Mexican-Style Sweet Shredded Pork

Katy with Anya in Allyn's Kitchen.  (The Mexican Pork is in the crock pot on the island beside Katy. Ha!)

 We made this at Allyn's when Katy and I visited her last October to throw her a HERO PARTY.  I don't have any photos of it, but let's face it, a picture of a crock pot full of pork isn't that pretty.  It is fantastic to eat, though.  We used it in quesadillas, enchiladas, nachos, tacos. The recipe is from Our Best Bites.

Ingredients:

4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast (no substitutes!)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 - 2 T. vegetable oil

2 (10-ounce) cans enchilada sauce

1 c. brown sugar, divided

1/2 c. salsa

1/2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c. apple juice (I've used whatever juice was handy if I didn't have apple and it's still great)

Directions:

Trim the visible fat from the roast and sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili powder, and onion powder.  Use your hands (do it, Katy!) to massage the spices over all sides of the meat.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sear the pork roast for about 1 minute on all sides or until the meat surface is golden brown.

While meat is searing, combine the enchilada sauce, 2/3 cup brown sugar, salsa, Worcestershire sauce, and apple juice in a slow cooker.  Add the pork, cover, and cook for 7 hours on low with the lid on the entire time.

Remove pork and shred, discarding any pieces of fat.  Add the additional 1/3 cup brown sugar to slow cooker and turn heat to high.  Add shredded meat.  Simmer with lid off for 30 minutes.

Holiday Cookies

I've made these enough times now that I know they are fool-proof.  For all you fools out there.  These cookies are the perfect texture and taste and they're easy to frost.  LOVE. I like to freeze one of the two discs of dough.  Bridget and I made cookies twice this month.  Double our pleasure. :)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. superfine sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

16 T. unsalted butter, cut into sixteen 1/2-inch pieces and softened

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 T. cream cheese, softened

Directions:

1.  In a mixer with a paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined.  With mixer running on low, add butter one piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet.  Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps.

2.  Remove bowl from mixer; knead dough by hand in bowl for two or three turns to form a large ball.  Turn dough onto counter top and divide in half, pat into two 4-inch discs, wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm but malleable, about 30 minutes.  (Don't skip the refrigeration!  Very important.)

3.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  roll out one dough disc to an even 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut out with cookie cutters and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Cool and frost.

Sweet Potato Stew

I have to admit that when this was cooking I really had my doubts.  Who puts allspice and cloves in beef stew?  I was skeptical that my children would even eat it, so I gave everyone small portions in order to avoid having to throw out 5 full bowls of soup.  I cooked it a while back and froze it, then it spent the day today in the crock-pot, smelling up our house.  Then a Christmas Miracle!  They all loved it.  They asked for more!  They cleaned their bowls.  Amazing!  So now I must share it with you.


1 lb trimmed stew meat
1/2 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2/3 cup sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup green string beans
1/4 cup carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced


1.  Coat pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat.  Sear all sides of stew meat, then reduce heat to low.  Add beef broth, onions, Worcestershire sauce and all spices.  Stir gently to coat.  Cover pan and let simmer for 90 minutes.
2.  Thinly slice celery and carrots; cut beans into bite-size pieces; peel and cube sweet potato.
3.  Stir in all veggies, then cover and let cook on medium-low (simmer) for an additional 40 minutes.
4.  If desired, thicken stew by adding a tablespoon of whole-wheat flour with a small amount of water.

Sorry I don't have a picture.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Remember several years ago when every person you knew claimed to have THEE recipe for Neiman Marcus cookies.  Someone was super sneaky and got it through some black ops something.  Every time I see a recipe for the Neiman Marcus cookies it's different from the last one I saw.  These are supposedly Neiman Marcus cookies, but since I added black and white chocolate chips and walnuts, I decided to call them Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies.  They're my new favorite breakfast food and dessert!

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

2 1/2 c. oats, blended into a powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 pkg. white chocolate chips

1/2 pkg. milk chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts

Combine all dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt) and set aside.  In a mixing bowl, combine butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.  Slowly add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl.  Mix in chocolate chips and nuts with dough hooks (if you're using a free standing mixer).  Bake for 10 minutes in a 375 degree oven. 

Butter Beer!!!

 Last September our family went to Universal Studios Orlando and spent most of our time at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  It was awesome!!  We loved the butter beer and have been searching for a recipe that somewhat matched it ever since that magical day.

Matt's not into butterscotch so he opted for the Pumpkin Juice.

 Eliza found this recipe online and we all agreed that it tasted just like the theme park, although the color isn't as dark, but oh well.  It's really delicious and really rich-just like the park.

Ingredients:
* Cream Soda
* Butterscotch sundae topping syrup
*  Reddi whip canned whip topping
Directions:
Step 1: Measure 1 1/2 teaspoons Butterscotch topping syrup into each of the glasses or mugs (chilled mugs or glasses works great!).
Step 2:  Add 1/4 cup cream soda into each glass and stir with a spoon until butterscotch topping is completely mixed in with the soda.  Set aside.
Step 3: For the Foam:  combine 1/2 cup reddi whip topping, 1 1/2 teaspoons of butterscotch syrup and 1/2 tablespoon cream soda in a small bowl.  Stir until well combined.
Step 4:  To Finish:  Pour more cream soda into each glass, leaving about 1 1/2 inches at the top.  Spoon foam mixture slowly into the center of the glass until it reaches the sides of the glass.

You can enjoy this now, or let it stand for 1-2 minutes to get the full effect.  The foam continues to "grow" for a few minutes.

Home made Butter Beer!

Chicken Pot Pie

I can finally make my favorite kind of food now that it's cooling off around here.  This is from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook with a few adjustments.  I LOVE this.  I like to make two pie crusts (I think you should use your favorite pie crust because I don't feel like typing that recipe too) and freeze one to use on another chicken pot pie on another day.  I also use Costco's rotisserie chicken.  Two shortcuts!

4 T. unsalted butter

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 onion, minced

Salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. fresh thyme (we had it in our garden - awesome)

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

3 c. chicken broth

1/3 c. heavy cream

2 bay leaves

Pepper

3 lbs. cooked chicken (Costco rotisserie is exactly perfect for this)

1 c. frozen peas (I forget this EVERY TIME)

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Melt butter in a large dutch oven (I used a heavy bottomed, large saucepan) over medium heat.  Add carrots, celery, and onion, and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook until softened.

Stir in the garlic and thyme until fragrant (about 15 seconds).  Stir in the flour.  Slowly stir in the broth, cream, and bay leaves.  Simmer until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.  *This is when I get the pie crust out and roll it into a large rectangle.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in the chicken and continue to simmer for a few more minutes.  Discard the bay leaves and add the peas to the sauce.  Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Carefully place the rolled out pie crust on top of the hot mixture and pinch it to the edges of the baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly.  (I like to serve this in shallow bowls because it's pretty saucy.  Like me.)

Brattens Famous Clam Chowder

Since I have had to hunt this recipe down twice, I decided to put it where I can find it from now on :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup celery, finely diced
• 2 cups very finely diced potatoes ( peeled)
• 2 (6 1/2 ounce) cans minced clams, and juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup butter ( not margarine)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 quart half-and-half ( cream)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• pepper

Directions

1. Put the prepared vegetables in a saucepan.
2. Drain juice from clams and pour over the vegetables.
3. Add enough water to BARELY cover.
4. Simmer, covered over medium heat till barely tender.
5. (DO NOT overcook!).
6. In the meantime, melt butter in another medium saucepan.
7. Add flour.
8. Blend and cook, stirring constantly; add the cream.
9. Cook and stir with wire whip, until smooth and thick.
10. It is important that you stir constantly while cooking.
11. Add undrained vegetables, clams and vinegar.
12. Heat through, but do not boil again.