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Asparagus With Orange & Hazelnut Serves 4 as Side. This recipe works great as a side dish, or the base for a lighter lunch salad. It's incredibly simple, and incredibly tasty. 2 T finely chopped hazelnuts 1-1/2 lb asparagus stalks, washed and trimmed 1/4 tsp freshly grated orange zest 2 tsp fresh orange juice 1 tsp fresh lemon juice 2 T extra-virgin olive oil Coarse kosher salt Coarsely ground black pepper Preheat oven to 375°F. Toast hazelnuts in a small shallow baking pan until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Cook asparagus in a large frying pan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes, and drain well in a colander. Transfer hot asparagus to serving platter or individual serving plates. In a small bowl, whisk together orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon orange dressing over top or asparagus and sprinkle with nuts. Keywords: Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Vegetables ( RG398 )

Shrimp Stock 4 qt of shrimp shells (about the remains of two lbs. of shrimp) 8 qt cold water 2 T oil 4 oz onions, diced 4 oz leeks, white portion only, washed well, trimmed and chopped 4 oz celery, diced 4 oz parsnips, chopped 2 lemons, halved 1 c parsley, coarsely chopped, stems and all 8 bay leaves 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves 1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves 1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns Rinse the shells briefly under cold water and drain well. Sweat the shells briefly in the oil, then add the mirepoix (onions, leeks celery, parsnips) and sweat for 2-3 minutes. Add to cold water, add the parsley and sachet (all the herbs placed into a 4" square of cheesecloth and tied into a sack) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Strain the stock thoroughly in a china cap or strainer layered with cheesecloth. Cool the stock completely in an ice-water bath and use, refrigerate or freeze immediately. Keywords: Easy, Soup, Seafood, Shrimp ( RG397 )

Tiramisu Serves 12 as Dessert. 1/2 c ground coffee beans 1-3/4 c cold water 1/4 c Kahlua, divided 1/2 c (1/4 pound) mascarpone cheese 1 pkg (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened 1/3 c packed brown sugar 1/4 c granulated sugar 3 c (8 oz tub) Low Fat Cool Whip (divided) lady fingers (I use the hard ones) 1/4 c unsweetened cocoa, Dutch process is best Brew the coffee then pour it into a large bowl. Set aside to cool. Combine cheeses in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons Kahlua and sugars; beat until well-blended. Divide cheese batter into 2 parts. To one part, add 2 cups of Cool Whip. You will now have a bowl of fluffy cheese batter and a bowl of dense cheese batter. Next comes the fun part. Add remaining 2 tablespoons Kahlua to coffee. Quickly dip half the ladyfingers into coffee/kahlua mixture and line them up in a 9x9 inch square pan (or an 8 1/2 x 11 inch rectangle pan) to cover bottom. Don't let the ladyfingers soak up too much coffee -- a quick dip is all you need. With spatula, spread the dense cheese mixture on top of the first layer of lady fingers. Repeating dipping/layering procedure with second half of ladyfingers. Spread second layer of lady fingers with fluffy cheese batter then top with remaining 1 cup Cool Whip. Sprinkle the whole thing with cocoa powder and refrigerate for a few hours to set. Keywords: Dessert, Easy ( RG396 )

Tuna Niçoise Crostini Serves 10 as Hors d'oeuvre. 1/2 c green olives, pitted 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled 5 T mayonnaise 1 three-ounce can solid white tuna in oil, drained and broken into small pieces 2 T capers, drained and chopped 1 T chopped fresh tarragon leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper Crostini Additional Fresh tarragon leaves for garnish 1. Finely chop half the olives; set aside. Thinly slice the remaining olives; set aside. 2. Remove yolks from eggs; set aside. Place whites in a bowl. Using a fork, mash egg whites until 1/4-inch pieces are formed. Add mayonnaise, tuna, reserved chopped olives, capers, and chopped tarragon; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Place 1 tablespoon mixture onto each crostini. 3. Place reserved yolks in a sieve. With a spoon, press yolks through sieve into a bowl. Top each crostini with yolk, garnish with tarragon and reserved olives, and serve. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Easy, Fish, Snack ( RG395 )

Maple Orange Cornish Hens Serves 6 as Main Dish. 1/3 c maple syrup or packed brown sugar 1/3 c orange juice 2 T white wine (optional) 2 tsp chopped dried rosemary 3 1 1/4 lb. Cornish hens 1 T finely grated orange rind pinch each salt and pepper fresh rosemary sprigs orange slices In small saucepan, whisk together maple syrup, orange juice, wine (if using) and rosemary. Bring to boil; boil for 3 to 5 minutes or until glaze is slightly thickened. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile, cut wing tips from hens. Using kitchen shears or sharp knife, cut along each side of backbone; discard backbone. Cut through breastbone to separate into halves. Trim off excess fat and skin. Gently loosen skin from each half of hens, leaving skin attached at back side. Starting at breast, ease in orange rind over flesh under skin. Place hens, skin side up, in foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; brush with one-third of the glaze. Roast in 375°F oven, brushing twice with glaze, for 45 minutes or until browned and juices run clear when hen is pierced. Arrange hens on serving platter; garnish with rosemary and orange slices. Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Chicken ( RG394 )

Sweet Potato Soup With Apple and Cinnamon Serves 8 as Soup. Perfect "winter" soup, or for when you just need some good old comfort food. Very soothing. 8 c vegetable stock 1 c apple, juice 1 c apple sauce 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, and, cubed, (about 4 cups) 2 potatoes, peeled, and, cubed 2 apples, peeled, cored, and, cubed 1 small onion, chopped 1 T lemon, juice 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 bay leaf In a large soup pot, combine the stock, apple juice and applesauce. Bring to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes, potatoes, apples, onion, lemon juice, basil, cinnamon, black pepper and bay leaf. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes; reduce heat and simmer another 10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and potatoes are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Using a hand blender, puree the soup until smooth. Serve hot. Keywords: Soup, Vegetarian, Easy, Potatoes, American ( RG393 )

Pear and Celery Soup Serves 8 as Soup. 3 T butter 5 c finely chopped celery 4 onions, sliced 1/4 c minced fresh chives 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 6 c vegetable stock 3 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and, sliced 1/2 c 10% cream In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook celery, onions, chives, thyme, salt and pepper, covered and stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until softened and translucent. Pour in stock; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until celery is very tender. Add pears; cook for 5 minutes or until pears are tender. In batches, puree in blender. Return to saucepan; pour in cream and heat through without boiling. Keywords: Soup, Vegetarian, Easy, Vegetables, French ( RG392 )

Banana Bread This banana bread is best the day it's made because it has a crisp crust and cakey texture. The olive oil gives the bread a fruity flavour, but if you don’t have a good extra-virgin olive oil, use vegetable oil instead. 1-3/4 c (240g) flour 2 tsp (10g) baking powder 1/4 tsp (1g) baking soda 1/2 tsp (2g) salt 2 eggs 2/3 c (125g) granulated sugar 1/3 c (75 ml) extra-virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil) 1 c (250 ml) mashed bananas (about 2 large or 3 small) Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Butter and lightly flour the bread mould or use a non-stick spray. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until doubled in volume. Blend in the olive oil. Alternately stir in the dry ingredients and the banana puree. Pour the batter into the prepared mould and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes, unmould, and let cool completely before slicing Keywords: Dessert, Snack, Bread ( RG391 )

Roasted Pineapple and Avocado Salad Serves 4 as Salad. A really simple, but really flavourful salad. Big bursts of flavour in the chunked pineapple really make it a crowd-pleaser. 2 c peeled and cored fresh pineapple (3/4" chunks) 1/2 tsp light brown sugar Kosher salt 1-1/2 T extra-virgin olive oil 1-1/2 T balsamic vinegar 2 Hass avocados, cut into 3/4-inch chunks 4 oz cleaned baby spinach (4 cups) 12 mint leaves Freshly ground pepper Lime wedges, for serving 1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, toss the pineapple with the brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Spread the pineapple on a baking sheet and roast in the upper third of the oven for about 10 minutes, or until softened and just beginning to brown. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil with the vinegar. Add the avocados, spinach and mint, season with salt and pepper and toss. Transfer the salad to plates, top with the pineapple and serve with lime wedges. Keywords: Salad, Vegetarian, Easy, Snack ( RG390 )

Vanilla Risotto With Caramelized Pears Serves 4 as Dessert. This is an insanely tasty, yet insanely simple dessert. It's rustic, yet refined all at once. I promise it'll please. 3-1/2 c milk 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped 40 g butter 1 c arborio rice 1/4 c sugar 1/2 c brown sugar 40 g butter, extra 1/4 c water 4 small pears such as corella, halved Place the milk and vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until hot but not boiling. Melt the butter in a separate saucepan over medium heat and add the rice. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the rice is translucent. Add the hot milk mixture to the rice 1 cup at a time, stirring between additions until each cup of liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente. Stir through the sugar. While the risotto is cooking, cook the pears. Place the brown sugar, extra butter and water in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the pear halves and cook, cut-side down, for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the pears and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. To serve, spoon the risotto into bowls and top with the pears and some syrup. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Rice, Italian ( RG389 )

Vegetable Summer Rolls Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 1 hr For peanut sauce 3 T finely chopped onion 1 small garlic clove, minced 3/4 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes 1 tsp vegetable oil 3 T water 1 T creamy peanut butter 1 T hoisin sauce 1 tsp tomato paste 3/4 tsp sugar For summer rolls 1 oz bean thread noodles (cellophane noodles) 1 T seasoned rice vinegar 4 (8 inch) rice-paper rounds, plus additional in case some tear 2 red-leaf lettuce leaves, ribs cut out and discarded and leaves halved 1/4 c fresh mint leaves 1/4 c fresh basil leaves (preferably Thai) 1/2 c thinly sliced Napa cabbage 1/4 c fresh cilantro leaves 1/3 c coarsely shredded carrot (1 medium) Make sauce: Cook onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in oil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 4 minutes. Whisk in remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer, whisking, 1 minute, then cool. Make summer rolls: Cover noodles with boiling-hot water and soak 15 minutes, then drain well in a sieve. Pat dry between paper towels and toss with vinegar and salt to taste. Put a double thickness of paper towel on a work surface and fill a shallow baking pan with warm water. Soak 1 rice-paper round (make sure there are no holes) in warm water until pliable, 30 seconds to 1 minute, then transfer to paper towels. Arrange 1 piece of lettuce on bottom half of soaked rice paper, folding or tearing to fit and leaving a 1-inch border along edge. Spread one fourth of peanut sauce over lettuce and top with one fourth each of mint, basil, cabbage, and noodles. Roll up rice paper tightly around filling and, after rolling halfway, arrange one fourth of cilantro and carrot along crease. Then fold in sides and continue rolling. Transfer summer roll to a plate and cover with dampened paper towels. Make 3 more rolls in same manner. Serve rolls halved on the diagonal. Summer rolls may be made 6 hours ahead and chilled, wrapped in dampened paper towels in a sealed plastic bag. Bring rolls to room temperature before halving and serving. Keywords: Main Dish, Vegetarian, Intermediate, Thai ( RG388 )

German Red Cabbage When I was a kid, we lived in Germany. We had a wonderful cook who made red cabbage all the time. My dad got his recipe from her, and that's the one I use. Want to say that I think the biggest mistake people make with this dish is by adding too much to it. It's better, I think, when the flavors are more subtle, and don't just knock your lederhosen off. 5 slices bacon, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 head red cabbage (about 2 lbs), cored and sliced 2 large (or 3 small) tart apples, cored and sliced thinly - no need to peel 2 tsp flour 1/4 c vinegar 1/4 c brown sugar 1-1/2 c dry red wine 1/2 tsp orange zest Dashes and pinches, etc., of whatever spices you're in the mood for: whole cloves, allspice, caraway, thyme, bay leaf, nutmeg, cinnamon but not too much - you don't want to overpower the cabbage Salt & pepper to taste Saute the bacon in the bottom of a Dutch oven or stewpot. Add onion and cook til limp. Add cabbage and turn in the fat. Core and thinly slice apples and add them. Dust with the flour and turn and stir until incorporated and flour has cooked a little. Add the vinegar, sugar, 1 1/2 cup wine, orange zest and whatever spices you're in the mood for. To help you out, inhale the aroma of the cooking cabbage, and then take a sniff of your spice. Add whatever seems to go together. But not too much. Some people add garlic, but I don't like it in my red cabbage for some reason. Probably just not what I'm accustomed to. Cover and cook slowly till tender and flavors are well combined. I usually either do this in a 300º oven for a couple hours or, if I'm going to be out of the house all day, a crock pot. Before serving, taste for salt & pepper, and if flavor is too strong, add a little hot water. Keywords: Side, Vegetables, Crock Pot ( RG387 )

Endive Spears With Lobster, Avocado, Grapefruit Serves 10 as Amuseor 10 as Hors d'oeuvre. 1 pink grapefruit, peel and pith removed 1 avocado, peeled and pitted 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 oz cooked lobster meat 4 Heads Belgian endive, (about 8 ounces) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 sprigs fresh tarragon 1. Using a small paring knife, remove sections from grapefruit. If sections are too large, cut in half crosswise. Set aside. 2. Slice avocado into 1/8-inch-thick slices; cut slices into 1-inch lengths. Toss in bowl with lemon juice, and set aside. 3. Cut lobster into bite-size pieces; set aside. 4. Trim bottoms from endives; separate spears. Place a grapefruit section on top of each endive spear. Top with piece of avocado, then a piece of lobster. Season with salt and pepper; garnish with tarragon. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately. Crab or shrimp may be substituted for the lobster. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Amuse, Easy, Snack ( RG386 )

Orange Jalapeno Vinaigrette This is a great all-around dressing. It works especially well with arugula, watercress, or other more complex greens. 2 Oranges, segmented 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, and, finely, chopped 1/2 c orange juice 1/4 c water 1/2 tsp sugar 2 T honey blossom vinegar or 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1/4 c grape seed oil salt pepper In a saucepot place the oranges, jalapenos, juice, water and sugar. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place in a blender and puree. Add honey blossom or rice wine vinegar and olive oil while blending. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate. Keywords: Easy, Sauce, Hot and Spicy ( RG385 )

Steak and Chimichurri Toasts Serves 40 as Hors d'oeuvre. Chimichurri is a vibrant sauce of parsley and olive oil (with a little kick from red pepper flakes) that’s traditionally served on grilled meats in Argentina. In this recipe, flank steak is marinated in the chimichurri, broiled, and then sliced and served on baguette slices with a dollop of the sauce. You can serve this warm or at room temperature. 1 c packed fresh parsley 3/4 c olive oil 3 T red wine vinegar 2 T dried oregano 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp salt 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper 2 1-pound pieces flank steak 1 16-ounce thin French-bread baguette, cut into 40 slices Additional olive oil Blend parsley, 3/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, oregano, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper in processor until smooth. Place meat in large glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush meat with 2 tablespoons chimichurri sauce. Cover steaks and remaining sauce separately and refrigerate at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Preheat oven to 450°F. Place bread slices on large baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Bake until just firm, about 5 minutes. Transfer to large platter. Preheat broiler. Transfer meat to rimmed baking sheet and broil until cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to cutting board. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut each steak along grain in half. Cut each half crosswise against grain into 10 slices. Top each bread slice with 1 piece of meat. Spread each with some chimichurri sauce; place on platter. Spoon remaining sauce into small bowl and place in center of platter. Serve warm or let stand up to 2 hours at room temperature. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Easy, Beef ( RG384 )

Russian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls This is good. Really good. Company good. 12 large cabbage leaves 1 lb lean ground beef 1 onion, grated 1/2 c cooked rice 1/2 tsp salt pepper to taste 2 c canned tomatoes, broken up 1/2 c raisins 1 onion, finely chopped 2 T vinegar 2 T sugar 1/2 c corn syrup gingersnaps sour cream to garnish Soak cabbage leaves in boiling salted water til limp (one good and easy way to do this is to put the whole head in the water and remove one leaf at a time as they become limp); drain and dry with paper towels. On the first few large leaves, turn them over and trim back any really big veins that are down by the core. Line a Dutch oven with one layer of these big leaves. Combine beef, grated onion, rice, salt and pepper. Place a small portion of mixture in each cabbage leaf. Roll up and secure with wooden toothpick. Place in Dutch oven. Repeat til all cabbage leaves are full. Combine tomatoes, raisins, chopped onion, vinegar, sugar and corn syrup. Pour over cabbage rolls. Add enough water to barely cover rolls. Cover and cook at slow boil for one hour. Place layer of gingersnaps over rolls, cover, reduce heat and simmer for one hour longer. Serve hot with sour cream garnish. Keywords: Main Dish, Beef ( RG383 )

Brown Sugar Snap Cookies Here's another recipe for cookies that is traditional in our family through the holidays - and frankly, pretty-much all through the year, because they are so easy to make, and the ingredients are always on hand. The flavor is kind of butterscotchy/caramely, and they are addictive for sure. 1-1/2 c brown sugar 1/2 c butter, melted 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg, slightly beaten 1-1/2 c sifted all-purpose flour 1 c pecan halves, or other nut, or shredded coconut Combine well, drop by spoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375º for 11-12 minutes. They burn quickly, so don't get distracted! Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cookie ( RG382 )

Caramel Popcorn I use an air popper. This stuff is NEVER around long enough for me to worry about it going stale. I can tell no difference in the final result of this recipe between air-popped and regular oil-popped [although I've never done a side-by-side taste test]. Also, in a pinch - like when I'm in a hurry or the popper is broken - I have made it with those big bags of pre-popped corn that you can buy in supermarkets. I don't think it's quite as good, but darn close and is still promptly and enthusiastically all eaten. The only caveat is that the already-popped stuff is also already salted, so if you use it, be sure to reduce the amount of salt in the recipe.) 6 qt popped corn 1 c butter 2 T molasses (or 100% maple syrup, but I like molasses better) 1/2 c light corn syrup 2 c light brown sugar 1/2 tsp salt (see above) 1/2 tsp baking soda 1-1/2 tsp vanilla 1 large pkg pecan halves (or cashews, or peanuts or any nut you like In heavy saucepan, over low heat, bring to boil the butter, molasses (or 100% maple syrup, but I like molasses better,light corn syrup, light brown sugar salt (see above). Allow to boil for five minutes. Then, remove from heat and add: baking soda, vanilla, pecan halves (or cashews, or peanuts or any nut you like - sometimes I use mixed nuts and it's wonderful) Stir well to combine. In a LARGE shallow pan (I actually got one of those gargantuan, wide stainless steel mixing bowls specifically in order to make this recipe) pour the hot syrup mixture over the corn and stir to coat as well as you can. Don't worry about covering every bit of corn perfectly because you're going to have lots more opportunities. Bake at 250º for about an hour (more or less), watching to see when the corn is well-covered and is a nice golden color. Stir well every ten minutes for the first half-hour, then every fifteen minutes." Pour out onto large sheet of waxed paper and allow to cool. Break into pieces and store tightly covered. You can add anything to this that suits your fancy, like rum, or cinnamon, or chili powder. I cannot possibly tell you how much I enjoy making this, or how much fun people seem to have eating it!! Keywords: Snack ( RG381 )

Buffalo Wings Sauce 4 parts butter 2 parts pepper sauce 1 part red wine vinegar This is the basis for almost all wing sauces and glazes, dating back to the Anchor in Buffalo. You will often see vegetable oil substituted for butter, other acids for the vinegar and somtimes a form of sugar or gum to help the glaze stick. Keywords: Sauce ( RG380 )

Potatoes with Poblanos (Papas con Rajas) Serves 4 as Side. This is a nice side dish w/ any Mexican or Latin flavored meal. Cut the potatoes as you would like, Myself I prefer slices about 1/4-1/3" thick. 12 oz potato (preferably new reds), sliced salt 4 cloves garlic 4 poblanos (charred, peeled, seeds/veins removed), roughly chopped 3 T oil 4 oz cheese (preferably Oaxacan - any mild, melting cheese will do) Cover potatoes with water, salt the water as you normally would when cooking potatoes (I use about a hefty teaspoon). Cook the potatoes over medium heat until almost done, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserve a cup of the cooking water. Blend the reserved cup of cooking water, garlic and chiles until well blended - there should still be some texture, don't puree. Heat oil in a large skillet until hot, dump the sauce in the hot oil and fry over med/high heat for 5-7 minutes. Add the potatoes to the sauce and cook on low until the potatoes are well flavored with the sauce, 7-9 minutes. Stir in the cheese and continue to heat through to melt the cheese. Keywords: Side, Easy, Potatoes, Vegetables, Mexican ( RG379 )

Enchilada Sauce Serves 12. This is a standard, all-purpose, workhorse enchilada sauce. It can be tweaked real easily w/ mexican oregano, epazote, more chiles or you can sub a couple different dried chille for a coupl of the anchos...but I really like it just the way it is. Nice simple chile sauce. If you find it is too hoat increase the amount of milk or decrease the chiles - you will likely have to reduce it more to get the proper consistency. NOTE: The most important step here is frying the sauce - the oil should be quite hot when you add the sauce and should spatter and spit and sputter quite a bit. If it doesn't your oil isn't hot enough. This will also splatter all over your stovetop, so if you'd prefer it can easily be done in a deeper pot instead of a skillet. 5 anchos - seeded, stemmed and deveined 2 c whole milk 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 2 T oil 1 T sugar salt Cover the chiles with hot water and soak for 15 minutes. Pour off the water, tear the chiles into several pieces and throw in a blender. Blend the chiles with the garlic and milk until very smooth. Heat oil in a large skillet until very hot (see NOTE above), dump the sauce in the hot oil and fry over med/high heat for a few minutes - add the sugar and a pinch of salt. Continue to fry over med/high heat until thickened and somewhat reduced, about 10 minutes or so. Keywords: Easy, Sauce, Mexican, Hot and Spicy ( RG378 )

Carnitas 1 lb pork shoulder, cubed 1/2 c beer, tequila,chicken or beef broth, vinegar, lemon juice or orange juice, pick one juice from 1/2 lime 1 onion, chopped chipotles to taste garlic to taste cumin to taste Dust pork cubes with above and let them set in the fridge for several hours beforehand. Place in Dutch oven. (You can use a large saucepan, but remember that you will eventually be frying them, or putting them under the broiler, or doing something else to crisp them, so you need a large surface area.) Add water just to cover. Simmer, partially covered, till all water is gone and meat starts frying in its own rendered fat. Reduce heat and fry, stirring frequently, till pieces are evenly browned. So now, you’ve boiled your carnitas down, and you’re frying them in the fat, and you think, “Boy, it’d probably be good if those suckers were caramelized.” I think it would, anyway. Of course, not everyone likes sweetness in their meat, but plenty do. If you’re one of them, add a little sugar to the water when you add your spices. Choices here are syrups, like Caro or Molasses, or Maple, or brown sugar. I add 2 T brown sugar, and 1 T sorghum (not too much for two pounds of meat, but enough to help brown and caramelize it). Mi amiga, on the other hand, caramelizes a cup of brown sugar in another pan, and then pours it over her browned carnitas, stirring and cooking over high heat for another ten-fifteen minutes or so, until the cubes are well caramelized. Rather than browning your carnitas in the fat on top of the stove, many people finish them in an oven on high heat, or under the broiler. Okay, so now you’ve got your crispy carnitas. What do you do with them? The answer, of course, is “anything you want.” You can just squeeze a little extra lemon or lime over them and serve as is, with some salsa or pico de gallo and guacamole and refried beans alongside. Or, you can: arrange on top of arroz; or as a garnish on a bowl of charro beans; or with chopped onion and cilantro in soft tacos or burritos or quesadillas; or whatever you want. Sometimes when I had my kids at home, I’d make a kind of Mexican gravy with milk and onions and chopped green chiles, and pour over and serve as a main dish. Keywords: Pork, Mexican ( RG377 )

Jiffy Corn Pudding This recipe is used in the Cooking with/for Disabilities course in the eCGI. 1 stick butter or margarine, melted 8 oz sour cream 1 large (or 2 small) eggs, beaten slightly 1 can creamed corn 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix 1 can whole corn, drained In bottom of large mixing bowl, melt butter. Add sour cream and combine. Add eggs and beat. Add all remaining ingredients and combine well. Pour into greased 10"x10" casserole and bake, uncovered, at 350º 45 minutes, or until golden and cracking. Keywords: Side, Healthy Choices, eGCI ( RG376 )

Potato Salad 8 med sized red potatoes, boiled in their jackets 3 oz garlic ring sausage (Keilbassa) 3 slices thick-cut bacon, diced, cooked until done, but not too crispy, and drained well. 1 medium tomato, deglopped and chopped 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped 1 med dill pickle, drained and minced 2 T minced onion 2 T minced fresh parsley 1 T chopped fresh chives or minced scallion tops salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 2/3 c myaonnaise 1/3 c miracle whip In a large bowl, mix everything together except the mayonaise and miracle whip. Add the mayonnaise and miracle whip. For moister salad, use more of these in equal parts. Chill the salad for several hours or up to 3 days, but bring it back to room temperature before you serve it If you can't find garlic sausage in the States, you can substitute salami and add a glove of minced garlic. Keywords: Salad, Potatoes ( RG375 )

German Potato Salad 3 lb small red-potatoes (about 2 inches in diameter), washed well 10 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips (about 1/2 pound) 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/2 tsp sugar 3 T cider vinegar 3/4 c beef broth 2 T chopped fresh parsley leaves In a large saucepan combine potatoes with salted water to cover by 1 inch and simmer until just tender, about 20 minutes. While potatoes are cooking, in a large heavy skillet cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and crisp and transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Drain potatoes and let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut potatoes into eighths and in a bowl combine with bacon. Keep mixture warm, covered. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons fat from skillet and sauté onion over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and broth and simmer 2 minutes. Add onion mixture to warm potatoes with parsley and remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, tossing gently, and season with salt and pepper. Serve potato salad warm or at room temperature, garnished with parsley Keywords: Salad, Potatoes ( RG374 )