Pennsylvania Pot Roast

*I stole this picture from the Taste of Home website because I didn't take a picture of mine.

Pennsylvania Pot Roast
Recipe from the Taste of Home cookbook

1 Boneless pork shoulder roast (2 1/2 to 3 lbs), halved
1-1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
6 Medium red potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 Medium carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
7-8 fresh mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water

Place roast in a 5 quart slow cooker; add the broth, onions and seasonings. Cover and cook on high for 2 hrs. Add the vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Remove the meat and vegetables; keep warm. Discard bay leaf.

In a saucepan, combine flour and cold water until smooth; stir in 1 1/2 cups cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add browning sauce if desired. Serve with roast and vegetables.

Fried Rice

*I just guesstimated how much veggies and rice to put in...just throw in what you have available and it will be just fine. No need to measure, just make however much you want.

Fried Rice
Recipe from Mom

6-8 Strips bacon (or 1/2 c. chopped ham)
1-2 Cups vegetables, chopped
Choose from carrots, onion, peas, celery, green pepper,
bean sprouts, broccoli, or cabbage
3-4 Cups cooked rice (preferably cold, leftover rice works great)
1-2 Eggs
Salt
Pepper
Soy sauce

Fry bacon until barely done. Add vegetables and cook until just heated through. Turn down heat to medium and add rice, stirring constantly. Once rice is heated through, add egg. Stir until egg is completely added and cooked. Season with salt, pepper and soy sauce to taste. If you use ham, fry in 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (Crockpot)

*So, I LOVED this recipe. And it was easy with little mess. Not much better than that! This picture just doesn't do it justice.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Recipe from OurBestBites.com (with a few of my changes)

3 lb. boneless pork roast
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Pepper
Smoked paprika or liquid smoke (I used cayenne pepper)
1 Bottle BBQ sauce
Rolls, biscuits, or bread (I used Pillsbury homestyle biscuits)
Coleslaw (recipe here)
Thick cut dill pickles (optional)

Rinse pork in cold water and trim excess fat. Pat dry. Sprinkle roast with seasonings and place in slow cooker. Add about 1/2 inch of water and cook on low 8-10 hours. When roast is cooked, drain liquid and then return to slow cooker and shred. Pour enough sauce over the meat so its well-incorporated, but not soupy. Return the lid to slow cooker and heat through until ready to serve. To serve, slice rolls and add meat. Top with coleslaw and pickles.

Freezer instructions:

Prepare meat through seasoning step. Instead of placing in slow cooker, place seasoned meat in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. When ready to prepare, follow same instructions. Just make sure you have buns, coleslaw, and BBQ sauce.

BBQ Pork Bake (Slow Cooker and Oven)

*Good Sunday type dinner and leftovers make wonderful BBQ pork sandwiches. Just heat up the pork, put on a hamburger bun, and add any toppings desired such as cheese, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, sprouts, lettuce, avocado, mayo, extra BBQ sauce, etc.

All-Night Pork Bake
Recipe from With Singleness of Heart Cookbook (Finlinsons)

Pork:
1 Lean pork roast
1 bottle (16 oz) BBQ sauce

Slow Cooker Instructions:
Put together in slow cooker and cook overnight or all day on low heat until pork shreds easily.

Oven Instructions:
Put pork roast in roasting pan and bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes. Add sauce and turn down heat to 220. Cover and bake for 8 to 10 hours.

Pineapple and Green Chile Pork Tacos (Crockpot)

Tips: I buy pork chops when they have two for one deals at Albertsons. Works well with chicken also. Don't even bother defrosting the meat if it's frozen; it'll be just fine. If you can't find green salsa, the red variety will be tasty here also.

Pineapple and Green Chile Pork Tacos in the Crockpot
Recipe from Prudence Pennywise

1 lb. pork chops

1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple with juices

1 cup tomatillo salsa (green salsa or salsa verde)

1 4 ounce can green chiles, undrained

1/3 cup brown sugar

For serving: warm flour tortillas, queso fresco (or feta), chopped cilantro, lime wedges, more green salsa

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for four hours or on low for 6 to eight hours. Shred pork, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve in soft flour tortillas with desired accompaniments.

Sweet Pork (Slow Cooker)

Sweet Pork
Recipe from Macie Stratton

4 lb (or smaller) Pork Roast
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Salsa

(Just make sure equal parts brown sugar and salsa.) Put pork roast topped with brown sugar and salsa in slow cooker. Cook for 6-8 hours on low or until shreds easily.

*Great plain, in tacos, burritos, sandwiches, etc.

Cafe Rio Salad (Copycat Recipe)

Cafe Rio Salad (copycat recipe)

Tortillas (Costco, working on homemade version)
Cheddar Cheese (thinly shredded if possible)
Cafe Rio Rice
Cafe Rio Black Beans
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork or Chicken
Lettuce (NOT iceberg, use leafy green or Romaine)
Pico de Gallo (basic tomato, onion, cilantro)
Guacamole (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Tortilla Strips (in produce section or can get at Bajio)
Parmesan cheese (Cafe Rio uses a Mexican Cheese called Casero)
Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch or Vinegarette dressing

Cook uncooked tortilla and sprinkle cheese on cooked side and let melt while other side cooks. Add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce and a little scoop of pico de gallo. Add guacamole and sour cream. Add crushed tortilla chips or strips, a shake of Parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Pour on dressing.

*Tip: I felt like I spent all day in the kitchen to make this. The only ways I can think of cutting kitchen time (or at least feeling like it) would be to let pork marinate overnight, don't NEED the homemade guacamole and pico de gallo although they are good. The dressings, rice, and probably the beans could be done earlier in the day.

*Tip: Some food make bad left overs. If items are stored in separate containers and not pre-mixed into the salad it makes GREAT leftovers. Feel free to make more than less.

SWEET PORK
Recipe from favfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com (with my changes)

(Try a simpler sweet pork recipe here. Not Cafe Rio...but very good!)

2 pounds pork
3 cans Coke (I used orange juice)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours.


CAFE RIO CHICKEN
Recipe from kalynskitchen.blogspot.com

1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic (minced)
5 lbs chicken breast

Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours, shred chicken and cook 1 additional hour.

CILANTRO-LIME VINAGARETTE DRESSING
Recipe from Cookingwithkaryn.blogspot.com

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c. fresh chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 small jalepeno, seeded & diced

Combine in blender or food processor.


CREAMY LIME-CILANTRO DRESSING
Recipe by Ourbestbites.com

1 pack (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (buttermilk or regular)
1C mayo
1/2 C milk (or buttermilk depending on which packet you buy)
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa (La Costena or Hernandez Brand)
hot sauce

Place milk, mayo, ranch mix, and juice the lime you should get about 2T juice. Blend. Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa. Blend. Sample it and add hot sauce to taste. Refridgerate and let thicken.

CILANTRO-LIME RICE
Recipe from favfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com

1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


BLACK BEANS
Recipe from favfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

*Note: we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder. Very good, even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio"