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Oven 400 F > 300 F Cooking time: 3 hours Serves 4-6 |
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1 whole (2 lb) pork tenderloin 2 Tbsp olive oil ¼ tsp black pepper 1 tsp chili powder |
Cut the tenderloin lengthwise and widthwise into four long pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper and chili powder.
Grill on a hot grill for 3-5 minutes each side to sear the meat. If the grill is not handy, sear the meat in an oiled heavy skillet over med-high heat. |
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¼ cup olive oil 1 x-large can (27 oz) whole green chilies 1 sweet yellow onion 3 cloves garlic 1 tsp dried oregano 1 Tbsp chopped jalapeno pepper ~ more if you like it hot! |
Chop the onion and mince the garlic.
Layer into a casserole baking pan:
Olive oil ½ can green chilies Pork pieces Onion, garlic, oregano & jalapeno ½ can green chilies Pour all of the liquid from the can of chilies over top.
Cover tightly with a lid or foil and place into the oven at 400 F. Turn down the temperature to 300 F and roast for 2 hours. |
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3 Tbsp flour ½ cup warm water 2 tsp salt 1 x-large can (27 oz) whole green chilies |
Place the warm water in a drinking glass and add the flour. Mix the flour and warm water vigorously with a fork to dissolve.
Remove the pork from the oven, stir and add the flour-water and salt. Add the second can of chilies on top. Cover tightly and roast an additional hour. Remove from the oven and pull apart the pork with two forks. |
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2 dozen soft corn tortillas |
When you are ready to eat, heat a heavy skillet (cast iron is best) to medium-high. Warm the tortillas one at a time for about 15 seconds on each side. You can probably fit 2-3 in the bottom of the skillet at a time, slightly overlapping. Line a basket with a clean dish towel and keep them warm inside the towel.
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Serve the Pork Verde with the warm tortillas. Add sides of rice, corn and spicy black beans for a complete plate.
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‘Main Dishes’
Pork Verde
Stir-fry Chicken with Pineapple
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Serves 4-6 |
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Before preparing the chicken, start the white rice cooking. It will be done just in time.
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¼ cup soy sauce 2 tsp ground ginger ½ tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 2 tsp cornstarch ¼ tsp ground pepper 1 tsp sugar |
Mix in a small dish or glass measuring cup. Set aside. Half will be used to marinate the chicken and the other half for the sauce. |
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6 pieces boneless chicken breast (1 ½ lbs) |
Cut the chicken diagonally into ½ strips, then cut into cubes. The chicken will be most tender if you cut the diagonal strips across the grain like this:
Place the chicken cubes in a plastic bag or bowl. Pour half of the soy sauce mixture over the chicken and mix well. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes. Wash your cutting board and knife with soap and hot water before using for vegetables.
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1 green bell pepper 1 sweet yellow onion |
Wash and chop the bell pepper into 1” pieces. Peel the onion and slice across the rings to ¼” – ½ “ slices, then chop to ½” pieces.
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Olive oil |
Assemble the bowls with chicken, vegetables and sauce near the stove. Set the wok on the stove with high heat, or use a sauté pan with med-high heat. Pour in olive oil to coat the sides of the wok to ¼” in the bottom of the pan. Use a splatter screen when stir frying to avoid burns.
Carefully add the vegetables to the hot oil, protecting yourself with the screen. Stir with a long wooden spoon or wooden spatula. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the onion is tender and translucent around the edges. Turn off the heat. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
Add more oil to the wok to ¼” in the bottom. Turn the heat back on. When it is hot, add the chicken, distributing it evenly around the bottom and sides of the pan. While adding the chicken, protect yourself with the screen- hold the screen in your left hand between you and the pan while adding the chicken with your right hand. Cover with the screen and let it fry for 5 minutes until it starts to brown on the bottom. Now stir at 30 second intervals and fry for an additional 5 minutes until the chicken is done. Turn off the heat.
Remove the excess oil from the pan by wadding a paper towel and pressing it along the sides. Throw the towel away.
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1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar 2 tsp cornstarch |
Drain the juice from the pineapple into the reserved soy sauce from above. Add the lemon juice and cornstarch. Mix well. Turn the heat back on. Stir and cook for a minute until the sauce thickens. Add a little water if the sauce is too thick.
Add the vegetables back into the pan, stir and heat for a minute to warm them. Turn off the heat and add the pineapple chunks.
Serve with white rice. |
Chicken with Pineapple is one of Laura’s favorite meals.
Fish Baked in Parchment Cocoon
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Oven 400 F Serves 2 |
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| 1 lb frozen fish filets such as Halibut, Mahi-Mahi or Seabass |
Leave the fish in the plastic and set in the sink, cover with cool water to thaw.
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4 stalks celery 1 sweet yellow onion
2 tsp dried herbs – 2 garlic cloves, minced Olive oil |
Chop finely to ¼” bits.
Cover the bottom of a sauté pan with olive oil and turn on medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and spices. Sauté for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside. |
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Two 18” squares of parchment paper
Black pepper |
Divide the fish in half and place the fish filets in the center of the paper. Cover with the sautéed vegetables. Sprinkle with grated black pepper.
Pick up the front and back sides of the paper and fold over 2-3 times, then twist the ends shut to form a paper cocoon.
Serve with rice. |
We enjoyed trout prepared in parchment paper at a tiny restaurant in
Stir-fry Chicken
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Serves 4-6 |
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| Before preparing the chicken, start the white rice cooking. It will be done just in time. |
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¼ cup soy sauce 2 tsp ground ginger ½ tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 2 tsp cornstarch ¼ tsp ground pepper
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Mix in a small dish or glass measuring cup. Set aside. Half will be used to marinate the chicken and the other half for the sauce. |
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6 pieces boneless chicken breast (1 ½ lbs) |
Cut the chicken diagonally into ½ strips, then cut into cubes. The chicken will be most tender if you cut the diagonal strips across the grain like this:
Place the chicken cubes in a plastic bag or bowl. Pour half of the soy sauce mixture over the chicken and mix well. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
Wash your cutting board and knife with soap and hot water before using for vegetables.
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1 green bell pepper 1 sweet yellow onion Add any other chopped veggies as you like such as Zucchini, mushrooms, snow peas, red pepper, celery |
Wash and chop the bell pepper into 1” pieces. Peel the onion and slice across the rings to ¼” – ½ “ slices, then chop to ½” pieces. |
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Olive oil |
Assemble the bowls with chicken, vegetables and sauce near the stove. Set the wok on the stove with high heat, or use a sauté pan with med-high heat. Pour in olive oil to coat the sides of the wok to ¼” in the bottom of the pan. Use a splatter screen when stir frying to avoid burns.
Carefully add the vegetables to the hot oil, protecting yourself with the screen. Stir with a long wooden spoon or wooden spatula. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the onion is tender and translucent around the edges. Turn off the heat. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
Add more oil to the wok to ¼” in the bottom. Turn the heat back on. When it is hot, add the chicken, distributing it evenly around the bottom and sides of the pan. While adding the chicken, protect yourself with the screen- hold the screen in your left hand between you and the pan while adding the chicken with your right hand. Cover with the screen and let it fry for 5 minutes without stirring until it starts to brown on the bottom. Now stir at 30 second intervals and fry for an additional 5 minutes until the chicken is done. Turn off the heat.
Remove the excess oil from the pan by wadding a paper towel and pressing it along the sides. Throw the towel away. |
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¼ cup dry white wine ¼ cup water |
Turn the heat back on. Add the wine to the reserved sauce and pour over the chicken. Add water to the sauce dish and pour into the pan. Stir and cook for a minute until the sauce thickens. Add more water if the sauce is too thick.
Add the vegetables back into the pan, stir and heat for a minute to warm them.
Serve with white rice. |
Stirfry chicken was Jenny’s favorite meal as a teenager. We have it so often, we simply refer to it as “Chicken and Rice … Again”. This basic recipe works in many variations such as Cashew Chicken and Stirfry Chicken with Pineapple.
Red Peppers!
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Serves 8 Oven 400 F |
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1 (6 oz) pkg Uncle Bens Original Long Grain & Wild Rice |
Prepare as directed. Start the rice first and it will be ready when you need it.
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4 large red bell peppers 3 Tbsp olive oil |
Cut the peppers in half, cut through the stem, leaving the stem intact. Remove the seeds and membrane. Wash and drain on paper towels. Arrange the halves in a 9×13 baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Roll the peppers over in the oil to coat. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 425 F. Cool slightly.
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12 fresh mushrooms 1 large onion 4 stalks celery 2 cloves garlic
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Wash and slice the mushrooms. Dice the onion and celery fine to ¼” bits. Mince or chop the garlic. Set aside. |
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½ cup pine nuts Olive oil |
Pour olive oil to cover a large sauté pan. Heat to medium high. Quickly fry the pine nuts, stirring constantly until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Set aside.
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1 Tbsp dried herbs – |
Return the pan with oil to the stove. Add herbs, onions and celery. Cook until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook 2 minutes.
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2 cups fresh chopped spinach or 1 small box frozen spinach, thawed 1 tsp Frank’s Red Hot sauce Salt & pepper I-2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey or 1-2 cups raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined |
Add additional oil if needed. Add spinach, cooked rice, hot sauce, salt & pepper. Stir and add more hot sauce to taste. Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture. Cover loosely with foil. Return to the oven and bake 30 minutes at 400 F. When they come out of the oven, sprinkle the stuffed red peppers with the pine nuts. |
I created (or I should say imitated) this dish after many samplings of the signature stuffed peppers at the Red Peppers Café in
Pizza Sauce
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1 sweet yellow onion 3 cloves garlic 1 Tbsp dried herbs – Provencal herbs or Italian mix ¼ cup olive oil |
Chop the onion fine to less than 1/4” bits. Peel and chop the garlic very fine to 1/8” bits. Add to a large saucepan along with the oil. Rub the dried herbs between your fingers to release the flavors as you add them. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft. |
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2 – 15 oz cans Hunts tomato sauce 2 – 6 oz cans Hunts tomato paste 2 tsp sugar ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper |
Add tomato sauce, paste and seasonings. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes on low heat. |
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Freeze leftovers in individual size portions for a quick pizza later. |
Quick Pizza
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Oven 400 F |
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White or whole wheat flatbread or pita bread |
Place the flatbread directly on the middle oven rack for 3-5 minutes or until the bottom is slightly stiff. Bring out of the oven and turn over onto a plate, crispy side up to form your crust.
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Spoon the sauce generously on the crust.
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| Any pizza toppings: Fresh basil Black olives Sautéed mushrooms Green or red bell peppers Canned artichokes Capers Sautéed garlic Fresh tomato slices Pepperoni Thin ham Pineapple Mozzarella cheese, grated Colby Jack cheese, grated Parmesan cheese Dried oregano Salt |
Add your favorite toppings. Sprinkle with dried oregano and a dash of salt.
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1 lb of lean ground turkey 3 Tbsp olive oil ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp cayenne pepper ½ tsp sage ¼ tsp oregano ¼ tsp salt A grating of black pepper
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This is a healthier alternative to sausage. Pour the oil in the skillet and heat. Add turkey, brown and crumble the turkey with a spatula over medium heat. Add the spices.
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| Place back in the oven directly on the middle rack. Bake 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Remove with a large spatula and slide on a cutting board. Cut and slide onto the plate. Voila! |
The amazing thing about these pizzas is that they are so quick and easy, yet incredibly tasty! Perfect for a large family gathering or party- let each person build their own.