Tag: jalapeno

Crock Pot Carnitas
Family · New Favorite

Crock Pot Carnitas

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Pork Carnitas are a favorite while dining at local Mexican restaurants.  This recipe, made in the Crock Pot, made the work easy.  I chose to skip the final step in the recipe and it was delicious.  If you love the crispy pork, go for it.  The pork is great in tacos, burritos, bowls, nachos….your choice!

CROCK POT CARNITAS

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (or 2 1/2 pounds bone-in)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and ribs removed, chopped
1 orange, cut in half
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • Rinse and dry the pork shoulder. Salt and pepper liberally. Mix the oregano and the cumin with olive oil and rub all over pork.
  • Place the pork in a slow cooker and top with the onion, garlic, and jalapeno.
  • Squeeze over the juice of the orange and add the two halves. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high 4 hours.
  • Once the meat is tender, remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly before pulling apart with a fork.
  • In a large sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Press the carnitas into the oil and fry until crusty on one side. Serve.  (I skipped this step)

Recipe from FoodNetwork

Chicken Pozole with Tomatillos
Garden · New Favorite

Chicken Pozole with Tomatillos

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Tomatillos are plentiful this year so I’m always up for trying a new recipe. I love my standard Posole recipe with pork, but liked this idea with chicken and tomatillos. Tomatillos have almost a citrus-like taste to them so it pairs well with chicken and pozole.

The soup was great fresh and I’ve frozen a large batch for a cold winter’s night!

CHICKEN POSOLE WITH TOMATILLOS

1 pound tomatillos
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups chopped onion
1 pounds chicken, skinned (I used 2 cups of cooked, chopped chicken vs. raw)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and quartered
1 (30-ounce) can white hominy, drained
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more to taste)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
8 lime wedges (optional)

Inspired and Adapted from: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/posole-tomatillo-chicken-hominy-soup

Raspberry Salsa
Garden · New Favorite · Vegan · Vegetarian

Raspberry Salsa

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Raspberries have always been my favorite fruit.  My Mother grew red and black raspberries on the farm.  When we moved into our home in 1988 we, too, planted red raspberries in our yard.  Very few raspberries make their way into the house, instead being consumed right there on the spot.

Through the years I’ve tasted several wonderful commercial raspberry salsas and it was time to make one from scratch.  Several recipes call for tomatoes but I’m a raspberry purist and didn’t want to ruin the tart, tangy goodness of fresh raspberries.

The salsa was good with tortilla chips (I’m thinking a cinnamon chip would be great with it!) and as a side to fresh grilled salmon.  The salsa would be wonderful with a grilled or broiled chicken breast as well.

Our summer bounty will fast come to a close so enjoy while you can! Also try the fresh peach or tomato salsas:

Peach Salsa
Fresh Tomato Salsa

English: Raspberries Français : Framboises Deu...

FRESH RASPBERRY SALSA

2 cups fresh raspberries
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
3 tsp.  finely chopped jalapeno chile peppers
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  • Combine raspberries, sweet onion, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, white sugar and lime juice.
  • Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.
  • Optional: Mash berries slightly before chilling and garnish with whole raspberries.
Easy Peasy Appetizer…Mozzarella and Raspberry Chipotle Jam
Family Favorites · Gluten Free · New Favorite

Easy Peasy Appetizer…Mozzarella and Raspberry Chipotle Jam

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Now that I’m MUCH older, I’m feeling a little lazy around the postings so taking it easy for a week or two and celebrating the rest of my birthday month.

Even though I’m feeling lazy, sometimes you want a wonderful appetizer but don’t feel like putting a lot of time into it.  Are you with me?

Many years ago a popular appetizer was a brick of cream cheese with jalapeno jelly and it is still a favorite but I like to shake it up a little.  I purchased a fantastic jar of Shirley Ann’s Raspberry Chipotle Jalapeno Jam a while back and paired it with slices of Buffalo Mozzarella with crackers and sliced baguette. Yummo! It would be equally wonderful with a fine Brie.

Here’s to a lazy August day!

Grape Jalapeno Jelly…Maybe, Maybe Not!
Losers!

Grape Jalapeno Jelly…Maybe, Maybe Not!

cathysmaha2 Comments

Grape Jalapeno Jelly may not be the best idea!  Each year I have a small harvest of concord grapes, if the birds and squirrels decide they want to share.

In the past, I have made grape biscuits (to be shared another year), but this year I wanted to try something different.  I like grape jelly and I like jalapeno jelly…why not try a combo?  Sounded like a good idea.

Bowl of concord grapes

I searched the web and did not find ONE SINGLE recipe.  I adapted a blackberry jalapeno jelly but decided to cut back on the jalapeno so it wasn’t too hot.  Big mistake!  While the grape jelly is beautiful and tastes good, the slight jalapeno aftertaste is perplexing to my taste buds.

cooking grapes for jelly
Straining the juice from the grapes
Grape juice for the jelly
Cooking the grape juice with jalapeno for jelly
Grape Jalapeno Jelly

Not all of my great kitchen experiments are winners.  This is one of the losers.  I will not share the recipe but I’ll share photos. I’m hoping to salvage this disaster by using the jelly in a meatball sauce or perhaps mixing with a hot pepper jelly and serving over brie or cream cheese. I’ll keep you posted, but be aware…if a recipe isn’t posted anywhere on the internet, there may be a reason for it.

Lesson learned!