Corn Bread & Honey Butter

½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny - don't be alarmed!). Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.

Honey Butter:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).

Spaghetti Sauce

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Printable Version

*I've never measured how many cups of spaghetti sauce this makes, but it easily feeds my family of two adults and three children with more than enough to freeze for another meal of spaghetti or lasagna*

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped and divided
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
2 pounds hamburger (at least 90% lean)
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 12 oz. can tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 14-oz. can Italian-style diced tomatoes
2 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 carton fresh mushrooms (optional)
1 1/2 cups beef stock or beef broth
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add 1/2 of the onions and saute until translucent and slightly browned. Add garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add beef and cook until no red is showing. Drain beef slightly. Blend up the remaining onions and red pepper in a blender or food processor until mostly smooth. Add mixture to the garlic, onions and beef and stir to combine, cooking for another minute. Add tomato paste and spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring until combined. Add tomatoes, beef broth and sugar (and mushrooms, if using). Stir until combined and add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Fifteen minutes before serving, stir in the balsamic vinegar.

NOTE: The sauce will seem watery at first but will reduce to perfection after simmering for an hour. I've let it simmer on the stove for up to three hours before with no problems.

Courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

Peanut Chicken Kabobs

1 cup cream of coconut ( I used coconut milk, don't know if that is the same thing)

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper ( I did about 1 tablespoon)

In bowl, combine marinade ingredients until well blended.  Slice chicken into 3/4 inch strips.  Place in marinade and stir until well coated.  Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours ( or during church!).  Skewer chicken on thin wooden skewers.  Broil or grill chicken over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.  Serve over rice with peanut sauce.

Peanut Sauce:  ( I didn't try so tell me if it's good)

2/3 cup chunky peanut butter

 2/3 cup water

 1/4 cup soy sauce

 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

 2 cloves garlic, crushed

Blend ingredients together in small bowl.

-Nicole Gneiting

Slow-Cooker Pulled-Pork (or Beef) Tacos

Kan Kanbayashi

Serves 6Hands-On Time: 15mTotal Time: 8hr 30m

Ingredients

• 2 cups store-bought salsa, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• kosher salt
• 1 2 1/2-pound boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat (or Beef Roast)
• 18 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the pork and turn to coat.
2. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
3. Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350° F.
4. Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.

By Allison Fishman,  February 2009. Real Simple

Spicy Orange-Glazed Drumsticks

Jose Picayo

Serves 4Hands-On Time: 15mTotal Time: 45m

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 1/2 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce (found in the Asian section of the supermarket)
• 8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound green beans
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 corn bread muffins, warmed

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400º F. In a small bowl, mix the marmalade and chili-garlic sauce.
2. Season the chicken with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper. Roast on a foil-lined baking sheet until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes, brushing with the marmalade mixture during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the green beans until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and toss with the butter and 1⁄/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the chicken and muffins.

Twix Bars

Crust:

1 ¼ c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter; room temp

Caramel:
½ c. butter

½ c. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. corn syrup

½ c. sweetened condensed milk

Crumble crust ingredients together. Pack into 9x9 inch pan that has been sprayed, lined with foil and sprayed again. Bake on 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Combine caramel ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly as it burns easily. Remove from heat. Stir with spoon slowly until it shows signs of thickening. Pour over crust and let cool a little.

Top layer:

Melt approximately 1-2 c. chocolate chips with 1 tsp shortening over low heat or in the microwave. Pour over caramel layer and spread carefully. Chill. Cut into bars.

Onion Cherry Pork Loin

1/4 cup honey

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 boneless pork loin end, tied (2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, cut into 16 wedges
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 3 cups cooked rice, for serving
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley, for garnish

directions

step 1 In a gallon size Ziploc® Fresh Shield® Easy Zipper Expandable Bottom Storage Bag, combine the honey, orange juice, white wine vinegar, rosemary and cumin. Place the pork loin in the bag and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

step 2 Remove the loin from the bag and set aside. Pour the marinade into a medium bowl and whisk in the flour, a little at a time, until there are no lumps; then set aside.

step 3 Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork loin and cook on all sides until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the loin and place in the bowl of a medium (4-quart) slow cooker (see chef's note). Add the onions to the skillet and sauté until slightly softened and golden, about 5 minutes.

step 4 Place the onions in the slow cooker with the pork loin. Add the cherries to the reserved marinade from Step 2 and pour the mixture over the pork loin and onions. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours 25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer (inserted into the middle of the loin) registers 160 degrees F. (See chef's note.)

step 5 Remove the loin and allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing. To serve, spoon about 1/2 cup rice onto a plate. Place a slice or two of pork loin on the rice and drizzle with the cherry and onion sauce that the pork cooked in. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.