week of February 6

*Oven Fajitas - super easy . . . my family ate the entire pan!

*Pizza Sandwich Melts - another delicious meal with no leftovers.  See below for recipe.

Honey Garlic Chicken with edamames and shared with friends

Vegetable and Cheese Frittata from SNED by Heidi Swanson with sourdough whole wheat bread - I used cauliflower and topped it with mozzarella cheese

Green Lentil Soup to share with a refugee family

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies for community group dinner




Pizza Sandwich Melts, from One-Pan Recipes by Better Homes and Gardens:

Use ciabatta rolls.  Cut rolls in half.

Cover large roasting pan with tin foil.  Preheat oven to 350.

Line pan with bottoms of the bread rolls.  Use the following ingredients to layer on the roll bottoms:
one 12-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup thin strips green sweet pepper
3 to 4 oz. sliced pepperoni
one 2.25 oz. sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
Top with 6 oz. shredded smoked mozzarella cheese

Spread cut sides of roll tops with one 8-oz. can pizza sauce (or make your own) and place on top to make sandwiches.

Combine the following and then pour evenly over sandwiches:
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes at 350.  Remove foil and bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted and roll tops are light brown.

Cauliflower Macaroni Cheese

Pasta, cheese, bacon, bread crumbs, and "hidden" cauliflower all baked in one dish.  What's not to love?  I did have quite the messy kitchen when dinner was ready, but that's not entirely abnormal when I'm cooking so I shouldn't blame it on the recipe.  The recipe I used can be found here.  Below are the approximate translated measurements I used =)

6 slices bacon

1 head cauliflower

12 oz. dried macaroni

olive oil

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

4 thick slices of bread

1 Tbsp dried rosemary

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

salt and pepper

parmesan cheese

Fill large pot 2/3 full with lightly salted water and bring to a boil.  Meanwhile . . .

Lay bacon in a 9x13 baking dish and place in cold oven.  Preheat oven to 425F with the bacon in the oven.  The next steps should take about 15 minutes - the approximate time you'll want the bacon to cook.  

Trim cauliflower, removing coarse outer leaves and the tough end of the stalk.  Break cauliflower into large chunks and place in boiling water.  Add dried pasta and 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Stirring to prevent sticking on the bottom, bring water back to boil.  Cook partially covered with lid.  Meanwhile . . .

In a medium bowl, mix cheese, sour cream, and yogurt.  Set aside.

When cauliflower and pasta are just cooked (a knife inserted into the cauliflower stalk should slide in easily), reserve 1 cup cooking water then drain in a large colander.

The bacon should be done by now.  Remove bacon slices from dish and set aside on paper towels to absorb the grease.  Tip pasta and cauliflower into the dish the bacon was cooked in.  Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved water.  Stir in cheese mixture, breaking up the cauliflower as you go.  If necessary, use a potato masher to break into fine bits.  If the pasta mixture now seems too dry, stir in more of the reserved water.  Season to taste.

To make the breadcrumb topping: place bacon, bread and rosemary in a food processor (my Vitamix did the job).  Process well until you have a breadcrumb topping texture you are pleased with, adding a drizzle of olive oil as necessary to help bind everything together.  Evenly spread breadcrumb mixture over pasta dish.

Cook 8-10 minutes.  Broil 1-2 minutes if you want to give the breadcrumbs extra texture.  The topping should be golden and the pasta sauce should be bubbly.  Grate parmesan on top for serving.  Enjoy!

Pomegranate Taco Chicken in the Crockpot

If you decide to make the Pomegranate Beef recipe I posted a few days ago,  (and clearly, I think you should!), then you are on the right track to making this as well!  This is another meat in the crockpot that uses pomegranate juice!  The juice is not cheap.  I get it.  But I think these two very different and very delicious recipes are worth that $5 small bottle of POM sitting there on the shelf.

We first tasted this chicken while having dinner with friends.  They served chicken tacos, and the meat was perfectly flavored for tacos, but tasted much better than if they had just dumped some chicken and a packet of taco seasoning into the crockpot.  Turns out they did just dump chicken and a few things in the crockpot!  The idea was so simple, and the chicken so good, I repeated the meal the following week with my family.  You can use the meat for all sorts of dishes: tacos, burritos, a salad, quesadillas, grilled sandwiches, nachos, as a chip dip mixed with some sour cream and salsa . . . you get the idea!


2-4 chicken breasts (I only used two, but they were very big)
1 onion, chopped
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
pepper, to taste (optional)


Place everything in a crock pot.  Cover.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5.  Shred with two forks and serve.

Pomegranate Beef in the Crockpot

This extremely easy dish is extremely delicious!  I had a strong feeling it was going to be good just from reading the recipe, so I went ahead and made it for the first time when we had friends joining us for dinner.  And because it was so super easy and required no culinary skill on my part, I joined in with everyone else and raved about how wonderful the meat and sauce tasted!  Tender, juicy, and full of tremendous flavor.  The picture is my leftovers over rice, which works.  But it's much better served over creamy mashed potatoes.
  

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (I used 1 tsp. each of basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 pounds beef roast (I used a chuck roast)
4 garlic cloves (whole is fine, or you can chop them)
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup golden raisins

Use at least a 6-quart slow cooker. Swirl the olive oil into the bottom of the stoneware. Add the onion. Combine spices in a small bowl and then rub the mixture on all sides of meat.  Add to the stoneware with the garlic, the whole can of tomatoes, pomegranate juice, vinegar, and syrup. Sprinkle the raisins on top. 

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 5. The meat is done when it has reached desired tenderness. Serve over mashed potatoes, and don't forget to include the sauce on top.

Slow Cooker Honey Pulled Pork

Truly, how many variations of pork cooked in a crock pot can there be?  I don't know, but this is another good one worth trying!  The author had me when she said this was one of her husband's most favorite meals while he was in law school.  I can relate to luring a man away from his study books long enough to enjoy a delicious meal.  And my husband was definitely a fan of this meal (while thankfully not having to study as much these days!).  I regret not making the cornmeal pancakes to serve with the meat, but my gingersnaps acted as though the Hawaiian sweet buns were like manna, so it all worked out.

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add less for less heat - I only used 1/4 tsp for the kids' sake, but they probably could have handled a bit more)
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced with white and green parts divided
• 1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) pork loin, trimmed of excess fat
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• Bob’s Red Mill Cornmeal Pancake Mix (or your favorite cornmeal pancake recipe)
• 
  
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon salt, garlic, cayenne, and white part of the scallions (reserve the green parts for serving).
• 
  
• Spray insert of a 5-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray. Place pork loin in the insert, then pour the honey mixture over the top. Cover and slow cook for 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high, until the pork registers 165 degrees F on a thermometer and is no longer pink in the center. With tongs, gently remove the pork from the slow cooker and transfer it to a large plate, reserving the pork juices in the slow cooker. With two forks, shred the pork. Set aside.
• 
  
• Transfer the pork juices remaining in the slow cooker to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water, then add to the cooking liquid. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Return shredded pork to the slow cooker and pour the thickened sauce over the top. Toss gently to combine, then turn the slow cooker to low to keep the pork warm.  
• 
  
• Place rack in the center of oven and preheat oven to 200 degrees F. When ready to serve, prepare the cornmeal pancakes. As you cook the pancake batches, transfer them to a baking tray placed in the oven to keep them warm if needed.
• 
  
• To serve: Top cornmeal pancakes with pulled pork. Garnish with reserved green onion tops and serve warm.

Italian Meatball Sub Sandwiches

I'm not sure what prompted the craving, but I really wanted meatball sandwiches last week.  After a bit of searching, I decided to go with this recipe (which I made a few changes to that are reflected below).  I'm a sucker for using the crock pot.  And, whoa, were these great!  I loved the beef and sausage combo (also a winner in lasagna).  There was plenty of sauce to smother over the meatballs, and watching my husband eat the result reminded me of that Carls Jr. commercial that claimed, "If it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face"!  This made about three dozen meatballs and my family ate them all in a couple days.



Meatballs:
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage

Sauce:
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine or beef broth
1/3 cup water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
Italian rolls, baguette, or other sandwich buns
Parmesan cheese or other preferred cheese for topping


In a large bowl, combine eggs and milk; add the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Add beef and sausage; mix well.  Shape into 1-inch balls.  Broil 4 inches from the heat for 3-4 minutes; turn and broil 2-3 minutes longer.

Transfer meatballs to a 5-qt. slow cooker.  Combine the tomato sauce and paste, onion, green pepper, wine or broth, water and seasonings; pour over meatballs.  Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.  Serve on rolls topped with cheese.

Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork Sandwiches

How many different ways can you cook meat in a crock pot to make a delicious sandwich?!  I don't know, but this is another great slow-cooked meaty sandwich that my family and our guests loved.  I served them with Ramen Cabbage Salad.


2.5 - 3 pound boneless pork shoulder roast
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp dijon-style mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
buns or small dinner rolls for serving
sweet pickles, cole slaw, and/or relish for topping, optional


In slow cooker, combine onion and bell pepper.  Add meat; sprinkle with thyme and rosemary.  Pour broth over meat.  Cover and cook on low for 9 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

Meanwhile, make barbecue sauce.  In a medium saucepan, combine vingar, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, black pepper and salt.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

When meat is done cooking, transfer to cutting board and shred with two forks, discarding fat.  Strain vegetable mixture, discarding liquid.  Return shredded meat and strained vegetables to cooker.  Stir in barbecue sauce.  Cover and cook one more hour on low.

To serve, spoon meat mixture onto bun bottoms.  Top with coleslaw and pickles.  Add bun tops!

Rootbeer Pulled Pork

This was a hit!  The root beer flavor is definitely noticeable, but not too strong and the Tabasco added just enough kick to make the sandwich interesting.  We liked dipping the bread in the juice.


2 lbs boneless pork shoulder roast
1 large yellow onion, sliced in rings
1-2 Tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 cup chili sauce
2 cups root beer
1/2 tsp vanilla
buns, soft rolls, or cooked rice for serving

Put the meat into your crock pot.  Add sliced onion.  Top with Tabasco sauce, chili sauce, root beer and vanilla.  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until pork shreds easily with a fork.  Serve over rice or on toasted buns.

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

The only jambalaya I'd ever made came from a Zatarain's box, so this was definitely a step up in my book!  It had just the right amount of spice for my taste and was a much lighter version than I'm used to.  Since the rice doesn't cook in with the meat, you could even serve it with a crusty loaf as a non-traditional-jambalaya-stew-thing.  Maybe?!   

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 pound andouille sausage, diced

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, seeded and chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp Cajun or Creole seasoning

1 tsp hot sauce

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 pound frozen peeled and cooked shrimp, thawed

cooked rice for serving

In a slow cooker, combine chicken, sausage, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, celery, and chicken broth.  Stir in oregano, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, bay leaves and thyme.  Cover and cook on Low for 7 hours or on High for 3 hours.  Stir in the thawed shrimp, cover and cook until the shrimp is heated through, about 5 minutes.  Discard bay leaves and spoon mixture over cooked rice.

Shredded Chicken with Apricots and Dates

I saw this on Alana's blog and went with some of her suggested changes from the original recipe to make two batches for our community group.  It was DELICIOUS!  The flavors were subtle, but fantastic and the chickpeas made it a full-meal-deal in a bowl.  This one convinced me to make a "crowd pleaser" tab.  I doubled the recipe and used two crock pots to feed about 15 very satisfied friends!

1 1/2 pounds chicken meat
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried pitted dates, coarsely chopped or 3/4 cups raisins
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup orange juice

Put the chicken into the bottom of a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker.

Add diced onion, and spices. Sprinkle on the apricots and dates. Dump in the chickpeas.  Pour the broth and orange juice evenly over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 3-5. The chicken should be quite tender and shred easily with a fork.

Serve with quinoa or brown rice with the juices----the broth is delicious!


image found here

Tex-Mex Pot Roast

I promise the meat is under all that cheese!  I need to start a new label: crock pot crowd pleasers.  This would most certainly go on the list!  Talk about easy and delicious - and perfect for a Saturday full of great college football games.  Go Ducks and Sooners!

2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast

1 tsp chipotle chile powder (I just used regular old chili powder and a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper)

1 15oz. can chili beans, undrained

1 15oz. can corn, drained

1 10oz can original Rotel (tomatoes and chilies), undrained 

Starting with your meat, dump everything in the crock pot.  My meat was half frozen and it didn't make a difference.  Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.  Serve over baked potatoes with cheese (and sour cream if you're really going all out!).  You could also serve over tortilla chips or warmed tortillas.

Braised Beef with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I was excited to see this recipe on Jessie's blog (I stole her picture!)  - it looked so good . . . and it is.  So good.  It's more like a stew.  I made it on Saturday for our family and decided to scrap my other plans and make it again on Tuesday night for our community group.  It was a hit.  For the first batch, I brought everything to a boil and then dumped it in the crock pot to simmer on low for five hours.  The second batch I did as directed.  I didn't notice a difference.


2 teaspoons olive oil

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 medium onions, vertically sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups water

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup less-sodium beef broth

1 cup sun-dried tomato halves, packed without oil, cut into strips (about 2 1/2 ounces) If you can't find the kind without oil, at least rinse the tomatoes a bit to remove as much oil as possible to keep the stew from being super oily

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Add sliced onion; cook for 7 minutes or until onion is softened, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring often.

2. Stir in water and next 9 ingredients (through bay leaf). Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 1 hour. Uncover and simmer 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle each serving with parsley.

Slow-Cooker Green Chili

The poblano peppers added a nice little twist to what would have been a regular chili-stew thing.  Ryan said, "This one's a keeper" and I wholeheartedly agreed, especially after tasting the meal you can make with your leftovers.  Stay tuned tomorrow for a post on your 2 for 1 dinner special with this Martha Stewart recipe!


2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium yellow onion, diced medium
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
5 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes (cut in half if too large)
fresh cilantro leaves and lime wedges, for serving

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil over high.  Season pork with salt and pepper.  Cook pork (in batches, if necessary) until browned.  Transfer pork to a 6-quart slow cooker.

Add broth to skillet, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon.  Pour broth into slow cooker, then add onion, garlic, cumin, carrots, chiles, and potatoes.  Cover and cook on high until meat is fork-tender, 6 hours.

Skim excess fat from top of chili.  Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.  If you'd like, with a slotted spoon, transfer 2 cups chili (leaving liquid behind) to an airtight container; let cool, uncovered, then refrigerate for burritos later in the week (I'll post that recipe tomorrow).

Slow Cooked Spicy Orange Chicken

We tried this out the other night and it immediately went on my "sure to be a crowd pleaser" list. Mmm, mmm, good. A little spicy, a little sweet, moist and tender meat - yum! Roasted sweet potatoes were the perfect side veg.


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. You'll end up with a slimy orange gel that smells like ginger. Pour this on top of the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for about 4.

You can either carefully remove the chicken and serve in full breasts or large chunks, or you can do what I did and shred it all with two forks allowing the meat to soak up more of the tasty juice. I suggest serving over brown rice with roasted sweet potatoes. Delish!

Black Bean Chicken in the Crock Pot

Here is another delicious, easy, sure-to-be-a-crowd-pleasing meal. My husband was a HUGE fan. I'm definitely making this the next time I cook for our community group (upwards of 20 mouths to feed). I adapted Jessie's recipe just a bit and this still could have easily served 6 people. I cooked the rice with some lime juice thrown in and if my avacado hadn't been rotten, the meal would have been absolutely complete!

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained

1 (15 ounce) jar salsa, any kind

6 ounces cream cheese (reduced fat is fine on this one)
sliced avacado or cilantro for topping

Take 3-4 boneless chicken breasts and put into crock pot. It's fine if they are still frozen.

Add the black beans, corn, and salsa.

Cover and cook on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Shred chicken with two forks and then add the cream cheese (just throw it on top!). Turn the crock pot to low and let sit for about 1/2 hour.
Serve over a bed of spinach and cooked rice, wrapped up in tortillas, or in a bowl with tortilla chips for scooping.

White Chicken Chili

This is yet another wonderful recipe from my friend, Jaime (her picture, too!). I'd heard about her white chicken chili for a while and finally understood why it got such rave reviews when she brought it for dinner after my daughter was born. Oh, is this stuff GOOD!


3-5 skinless chicken breasts
½ large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5oz can chicken broth
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp red pepper sauce
2 cans (15oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15oz) white hominy corn, drained
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro


Mix onion, garlic, broth, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper sauce in a slow cooker. Add chicken, then cover and cook on low heat 5-6 hours, or until chicken is tender enough to shred. After shredding the chicken, stir in beans, hominy, lime juice and cilantro. Cover and cook for 45 minutes to an hour longer.
Serve with bagel chips or tortilla chips and pepper jack cheese.

Cowboy Caviar

After devouring this at a friend's party the weekend before, my husband insisted that I make it for his graduation party. Get creative with other ingredients you could add-in or substitute - this is one of those that's hard to mess up! It's a colorful addition to any table and slightly addicting. You should probably go make a bowl for yourself before serving it to others, just to be sure that it's good, right?!


Mix the following ingredients and let the avacados marinate for at least thirty minutes:
Juice of one lime
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Tabasco
2 Tbsp veggie oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp salt
3 firm avacados, chopped

Combine the rest of the ingredients below and then add the avacados, gently mixing it all together:
1 can white beans
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
3 cups frozen corn
1 cup sliced green onions
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos

Ever since I saw this recipe, I've been dreaming of making the little poppers. My husband's graduation party seemed like the perfect opportunity and, let me say, these little wonders were THE thing to eat at the party. Either everyone there was being super nice, or they all absolutely loved these things. Next time I think I'll leave a bit of the stems or seeds in the jalapenos. I wanted them to have a little more kick.


20 whole Fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches In Size
2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened
1 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep… Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.

Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.

Pulled Pork Tacos

I made this for our community group and felt a little awkward snapping a photo while everyone was getting their plate together, so I took this one from the Real Simple site.

Confession: I get really excited to turn my crock pot on. Weird, I know, but I'm a nerd. Take this recipe, for example. I needed to turn it on at 11:00, but at 10:50 I just couldn't wait another minute. Click! Let the magic begin. And let me tell you, magic happened in my crock pot when I made this pork. Oh my goodness. Whoever is reading this (there's at least three of you!), you must try this one. Tender, juicy, flavorful tacos that got rave reviews from everyone!


2 cups store-bought salsa, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
kosher salt
2 1/2-pound boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat (I used tenderloin)
18 corn tortillas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 lime, cut into wedges

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.

Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350° F. Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.

Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice

I have another recipe for adobo that I've always enjoyed, but after tasting this version, I don't know that I will ever make the other one again!

• 1 small sweet onion, sliced
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces or (I used 4 boneless chicken breasts)
• 2 bay leaves
• 
  
• 
  
• Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a small bowl mix the onion, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar and water, and pour over the chicken. Add bay leaves. Cook on Low for 6 or 7 hours. Shred chicken with two forks. Cover again and cook for another 2 or 1 hours. Serve over coconut rice.
  

Coconut Rice

One can of coconut milk
1 1/2 - 2 cups water
2 cups white rice

Combine the rice, water and milk in a pot with a lid. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, 30-40 minutes. Makes about 4 cups of rice.