Peach Pork Picante

This is a recipe I got from a friend in our play group years back.  We made a cookbook for a fundraiser and she submitted this recipe to that book.  It is simple and quite delicious.  This is a quick and easy dish to make when you are short on time.  Serve over rice with a vegetable and you are good to go!  It also uses the "other white meat".

Peach Pork Picante


1 pound boneless port, cut in 3/4 inch cubes
2 t. veg. oil
1/3 c. peach preserves or jam
1 T. taco seasoning
8 oz. picante sauce or salsa

Coat pork cubes with taco seasoning.  Preheat a large skillet over med-hi heat.  Add the oil and brown the pork cubes for a couple of minutes, til browned.  Add picante or salsa and preserves, stir to combine.  Cover and simmer on med-lo heat 15-20 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Southwest Chili Pot

Over the years my friend Janet and I have traded recipes that we discovered to be great and well loved by our families.  They would have us over, she would make something fabulous and I would come home with the recipe.  She is a great cook and has passed many great recipes on to me.  Her mother-in-law is also a fabulous cook and would share recipes with her and she would pass them on to me.  I have many well-loved recipes from them.  This is one of the many and is well suited to Super Bowl entertaining.  Chili is the perfect Super Bowl meal as it can be made ahead, even a day or two.  Then at game time just heat and serve.

Southwest Chili Pot

3 # ground beef
4 c. chopped onions
1 T. garlic powder
4-5 T. chili powder
2 t. cumin
2 quarts tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 T. salt
1 t. paprika
1 t. sugar
2 15oz. cans chili beans

Slightly brown ground beef.  Add onions and continue to cook until onions are softened and meat is brown.  Drain; add remaining ingredients except beans and simmer 2-3 hours to blend flavors stirring occasionally. Last half hour or so add the beans. Remove bay leaves at serving time.

 At this point you may serve topped with grated Cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, crushed corn chips or whatever you like or you can serve ladled over cooked macaroni topped with the above condiments.
This recipe freezes well if you want to serve it at a later date.

Pizza Burgers

With the Super Bowl coming up, we need to be thinking of some easy recipes that can be made ahead and served at gametime without much extra fuss.  This recipe is a crowd pleaser, can be eaten out of hand and is easy enough to please the cook who doesn't want to miss out on the game due to food prep.  Serve with a veggie platter, chips and pickles and you are good to go.

Gametime Pizza Burgers

1 # ground beef
1 can Spam or luncheon meat
1 small onion, finely diced
15 oz.can pizza sauce
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Grind spam in meat grinder or shred in food processor.  Brown beef and spam with onion.  Drain: cool.  Stir in sauce and cheese.  You can refrigerate at this point or spoon onto hamburger bun halves.  Bake open faced at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Serve.

Italian Sausage Soup

This is THE BEST soup recipe ever!!!  We love this soup as it is so flavorful.  Italian sausage, red wine, green peppers, tomatoes... how can you go wrong?  I don't remember where I copied this recipe from.  I have been making this for years and copied it into a notebook that is now ragged from use and spotted with history of many a meal.  Serve this with a grating of Parmesan and a serving of crusty Italian bread and...heaven!  This recipe is perfect for entertaining as it is sure to impress your guests.

Italian Sausage Soup


1 1/2# mild Italian sausages, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, chopped
28 oz. diced tomatoes
3 14-1/2 oz cans beef broth
1 1/2 c. red burgundy wine
1/2 t. dried basil
3 T. chopped parsley  or 1 T. dry
1 med. green pepper, chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices and quartered
5 oz. pasta (either bow-tie or rotini) about 3 c.

In 5 qt. dutch oven, brown sausage slices.  Remove to paper towel.  Discard all but 2 T. sausage fat; saute onion and garlic a few minutes to soften.  Stir in tomatoes, sausage, broth, wine and basil.  Bring to full rolling boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.  Stir in parsley, green pepper, zucchini and pasta:  return to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until noodles are al dente about 20 minutes stirring occasionally.  Skim off fat, serve with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

BBQ Spareribs

Country Style Spareribs were on sale this week at my market.  I hadn't made them in a while so I bought some.  This is a recipe that my family loves and appreciates every time I make it.  You can either bake in the oven or throw in slowcooker after browning.  This meat will melt in your mouth!

BBQ Country Style Ribs


5-6 pounds country style spareribs
2 T. oil
Pat ribs with paper towel to absorb excess moisture.  Sear ribs in hot skillet in single layer 5 minutes on each side or until browned.  Salt lightly as you go.  Repeat with remaining ribs until all all are browned.  Set aside.

Sauce:

8 oz. tomato sauce
1 c. catsup
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 t. powdered mustard
2 T. worchestershire sauce
2 T. vinegar
1 t. garlic powder or minced garlic
dash of salt

At this point either layer meat and sauce in crockpot or dutch oven.  Be sure to layer sauce, then a layer of meat, then sauce etc. so all meat is covered in sauce.  Cook in crockpot 4-6 hours on low or in oven @350 degrees 2 hours or 250 degrees for 4-6 hours.  If you do not use same pan as they were browned in you may add 1/3 c. water to browned bits and swirl around to get all the bits up.  Add this to sauce mixture.  If using same pan you used for browning, just layer over browned bits in pan.