Cuban for Dinner

My family of picky eaters fell in love with Cuban food last year. From black beans and rice, plantains,  to traditional Cubano sandwiches, we love our Cuban. Imagine my surprise when a friend shared a recipe for Cuban pork that looked easy for this culinarily-challenged gal to make.

I popped the roast in the oven when I realized I had not read the instructions far enough to know it was (originally) a crockpot recipe. Looking down the barrel of a 6 o’clock dinner time I knew that was not happening. It was probably a good thing because the aroma of  the cooking roast was irrestible.  Be forewarned–your entire home will fill with the most exotic sweet citrus aroma. Do not be surprised if all the neighbors find their way to your door!

The original recipe appeared in November 2009’s  issue of Food Network Magazine and is called Slow-roasted Pork with Citrus and Garlic. My adaption skips the 48  hours of marinating and leaves out a few ingredients since  I used what I had on hand. If you’re a by-the-book cook ,you’ll want to check out their recipe. If you’re more like me, you’ll love playing around with this recipe and adding more or less of some spices and throwing in a few of your favorites to create your own signature version.

Citrus Pork

1 large Boston butt pork shoulder

For Rub:
10 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of either dried or fresh oregano, 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh or dried thyme, 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, 4 bay leaves (fresh or dried), 2 tablespoons Sea Salt, 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper.

For Marinade:
Juice of 2 oranges with halves reserved, juice of 4 lemons with halves reserved, juice of 2 limes, 1/4 cup Worcestershire, 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 onions thinly sliced.

*Place roast in a large roasting pan.

*Grind the garlic, oregano, thyme, cumin, bay leaves, salt, and pepper together. No fancy kitchen gadget? Chop up the garlic and herbs (if you used fresh) then mix with salt and pepper.

* Make cuts into the pork and rub your ‘rub’ in.

* Cut all the lemons, limes, and oranges in half and squeeze the juices into a bowl. Set your citrus halves aside for later. Pour in the Worcestershire and olive oil and stir. Pour over your roast.

* Thinly slice one onion and put rings on roast.

* Cook covered with aluminum foil in a 350 degree oven for an hour. After an hour add remaining sliced onions to top of roast and several of your citrus halves around it. Take foil off at this point and continue cooking for another 30 to 45 minutes or until meat is nice and brown and done all the way through.

If you have leftovers this will freeze wonderfully in a Zip-loc freezer bag for another dinner or lunch.

Taco Soup

Loi Palmer, April 2005 MMCW
4 lb ground chuck, 1 large chopped onion, 2 cans northern beans, 2 cans kidney beans, 2 cans corn, 2 cans Rotel, 2 medium cans stewed tomatoes, 1 can green beans, 1 small can chopped black olives, 2 large cans tomato sauce, 1 package taco seasoning mix, 2 packages Ranch dressing mix (powder), 1 cup water.

Brown ground beef and onions. Drain off fat. Mix all other ingredients with beef and onions. Simmer on low for 45 minutes. Serve with sour cream and grated cheese.

Thai Coconut Chicken

Kellie Renfroe

Oasis

My family of picky eaters loves the unique flavoring of this easy and economical dish. Adapted from a Family Circle recipe, Thai Coconut Chicken can be made in the crockpot or on the stovetop.

1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 3 tablespoons of Thai Kitchen green curry paste, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 6 to 8 chicken thighs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, 1 (16 ounce) bag of baby carrots, 1 large chopped sweet red pepper, 1/2 pound green beans, 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk, 12 chopped fresh basil leaves, 1 (32 ounce) Mahatma Jasmine rice.

Whisk together broth, 2 1/2 tablespoons of curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl and set aside.

Remove skin from chicken and place in pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add carrots and pour in curry mixture. Cook at medium high heat for stovetop, high for 3 hours in the crockpot, or on low for 5 hours. When chicken is cooked through, remove from pot and remove thigh bones and shred chicken. Place back in pot.

Add green beans (I use frozen) along with red pepper for the last hour of cooking. In a sauce pan heat coconut milk while whisking in 1/2 tablespoon of curry paste. Pour over cooking chicken and veggies. Add chopped basil leaves to the pot and stir.

Cook rice and serve with Thai coconut chicken. This fed my family of six with leftovers.