Pulled pork tacos

These are easy and delicious.

• 2 cups salsa, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• kosher salt
• 2 1/2 lb boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
• 18 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 lime, cut in wedges
  

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the pork and turn to coat.
2. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
3. Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350° F.
4. Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.

Peach Salsa

Yesterday we passed a produce stand where I bought 23 fresh peaches for $4! This was the first recipe we made:

4 medium peaches, peeled, pitted

2 large tomatoes, cut in wedges and seeded

1/2 sweet onion, cut in wedges

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chiles

4 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine ingredients in food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Serve with tortilla chips or over fish, pork, chicken, etc.

Crock Pot Ham

I made this ham for Easter (yesterday). It turned out really well! I combined several different recipes, including this one, this one, and this one.

6.6 lb fully cooked semi-boneless ham

20 whole cloves

3/4 cup orange marmalade

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup pineapple juice (I reserved the juice from the cans I used to make pineapple casserole)

Place cloves all over ham. Mix marmalade, mustard and sugar, and spread all over ham. Place ham in slow cooker with pineapple juice. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Remove ham from pot and place on side on cutting board; let rest 10-20 minutes, then hold with meat fork and slice with carving knife or electric knife. Serve with extra juices from crock pot (you might want to thicken it by cooking it on the stove with some cornstarch/ other thickener while the meat sits)

Tapas plate with marinated chickpeas

This was a great and quick meal!

Serves 4

1 recipe marinated chickpeas

1/2 lb Manchego cheese, sliced

1/4 lb thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto

1/2 cup mixed olives

1/2 small loaf country bread

Serve room temperature.

Bacon, Avocado, and Tomato Sandwich

This recipe was in the August issue of Martha Stewart this year. It is delicious.

Bacon, Avocado, Tomato Sandwiches

4 servings

12-16 slices pepper-crusted bacon

8 slices rustic bread

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 1/3 cups radish sprouts

1 Hass avocado, sliced

1 large tomato, sliced

coarse salt

Cook bacon. Lightly toast bread. Spread 1 teaspoon mayonnaise on 1 side of each slice of bread. Pile on sprouts, avocado, bacon and tomato. Season with salt and top with slice of bread.

Soft Tacos with Sausage and Feta

Bon Appétit recipe...

Soft tacos with sausage and feta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 Italian sausages, casings removed

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 corn tortillas

1/3 cup crumbled feta

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/3 cups sliced romaine lettuce

red or green salsa

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until brown, coarsely crumbling, about 4 minutes. Push sausage to side of skillet. Add onion and cumin, saute until onion is golden and sausage is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir to combine. Heat (char over flame, grill, microwave, broil, etc), wrap in foil, let stand 2 minutes. Fill tortillas with sausage/onion mixture and toppings.

Crêpe casserole

Friday we took a "Lunch and Learn" class at the Curious Gourmet in downtown Franklin. This recipe is so versatile (you can really just use whatever you have on hand for the filling) and we already tried it out again last night! The crepes can be made ahead of time and refrigerated... or even frozen. The entire casserole can be made ahead of time and refrigerated/frozen... just wait until right before serving to make the sauce.

Crepes with Stone Ground Dijon Sauce

Crepes (makes about 8)

-1 cup all purpose flour

-3 eggs (preferably at room temperature... put them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes if you don't have a lot of time)

-3/4 cup milk- 2% or whole would be best

-3 tablespoons heavy cream

-salt to taste

-1 tablespoon butter, melted

-canola oil

With a whisk, combine the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the eggs, milk, cream, and butter and mix until smooth. This step can be done in the blender, but in reverse order (add wet then dry ingredients).

Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush the surface with canola oil. Spoon in just enough batter to form a very thin layer (appx 1/3 cup), tilting the pan to spread evenly. Cook until batter is set, then turn to lightly brown the other side. Repeat process, brushing pan with oil between each crepe, and stacking crepes between layers of wax paper

Filling

8 oz cooked ham, chopped- omit and swap with veggies for a vegetarian option

2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 lb fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and blanched (immersed in boiling water for 30 seconds to one minute)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine ham, cheese, and pepper. Place 1/4 cup of ham mixture and 2 asparagus spears down the center of each crepe. Roll and place in 9x13 casserole dish, seam side down. If there is extra filling, sprinkle around the sides of the crepes. Bake at 350 until cheese has melted, about 15-20 minutes.

Sauce

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup stone ground mustard

salt and pepper to taste (can use white pepper, but if you do, only use half as much)

chopped fresh chives for garnish

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cook about 1 minute. Whisk in broth and milk; bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer sauce for 4 minutes. Whisk in mustard, salt, and pepper, simmer to heat through. Plate crepes and serve sauce individually; garnish with chives. Serve with a side of mixed greens.

Broccoli, tomato, and mozzarella stromboli

We have made this Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine recipe several times...

Broccoli, tomato, and mozzarella stromboli

-1 prepared pizza dough

-flour, for work surface

-1 lb package frozen chopped broccoli (or steamed fresh broccoli)

-2 garlic cloves, minced

-coarse salt and ground pepper

-1 cup marinara sauce

-1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

-2 oz thinly sliced Genoa salami

-1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with foil. Divide dough into 4 pieces. On lightly floured surface, stretch each piece to a 6x8" oval. Place broccoli in a strainer and press to remove excess liquid. Transfer to a double layer of paper towels and pat dry. Dividing evenly, scatter broccoli over dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Sprinkle with garlic, salt, and pepper. Top with mozzarella, salami, and 1/2 cup marinara. Starting at shorter end, roll each stromboli and place seam side down on baking sheet. Using paring knife, cut tow slits in the top of each. Bake until golden, 25-30 minutes. Serve with remaining marinara for dipping.

Tartiflette Pizza

Tartiflette Pizza

from Culture magazine

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 large onion, very thinly sliced

1 tablespoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste

fresh ground pepper, to taste

3 cups cold water

4 fingerling potatoes

4 slices bacon

puff pastry or pizza dough, rolled out

1/4 cup Reblochon cheese

Heat oven to 350 in a large saute pan, heat oil over medium-low heat, add onion and saute, stirring frequently until it caramelizes to a dark amber color about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a 2 quart pot, combine 1 tablespoon salt, cold water, and potatoes, heat to a boil over high heat, lower to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork- about 25 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. When cool, dice potatoes

Meanwhile, arrange bacon on sheet pan and cook in oven for about 7 minutes or until crispy. Set aside to cool, then dice into 1/4 inch pieces.

Using the tines of a fork, pierce the puff pastry. Bake for 10 minutes. Place onions, potatoes, and bacon on puff pastry. Break up cheese into small pieces and evenly place on top. Bake an additional 6 minutes or until cheese begins to brown and pastry is crispy. Serve warm.

Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Everyday Food Magazine

(2 sandwiches)

4 slices rye bread

butter

4 slices ham

1 cup Gruyere cheese

Butter 4 slices rye bread. Place 2 slices, buttered side down, on work surface. Top each with 2 slices ham and 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese. Top with 2 slices bread, buttered side up. Cook in a skillet over medium until sandwiches are lightly toasted no both sides and cheese melts, about 5 minutes total.

Tarte aux asperges

I made this recipe of Pamela's today... it was delicious and sooooo easy!

Tarte aux Asparges (Asparagus Quiche)

10 asparagus stalks, cut into 1" pieces

1 can evaporated milk (unsweet!)

3 eggs

1 pie crust (pate feuilletee- puff pastry, if possible)

10 slices bacon (cook 5 slices)

salt and pepper

Cook the asparagus for 10-15 minutes in boiling salted water. Beat the milk and eggs, add salt and pepper. Unroll the pie crust into a dish. Place the cooked bacon on the pie crust, pour egg mixture on bacon, then top with asparagus. Layer the uncooked bacon across the top of the tart. Bake at 460 degrees (240 c) for 25 minutes.

Ham and Mushroom Pasta

This is an Everyday Food recipe and turned out great! I added a handful of frozen peas for added color... and we didn't have any ham, so we used some cooked and crumbled bacon. My only complaint is that it says 4 servings but it is really more like 6 servings.

Ham and Mushroom Pasta

12 ounces short pasta (penne, etc.)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 cup ham pieces (we used less)

2 tablespoons olive oil

grated Pecorino cheese to top (we used Parmesan)

Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, drain pasta and return to pot. Meanwhile, mix onion, mushroom and oil in a large bowl and then spread onto a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes at 400 or until mushrooms are browned and onion is tender. In pot, combine pasta, mushrooms, onion, ham, and 1/4 cup pasta water and mix until combined. Serve with grated cheese.

Creamy Baked Pasta

We made this versatile pasta dish for supper last night. It is another Bon Appétit recipe. There are so many variations you could do with the meat, veggies, and herbs. Its another great potluck recipe like the oven risotto.

Creamy Baked Pasta

12 oz rigatoni (we used penne)

1 1/2 cups diced ham (we only used about 2 slices... you could omit it all together for a vegetarian version)

4 plum tomatoes, chopped... we also used chopped cooked asparagus and frozen peas

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 cup fresh mozzarella, chopped/crumbled

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 cup heavy cream (we used half-and-half)

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, but still firm to the bite. Drain. Place in prepared baking dish. Mix in meat, cheese, veggies, and thyme. Pour cream over top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. After 15 minutes uncover and stir, coating pasta with melted cheese. Bake uncovered another 30 minutes, stirring once in the middle.

Tartiflette

Doug made this French winter classic dish a few weeks ago- it is perfect for a cold day!

Tartiflette

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

1/3 lb chopped bacon

2 1/4 lbs sliced white potatoes

½ cup white wine

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 lb sliced Reblochon cheese

Heat oil in a skillet and cook the onions for a few minutes. Add the bacon and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, wine, salt, and pepper, bring the mixture to a simmer, and cover for another 8 minutes. Place half of the potato mixture in a baking dish and cover with half of the cheese. Cover with the remaining potato mixture and remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated and bubbly (and cheese is melted!).

in the oven it goes... cheese is just starting to melt

and now melty-bubbly-cheesy-potato bliss...

Quiche Combos

We've made 2 good quiches this week with our basic quiche recipe (3 eggs and about 6oz creme fraiche)....

Quiche #1:

Paris (white) mushrooms, quartered and sauteed

yellow onion, diced and sauteed

bacon, diced and cooked

gruyere cheese

Quiche #2:

Broccoli florets, steamed and diced

yellow onion, diced and sauteed

deli ham, diced and sauteed

emmental cheese

Prepare the basic quiche filling in a large bowl, season with salt, pepper, herbes de provence, nutmeg, etc. Add cooked veggies/meat and then pour into prepared crust.

Pizza rolls

This is such a great idea! So versatile!

Pizza Rolls

1 refrigerated rectangular pizza crust

fillings (toppings and cheese)

olive oil or melted butter

salt, pepper

grated parmesan

marinara sauce (for dipping)

Stretch the dough into a 8x12" rectangle. Divide into 24 squares (4x6)

In each square, put a little cheese and a little topping. For mine, I made half red pepper and goat cheese and the other half ham, pineapple, and mozzarella... I just kind of put in enough to fit. Then fold the corners of each square and press to seal so you have a little dough ball. Put into a baking dish (a 9" round worked well) seam-side down. Brush the top of all of the stuffed dough balls with melted butter or olive oil and then sprinkle salt, pepper, and grated parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Serve with warmed marinara and maybe some more grated parm. YUM!

Mushroom and Bacon Tart

We had this for supper tonight… it was surprisingly good!

Mushroom and Bacon Tart

3 slices bacon, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 cups (10 oz) thinly sliced white mushrooms

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 pie crust

2 plum tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

3 oz (3/4 cup) cheddar cheese, grated (I used Emmental since you can't really find cheddar in France)

1 large egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add garlic and onion to skillet and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add to bowl. Melt ½ tablespoon butter in skillet and add half of the mushrooms, cook until golden on edges and softened. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining half butter and mushrooms. During last 30 seconds of cooking, add cream and Dijon mustard. Add to bowl. Place pie crust in pie dish and pour in the bacon/onion/mushroom mixture. Tuck in tomatoes into mixture and top with cheese. Fold sides of crust over and brush with beaten egg. Cook at 375 for 55 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Crockpot pork chops with apples

Pork Chops with Apples

8 boneless pork chops

4 Granny Smith apples, cut into wedges

2 onions, quartered

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cans Golden Mushroom soup

½ can water

1 Tablespoon thyme

Combine all the ingredients in crock pot; cook on low for 8 hours.

Quick Quiche

We found this recipe in a free French evening newspaper in Lyon last summer... each night they would feature a quick dinner recipe. I've translated it for you :)

Quiche

1 prepared pie crust

3 eggs

8 oz crème fraiche (found at stores like Whole Foods)

¼ cup grated cheese, divided

½ cup diced vegetables and/or cooked meat (we usually use bacon, ham, or chicken or the meat and tomatoes and onions for the vegetables)

salt, pepper to taste (we also use “Herbes de Provence”)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Layer half of the cheese on the bottom of the pie crust, topped with the vegetables and/or meat. In a medium bowl, whisk together crème fraiche, eggs, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture on top of vegetables/meat and top with rest of cheese. Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Cold Italian Plate

Lunch consisted of Cold Italian Plates

-cantaloupe/ honey dew melon

-spinach

-shaved ham

-tomato, cut in half

-mozzarella (I used fresh mozzarella)

-crackers

drizzle plate with Italian dressing

What a yummy summer lunch!