This one is from our friends the Changs who served it at their daughter's 2nd birthday party, and it was AMAZING! I was suffering from early pregnancy nausea but this was one dish I just loved. Don't be thrown off by the leaves. They told us if you are sticking it in the slow cooker to just forget about the leaves. I just left them in the recipe for authenticity.
2 lbs. pork shoulder
1 Tablespoon Hawaiian salt (coarse sea salt)
1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
1 banana leaf
2-3 large ti leaves, ribs removed
1 cup water
Score pork on all sides with 1/4-inch deep slits about 1 inch apart. Rub pork with 1/2 tablespoon Hawaiian salt, then rub with liquid smoke. Wrap pork in the banana leaf, then wrap completely in ti leaves. Tie with string and wrap in foil. (Omit the leaves part if using slow cooker.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pork in shallow roasting pan and add 1 cup water. Roast for 4 hours. (Or, roast in slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.)
Shred pork and let stand in 1/2 tablespoon Hawaiian salt dissolved in 1 cup boiling water with a few drops of liquid smoke before serving.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Penne Rustica
Here's a copycat recipe from the Macaroni Grill menu - another favorite Italian chain. It's a BIG recipe and great for freezer meals.
Ingredients:
12 oz. grilled chicken breast (marinate in olive oil and garlic salt overnight, then grill on barbecue for best flavor)
½ pack thick bacon
48 oz. (3 boxes) penne pasta
2 large red bell peppers- diced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp paprika
Gratinata Sauce:
2 tsp butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup marsala wine OR 1/3 cup apple juice + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar +enough chicken broth to equal 1 cup
1 tsp dijon or dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped rosemary
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream
Directions:
Sauté garlic in butter in large pan. Add marsala wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream. Cook pasta according to directions. Cook bacon. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces. Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese. Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes.
[If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.]
Number Of Servings: Yields one 8×8 and two 9×13 casserole dishes.
Preparation Time: More than an hour
Ingredients:
12 oz. grilled chicken breast (marinate in olive oil and garlic salt overnight, then grill on barbecue for best flavor)
½ pack thick bacon
48 oz. (3 boxes) penne pasta
2 large red bell peppers- diced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp paprika
Gratinata Sauce:
2 tsp butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup marsala wine OR 1/3 cup apple juice + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar +enough chicken broth to equal 1 cup
1 tsp dijon or dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped rosemary
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream
Directions:
Sauté garlic in butter in large pan. Add marsala wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream. Cook pasta according to directions. Cook bacon. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces. Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese. Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes.
[If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.]
Number Of Servings: Yields one 8×8 and two 9×13 casserole dishes.
Preparation Time: More than an hour
Pollo Rosa Maria
This is a knock-off of a dish that once appeared on the menu at Carrabba's Italian Grill, one of our all-time favorite Italian chains. And a sort of approximate (and typically, stolen) picture.
Chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, split for stuffing
4 slices prosciutto ham
½ cup fontina cheese
Lemon Butter:
½ cup clarified butter
3 cloves garlic
½ small yellow onion, diced
¼ cup white wine
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ tsp. white pepper
½ tsp. salt
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
½ cup fresh sweet basil, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
Chicken: Open chicken breasts and place butterfly-style on grill over white-hot coals of live oak and pecan wood. (*Krista’s note: yeah, or just send your husband out to the gas grill. Or stick them in a pan or in the oven.) Grill 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from grill. When cool enough to handle, hold breast halves together and stuff each with one slice of prosciutto and 1/8 cup fontina cheese. Secure with toothpicks. Set aside in a warm place.
Lemon butter topping: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, combine clarified butter, garlic, and onion and sauté until tender. Deglaze pan with white wine. Add unsalted butter, salt, and pepper. Add mushrooms and sauté 1-2 minutes or until cooked. Add basil and lemon juice; stir to combine. Place chicken on a serving platter and top with mushrooms in lemon-basil butter and serve.
Chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, split for stuffing
4 slices prosciutto ham
½ cup fontina cheese
Lemon Butter:
½ cup clarified butter
3 cloves garlic
½ small yellow onion, diced
¼ cup white wine
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ tsp. white pepper
½ tsp. salt
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
½ cup fresh sweet basil, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
Chicken: Open chicken breasts and place butterfly-style on grill over white-hot coals of live oak and pecan wood. (*Krista’s note: yeah, or just send your husband out to the gas grill. Or stick them in a pan or in the oven.) Grill 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from grill. When cool enough to handle, hold breast halves together and stuff each with one slice of prosciutto and 1/8 cup fontina cheese. Secure with toothpicks. Set aside in a warm place.
Lemon butter topping: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, combine clarified butter, garlic, and onion and sauté until tender. Deglaze pan with white wine. Add unsalted butter, salt, and pepper. Add mushrooms and sauté 1-2 minutes or until cooked. Add basil and lemon juice; stir to combine. Place chicken on a serving platter and top with mushrooms in lemon-basil butter and serve.
German Pancakes
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons butter
Whip eggs until thick and lemon-colored. Add milk, flour, and salt. Melt the butter in a bundt pan. Pour the batter on top of the melted butter. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes. The pancake should almost reach the top of the bundt pan and be browned on top. Turn onto a plate, cut and serve with syrup. You can also make this in a 9 x 13 pan – bake for 15-20 minutes.
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons butter
Whip eggs until thick and lemon-colored. Add milk, flour, and salt. Melt the butter in a bundt pan. Pour the batter on top of the melted butter. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes. The pancake should almost reach the top of the bundt pan and be browned on top. Turn onto a plate, cut and serve with syrup. You can also make this in a 9 x 13 pan – bake for 15-20 minutes.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Mint Brownies
It took me many many batches to get this one right, but I finally devised a brownie base for this amazing recipe that we actually like. The original was really weird and dense. Again, I apologize for another stolen picture. I really need to start taking my own.Brownies:
3/4 cup butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks)
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Mint Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 lb. (3 3/4 cup) powdered sugar
1-3 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
green food coloring
Chocolate Topping:
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) - I usually reduced this to 1/4 cup, but then I discovered that only certain kinds of chocolate chips can handle less butter. Try this with caution.
Brownies: Mix butter, cocoa, and sugar; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in flour, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Spread into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
Mint Frosting: Mix butter and powdered sugar. Add only enough milk to make a smooth consistency. Add mint extract and enough food coloring for a light green color. Frosting will be thick. Spread over brownies. Refrigerate until firm.
Chocolate Topping: Melt chocolate chips and butter in microwave for 2-3 minutes, stopping to stir frequently, until the mixture is smooth. Pour over frosted brownies, covering frosting completely. Refrigerate until topping is set and hardened. Let brownies sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into 24 small squares with sharp knife.
Pizza
I am so shamelessly addicted to pizza. I told Travis once that I really don't like to eat anything unless it is sweet or pizza. I'm like a 9-year-old, you know, when you ask what a 9-year-old's favorite food is. It's always pizza. We seriously make homemade pizza almost weekly. Oh and the huge forest of fresh basil growing on our patio doesn't help much. This makes two 12-inch pizzas. (I use 3/4 of this recipe to make one gigantic pizza that fills my pizza stone completely.)
1 1/4 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp.)
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. cornmeal,
1 cup pizza sauce
Assorted toppings (pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, olives, peppers, etc.)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Combine 1/4 cup water, yeast, and sugar in mixing bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Add remaining water, olive oil, 2 cups flour, and salt and mix well. Add more flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms a ball but is not overly sticky. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (about 45-60 min.) - (This is where I scrape the dough into a ball and spray the inside of the mixing bowl with olive oil, cover it and put it over a bowl of hot water, which will cut the rising time in half - about 20-30 min.)
Punch dough down, turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide in half and roll each half into a round (if you let it rest for about 10 minutes it will stretch easily to the size you want). Transfer to pizza stone or pan sprinkled with cornmeal. Bake at 425 degrees for about 9 minutes. Remove from oven and top with sauce and pizza toppings; bake for another 15 minutes or until it looks done.
Oh yes, back to the basil. I like to do a "pizza margherita" with sliced tomatoes, snipped fresh basil, and slices of fresh mozzarella. Then you feel healthier because you're eating vegetables (you know, the tomatoes) and no meat.
1 1/4 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp.)
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. cornmeal,
1 cup pizza sauce
Assorted toppings (pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, olives, peppers, etc.)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Combine 1/4 cup water, yeast, and sugar in mixing bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Add remaining water, olive oil, 2 cups flour, and salt and mix well. Add more flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms a ball but is not overly sticky. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled (about 45-60 min.) - (This is where I scrape the dough into a ball and spray the inside of the mixing bowl with olive oil, cover it and put it over a bowl of hot water, which will cut the rising time in half - about 20-30 min.)
Punch dough down, turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide in half and roll each half into a round (if you let it rest for about 10 minutes it will stretch easily to the size you want). Transfer to pizza stone or pan sprinkled with cornmeal. Bake at 425 degrees for about 9 minutes. Remove from oven and top with sauce and pizza toppings; bake for another 15 minutes or until it looks done.
Oh yes, back to the basil. I like to do a "pizza margherita" with sliced tomatoes, snipped fresh basil, and slices of fresh mozzarella. Then you feel healthier because you're eating vegetables (you know, the tomatoes) and no meat.
Breadsticks
{This recipe is mine but the picture is not. Sorry, I stole it. Next time I make these I'll take my own picture.}1 cup warm milk (about 115 degrees)
1 package instant dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp.)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. butter
1 egg white
2-3 cups flour
Combine warm milk, yeast, and sugar in electric mixer bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add salt, butter, egg white, and 1 cup flour (add salt last if possible, with the flour, since it will kill the yeast if added directly). Beat well with a dough hook and add a second cup of flour. Knead until well combined, adding up to another 1/2 cup of flour if needed. Do not make it too dry; leave it soft and slightly sticky! Scrape dough into a ball, spray with olive oil, and let rise until doubled. Roll or twist into breadsticks and place on pan. Let stand 10-30 minutes (depending on how big you want them). Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Immediately brush with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt.
ANOTHER VARIATION: We used to love eating at the Pizza Factory in Provo because the breadsticks came wrapped around wooden sticks standing up, which I thought was a very fancy presentation. We've done this as well - just twist the breadsticks around bamboo skewers and prop them up against the edges of a baking sheet. Bake as normal (making sure the skewers are not touching any part of the oven!)
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