taste of tuesday: what's been cookin'

here are a few of my new favorite recipes that have been making repeat appearances at our dinner table 3 ingredient pulled pork sandwiches

so easy and simple. great for a hot summer day when you don't want to warm your kitchen by slaving over the stove. and who'd a thunk: rootbeer!?! don't forget the slaw.

(almost as good as my chipotle pulled pork sandwiches)

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mascarpone creme & fresh berries

need i say more? when looking for something to do with all that fruit you just bought at Costco, try this. easy. fresh. light.

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chicken cordon blue

found this recipe while blog stalking a blog stalker of mine (cookinlicious, reveal yourself. you've got some great recipes)

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stuffed shells with spinach-ricotta filling

a great way to incorporate spinach without your kids throwing a fit. i halved the recipe and was plenty for our family of 4. next time I'll use my grandpa's spaghetti sauce recipe instead of the stuff in a jar.

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potato chip cookies

what to do with the small, broken pieces of chips? make cookies. that's right...potato chips are an ingredient in these cookies...and they are fantastic. if you like pecan sandies, you'll love these.

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(image via cooking light)

peach and gorgonzola pizza with chicken

a quick and easy alternative to your go-to pizza recipe. you'll even feel a little bit healthier when you eat this. make it even easier by using pre-made pizza crust (suggested: boboli thin crust). peaches aren't quite ripe enough so I substituted red pears. delish. and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on anything wins me over every time.

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best frosting...ever!

this recipe seems like a lot of work and includes flour, but it is seriously the best, lightest and relatively easy frosting to make. you'll never use another frosting again.

get cookin!

taste of tuesday:cranberry mustard pork tenderloin

we are staying home for Christmas this year, but are leaving for a week the day after, which poses a problem. traditional Christmas dinner is homemade lasagna with ribbon jello by candlelight. but when only Aaron and I will eat it, I can't rationalize making it and having leftovers that won't keep for the week. So, I have been on the hunt for an alternative. Don't want to do a turkey. hate ham. fondue? steaks on the grill? then I found this recipe. minimal ingredients, big flavor and made in a crockpot...bonus. once again, Brit has not let my palate down. it may not be our Christmas dinner, but it will definitely be making a repeat appearance on my dinner table soon. this was SO easy and tasty that is disappeared before I could snap a photo. wish I would have made more. rounded out the meal with roasted asparagus and sweet potatoes (wish kate enjoyed for the first time).

image

Cranberry Mustard Pork Tenderloin
(Recipe Club)
Ingredients:

• 1-16 oz. can whole cranberry sauce
• 1/3 cup dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 TBSP salt
• 2- 1 lbs. pork loin roasts

Directions:
mix all ingredients except pork together in bowl. place pork in crock pot, pour sauce over pork. cook on high for 1 hour then turn down to low & cook an addition 4 hours. let cool 10 minutes before cutting.

taste of tuesday: chipotle pulled pork sandwiches

today is Cinco de Mayo, but more importantly, my birthday. today's featured recipe is not a traditional Mexican meal, but if you're looking for some delicious meals, click here, here or here.

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Aaron loves pulled pork sandwiches. until recently, I bought the pre-made kind from the grocery store. they were okay, but not my favorite. while at Costco last week, I picked up 2 large pork tenderloins, unsure what I would make with them. I turned one of them into this yummy recipe for pulled pork sandwiches.

Chipotle Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients:

• 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 8 ounces pork tenderloin

***I doubled this marinade b/c my tenderloin was twice the size.

Directions:
1. Combine chipotle and sauce, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a blender or mini food processor; blend or process until the chipotle is chopped and the mixture is relatively smooth. Pour into a ziploc bag, add pork and seal. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

2. Cook in crockpot for 6-8 hours, until meat can be shredded. Once shredded, add some cooking liquid to moisten meat (if desired) or add your favorite BBQ sauce. Serve on toasted rolls topped with coleslaw, a few dashes of hot sauce, and a side of sweet potato fries.

taste of tuesday: pork. the other white meat

until a few years ago, I had an aversion to all meats, except chicken (and fish-but that's not really a "meat", right?). and roast, if made by my grandmother. but, being married to a meat lover, I have been forced to try different meat recipes to satisfy his appetite. it wasn't until I was pregnant that I really started to like meat. must have been the need for iron or something. I don't always want a juicy burger or pot roast, and chicken becomes bland after a few meals, so I found some great pork recipes that are super easy and quick.

One Pan Pork & Rice dinner

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs oil
• 4 thin cut pork chops
• 1 can mushroom soup
• 1 soup can water
• 2 soup cans Minute rice, uncooked
• S&P

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet. season pork with salt and pepper and add to skillet. cook approx. 4 minutes on each side until cooked through. remove from skillet.
2. Add soup and water to skillet. bring to a boil.
3. stir in rice. top with pork; cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.

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Apple Juice Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. pork tenderloin
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 c. apple juice
• 3 tbs. minced garlic
• 3 tbs. soy sauce

Directions:

combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.

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Lemon Pepper Pork Chops

(courtesy of Brit F.-super delicious and Aaron's favorite, but do you expect anything less from Brit?)

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp. lemon pepper
• 1 Tbsp. dried basil
• 2 Tbsp. sugar

Directions:
1. mix all ingredients together (except pork). Pour marinate into a large ziploc bag and add pork. refrigerate at least 2 hours prior to cooking.
2. Place on hot grill and cook 4-5 minutes on each side.

cafe rio night

Ironically, this is where I am heading for lunch today with the ladies and babies, but if you don't live in Utah, Arizona or Nevada and need to get your Cafe Rio fix, I have found some recipes that can help you re-create your favorite dishes. On the menu for Taco Thursday:

• Sweet Pork Enchiladas
• Tortilla Soup
• Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing

Sweet Pork Enchiladas
Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pork tenderloin
• 6-8 tortillas (for the best tortillas, get the fresh ones from Costco)
• cheese
• 1 1/2 cans of Coca-Cola (the real thing, not diet)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 7 oz. can of chilies in adobe sauce
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic
• 8 oz. can of diced green chilies
• 2, 12 oz. bottles of green taco sauce
• 1/2 c. brown sugar

Directions:

1. Prepare the marinade the night before. Combine in blender the following:

• Coke
• granulated sugar
• adobe sauce (do not include chilies unless you really like spicy food)
• mustard, cumin and garlic

2. Pour marinade over pork and marinade overnight.

3. Place pork in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.

4. After pork is tender (pulls apart easily), shredded pork and combine with green chilies, brown sugar and 1 bottle of green taco sauce.

***at this point you can have a taco bar and serve pork tacos, or continue on and make enchiladas

5. Pour a small amount of green taco sauce in bottom of baking dish (just enough to coat/prevent sticking). Place spoonful of pork in cooked Costco tortillas and continue until pan is full.

6. Pour remaining bottle of green taco sauce over enchiladas and top with cheese. Cook until cheese is melted.

7. Serve with sour cream or cilantro-lime ranch dressing (Aaron's preference)

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Tortilla Soup

photo courtesy of flickr
Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breast, cubed
• 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes (I use Mexican flavored)
• 15 oz. can corn
• 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. Worcester sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 c. cilantro
• 1/2 tsp garlic
• 1/2 package taco seasoning
• 1-2 cans of chicken broth (amount of liquid depends on how thick/thin you like your soup)
• limes
• avocado
• tortilla chips
• sour cream
• cheese

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients EXCEPT stewed tomatoes and corn in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

2. Add corn and stewed tomatoes and simmer for 1/2 hour.

3. Serve with fresh limes, avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese.

***you can also cook in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours (until chicken is cooked through). add corn and stewed tomatoes 30 minutes before serving.

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Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing
Ingredients:

• 3 tomatillos, quartered
• 1 package ranch dressing
• 1 cup mayo
• 1/3-1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup cilantro
• 2 gloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in blender and blend well. For a thicker dressing reduce mayo to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup of sour cream. Serve with pork tacos/enchiladas or salad.