Shrimp Ceviche (Ecuadorian-Style)

 Brita served this recipe for us when she returned from her mission. I definitely like it!

2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (from 5 or 6 oranges)
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 4 or 5 limes)
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 - 3 cups already-cooked salad shrimp
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Lots of cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy! For Quito-style ceviche, serve with a handful of popcorn on top!

Artichoke Parmesan Dip

I originally got this recipe from my aunt, but I have slightly edited it for my own purposes.

1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 cup mayonnaise

Diced tomato (it's best to take out the seeds)

Green onions, chopped

14 oz can of artichoke bottoms or hearts, diced

Mix all ingredients in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. Serve with baguettes, crackers, or cut up pieces of french bread.

Rolls of Chicken with Eggplant and Cheese

I made these for a dinner party that was Spain-themed. I like these different chicken roll ups!

4 chicken breasts

An eggplant

1 medium onion

4 slices of cheese to melt (mozzarella is fantastic)

Vegetable broth

Butter

Salt

Pepper

Cut the eggplant in very thin slices. Cover them with salt and let them sit for a half an hour so all the liquid leaves. Salt and pepper the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides in butter. Cut the onions in large pieces and put them to boil with a little oil and vegetable broth until they're clear. Roll up the chicken with the eggplant, onions, and slices of cheese. Cook the rolls until the cheese is melted, turning every once in a while.

Serve.

Sweet and Spicy Shredded Pork

Pretty basic recipe to get your mock Cafe Rio/Costa Vida sweet pork.

5 - 6 pounds pork tenderloin or roast
21 oz Dr. Pepper or Coke
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 7 oz can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
6 oz medium red taco sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Optional: 2 small cans green chilies

Using Dr. Pepper or Coke and over a blender, rinse all the chilies to try to get all the adobo sauce off of them. Discard chilies. With the adobo sauce and Dr. Pepper or Coke combo, add remaining ingredients (except pork roast) in blender. Blend. Place pork roast in crock pot and pour sauce over pork roast. Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours.

This pork can then be shredded and used for delicious taco meat, enchiladas, tostadas, burritos, or chimichangas.

Spicy Country-style Ribs

This is an excellent quick and easy way to make ribs. My friend used to make this in his dutch oven when we went camping.

Country-style pork ribs
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup Frank's Hot Sauce

Cut pork ribs into serving sizes. Combine brown sugar and hot sauce. Adjust quantities of hot sauce versus sugar to adjust the heat/spiciness of the ribs. Pour into crock pot over ribs and cook on low for approximately 6 hours.

Crock Pot Baby Back Ribs

This is my favorite recipe for crock pot baby back ribs.

1 rack baby back ribs

Rib Rub:

1/4 cup white or brown sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp celery salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Mix all ingredients of rib rub in bowl. Peel membrane off of the bony side of the baby back ribs. Cut rack in half. Rub rib rub all over all sides of the ribs. Wrap both pieces into aluminum foil. Place side by side in large crock pot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. I find that closer to 8 hours is better for fall-off-the bone consistency. I also use tongs to switch sides of ribs about halfway through cooking if I'm home.

Serve after cutting pieces apart like that, or if you want to caramelize sauce on the outside, brush both sides of ribs with barbecue sauce and caramelize in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.

Red Curry (Thai-style) with Chicken

This is the red curry recipe I use. It really smells up your house, so be sure to ventilate well or at least not cook it unless you're willing to have your home occupants smell it for a few days.

2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp red curry paste (or powder & water)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup coconut cream or milk
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, julienned
12 oz chicken breast, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 basil leaves, finely sliced

In a large pan with lid, cook onion in oil for 5 minutes. Add red curry paste and garlic, and stir fry for a minute. Add coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, brown sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil. Add zucchini and red pepper. Cover with lid and simmer on medium heat for 12 minutes. Add chicken and cook for 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and basil leaves and stir in.

Serve over rice.

Pot Roast in a Crockpot

I got this recipe from my friend Bubba. It's a quick and easy dinner to get ready when you're busy all day.

Chuck or rump roast (approximately 3 pounds)
1 1/2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 potatoes, cubed
1/4 onion, sliced
4 stalks celery, chopped
6 - 7 carrots, chopped
1 packet Lipton dried onion soup mix

Add all ingredients into crock pot. Cook for about 9 hours or until done. Times vary, depending on size of roast.

Pork with Apple-Curry Sauce

My dad uses this sauce on occasion for pork.

Cubed pork (or use as a sauce to top slices of pork roast)
1 cup milk
2 tsp yellow curry powder
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 cups chopped apples (2 medium apples or 1 large apple)
1/3 cup finely-chopped onion
2 Tbsp flour

In a saucepan, cook and stir curry powder in butter for 1 minute. Stir in apples and onion. Cook, covered until apples and onion are tender. Stir in flour. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Spoon sauce over slice of roast or add cubed pork until heated. If the sauce gets too thick, warm some apple sauce and add it to the sauce for thinning.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Pad Thai

This is the Pad Thai recipe my friend Emily and I used to make. It can be made with meat or with a meatless option by using tofu.

1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 red or green chilis, finely sliced or 1 - 2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp grated ginger or 1/2 tsp ginger spice
2 eggs, whisked together
9 oz Pad Thai rice noodles
2 - 3 Tbsp peanut oil
4 green onions, sliced, separate the white parts from the green parts
Choice of protein: tofu, cubed;1 chicken breast, cut into small pieces; thinly sliced pork or beef cut into pieces; medium raw, shelled and deveined shrimp (at least 12)

Items to garnish:
Green parts of green onion, sliced
1/3 cup peanuts, chopped
2 - 3 cups fresh bean sprouts
Lime wedges

Sauce:
1/3 c chicken broth
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp lime juice
3 - 4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp Fish sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp white pepper

Chop meat and toss with soy sauce. Set aside. Bring large pot of water to boil. Put in rice noodles and turn off heat. Let sit for 6 minutes. Drain (should be undercooked). Rinse with cold water to keep from sticking. Combine sauce ingredients. Set aside.

Heat large pan or wok to medium-high heat. Saute the following in peanut oil: garlic, chilis, ginger, white parts of green onion. Stir fry for 1 minute. Add meat and saute for 2 - 3 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp sauce mixture so it doesn't get dry.

Push ingredients to side of pan. Add additional oil if necessary. Add eggs and scramble.  Add noodles and 3 to 4 Tbsp of sauce. Stir fry, adding sauce until noodles are chewy and sticky (about 8 to 10 minutes).

Remove from heat. Fold in bean sprouts or garnish with sprouts. Also garnish with green onions, peanuts and juice from lime wedges. Enjoy!

Grilled Turkey Breasts

This recipe came from my aunt. She made this a couple times when I lived with her in Jackson Hole for the summer.

1 part oil
1 part soy sauce
2 parts 7up
Garlic salt or powder, to taste
Turkey breasts

Mix oil, soy sauce, 7up, and garlic salt in bowl. Add turkey breasts to marinate overnight. Cover bowl with wrap or a lid.

Grill on medium heat on each side until turkey breasts are cooked through.

Baked Chicken Wings

2 dozen chicken wings

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder (optional)

Mix dry ingredients. Coat chicken wings with mixture. Bake on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper for 45 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping the chicken over halfway through. Bake until crispy. If wanting to sauce the wings, brush the chicken wings with sauce and bake at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 additional minutes.

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Honey BBQ Sauce:

1 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 cup honey

Heat together in saucepan until well blended.

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Teriyaki Sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Heat together in saucepan until well blended.

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Honey Garlic Sauce:

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ginger

1/2 cup soy sauce

5 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp sesame seeds

Sliced scallions or green onions

Heat together in saucepan until well blended.

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Amazing Wing Sauce:

2 parts brown sugar

1 part Frank's Hot Sauce

Bring to boil in saucepan and then simmer until brown sugar is well-incorporated. Allow to cool for better consistency before using.

Apricot Ginger Chicken

This recipe is one that my sister Banana used to make. I think it's tasty!

3 chicken breasts, cubed
1 medium onion, sliced into large wedge pieces
2 garlic cloves, diced
2 14 oz cans apricots
1/2 to 1 tsp ginger powder or fresh ginger
Salt, to taste
Cooking oil

Drain and rinse apricots. Combine with ginger and salt in blender. Puree until sauce is smooth, adding water to desired consistency. Take deep frying pan with lid and coat the bottom with oil. Add onions & cook on medium until starting to brown. Add chicken and garlic. Stir fry until chicken is cooked on the outside. Pour apricot sauce over the chicken. Cover and simmer for about five minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve over rice.