Sweet and Spicey Pork and Pineapple Tacos

from Mels

Notes: This was simple, quick, and tasted great. A great summer, quick in the kitchen type meal. We had mangoes and cut them up and added them fresh when eating them, which was yummy! I think a little cabbage on top would be great too. Tried lettuce, which was good.

Yield: Serves 4

You have a few options for pineapple here. I've made this recipe using a 20 ounce can of pineapple chunks - draining the juice and reserving 1/4 cup for the recipe and using the pineapple in the tacos. I've also used fresh pineapple and opened one of those small 6-ounce cans of pineapple juice to use in the recipe (using 1/4 cup and reserving the rest to use in a future smoothie or something like that).

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (more to taste, if wanted)
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 2-3 cups diced pineapple (see note above)
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Corn or flour tortillas for serving

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the pork pieces and add them to the hot skillet, browning on each side until golden (the pork doesn't need to cook all the way through in this step, just get a nice color on all the pieces).
2. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder and cayenne and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the juice and pineapple and simmer the mixture until the pork is cooked through, 7-9 minutes.
3. Stir in the cilantro. Serve with corn or flour tortillas.

Amber's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

from cousin Amber

Ingredients:

1/2 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 c. canned pumpkin

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. nutmeg

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

1 t vanilla

6 oz. chocolate chips

Directions:

1. cream shortening + sugar

2. add egg + beat well

3. add pumpkin + vanilla

4. add dry ingredients

5. add chips!

bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes

Milch Reis (Rice Pudding)

from Mels

Notes: This tasted just like I remember it from Germany. My first Sunday in Germany all 3 sets of missionaries were invited to the ward mission leaders home for lunch. I remember just learning how to eat with my fork in my left hand. But in the area, Solingen/Wiesbaden, it is called Bergisches land. And one of their typical things is a Bergisches Kaffeetaffel. With that, coffee, or Karo and tea for LDS homes, was served. Waffles with rice pudding on top were a must. Then you could have cheeses, and meats, and other breads as well as some fruit. I loved it! 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Arborio rice (or sushi rice works well), rinsed
• 6 cups whole milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, optional

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine rice, milk, vanilla bean and seeds, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until rice is tender and liquid has absorbed, about 40-45 minutes.
2. Remove vanilla bean; stir in heavy cream. Rice pudding may be served warm, at room temperature or chilled (personally I prefer it slightly warmed).

Hauswaffeln (German style waffles)

from Wiesbaden FHV (R.S)

Notes: to be eaten with milk rice and possibly some fresh fruit on top

Zutaten:
250 g. Butter
175 g. Zucker
2 Paeckchen Vanille Zucker
6 Eier
1 Prise Salz
500 g. Weizenmehl
3 gestrichene Teeloeffel Backpulver
1/2 L Milch

Richtung:
Einen Ruehrteig herstellen
Das Fett darf nicht fluessig gemacht werden.
Der Teig soll dick fluessig vom Loeffel fallen.

Ingredients:
1 C butter
1 C sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
6 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
4 C flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 C milk

Directions:
Cream butter. (don't melt into liquid beforehand).
Add rest of ingredients except eggs to butter, mixing occasionally.
Beat eggs well in a separate bowl then add to rest of batter and mix.
The batter should be thick.

Easy Chicken Wontons

from rasamalaysia

Ingredients:

1/2 lb cooked chicken, finely cut up/shredded
1/4 lb shrimp, chopped into small pieces (optional, or add more chicken)
  3 stalk scallion, cut into rings
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt (easy on salt)
1 dash fish sauce, optional
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
3 dashes ground pepper
12 pieces wonton wrappers
Water, for sealing
Oil, for deep frying

Directions:
Combine chicken, shrimp, scallion, cornstarch together. In a separate small bowl combine salt, fish sauce, sesame oil, and pepper together and then mix in with chicken mixture.

Add chicken mixture to wonton wrapper, use water to seal ends, and wrap up. Deep fry in oil and let cool on paper towels and serve immediately.

Pomegranate, pear, pistachio salad

Notes: This was really good. I think this is just a great starter and you can add or take things away how you like. I liked how the feta cheese off set the fruit sweetness a bit. The girls loved the pistachios in a salad idea. I had to go way off script off on the salad dressing as I didn't have all the ingredients, so I'd like to try the real thing sometime. Mine was good, but it was the salad part that was really yummy.

 

Author: Jen@CarlsbadCravings.com

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• Pomegranate, Pear & Pistachio Salad
• 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 sweet apple (I like Fuji), chopped
• 1 pear, chopped
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
•  1/3 cup roasted and salted pepitas (may sub. sunflower seeds)
• 1/3 cup roasted and salted pistachios
• 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
• 1/2 cup Feta cheese
• 
  Creamy Pomegranate Dressing
• 1 5.3 oz. Greek Yogurt with Cherry Pomegranate (I use Fage)*
• 1/4 cup Sweet Red Chili Sauce (found in Asian section)
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
•  1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk together all of the Creamy Pomegranate Dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the salad.
2. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. If serving entire salad immediately, drizzle with desired amount of dressing and toss to coat. If there might be leftovers, drizzle dressing on individual salad servings. Top with freshly ground salt and pepper.

Notes

*You may substitute 1/3 vanilla Greek yogurt (won't be pink or have as much pomegranate taste but still delicoius) or substitute 1/3 cup strawberry yogurt which is a little sweeter than the Cherry-Pomegranate yogurt but still delicious

Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake

Notes: Cooked it in an angel food cake pan and worked great. I didn't have any sour cream and so used whole milk with lemon in it and was great. Loved how moist the cake stayed even 5 days later. Rich, definitely rich. but yummy and easy. Definitely moister the 2nd day, would try to make a day before planning on serving.

from Our Best Bites

Chocolate Peppermint Bundt Cake
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Ingredients
cocoa powder for dusting pan
1 box Devil’s Food Cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1 cup full fat sour cream
1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips, roughly chopped
Glaze
3.5 ounces dark chocolate chips (1/2 cup)
½ tablespoon butter
½ cup cream
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
 Additional ingredients
Crushed candy canes (2-3)
For serving: whipped cream or ice cream *for extra peppermint-y goodness, add a little peppermint extract to your sweetened  whipped cream while whipping.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a budnt pan (make sure to get the inside center as well) and then dust with cocoa powder, covering all sides and then shaking out excess.
Place cake mix and dry pudding mix in the bowl of a stand mixer.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, oil, milk, vanilla, and peppermint until smooth.  With mixer running, add liquid ingredients to cake mix and beat until combined.  Scrape down sides of bowl and then beat for 2 minutes on medium high speed.  Add chocolate chips and stir until combined.  Pour batter into budnt pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs attached.
Glaze: While cake is baking, place chocolate chips and butter in a bowl.  Heat cream until hot and bubbly and then pour over chocolate.   Let sit for 2-3 minutes, then add peppermint and whisk until smooth.  Set aside.
When cake is done, let cool until just warm (15-20 minutes)  Invert onto a paper towel on a metal rack.  Let cool completely and place on serving platter. To glaze cake, either use a brush to lightly brush over surface, or spoon and drizzle chocolate over.  You may have extra.  If too thick, heat for a few seconds to loosen, if still warm and too runny, let cool longer or place in fridge to speed up process.  After cake is glazed (and you may want to wait for the glaze to set just a bit), sprinkle with crushed candy canes.  Slice into servings and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.