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.

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.

Bacon-wrapped Chicken

This is a recipe I got from one of my former roommates. I love this recipe and make it regularly.

Chicken breasts, flattened or butterflied
Cream cheese
Salt
Pepper
Chives
Bacon

Flatten chicken with a meat tenderizer. If desiring smaller pieces of chicken, fillet each chicken breast into two pieces and tenderize. Add a pat of cream cheese on one end of the piece of chicken. Salt and pepper the chicken. Add chives, as well. Roll up the chicken so that the cream cheese is in the middle of the piece of chicken. Wrap the chicken roll with a piece of bacon.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 - 40 minutes until juices run clear, then broil until the bacon is crispy.

Applesauce Curry Pork Chops

These are the applesauce curry pork chops my dad taught me how to make! It's one of the only ways I like applesauce.

1 Tbsp oil
2 - 3 pork chops
1/2 can applesauce
1/2 tsp yellow curry powder or to taste

Add oil to pan with lid. Brown pork chops at a medium high heat in pan, Cover pan with a teeny bit of water to steam with lid on for 10 - 15 minutes. Add 1/2 can applesauce and curry powder. Heat for an additional 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Honey Mustard Chicken

This is the honey mustard chicken I like to make on occasion.

1 cup dijon mustard
1 cup honey
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
2 - 3 large chicken breasts (or 4 - 6 small chicken breasts)
2 - 3 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 package sliced mushrooms
1 yellow onion, sliced in large wedge strips
3 or 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

If the chicken breasts are large, fillet each chicken breast into two pieces. Tenderize the chicken until it's slightly thinner.

With a mixer, mix the dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, and lemon juice until well blended. Separate half of the mixture into a jar for a sauce when serving. With the remainder, put chicken into bowl and marinade, covered in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or up to 24 hours.

Saute onions and mushrooms in olive oil or butter until tender. At the same time in a different frying pan with a lid, add oil and cook chicken on both sides until cooked through. When it is finished cooking, top with the mushrooms and onions and then top with the sprinkling of shredded cheese. Put lid on pan and cook an additional minute or two until cheese has melted. Serve with the reserved marinade.

V8 Stew

The "V8 Stew" that we had as children came originally from the Betty Crocker cookbook with some adjustments. It's in there as Old-Fashioned Beef Stew. This is the recipe as adjusted by Cardine.

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 lb beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups of carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 cups V8 juice
1 Tbsp or 1 cube beef boullion
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp pepper

Cook beef in oil in a pan for 4 to 6 minutes, until browned on all sides. Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Add all ingredients to crock pot. Cover. Cook on low for 9 to 10 hours.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

This is the sour cream enchilada recipe our mom used to make when we were children.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3 dozen tortillas
2 cans (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup
1 pint sour cream
8 oz green chilis - put in blender
1 can water
Grated cheese
Diced onion
Cooked ground beef (optional)
Diced olives (optional)

Put soup, chilis, water, and sour cream in saucepan and bring to boiling point, but do not boil. Turn off heat. Dip tortillas in sauce and fill with grated cheese, onion, and whatever else you want to add, such as ground beef or diced olives. Roll into enchiladas and place in 9 x 13 inch baking dishes. Pour remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted or bubbly.

Italian Meatloaf

This is a variation on the typical meatloaf if you want the flavor to be just a little different. I made it as an attempt to get the meat to stretch a little bit farther, and it turned out to be a hit!

Italian Meatloaf

1 lb ground turkey
3 oz mini pepperoni (if original size, cut into fourths)
1/2 cup oats
2 eggs
4 oz tomato sauce
1/3 cup yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup roughly-chopped flat-leafed parsley
1 1/2 Tbsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 cup shredded mozarella cheese

Optional: An additional 1/4 cup shredded mozarella cheese for sprinkling on top after baking.

Grease the sides and bottom of a metal bread pan. Add and mix all of the ingredients in the pan until consistently mixed and pressed to the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the middle temperature is up to 165 degrees. Sprinkle the top with cheese immediately after removing from the oven. Makes approximately 8 servings.

Buuz (Mongolian Dumplings)

The way we pronounce "buuz" is "bodes." They are Mongolian dumplings. One time I signed up to feed the sister missionaries in town. One of them was from Mongolia, and while I didn't know her, I wanted to make something that was more reminiscent of where she was from than the spaghetti and pizza she was probably used to having in the states. One of my friends had served a mission in Mongolia, so I asked him what they frequently ate in Mongolia. This is what he told me. I enlisted Dad's help to make this dish because I kind of didn't know what I was doing. We guess that it turned out okay because the sister missionary basically ate all of them. Her companion told us that she hadn't really been eating previously and hadn't ever seen her eat like that before. We counted it as a success, and I hope that the meal was a blessing to her and helped her acclimate a little better to being in the U.S. Since then we've made buuz a few times, which we had to do since she ate most of them, and we didn't get much of a taste.

Buuz (Mongolian Dumplings)

Shells:
Flour
Water

Mix the flour and water to make a dough. Flatten the dough to about 2 or 3 millimeters in thickness. Cut the dough into discs using a cup, glass, or a circle cookie cutter.

Filling:
Minced or ground lamb
Chopped onion
Chopped garlic
Salt
Pepper

Be generous with the salt and pepper to give the meat a better flavor. Otherwise, since the shells are pretty bland, the dumplings don't have much of a flavor. The meat doesn't carry enough in and of themselves to make the dumplings tasty.

Place a ball of meat in the dough shell. Pinch the edges together, leaving an opening on top. Steam the dumplings for about 20 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.

We served this with rice and made up a gravy-type sauce to go with it. The Mongolian sister just ate them how they were.

Turkey

I asked my dad for a recipe for cooking the turkey, and this is what I got:

Turkey

1 Turkey

Follow the directions on the package.

The end.

Dad doesn't usually use a bag or cover it or anything. He just lets it sit in the oven and told me that the turkeys are self-basting. Well, okay. There you go!