. Thank you, World Wide Web! This pork is great for many reasons. First and foremost, it's delicious flavor. Second, it's versatility. It really can be used in so many dishes.Roll it up in a homemade tortilla, serve it on a bed of leafy greens, or between two toasty buns with melty cheese. I don't care how you eat it, just eat it!
I would love to be able to take credit for this ingenious recipe, but I can't. So, I won't. I will however give credit to my sister R, for sharing it with me though. Thanks!

Sweet Pork Smothered Burritos
Serves: 8-12

Ingredients:
4lb Boston Butt Pork
Rub pork with:
1 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Dry Mustard
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tbsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tbsp Salt
1/2 tbsp Pepper

Directions:
Put in slow cooker and cover pork with:
16 oz Coke
about 1 cup Brown sugar, adjust to taste
1/4 c Worcestershire Sauce, adjust to taste
1/4 Bottle BBQ sauce, adjust to taste
Cover and cook over low heat for about 6-8hrs. Shred with fork and serve burrito style.
For the enchilada sauce, use a small can of El Pato tomato sauce, and warm in a small saucepan. Stir in a 1/4 cup of cream cheese. Stir until melted.

Peanut Butter Peanut Cookies

First off, I would like to formally apologize for my previous tragically inappropriate post. I don't know what I was thinking, a story about a rash shared with a cherry pie recipe?! Umm...ew! I think I really just needed to vent that one. I  don't think I ever meant that story to ever go into such depth. But, once I get going, it's hard to stop. ( Please, no that's what she said jokes! )
I vow to never share such a revolting post with you again.

Sooo... I'm pretty sure that peanut butter is like in the Top 5 comfort foods list. It's definitely right up there with chocolate and cheesecake. Or if you are from Utah, it would team up with green jello and peanut butter/pickle sandwiches. ( P.S I don't think this creamy treat has known a sadder day since the pairing with pickles debacle.)
But I'm not here to judge.
Who am I kidding? Yes, I am! That's just gross!
Anyway, these cookies are very simple. They actually scream simplicity. Really, they do. I just enhanced the traditional cookie by using crunchy peanut butter, which if you ask me, is the only way to go when it comes to peanut butter. And if you wanted to be extra indulgent, add some white chocolate chips. You will sleep better at night. Really, you will.

Peanut Butter Peanut Cookies
Yields: 2 dozen cookies


Ingredients:
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 c Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/4 c Margarine, softened
1/4 c Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 tbsp Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 egg
3/4 c Flour, heaping
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 cup White Chocolate Chips (if using)
Sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat sugar, brown sugar, and margarine until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter, milk, vanilla and egg. Blend well. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add chocolate chips if using.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in extra sugar. Place on cookie sheet and flatten in a criss-cross pattern using a fork. Bake @ 375 degrees for 8-10 min.

Sweet Cherry Pie, A Labor of Love.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Obviously.
Let me tell you about it.
It began at the grocery store. Cherries, which are usually about $4-$5/lb we only $2/lb. SCORE! Jeremy really likes cherries. (He eats them like, well... cherries!) Oh, how he would love me it if I were to surprise him with a sweet cherry pie upon returning from work! Slam Dunk for Hollis!
As I began to prepare the pie filling, I realized that I had to pit the cherries. Umm? "Ok, I can do that. It's just a minor setback. I mean I don't have a cherry pitter, but c'mon how bad can it be?" HA! So I began pitting. Dearest baby must have sensed my unrelenting desire for her to awake early from her nap. I stopped pitting, went to grab her from her crib, set her down to play, and resumed pitting cherries. Slice and squeeze. Slice and squeeze. "Heaven, please don't let me accidentally throw a pit in with the cherries!"
By this time, 45 min later, Swayze who had been extremely patient was starting to cry, pulling on my pant legs, pulling out every single piece of tupperware and tossing it onto the floor.I was able to keep her at bay up until the rolling of the pie dough. This is where it gets great. She comes from the back bedroom screaming! "Oh great, how did she hurt herself now?" I wash my hands, pick her up. Giver her the once over... nothing apparently wrong. Hmm... The crying has increased in the last 55 seconds. "What's going on?! Hungry perhaps? Dirty diaper? Yes, That's it! I'm sure of it." So, I lay her down, change her. Still not happy. Crying is still increasing. "Ok, let's eat!" I feed her, she starts to calm down... for a moment. And then, it happens! WAAAHHHH!!!!!! She starts screaming hysterically! Yogurt pouring down her chin. I look down in her chair to see of maybe she hurt herself somehow, I notice that she had peed and or was peeing in her diaper. I take her back to her room to change her diaper, even though it had only been approx. 5 min, I opened it and there was the brightest, reddest rash I had ever seen! "Y-Ouch!" All females may sympathize at this point. The screaming carries on. Side note: By this point I had begun to assemble the pie, and it was ready to be put into the oven,( we are about 30-40 min behind schedule now) but what I should explain is that when I create culinary miracles, I'm actually not de-stressing myself as I would like to think that I am. I become so wound up and frazzled, that when a catalyst such as this situation, makes it quite hard for me to breathe. Anyhow, I could not get this blessed child to calm down, I let her walk around naked, she cried. I placed her in the bath, she cried harder. I decided it was time to call the after hours doctor. They tell me to do exactly what I already knew (as usual). She finally did stop crying. I located her Ouch cream. I plopped the pie in the oven. I waited about an hour. Called my mom, she just laughed at me. I take it out of the oven, only to get a sugar burn. Those babies hurt!
And so, I must concur that Cherry Pie is indeed a Labor of Love. Why else would someone go through such an ordeal for pie. Pie that I might add is not even my favorite pie! Love, my friends. Love.

Sweet Cherry Pie
Serves:8

Ingredients:
For the crust:
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
2/3 cup Shortening
6 to 7 tbsp Ice Cold Water

For the filling:
1 1/2 cups Sugar
2 tbsp Quick Cook Tapioca
4 1/2 cups Pitted Cherries
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
For the Crust:
Stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in shortening until pieces are pea sized. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp of water over a section of the mixture and blend against side of bowl until moistened. Continue with 1 tbsp of water at a time until all mixture is moist. Divide in half, and form each half into a bowl. You can wrap and chill for 15 min at this point. (It's better this way.)
On a lightly floured surface flatten each ball into a disk, and roll out to 12in circle. Transfer bottom circle to the pie pan.
For the Filling:
In a large mixing bowl stir together the sugar and tapioca. Add the cherries and vanilla. Gently toss. Allow to sit for 15 min., or until a syrup forms. Stir and add to pastry lined pie plate.
Cut slits in remaining pie crust and transfer on top of the filling. Trim edges and form as desired.
Bake @ 375 degrees for 50-60 min.

Tuna Salad Topped Summer Veggie Pasta

 

I would just like to formally say "Farewell to Summer."

Adios!

Sayonara!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Summertime is great for many things. I especially enjoy sandy beaches, strung with naked lady beach towels, the scent of coconut tanning oil being rubbed in layer over layer, 65 year old men jogging in Speedos, and of course the lady in the bright blue floral swimsuit next to me that just happened to have eaten an entire whale for lunch, consequently blocking all sunshine from me. Ahh, summer in Virginia Beach. 

Other fun memories would be shoving away those stuffy sweaters, turning off the oven and firing up the grill, late nights in the backyard playing with friends and trying to catch lightning bugs. And of course, Otter Pops!

But as great as Summer is, we eventually come to the realization that it also, well... bites! The hot sticky weather, the unrelenting rain storms, and those pesky mosquitoes! All which keep us calling for the next season. Fall, baby, Fall. At least, until we get so sick of hot soups and UGG's that we start screaming for warm weather! We actually start booking flights to like the equator, just so that we can defrost. It's a vicious cycle, that I am fully embracing!

Over the next few days, I will share my the last few summer recipes of my repitoire in tribute to the "End of Summer."

Tuna Salad Topped Summer Veggie Pasta

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

For the Tuna Salad:

2 cans of White Albacore Tuna,drained

2 tbsp Mayo, to taste

1/2 tsp Mustard, to taste

Salt and Pepper

Sweet Relish, to taste

Dash of Cayenne Pepper

Finely Chopped Red Pepper, Zucchini and Onion

For the Veggie Pasta:

1 Zucchini Squash, halved and chopped

2-3 Roma Tomatoes, quartered

1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips

12 oz Linguine, cooked and drained

1/2 stick of Butter
1/2 cup of Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, divided

Directions:

 For the Tuna Salad:

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Refrigerate.

 For the Pasta:

Cook the noodles according to directions on package. 

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute the veggies. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small saucepan heat the butter and heavy cream, mix well. salt and pepper, according to taste. Add 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, mix well. Add the other 1/2 cup to a serving bowl.

Drain pasta, add to serving dish with cheese. Add sauteed veggies and toss to coat. 

Now, you have 2 options. You can allow this to chill and have a cold pasta or serve warm. Either way is yummy. I really enjoyed the contrast of the cool tuna salad with the warm cheesy noodles. But its also very tasty chilled. Either way, top with a generous scoop of tuna salad. Enjoy!

Personal Pan Fruity Pizza

Did you hear about that man that died on the plane the other day? Mid-flight?
How is it that said man was not lucky enough to have some random heart surgeon on board, who just happened to have carried on his medical bag? You always hear about people going into cardiac arrest or shock of some sort and mysteriously enough, a nurse or a doctor just happened to be on that flight! Uh-huh. Well, this man, RIP, was not so lucky! And... I'm thinking that the man/woman seated next to him, not so lucky either. Do you think that if he pressed the flight attendant pager they would allow him to move? Can you even imagine being the one sitting next to a dead man... ON A FULL FLIGHT! Where would  he move to? I am pretty sure that I would pee my pants/ go into a severe panic attack and require my own sort of medical assistance.
Anywhoo...

These dessert/breakfast (what's the difference anyway? I mean, really?) are a-m-a-zing! It's basically a cookie crust slathered with a sweet, creamy "frosting" topped with fresh fruit of your picking! Take one bite, and you may need medical attention, too!

Personal Pan Fruity Pizza
Serves 4
adapted from here

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats, heaping
1 tsp Baking Powder
3 tbsp Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/3 cup Milk
1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1 tbsp Powdered Sugar
1 tbsp Honey
Fruit for Topping like Nectarines, Kiwi, Strawberries, Bluebrries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, mix flour,oats, baking powder, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and stir. Make a well in the middle and add olive oil and milk, mixing with a spoon until a ball forms. Using your hands, combine it until it comes together and shape it into a ball. Separate it into 4 equal section. Flatten into a disc and roll the dough out until about 4 inches in diameter. Sprinkle both sides with cinnamon sugar and place on baking sheet. Bake for about 8-10 min. Let cool completely.

In a mixer bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and honey. Chop up fruit into bite sized pieces. Spread cream on top of crusts. Don't skimp. And top with fruit!

Try not to faint from my utter-goodness!

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

I don't think I have ever made anything so delicious and so simple! I know that I have probably said that before, but I am forreals this time.
The alfredo sauce took all of like five minutes to whip up, and the chicken was so juicy and peppery! You could definitely have the chicken and the sauce done before the noodles even cooked; if you're the prepare ahead kinda gal. I'm not. I cook as I go. I hate it! I loathe it! It slows me down! I get all twirly and frantic then swear off cooking for life! Why not become the prepare ahead cook? Good question! I'm so glad that you asked that. I have a very simple but profound answer:
NO COUNTER SPACE!
See. Profound, right?
In another life, I will have a ginormous kitchen with miles of counter space. And my very own personal dish washer. Yes, definitely need someone to do the dishes.
But regardless of the size of your current kitchen, you can make this! Make it tonight. It's so good!

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
2 large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Garlic Salt
Black Pepper
Butter for pan

For the sauce:
1/2 stick of Butter
1/2 cup of Heavy Cream
2 cloves Garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, divided
12 oz Fettuccine

In a large skillet melt butter of medium high heat. Season both sides of the chicken breast and fry on the pan. Cook about 5 min and flip. Cover with lid. Cook another 5-7 min or until cooked through. Transfer to plate, slice into strips, then cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, have the water for the noodles boiling. Cook noodles according to package directions.
In a sauce pan, heat the butter and cream. Add the garlic, and season with salt and coarse ground black pepper.
In a serving bowl, add 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese,( you can go the easier route her and use the canned stuff, but for a real decadent flavor, grate your own!) Pour the sauce in and then toss with the drained hot pasta. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and chicken. Grind up extra black pepper if desired, and serve with crusty garlic bread.

DISCLAIMER:
Eater may need breath mints after consumption! I cannot be held responsible if your night does not end in a good night kiss!

A Sunday Roast

I can't carve a chicken.
I can't carve a turkey.
Or a ham.
It always ends up looking like someone hacked into with a weed wacker! Not appetizing.
Now that I think about it, I can't cut anything!
Brownies always end up uneven.
Cakes and pies? Forget it!
And paper...HA! The 3 year old demons children that I teach at church are more likely to cut a straight line than myself.

 But that's ok! I don't have to show anyone my cutting skills. I can always take a picture of the full bird/beast prior to my hack job. It's better this way. Trust me!

Roasted Chicken
Serves:4

Ingredients:
1 4-5lbs Whole Fryer Chicken
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Rinse the chicken thoroughly, inside and out.
Pat dry with paper towels, inside and out.
On a cutting board or clean counter, lay the bird down and salt and pepper generously, inside and out. About a teaspoon of each. Make sure to get all sides seasoned well.
Next, drizzle olive oil over all sides of the chicken, rub and massage the oil in, covering the whole bird.
Roast in the oven for about 70-80 min. Mmmm.

Now, someone please come teach me how to carve!

Roasted Garlic and Cheese Dip

I have good news and bad news.
Good news first! Always.
Good news is, I started school.
Bad news is, I started school. Blech!
I mean, right?

Obviously, I am need of an institution that teaches how to write in complete sentences, since this is something I apparently lack. :)
I have no clue what I am going to major in. So don't ask. I just want to finish start my degree.
Of course, the likely degree would be something in the culinary arts, but really, I do not want to trample my love for culinary arts with something like work.  So, for now, I'm undecided. I'm the plague to universities everywhere.

You most likely wonder what this has to do with this dip. HA!
Well, let me tell you...
Even though I am only taking 1 class ( I went from 3 to 2, down to 1), I am hard pressed for blog time.
Give me a break! The class is MATH!
MATH and I do not get along.
BUT...
I am determined to ace this class.
I have been telling "the man of the house" that with each lesson, I can picture the teacher's face and classroom that I had originally learned the method(s) in, way back when I had a mirror in my  celebrity poster adorned locker. The images of these middle/high school teachers haunt me. They were so mean! Why? Why are all math teachers mean?! Probably because they had to spend all their time learning those painstakingly dull concepts and never had any fun! Right?
Regardless, I am determined to pass this class. And because I will pass, I needed something super easy to snack on that didn't take much time to make or eat. This is what this dip has to do with school work.

Roasted Garlic and Cheese Dip
Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:
1 8oz pkg of Cream Cheese, softened
2 cloves of Garlic, Peeled, Roasted and Minced
1 1/2 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese, the jarred stuff
1/4 c  Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Coarse Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Dash of Lemon Pepper
2 Dashes of Cajun Seasoning
Dash of Dried Sweet Basil
1 tbsp Panko Bread Crumbs

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Peel garlic and place onto tinfoil lined baking sheet. Let roast for a minute or two each side, or until fragrant. Remove from oven and mince.
Turn heat down to 250 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, except bread crumbs. Adjust seasonings to your desired  taste. Transfer into an oven safe bowl and top with bread crumbs.
Allow to bake for about 5 min, and turn on broiler. Let broil until blackened on top. Remove from oven, and serve with crackers, chips or veggies!