Lime Rice

3 c. chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 onion
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 small can green chilies
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. lime juice
3 c. rice

Cook rice in chicken stock with cumin, salt and butter. Process garlic, cilantro, chilies, lime juice and onion in food processor. Add to hot cooked rice.

Sweet Pulled Pork (Cafe Rio Style)

3 lbs. pork roast
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. powdered ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 T. dried minced onion

add in last hour 1 can red enchilada sauce
1 c. brown sugar

Cook in crock pot about 9 hours. One hour before serving take the roast out and shred the meat. Drain the crock pot and put the meat back in and add 1 can red enchilada sauce and 1 c. brown sugar. Finish cooking. Great served with lime rice and black beans in warm flour tortillas with grated cheese, pico de gallo or salsa and shredded lettuce.

Pico de Gallo (fresh salsa)

4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp. more or less of lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Green Chili Burros

Buy a beef roast. rub the outside with garlic salt, then pepper, then kosher salt all over. Roast in a pan or crock pot until meat is fork tender. Shred beef. Add a can or two of green chilies or if you're lucky enough to have them, fresh roasted green chilies. Warm them together to let the flavors meld a while. Thicken juices a little with corn starch/water. Roll up into warm flour tortillas.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Add a few cloves fresh garlic to the water while boiling potatoes to mash. They will soften and cook while flavoring the potatoes. Drain the water and mash the garlic while whipping the potatoes. Salt and pepper and butter as usual.

Cabbage Rolls

1 head cabbage (steam head in a pan to soften leaves and save the water)
1 beaten egg
1/4 c. milk
1 chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. ground beef (more or less)
1 c. cooked rice (more or less)

Steam cabbage. Cook rice. Mix meatball ingredients. Lay a cabbage leaf down and put about a golf ball sized meatball in and roll up. Place in a big pot or crock pot. Keep adding until all the meat is used up. Make sauce...

4 8oz. cans tomato sauce
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. (more or less, to taste) worchestshire sauce.

Taste test it and when it is savory, pour over the cabbage rolls and cook on low for long time. If sauce starts to dry up, add cabbage water (you want to be able to spoon a little sauce when serving)

Mash up some potatoes and serve with potatoes on bottom, cabbage roll on top, and a little sauce.

Oh Baby, Oh! Roasted Pears in Caramel Sauce

1/3 c. apple juice
1/3 c. brown sugar
3 Tbs. butter
3 firm Bosc (or other) Pears, peeled, halved, and cored
Vanilla Ice Cream for serving

Oven to 400. Arrange pears, cut side up in glass baking dish.
In small saucepan, whisk apple juice and sugar over med. heat until sugar dissolves. Add butter and let melt. Pour over pears. Bake until pears are tender and beginning to brown, about 40 min.
Baste occasionally with sauce.

Scoop of vanilla ice cream on plate, pears around and drizzle with remaining sauce. Easy and elegant.

Summer's Wedding Punch

1 can (12oz.) frozen limeade
3 c. sugar
8 c. water

Stir until sugar is dissolved. Freeze in gallon bags. Mix with 7-Up or Sprite. Serve as slush.

Cucumber Dip

8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
2-3 cucumbers
white onion
salt and pepper

Grate cucumbers and onion and pat dry on a paper towel. Add to other ingredients. Great flavor with potato chips.

Cinnamon Rolls

Dissolve 2 Tbs. yeast in 1/2 c. warm water and 1 Tbs. sugar.
This is the most fool-proof soft dough I have ever found.

Scald 1 c. milk
add 1/3 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs (beaten)
Let cool slightly then add yeast mixture and 4 heaping cups flour. Can be stored in refrigerator overnight if desired.

Let rise, roll out, spread with soft butter, cinnamon, and sugar. Roll up and cut in 12 slices. Let raise on cookie sheet. Bake 400 for 10-15 min. Frost. I use a caramel icing.

German Hot Potato Salad

6 potatoes, cut and boiled
1/3 c. vinegar
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. bacon, cooked and cut up
3/4 c. green onions
3 hard boiled eggs

Mix together while warm and serve over crisp lettuce. My dad's favorite and he was a hot german.

Killer Pasta Salad

8 oz. colored spiral pasta
8 oz. bow tie pasta
Cook and cool...

1 (200z.) pineapple tidbits, drained
2 c. chopped celery
4 green onions, chopped
1 pkg. Craisens
1 c. cashews
1 c. red seedless grapes, cut in half.
*opt.- diced and cooked chicken

Dressing-
1 16oz. Kraft Coleslaw dressing
1 c. mayonnaise

Spinach Dip

2 boxes frozen chopped spinach
1 stick butter
1 onion, chopped
1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies)
8 oz. grated cheese
8 oz. cream cheese

Boil spinach, drain. Saute onion in butter, add Rotel and cheese and stir until melted. Add spinach.
Season with salt and pepper or Tony Chachere's seasoning. It too thick, add milk. Serve with crackers or rolls.

Chicken Pot Pie Crockpot style

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or chicken tender strips)
5 cups cubed potatoes
2 cups diced carrots
1 chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt (or Johnny's seasoning salt)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 soup can water
1/2 pkg frozen petite peas
1 roll Grands biscuits (cooked to package directions)
shredded cheddar cheese

Place potatoes, carrots and onion in bottom of crock pot. Top with chicken breast. Pour soup over top of chicken. Add water. Cook on high for 3 - 4 hours or on low for up to 8 hours. Remove chicken and shred, then add back to the veggies. Add the frozen peas and stir well. Cook about 20 minutes longer while your biscuits are baking. To serve, slice biscuits in half and place on plate. Top with chicken mixture and then shredded cheese.

Coconut Candy

1 bag sweetened coconut
Either almond bark white candy coating or
small block of dipping chocolate.

Spread coconut evenly in a 9 x 13 pan. Toast in a 325 degree oven, stirring often until coconut is browned and crumbly (about 30 minutes).
Melt almond bark or chocolate in microwave. Stir into coconut. Drop by spoonfuls into fluted candy papers and chill.

Sombrero Bean Dip

1 lb. hamburger, browned and drained
1/2 chopped onion
2/3 cup Heinz HOT Ketchup
1/2 package Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can red kidney beans, drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
sliced olives
sour cream

Brown hamburger. Add onion and cook until onion is soft. In a blender, mix beans, Ketchup and seasoning mix. Blend well and pour over hamburger-onion mixture. Heat through then transfer to a casserole dish. Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until everything is bubbly. Remove from oven and top with sour cream and sliced olives if desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

NOTE: If you can't find Heinz HOT ketchup, just use regular ketchup and add a little tobasco sauce.