Recipe: Pineapple Coleslaw

Estimated Cost:  $6.00

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Chill Time:  1 – 2 hours

Serves:  8

Awesome alternative to standard slaw, Pineapple Coleslaw goes together in a breeze and is assured to please your guests.  It’s also what I consider the best topping for a pulled pork sandwich, such as the ones from my Savory Shredded Pork recipe.

5 cups cabbage, shredded
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs. vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper (to taste)

1. In a large-bowl mix cabbage and pineapple.

2. In a medium-bowl mix the half-and-half, mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.

3. Add cream dressing from the medium-bowl into the large-bowl with the cabbage and pineapple; mix just to combine.

4. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Cover and store in refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving. Lasts 4 or 5 days in fridge.

Mike’s comments:

Pineapple Coleslaw is a wonderful alternate for your standard slaw. I think its best heaped on top of a wonderful pulled pork sandwich. See my recipe for Savory Shredded Pork for a spectacular sandwich this slaw was meant to sit atop.

Recipe: Shredded Pork Tacos

Estimated Cost:  $9.00

Start to Finish:  25 minutes

Serves: 4 (8 tacos)

I’ve been told, by my friends in the know, that these tacos are much closer to what you might be served in Mexico.  Having never been to Mexico, I don’t know this to be a fact, but I can guarantee they kick culinary ass!

2 cups Savory Shredded Pork (recipe)
8 corn taco shells OR four tortillas (6-8″)
3/4 cup salsa
2 cups lettuce, shredded
1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese OR anejo enchilada cheese
1/4 cup ripe olives, sliced and pitted
sour cream (optional)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 medium avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Place taco shells on a baking sheet and heat in a 350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until heated through and crispy. OR if using flour tortillas: Wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Heat in a 350°F oven about 10 minutes or until heated through.

3. While shells (or tortillas) are in oven: in a medium saucepan combine the Savory Shredded Pork and salsa; heat through.

4. To assemble tacos, place pork mixture in warm taco shells. Top with lettuce, cheese, and olives. If desired, serve with sour cream tomato, and avocado. To assemble tortillas, place pork mixture in the center of the warm tortillas and add remaining ingredients as directed; fold tortillas in half.

Mike’s comments:

It was hard to finish that recipe due to my watering mouth and growling stomach. I want some NOW!

Recipe: Savory Shredded Pork

Estimated Cost:  $10.00

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Roast Time:  2 1/2 hours

Serves:  12 (about 6 cups cooked meat)

This is a great “make ahead” recipe.  You end up with 6 cups of Savory Shredded Pork.  You can use the pork to make hearty sandwiches and equally delish tacos.   By freezing some of the meat you can always be ready for a fast, mouth watering savory pork meal.

3 lb. boneless pork shoulder blade roast
8 cloves garlic, minced (how to)
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed (how to)
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
1 cup beef OR chicken broth
Hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls, split, buttered, and toasted (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Trim excess fat from meat. In a small-bowl combine garlic, coriander, cumin, oregano, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and red pepper; rub into the meat.

3. Place meat in a roasting pan that has a cover; add beef broth. Cover and roast in a
325°F oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until very tender.

4. Remove meat from liquid with a slotted spoon; skim off excess fat from liquid; reserving the liquid that is left (broth and pork drippings).

5. When meat is cool enough to handle, shred it. To shred the pork simply use 2 forks to pull the meat apart; place the first fork into the meat and hold it steady, and then place the second fork into the meat and pull it away from the first fork. Repeat this process until all of the meat has been shredded into small pieces. It is easiest to shred when the fork tines are aligned with the grain of the meat, while pulling against the grain.

6. Split the meat into 2-cup servings and place each in a Ziploc bag. The 3 pound roast used in this recipe should yield about 6 cups – or 3, 2-cup Ziploc bag portions. Divide the remaining reserved liquid (from roasting) evenly into the bags. You should end up with 3 Ziploc bags of shredded pork, each with 1/3 of the broth liquid in the bag.

7. Freeze whatever portions of the shredded pork you won’t be using in the next few days.

Mike’s comments:

One Ziploc bag of shredded pork yields 4 delicious Savory Shredded Pork sandwiches when served on a buttered and toasted Hamburger or Kaiser roll. You can also use one bag to make Shredded Pork Tacos.

Pork shoulder blade (Boston) roast contains the top portion of whole shoulder, the blade bone exposed on two sides, and some inter-muscular fat. It is usually prepared by roasting.

Recipe: Mike’s Apple Crisp

Estimated Cost:  $5.00

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Bake Time:  30 minutes

Serves:  6

Near the end of my fathers life he spent quite a bit of time in the hospital.  I don’t think he liked much of the food.  His nutritionist told me the one thing he really enjoyed was Apple Crisp, but that the hospital only served it once or twice a week.  After speaking to dad I found out he liked the crisp more then the apple.  I went back to my kitchen and started tweaking and came up with this recipe, one that has a little more crisp.

I brought this yummy dessert to the hospital a number of times over the next few months.  This recipe will always hold a special place in my heart.

5 cups cooking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 Tbs. sugar
3/4 cup regular rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
vanilla ice cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Place sliced apples in a 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle 2 Tbs. sugar over apples; mix to combine.

3. For topping, in a medium-bowl combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle topping over fruit.

4. Bake in a 375°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden.

Mike’s comments:

In my opinion, the only way to serve this Apple Crisp is warm with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe: Easy Cajun Smothered Pork Chops

Estimated Cost:  $10.00

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cook Time:  15 minutes

Serves:  4

At just $2.50 a serving, and a preparation that couldn’t be easier, this is a great Ace in the Hole recipe.

When you need to put something out that impresses and delights, but its 8:30PM on a Tuesday, and you are beat – drop this Ace!

4 bone-in pork loin chops, 1/2-inch thick, trimmed of fat
2 tsp. Cajun spice blend
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cans (10 oz.) Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, undrained

1. Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with seasoning blend. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly tender. Push onion to one side of skillet.

2. Add pork to other side of skillet. Cook about 3 minutes, turning once, until browned. Add tomatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; cook 4 to 8 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in center.

Mike’s comments:

You can certainly use a store-bought Cajun spice blend. Or you can save a few bucks and make a homemade blend that tastes even better. Here is a link to a recipe that shows you how to easily do just that:

Cajun Spice Blend

Recipe: Cajun Spice Blend

Estimated Cost:  $2.00

Prep Time:  5 minutes

I use this spice blend in many recipes.  I use it as a blended spice when cooking, I use it as a rub when I BBQ, I even set it out on the table with the salt and pepper with some meals.  Not only will making your own Cajun Spice Blend save you some money, I’ve not found a store bought blend that comes close to being as flavorful as this mix.

2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Stir together all the spices; mix to combine well.

2. Store in an airtight container. I like to use old spice shaker bottles. Yields about 1/4 cup.

Mike’s comments:

I like to keep lots of different homemade spice blends on hand. I’ve found I use up my spices before they go bad this way. I hate opening my spice cabinet and seeing a spice container adorned with graphic design that screams “hair band era”.

Recipe: Kenny Rogers’ Ice and Fire Chili

Estimated Cost:  $15.00

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Cook Time:  2 hours

Serves:  10

Served this at my first MtG home tournament.  Not a speck left!

1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks in syrup
2 lbs. lean boneless pork roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 can (4 oz.) diced green chili peppers
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
4 tsp. ground cumin
1/3 cup jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
sliced green onion, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream for toppings (optional)

1. Drain pineapple, reserving syrup. In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, cook pork, half at a time, in hot olive oil till brown. Return all the meat to the pot.

2. Add the first chopped onion and 1 clove garlic. Cook over medium heat till onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add the reserved pineapple syrup, un-drained tomatoes, tomato paste, green chili peppers, green pepper, remaining onion, 2 cloves garlic, chili powder, cumin, jalapeno pepper and salt.

3. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer the chili for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the pineapple chunks. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes more.

5. Serve with the sliced green onion, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream, allowing guests to add their favorite toppings.

Mike’s comment’s:

~~So I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in~~

Nothing makes me happier then making a recipe I know Kenny Rogers has prepared some point in the past. I usually put on my favorite Kenny MP3s, not forgetting his work with The First Edition, and sing along as I cook.

Being the nerd, fantasy-fanboy that I am, I couldn’t resist changing the recipe title just a little. I had to tip the hat to Game of Thrones by transposing the Fire and Ice in the original recipe title.

My favorite part of this recipe is something I wrote down over 15 years ago, it was barely legible: “Kenny adds 2 more tablespoons of the jalapeno pepper to really light folks up.” As if he and I were personal friends, right? LOL.

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

Estimated Cost:  $8.00

Prep Time:  10 minutes

Cooking Time:  15 minutes

Serves:  6

One of a number of easy Stromboli recipes I enjoy.  Easy and affordable, they are great dinner ideas during the busy week.

1 can refrigerated classic pizza crust
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a cookie sheet.

2. Unroll pizza dough; place on cookie sheet. Starting at center, press out dough into 14×10-inch rectangle.

3. In small bowl, mix chicken and wing sauce; spread down center of rectangle to within 1 inch of edges. Sprinkle with cheese.

4. Fold shorter sides of dough 1 inch over filling. Bring long sides of dough over filling, overlapping in center; pinch edge to seal.

5. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with celery sticks and blue-cheese dipping sauce if desired.

Mike’s comments:

This is a nice fusion adaptation of two of my favorite foods, buffalo wings and Stromboli. Be sure to choose the Buffalo wing sauce that matches your heat-tolerance. If you don’t like your food to leave smoke trails out of your ears you might want to avoid the “hot” and “extra-hot” varieties.

Stromboli is a type of turnover filled with various cheeses, typically mozzarella, Italian meats such as salami, capicola and bresaola or vegetables. The dough traditionally used is Italian bread dough.

A Buffalo wing, Buffalo chicken wing, hot wing or wing, in the cuisine of the United States, is a chicken wing section (wingette or drumette) that is generally deep-fried, un-breaded and coated in a sauce of vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce and butter in the kitchen. They are served hot, along with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing for dipping.

Recipe: Easy Sausage and Veggie Bake

Estimated Cost:  $6.50

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Cooking Time:  45 minutes

Serves:  4

This recipe is so delicious and foolproof it should be in every Cooking 101 book.   The sauce it creates while it bakes has to be tasted to be believed.  Try this one, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

1 tsp. olive oil OR vegetable oil
1 pkg. (14 oz.) smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 Tbs. olive oil OR vegetable oil
2 lg. potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into wedges
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into wedges
2 med. onions, cut into wedges
1/3 cup white wine OR vinegar
1/3 cup chicken stock
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook till its browned. Transfer the cooked sausage into a large baking dish (casserole).

3. Pour 1 tbs. oil into the skillet; add potatoes. Cook potatoes, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Place the potatoes into the baking dish with the sausage.

4. Add peppers and onions to the skillet. Cook and stir the peppers and onions in the hot skillet until they are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables to the baking dish.

5. Mix the wine, chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Pour liquid over the sausage and veggies into the baking dish. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper.

6. Bake at 400°F until hot and bubbling, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Mike’s comments:

I’ve never had leftovers when I make this yummy and easy meal. I’ve doubled this recipe a number of times with perfect results. Simply double all the ingredients and follow directions as listed.

Recipe: Crunchy Baked French Toast

Estimated Cost: $5.00

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Refrigeration Time:  2 hours

Cooking Time:  15 minutes

A yummy variation of my all time favorite breakfast food.  Super easy and something just about anyone will enjoy.

3 eggs
1 cup half-and-half OR milk
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups cornflakes, crushed
8 (3/4-inch-thick) slices of French bread
butter and syrup

1. Grease a cookie sheet. In a medium-sized bowl combine eggs, half-and-half, sugar, vanilla, and salt; beat well.

2. Place crushed cereal in another bowl.

3. Dip each bread slice in egg mixture, making sure egg mixture is well absorbed. Then coat each slice with the cornflake crumbs. Place on the cookie sheet and cover. Chill 1 to 2 hours (up to overnight) or until firm.

4. Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake bread slices 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Serve with butter and syrup.

Mike’s comment’s:

I am eating some as I enter this recipe!