Sweet pork salads and burritos

Today I’m sharing our favorite recipes for sweet pork, cilantro lime rice, and cilantro lime ranch salad dressing. Think Cafe Rio. Yum.

Add some fresh tortillas, black beans, pico de gallo, cheese, lettuce, corn chips, and guacamole, and you are ready for a party. Our family loves this meal, and I estimate it serves 12 people.

I like to prepare the meat and dressing ahead of time, then it is an easy Sunday dinner or party menu.

Crock Pot Sweet Pork

3 lb pork (boneless roast, country style ribs, etc.)
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
3 T butter

Sauté onion and garlic in butter. Put roast in crock pot and cover with the sautéed onion and garlic. Cook 3 hours on high (or low equivalent). DRAIN. You can add the juice later to taste. Refrigerate the liquid and skim the fat if you want to add this liquid later.

If possible, shred the pork. If it is still tough, you can shred it before serving. Mix the following ingredients and pour over the pork in the crock pot:

2 T. soy sauce
3/4 c. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Cook an additional 2 hours on high (or low equivalent) in the crock pot. Shred the pork and and serve with tortillas, rice, beans, etc. for salads or burritos.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 c. rice
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. water
2 T butter
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 handful of cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
1, 4-oz. can diced green chiles

Pour everything into a rice cooker and follow product instructions. Or, to cook in a pot, heat liquids to a boil, add the rice and other ingredients, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20-30 min., or until tender.

Remove the lid, fluff with a fork, add salt to taste, and serve.

Cilantro Lime Ranch Salad Dressing (Cafe Rio Style)

3 T. salsa verde (green salsa with tomatillos)
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1 small pkg (3 T.) ranch dressing mix
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream
1/3-1/2 c. milk
1/2 bunch of cilantro, including stems
Juice of 1 lime

Mix together in a blender until smooth. 💃

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

I adapted this recipe from one I saw online.

3/4 c sugar

1/4 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 c flour

1 1/2 c quick oats

3/4 c dried cranberries

6 oz white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla, then the dry ingredients. Fold in the oatmeal, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are slightly golden.

Remove from oven and let cool 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

I can’t remember how many cookies I made with this recipe, probably around 4 dozen. I have searched for a good cranberry white chocolate chip cookie recipe for a long time. Some were too sweet, and most called for almond extract, which isn’t really popular here. I think this recipe had me at “oatmeal,” and is the magic ingredient. Or is it the cinnamon?

I don’t want to have a negative association with these cookies, so I won’t call them COVID cookies, but I could, because I made them because we were all stuck at home and Richard loved them when he was sick.

This post is #1,900. Yes, there are one thousand, nine hundred posts on this blog. And two handfuls of people who read it. I am not a famous blogger, but I am a faithful one. That’s best, I think.

Advent Day 16

He that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
1 Corinthians 9:10

This scripture is like the story of the Little Red Hen, with all the steps she takes to prepare a loaf of bread, while others want none of the work, only the end product. With hope, like bread, we have to labor in stages if we want to enjoy results.

To me, “plow in hope” can apply to anything I do. Clean the house with hope that it will make things easier for the family; Write with hope that my words will keep someone company; Study with hope that it will help me in my decisions and attitudes; Make traditions with hope that they will bind our family together…

Here is the recipe for my favorite whole wheat bread, which requires you to grind wheat and wait for 3 risings of the dough. It’s worth every step. It is spongy light goodness. I hope you will try it. Now, “Bake in hope!”

Richard’s Whole Wheat Bread

Preparation: Grind 3 c. hard white wheat with a grain mill and set aside.

Place the following in a stand mixing bowl and mix with a regular paddle attachment:

1 1/2 T. yeast

2 c. warm water

1 2/3 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. gluten (Bob’s Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten is sold at Kruger stores.)

Mix and let sit until double. (15-30 min)

After the dough has doubled in size, change to a dough hook and add the following to the mixture, gradually incorporating the flour:

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 t. salt

3-4 c whole wheat flour, add until dough mostly cleans the sides of the bowl as it is mixed.

Once dough is uniform and cleans the sides of the bowl during mixing, continue to mix for about 5 minutes with a stand mixer. Place in an oiled bowl, cover in plastic, and let rise until double (around 30 minutes).

After rising in bowl, punch down dough and shape into 2 oiled pans. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise again until double (20-30 minutes). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 2 regular size loaves.

To make mini loaves, shape dough into 6 or 7 oiled mini pans, let rise until double, and bake for 20-22 minutes.

German Lentil Soup

Every year on Richard’s birthday week, I make this soup because he loves it.

1 ½ c lentils

5 c cold water

4 slices bacon

1/4 c chopped onion

1 green pepper, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1, 15-oz can diced tomatoes

3 T butter

3 T flour

2 beef bouillon cubes (dissolved in 1 c water)

2 tsp salt

2 T white vinegar

Cook time: almost 2 hours

Rinse lentils and remove debris that may be in the package. In a large kettle, bring lentils and water to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Meanwhile, cut bacon in small pieces and sauté in large skillet until crisp. Remove crisp bacon and set aside. To the bacon grease in the skillet, add onion, carrot, pepper, and tomato and sauté over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the vegetables to the lentils in the large kettle. In same skillet, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth and gradually stir in bouillon and water. Add salt and vinegar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for about a minute. Add to lentils and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes. Add the crisp bacon in the last few minutes of cooking. Serves 6 to 8.

Birthday Cake for Richard

Richard asked me to make this for his birthday today. We have this recipe from his mother. It is comforting, warm, old-fashioned, and full of butter and spice. Delicious.

Baked Apple Pudding

1/2 cube butter, softened (1/4 cup)
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 c unsifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 c grated, unpared apples
raisins, nuts as desired (These are no-no’s at our house.)

Mix and bake in an 8-inch square pan for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with butter sauce. The result will be a dark brown, moist cake.

Butter Sauce

1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
8-12 oz can of evaporated milk
Sprinkle of nutmeg

Blend together in a saucepan. Warm but do not boil. Spoon butter sauce over cake and serve warm.

A few weeks ago, Richard came home unexpectedly early from work and I sang him this song. Minus the first few seconds, this song is awesome.

Taking a meal to someone

Here are some things I have learned about delivering meals to people.

Disposable pans are a blessing because there is little cleanup and the people are usually sick, grieving, or too stretched to keep track of your dishes. I keep a stack of foil pans in the pantry. You could consider providing paper plates, too.

The visit you make when you deliver a meal may be just as important as the food. They may need to talk or want you to help them with a task around the house. Most people won’t volunteer information without you asking how you can help. Not everyone will be chatty or want you to stay. They may want privacy or they may be embarrassed about their need and want you to leave quickly. The idea is to be flexible and aware.

For families with teenagers, you need a lot more food than you might think. Mashed potatoes, pasta of any kind, and rice are filling and universally liked. Women tend to get excited when you include good fresh vegetables. Everyone loves fresh fruit salads. I usually include rolls or bread with each meal because even picky eaters will eat bread.

It’s so important to find out if there are food allergies. It’s good to remember that people in bed really need the fiber and nutrition from fruits and vegetables.

If they are receiving meals from people over many days, don’t try to give more food than can be eaten in one sitting. I have seen refrigerators full of unwanted leftovers when I have visited the sick.

Here are some of my favorite menus for delivering to others. Everything is easy to transport in disposable pans. I put soups in Mason jars.

pork tenderloin sliced and fanned out over mashed potatoes with fresh green beans on the side
lasagna, salad, garlic bread
pulled pork sandwiches, BBQ sauce, baked beans, vegetables, apple crisp
chicken enchiladas, quinoa, bean, and rice salad or cornbread, fresh fruit, and fresh salsa
spaghetti and meatballs, mixed vegetables, and rolls
Mexicali pie (taco meat, beans, tomatoes, corn with cornbread baked on top), and fruit
butternut bisque, turkey and ham sandwich on a loaf of french bread, and spinach salad
Shake and Bake pork chops, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and brownies
broccoli soup, homemade wheat bread, and fruit salad.

If they have young children, avoid casseroles and most mixtures. Kids prefer to eat their foods separately and if it can be dipped in ketchup or dressing, all the better.

Carry your food on a tray or cookie sheet so if it spills, it won’t ruin your car interior.

Have your family help you prepare it and deliver it with you if it’s appropriate. This way they can have the experience of giving with you.

Try to make enough of everything so you have a meal to come home to. You’d think that would be obvious, but I’ve not always been good at this. It really is easier to make two meals at once than to come home to a messy kitchen and have to begin again for your own family. Sometimes my family doesn’t eat the same thing I prepare for another family because I don’t have enough ingredients. That’s okay.

Other than telling your family, keep your service a secret.

I believe that food is one way we can make our love visible. People feel remembered and loved when you take time to make food for them.

My latest wedding gift idea

Wedding gifts put me in a quandary and I’m not good at them, but I have decided to fix that. I think it’s a good idea to have a stash of gifts handy for weddings. Certainly family wedding gifts require a little more thought and love.

Over the years I have been slowly typing up my recipes and putting them in a binder so they are all accessible in one place. When the kids move out I can print out the recipes that they want and send them off with their own recipe books. It occurred to me that I could share these recipes with my niece who is getting married next month.

I bought a small binder and small sheet protectors from an office supply store and some pretty scrapbook paper on clearance. I have used a normal sized binder for recipes for years, but it is bulky and wastes counter space, so I think the smaller binder is better. I printed out each recipe on a half sheet of paper and assembled the binder with lots of pretty paper dividers. I took pictures because I will miss it when I give it away. I still need to make one for myself.

What is it about recipes and memories? Every time I use a recipe from a friend from Texas or Arizona, memories of them surround me as I cook. My aunt compiled family recipes a few years ago into small binders and I experience the same thing when I use them. Suddenly I’m back in Grandma’s kitchen.

I know the recipes won’t mean much to my niece for sentimental reasons, but hopefully she can make some great memories of her own as she prepares these. I wasn’t much of a cook when I got married, so cook books were some of my favorite wedding gifts.

My most requested recipes over the years have been our whole wheat bread, decadent brownies, chocolate chip cookies, butternut bisque, Mexicali pie, and black bean salsa.

Texans can cook

The spicy smell of Beth Parks’s pumpkin bread fills my house. I realized today that many of my favorite recipes are from my Texas friends. And beyond the recipes, there was a hospitality that I learned as I sat in their homes. The Armgas, Mary O’Neill, and Nancy Judd were truly gracious in sharing their homes and celebrations. There was Leslie Woodfield who taught me how to make shaved ice and Sharman Grimmer who demonstrated the power of blueberry muffins or apple crisp in a meeting. There were the generous and well-timed dinners from Julie Smith that saved my life and my amazing sister-in-law, Melinda and all of her Sunday dinners. That woman can even make Chinese food. I have many friends to thank for their recipes that I have used in the past few weeks:

Christine Giles: Taco Loco, chicken casserole, spinach salad with cranberries and poppy seed dressing

Beth Parks: pumpkin bread

Andrea Dickinson: chicken tortilla soup

Aileen Duncan: meatballs

Rebekah Calabuig: taco soup

Heather Helquist: broccoli soup

Cinnamon…allspice…nutmeg…*sniff* I miss all y’all.

Angie’s fine Tex-Mex

Chuy's

Once upon a time we lived in Austin, where the people are very friendly and there are restaurants everywhere. One of our favorites was Chuy’s which was unabashedly Tex-Mex. It was also Weird, as all good Austin restaurants should be.

I miss Chuy’s tomatillo sauce over a nice chimi. I tried to re-create Chuy’s sauce last night for dinner. I think it’s close, but I’m tellin’ all y’all, there’s no place like Texas.

Creamy Tomatillo Sauce

Recipe invented by A.R., formerly of Austin, Texas

2 T minced onion
1 clove garlic minced (Optional, especially if you haven’t yet found someone to marry you.)
1-2 T oil (Olive oil if you’re trendy. I used vegetable oil because I am out of trendy things around here.)
9-10 fresh tomatillos (remove papery covering, wash, and quarter)
1 c chicken broth
3-4 T fresh cilantro leaves (wash ’em well)
1 T lime juice
jalepeno (I just used about a 1/4 inch… and no seeds)
1 c sour cream

Saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the quartered tomatillos and saute for another 5-7 minutes. Add 1 c chicken broth and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and place mixture in a food processor or blender. Add cilantro, lime juice, jalepeno and pulse until very smooth. Finally, add the sour cream. It will be creamy and green and just right to pour over your chicken enchiladas or chimichangas or to use as a dip for your corn chips.