Sweet 'n Tangy Carrots

From Healthy Cooking Holiday Recipes 2010, page 6.

Prep: 5 min / Cook: 30 min.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

2 lbs carrots, sliced
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
Water

Place 1 inch of water, carrots, and salt in a large saucepan; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain.

Return carrots to pan; add brown sugar, butter, mustard, and pepper.  Cook and stir over low heat until well coated.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Serve with a slotted spoon.

Nutrition Facts:
1/2 cup = 143 calories, 5 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 257 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 1 g protein

Notes:
- You can use black pepper--I did.
- If you don't have fresh parsley, use a few teaspoons of dried parsley.

Oven-roasted Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Adapted from Tyler Florence.

Serves 12-15.

Dry Rub:
2 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. smoked paprika
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. dry mustard
1 1/2 Tbs. coarse salt
1 (5 to 7 lb.) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

Mix the paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl.  Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for as long as you have time, as little as 1 hour or up to overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.

Bake in a roasting pan for 6 hours at 350 F until the pork is falling apart and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 170 F.

Remove roast from the oven and transfer to a large platter.  Allow meat to rest for about 10 minutes.  While still warm, take 2 forks and "pull" the meat to shreds.  Put shredded pork in a bowl, pour 1/2 of the barbecue sauce over it, and mix well to coat.

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom 1/2 of the bun, top with spicy slaw and additional barbecue sauce, if desired.  Serve with pickle spears.

Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
12 buns

Combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat.  Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves.

Spicy Slaw:
1 head green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1 red chile, sliced
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 Tbs. whole grain mustard
2 Tbs. yellow mustard or spicy brown mustard
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
Pinch sugar
1/2 tsp. celery seed
Several dashes hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the cabbage, carrot, red onion, green onions, and chile in a large bowl.  In another bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar, stirring to incorporate.  Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix.  Season the coleslaw with celery seed, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.  Chill for 2 hours in refrigerator before serving.

Notes:
- I had a 4 1/5 lb. pork loin in my freezer, so that's what I used.  If one side of your meat is fattier than the other, roast with that side up.  It will help flavor the meat and keep it moister.
- I forgot to buy a red chile for the spicy slaw, so I just sprinkled in a few shakes of cayenne pepper.
- This recipe makes a LOT.  If you don't have a large group helping you eat it (or you don't want to eat it for every meal for a week), freeze two thirds of it in separate quart-sized bags for later use.

Chicken Tortellini Alfredo

From Simple and Delicious (March/April 2010), page 48.

Prep: 10 minutes / Total: about 30 minutes
Serves 4.

1 pkg. (9 oz.) refrigerated spinach or cheese tortellini
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup fresh baby carrots
3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 jar (15 oz.) Alfredo sauce
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano

Cook the tortellini according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute broccoli and carrots in 2 Tsp. oil for 5-6 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Stir in the mushrooms, onion, and garlic; saute vegetables 3-4 minutes longer or until the vegetables are tender.  Remove vegetables and keep warm.

In the same skillet, cook chicken in remaining oil over medium heat for 4-6 minutes or until no longer pink.  Return vegetables to skillet.  Stir in Alfredo sauce and seasonings; heat through.  Drain tortellini; ad to chicken mixture.  Toss to coat.

Notes:
- I used half of a 19 oz. package of frozen cheese tortellini.
- I totally estimated my vegetable amounts.  My guess is I probably used at least 1/2 cup more each of broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms.
- Instead of tossing in the carrots whole, I sliced them.  Who wants whole baby carrots in a pasta dish?
- One large onion seemed like a lot to me, so I used what would probably equal a small onion (or a little less).
- I never measure garlic except by cloves.  I used one clove for this recipe, which I'm sure was less than what it called for.  Still, I think it was enough.
- Again, don't weigh my chicken--I count out chicken breasts.  This recipe was a two Costco-sized chicken breast recipe, which is usually how much I use when approximately a pound is called for.
- I didn't have a full jar of Alfredo sauce, so I used what I had and added a few spoonfuls of the chunky mushroom spaghetti sauce I had.  Mmmm.
- Perhaps I wasn't in a measuring mood--I didn't measure the spices either!  I think I used close to the right amounts for Italian seasoning and oregano, but I can never stick to the called-for amounts of basil because I love it so much.  I probably used about 1/2 tsp.
- I would really recommend timing your tortellini so it finishes cooking just in time to add it.  I cooked mine at the beginning without checking the package to see how long it would take, so it ended up hanging out in the strainer while everything else finished.  The pasta I used should probably have started cooking when the chicken did.
- To make meatless, omit chicken and increase vegetables, especially mushrooms.

Tortellini Chicken Soup

From Mom Larsen.

Combine in a large pot and bring to a boil:
3 (10.75 oz) cans chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
½ cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp basil
½ tsp oregano

Add 7 oz. package cheese tortellini. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes.

Add 9 oz. fresh or frozen broccoli. Simmer additional 5-10 minute or until broccoli is tender.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Notes:
- Meatless Version: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.  Use cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken soup.  Omit chicken and add more vegetables and pasta.

Chicken Pot Pie

From Mom Larsen (adapted from Laverne Hales).

3 cups cooked cubed chicken
1 ½ cups diced cooked carrots
1 ½-2 cups diced cooked potatoes
1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed
½ cup chopped celery
6 Tbs. margarine or butter
1/3 cup flour
7 tsp. chicken bouillon or 7 chicken bouillon cubes
1/8-1/4 tsp. pepper
5 ½ cups milk (divided)
3 cups biscuit baking mix (like Bisquik)

Cook celery in margarine until tender. Stir in flour, bouillon, and pepper. Remove from heat and add 4 ½ cups milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Stir in chicken, carrots, potatoes, and peas. Remove from heat.

Combine biscuit mix and remaining 1 cup milk. Mix well. Turn 2/3 dough into well-greased 9x13” baking dish. Sprinkle with flour. With floured hands, pat dough evenly over bottom and up sides of dish.

Pour chicken mixture into prepared dish.

Knead remaining dough. Roll to 1/8 thickness. Cut into eight 3-inch rounds and arrange on casserole.

Bake at 350˚F for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden.

Notes:
- Always check the size of your bouillon cubes to make sure you're using the right amount.  I have cubes that are at least twice the size of the ones my mom uses, so I have to be really careful about measuring by the number of cubes.  In this recipe, you'll want to make sure you've got the equivalent of 7 tsp.

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

From Mom Larsen.

Serves 6.

2/3 cup Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (reserve ½ cup)
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 1/2 cup (4 oz.) rotini pasta (cook and drain)
2 cups mixed frozen vegetables
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except 1/2 cup reserved cheese. Spoon into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Notes:
- This is one of those recipes that I kind of just estimate.  Do you like more chicken?  Add some more.  Do you have extra vegetables that you really don't want to stick back in the freezer?  Use them all!  Want to finish up the ends of a couple different bags of pasta?  No problem!  Just make sure you've got enough sauce.  Oh, and I always like a little extra cheese.
- To make meatless, omit chicken and increase the amount vegetables.

Beef Noodle Bowl

From Kraft Foods.

Prep: 10 min. / Total: 30 min.
Yield: 4 servings, 2 cups each.

8 oz. linguine, uncooked
3 cups broccoli florets
3 medium carrots, peeled, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
½ cup Italian dressing
½ cup teriyaki sauce
2 tsp. ground ginger

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli and carrots to the cooking water for the last 5-6 minutes of the pasta cooking time. Pasta will take a little longer to cook than normal because of the vegetables. Drain pasta mixture.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add meat; cook until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, teriyaki sauce, and ginger; cook until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.

Toss pasta and meat mixtures in large serving bowl.

Notes:
- Sometimes I use more pasta than the recipe calls for--there's enough sauce.
- Optional: For added crunch, sprinkle with ½ cup dry roasted peanuts just before serving.
- Variation: Instead of ginger and Italian dressing, use ¼ cup Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing and reduce teriyaki sauce to 1 Tbs.

Flavorful Beef Stirfry

From Quick Cooking (Jan./Feb. 2000), page 19.

Prep: 15-20 min / Cook: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings (or more)

2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup white wine, apple juice, or water
1 pound boneless beef round steak, cut into thin strips
3 cups broccoli florets
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 package (6 ounces) frozen pea pods, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
Hot cooked rice

In a bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce and wine, apple juice, or water until smooth. Add beef and toss to coat; set aside.

In a large skillet, stir-fry broccoli, carrots, pea pods, and onion in 1 tablespoon oil for 1 minute. Stir in water chestnuts. Cover and simmer for 4 minutes; remove and keep warm.

In the same skillet, stir-fry beef in remaining oil until meat reaches desired doneness. Return vegetables to pan; toss. Serve over rice.

Notes:
- Meatless Version: Omit the beef or replace it.  Substitution ideas: firm tofu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, additional vegetables (carrots, broccoli, pea pods, water chestnuts).  After removing vegetables from pan, add sauce and cook, stirring, until bubbly.  Complete recipe as directed.
- Make it Healthier: Use low-sodium soy sauce, use water instead of wine or juice, increase vegetables, reduce meat, cut oil by half, and serve over brown rice.