Dec. 3, 2012: Green Chile Pork Burritos, Cranberry Candied Walnut Salad, White Chunk Chocolate Blondies

TONIGHT’S MENU

Green chile pork burritos, spinach cranberry walnut salad, white chocolate chunk blondies

 

MAIN ENTREE

SLOW COOKED GREEN CHILE PORK BURRITOS

 I was feeling in the mood for Mexican food tonight - it's my comfort food for sure. So I got a pork roast out of the freezer and put it in the microwave to defrost. While it was defrosting, I chopped a large onion and cooked them in a frying pan with a little olive oil and salt and pepper until the onions were translucent and then opened a large can of green chiles and added them to the onions. I turned the crock pot on HIGH and poured a can of Green Enchilada sauce into the pot. I added the onions and chiles to the sauce, squirted a few tablespoons of lime juice. I chopped about a quarter cup of fresh cilantro and put it in the sauce too. Then when the roast was defrosted I put it into the sauce in the crockpot, spooned some sauce over the top until it was covered. Then put the lid on and turned the heat down to LOW.

About an hour before serving, I took a large knife and fork and shredded the meat right inside the sauce in the crockpot and put the lid back on and let it continue cooking on LOW.

 

Then I just filled flour tortillas with cheese and a ladle or so of green chile meat and sauce, rolled them up and covered them with some more cheese and drizzled them with sour cream.

 

GREEN CHILE PORK:

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 lb. pork roast

1 large can green enchilada sauce

1 large onion

1 large can green chiles

olive oil

salt/pepper

2-3 Tbsp. lime juice

bunch of fresh cilantro

 

For serving:

tortillas

sour cream

shredded cheese



 

SIDE DISH

 

SPINACH CRANBERRY WALNUT FETA SALAD

 

SPINACH CRANBERRY WALNUT SALAD

 

INGREDIENTS:

fresh spinach

feta

dried cranberries

1 ½ c. coarsely chopped walnuts

1 Tbsp. margarine

2 Tbsp. water

1/4 c. white sugar

Raspberry vinaigrette

 

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium frying pan over medium-low heat, melt margarine, then add the water and sugar and let the sugar just melt. Add walnuts and stir until they are all coated with the sugar mixture. Cook until the sugar just starts to turn a slight caramel color. Then spread the sugared walnuts out onto a baking sheet. Let them cool (can do that in the freezer to be faster).

 

Toss spinach with enough dressing to lightly coat. Stir in desired amount of dried cranberries, feta cheese and sugared walnuts.

 

 

DESSERT

 

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHUNK BLONDIES WITH CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHUNK BLONDIES

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. packed brown sugar

¾ c. margarine

2 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. rum extract

2 eggs

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 bag (12 oz) white chocolate chunks or white chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

½ c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 ½ tsp. shortening

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. In large bowl, beat brown sugar and margarine with electric mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla, rum extract and eggs beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in flour, baking powder and salt on low speed until well blended. Stir in white chocolate chunks and walnuts (if using). Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until top is just beginning to golden and looks set. Cool completely.  In small microwavable bowl, microwave semisweet chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on 50% power level for 1 to 1½ minutes, stir quickly after time is up and it should be a smooth until melted mixture. Take a sandwich-sized food storage bag and spray the inside lightly with cooking spray. Spoon the melted chocolate into the bag and zip it shut. Snip one corner of the bag- just the tip. Then squeeze the chocolate drizzle over the top in large or small sweeping circles over the top of the blondies.