I love celery!! The taste, malady the crunch, the smell, yum! I know nutritionally its lacking, but the flavor is undeniable. It adds so much to most dishes that most people probably take it for granted. We use it as an appetizer with cream cheese or peanut butter, as a garnish for color, or to stop the heat from a chicken wing, even adding that crispness to stuffing. Just to name a few. But a celery soup, is a great way to celebrate a sometimes through away vegetable. It’s bursting with flavor and richness that any creamed soup could want. Celery has an important roll in most soups so why not let it shine on its own? I recently had some left over and decided to make my own soup, and I was glad I did. I read up on some recipes and I didn’t have everything they were asking for, so I decided to go with my gut and make my own version. Enjoy!
Breakfast of Champions, pill or giant gut bomb. It’s hard to decide which is true. Either way huevos rancheros is one of my guilty pleasures. It’s been a staple in my life for as long as I can remember. I love ordering it or making it. Ordering it at a restaurant is by far the easier way, but as you all know I don’t mind spending the time in a kitchen. My challenge is making the perfect ranchero sauce. It has plague me for decades. I have tried many times to get it right. Not always with the best results, but that has not stopped me from trying! And today, I think I have made the best one yet. So good, I have to share it with you.
I fried the tortillas in vegetable oil, and instead of refried beans between the eggs and tortilla, I combined whole black beans and rice. If you don’t have whole beans and rice cooked, then use canned refried beans. The sauce was canned tomatoes and a mix of spices. Pretty simple. After years of making it harder then it needs to be, I just went with my gut. Sorry for the lack of direction, on the sauce, but don’t let that scare you. Sometimes throwing caution to the wind can give great results.
This is a quick and easy sauce. When I made it, as usual I didn't measure. This is a recipe that depends on how you want it to taste. I put about a quarter to half a teaspoon of each spice into the tomatoes. But you may want to alter some of them. I did add less of the chipotle chile then the others as it is very strong.
Ingredients
2 Eggs
2 Tortillas
Refried beans (or combo rice and whole beans)
1 Can of chopped tomatoes
Chili powder
Cumin
Crushed chipotle chile peppers
Minced garlic
Salt
Pepper
Queso fresco
Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Crumble cheese, set aside
Chop cilantro, set aside
Simmer beans in small sauce pan
Keep an eye on beans, so they don't burn
For Ranchero Sauce
Put tomatoes in small sauce pan
Combine all spices, garlic, salt and pepper into a small sauce pan with tomatoes
Simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes or till the flavors marry.
I love pork shoulder. Well, it’s fair to say I love pork. Be it bacon, ribs, the shoulder, or chops, I’m ready to cook and or eat! Pork shoulder is a pretty easy piece of meat to cook. You either slow roast in the oven or in a crock pot. Although it does take some time, it’s worth every minute. I usually like to make pulled pork tacos with the shoulder. In my mind, which may not be saying much, it’s probably one of the most common ways to have this cut of meat. Most of the time I keep it pretty simple with garlic, salt, pepper and a squeeze of citrus, but this time I added a spice rub to give it that extra oomph. I made this for an Oscar party I convinced some friend give, well the promise of pulled pork tacos really helped. And, everyone loved it! I hope you do too.
Cut excess skin and fat from under side of shoulder
You only need the top part of the skin and fat.
Score the skin
In some of the slits poke holes to put garlic pieces into
Rough chop garlic and place in holes
How to make rub
Add chile powder, salt, pepper and oregano florets to a bowl
On low heat roast cumin seeds and chipotle chile
Roast till cumin gets smokey and chipotle dries out
The jarred chipotle is little sticky thats why you want to roast it.
Also it give is even more smokiness.
Grind cumin seeds and chipotle chiles in mortar and pestle
Add ground cumin and chipotle into bowl with the rest of the rub
Give it a stir and crush the oregano florets
Rub the spices into the scored parts of the pork
Drizzle roasting pan with olive oil
Place pork in oven for 5 - 6 hours
After about 2 hours place a sheet of foil over pork till its done.
It should fall apart with touch and or fork.
Notes
I mentioned two ways to cook a pork shoulder. Here you have the oven version. The crock pot version is just as simple, just cut off all the skin. If left on it will be super chewy and not at all appetizing. Next use the same rub but just add it to the pot, you may want to increase the amount and add a bay leaf. Also still you can still poke holes into the meat and put garlic in them. Or rough chop the garlic and add it like the spices. Also you will need water to keep it from drying out. Adding a little orange citrus is nice, but not necessary.
* You should treat this like you would a regular roast*
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