Traditional Mexican Posole

A coworker, Kim, gave me this recipe years ago.  It is simple, colorful, fragrant, and delicious.  Posole is a Mexican stew made, in this case, with hominy and pork. Start this early in the day, as it does take some time. Adding a twist of lime and a splash of hot sauce brings all the flavors together, and kids love adding their own garnishes.  At our house, we add additional flavor with conversational gems such as, "Hominy? Probably two bowls of it. Maybe three." You may also want to try a homestyle tortilla or two on the side.

Posole

2-3 lbs of pork (shoulder or butt, with or without bone)
1 large can hominy (29 oz)
1 bag dry California chiles (dried Anaheim chiles)
3 large tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 T dried oregano
1 T garlic powder
salt to taste

Garnish:
1 c chopped cilantro
1 avocado, chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges
dried oregano
2 c cabbage, sliced thinly
hot sauce to taste

Cut the pork into large chunks and place it in a large stockpot of water, enough to cover the pork well. Boil until it is falling apart, about 4 hours depending on the size of the meat.  Add salt and garlic powder while cooking.  After about 3 1/2 hours, add the hominy.  (Hominy is done when it is soft.)

In the meantime, trim the stems and the seeds off the chiles and rinse.  Put them in a sauce pan on medium heat, and cook for about half hour or so using a couple of ladles of water from the pork. After the chiles have been simmering for about 10-15 minutes, add the garlic (peeled) and tomatoes.  Once the chiles are soft and easily pierced with a fork, blend the entire mixture in a blender or with a hand blender for 3-5 minutes until the chiles have no small pieces visible. Add more stock if necessary.  Add this mixture to the meat and hominy. Cook for another 30-45 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro, avocado, lime, oregano, and cabbage.  Serve with warmed tortillas.

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Sweet and Sour Pork, Chinese Noodles, and Pear Custard Tart

Claire's been hankering for my Chinese noodles, so this week is an Asian post.  I take the rhythm and proportions of stir-fry somewhat for granted, but trying to write down these recipes has really forced me to think about it.  The order in which you do things is important.  Despite the implications of the term "stir-fry," you really cannot just throw everything into the pot and stir it all around.  Your veggies will be mush, and the meat won't be properly browned.  First, brown the meat. Don't be afraid to use oil, and don't stir it around for the first few minutes- it's got to brown! Next take the meat out, and set it aside. Heat oil, add garlic. Don't burn the garlic or it will ruin the flavor of your whole dish. Next add onions, and the firmer vegetables, like carrots or broccoli stems. When these are nearing tender, make a clearing in the center of the pan and add the meat.  NOW you can stir it all together. Add some chicken stock or water that's been mixed with a little cornstarch. (Or else you won't get a nice sauce to mix with your rice. Kids love this sauce!) At the very end, fold in the green onions. And spinach if you're obsessed with spinach like I am.

Homestyle Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork
This sweet and sour recipe is not your thickly breaded sickly sweet sauce that you get at the grocery store or in bad Chinese restaurants. If that's your favorite, forget it and move on.  This is my mom's recipe.  You don't need to buy a jar of sauce with HFCS and who knows what else in it.  You just need ketchup. If you want to save some calories, you can skip the cornstarch and frying and just saute the pork (or chicken!) chunks first. But it won't taste as good.  Claire's oldest boy ate 4 helpings of this.  For lunch. 

1 1/2 lbs of pork or chicken, cut into 1" chunks
1/2  20 oz can pineapple chunks, 3/4 c juice reserved (I don't like to use the whole can- it's too much pineapple for my tastes.)
1 green pepper, cut into 1" chunks
1 carrot sliced diagonally into bite-sized pieces
1/2 onion, cut into 1" chunks
1 large clove of garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)
1/2 to 1 c cornstarch for dredging
1/2 c chicken stock
1/2 c ketchup
2 tsp sugar
salt to taste
1-2 green onions, diced
canola or vegetable oil for frying

Dredge the pork or chicken chunks in the cornstarch until they are coated and squeaky-feeling.  Heat the oil in a pan; use enough so that the meat can float a little.  It's hot enough when you flick a drop of water in it and it sizzles.  (Too cold and the meat will be greasy. Too hot and the meat will burn and be raw in the middle.)  Fry the meat chunks in batches, and as they finish, put them on a plate lined with a paper towel.

In a clean large saute pan or wok, heat 1 T of oil and add 1 tsp minced garlic. Add ketchup and whisk in 3/4 c reserved pineapple juice.  Add in soy sauce, sugar and a pinch of salt, taste. Adjust the seasonings to your liking.  BRing the sauce to a boil; it will thicken a little. Set aside.  Heat an additional 1 T of oil and add the rest of the minced garlic. Add the onion then the carrots. Stir until tender, adding a little liquid if necessary, then add green peppers and the meat.  Stir 1-2 tsp of cornstarch into the chicken stock, and add to the pot and saute until the sauce has thickened a little more. Fold in the scallions at the last minute and serve with your favorite rice.  (I like short grain sticky white rice.)

Chinese Stir-Fried Noodles
This is a go-to dish for us that uses up old veggies that can serve as a one-dish meal or as a side.  You can add chicken or beef or shrimp, but just cook that first, separately, and add at the end. I like to use Chinese noodles that are square and about the thickness of regular uncooked spaghetti.  Here, we can get them at the grocery store.  If you can't find them, you can substitute regular spaghetti noodles.  This is very popular with Claire's boys, although it took a backseat to the sweet and sour pork when we served it.

The noodles, if you look very closely, are square.
They cook very quickly.

1 carrot sliced thinly on the diagonal
2 heaping c total broccoli, zucchini, or sugar snap peas (or other vegetable except celery)
1 large handful chopped baby spinach leaves
1/2 onion, sliced into 1 inch pieces
2 tsp sesame oil
2-3 scallions, diced
2 T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch
1  c chicken stock or water
Chinese noodles, 1 package, cooked (about 12 oz uncooked)
salt to taste
dash white pepper (skip if you don't have it)

Boil the noodles al dente, about 3 1/2 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large wok or saute pan. Add the garlic. Add onions, then carrots.  Add a little liquid if it's too dry. Add the broccoli or sugar snap peas, then make a clearing in the center and add the noodles. (You can add cooked meat at this point if you are using meat.) Drizzle in the soy sauce and toss.  Add the cornstarch to the cup of chicken stock or water and stir, then add to the noodles. Add sesame oil and salt. Toss in the spinach and the green onions. Add a dash of white pepper, toss and serve.

It's tempting to add a lot of vegetables,
but you want the final proportions to work.

Purple flower courtesy of my daughter.

Pear Custard Tart with Macadamia Nuts

This was unbelievably good, and leaves you wanting another piece. It's a great dish for company, yet it doesn't take very long to prepare.  The macadamia nuts are a splurge, but worth it.

Crust

1/2 c butter, softened

3/4 c sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts
3/4 c flour

Filling

1 package 8 oz. cream cheese, softened (reduced fat is fine)

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 can 15 oz pear halves in heavy syrup

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in flour & vanilla until combined.  Stir in nuts.  Press into greased 8 inch square baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.  Increase oven heat to 375 degrees.

Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar, egg & vanilla.  Pour over crust.  Cut pears into 1/8" slices and arrange over filling.  Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over pears.  Bake at 375 degrees for 26 to 28 minutes.  Cool on wire rack for 45 minutes.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting.  (This is the most difficult part.

Slow Cooked Ribs, Asian Slaw, and Easy Shortcake Biscuits

This was our Father's Day Dinner.  We went to the Farmers' Market, and the strawberries were half gone by the end of the night.  Something about this menu says "summer," even though it was a cloudy day.   Make the ribs and cole slaw ahead of time, and then it's only about 30-40 minutes to get everything together at the end. 

Slow-cooked, Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs

The dry rub is an adaptation of the Neely Family Seasoning Mix (Food Network).  It's simple and good.  You probably have the ingredients already.  I wanted a recipe that you could make in the oven, and not have to stand out in the rain attending to the grill or own a smoker. The meat was so tender.  Not a single rib left. You can speed up the cooking time by increasing the heat to 350 degrees. 

1 rack of baby back ribs

Dry Rub Mix (Neely's Dry Rub, slightly adapted)

    1/2 cup smoked paprika (original recipe calls for paprika)

    1/4 cup sugar

    1 Tbs onion powder

The night before, rub the dry rub mix into the ribs.  Keep refrigerated overnight.  Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Place the ribs meat side down, bone side up on a baking sheet, covered in foil, into the oven for 3 1/2 hours. Remove foil and carefully flip the rack over so the meat side is now up. Bake another 1 hour uncovered.  

Look at that lovely, lovely crust.

Asian Cole Slaw with Spicy Thai Vinaigrette

adapted from Joe's Farm Grill via Guy Fieri

Use whatever you have on hand, and toss with dressing.  Being a "slaw," cabbage should probably be one of the priority ingredients.  You can also use napa cabbage, red cabbage, red pepper, or bean sprouts. The dressing has a list of ingredients a mile long, but it's complex and wonderful. The only thing I didn't have was mint leaves, so I left them out.   It's better if you make this ahead of time, like when you put the ribs in the oven, and then let it sit in the fridge so that the flavors can marry.  This is also great on sandwiches or turkey burgers. 

2 cups finely shredded cabbage

1/2 c matchstick cut carrots

1/2 c diagonally sliced sugar snap peas

2 scallions, diagonally cut

1/4 c cilantro, chopped

1/2 c spinach leaves, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

Spicy Thai Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (to taste)
• 2 -3 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• salt (or fish sauce if you have it) to taste
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 cup canola oil (or peanut oil)

Combine the veggies in a large mixing bowl.  In a smaller mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing except the canola oil.  While whisking, drizzle the canola oil into the other ingredients in a small stream until it is emulsified. Mix the dressing in with the veggies. 

Garlic and Parsley Potato Wedges aka Home Fries

You can't have ribs without some sort of potato to stick to them. And this was faster than potato salad.  The kids dipped theirs in ketchup.  I also added 1/2 c of chopped spinach to the mix, because I like to add spinach to everything. 

6 potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

Handful of carrots cut similar thickness

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c chopped parsley

1 sliced leek or 1/4 c chopped onion

1/4 c olive oil or enough to lightly coat potatoes

salt and pepper

Toss all ingredients together and place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Take out and turn.  To finish them off, broil on high for 3 minutes or until golden.

Orange Vinaigrette
No dinner is complete without at least two veggie side dishes.  And the potatoes don't count. I'm always looking for new salad dressings. The kids love ranch dressing, but ranch gets so boring. This one is a great salad dressing, quick to make with ingredients that are already on hand. Adapted from allrecipes.com

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 c olive oil

In a small mixing bowl, mix the all the ingredients together except the oil.  Whisk while drizzling the oil into the other ingredients until emulsified. 

Easy Shortcake Biscuits

My family used to sell fresh strawberries at our roadside stand.  In the spring, we had strawberries just about every night for dessert. We used to use Hungry Jack biscuits for our shortcake.  We would bake them with a small pat of butter and a sprinkle of granulated sugar. I used to love hearing the *pop* of that can.  I still use Hungry Jack biscuits, but my husband thinks this is weird. Unfortunately, many recipes call for buttermilk or shortening, and I just don't keep those on hand.  This recipe is quick and uses ingredients that you already have. It took me less than 10 minutes to put it all together, and 10 minutes to bake.  I garnished these with some cane sugar crystals. 

2 c flour

pinch salt

4 T sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 c cold butter

3/4 c milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl.  Cut the butter into chunks and blend into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal or breadcrumbs. Do this quickly so that the butter doesn't get too warm!  Blend the milk and vanilla mixture in with a fork just until the flour is moist.  Take large spoonfuls of dough (bigger than a golf ball, smaller than a baseball) and place on a greased baking sheet, about 1-2 inches apart.  Bake for 10 minutes. Makes 8 biscuits.

Something's missing here...

  

There we go.  We didn't have whip cream on hand,
but vanilla ice cream always saves the day.

Please leave any suggestions or comments!

                   

Summer Side Dish Extravaganza with Patriotic Blueberry Pizza and Southern Sweet Potato Pie

This week's post is about those great side dishes that you will want for your Fourth of July party.  Dishes to make your burgers and dogs sing.  All you need is sunshine and good company.  Or, if you're in the northwest, good company.

Candied Cabbage

Once you start eating this, it's hard to stop.  It's great on any sandwich, and don't forget to come back to this when you're looking for a new Thanksgiving side dish that you make the night before.  It's such a vibrant, beautiful color. And oh-so-easy. 

1 small head red cabbage

1 small onion, diced super fine

1/2 c vegetable oil

3/4 c sugar

3/4 c white vinegar

Shred cabbage on the finest setting on a mandoline. Place in heat resistant bowl with onion and mix well.  In small sauce pan bring oil, sugar and vinegar to boil.  Pour over cabbage and do not stir.  Cover with TIGHT lid.  Refrigerate over night. (Don't skip this step.)

Crock Pot Baked Beans from Scratch

You might wonder if it's worth making these, since it's arguably easier to open up baked beans from a can. Here's the thing. These are amazing, and YOU control what's going in the dish. You can definitely taste the difference.  You can also make this recipe with canned beans- just skip the soaking and boiling and use 2 cans of beans.

1 1/2 c great northern dried beans

4-6 c water (to boil)

1/2 c onion, chopped

1/2 c ketchup

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c water

1 tsp dry mustard

2 T molasses

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 lb salt pork or 4 slices bacon, diced

Soak dried beands overnight, then drain. In large pot, add 4-6 more cups of water and bring beans to a boil. Don't drain, and pour beans and water into crock pot, and stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  

Salter Potato Salad

The wonderful thing about Claire's family's potato salad is that it doesn't have mayonnaise in it, so it's practically healthy.  It tastes light, but the olive oil and vinegar give it a creamy feel in your mouth. 

8-10 red potatoes

5-6 eggs

3/4 c finely chopped celery

1/2 c finely diced onion

1/2 c olive oil

2 T cider vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

In large pot of water, place potatoes in bottom. Gently place eggs on top and bring to a boil.  Cook just until potatoes are done.  Drain water and let cool.  When just cool enough to handle, dice potatoes and eggs into large bowl.  Add celery and onions.  Toss with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.  (You may need to adjust the oil to your tastes.) Serve at room temperature.

Baked Zucchini and Asparagus Fries

I made some homemade buttermilk ranch dressing to go with these fries. They were delicious. If you want to get your kids to eat zucchini and asparagus, this is the way to go. They crisp up well in the oven, thanks to the parmesan cheese.  Also a good way to make onion rings without deep-frying.   Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Aggie’s Kitchen

2-3 medium zucchini

1/2 lb. asparagus

(1 onion, sliced into 1/2 - 5/8 inch rings, if desired)
1/2 c Italian-seasoned panko bread crumbs
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese (the crumbly stuff, not shreds)
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 425. Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl.  Put the eggs in a shallow bowl. 

Trim the ends off the zucchini and slice into 1/4 -3/8 inch slices. Cut in half, then cut the slices into 1/4 -3/8 inch fry-sized pieces. Thicker strips will yield “meatier” fries with more zucchini flavor while thin strips will be crispy and taste virtually nothing like zucchini.  Snap the tough ends off the asparagus spears, if necessary.  Using a paring knife, slice the asparagus in half length-wise.  Cut into fry-length pieces. 

Working with a small handful at a time, dip the vegetable sticks in the egg, shake to remove any excess, and then roll them in about 2-3 tablespoons of bread crumbs at a time, adding more as needed.  You just don’t want to work with all the bread crumbs at once because they’ll soak up moisture from the egg and won’t stick to the zucchini or asparagus very well. Place the coated strips on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all the vegetable strips have been coated.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove, flip, and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the vegetables are not soggy and the coating is crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately with ketchup or Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (see below).

The onion rings were yummy, too.  Imagine them on a burger...

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

My kids are huge ranch dressing fans.  This just takes a few minutes to put together. It tastes fresh, and lacks that weird store-bought flavor that probably comes from all the weird emulsifiers.  Great way to use up buttermillk.

1/3 c light mayonnaise

1/3 c buttermilk

1 T fresh lemon juice

2 tsp vinegar

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp dried basil (or 2 leaves finely diced fresh basil)

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Whisk all ingredients together until blended.

Patriotic Blueberry Pizza with Strawberries

The kids in Claire's neighborhood beg for this all summer.  It reminds me of the blueberry and strawberry creations that are always found on the cover of the July issues of women's magazines. It is even better the next day.  Keep refrigerated!

Crust:

1 c butter, softened

1/2 c powdered sugar

2 c white flour

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla

Filling:

1 package (8oz) cream cheese (low fat is okay, but not fat free)

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 c whipped cream or 1 tub cool whip

1/2 tsp vanilla

Topping:

4 c blueberries

2 T cornstarch

3 T white sugar

3 T water
Sliced strawberries for garnish

Mix crust ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.   Press into a deep dish pizza pan.  Make a ridge all the way around edge.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until just starting to get golden brown.  Let cool completely.  Meanwhile, in a clean bowl, mix filling ingredients together with a mixer.  Let chill in fridge.

In a medium sauce pan, combine blueberries, cornstarch, sugar, and water.  Stir frequently and bring to a boil.  Let cool.

Spread the cream cheese filling on the cooled cookie crust, then spread the cooled blueberry topping.  Garnish with strawberries.

Ingrid's Sweet Potato Pie
My friend Ingrid made this for me when I had my twins.  She got it from her friend BJ, who is a truly great Southern cook.  I had always preferred pumpkin pie over sweet potato pie, until I had this.  You will be converted, too.  You won't go back to pumpkin.  My kids can't get enough, and I almost feed them however much they want, since it's practically a vegetable! Try it with the optional candied pecan topping. Maybe technically this is a fall dish, but I was really craving sweet potato pie. My family ate a whole pie in one meal.  Serving it warm really brings out the vanilla.  

3 pie crusts, frozen or homemade
6 hand-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cooked
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
3 eggs, beaten
3 T vanilla
1 T evaporated milk (add last)

Mix all ingredients (except the milk) together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the evaporated milk.  Distribute evenly among 3 pie crusts.  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees until golden brown.

Pecan Topping (optional)
2 T butter, softened
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c pecans/pecan bits

Mix ingredients together and sprinkle over pie when they have about 5-8 minutes left in the oven. It's enough for a thick sprinkle for 2 pies, or thin sprinkle for all 3 pies.

Slow-roasted Pork Roast with Molasses Mustard Glaze

Ok, we made a main dish also- slow cooked pork, but it turned out really dry.  I didn't even cook it as long as it was supposed to be cooked.  So, I'll include it in here, but it wasn't as good as the ribs from the previous post. The Molasses Mustard Glaze was great, however, and makes a nice crust. 

3-4 lb. pork sirloin roast or tenderloin

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup grainy mustard

2 T apple cider vinegar

1 tsp salt

Combine marinade ingredients together.  Coat the pork roast in mixture, and marinate the pork for several hours or overnight. Place in 275 degree oven, fat side up in the center rack for 4 1/2 hours covered, baste with additional marinade. Bake an additional 1/2 hour uncovered. Internal temperature should be 165 degrees.  Let rest for 15 - 20 minutes.  If there is any remaining marinade, bring to a boil in a small saucepan and pour over top of the sliced pork. 


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