Carrot Fritters

I was skeptical at first, but with a little bit of tweaking this recipe turned out great.  It was super quick and very delicious.  The kids even loved it.  (Although, to be fair, I have strange kids who eat most of the things I put in front of them.)

Carrot Fritters

Ingredients

3 large eggs
Salt and pepper
12 oz. carrots (about 3 large)

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup diced red, orange, or yellow bell pepper
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Dash cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for pan frying
2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Coarsely grate the carrots. Add them to the bowl with the eggs and toss to coat. Fold in the panko, then 2 scallions, the pepper, cilantro, and dash of cayenne.

In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, 1 tablespoon oil, and remaining scallion.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, then add 1 tablespoon oil. Drop 4-6 spoons of the carrot mixture into the skillet and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 3-4 minutes per side; transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining carrot mixture, adding more oil to the skillet, if necessary.

Gently stir the feta into the lime-scallion mixture. Serve over the carrot fritters and serve with green salad, if desired.


Original link:
http://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/food-drinks/recipes/a58145/spiced-carrot-fritters-recipe/

Perfectly Roasted Potatoes

This recipe is fantastic and super easy.  It also works great with red potatoes.

Perfectly Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

2 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 inches in diameter)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Directions

Place a rack in lowest position in oven and preheat to 425°. Halve 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes crosswise.

Arrange potatoes, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet, spacing evenly apart. Pour in 1½–2 cups water (it needs to cover baking sheet in a thin layer).

Cover baking sheet with a double layer of foil, crimping sides very tightly to seal well. Doing this will trap in steam and prevent water from dribbling out if you tip the sheet.

Bake potatoes until a fork or skewer slides easily through potatoes, 25–30 minutes. The foil will be puffed, but poke through and feel around for a potato to test. Try testing a couple to gauge doneness.

Let potatoes cool about 5 minutes. Crank up oven temperature to 500° (or as high as your oven goes). 

Use tongs to lift up foil at 1 corner, peeling it back only about 1". Tip open corner into the sink and pour off water.

Remove foil and drizzle ¼ cup oil over potatoes; season generously with salt and pepper. Let potatoes cool to the point you can handle them, then toss with your hands to coat completely. Arrange cut side down again.

Roast potatoes until tops are golden, bottoms are deeply browned and crisp, and oil around edges is sizzling and, 20–25 minutes.

Let potatoes cool slightly, then use a spatula to unstick them from baking sheet.



Original link:
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/perfectly-roasted-potatoes

Smoked Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps with Asian Dipping Sauce

Another great way to use up leftover pulled pork.  At the time I made this recipe my summer spinach was producing HUGE leaves.  I used those instead of butter lettuce for my wraps and it looked (and tasted) amazing.

Smoked Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps with Asian Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

For the Sauce:
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup green onion
1 sprig rosemary (about 4-6 inches, the whole sprig, no need to break apart or chop)
1 garlic clove
¼ teaspoon fresh ginger (grated or just a whole chunk)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon slurry (a mix of 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch), this will help the mix thicken

For the Lettuce Wraps:
2 cups pulled pork (approximately 1 lb)
2 carrots, julienned
2 cups purple cabbage, shredded or julienned
1 head Boston (or "Butter") lettuce, leaves separated
½ cup green onions, chopped (for topping)
¼ cup cilantro, chopped (for topping)

Directions

For the Sauce:

Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Then strain after 12 minutes of reducing. Add back into the saucepan over heat.

In a separate small sealed container add 1 tablespoon of water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour.  Add the "slurry" to the saucepan with the strained sauce. Whisk to combine. Let continue simmering for 8-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Set aside.

For the Wraps:

In a large skillet heat up the pork on medium heat until warmed. Add 2-4 tablespoons of the sauce to the meat, as desired. Save the remaining sauce for topping your wraps. Remove from heat.

Assemble lettuce wraps: Scoop pork mixture into lettuce leaves, and top with your vegetables, onions, and cilantro. Drizzle with more reserved sauce as desired.


Original link:
http://www.vindulge.com/2016/10/smoked-pulled-pork-lettuce-wraps-asian-dipping-sauce/

Baked Pulled Pork Taquitos

Whenever I make pork shoulder, I often have a lot of leftover pulled pork.  This is a fantastic way to use up that pork.  I serve my taquitos with homemade guacamole, sour cream, and extra cheese.

Baked Pulled Pork Taquitos

Ingredients

4 cups leftover pulled pork or rotisserie chicken

1 can salsa verde
Canola oil

36 corn tortillas
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 425-degrees.

Pan fry leftover pulled pork with a little bit of oil and salsa verde to taste, until warm (and slightly crispy if preferred).

Heat oil in a pan over medium to medium-high heat.  Pan fry tortillas, one or two at a time, until soft. Place in a tortilla warmer until ready to use.

Spoon 2-3 tbsps of pork in the center of the tortilla- lengthwise across the tortilla. Add a sprinkle of cheese and more salsa verde (if desired).

Roll tortilla tightly & place on baking sheet. Repeat with all tortillas.

Brush lightly with oil.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Remove and allow to cool slightly before serving.


Original link:
https://www.kleinworthco.com/baked-pulled-pork-taquitos

Napa Cabbage Salad

This is a fantastic summer dish.

Napa Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 pound napa cabbage, chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a pie plate, bake the almonds for 5 minutes. Let cool.

In a bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Add the cabbage, scallions and cilantro and toss. Add the almonds and season with pepper. Toss again and serve.


Original link:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/napa-cabbage-salad

Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi

This is a great weekday meal - simple, quick, and easy.

Parmesan Spinach Gnocchi

Ingredients

16 oz. potato gnocchi
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
1.25 cups milk
3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Drain, set aside, and return the empty pot to the stove.

Melt butter over medium heat.

Add garlic to butter and sauté for about a minute until garlic is fragrant.

Add flour to butter and whisk to form a roux. Cook for 30 seconds or so to cook out any raw flour taste.

Slowly add milk to roux, whisking constantly to break up any lumps. Cook for 2-3 minutes until sauce has just begun to thicken.

Stir chopped spinach into sauce and cook 3-5 minutes more until spinach has wilted and sauce has thickened.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove pot from heat.

Add parmesan cheese to sauce and stir to combine.

Return cooked gnocchi to sauce and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Original link:
http://www.lifeasastrawberry.com/parmesan-spinach-gnocchi/

Turkey Gravy

If you're making turkey you absolutely must make gravy.  Here's a simple recipe for an excellent gravy.  

Turkey Gravy

Ingredients

Pan drippings from a 12- to 14-pound roast turkey
1 to 2 cups broth or water
Vegetable oil or butter, as needed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
Optional extras: splash of sherry, splash of wine, teaspoon of minced herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage

Directions

Gravy prep. After you've removed the turkey from the oven and set it aside to rest, set the roasting pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop. You may need to span two burners. When the pan drippings are hot and sputtering, pour in a cup of broth and begin scraping all the bits from the bottom of the pan.

Separate the fat and drippings. Pour the deglazed pan drippings into a measuring cup and place this in the refrigerator or freezer, wherever there is space. In the 30 minutes it takes to rest the turkey, the fat and drippings will separate and the fat will begin to harden. This makes it easier to skim off just the fat for making the gravy.

Measure the fat. Skim the fat off the top of the drippings. You should ideally end up with about 1 cup of pan drippings and 1/4 cup of fat. If you have less, you can make up the difference with broth or oil, respectively. If you have more, discard a little of the fat and use less broth in the next step. If you have a lot more, you can also double the recipe.

Make a roux. Place the fat in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When the fat is hot, whisk in the flour to form a thin paste. Let this cook for a few minutes until bubbly.

Add the pan drippings. Next up, pour in the pan drippings and whisk to combine with the roux. This will form a thick, gloppy paste.

Add the broth. Finish the gravy by whisking in a 1/2 cup of broth. You can add more broth for a thinner gravy or let the gravy cook a few minutes for a thicker gravy. Taste the gravy and add salt, pepper, and any extras to taste.


Original link:
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-quick-turkey-gravy-thanksgiving-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-161016