Servings: About 6

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours 30 minutes (only 30 minutes active)

Ingredients:
3T vegetable oil
4 lbs trimmed pork shoulder, cubed into 2″ pieces
2 large onions, roughly chopped
8 garlic cloves, smashed
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2″ pieces
3 ancho chiles, seeded and cut into strips
4 bay leaves
pinch of cloves
1/4 cup lime juice
6 cups stock (the original recipe called for chicken, but we used veggie which we think has more flavor)
6 roma tomatoes, quartered

Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

In a very large cast iron dutch oven (thanks Sara and Garth for the wedding present), heat oil until shimmering. Liberally salt and pepper the pork, then cook in batches over moderate heat. Transfer cooked pork to a baking dish while the you finish all of it.

Once the pork is browned, return it all to the pan along with any juices. Add onion, garlic, carrots, chiles, bay leaves, cloves, lime juice and stock. Bring to boil and then add tomatoes. Place pot in oven and cook for about 3 hours (in the meantime, clean the house and go for a walk) until pork is tender and carrots are cooked. Discard bay leaves before serving.

To serve, we just put it into bowls and added a few tortilla chips.

Things we might do differently next time:
Use a bit less pork. This makes probably 6 servings, but it’s very meat intensive, so you could substitute some pork for red or pink beans. Remember to drain the fat after cooking the pork before putting everything together.

Enjoy!

Original recipe from Ina: www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/homemade-applesauce-recipe/index.html

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 pounds Granny Smith or sweet red apples (about 6 to 8 apples)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the zest and juice of the lemon in a large bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples and toss them in the juice. Pour the apples and juice into a nonreactive Dutch oven or enameled iron pot. Add the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and allspice and cover the pot. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until all the apples are soft. Mix with a whisk until smooth, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Original recipe from Sandra Lee: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/pork-roast-with-apple-mustard-glaze-recipe/index.html

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 (2 1/2 lb) pork loin end roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups apple juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Take the pork out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before you are ready to roast to allow the pork to come to temperature.

Place the pork into a roasting pan fitted with a rack or onto a baking sheet, fat side up, and season with salt and pepper. Put in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the apple juice to a boil and reduce it by half, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard and simmer until thickened, another 5 to 7 minutes.

After the pork has roasted for 30 minutes, start brushing it with the glaze every 15 minutes. Cook until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees F, about 1 hour total cook time. Remove from the oven, give it another coating of glaze, and let it rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes before carving.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 large tart cooking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover and simmer over low heat for a few minutes more to cook off excess liquid; let cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 40 Minutes

Cook Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the ravioli:
20 wonton wrappers, or fresh pasta
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 egg
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup fresh spinach
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 tsp minced garlic

For the sauce:
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups peeled, chopped, and seeded tomatoes or 1 can diced tomatoes
1 sprig thyme
Kosher Salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Sprigs of fresh basil, for garnishing

Directions:

For the ravioli:
Cook the shallots, garlic and spinach in the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Set aside to cool. Combine the remaining ingredients for the filling. When the spinach mixture has cooled, chop gently and add to the filling.

Fill each pasta sheet or wonton wrapper with 1 tablespoon of filling, sealing the edges with water. Place in the refrigerator covered by a damp paper towel until ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ravioli for about 3 minutes.

For the sauce:
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and thyme. Season with salt and crushed red pepper, and cook until the tomatoes give up their liquid, about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the chicken broth and tomato paste, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by 1/3 in volume. Add the cream and cook until reduced by 1/3 in volume, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Add the butter and basil and stir to combine. Remove the thyme sprigs. With an immersion blender, puree the sauce. (Alternatively, the sauce may be pureed, in batches, in a blender – be careful if the sauce is hot as it may splatter.) Taste and adjust the seasoning and consistency if necessary. Return to the saucepan and keep warm while you cook the ravioli.

Serves: 2 very generous portions

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2/3 lb chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 pt cherry tomatoes
1 8 oz package fresh mushrooms
6 metal skewers

Directions:

Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium high heat). Whisk together the first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Pour half of the olive oil mixture into a shallow bowl or plastic freezer bag; add chicken, turning to coat. Cover or seal and let stand for 10-20 minutes. Pour remaining olive oil mixture into another bowl or freezer bag; add veggies, and toss to coat. Cover or seal and let stand 10-20 minutes.

Remove chicken and veggies and discard marinade. Thread chicken onto 2 skewers. Thread veggies onto 4 skewers.

Grill kabobs, covered with grill lid, 10-12 minutes or until chicken is done and veggies are tender, turning occasionally. (Or bake for 20-30 minutes.) Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Bouchon, Thomas Keller

Serves: 4

Ingredients for the Steak:
Four 10-ounce pieces timmed outside skirt steak
1/4 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups thinly sliced shallots (or onions and leeks)
4 teaspoons minced thyme

Ingredients for the Jus:
1 bottle red wine
1 cup diced onion
1 cup sliced peeled carrots
1 cup sliced leeks, white and green parts only
1 cup sliced shallots
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 thyme sprigs
6 parsley sprigs
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 large garlic cloves, smashed
5 cups veal stock (I substituted beef stock)

For the jus: Combine all the ingredients except the stock in a wide heavy saucepan or pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes, or until the wine has reduced almost to a glaze.  Add the stock, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain the jus several times.

For the steak: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Season both sides of the steak generously with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that the salt and pepper will also season the shallots as they cook. 

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat until hot.  Add the canola oil and when the skillet is hot, add 2 tablespoons of butter, swirling to brown the butter.  Add the steaks and sear the first side for about 1 1/2 minues, or until nicely browned.  Turn the steaks to brown the second side, tilt the skillet, and use a spoon to baste the meat with the oil and butter.  After about 3 minutes, total cooking, remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the meat to a baking pan.

Set the skillet over medium heat.  Add the sliced shallots, toss them in the oil and butter, and cook for about 2 minutes, until they have started to soften.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the thyme, reduce the heat, and cook gently until the shallots are completely softenened and golden brown.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to caramelize.

Stir any juices that have accumulated around the steaks into the shallots, then spread the shallots over the steaks.  Place in the oven to cook for about 5 minutes, or until the steaks are medium rare.

Source: Dinner a Love Story (http://www.dinneralovestory.com/better-on-vacation/)

Ingredients:

One pound pork sausage (or about what you see pictured above)
One pound golden potatoes, sliced into coins about 1/4″ thick
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
Lots of fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Boil potato coins for 3-4 minutes in salted water, strain, and set aside. In a large frying pan, brown the sausage over medium heat with one glug of olive oil, two or three minutes a side, and set aside. Pour potatoes into a medium baking dish, and toss with mustard, olive oil, thyme, and salt and pepper. Place sausage link on top. Put in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Original Recipe by Barefoot Contessa: http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=308&S=0

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sausage, such as kielbasa or Andouille, sliced
1 pound smoked ham, cubed
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 cup seeded and diced tomato
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced OR ½ teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons diced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon diced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
3 cups long grain rice, rinsed
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6-8 dashes Tabasco (optional)
½ cup chopped scallions divided
¾ cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pound medium shrimp, deveined (20-24 count)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or black iron pot over medium heat, add the kielbasa and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned. Remove the kielbasa to a bowl, and set aside. Add the ham to the same pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to the bowl with the kielbasa, and set aside. Add the butter, onion, celery and peppers to the same pot and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato, garlic, jalapeno or cayenne, oregano, thyme, and tomato paste and cook until all the vegetables and herbs are blended well. Add the stock and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the rice, and add the sausage, ham, bay leaves, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add ¼ cup of the scallions, ¼ cup of the parsley, the lemon juice and the shrimp, and stir well. Cover the pot, remove it from the heat and allow the jambalaya steam, for 15 minutes, before serving.

Garnish with the remaining ¼ cup scallions and ½ cup parsley, and a dash of Tabasco, if desired.

Adapted from Paula Dean’s recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/tomato-pie-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:

4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 (9-inch) prebaked deep dish pie shell
3/4 cup grated mozzarella
3/4 cup grated cheddar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink in 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 30 minutes.

Layer the tomato slices, basil, and onion in pie shell. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the grated cheeses and mayonnaise together. Spread mixture on top of the tomatoes and bake for 30-45 minutes or until lightly browned.