Quick Posole

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/2 pounds ground pork or turkey
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
10 tomatillos, husked and halved
1 tablespoon honey
3 cups chicken broth
One can hominy (15.5 ounces), drained
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (a generous handful)

1 lime, halved
1 avocado, cut into small chunks
2 cups corn tortilla chips, lightly crushed
1/2 heart romaine lettuce, shredded

PREPARATION
1. In a deep skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the pork and season with salt and pepper; add the cumin. Cook until brown and crumbly, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the onion, garlic and jalapeño.

2. Using a food processor, pulse the tomatillos until coarsely chopped, about a few seconds.

3. Stir the tomatillos into the pork, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the honey and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth and hominy and cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and turn off the heat.

5. Squeeze 1/2 lime over the pork; stir. Squeeze the other 1/2 lime over the avocado. Serve the pork in shallow bowls with the avocado, tortilla chips and lettuce on top

Asian Salmon

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds salmon filets, with skin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
4 cups water

DIRECTIONS
1. Make several shallow slashes in the skinless side of the salmon filets. Place filets skin-side down in a glass baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, pepper, onion and sesame oil. Pour the liquid over the salmon, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium saucepan combine the rice, water and dill weed. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium low heat until rice is tender and water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.

3. Remove cover from salmon, and bake in the marinating dish for about 30 minutes, or until fish can be flaked with a fork. Serve salmon over the rice, and pour sauce over.

Dirt Cake

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
32 ounces chocolate sandwich cookies with creme filling

DIRECTIONS
1. Chop cookies very fine in food processor. The white cream will disappear.
2. Mix butter, cream cheese, and sugar in bowl.
3. In a large bowl mix milk, pudding and whipped topping together.
4. Combine pudding mixture and cream mixture together.
5. Layer in flower pot (or casserole dish), starting with cookies then cream mixture. Repeat layers.
6. Chill until ready to serve.

I usually bury gummy worms in it.

Steph's Southern Sweet Tea

Ingredients

5 qts water

2 cups sugar

6 family-size Tetley tea bags

4 single-serving Earl Grey tea bags

2 single-serving green tea bags

2 qts water

Preparation

Boil 5 qts water in a 6 qt pot. Add sugar while water is boiling, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat and put tea bags into hot water. Let stand for 20 minutes. Stir.

Divide 5 qts of tea among two or three pitchers.

Add 2 qts water to pot, pouring over tea bags. Divide 2 qts water between the pitchers to dilute sweetened tea. Discard tea bags.

Chill tea and serve over ice, with lemon wedges, if desired.

Caesar-cado Salad

1 small avocado, pitted
Juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the avocado, lemon juice, anchovy paste, garlic, Worcestershire, cheese, salt and lots of pepper. Pulse the machine to chop everything up then leave it on and stream about 1/4 cup EVOO into the mixture until a thick dressing forms.

Posole Mexican Lasagna

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 pounds ground pork or turkey
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can hominy (15 ounces)
1 large red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
2 jalapeno or serrano peppers, chopped
12 large tomatillos (14-16 if small), peeled and coarsely chopped
A handful cilantro or parsley leaves
3 avocados
2 limes
2 tablespoons honey
1 package large flour tortillas
1 pound pepper Jack cheese, shredded
Sour cream, to pass at table

1. Place rack in oven in middle of oven and heat broiler or place oven on 400°F.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon EVOO, a turn of the pan, in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and crumble up as it browns. While pork browns, season the meat with cumin, coriander and salt and pepper. Once browned evenly, stir in hominy and reduce heat to simmer.

3. While meat cooks heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in a sauce pot, add onions, garlic and peppers, season with salt and pepper and saute until softened 5-6 minutes. Place tomatillos and cilantro or parsley in food processor and process until almost smooth. Pour into onion and garlic mixture and simmer to mellow, 5-6 minutes more. Replace the processor bowl. Pit and scoop the avocado flesh into the processor, add the lime zest and juice. Add the honey, puree until smooth and season with a little salt. Stir the avocado mixture into the green sauce and remove from heat.

4. Char all of the tortillas over an open flame or in dry hot skillet.

5. In a baking dish layer sauce, tortilla, meat, cheese, tortilla, sauce, meat, cheese, etc. End with a layer of tortilla, sauce and finally cheese. Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 4-5 minutes until bubbly and cheese is brown. Pass sour cream at the table.

Caesar Salad

Dressing:
1 Lemon - Zest & Juice
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 TBSP Dijon Mustard
1 TSP Anchovy Paste
1 TSP Worcestershire Sauce
5 TBSP Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese to taste

Romain Lettuce

Peanut Butter Popcorn

Ingredients

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup Karo syrup

Splash of milk

1 bag microwave popcorn

Preparation

Heat sugar, peanut butter, and syrup with slash of milk in saucepan until boiling, stirring frequently. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Meanwhile, pop the popcorn and pour into a large bowl. Remove all kernels. When one minute of boiling is done, pour peanut butter mixture over popcorn and stir to distribute evenly. Serve with lots of napkins (and not on your good sofa!)