Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

• 1 packet  Ranch mix powder
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• juice of 1 lime

Blend in a blender. 

Serve

Cilantro Lime Rice

• 1 c. uncooked rice 
• 1 tsp. butter or margarine
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 cup water

• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Put the rice, butter, garlic, tsp. of lime juice, chicken stock and water in a rice cooker and turn it on or put them in a pot and bring to a boil then cover and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes or until cooked.  

Mix the final 3 ingredients together in a bowl and pour over the hot just cooked rice and mix in.

Sweet Pork Barbacoa

If you have ever eaten at Cafe Rio or Costa Vida, you have probably tried their sweet pork dishes. This delicious filling makes a great burrito, salad, quesadilla, taco or whatever else your heart desires. It is sweet and flavorful but not really spicy. My mom love when I make this for her because it makes a ton of pork so you can freeze a few batches and take it out for those busy days where you don't have time to cook.

• Pork butt roast 3-4 lbs
• 1 liter Dr. Pepper or coke
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 can adobo sauce and chiles (blended, spicy version) or enchilada sauce (less spicy)

Put all the ingredients in a crock pot and simmer for 6-8 hours minimum. 

Remove the pork, shred it, and simmer for another 2 hours. 

Serve in enchiladas, burritos, tacos, salad etc. 

Pre-cooked tortillas just don't cut it for me any more. My freshman year I was introduced to raw tortillas that you cook yourself. You can generally find these in your grocery store refrigerated section with the pre-grated cheeses and deli meats, bacon etc. Costco often has multi-packs. With these all you have to do is heat a large pan on medium-low heat and place the tortilla in it (no oil, just put it in a dry pan). After a minute or so, it will start to bubble a little and the bottom with begin to brown. Flip it over and cook the other side. The texture and flavor of these tortillas is way better than any pre-made version I have ever tried.

For a burrito, fill a tortilla with cheese, black beans, and cilantro-lime rice. You can even smother it with your favorite enchilada sauce for a little different flavor.

To make a salad, line your plate or wide deep bowl with a tortilla, put the pork on top, then cover it with chopped romaine lettuce, crushed tortilla chips or strips, fresh pico de gallo salsa, and a tomatillo ranch dressing.

Quesadillas are easy, just cook one side of your tortilla then flip and quickly sprinkle with grated cheese and top half of it with the pork and fold the tortilla in half. Cook the bottom for about a minute and then flip and cook the other side of the outside.

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

• 2 packages of bacon
• 5 cans of water chestnuts
• 50-75 round toothpicks

Sauce:

• 32 oz bottle of ketchup
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbs. vinegar
• 2 tbs. mustard

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside

Cut the bacon into thirds. Wrap a 1/3 slice around each water chestnut and use a toothpick to secure. Bake at 350 for half an hour. Drain off the fat and pour the sauce over the water chestnuts and make sure they are completely coated. Bake for another half hour.

Holiday Punch

• 1/2  46 oz can of pineapple juice 
• 1/2 gallon of pineapple sherbet
• 1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 3/4 of a 2-liter bottle of lemon-lime soda

Mix together all but the soda using a potato masher in a large bowl. Once it is mostly not lumpy, slowly add in the soda mixing with the masher. 

This soda was created by my grandmother for my parent's wedding and has become a holiday tradition in our family. It is delicious and we usually have to make at least 2 batches if not more to satisfy everyone. 

Gnocchi

• 4 large yellow potatoes
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 package bacon
• 1 lemon
• 1 can chicken stock
• 2 tbs butter

Peel the potatoes and slice them into quarters. Boil them in salted water until tender. Drain.

As soon as they have cooled enough to touch, use a fork to mash them and fluff up the mash. Make sure there are no lumps. Cool enough that the eggs won't cook in the mixture. Mix in the eggs and flour. If the mixture is still sticky, add more flour until it is moist but not sticky. 

cut pieces off and roll into thin long logs about the width of a thumb. Cut them into pieces about 3/4 of an inch long. 

Place a fork upside down and take a section of dough, place on the back of the fork and gently press into the fork tines. Place on a floured cookie sheet. 

Start heating a pan and slice the bacon into thin strips. Cook the bacon until crispy and remove from the pan onto a paper towel. Keep the grease in the pan. Cook the gnocchi in the pan in the bacon grease on medium heat. Once the bottom is browned flip and brown the top of the gnocchi. Remove from the pan and finish cooking all the gnocchi. If your pan runs out of grease, add in butter. 

Once all the gnocchi are cooked, deglaze the pan with chicken stock and the juice of the lemon. Reduce sauce until it is at least half the volume. Add in the butter. toss the gnocchi and bacon together in the sauce. Serve with a green vegetable. 

Baked Alaska

• 1 pan brownies
• 1 pint strawberry ice cream
• 1 pint other flavor ice cream
• 5 egg whites
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Start by baking the brownies and softening the ice cream. Line a dome shaped bowl with plastic wrap and spoon one of the ice cream flavors into the bottom to conform to the bowl's shape. Then do a second layer with the other flavor. Freeze till hard. Use the bowl to cut the same sized circle in the brownies. Place the ice cream dome on top of the brownie circle on a pan and put it back in the freezer. 

Mix the egg whites and cream of tartar in a mixer on high till stiff peaks form. Add in the sugar and vanilla. and mix for 30 seconds. 

Completely coat the ice cream dome in the egg white and use the spatula to curl up little swirls in the egg. Place it back in the freezer for at least one hour and up to 1 day. 

Preheat the oven to 500. Use only a bottom rack. 

Bake the frozen creation for 4 minutes and then then broil for 30 second to one minute or until the egg is browned. 

You can customize this dessert with any dense cake and flavors of ice cream you want. You can also change up the extract used in the meringue. 

Lemon Garlic salmon with Hollandaise sauce

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1 lemon
• 4 tbs butter
• 1 tbs garlic
• Hollandaise sauce

Melt the butter and mix in the garlic and juice from half the lemon. Slice the other half of the lemon. Place the salmon filets on parchment paper on a baking pan with sides. spoon the butter mixture over the salmon and top with slices of lemon. Bake at 450 for  12 minutes and top with hollandaise.

Broccoli slaw and ramen salad

• 1 bag broccoli slaw (about quart sized)
• 1 package top ramen
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 bunch green onion-diced
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs sesame oil
• 4 tbs cider vinegar
• 2 tbs soy sauce

Put the broccoli slaw and green onion in a large bowl. Break up the dry ramen noodles into little pieces and toast in a pan with the butter before adding to the bowl. Mix the seasonings packet, oils, vinegar and soy sauce in a bowl and slowly pour over the salad. 

OPTIONAL: Slivered almonds and chilled edamame beans make great mix ins