Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

My friend Shannon gave me this recipe when we did one of the volleyball team dinners together. It's genius. This fed 18 people for one of our family dinners and doubled it fed 40 volleyball players and coaches. (Serve with Cilantro Lime Rice.) If you're not feeding all those people, freeze some for next time.

2 Pork Sirloin Tip Roasts (they come in packages of four at Costco for under $20)

1 jar of Mango & Peach Salsa (refrigerated section at Costco)

1 cup brown sugar

Place two pork roasts in a large crockpot.

Blend salsa and brown sugar together in a blender. Pour over pork roasts in the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. The roasts should shred easily with a fork when they're ready.

Mom's Pecan Pie

 

This is in the first Sisters' Cookbook. Every year I wonder if this recipe makes one or two pie fillings - it's one. Mom always made this for Thanksgiving, sometimes using walnuts when pecans were too expensive. It's one of my permanent Thanksgiving Dinner assignments. (I always use this pie crust recipe. The pastry!)

3 eggs

1 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp flour

2 c. dark corn syrup (buy it in October! Trust me. Each bottle is two cups)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. pecans, chopped

Beat eggs until they are thick and lemon-colored.

Mix flour and sugar together; add to eggs. Beat well.

Stir in corn syrup, vanilla, salt and pecans. Pour into an unbaked pie shell.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. (In Utah it's always at least 50 minutes.)

Sunday Scotcheroos

 

When Brian finally gets home from church on Sundays, he needs a Scotcheroo. You get it.

1 c. light Karo syrup

1 c. sugar

1 c. creamy peanut butter

6 c. Rice Krispies cereal

Topping

1 c. milk chocolate chips 

1 c. butterscotch chips

In a medium saucepan on medium heat, slowly heat Karo syrup and sugar, stirring constantly. When the sugar is completely dissolved and it's bubbling a little, take it off the heat and stir in the peanut butter until the mixture is smooth.

Put the Rice Krispies into a large bowl (like your biggest Tupperware bowl) and pour the syrup and peanut butter mixture over it. Mix with a spatula until combined. Transfer the mixture to a greased, 9x13" pan and spread evenly.

For the topping, melt the chips together over medium heat on the stove while stirring constantly, or microwave if you prefer. Once the chips are completely melted, pour over the Rice Krispies. Spread the butterscotch/milk chocolate topping evenly with a spoon or spatula. Cool until the topping has hardened.

Zuppa Toscana

 

There's a healthier version of this on Our Best Bites. I changed it so much to match what I have on hand that I created a totally different soup. My kids call it Pepperoni Soup and it's been a weekly favorite for the last few months.

16 oz. ground Italian sausage (I usually use Jimmy Dean)

1/2 tsp or more crushed red pepper flakes 

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 small sweet onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 14.5-oz cans regular chicken broth

4 small to medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

2 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

3 oz. cream cheese, softened and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup baby spinach, chopped (I chop more to add to individual bowls)

Parmesan cheese

Cook sausage in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add red pepper flakes and smoked paprika. When sausage is just cooked, drain the fat and add the onions, continue cooking for 2 - 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Transfer to a soup pot. Add chicken broth, Italian seasoning and potatoes and gently boil for about 7 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour. Slowly add milk and cream, whisking constantly to keep the mixture smooth. Turn heat down a little and add cream cheese. Continue to whisk until the cream cheese is melted completely. Pour the mixture into the soup pot when the potatoes are cooked. Add salt and chopped spinach. Serve with more spinach and grated Parmesan cheese.

Sweet & Spicy Chili

 It's chili cook-off season! This is a winner. 

1.25 lbs. lean ground beef

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp (or less if you can't stand the heat) red pepper flakes

1 TB chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 (15 oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes

1 (4 oz.) can green chilies

4 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans (or a combo of beans you like - pinto, navy, black, whatever)

2 (10.5 oz.) cans tomato soup

1.5 cups V-8 juice

1 cup brown sugar

Garnish: sour cream, cheese, finely chopped onion

Instructions:

Brown beef in a large frying pan or skillet. Drain fat. Add chopped onions and bell peppers right when the meat is browned. Cook on medium heat until the vegetables are just soft. Add the garlic and stir for about a minute. Add the spices and stir, then transfer the whole thing to a large pot. (If you're using a large Dutch oven, you don't need to change venues.)

Add the rest of the ingredients to the meat mixture (except garnishes) and stir. Keep it on low heat for at least an hour. The longer the flavors have to sit together, the better it will taste.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins (or bread)

 

One of my favorites from Emil and Colin's baking class with Chef Freyka Nunez del Prado. I've included her pro-tips. :)

2 medium zucchinis, peeled and shredded

¾ cup sugar

½ cup Canola oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

1 ½ cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

¾ cup mini chocolate chips, lightly dusted with ½ a teaspoon of flour

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Shred zucchini in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for at least five minutes. Squeeze all the water from the zucchini and put it in a different container, discarding the liquid.

In a mixing bowl, mix the sugar and all the wet ingredients.

In a separate mixing bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Use a spatula to combine – do not over mix.

Add chocolate chips to the batter.

Pour into loaf pan or spoon into lined muffin cups. Bake loaf for approximately 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Bake muffins for 25 minutes, but check (with a toothpick) after 20 minutes. Cool for ten minutes.

Grandma Peggy's M & M Cookies

 

This is Mom's official cookie recipe for posterity and also because it's on a tiny piece of paper in an overstuffed recipe box hanging on for dear life :). Mom has written in pencil directions for tripling the recipe for obvious reasons. (This is not the tripled version.) Mom always bought the holiday M&Ms to use in her cookies. 

3/4 stick Crisco Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening

 

1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 3/4 all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

6 oz. plain M & M (seasonal colors are the best)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. 

Combine shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg. 

Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture until just blended. Stir in M & Ms.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet (or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper). Bake 8-10 minutes for chewy cookies or 11-13 minutes for crisp cookies.