Pineapple and Green Chile Pork Burritos

I found this recipe online this last week, and can I just tell you how ABSOLUTELY AMAZING it is?  I was very happy with how this turned out.  My only word of advice?  Make sure you are as close to right on as you can be with the weight of the meat, if you have too much it could be a bit dry...

The ingredients:

1 lb. boneless pork chops (I used thick cut chops)

1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple

1 cup salsa verde (green salsa, or tomatillo salsa- it's all the same)

1 (4 oz.) can green chiles

1/3 cup brown sugar

The instructions:

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot.  Cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8-10.  I definitely recommend cooking it on Low.  It shreds easier.  Using tongs, squeeze the chops to shred the meat.  Serve on flour or fresh corn tortillas with some lettuce, cheese, rice, and tomatoes or any other burrito toppings.  For my rice, I used white rice and added a bit of lime juice and cilantro.  

This recipe is SO TASTY!  And for those of you in my neck of the woods, it is nothing like Cafe Rio (or Costa Vida) pork, but it IS sweet and very VERY good!

Easy Creamy Lasagna

This recipe is really just an adaptation of two different lasagnas. The first was a classic lasagna as presented on the back of the Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles box. And the second was fed to me at a neighborhood dinner. Since the maker of the second lasagna doesn't use a recipe, per se, I combined her secret ingredient with a typical recipe and the result was delicious!

The ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 (26 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce

1 1/2 c. water

1 3/4 c. ricotta or small curd cottage cheese (I actually prefer cottage cheese)

2 c. shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley (or 2 T. dried parsley)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 (16 oz.) container sour cream  (<--SECRET INGREDIENT)

9-12 pieces lasagna noodles, uncooked

The instructions:

Heat oven to 350^F.  In a 3-quart sauce pan over medium high heat, brown meat, and drain.  Add spaghetti sauce and water.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta,half the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.  Pour about 1 c.  meat sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13-inch pan.  Spread 6 heaping spoonfuls of sour cream on top of the meat sauce in pan. Arrange 3-4 UNCOOKED noodles over top of sauce.  Cover with more sour cream, and 1 cup sauce. Spread half of cheese filling over sauce.  Repeat layers of lasagna, sour cream, meat sauce, and cheese filling.  Top with layer of lasagna and remaining sauce 6 more spoonfulls of sour cream. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

((Seriously, folks- the sour cream makes all the difference! It is SO GOOD!))

Granola

This recipe is so EASY! It is also one of my favorites.  For some reason I am much more fond of brown sugar as a sweetener as opposed to honey.  So maybe that is why this recipe appeals tome.  One way or another, it is so easy and practically fool proof!

The ingredients:

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. rolled oats

1 c. coconut

The instructions: 

Melt butter then stir in brown sugar.  Add remaining ingredients and pack into a 9X13 inch dish.  Bake in a 325^ oven for 25-40 minutes (depending on how crunchy you want it).  Either cut into bars, or crumble up and put in a large can to use as a snack, or yogurt topping.

((If you want you can also add raisins, flax, bran, nuts, craisins, chocolate chips, etc.))

Cheesy Eggs and Toast

This recipe was introduced to me by my husband.  His mom always called it Eggs Benedict.  Which was NOT the same.  My husband ordered eggs benedict a few years back at a restaurant and was, quite frankly, disgusted by what he was served.  The next day I made him his mom's cheesy eggs and toast.  It is an Easter tradition in our house.  As are egg salad sandwhiches. 

The ingredients:

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

1 1/2 c. milk

1-2 c. grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

3-4 hard boiled eggs, chopped up or diced

Toast

The instructions:

In a medium sauce pan melt butter over medium heat.  Add flour and stir with a whisk until the roux turns a golden color (about 2 minutes or so).  Quickly add all the milk and stir with a wisk until mixture boils.  Add salt, pepper and cheese.  Once the cheese is melted, add chopped boiled eggs.

Serve over warm buttered toast.  OH so yummy!