Pulled Pork Tacos & Almost Homemade Tomato Soup

Pulled Pork Tacos - Serves Six to Eight

Ingredients for the Pulled Pork:

2 pound pork shoulder roast
1 (15 oz.) can beef broth
4 cloves garlic, put through a press
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Plenty of corn tortillas to serve with Cabbage Salad and Pickled Onions

Cabbage Salad

In a large bowl place the lettuce, onion, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, and radishes. Whisk together the vinegar and olive oil, pour the mixture over the ingredients in the bowl, and gently toss. Sprinkle the cotija cheese on top.

Pickled Onions

Place the red onion slices in a shallow bowl and pour white vinegar over them. If desired, add a pinch of salt and/or sugar. Allow them to sit for 10 minutes, then drain them and add them to the salad mixture.

Directions:

Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit or get out your crock pot and set it on high. Pour the beef broth into a deep baking pan or into the crock pot.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice, olive oil, lemon pepper, chili powder and smoked paprika. Trim any excess fat and remove any string from the roast. Rub the garlic mixture into the roast.

Lower the spice rubbed roast into the baking pan or the crock pot. Cover the baking pan with foil or put the lid on the crock pot. Allow the roast to cook for 4 to 5 hours or until the meat is easily shredded with a fork.

Remove the roast from the pan or pot and place on serving platter. Scrape away any excess fat. Using two forks, shred the meat. Spoon some of the cooking liquid onto meat.
Serve with warm corn tortillas, Cabbage Salad and Pickled Onions.

Sort of Homemade Tomato Soup - Serves Four

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 slices good bread
2 garlic cloves, put through a press
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup evaporated milk
Cream or extra evaporated milk for drizzling

Directions: 

Make croutons by cutting the bread slices into cubes. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and add bread cubes. Cook the bread crumbs about 2 to 3 minutes on each side until browned. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pan. Add the garlic and basil leaves. Saute them for 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for five minutes. Take off the heat. Stir in the evaporated milk. Pour into bowls and serve with croutons floating on top. Drizzle with some cream or extra evaporated milk if desired.

Jenn's Favorite Curried Chicken Salad & Chickpea Salad with Lemony Salted Yogurt and Plenty of Dill

Jennifer's Favorite Curried Chicken Salad 

 Ingredients for Four Servings:

2 cups cooked chicken

, cut into bite sized pieces
1 apple, diced (Granny Smith is best if you have it)
2 tablespoons diced celery
2 tablespoons dried raisins
2 tablespoons chopped nuts (pecans are great, but any or none will do)
2 tablespoons diced onion (white, yellow, red or green)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine the chicken, apple, celery, raisins, nuts  and onions in a bowl. Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, curry powder, salt and pepper. Add enough of the mayonnaise mixture to the chicken combination to coat it well, but not have the chicken be swimming in it. Serve on top of greens.

Chickpea Salad with Lemony Salted Yogurt and Plenty of Dill

Ingredients for Two Servings

1 (15 oz.) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/2 medium cucumber, diced
1 tablespoon diced red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 bunch of fresh dill and pita bread for serving

Gently combine all chickpeas, tomato, avocado, onion, olive oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and garlic powder in a bowl. Whisk together yogurt, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Divide chickpea mixture between two plates. Put 2 tablespoons of  yogurt mixture to side. Serve with pita and fresh dill.

Eggplant in Miso Seasoned Sauce & White Beans and Sausage with Chimichurri Sauce on Toast

Eggplant in Miso Seasoned Sauce

Ingredients and Directions for Four Servings

2 medium sized eggplants *

2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for brushing eggplant

Garlic salt, for sprinkling on the eggplant slices

1 white or yellow onion, peeled and sliced

4 garlic cloves, peeled and put through a press

1 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons white miso

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons soy type sauce such as tamari, Maggi or reduced sodium

Optional: Greek yogurt and parsley for serving

Wash, dry and cut the ends off the eggplants. Slice about 1/4 inch thick and brush each side with a little oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Either grill over medium heat about 5 to 7 minutes a side or bake in a 375 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes until easily pierced with a fork.

While eggplant is cooking, saute the onion slices in 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until tender - about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the pressed garlic and continue to cook for 30 more seconds. Pour in the beef broth. Whisk in the miso, apple cider vinegar and soy sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes or so.

Cut the cooked eggplant slices into fourths and add to the miso broth mixture. Gently toss. Serve with a swoosh of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of parsley if desired.

*In the photo above, I used a combination of regular and baby eggplants.

White Beans and Sausage with Chimichurri Sauce on Toast

Ingredients and Directions for Two Servings

2 to 4 slices of good quality bread, toasted
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 (15 oz.) can of white beans such as Great Northern or cannelloni
1 medium tomato, diced
1 tablespoon diced red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking sausage
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Drain and rinse the beans. In a bowl, gently mix together beans, diced tomatoes, diced red onions, 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, salt, garlic powder and pepper.

Place the toast on a serving plate. Ladle the bean mixture and browned sausage slices between the two servings of toast. Top each serving with a tablespoon or two of chimichurri sauce.

Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken

 Use a fairly good sized chicken - like around 3 pounds or over

The easy way: sprinkle the chicken all over with garlic salt and lemon pepper. Roast in a pan or baking sheet with sides at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour and 30 minutes.

The just a little bit harder way: Mix together 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon oregano,1 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. and 1 garlic clove put through press. Rub all over the chicken. Place in a pan or baking sheet with sides and roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour and 30 minutes. 

Banh Mi Bowl, Citrus Beet Salad & Brown Rice Chickpea Stew

Banh Mi Bowl 

To Assemble Banh Mi Bowls:

1.  For each bowl, cut a fourth of a cucumber into sticks, place in a bowl, cover with rice wine vinegar. Do the same thing for 1/8 of a sliced red onion. Plain or even apple cider vinegar can be substituted for the rice wine vinegar.  On the day I made this lunch, I didn't have any carrots or daikon radish on hand, but they are wonderful to give a soak in vinegar and use in this bowl as well. Set the cucumber sticks and red onion slices aside while they sit for at least 5 minutes. 

2. For each serving, use a heaping half cup of left over cooked chicken, beef, or pork.

Whisk together:

2 cloves garlic, put through a press
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Maggi, Tamari or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
pinch black pepper

Place the cooked meat with the whisked mixture and saute together over medium low heat for a good 5 minutes until the meat gets a crispy brown texture on the out side.

3. According to package directions, cook one serving of rice noodles, or even thin spaghetti. Drain and place noodles in serving bowl.

4. Drain the vinegar soaked cucumbers and any other veggies that might have been soaking, and place them on top of the noodles.

5. Add the meat.

6. Finish with a handful of cilantro, Thai (or regular) basil, and sliced radishes. A few slices of a hot pepper such as jalapeno or Serrano look nice on top.

Citrus Beet Salad

Ingredients and directions for each serving:

About 3/4 cup cooked beets - that's about 1 medium beet per person.
1 medium orange, peeled and sectioned
1 medium grapefruit, peeled, sectioned, and cut into pieces if sections are large
Heaping 1 tablespoon of shelled pistachio nuts
Kosher salt
Pepper
Some good olive oil
A handful of washed and dried herbs such as dill, parsley, or basil 

Peel the beets, cut into chunks and either simmer on the stove in a small amount of lightly salted water until tender - about 7 minutes. Or, roast by putting them in a single layer, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Kosher salt, on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for about 45 to 50 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.

Place the beets, orange and grapefruit slices on serving plate. Top with a handful of herbs. Sprinkle with pistachio nuts, Kosher salt and pepper. Add a swoosh of Greek yogurt on the side. Drizzle with some good olive oil.

Brown Rice Chickpea Stew

Ingredients and directions for four servings.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced (optional)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and put through a press

1 (15 oz.) can broth - beef, chicken or vegetable

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup rice, brown or white

1 cup water

1/2 cup of protein if desired, such as cooked chicken, shredded beef,pork or poached egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

scant 1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, washed and dried

Heat the oil in sauce pan and saute the onion and celery (if using) until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Pour in the broth, diced tomatoes along with their juice, and the drained chickpeas. Add the cup of water and rice. Season with the oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until the rice is tender. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle each serving with a tablespoon of cilantro leaves

Oatmeal Raisin Banana Pancakes

I'm just going to tell you right now - these pancakes are not light and fluffy! But they are healthyish and they do taste yummy. The oatmeal gives them a lot of texture and good-for-you fiber. I started making them for something that was a little fun and different for breakfast, yet I didn't want to jump too far off the mindful eating track. The raisins and cinnamon make them taste good enough for a holiday breakfast. But the banana is key; honestly without it this dish is pretty dry! 

Ingredients and Procedures for Six Medium Sized 6" Pancakes

2 eggs
1 medium banana, mashed
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup buckwheat (or all purpose flour)
2 tablespoons almond milk (or regular milk)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup dried raisins

1 tablespoon vegetable oil to fry pancakes

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until the yolk and white are well combined. Add the mashed banana, oatmeal, buckwheat, milk, baking powder maple syrup, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon. Mix well to incorporate all the ingredients into a blended batter. Stir in raisins.

Heat the oil in skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Working in two batches, fry three pancakes at a time by dropping 1/4 cup of batter on skillet for each pancake. When multiple bubbles appear on surface, flip each pancake over and cook for three additional minutes.

Serve with maple syrup.  

Old Fashioned Christmas Cookies: Easy and Super Delicious!

The recipe for these cookies must be at least 100 years old. I'm guessing this because my grandmother, who was born in 1903, brought Christmas tins of these to our house every holiday season. I remember biting into them - still cold from being in the truck of the car - and literally sinking my teeth into the soft shortbread covered with frosting. Sometimes she decorated them with tiny edible silver balls which seemed to add a magical quality to them. When I was about ten, she gave me the recipe and called them "Aunt Mary's Cookies". I should have asked her who Aunt Mary was! She must have been a relative that was gone before my time. I still love this recipe and even though they don't look very Pinterest or Instagram worthy, they are absolutely delicious!  They are especially easy for kids to make which makes them perfect for the season. Merry Christmas! 

Aunt Mary's Cookies - Ingredients and Directions for 2 1/2 Dozen

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks, regular salted)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda*
1 teaspoon cream of tarter*
Decorative sprinkles

*4 teaspoons baking powder can be substituted for the baking soda and cream of tarter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit 

1. and 2.   Using a mixer, cream the confectioners sugar and butter together until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. and 4.  Add egg and extract(s) and mix until well combined

5. and 6.  Add flour, soda and cream of tarter (or baking powder) and either stir in or use mixer until the dough is stiff and smooth.

7,  Use two spoons to drop rounded mounds onto an ungreased baking sheet lined with either foil or parchment paper and place in preheated 375 Fahrenheit  degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Cookies will be done when they are faintly brown in places around edges or on top.

Ingredients and Directions for Basic Butter Cream Frosting - Plenty for 2 1/2 Dozen Cookies

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick regular salted)
2 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon salt

Using a mixture, cream all ingredients together until light and fluffy.

Frost each cookie and decorate with anything you wish!