Pulled Pork

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 tbsp kosher or coarse salt
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard (found in spice section)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 boneless pork butt, about 3 pounds
• 1 1/2 cups apple juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 package plain soft white rolls or other bread

Tip: You can buy bone-in or boneless pork butts. Both have their benefits: Cooking bone-in will contribute some flavor (and increase the cooking time slightly). But if you have your butcher take out the bone, you can rub the spice mix into the incisions where the bone was removed - a great way to get the flavor deep inside the meat.

Instructions

Mix brown sugar and dry spices together in a small bowl. Rub all over pork, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator for as long as you have time for (as little as 1 hour or up to overnight). Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lay pork on a rack insert fitted inside a roasting pan. (The rack should be high enough so the entire spiced butt is sitting above the cooking liquid.) Pour in apple juice and water, cover pan tightly with foil, and slow roast for 5 hours. Remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes, until pork is brown outside and meat is very tender, basically falling apart.

Remove from oven, transfer to large platter, and allow meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, shred pork into small pieces using 2 forks or 10 fingers. Transfer to bowl for serving, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To reheat, just transfer to shallow baking dish, bring to room temperature, and place in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Tip: If the pan drippings aren't burned, discard fat and mix drippings back into the pulled pork, which will make it even more moist and flavorful. 

Mexican Chocolate Cake

For cake
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
½ cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup well-shaken buttermilk
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt

For glaze
2 cups chopped pecans (7½ ounces)
½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter
½ cup half-and-half
½ cup confectioners sugar
5 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
¼ teaspoon salt

Make cake:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter cake pan well and dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Melt butter (2 sticks) in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in cocoa. Add water and whisk until smooth, then remove from heat. Whisk in separately sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl, then sift again into cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined (don’t worry if there are lumps).

Pour batter into cake pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 45 to 55 minutes. (Leave oven on.)

Cool cake in pan on a rack 20 minutes, then loosen edges with a thin knife and invert onto a plate.

Make glaze:
Spread pecans in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and bake until fragrant and a shade darker, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool pecans slightly in pan on a rack, about 5 minutes.

Melt butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, then stir in half-and-half and confectioners sugar. Add chocolate and cook, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and salt. Cool glaze until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Spoon glaze over top and sides of cake (cake will still be warm) and spread with a small offset spatula or knife to cover completely.

(Cake (with glaze) can be made 2 days ahead and kept at room temperature in a cake keeper or covered with an inverted bowl.)

Tequila Lime Buttercream

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 lb. powdered sugar (1/2 bag- give or take)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons lime zest
2 tablespoons tequila
1/2 tablespoon milk
Green& yellow food coloring: however many drops you want to make the frosting look lime-y- about 1 green drop to every 3 yellow (optional)

Cream the butter and shortening with your stand mixer. Add the vanilla, lime juice, zest, and tequila. Mix until combined. Add the powdered sugar. Start with about half the bag. Add the milk and if the frosting is too soft, add more powdered sugar. Add the food coloring if you want now and then Whip the frosting for 3-5 minutes and then frost your cooled cupcakes. After I frosted my cupcakes, I rolled the edges of the frosting in sugar (to mimic a margarita glass)

 

Vanilla Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. butter 

2/3 c. milk

1 (3.4 oz.) box instant vanilla flavor pudding mix

3 1/2 c. quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large pan, mix together the sugar, butter and the milk. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add in the pudding mix, oats and vanilla. Let stand 5 minutes. Drop by tablespoon onto wax paper and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

fresh strawberry muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
3 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture. Add vanilla. Gently stir in strawberries.

Spoon batter into muffin pans.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 400º for 20-25 minutes.

Makes one dozen muffins. (Make sure you eat them the day you bake them. They aren’t so great the next day.)

 

Seasoned Sour Cream

Ingredients

• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 cup Sour Cream, Heaping
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
• 1-½ Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• ½ teaspoons Onion Powder
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire
• ½ teaspoons Fresh Ground Pepper
• ½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• Fresh Parsley, Chopped Or Sliced Green Onions For Serving, Optional

Preparation Instructions

Combine ingredients and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to combine. Makes about 2 cups. Keeps in refrigerator for a couple weeks.

Note: When you mix your dip, depending upon your tastes, you may want to decrease the amount of garlic powder and cayenne pepper at first and decide how much you like. We like food a little on the zippy side, so it’s perfect for our tastes.

egg drop soup with chicken & noodles

ngredients

• 4  cups  low-sodium chicken broth
• 3  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 3    garlic cloves, smashed
• 1- 1/2  teaspoons  ground ginger
• 4  ounces  wide rice noodles or pad thai noodles, broken into 3-inch pieces
• 2  tablespoons  cornstarch
• 2    eggs, lightly beaten
• 1- 1/2  cups  cooked, shredded chicken
• 3    scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

directions

Bring the broth, 1-1/2 cups water, soy sauce, garlic and ginger to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium-size saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and cook broth mixture for 10 minutes.

Remove the garlic cloves with a slotted spoon and add noodles to pot; cook for 4 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl; whisk into broth and cook for 1 minute or until thickened.

Stir the soup so it is moving in a circular direction. Pour in the beaten eggs in a slow, steady stream. Stir in chicken and garnish with scallions, if desired. Serve immediately.