Macaroni and Cheese

This is one of those homemade comfort foods from my childhood.  'Nuff said.

2 quarts water
Salt
1(8-ounce) package elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
¾ cup fresh bread crumbs or saltine cracker crumbs
1 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon flour
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups milk
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat to boiling water and 1 teaspoon salt.  Add macaroni; cook until tender but firm; drain.  Grease 2-quart baking dish.  Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter or margarine; add bread or cracker crumbs and toss to coat; set aside. 
3. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining butter; add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Blend in flour, mustard, pepper and salt.  Stir in milk; cook, stirring, until thickened.  Remove from heat; stir in cheese.
5. Mix sauce with macaroni and pour into baking dish.
6. Sprinkle crumb mixture over top.  Bake in over 20 - 25 minutes.

Double Chocolate Banana (or Applesauce) Muffins

This is my favorite recipe for using up the overripe bananas that inevitably hang around past the point of enjoyable consumption. You can use banana, applesauce, or a mix of the two. They've always been a hit!

YIELD: 1 dozen

1½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1⅓ cups mashed bananas (or applesauce)
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup (6-ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, combine bananas (or applesauce), oil and egg; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350°F for 20 - 25 minutes or until muffins test done.

Spicy Shredded Pork

I'm cheating this week and pulling a recipe I discovered on Pioneer Woman's cooking site directly from the site (and using her photo instead of my own).  I've made this Spicy Shredded Pork a handful of times....LOVE IT.  It is so ridiculously tasty!  I always use my crock pot (just put the rub-covered roast into a Crockpot with a little water and let it cook until fork tender).

4 pounds (up To 7 Pounds) Pork Shoulder
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Salt
Pepper To Taste
3 cloves (to 4 Cloves) Garlic
1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons (to 3 Tablespoons) White Wine Vinegar
¼ cups Brown Sugar
1 whole Onion
Lime Wedges

Rinse and pat dry the pork shoulder.

To begin, just throw the dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar and brown sugar into a food processor or blender. (I happen to love brown sugar in my cooking, but you can decrease or omit it if you like.)

Cut one onion into quarters and put it in the food processor with the spices. Blend mixture until totally combined and then pour it over the pork shoulder.

Now rub it into every nook and cranny of the meat, tucking it under folds an in crevices. Let no stone go unturned.

Then place the pork into a roasting pan or Dutch oven and add a couple of cups of water. Cover tightly and roast pork at 300º for several hours, turning once every hour.

When it is fork tender, crank up the heat, remove the lid, and roast it, skin side up for another 15 to 20 minutes to get the skin crispy. When it’s done, let it rest for 15 minutes before shredding.

Shred the pork shoulder (two forks work well). When it’s all shredded be sure to pour the juices all over the meat.

Serve with warm tortillas, lime wedges, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, tomatillo salsa … whatever makes your skirt fly up!

Chocolate Cheesecake

Cheesecake has become the family favorite for birthdays and my youngest sister whipped this one up for my birthday recently.  This recipe came from my Aunt Linda Acton. Note that we tried using the Demarle at Home Large Round Mold and it worked fabulously!

⅓ cup margarine or butter, melted

1¼ cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs*

¼ cup sugar

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk**

16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine margarine, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar. Pat firmly in bottom of spring form pan. Beat cream cheese until fluffy, add sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth; add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into pan and bake for 65 minutes (cheesecake will not be set in the center). Cool on cooling rack.

*If using regular graham crackers add 3 tablespoons cocoa and increase the sugar to ⅓ cup.

**You can substitute sweetened condensed milk with: ⅔ cup canned milk, 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) margarine, and 1½ cups sugar heated until sugar melts.

Rhubarb Muffins

When I was a kid, growing up in Alaska, we always had plenty of rhubarb growing in the garden.  It seems like it is one of those things that people either love or hate.  I'm definitely a fan!

1½ cups brown sugar
2/3 cups oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup nuts
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2½ cups flour
1½ cups rhubarb, chopped

TOPPING:

½ cup finely chopped nuts
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all muffin ingredients and mix. Pour into lined or greased muffin tins. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle top of muffins. Bake for 25 minutes at 400°F.

Pork Tenderloin Fajitas

This recipe was originally in Light & Tasty (a magazine, now called Healthy Cooking) and adapted by my mom (Lorna Moser Acton). So good!

½ cup minced fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 pork tenderloin (1 pound), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 medium red pepper, julienned
Flour or corn tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, etc. (optional)

In a small bowl, combine cilantro, garlic powder, chili powder and cumin; set aside. In a large skillet, sauté pork in oil until no longer pink. Add onion and green pepper; cook until crisp-tender. Sprinkle seasoning mixture; toss to coat. Spoon onto tortillas; serve with cheese and sour cream if desired.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have half a dozen (or more) recipes for chocolate chip cookies but this is my current favorite. And, funny enough, I got it off the back of a bag of ConAgra Foods Harvest H&R All-Purpose Flour. I usually bake a tray or two and then shape and freeze the rest of the dough for quick cookies another day.

1 cup brown sugar, packed
¾ cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups flour
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 (12-ounce) package chocolate chips
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cream sugars and butter. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 10 – 12 minutes.