Spicy Pork Kabobs

I made these as part of my birthday dinner this year and boy are they ever good! The recipe is called Pinchitos Morunos and I got it from http://www.spain-recipes.com/.

I used small wooden skewers which I soaked for a few hours ahead of time. I also threaded my kabobs with green peppers and onions - with help from DH. As much as I really do like kabobs - they always seem to take forever to thread! These kabobs are equally good cold - as I had a few the next days as a snack straight from the fridge!

1 lb lean pork, cut into small cubes

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp salt

1 tsp curry

1/2 tsp coriander

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp thyme

Freshly ground pepper

3 TBS olive oil

1 TBS lemon juice

Thread pork on skewers (with peppers, onions, what-ever you like on your kabobs! Next time I am going to try pineapple and tomatos too).

Mix all the other ingredients in a 9X13 baking dish (I use Pyres). Roll your kabobs around in this mixture and let marinate a few hours - turning every once in awhile.

I cooked mine on the griddle, turning every once in awhile until done, but you could also cook on the grill.

Serves 6.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

I got this recipe from http://www.kcquilter.blogspot.com/ and boy is it ever good! Hers is slightly different as I've made my own changes

Mixture 1:

1 pint sour cream

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1/2 can green chilies (she uses 1 1/2 - 2 cans)

Mixture 2:

2 bunches chopped green onions

1 lb grated jack cheese

1 lb grated longhorn cheese

For Mixture 2 I just used a block of cheddar and a block of marble that I had.

Tortillas

Heat maybe 2 TBS of oil in a frying pan and when hot quickly fry both sides of tortillas (8) in the oil. You probably will need to add more oil as you go. Set the tortillas on top of each other as they come out the of pan.

Spray a 9X13 baking dish (I use Pyrex) with cooking spray. Put a thin layer of Mixture #1 in bottom. Fill tortillas with Mixture #2 and roll up. Put in dish on top of Mixture #1. Cover with the remainder of Mixture #1.

Bake at 275 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Now let me just say - I wasn't totally convinced the first time I read this recipe that it would be as yummy as KCQuilter said, but I tried it out and boy is it ever yummy. Makes an especially good left-over - very easy to heat in the microwave!!! Next time around I am going to add some chopped cooked chicken breast!

Refried Beans

WHY buy canned refried beans when you can make your own for a fraction of the cost and it tastes soooo good! This recipe makes a pretty big sized serving bowl. About those pinto beans - my local grocery store does not carry them so I often use those yellow sided beans instead - just as good. You need to think a day in advance for this recipe as you do need to soak the beans overnight.

2 cups dried pinto beans

5 cups water

large chopped onion

2 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 cup lard

2 tsp salt

1. Rinse beans well in a strainer. Put in a BIG pan with lots of water. Soak overnight. You need a big pan with lots of water because those beans will swell right up and you want those beans to stay covered with water as they swell.

2. Rinse beans and place them in a big pan with 5 cups of water, onion and oil.

3. Cook over medium high heat until beans are soft - about 40 minutes or so - STIR constantly because they like to BURN. The thicker the bottom of your pan, the better off you are.

4. Add lard and salt and slightly mash with either a masher or a fork.

5. Cook beans on very LOW heat, stirring all the time until done - usually about 10 more minutes.

Lard! Yup - I buy mine by the block - it looks alot like Chrisco. You could also use butter, but I like lard.

***A note about bean - there is not a single pinto bean to be found in my local grocery store! If I don't think ahead and buy pinto beans when I am off to do a big grocery shop, then I use what beans our local store has. The beans in the photo were made with a yellow sided dry bean - can't remember the name of it off-hand, but you don't have to use pinto beans!

Mexican Rice

1 cup jasmine/basmati rice - uncooked

3 TBS vegetable oil

4 cups tomato juice - or 2 cups t. juice plus 2 cups water - that will work fine too.

4 TBS butter

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 chopped green pepper

2 finely chopped garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

2 chopped tomatoes

1. Rinse and drain rice, shaking to remove as much water as possible.

2. Heat the tomato juice in a saucepan.

3. Heat the oil in frying pan. I use a large frying pan with a cover because you are going to also cook the rice in this! Fry the rice on medium heat for about 7 minutes - when it starts to get a bit brown.

4. Add your warm tomato juice

5. Add all the other stuff.

6. Cover frying pan and cook on low heat until rice is done (about 20 minutes).

Guacamole

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados

1 chopped tomato

1/4 minced small onion

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 small can of chopped green chilis

1 TBS lime juice

1 TBS lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

Everyone know how to prep an avocado? Just cut in 1/2 longways, remove the pit and scoop out the avocado with a spoon. If it is still a bit firm - chop it up.

Mix all ingredients together. Put in fridge for a few hours for best flavor. This makes about 2 CUPS of guacamole so you might want to adjust the recipe down if it is just for a few people!

Photo taken after we had a bit of a sampling! MMMmmm mmmm good!

Blueberry Cheesecake

My birthday cake for 2008!

You have to make cheesecake the day before so it has time to set in the fridge overnight. I especially like this recipe and the frosting hides any cracks very nicely!

CRUST:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

4 TBS melted butter

1 TBS sugar

Mix above ingredients in a small bowl. Spray your cheescake pan with cooking spray (I use a top quality commercial spray from Sysco). Press crumb mixture along the bottom and up the sides of the pan - the mixture won't go all the way to the top - just mush it up as far as you can without getting it too thin.

Bake crust at 350 for 5 minutes. Take out of the oven and now it is time to make the cheesecake part!

Blueberry Cheesecake Filling

3 packages of cream cheese - room temp

1 cup sugar

3 TBS flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

2 egg whites

Sour cream - 8 oz

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 TBS grated lemon rind

2 cups blueberries (I use frozen)

Beat cream cheese.

Mix sugar, flour and salt in small bowl and then add to cream cheese, mix. Add eggs - 1 at a time and mixing well. Add egg whites. Mix. Add sour cream, vanilla and lemon rind and mix until just blended. FOLD in blueberries. Put entire mixture in your crust.

Bake at 300 for 1 hour 10 minutes - until the center looks sort-ov firm - it won't look completely firm but it shouldn't be jiggly. Turn off oven and crack the door open a bit - keep cheesecake in there for another 30 minutes. Take out of oven and put on cake rack and let cool for 30 minutes.

Cover top with foil or saran wrap and put in the fridge overnight.

Release sides of pan and frost. Keep finished cheesecake in fridge until ready to serve!

FROSTING

1 cup of frozen dessert topping - thawed out - I use Cool-whip

1/4 cup sour cream

Mix together and spread over top of cheesecake. Makes a cool and refreshing frosting!

***A note about using frozen blueberries - I drain the blueberries 1st, but don't bother rinsing/drying them on a paper towel - I don't really care if my entire cheesecake has a lovely purple-ish tinge to it!