Category: ALWAYS EAT ON THE GOOD CHINA

SPICED SHREDDED PORK TACOS ~ CLASSIC GOOD EATS

CLASSIC GOOD EATS ~ SPICED SHREDDED PORK TACOS
4 pound pork shoulder roast
1 KNORR cilantro cube
1 KNORR onion cube
1 MAGGI pollo cube
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large onion, sliced thin and separated into rings
1 cup white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 cup apple juice

  • Rinse and pat dry pork roast.
  • In a small food processor add: cilantro, onion and chicken cubes.  Pulse until granulated.
  • Add cumin, chili powder and oregano.  Pulse until well blended.
  • Add brown sugar, olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the wine. Pulse until well blended into a paste.
  • Rub paste into all surfaces and crevices of your roast.
  • Layer onion rings on bottom of roaster.
  • Place roast over onion rings.
  • Combine remaining wine and apple juice. Carefully pour around the roast.
  • Cover tightly and roast at 300 degrees for several hours, turning ever now and then.
  • When it’s fork tender, remove the lid, turn up the temperature to 400 degrees and roast another 20 minutes or so.
  • Remove from oven and let pork roast rest for 15 minutes.
  • Shred the roast and return the meat to the juices.
  • Serve with fresh warm tortillas, lime wedges, fresh cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and all other toppings of choice.

TORTILLA ROLL UPS ~Perfect for upcoming Superbowl parties~CLASSIC GOOD EATS

TORTILLA ROLL-UPS
8 ounces sour cream
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/3 pound ham, chopped fine
7 ounce can roasted chiles, drained well
1 small can chopped olives
flour tortillas

  • In a small food processor blend all ingredients together until smooth.
  • Spread 4 tablespoons on each tortilla leaving 1/2 inch along one edge.
  • Roll up each tortill ending on the dry edge.
  • Lay side by side on a plate.
  • Cover loosely with saran.
  • Chill overnight.
  • Slice into 1/2 inch rounds just before serving.

STUFFED PINK MANICOTTI ALFREDO ~ CLASSIC GOOD EATS

STUFFED PINK MANICOTTI ALFREDO
1 box manicotti pasta shells
1 lean ground chuck
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 cloves garlic, mashed
1 small bunch green onions, diced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning mix
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
2-8 ounce cans Contadina tomato sauce
1 recipe PINK ALFREDO SAUCE (recipe follows)

 

  • In a large skillet brown ground chuck with onions and garlic.
  • Salt and pepper generously.
  • Drain fat.
  • Add 1 can Contadina tomato sauce to meat mixture and blend well.
  • Add the ricotta cheese and herbs until well blended.
  • Prepare manicotti shells al dente according to package directions. Cool shells slightly.
  • Slice shells carefully along one edge so they resemble taco shells. Once they are cooked no one will notice that you took the easy way out to fill them.
  • In a 9×13 baking dish pour tomato sauce evenly on bottom.
  • Top with 1/3 of the grated Mozzarella cheese.
  • Fill each shell to overflowing with ricotta mixture.
  • Lay side by side on tomato sauce.
  • Top with PINK ALFREDO SAUCE and the remaining Mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake 30 minutes until cheese is golden and melted.
  • Serve with Garlic Cheese Bread.

PINK ALFREDO SAUCE
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
1 tablespoon Classico sun-dried tomato paste
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/4 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • Melt butter in a saucepan.
  • Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
  • Gradually add heavy cream, stirring constantly. Stir in salt, pepper and grated Parmesan cheese and stir constantly until melted.
  • Whisk in egg quickly and heat through.

CLASSIC GOOD EATS ~ OVEN BBQ CHICKEN

OVEN BBQ CHICKEN
Whole chicken pieces cut up, washed and dried
BBQ Marinade (recipe below)
BBQ Seasoning (recipe below)
BBQ Sauce (recipe below)

  • Rinse Chicken well and pat dry.
  • Loosely layer chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour BBQ marinade over and sprinkling BBQ seasoning over each layer.
  • Refrigerate overnight.
  • Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes before you plan to put it in the oven. 
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a jelly roll pan with PURE.
  • Place chicken pieces on pan.
  • Generously brush with BBQ sauce.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until cooked through and crisp.
  • Brush with more BBQ sauce.

BBQ MARINADE
2 cloves roasted garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, crushed
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons BBQ seasoning
1/3 cup Champagne vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil (I prefer Canola)

  • Whisk all the dry ingredients together until well blended.
  • Add oil, whisking until dry ingredients are well incorporated.

BBQ SEASONING
1 1/2 cups paprika
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • Blend ingredients together well.
  • Store in an airtight container.

BBQ SAUCE
2 cups Heinz ketchup
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 packed tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • In a large saucepan combine all the ingredients, stirring to blend.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for an hour, stirring frequently.

CLASSIC GOOD EATS ~ BLOOD ORANGE CHICKEN

BLOOD ORANGE TART CHICKEN

1/4 cup chopped tart dried cherries, diced
1/2 cup white wine
12 chicken thighs, skin on
1 can Kern’s Apricot nectar
3 tablespoons blood orange vinegar
3 cloves roasted garlic, minced
1 large bunch green onions, sliced thin4 tablespoons butter, divided 1 + 3
salt and pepper to taste

  • Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet.
  • Brown chicken, salt and peppering generously and to taste until skin is crisp.
  • Drain fat, reserving any crisp bits to add to next step.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet.
  • Saute’ onion and roasted garlic.
  • Add cherry pieces, vinegar, wine and apricot nectar – simmer 20 minutes on low.
  • Spray a large baking dish with PURE.
  • Lay chicken pieces in a single layer side by side.
  • Top with onion mixture.
  • Bake uncovered 30-45 minutes uncovered.
  • Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles.

    CLASSIC GOOD EATS ~ CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRIES

    I wanted to make something special to take to my nieces house for Superbowl Sunday last year so thought I’d try Chocolate Covered Cherries. I found the recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine. This recipe is sooooooooooooooooo simple, but messy! Have fun making them. They are quite rich though – be forewarned!

    1 cup butter, melted
    1 can sweetened condensed milk
    3 pounds confectioners sugar (about 8 cups)
    3-10 ounce jars maraschino cherries(about 120 cherries), really well drained
    1-2 pounds milk chocolate candy coating, chopped (I used almond bark)

    • Combine butter and milk until smooth.
    • Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar until a soft dough forms.
    • Roll into 1 inch balls and flatten into 2 inch circles.
    • Place a cherry in the center of each one.
    • Wrap sides around cherry until cherry is completely covered and roll into a smooth ball.
    • Melt chocolate until smooth and dip each ball into the chocolate.
    • Place on wax paper until cool and sprinkle with sprinkles.
    • Cool well.
    • The centers will liquefy over the 24-48 hours.  
    I made these for superbowl but aren’t they just perfect for Valentines?  Join me Saturday afternoon 2/12 for our annual Valentine’s Day “Weekend of Romance” Foods.

    PAN SEARED CHICKEN BREAST & WILTED SPINACH with PARMESAN PASTA

    PAN SEARED CHICKEN BREAST & WILTED SPINACH with PARMESAN PASTA
    3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    2 tablespoons butter
    2 cloves garlic, minced*
    1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
    2 ounces white wine
    1 lemon, juiced
    4 ounces bacon, diced
    1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
    3 cups fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
    spaghetti, cooked and well drained
    1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
    1 large tomato, diced
    *While I prefer fresh garlic, I have found that the roasted jar garlic is a great substitute, especially in the winter.
    • Brown bacon until crisp.
    • Add onion slices and garlic, sauteing until tender.
    • Move bacon and onions to the sides and add butter.
    • When butter is melted, add chicken and brown well on both sides.
    • In the meantime, prepare the pasta per package directions.
    • Remove chicken, keeping warm.
    • Add spinach and saute’ until spinach wilts.
    • Move spinach to outer sides.
    • Toss pasta with wine and lemon juice.
    • Mound pasta in center of pan.
    • Top with Parmesan cheese.
    • Layer chicken pieces over top.
    • Serve immediately.

    POLYNESIAN CHICKEN & ITALIAN FARRO & GORGONZOLA GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE

    Today we would like to introduce our brand new theme day, Classic Good Eats. 
    Tamy here and I’ll be moving in over here on Thursdays.  You can normally find me at my home blogs 3 Sides of Crazy. Always Eat On The Good China, on Saturdays at THE Motivation Station and now on Thursdays here at OUR KrAzY kitchen.  I love to cook and I love to experiment with foods.  Fortunately I also have a wonderful husband who is the best “guinea” pig around.  LOL Really, I have never met a more tolerant man.
    I also love to research foods we’ve never tried before as well as try old, old recipes or just plain make things up.  I also take requests if anyone would like me to test out a recipe for them.
    Today we’re making Polynesian chicken (the cheating way) and Italian Farro with Gorgonzola garlic dipping sauce.  I saw a package of Pedon Italian Farro  at the grocery store the other day and it looked interesting (reminded me of rich looking barley) – so the impulse buy won and here we are.
    Here’s the history lesson first:  Grano Farro has a long and glorious history: it is the original grain from which all others derive, and fed the Mediterranean and Near Eastern populations for thousands of years; somewhat more recently it was the standard ration of the Roman Legions that expanded throughout the Western World. Ground into a paste and cooked, it was also the primary ingredient in puls, the polenta eaten for centuries by the Roman poor. Important as it was, however, it was difficult to work and produced low yields. In the centuries following the fall of the Empire, higher-yielding grains were developed and farro’s cultivation dwindled: By the turn of the century in Italy there were a few hundreds of acres of fields scattered over the regions of Lazio, Umbria, the Marches and Tuscany.

    Farro would probably still be an extremely local specialty had the farmers of the French Haute Savoie not begun to supply it to elegant restaurants that used it in hearty vegetable soups and other dishes. Their success sparked renewed interest in farro among gastronomes, and now the grain is enjoying a resurgence in popularity in Italy as well, especially among trendy health-conscious cooks.  

    POLYNESIAN CHICKEN
    4 Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts
    1 stick butter, divided in half
    1 cup Frank’s Sweet Chili hot sauce
    1 package Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
    1/4 cup flour
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Using a small food processor,  grind the Knorr soup mix into a fine dust.
    • Add the vegetable soup dust to the flour in a large plastic bag and mix well.
    • Dredge chicken breasts in soup and flour mixture.
    • In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt one half of the butter.
    • While that is melting, melt the remaining butter in a 2 cup measuring cup in the microwave.
    • Add the hot sauce to the measuring cup and heat an additional 20 seconds. Mix well. Set aside to cool.
    • In the skillet brown the chicken breasts on both sides until almost done. 
    • Spray a small cookie sheet with PURE.
    • Coat each piece of chicken with hot sauce mixture and lay on cookie sheet.
    ITALIAN FARRO

    small bag PEDON farro

    2 tablespoons Frank’s Sweet Chili hot sauce
    • Bring a 2 quart pan of water to a boil.
    • Add the Farro and simmer, 10-12 minutes.
    • Drain thoroughly.
    • Add hot sauce and toss to coat.
    • Serve immediately.

    GORGONZOLA GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE
    1/4 cup gorgonzola crumbles
    1/3 cup mayonnaise
    3 cloves garlic
    2 tablespoons buttermilk
    salt and pepper to taste
    • In a small food processor, process the crumbles until finely ground.
    • Add garlic, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.  Mix until well blended.
    • Add buttermilk.  Add a bit more if you would like a thinner sauce.
    We are looking for an avid foodie to host a couple of anecdotal/tutorial posts with pictures the 1st & 2nd Sundays of the month.   If you are interested, please leave a comment on this post and Martha or I will get back to you ASAP.

      ALL DAY MEATBALLS

      Hi, Tamy here filling in for Diana and I thought I’d bring you one of our favorites for this busy time of year. You know, when you just want to walk in the door and grab dinner without actually having to prepare it.
      If you are anything like me, you have a drawer or a box full of recipes from newspapers, magazines, old maiden aunts, grandmothers, friends and every potluck you ever went to and said I have to have that recipe! Now while I usually keep the combination of spices and seasonings somewhat intact, I do make changes that make it more palatable to my family. So I always keep a list of likes, dislikes and allergies and am constantly altering recipes to fly by the seat of my pants.These recipes have been floating around so long in the box that I have no idea where they actually originated, but one looks like a page from an old, and I mean OLD magazine and the other is handwritten. I have them stapled together with a note to combine them together. I’m like that – whatever works for my family. I had a girlfriend in college who loved fashion but was on such a strict budget there wasn’t room for the things she eyed. I remember Julie borrowing a fancy designer dress from a Joann, a girlfriend of ours for an event and then later that night she took it apart, made a pattern and made her own dress before putting Joanns dress back together. To my knowledge Joann never knew. Now I can’t do that with recipes literally, but I do do it in my mind as I’m eating a particularly tasty tidbit. Some days I feel like an archaeologist unearthing pieces to make a whole from.

      OLD FASHIONED ALL DAY MEATBALLS
      2 pounds ground beef
      3/4 cup quick cooking oats
      1 cup whole milk
      1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
      1/4 cup garlic salt
      1 teaspoon white pepper
      1 small Vidalia onion, chopped fine
      2 eggs
      3 tablespoons vinegar
      1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
      1/4 cup raspberry jam
      1/4 cup brown sugar
      1 1/2 cup ketchup
      • In a large bowl combine the quick cooking oats, milk, eggs, onion and garlic salt.
      • Crumble the beef over top and then mix in well.
      • Shape into 1-2 inch balls.
      • Place in slow cooker.
      • Mix together the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, raspberry jam and brown sugar.
      • Pour over meatballs.
      • Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until the meat is no longer pink.
      With this recipe I found two other old scraps of recipes (Chicken with Tarragon Sauce and Baked Tomatoes with Broccoli stuffing) that had been torn from old cook booklets, one was even handwritten it was so old. The Brussel Sprouts and carrots were my addition for texture and color. They begged me to put them together and make this dish:
      serves 4.

      FRENCH ONION CHICKEN

      These were serious Dolly Parton chicken breasts that I found on sale.  I just didn’t realize HOW big they were until I opened the package today.  I made these tonight with bone in breasts, but next time will use boneless to make the meal easier for everyone.

      FRENCH ONION CHICKEN
      4 chicken breasts
      4 tablespoons butter
      4 slices bacon, diced and browned
      1 package Laura Scudder’s French onion dip mix
      2 tablespoons dehydrated red pepper
      1/3 cup flour
      1 large bunch green onions, sliced
      2 cups homemade chicken broth
      PURE
      1 cup sour cream

      • Rehydrate the dehydrated red pepper in chicken broth for an hour before beginning to cook.
      • In a large skillet melt butter.
      • Sift together the flour and Laura Scudder’s green onion dip mix into a large plastic bag.
      • One at a time dredge chicken in flour mixture coating well.
      • Brown chicken on both sides until crisp.
      • Using an electric skillet, spray with PURE.
      • Add browned chicken breasts.
      • Gently pour the broth mixture around the edges of the chicken. 
      • Top chicken pieces with green onions.
      • Set on 200 degrees and simmer for an hour.
      • Brown bacon and drain oil.
      • Remove chicken and keep warm.
      • Sprinkle the bacon over the chicken pieces.
      • Bring drippings to a boil and reduce to 1 cup.
      • Remove from heat and quickly whisk in sour cream for gravy.
      • Serve with mashed potatoes.

      CHILE RICE CASSEROLE

      Chile Rice Casserole

      2 1/2 cups water
      1 cup rice
      2 cups Sour cream
      Salt to taste
      2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
      4 ounces Green chiles, diced
      3 tablespoons Butter or margarine
      1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

      • In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.
      • Add the rice, cover pan, and slowly simmer over low heat until the liquid is absorbed, approximately 30 minutes. Let the rice cool. 
      • Mix the cooked rice with the sour cream, chiles and salt.
      • Mix together the 2 cheeses.
      • In the bottom of a greased 1-1/2 qt casserole, spread half the rice mixture. 
      • Sprinkle with half the grated Jack cheese mixture on top and then add the rest of the rice.
      • Top with the remaining Monterey Jack cheese mixture.
      • Dot with butter.  I also added a chopped tomato for color. 
      • Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.Serves 8.

        HOLIDAY WREATHS

        Good Morning everyone, Tamy here again.  Today I’m filling in for Emily and I thought I’d offer you this easy and colorful recipe for the upcoming Christmas season.  Kids LOVE these! Well, to be honest so do the adults.

        My great aunt who I only got to see a couple times a year used to make these every year special for me and I would wait out on the front steps for her arrive just to see them and know they were there. She always made them soooooooooo pretty and perfect!

        HOLIDAY WREATHS
        (these are better when they are made a few days ahead)

        30 large marshmallows (or 1 jar marshmallow cream)
        1/2 cup butter
        1 teaspoon vanilla
        2 teaspoon green food color
        3 1/2 cups cornflakes
        Red Hots
        • Combine marshmallows, butter, vanilla and food color in top of double boiler. Heat and stir frequently until well blended.
        • Gradually stir in cornflakes until well blended.
        • Drop onto wax paper and arrange into wreath shapes. I plop them onto the wax paper and then push out from the center to form the wreaths.
        • Decorate with red hots.
        • Let cool.
        • If your house is warm – chill in refrigerator until set.