Pulled Pork

 Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

By Christine Gallary

Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: 30 mins, plus 6 to 10 hrs cooking time | Makes: 6 servings

 For this easy pulled pork recipe, just coat the pork shoulder with a spice rub of dark brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon, then cook it on a bed of garlic and onions covered with chicken broth.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (also known as pork butt), twine or netting removed
• 2 cups barbecue sauce (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.
2. Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and return the solids to the slow cooker. Set the strained liquid aside.
3. If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce, if using, and mix to combine. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed.

Limoncello

Recipe courtesy Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar

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YIELD: Varies

LEVEL: Easy

ingredients

• Limoncello
• 6 1/3 cups /1.5 liters 75-percent volume alcohol (recommended: 2 bottles Everclear Grain Alcohol)
• 14 lemons

• 6 1/3 cups /1.5 liters water
• 2 1/3 pounds/1050 grams sugar

Directions

Grazie Zia Laura, for opening your secret kitchen book for us... we might think of starting designing a label for it now and put it in our market!

To make the Limoncello:

This recipe occurs in 2 different stages: first the macerating of the lemon peels in alcohol, and then the actual brewing with the rest of the ingredients.

First stage:
Peel the lemons, making sure to only separate the yellow part of the peel from the fruit, and not go too deep.

A potato peeler does the trick, even if it behaves sketchy in the hand (lemons are much rougher than potatoes) still, you can try with a small blade, like a paring knife, but you will probably end up cutting too deep.

Place the peels in glass jars, possibly big enough to accommodate all the ingredients in the recipe, seal tight and let rest for two weeks. Find a dark corner in your house, even a basement or a cellar where to let your Limoncello rest, absolutely do not leave it exposed to sunlight... also, try to resist the temptation of opening your jars and sniffing it. It is called "resting" for a reason, be respectful, you will be rewarded later! We actually keep our jars on a library, to decorate our dining room...

Second stage:
After macerating for two weeks, the alcohol is now ready to be drained and mixed with the water and sugar.

Heat the water in the pan and mix the sugar, then let cool off for about 1 hour, stirring every now and then to make sure that the sugar collected on the bottom of the pan "stays in the game".

Drain the lemon peels from the jars and mix in the sugar water. Be careful, this is a moment you have to keep an eye on your volumes: figure out how many jars you are working with and maintain the proportion of ingredients! To simplify your life you, can brew everything in a big enough pot to accommodate all ingredients and then bottle it back into the jars.

And again, for the second time, you have to exercise control and patience. Sniff all you want, than close your jars tight and let rest for a whole month. You can shake the liquid gently when you start noticing some sugar deposited on the bottom of the jars. Where did you decide to let your Limoncello rest, in the basement on a kitchen shelf? Remember, no sunlight!

After a month, it is time to bottle, and it is totally up to you, just make sure you can fit your bottles in the freezer.


Brew Responsibly!

Asparagus Stir Fry

1 lb boneless pork cutlets, cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp vegetable oil, more if needed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 piece, one inch long, fresh ginger, peeled, minced
1 bunch green onions, trimmed, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, roll cut into 1 1/2  inch pieces
1 bell pepper, cut into thin strips, 1 1/2 inches long
less than 1 Tbsp chili sauce

Start the rice. Marinate the pork in soy sauce in a small bowl, about 20 min. Meanwhile, prep vegies.
Heat wok over medium high heat. When metal is hot enough to sizzle a drop of water on contact, pour in oil. Move the wok to coat the surface with oil. Stir in garlic, ginger, and green onions; stir-fry until fragrant.  Add asparagus and peppers, stir fry 3 - 5 minutes, till asparagus is cooked crispy crunchy and bright green. Transfer vegetables to a bowl.
Add more oil to the skillet if needed (anothr Tbsp). Turn out pork strips and marinade into the pan; stir fry until the meat turns white and is almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add chili sauce. Lower hat and return vegetables to wok.  Stir fry for another minute to combine flavors.

Spaghtti Squash

Spaghetti Squash I

Rated: Submitted By: James Photo By: WANDA Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 45 Minutes Servings: 6

"Strands of baked spaghetti squash are tossed with feta cheese, onions, tomatoes, olives, and basil for a Greek-inspired dish that tastes like pasta without all the calories."

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 3 tablespoons sliced black olives 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2.	Place spaghetti squash with cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
3.	Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are warmed through.
4.	Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Doug's lasagna

olive oil
1 onion
3 small jars Prego (or 1 large and one small)
1 container ricotta cheese
1 container cottage cheese
about 3/4 pound mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 egg
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
3 large cloves garlic
1 pound sausage
1 box frozen spinach
2 boxes lasagna noodles uncooked (you'll have some leftover)

Preheat oven to 350. Oil the pan. In a large sauce pan, cook onion and sausage till done, when almost done, add garlic.
Mix ricotta, cottage cheese, egg, Italian spice,parmesan, and 1 cup grated mozzarella
Put some sauce in bottom of pan and then a layer of noodles (uncooked), then the meat layer, sauce, a layer of noodles,  spinach, noodles, and more sauce, and top with  grated mozzarella.
Bake in 350 over about 90 min. 
Makes a ton,  enough for 10 if you cut large portions.

Chocolate Mousse

It's simple, versatile and delicious. Most important, it's no longer secret. "Like my French friends," Greenspan says, "this is the dessert I turn to all the time. But unlike some of them, I'll give you my recipe. It's my Valentine's Day present to you."

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Recipe: Top-Secret Mousse

Makes 4 servings
3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Whipped cream or creme fraiche, for serving (optional)
Gently melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water or in a microwave oven on medium power.
If necessary, transfer the chocolate to a bowl that can hold all the ingredients. Using a whisk, stir the egg yolks into the chocolate one at a time.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the salt until they start to form peaks. Beating all the while, gradually add the sugar. Continue to beat until the whites are shiny and hold medium-firm peaks.
Spoon about one-quarter of the whites over the melted chocolate and stir with the whisk until the mixture is almost smooth. (Stirring in a bit of the whites lightens the chocolate and makes the next step easier.) Spoon the rest of the whites over the chocolate and, using the whisk or a large rubber spatula, very carefully fold in the whites. Be as thorough as you can without overworking the mixture — it's better to have a few white streaks than to beat the bubbles out of the mousse by overmixing (actually, I find the streaks appealing).
Spoon the mousse into a serving bowl or individual bowls or serve it now, or cover it and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready for dessert.
(Note from Vera--This was not as easy as it sounds)
Serving
Before the mousse sets, spoon it into individual cups — I love the way the mousse looks in martini glasses — or put it in a pretty serving bowl. I like to top it with lightly whipped heavy cream or creme fraiche. You don't have to stop there — the mousse is delicious with fresh berries, chocolate shavings, crushed candied nuts, nut brittle or even pulverized Heath Bar bits.
Storing
Covered well, the mousse will keep overnight in the refrigerator, although it will get denser as it stands.
Bonne idee
To give the mousse a mocha flavor, add 1 tablespoon strong coffee to the bowl with the chocolate to be melted. Alternatively, you can add another flavor when you whisk in the egg yolks; such as 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract, 1/8 teaspoon pure peppermint extract or a drop or two of pure orange oil.
A word on the eggs
The eggs in this recipe are not cooked, so it's important to use very fresh eggs, preferably organic and/or from a trusted local source.

Another easier recipe to try (also from the back of a chocolate bar):  : into a blender (in this order) place 2 cups chocolate chips (or any chopped semi-sweet chocolate), 1/2 cup sugar, 3 whole eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup boiling milk. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour into serving cups and refrigerate for 1 hour (or more). Top with real whipped cream. (The boiling milk melts the chocolate and cooks the eggs at the same time.)

Sweet Potato Quinoa Stew with White Beans and Spinach (from Andrea Bemis)

A delicious and hearty winter stew.

• PREP TIME
  10 mins.
• COOK TIME
  30 mins.

• 1 TBS coconut oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 large sweet potato, or two smaller sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
• 1 heaping tsp dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups cooked navy beans (or any white bean of your choice) if canned rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup dry quinoa
• 4 cups spinach
• 6-8 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4-6

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, sweet potato, quinoa, dried thyme, and cayenne pepper. Cook for about 3 more minutes.
2. Add 6 cups of vegetable stock and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
3. Stir in coconut milk and spinach. If soup is too thick add a bit more stock or water. Season to taste with plenty of salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.

Use this recipe as a guide. Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary. Always taste test as you go!