Relief Society Retreat to Aptos

We had some scrumptious taco salads at the retreat down on the beach.  Sister King gave me the recipes and I thought I would share

Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork

Ingredients
-2 lb pork (I use boneless pork rib meat)
- 3 cans Coke (NOT Diet)
- 1/4 c brown sugar
- dash garlic salt
- 1/4 c water
- 1 can (4 oz.) dice green chilies
- 3/4 (10oz.) can red enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium, but any spiciness will work)
- 1 c. brown sugar

Instructions
- 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 a crockpot.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low 6-8 hours, 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 of Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce an remaining brown sugar (about a cup, adjust to taste).  If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.
- Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours.  That's it!

Cafe Rio's Cilantro-Lime Rice

Ingredients
- 1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain white rice)
- 1 tsp. butter or margarine
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 can (15 oz.) chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 3 Tbsp. Fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions
- 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 remaining lime juice, sugar and cilantro.  Pour over hot cooked rice and mix as you fluff the rice.

Cafe Rio's Black Beans

Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 c. tomato juice
- 1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
- 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions
 - In a nonstick pan, cook garlic cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it.  Add beans, tomato juice, and salt (optional).
- Simmer until tomato juice is reduced, stirring every few minutes.
- Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Sweet Pork from Vickie Morris

Ingredients
- 1 (3-5 lb) boneless pork roast
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed

Instructions
- Place ingredients in a greased slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours
- Shred pork with a fork.  Keep lid off after shredding for about 15 minutes so juice will thicken.
- Use meat in burritos, tacos, or salads.  IF freezing, keep juice and freeze with meat.


Café Rio style salad dressings

Cafe Rio’s Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients
• 2 tomatillos
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp. diced jalapeno (canned) --you can use less if you don't like it spicy at all. I like a little kick.
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 c. balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing (NOT balsamic VINEGAR... there is a difference. We used Kraft brand vinaigrette)
• In a food processor or blender, combine tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, and sugar. After it is all blended up well combine with balsamic vinaigrette in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).

Cafe Rio’s Cilantro Ranch Dressing

• 1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Instructions
• Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!

Crock Pot Cooking-

Thanks so muck to Kathy Perry for sharing your experience and wisdom in the ways of crock pot cooking.  I  for one am dying to try some of these tips and recipes out.  This is my first ever blog post so feedback would be very helpful.
Here is the hand out Kathy presented for us:



Guidelines for cooking with a crock pot:

• Vegetables take longer to cook that most meats. Slice or chop the vegetables and put them near the bottom and sides of the crock pot.
• Trim fats from meats.
• Liquids don't evaporate much, so you may want to use less liquid than in conventional cooking.
• Frozen foods such as vegetables and shrimp may be used. However, do not thaw or cook large frozen foods unless you first add at least 1 cup of warm liquid. Cook recipes containing frozen meats an additional 4 to 6 hours on Low or 2 hours on High.
• Use whole leaf herbs and spices for best flavor. If ground herbs and spices are used, stir in during the last hour.
• Fill crock pot at least half full to conform to recommend cooking times. Small quantities may be prepared, but cooking time will be affected.
• Cook dried beans before adding to recipe.
• Dairy products tend to break down during extended cooking. When possible, add during the last hour of cooking.
  Condensed soups may be substituted for milk, etc., and can cook for extended times.
• When making soup, add only enough water to cover the other ingredients. If thinner soup is desired, add more liquid at serving time.
• Combine equal parts of water and corn starch and add to liquids in the pot the last 15·30 minutes of cooking time to make gravy.
• Experiment and keep notes on what you did.

There are good discussions on cooking with crock pots at:

http://busycooks.about.com/od/slowcookerrecipes/a/crockpotlO1.htm

Converting recipes to the slow cooker- http://busycooks.about.com/od/slowcookerrecipes/a/crockpot102.htm

Crock pots have gotten hotter- http://busycooks.about.com/od/crockpots/a/adjustcrockpotcooking.htm

RECIPES:

Crockpot Morning Casserole 

Beth Thomas's recipe with Kathy's notes

1 lb. bacon diced, cooked and drained or l lb. cooked ham, cubed (I used a lot less.)

1 medium diced onion

1 green bell pepper diced

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

1 dozen eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

Layer first four ingredients in the cooker three to four times, ending with a layer of cheese. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. Pour over the crockpot mixture and cover. Cook on low 10-12 hours. (1/2 recipe cooked in 5 hours.)

Spaghetti Sauce

1 6-oz can tomato paste

2 15-oz. cans tomato sauce

1 large carrot grated

1 onion chopped

l lb. ground beef, browned and drained

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine ingredients in Crock Pot. Simmer on high for 2-3 hours.

This sauce can also be used for lasagna and pizza.

Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled. Cut them into 3/4 inch slices and cut the slices in half (half moon shaped).

Dip the slices in about 1 cup of orange juice so that they are completely coated and put in crock pot. Pour the rest of the juice over the potatoes. Cook on High for 3 1/2 hours. Mash the potatoes when they are very soft. Add salt and a pinch of cinnamon if desired.

Slow cooker Fajitashttp://livermoretestkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/03/slow-cooker-fajitas.html

Magic Meat Loaf

2 Ibs. ground beef

2 eggs

2/3 cup quick cooking oats

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup ketchup-divided

Reserve 2 tablespoons ketchup. Combine ground beef, eggs, oats, soup mix and remaining ketchup. Shape into a loaf. Put in Crock Pot. Top with remaining ketchup. Cover and cook on Low 6-8 hours or on High 3-4 hours.

Painless Italian Chicken

Painless Italian Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 dry packet Italian Seasons Dressing

8-oz. cream cheese

1 can Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken soup

Combine in crock pot and cook on High 3-4 hours. Serve over rice or noodles

Texas Black Bean Soup

-Sandy Clark

20 oz. ground turkey

2 l5-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes

6 cups chicken broth

1 11 oz. can Mexicorn or regular corn drained

2 oz. cans chopped green chilies

4 green onions thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. dried minced garlic.

Cook the ground turkey in a skillet breaking up lumps as it cooks. Drain. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for four hours until heated through.

Pot Roast

2-3 pound beef roast

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

1 can condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

Place roast in slow cooker. Sprinkle with dry soup mix. Top with mushroom soup.

Cover. Cook on High 3 hours or Low 6 hours.

Variations:

Add chopped onions instead of soup mix.

Add 1/4 c. chopped green pepper.

Place the roast on top of cubed potatoes and sliced carrots. Proceed with above directions.

Stir 1/2 cup sour cream into the gravy before serving.

Hot Fudge Cake

Hot Fudge Cake

1 cup packed brown sugar, divided

1 cup flour

3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 cup milk

2 Tbsp. melted butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 3/4 cups boiling water

Spray sides of crock pot with Pam.

Mix first 5 ingredients together. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla. Spread over the bottom of slow cooker.

Mix together 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle over mixture in slow cooker. Pour in boiling water. Do NOT stir. Cover and cook on High 2-3 hours. Or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (It was cooked in just over an hour in my crock pot.)

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Classic Goulash from Allrecipes.com

Classic Goulash

2 pounds ground beef or turkey browned and drained

2 large yellow onions chopped and cooked with the ground beef or turkey

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups water

2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons dried Italian herb seasoning

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon seasoned salt, or to taste (This was TOO salty.)

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni.

Combine all ingredients except for macaroni in crock pot and cook on High for 1 hour or until the sauce is boiling. Stir in macaroni and continue to cook for about 45 more minutes.

Here is what everyone else brought to share:

Hawaiian Meatballs, Mary Beth Cheney

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/04/slow-cooker-hawaiian-meatballs-recipe.html

Brown Rice Pudding, Kara Blair

Rice Pudding

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-caramel-rice-pudding/7dff925e-9ea1-495e-9417-1f3bcd1a18f8

Meatball Soup, Amy Rossi

Lentil Soup, Kaye Sivori

From the Green Smoothie Girl's cook book

Pulled Pork, Lezlie Zollinger

Pulled Pork

med. sized Pork Butt 
add about 4Tbl. of Liquid Smoke and about 3 Tbl. of coarse salt. 
Cook in Crock Pot for about 8-10 hours on high.
As it cooks if you don't smell the smoke add a bit more.  Can always add more of both the salt and smoke at the end.
You will have to drain some of the grease and pull the fat off and shred the meat!

Shred and enjoy.

Add BBQ sauce for yummy sandwiches or fill enchiladas or tacos.  Use in just about anything.

Artichoke Dip, Lezlie Zollinger

Artichoke Dip

8 oz. marinated artichoke hearts - drained

7 oz. chopped green chillies

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup mayo

Mix together and either bake in oven @ 350 for 30 min. or until bubbly or heat in croak pot on high until bubbly and then turn down to low.

Fresh Pasta

Submitted by Michael Watkins, from Mario Betali


Ingredients:
3 1/2 c. flour
4 large eggs

Directions:
1. On a clean work surface, make a mound of the flour. Clear out a small well in the middle. Add eggs to the well and beat. Carefully work the flour into the eggs. When the flour is about half-way incorporated, the dough will start to form--it will be rough-looking.
2. Using the palms of your hands, knead the dough until it is cohesive, adding flour in small amounts if dough is sticky. When dough is fully formed, knead for about 6 more minutes, dusting with flour as necessary.
3. If you have time, it is best to let the dough rest tightly wrapped for about 20 minutes. If not, it's not a big deal. Roll out thin and form as desired.

For ravioli: Roll thin and cut into squares (any size you desire really). Fill. Lightly rub a dampened finger along the edge and fold over. Cook in boiling water until the ravioli float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon.

For other pastas: Hang and let dry slightly--about 15 minutes. Boil until al dente--about 5 to 8 minutes.

Gnocchi

Submitted by Michael Watkins


Ingredients:
2 lbs. potatoes (about 6 medium-sized Yukon Golds)
1 c. flour
pinch of salt, optional
2 large eggs, beaten

Directions:
1. Boil potatoes until tender. Using the tines of a fork, scrape off the peel (optional). Mash the potatoes as fine as possible and fluff with fork.
2. Mix flour and salt. Add potatoes and mix. Add egg and mix together until you can handle it with your hands. Knead with your hands on a floured surface until the dough becomes smooth--it should be fairly light and fluffy feeling.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the gnocchi. Remove with a slotted spoon as the dumplings rise to the top of the water--this can take less than a minute so you'll want to be standing right next to it.

You can use gnocchi is soups or just serve it with your favorite sauce.

Tip: We have found it is best to use a boiling potato. They have a different texture that makes them creamier and you're less likely to bite into a chunk of potato than when you use a russet.

Chile Verde

Submitted by Bethany Paradise


Ingredients:
1/2 lb. tomatillos (5 to 10)
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 lb. pork shoulder or tenderloin, cut into large chunks or cubes
olive oil and flour as needed
1/4 t. whole cumin, lightly toasted then ground (Okay, seriously Bethany? Tell me you did not do this.)
1-2 T. chile d'arbol (hot!)

Directions:
1. Put cleaned tomatillos in a large pot and cover fully with water. Bring to a boil and cook 5 to 10 minutes until tender (poached). Place tomatillos and an equal volume of water (from the poaching) in a blender and allow to cool. Once cooled, blend until smooth. (NOTE: DO NOT try to blend while hot, as it may erupt from the blender.)

2. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat  until water sprinkled on the pan beads up and remains. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and let warm very briefly. Add pork, onion, garlic, and cook until browned and pork is caramelized (in batches). Add some flour and stir to coat the pork. Pour tomatillo mixture on top, then add chile, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste.

3. Cover and cook on low heat (barely simmering) until pork is done--2+ hours depending on amount and size of pork chunks.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Submitted by Bethany Paradise


Ingredients:
3 lb. pork roast (shoulder or sirloin)
2 t. Southwest seasoning (we used Mrs. Dash Southwest)
1 small onion cut into 8 wedges or so
1 12- to 16-oz. jar salsa (we like Trader Joe's salsa verde)
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Rub pork with seasonings. Throw everything into crock pot, fat-side up. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. When meat falls off bone, shred it.

2. Serve in heated tortillas (corn or flour) with favorite toppings: cheese, avocado, cilantro, sour cream, etc.

***For crisp carnitas: broil meat and onions in a shallow dish with some of the juices from the crockpot, about 1/3 liquid to every cup of meat and onions. 10 minutes, stir, 10 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and desired crispiness is achieved.

Mango Quinoa Salad

Submitted by Mallory Watkins, from OurBestBites.com

Ingredients:
2 c. cooked quinoa at room temperature or chilled (cook quinoa as you would rice)
1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 green onions, diced
1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 c.)
4 T. red wine vinegar (I just used apple cider vinegar I had on hand)
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1-2 T. fresh lime juice
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, toss quinoa, mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans and cilantro.
2. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad. Toss to combine and chill for at least an hour before serving.

Granola

Submitted by Mallory Watkins


Ingredients:
3 c. flour (you can use any, but whole wheat is nice)
5 c. old fashioned oats
1/4-1/2 c. vegetable oil (start small and add more as needed)
ALL OTHER MEASUREMENTS ARE TO TASTE AND TEXTURE:
molasses (the key here: too much will give you rock-hard clumps; add some, stir, eye it, add some more, etc.)
honey
cinnamon
nutmeg
cloves
extract (I did almond in this one, but you could do vanilla or whatever you like)
chopped nuts (I did almonds and A LOT of walnuts in this one)
dried fruit (I did blueberries and cherries, but I've also done cranberries and raisins)

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together (except nuts and dried fruit) until well-blended. Adjust as needed for texture: for chunkier granola try adding a little bit of brown sugar (you could also do this in place of the honey).
2. Bake in a pre-heated oven between 300 and 320 for ten minutes. Stir lightly (you could also try adding more honey here and then stirring if you'd like more chunks) and add chopped nuts and dried fruit. Bake another 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool before transferring to an airtight container.

You can eat this dry to as a cereal with milk.

Freezer Bag Omelet

Submitted by Mary Beth Cheney


Mary Beth suggests using this method of making omelets while camping or when you have a lot of people over for breakfast, like during the holidays. It's easy to make many customized omelets at once.


Ingredients/Materials:
1 quart freezer bag for each omelet
1-2 eggs per omelet
preferred fillings (mushroom, onion, cheese, tomato, avocado, etc.) diced, shredded, or sliced per    
     omelet
1 large pot boiling water

Directions:
1. Break eggs into bowl; whisk as you would for scrambled eggs. Pour into the freezer bag.
2. Place any fillings you like into freezer bag. Close and smoosh all the ingredients together as desired. For a more omelet-ish omelet, push all into the bottom portion of the bag.

3. Remove any air from the bag and re-close. Place bag into the boiling water for about 12 minutes (perhaps more depending on how many bags you're cooking at once). Remove bag, slice omelet out onto a plate, and serve.

Sausage Soup

Submitted by Barbara Neuenswander


Ingredients:
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
6 c. chicken broth
2 t. dried basil
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/2 c. shredded cabbage
2 onions, chopped
2 c. bow tie pasta
1 c. chopped celery

Directions:
1. In soup pot, cook sausage over medium heat until no pink remains.
2. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until onions are soft.
3. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, cabbage, and basil. Bring to boil. Stir in macaroni and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Season with garlic salt. Serve. 

Pasta e Fagioli

Submitted by Jennifer Daily


Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 large carrot, shredded
3 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14 oz.) cans stewed diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 (15 oz.) can white beans (with liquid)
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (12 oz.) can V8 juice
1 T. white vinegar
1 t. oregano
1 t. basil
1/2 t. thyme
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 lb. ditali (short tube) pasta, cooked al dente

Directions:
1. Brown ground beef over medium heat; drain off fat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; saute
    10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta. Simmer at least 1 hour.
2. Five to ten minutes before serving stir in pasta and simmer. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Crock Pot Potato Soup

Submitted by Shaine Athey


Ingredients:
8 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, chopped
2 T. butter
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 T. dried parsley
6 c. water
2 c. milk
1/2 c. flour

Directions:
1. Place the potatoes, onion, butter, bouillon, parsley, and water into a slow cooker. Set on low and let cook for 6 to 8 hours.
2. At least half an hour before serving, stir together milk and flour until smooth; mix into the soup. Cook for 30 minutes or until soup thickens. Serve.

Tip: To make it cheesy potato soup, blend in 1/4 lb. cheese before serving.

Butternut Squash Soup

Submitted by Karen Neueswander
Ingredients:
2 T. butter, room temperature
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped (1/2 inch)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut
     into 3/4-inch pieces (7 to 8 cups)
6 c. chicken stock
1/4 c. chopped fresh sage leaves
salt and black pepper

Directions:
1. In an 8-quart stockpot, add butter and oil; melt together. Add onion and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft (about 5 minutes). Stir in garlic and cook until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add squash and chicken stock. Bring to boil and add sage. Continue to boil until vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes). Turn off heat. Using immersion blender, blend until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Taco Beef Soup

Submitted by Janelle Black


Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 (16 oz. each) cans diced, stewed tomatoes
2 (16 oz. each) cans kidney beans
2 (8 oz. each) cans tomato sauce
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
Shredded cheese
Corn chips
Sour cream

Directions:
1. In large saucepan cook ground beef and onion until meat is browned; drain off excess fat.
2. Add un-drained tomatoes, un-drained kidney beans, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning mix.
3. Simmer covered 15 minutes. Serve with cheese, corn chips, and sour cream. (Serves 12)

Maxine's Turkey Meatball Soup

Submitted by Francine Coons
Ingredients:
15-20 frozen turkey meatballs (if large, cut in forths)
2 cartons (32 oz. each) chicken broth
2 c. water
2 packets sodium-free chicken bouillon
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
4-5 peeled diced potatoes
1/4-1/2 onion, chopped
Mrs. Dash seasoning, to taste
1 pkg. (16 oz.) California blend vegetables

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients except frozen vegetables.
2. Bring to boil then simmer 30 minutes.
3. Add frozen vegetables in the last 10-15 minutes. (Serves 8-10.)

Lentil Soup

Submitted by Aimee Roylance
Ingredients:
2 t. canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. green lentils
12 c. chicken broth--more if needed
1 t. dried basil
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. salt
6 c. chopped kale (about 6 oz.)
3 T. finely grated lemon zest

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring until softened and translucent (3-5 minutes).
2. Add carrot, celery, and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are soft (5 minutes).
3. Add broth, lentils, basil, thyme, and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, add kale, cook until lentils are tender (30 to 35 minutes), adding more brother if needed. Stir in lemon. Serve.

Note from Aimee: I use more carrot than they do. I also add a can of diced tomatoes and use a mix of cooking greens rather than just the kale. Some people add balsamic vinegar, we never have. Nor do we make it with added salt or the lemon.

Zuppa Toscana

Submitted by Bethany Paradise


Ingredients:
5 c. chicken broth
1 c. heavy cream
2 unpeeled medium Russet potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thin, then quartered
4 c. chopped kale (or any preferred green)
1 lb. Italian sausage (as spicy as you dare)
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t. salt
Directions:
1. Combine stock and cream in saucepan on medium heat.
2. Add sliced potatoes and kale.
3. While soup is simmering, grill or saute sausage. When cooled, cut at angle to 1/2-inch thin slices. Add to broth. Add spices and simmer 2 hours.

Barbequed Turkey

Submitted by Lezlie Zollinger


Ingredients:
1 (10-lb.) boneless turkey brest
1 pint Wesson oil
2 pints Seven Up
1 pint soy sauce
1 T. horseradish
1 T. garlic powder

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients and stir thoroughly. Marinate in a plastic container with a cover for 18 to 24 hours.
2. Barbeque over low heat slowly. Do not over-cook. Turn frequently, dipping into barbeque sauce with each turn of the meat. Cook until meat is white when cut into with a knife.
3. To store left-overs, cover meat completely with barbeque sauce and store in an airtight plastic bag or container and freeze or refrigerate. May be heated later in a microwave. (Use within six months if frozen.)

Best Way Brined Turkey

Submitted by Lezlie Zollinger


Ingredients:
1 (12-lb.) turkey
For the brine:
1 c. sugar
2 c. kosher salt
2 1/2 gallons cold water
2 bay leaves, torn
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
5 whole allspice berries, crushed
4 juniper berries, smashed (look for these in Whole Foods, Andronico's, Bell Markets, or Cala Foods)
Roasting:
2 T. softened butter, plus more for basting
1 1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
1 c. chicken stock (add more as needed)

Directions:
1. Clean the turkey by removing the giblet bag, any extra internal fat, and any pin feathers. Rinse well under cold tap water.
2. Combine the sugar, salt, and 3-4 quarts of the cold water in a large bowl. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved, then add the bay leaves, thyme, garlic, allspice, and juniper berries. Double-bag two heavy-duty, unscented trash bags (not made of recycled materials), and put them in an ice chest big enough to hold the turkey. Place turkey in bags, pour in the brine, then the remaining 1 1/2 gallons of water--the bird should be completely submerged. Press out all air and tightly close each bag separately. Keep turkey cold with bags of ice, which will also help keep it submerged in the brine. Keep for 12-24 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 400* F. Remove turkey from brine, rinse and dry well. Spread 2 T. butter over the skin and sprinkle pepper over the skin and in the cavity. Tuck the wing tips under, loosely truss the legs, and place the turkey on a V-shaped rack in a roasting pan. Cover the breast tightly with foil and place in the oven.
4. Every 30 minutes, rotate the pan 180 degrees to ensure even roasting. Roast for 1 hour, remove foil and baste the turkey with 1/2 c. stock. Return to oven and roast, basting with pan drippings and more stock (if desired) every 20 minutes. Start checking the internal temperature after about 1 hour of roasting time. If the legs begin to get too brown, cover them loosely with foil. Roast until the internal thigh temperature is 165* F. (Thermometer should not touch thigh bone.) Total roasting time should be about 2 to 2 3/4 hours. Let rest 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Note: You can brine and roast a larger bird--the brine soak will take about the same amount of time, the roast will take longer. Lezlie says her 22-pound bird took 4 1/2 hours to cook.

Pork Loin with Root Vegetables

Submitted by Karen Neuenswander


Ingredients:
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 t. dried rubbed sage
1 3-pound pork loin center rib roast, backbone removed
1 lb. parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 lb. small red potatoes, quartered
1 medium Vidalia onion (or other sweet onion), cut into thin wedges
3 T. butter, melted
1/2 c. maple syrup
1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped

Directions:
1. Combine 2 tablespoons of the mustard and the sage; spread over surface of meat. Combine vegetables and margarine or butter; toss to coat. Place the roast, rib-side down, in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into center of roast. Arrange vegetables around roast. Roast, uncovered, in oven at 325* for 1 1/2 hours or until the vegetables are nearly tender.
2. Combine remaining mustard and syrup in a saucepan. Bring just to boiling. Drizzle over vegetables; toss to coat. Continue roasting about 30 minutes more or until thermometer registers 160* and juices run clear. Remove roast from oven. Cover roast with foil; let stand 10 minutes before carving.

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