Herb Roasted Pork Loin with Parsley Shallot Sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried sage

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 (2 ½ pound) center cut boneless pork loin, trimmed of all visible fat

½ cup parsley shallot sauce, recipe follows

Sauce:

1 ½ cups lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallot

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons extra virigin olive oil

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350*
2. Mash the garlic and salt together with a fork until it forms a coarse paste.
3. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in the oil, fresh herbs, and freshly ground pepper.
4. Rub the garlic-herb paste all over the pork. Put the pork in a roasting pan and roat for 1 ¼ hours or until the internal temperature reach 155*.
5. Transfer the roast to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes.
6. Carve the pork into slices and serve the sauce. 

Penne all’amatriciana

Time: 30 minutes

8 oz. penne pasta

4 oz. pancetta or good-quality bacon, cubed

1 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 tsp each kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and red chile flakes

¼ grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
2. Cook pancetta in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until partly translucent. Spoon off most of the drippings/
3. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until browned.
4. Add remaining ingredients except Parmesan and cook over high heat until juices have reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
5. Add pasta, stir to coat, and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with Parmesan. 

Chopped Parmesan Salad

Salad:

½ head iceberg lettuce, chopped into medium pieces

1 small head romaine lettuce, chopped

¼ pound Italian salami, finely diced

¼ pound mozzarella cheese, finely chopped

1 cup garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained, rinsed, and chopped

Dressing:

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl.
2. Pour Parmesan dressing over salad and toss, coating ingredients completely. Serve immediately.
3. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar with tight fitting lid and shake well.

** You can add additional items like olives, chopped pepperoncinis (banana peppers) or sun dried tomatoes. 

Cream Cheese Tarts

3 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

5 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sour cream

½ cup sugar + ½ teaspoon vanilla

Red jelly or cherry pie filling

1. Cream together cream cheese and sugar
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla
3. Fill 24 paper muffin cups.
4. Bake in 300* oven for 40 minutes. Cool; middle will sink.
5. Mix sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.
6. Pour into sunken hole and spread over top.
7. Add a dab of jelly (or 3 or 4 cherries and sauce from pie filling) in center of sour cream mixture
8. Put back in oven for 300* for 5 minutes or longer if needed.
9. Freeze, remove paper cups and refreeze.

Sweet and Sour Bean Salad - great side for a BBQ

1 can green beans, rinsed and drained

1 can cut yellow wax beans, rinsed and drained

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can butter beans, rinsed and drained

1 large bell pepper, diced, any color

1 large red onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 jar pimientos, diced (I used 1 jar roasted red peppers from Trader Joe's)

¼ salad oil (your choice)

2 cups celery, thinly sliced

1 ½ cups cider vinegar

1 cups sugar or equivalent of Splenda

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 can tomato soup, undiluted

1. Place all the beans, bell pepper, onion, and pimentos or roasted red peppers in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the oil and celery.
3. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and tomato soup. Bring to a boil and pour over the vegetables. Toss the mixture lightly with 2 forks. Do this several time as the mixture cools.
4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate 

** Recipe courtesy of Aliesha Holbert Carlos 

Drunk Chicken - we ate this all the time when I was a kid!

¾ cup vin Rose

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup salad oil

2 tbsp water

¼ tsp oregano

1 tsp clove garlic (or 1/8 tsp powder)

1 tsp ginger

1 chicken, cut up

1. Salt and pepper chicken, pour sauce over.
2. Bake about 1 ½ hours in 350* oven, baste if necessary and start in a cold oven.
3. Serve with rice

Lemon Loaf Cake

1 package yellow mix

1 package lemon gelatin

¾ cup water

¾ cup oil

4 eggs

1. Combine cake mix and gelatin.
2. Add water, oil, and eggs. Beat for 3 minutes on medium speed with hand mixer.
3. Pour into 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan that has been greased on bottom.
4. Bake at 350* for 30 t0 35 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and prick top with fork.
6. Pour the following mixture over hot cake: 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, ¼ cup lemon juice, and ½ teaspoons grated lemon rind. 

Spinach and Bacon Salad

3 slices bacon, diced

2 bunches of fresh spinach

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup chili sauce

1 clove garlic, mashed

½ tsp oregano

Salt and pepper

Hard boiled eggs, chopped (optional)

1. Brown bacon pieces slowly
2. Wash spinach and pat dry. Tear leaves into bite sized pieces and place in a bowl with onions.
3. When cooked add bacon drippings, add vinegar, chili sauce, garlic and oregano.
4. Heat until mixture simmers, stir. 
5. Pour over spinach mixture, stir in eggs, and mix well, serve at once. 

Mac and Cheese with Poblano Chiles and Green Onions

Original: Rabble and Rouser

3-4 medium poblano chiles, about ¾ pound

½ pound baked ham, sliced about 1/3 inch thick

6 scallions, including the green tops

Extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus a little extra for buttering the baking dish

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 quart whole milk

4 cups (about 12 oz.) grated Monterey jack cheese

¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

10 oz. large elbow macaroni

½ cup fresh bread crumbs

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

1.   Lightly coat the chilies, sliced ham, and green onions with oil. Grill the poblano chiles over direct medium heat (350* to 450*), with the lid closed as much as possible, until evenly charred on all sides (8 to 10 minutes). You can also char them over an open flame if you have a gas stove. 
2. At the same time, grill the ham and scallions over direct medium heat until lightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes, turning once or twice.
3. Remove the chiles, ham, and scallions from the grill and let cool. Peel away the charred skins from chiles. Remove and discard the stems and seeds. Roughly chop the chiles.
4. Dice the ham into 1/3 inch cubes and thinly slice the scallions crosswise and discard the root ends.
5. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. As it starts to sizzle, whisk the flour into the butter to form a paste. Cook this mixture until it starts to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ass the milk and keep whisking to keep lumps from forming. Raise the heat to medium high.
6. Gradually add 3 cups of the Monterey jack cheese, all the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, the salt, and the pepper. As the cheese melts into the sauce and it begins to boil, lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the cheese sauce from the heat and pour into a buttered 2 ½ to 3-quart baking dish.
7.   Cook the macaroni in salted boiling water for 3 minutes less than the cooking time recommended on the package. Drain the macaroni and add it to the baking dish, mixing it with the cheese sauce. Add the chilies, ham, and scallions. Mix well.
8. In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs with the remaining 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese and the thyme. Top the pasta with the bread crumb mixture and gently press it into the surface.
9. Place the baking dish over indirect medium heat and cook, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the mac and cheese is golden brown on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Wearing insulated mitts, remove the dish from the grill let cool slightly. Serve warm. 

Now go take a walk and burn off that amazing mac dinner!