Corn Salsa and my version of Carnitas

It's Cinco de Mayo and I had Subway for dinner, too busy for home cooked food this evening, a full day of work, TKD, soccer, and a haircut instead.  However, yesterday, on Quatro de Mayo we had our annual Cinco de Mayo pot luck at work.  We have a few part timers and a few job shares and Wednesdays are the only day of the week where the whole team is present.  We work in a very stressful environment and ensuring fun is had by all keeps morale high and my team members happy.  This was our fifth year and one I expect to continue for some time to come, I believe it is one of the team's more preferable events.  Anyhoo.....I decided to try something new this year and I was pleased with the results of both so of course I thought to myself, "haven't blogged in forever.....write it down before you FORGET......AGAIN!!!!"

Corn Salsa
3 Cups corn, grilled and removed from ears
1/2 red onion
1 large or -2 medium jalapeno peppers
3 Tomatillos diced
1/4 cup cilantro, unless you are making it for my mom, than forget it completely!
1 Lime juiced, approx 1 T
Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together together and enjoy.  Can be made a day in advance.



Carnitas Marjie Style
6-7 Pounds Pork Shoulder

2-3T vegetable oil or olive oil

1 large onion chopped

6 garlic cloves

3t cumin

1T chili powder

1-16 oz can petite diced tomatoes

3 cloves

3 bay leaves

6 fresh sprigs of oregano

3 chipotle chilies chopped with 2T adobo sauce

2C Chicken stock

Salt

Pepper

1. Salt and pepper pork well
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
3. Sear pork on all sides and put into large roasting pan (Using some of the oil)
4. In pan used for searing,  saute onions, when translucent add garlic and cook 2 minutes longer
5. Add chilies and adobo sauce
6. Add tomatoes and scrape all the browned pieces off the bottom of pan
7. Pour over pork
8. Add all remaining ingredients to roasting pan
9. Cover with foil and cook until tender - I believe mine was in the oven for 5-6 hours
10. Remove and let cook lightly
11. Remove as much fat as possible and discard
12. Shred pork and store in  refrigerator
13. Pour all the remain in the roasting pan into a container and refrigerate overnight
14. NEXT DAY -
15. Skim all fat off the pan juices
16. In a blender puree ingredients into a smooth sauce
17. Mix pork and sauce together a on low heat cook for an hour or so
18. Eat and enjoy

NOTE**My meat got a little dry so I threw in a cup of plain old salsa and it worked great!

Raspberry White Chocolate Crumb Bars

This is an adaptation from a recipe that I found in the Nestle Classic Recipes book I bought decades ago. Wow, that sentence made me feel really old. The original recipe was tooth melting sweet - way too much for me! Once you try this recipe, you'll find it hard to believe the original could be any sweeter than this one but I find it a tastier treat than its predecessor. It is definitely a winner and an easy "Go-To" treat for a quick dessert, unexpected company or a girl's night in.

Ingredients

1 Cup salted butter at room temperature

2 Cups Flour

1/2 Cup packed brown sugar (I like dark)

1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

1 Cup White Chocolate Chips

1 14oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 Cup chopped Pecans

1/3-1/2 Cup Seedless Raspberry Jam

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350


2. Grease/Spray a 9x13 pan


3. Beat butter until soft, add flour, sugar and mix until crumbly


4. Press 1.75 Cups of mixture into bottom of pan


5. Bake 10-12 minutes


6. Microwave dark chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk for 60 seconds, stir until incorporated


7. Pour over hot crust


8. Add pecans into remaining mixture and sprinkle over the chocolate


9. Drop small amounts of jam over the mixture


10. Sprinkle white chocolate chips over the top


11. Bake for 25-30 minutes


12. Cool


13. Cut bars small, they are sinfully sweet!

Enjoy!

Asian Cabbage Salad

I love this salad and make if often. It is great with added chicken or shrimp!

4 Cups shredded cabbage, I like to mix purple and green

1 Cup shredded carrot

1 Bunch Green Onions, chopped

1/2 Red Bell Pepper sliced

1/2 Cucumber diced

1 Cup Snap Peas, cleaned and halved

1T toasted sesame seeds

1/3 C Toasted Almonds

4 T Soy Sauce (Low Sodium is better)

2T Vegetable Oil

1/4 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar

2 Garlic Cloves chopped

1t sugar

1/2t ground Ginger (Fresh only)

1/4 t crushed Red Pepper

1/2 t Sesame Oil

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl

Make dressing by adding the last 7 ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well.

Toss both salad and dressing together and refrigerate for 1-3 hours tossing occasionally.

Prior to serving sprinkle almonds on top.

Apple Mango Avocado Salsa

2 Mangoes, peeled and cubed
1 Large Avocado, peeled and cubed
2 crisp apples, I like Granny Smith and Braeburn
1/4 Cup chopped Cilantro
2 limes, Juiced
Salt to taste
1 small red onion, diced
1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Cup Corn Kernels


Mix the first 5 ingredients and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour

Add remaining ingredients, toss and chill before serving


This can be used as a Salsa with traditional corn chips or as a salad atop your favorite greens.

Jicama Slaw with Chicken

1Bag Broccoli-Slaw

3 Cups diced Chicken

1 Cucumber diced

1 Jicama diced

1/2 red onion diced or for a more mild flavor green onions

1/2 Cup Olive Oil Dressing (See below)

1T Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 t chili powder

1 t paprika

1. Mix 1st five Ingredients together
2. Add Remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl and mix well.
3. Dress the salad and chill.

Lasts for a good two days before getting soggy.

Olive Oil Mayo

1 Egg

1 1/2 T Apple Cider Vinegar

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Cayenne

1t Grey Poupon or favorite mustard

1 Cup Olive Oil

Mix all ingredients until incorporated.