Tomatillo-Ranch Salad Dressing

adapted from Our Best Bites

1 Cup Buttermilk

1 Cup Mayo

1 Pckg. Dry Buttermilk Ranch dressing mix

2 Tomatillos (husked)

2 Jalapenos

½ Bunch cilantro

Juice from ½ Fresh Lime

1 Clove Garlic

Puree all ingredients in blender for 30 seconds.  Refrigerate until chilled.

Christina's Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Curried Apples

source unknown

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (3 0r 4)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
course salt and ground pepper
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
2 jalapeno peppers, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced 
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 cups vegetable broth, homemade or canned (2 cans)
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar (or whatever kind you have)
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 small tart apple, diced
1/4 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
2 tablespoons chopped mint, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 4oo degrees. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour, turning once, or until potatoes are very soft. When cool enough to handle, scoop cooked potatoes out of the skins. Discard the skins. Or you can cheat and put them in the microwave wrapped in plastic and cook them 20 minutes on 70% power.
2. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and caramelized, about 20 min. Add bell pepper, jalapenos, and garlic; cook for 5 min. Add sweet potato and broth, stir. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until flavors have blended.
3. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender. Combine batches in a clean bowl. The soup should be thick. (If you prefer a thinner soup, add water or more broth). Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring vinegar, honey, and curry powder to a boil. Add apple; stir for 1 minute and remove from heat. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, ad spoonful of apples, spoonful of yogurt and a sprinkle of mint.

Christina's Green Enchilada Sauce or Salsa

from Our Best Bites

2-3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 green peppers, chopped
1-2 jalapenos
1 1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked and quartered or halved
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
4 c. chicken broth

In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until tender and fragrant.

While onions are sauteeing, combine tomatillos, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro in your blender. Process until smooth; you may have to do it in batches and/or add some chicken broth to make things blendable.

Pour the tomatillo mixture over the onions and garlic and add chicken broth, salt, pepper, and cumin. Simmer/boil 15 minutes-1 hour, depending on the consistency you want. The sauce can also be simmered in a slow cooker all day.

Serve over tacos, as an enchilada sauce, inside burritos, or as a dip for chips.

Christina's Cellophane Noodle Salad with Roast Pork

from Smitten Kitchen

For pork

1 (1-lb) solid piece boneless pork butt (shoulder), halved along the grain

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Chinese rice wine or sake

1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

For dressing

3/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/2 cup peanut or vegetable oil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1 large fresh jalapeno chile, seeded and minced

For salad

8 oz very thin bean-thread noodles (also known as cellophane, glass, or mung bean noodles)

3/4 lb Chinese long beans (1 bunch) or green beans, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces

1 seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped; about 1 lb), halved lengthwise and sliced diagonally 1/8 inch thick

1 bunch scallions, cut into matchsticks

1 firm-ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced

2 thin carrots, cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh small basil leaves

Make pork: Cut pork along the grain into long 1 1/2- to 2-inch-wide strips. Remove and discard any sinew but do not trim fat. Transfer pork to a large sealable plastic bag. Stir together remaining pork ingredients in a small bowl until combined well. Add to pork and turn to coat, then squeeze bag to eliminate as much air as possible and seal. Marinate pork, chilled, at least 4 hours but no longer than 24.

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Put 1/2 inch water in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan and place a metal rack across top of pan (rack should not touch water).

Remove pork from marinade, reserving marinade, and arrange pork strips 1 inch apart on rack. Roast in oven 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, then boil 1 minute (marinade may look curdled). Remove from heat.

Brush both sides of pork with some marinade and roast 10 minutes more. Generously brush both sides of pork with marinade again and roast, basting 2 or 3 times, 10 minutes more.

Increase oven temperature to 400°F and roast pork until strips are mahogany-colored and caramelized on edges, 10 to 15 minutes more (pork should roast for a total of about 50 minutes). Transfer to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes.

Make dressing while pork roasts: Blend together all dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth. Stir before using.

Cook noodles and beans for salad while pork finishes roasting: Soak noodles in cold water to cover until pliable, about 15 minutes, then drain in a colander. Cut noodles in half with kitchen shears.

Cook beans in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer with a skimmer or slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, reserving cooking liquid in pot. Drain beans and pat dry.

Return bean-cooking liquid to a boil, then cook noodles, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain noodles in colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain noodles again, then spread out on paper towels and pat dry.

Assemble salad: Cut as much pork as desired for salad across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss noodles with 1/4 cup dressing in a bowl. Toss long beans with 2 tablespoons dressing in another bowl. Arrange pork, noodles, beans, and remaining salad ingredients on a large platter. Drizzle with some of dressing and serve remaining dressing on the side.

Christina's Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

Fresh Jalapenos (2 to 3 inches long)
Cream Cheese
Bacon.

Slice the jalapenos in half length-wise. With a spoon, gently scrape out the seeds and white membranes.

Now cut the bacon slices into thirds. Unwrap the softened cream cheese and your assembly line is all set!

Now start smearing cream cheese inside each jalapeno half. Just keep going until you have the quantity you want. Now take a piece (1/3 slice) of bacon and wrap it around the jalapeno. Wrap it snugly, but not too tightly. Keep going until you're finished.

Stick a toothpick through the middle of each one; this will keep the bacon from coming off in the oven. Place them on a pan with a rack (so bacon grease can escape) and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Christina's Acorn Squash Quesdadillas

from Smitten Kitchen

1 small/medium acorn squash
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons diced white onion
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
2 poblano chiles, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
4 10-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Butter for frying quesadillas
Garnishes: sour cream and salsa verde

First, roast the acorn squash. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly oil a baking sheet. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Lay the halves on prepared baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes, until soft but not cooked to mush.

When cool enough to work with, scoop out flesh with a spoon, leaving in chunks.

Saute the onions, poblano peppers and jalapeno in the oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes more. Add the squash and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes, until the squash is tender and the flavors have melded. Season with salt and pepper and take off heat.

Spread a few tablespoons of the cooked squash mixture onto one half of a 10-inch flour tortilla. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of the cheese. Fold over and place in a hot pan with melted butter, and fry until crispy. Cut the finished quesadilla into four triangles and top with your choice of garnishes. Eat while warm.

Christina's Asian Noodle Salad

from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

1 package linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled

1/2 head sliced Napa cabbage
1/2 head sliced cabbage
1 bag baby spinach
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 orange bell pepper, sliced thin
1 small bag bean sprouts
3 sliced scallions
3 peeled, sliced cucumbers
1 cup peanuts, lightly toasted in skillet

DRESSING:

Juice of 2 limes
8 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 hot peppers or jalapenos, chopped
one bunch chopped cilantro

Mix together salad ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on platter. Dressing keeps up to three days before serving without cilantro.

Christina's Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya

from Buffy Vandagriff Bailey

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups andouille sausage (about 7 1/2 ounces), cut into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
3 cups finely chopped yellow onion
2 cups finely chopped celery
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 cups chopped skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup tomato puree
2 3/4 cups less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 cup thinly sliced green onions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook until sizzling quiets (about 8 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper, onion, celery, and bay leaves; cook until vegetables are golden brown, sizzle loudly, and begin to squeak (about 14 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add chicken and next 8 ingredients (through garlic); cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato puree; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Stir in green onions.

Christina's Chili Verde

1 lb. tomatillos
3 Tbs canola oil
3 lbs boneless pork butt (also called shoulder blade roast) , cut into 1-in chunks
2 fresh jalapeño chilies, seeded and chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt

Peel and discard husks from tomatillos. Rinse under cold water. Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat and toast the tomatillos until slightly burned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree.

Heat oil in large Dutch oven. Add pork and brown on all sides. Stir in the jalapeños and garlic, and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatillo puree and salt. Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Reduce to low and cover with a lid; simmer for 2 hours. (Or you can transfer the entire mixture to a crock pot and cook on low for about 6 hours). The pork is done when it falls apart when pierced with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.