Latin Pernil - Pork Roast

Perfectly seasoned pork shoulder cooked low and slow, then smothered in a dark and savory au jus. 

Ingredients:

4.8 kg (10 1/2 lb) pork shoulder

1 cup water

1/4 cup vinegar

1 head of garlic

2 tsps dry oregano

2 tbsps sea salt

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp dry thyme

1 tsp ground cumin

1 onion, cut in chunks

1 orange

2 tbsps lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1-2 tsps cornstarch

Sit the pork in a large bowl and slice the fat layer about 3/4 of the way off, leaving one side attached. Cut slits in the meat. Mix 1 cup of water with 1/4 cup vinegar and pour over the pork. Let sit 10 minutes.

In a food processor combine the garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, thyme, cumin and onion. Add juice and zest of the orange, lime juice and olive oil. Remove the pork from the bowl to a large roasting pan. Lift the flap of fat and massage the marinade into the meat, getting some into the slits. Then bring the flap over and spread more marinade over the fat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.

With the skin side up, roast the pork in a 450°F oven for 30 minutes. Then cover with foil and bake at 325°F for 5-7 hours or until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Remove the foil and return now to a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the meat to a platter, tent a piece of foil over it and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

In the meantime heat the nicely browned pan and whisk in 1-2 tsps cornstarch, cooking until it becomes a slightly thickened gravy, more of an au jus.

Serve these tender slices of pork drizzled with beautiful, brown au jus over all.

Did I mention this recipe serves a ton of people?!

Rustic Chicken Tray Bake

If the question is how to make a quick and easy dinner, then tray bakes are the answer. And only one pan to clean!

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs

2 tbsps butter

a few sprigs of rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsps thinly sliced garlic

2 tbsps olive oil

2 onions, quartered

3 medium tomatoes, halved

4 carrots, cut in chunks

1 cup chicken broth

1 lemon, zested and sliced

fresh parsley to garnish

Mix butter, salt and pepper and stuff under the skin of each thigh. Spread on top of the skin too.

Mix garlic, onion, carrots and olive oil together and place around the chicken in a large baking pan. Add tomatoes, lemon and rosemary sprigs and salt and pepper everything. Then add lemon zest on top of each thigh.

Pour the broth into the bottom of the pan and bake at 400°F for 45-55 minutes basting 2 times during cooking.

Serve garnished with fresh parsley.

Garlic Parm Spaghetti Squash

Low carbalicious! Spaghetti squash in a rich and creamy Alfredo type sauce. With no pasta and no heavy cream this is a lighter version of regular fettuccini Alfredo.

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 small onion, diced

2 tsps minced garlic

1 tbsp olive oil (or bacon drippings)

1/2 cup frozen peas or edamame beans

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

12 or 14 cherry tomatoes, halved

Tah Dah! This here 🠋 is my very own spaghetti squash grown in my garden from a seed of a squash I bought last fall! Enough tooting my own horn, back to the recipe!

So, first you want to bake the squash. Cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. (Clean them off and dry for planting next year if you have the space.) Place the halves cut side down on a baking sheet and add 1/4 cup water. Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes.  Then once cool enough to handle use a fork to shred the "spaghetti" from the shell leaving a little on the sides for stability as you will be filling them later.

But while the squash bakes you can prepare the rest of the dish. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and brown the onion, then add the garlic and peas and remove from heat.

In a saucepan melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Pour the milk in and whisk together until smooth. Cook on medium heat until starting to thicken then add the parmesan, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes. 

NOTE: depending on the size of your squash you may end up with extra white sauce. Just refrigerate it for other uses.

Now take the shredded squash and the rest of the vegetables (except tomatoes) and mix them together in a large bowl with the white sauce. As I mentioned you may not need all the sauce. Just add enough so the dish is saucy not soupy.

Stuff the shells with the filling ...

and top with cherry tomato halves.

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes and broil for another 2-3 minutes.

This can be served as a meal in itself for 2 or used as a side dish for 4.

Fajita Steak Stir Fry

Easy fajita steak stir fry that can be served over rice or traditionally served in corn tortillas. Lots of vibrant veggies with enough steak to keep your meat-eater happy.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb inside round steak, cut in strips

2 tbsps lime juice

1 tbsp orange juice

1 1/2 tsps worcestershire sauce

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

pinch black pepper

pinch red pepper flakes

______

2 tbsps avocado oil

1 onion, sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 yellow zucchini, sliced 

1 kale leaf, chopped

1 tsp taco seasoning

fresh parsley

Salsa topping (optional)

Combine all the ingredients up to and including the red pepper flakes. Toss the steak to coat and marinate 3-4 hours, or overnight, in the fridge. You can use a bowl covered with plastic wrap or simply toss in a bag like I did here.

When ready to cook, heat avocado oil to high in a large pan. Remove steak from the marinade and cook 4-5 minutes. Push the meat to the side and add onions and broccoli to the center of the pan. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes or until the broccoli turns bright green.

Then add the red pepper, zucchini and kale, sprinkle with taco seasoning, toss together and cook 3 minutes or to desired tenderness of the vegetables. 

Serve garnished with fresh parsley. You may also want to top it with salsa or sour cream.

Serves 2

Baked Cauliflower Dinner

Pasta bake with no pasta? Yep, cauliflower is swapped in for a lighter fare that's still high on flavour!

Ingredients:

8 cups cauliflower florets

2 tbsps olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 lb ground beef

3/4 cups diced onion

2 tsps minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp dry basil

2 1/2 cups tomato sauce

1 cup cottage cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Toss the cauliflower with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread out on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until tender.

While that bakes brown the ground beef in a large skillet until no pink remains. Remove excess grease. Add onion and cook 2 minutes then add garlic, oregano and basil. Add the tomato sauce and simmer 10 minutes. Finally, add the cauliflower.

Mix the cottage cheese and egg together.

Now start layering in an oiled 9 X 13" baking dish... 1/2 the cauliflower/meat sauce, 1/2 the cottage cheese/egg, 1/2 mozzarella and 1/2 the parmesan. Then repeat ending with parmesan.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

And serve with a light salad.

Serves 4-5

Adapted from: thelittlepine.com

One Ripe Banana Muffins

There's always that one banana that's left to get yucky! Turn yucky into yummy with this one ripe banana muffin recipe!

Ingredients:

1 overripe banana

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

milk (to make 1 cup with egg)

1 1/2 tsps vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch salt

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, plus more for top

Blend mashed banana with room temperature butter. Crack an egg into a 1 cup measure and add milk to fill. Add to the banana mix along with the vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients, except the seeds and mix with the wet just until combined. Stir in the sunflower seeds.

Pour batter into a lined muffin tin and add some more seeds to the tops. Bake at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in pan 10 minutes then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 medium sized muffins. (Not bad from 1 yucky banana!)

Skillet Balsamic Pork Chops with Tomatoes

This is the first time I've tried gremolata (an Italian lemon, garlic and herb condiment), and OMG, the level of yum it brings to the pork is off the charts! The pan sauce itself is delicious but the gremolata adds extra zestiness!

Ingredients:

2-3 pork chops, 3/4" thick

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tsps minced garlic

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp dry thyme

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tbsps olive oil

2 tbsps butter

Gremolata:

2 tbsps fresh basil, thinly sliced

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsps olive oil

2 tbsps fresh chopped parsley

Start by mixing the gremolata together, then set it aside. Prepare the rest of the vegetables.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet to medium high. Pat dry the pork chops with a paper towel, then salt and pepper to your liking and brown in pan 5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Pour half of the broth into the skillet to deglaze. Melt the butter in the pan and add garlic cooking 1 minute. Add the onion, tomatoes and seasonings and cook 3 minutes.

Pour in the remainder of the broth, balsamic and lemon juice. Cook 2 minutes and return the chops to the pan, turn to coat and warm through.

Top each pork chop with the gremolata and serve.

Serve with more veggies like corn on the cob or...

with mashed potatoes drizzled with the pan juices. 😋

Adapted from: aberdeenskitchen.com