NOTE TO MY TUESDAYS WITH DORIE FRIENDS:  Click on the picture on the far right sidebar to see this week’s selection.

After a rainy, dreary weekend here in north central Texas, I bring you a ray of sunshine.  Yep! These rolls are just what the doctor ordered to chase the cold and wetness away.

My older sister has been telling me about a restaurant where she eats the BEST orange rolls.  Unfortunately, this sister, who lives a few states northeast of me, has never taken me to this place.  She is obviously trying to taunt me.

Instead, I have been inspired.  I decided to come up with my own orange rolls adapting the recipe of my Favorite Dinner Rolls. After quizzing Kay in greater detail,  there is likely no resemblance between my rolls and the famous rolls—but no matter.  I love these! They are light, fluffy, and sweet with a distinct orange flavor. Bread like this is why I eat a jar of salad every day for lunch.  Seriously.  Otherwise, I couldn’t fit in my clothes. Homemade bread is my Achilles heel.

I made these in the bread machine but don’t feel left out if you don’t have one.  Click here to see directions for using a large electric mixer instead.

Iced Orange Yeast Rolls

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons thawed orange juice concentrate
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/4 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast or instant yeast
1 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:
First: Warm milk for 1 minute in the microwave.  Add to bread machine along with egg, orange peel, orange juice, shortening and salt.

Second: Add flour and yeast on top.  Start bread machine using dough cycle. Check dough after 7-8 minutes and make sure it is the right consistency.  Click here if you are new to using a bread machine.

Third: When cycle completes, make rolls into balls. (If you are adding raisins, you may work into the dough at this point.  I divide this dough in half and add raisins to half of the dough.) For a tutorial on making rolls, see pictures on my Favorite Dinner Rolls. Let rise until almost double.

Fourth: Preheat oven to 375.  Place rolls in oven and bake until golden brown for approximately 10-15 minutes.  If you have a baking thermometer, rolls should register close to 190 degrees before removing from the oven.

Fifth: Spoon Orange Glaze over rolls when cool.

Orange Glaze: Add 1 tablespoon orange juice to 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar.

P ork loin, Bacon, Cumin, Sour cream, Cilantro …a few of my favorite things.

Put them together for a hearty Southwestern entree that reminds me of Beef Stroganoff–one of my all-time favorites.

Leave out the fresh cilantro if you must but it makes the dish in my opinion. Have you noticed I pretty much say that about anything containing cilantro?  Substitute parsley if you prefer.

I like to use pork loin but have also used pork roast leftovers. It changes the character slightly but it’s all good.

Serve this with your favorite rice. Long grain or Spanish rice are my picks. Good with noodles too.

Sour Cream and Cumin Pork

Ingredients:
3 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds lean pork
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour + 3/4 cup water
1/3 cup sour cream (I prefer light sour cream)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Pizza cutter makes quick work of chopping fresh herbs.

Directions:
First: Saute bacon in Dutch oven. Remove. Fry onions and garlic in bacon grease until soft. Remove and reserve.

Second: Cut pork into bite-sized pieces and brown over medium-high heat. Do this in two batches so the pan isn’t overcrowded. After you put pieces in the pan, don’t turn until well browned on first side. Turn and saute on the other side. You may need to add additional oil for second batch.

Third: Add bacon, onion and garlic back to pork along with cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in chicken broth and lemon juice. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Fourth: Whisk flour and water until smooth. Combine with pork and simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and add sour cream. Serve with chopped cilantro.

Adapted from Cooking Texas Style,10th Anniversary Edition.

 
I’m skipping the “Tuesdays with Dorie” selection this week — Toasted-Coconut  Custard Tart.  Instead of adulterating Dorie’s recipe which is too rich for my taste (and a few other problems I’m not admitting to), I was inspired to pull out my favorite recipe for custard filling and show you how easy it is to make in the microwave.

The results are absolutely amazing and not difficult or time-consuming.  Say good-bye to pudding mix forever. You control the flavor, the sweetness, and the richness when you make it yourself.

You might have noticed my love affair with the microwave. (Microwave Lemon Curd, Caramelized Nuts, Emergency Microwave Brownies) It began in 1970 when my mom purchased an Amana microwave oven.

They were new on the market at the time, costing around 500$ as I remember. Nobody we knew had ever heard of them. I loved showing it off to my friends.  Baked potatoes in minutes, leftovers reheated almost instantly, popcorn in a paper bag–oh, the miracles that happened in the tiny cavity of those first ovens.  Never mind the burned spots, exploding eggs, or sparking stray twisties.

In the eighties, I taught microwave cooking schools as appliance companies and stores sought to sell and then help consumers learn to use them.

Nowadays, the novelty seems to have worn off for a lot of people. It’s no longer cool or sophisticated.

Just like you, I have a life to live and every minute counts.  When I can save time and get the same or better results, I’m in!

Because microwave ovens vary widely, each cook must adapt the recipe times to their own microwave.  It’s not hard. You just have to pay attention the first time or two you prepare something to see how it goes in YOUR microwave.

This method of cooking a cream/custard filling applies to most any custard recipe.  I have yet to find one that won’t work.  Try this with your grandmother’s chocolate pie, a favorite banana pudding or a soft custard sauce. 

Microwave Custard Filling

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups milk (I used 2%  but any milk will work, even skim)
4 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
First:  Dump milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt into blender or food processor.  You could also whisk it well but results may not be as smooth.  Blend for about 10 seconds.  There may be a lot of foam.  That’s OK–it will disappear when cooked.

Second: Pour into 2-quart glass batter bowl.  (DO NOT USE A SMALLER CONTAINER–it could boil over and make a  mess.)  Cook in microwave on HIGH for 5-7 minutes.  Whisk well after each minute.  After 4 minutes, whisk every 30 seconds.  Watch filling carefully.  Do not answer the phone.  Do not pass GO.  Do not collect 200$! It will become thick in a split second and you want to be there to whisk and make sure filling cooks evenly.  When this happens it may look like a big lump rising up in the middle or one side. Whisk furiously and it will all smooth out. Trust me. Keep cooking till thick as pudding but do not allow to boil.  Practice makes perfect with this step. If it should turn out lumpy (beginner’s luck), put it through a sieve immediately.

Third: Stir vanilla and butter into thick custard.  Press plastic wrap over the surface to prevent a skin from forming.  Let cool on the counter (or in ice bath if you are short on time) until lukewarm, then pour filling into prepared crust.   Again press plastic wrap against surface and refrigerate until filling is cold and firm.

To Make  Coconut Cream Tart as pictured:  Add 1/2 to 1 cup toasted coconut (which can also be done in the microwave) and a dash of coriander (thanks for the idea, Dorie) to filling. Pour filling into cookie pie crust.  There might be a little too much filling for the tart but if you make a 9-inch pie, you will need it all. Cover tart with sweetened whipped cream and garnish with toasted coconut shavings.

Speaking of coconut shavings, they are sold in a bag at my local Krogers next to the usual grated coconut. When toasted, they make the most wonderful topping for yogurt or as a snack all by themselves.

Skinny Secret:

Need to watch your calories?  Use skim milk and substitute two whole eggs for 4 egg yolks. Won’t hurt to experiment with the amount of sugar to suit your sweet tooth.

My Favorite Cookie Crust

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
First:  Combine flour, sugar and salt in food processor.  Add butter and process until it looks like a cross between oatmeal and coarse cornmeal.

Second:  Combine egg yolk, heavy cream and vanilla extract.  Process until most of dough rolls into a ball.  If necessary, sparingly add drops of cream to make it come together.

Third:  Press dough into a disk and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Fourth: Roll dough into large circle. In the pictures you see a circular plastic bag that magically facilitates the rolling out process.

Dust inside of bag with flour.  Place dough inside and zip bag.  Roll out dough large enough to hang over edges of tart pan approximately 1/2 inch.  Open up bag.  Place tart pan upside down on top of dough.  Flip dough over into pan.  Carefully and without stretching, press dough into creases.  Instead of cutting dough at top edge, I prefer to fold excess (not more than 1/2 inch) dough back inside the edge of the pan so sides will thicker. Seems to help prevent crust from shrinking so much.

Note:  If you don’t have the cool plastic contraption pictured, roll out on lightly floured board or pastry towel similar to instructions seen here.

Fifth:  Freeze tart at least 30 minutes. Lay nonstick foil or butter the shiny side of aluminum foil and  fit flat but snugly inside of crust.  No need to use weights if you have frozen the tart.   Bake in 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.  Remove foil for last 8 minutes of bake time.  Gently push crust down if  you see it has begun to puff when you remove the foil.  Cool.

I made this cake for my husband’s birthday last Sunday.  It’s a tradition in our family.  Turned out to be a bittersweet celebration because his mother died the day before.

While frantically going through photo albums before my mother-in-law’s funeral, I found the picture below.  It contains several interesting details.

Circa 1986

1. The older lady is my husband’s mother.  Anytime she was around her grandchildren, she was happy. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year and the complications finally caught up with her.  She was a generous and loving Christian servant. We will miss her terribly.

2. Check out my son’s birthday cake.  It’s the same glazed fudge cake I made this weekend.  Looks like I’ve been baking this cake for over 20 years.

3. One of my sons is a CPA. Can you guess which one?

Back to the cake….We love this cake but it’s slightly quirky.

For starters, it’s made in a food processor. I acquired the recipe while assisting with a cooking school taught by Abby Mandel. At the time, she had just published a new cookbook called Cuisinart Classroom. Not sure why, but this recipe was not included in the book.

While I’m sure this cake could be made with a regular mixer, I have never tried it myself. The author originally touted the food processor as a way to make a chocolate cake without melting the chocolate , supposedly quicker and more flavorful. Not sure if I buy that–but the cake tastes fabulous. Can’t argue with fudgy and tender.

Secondly, the cake has a tendency to fall if not handled carefully.  The old picture above provides evidence.  Be sure to use the 9-inch spring form pan specified.  Also, let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan.  Even it falls a little, it won’t affect the taste.

Glazed Fudge Cake

Ingredients:
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour (3 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces
1 1/4 cup sugar (8 3/4 ounces), divided
1/3 cup boiling water
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon cocoa
3/4 cup butter (6 ounces), room temperature, cut into 6 pieces
1 tablespoon dark rum (or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract)
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:
First: Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper or wax paper to fit the bottom of the pan and place inside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Second: Place flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in work bowl of food processor and process 5 seconds to blend and set aside.

Third: Place the chocolate and 1/4 cup sugar in work bowl and process 1 minute or until chocolate is finely minced. With machine running, pour hot water through the feed tube and process until the chocolate is melted.

Fourth: Add the eggs and cocoa and process 1 minute.

Fifth: Add remaining sugar (1 cup) and process 1 minute, stopping once to scrape down the inside of the bowl.

Sixth: Add the butter and process 1 minute more. Add rum and sour cream and process 5 seconds.

Seventh: Add the dry ingredients and combine by turning the machine on and off 3 or 4 times until the flour just disappears. Do not over process.

Eighth: Pour the batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan.

GLAZE

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons water
3 ounces milk chocolate, broken into pieces
1/4 cup powdered sugar (1 ounce)
2 teaspoons dark rum or vanilla extract

Directions:
First: Put the chocolate and powdered sugar in the work bowl and pulse food processor on and off 3 times to chop the chocolate, then process continuously until it is finely minced.

Second: With the machine running, pour the hot water and butter through the feed tube and process until the chocolate is melted. Add the flavoring and process for 5 more seconds.

Third: Refrigerate the glaze until it begins to thicken then spread over the surface and sides of the cake.

To Decorate: Melt 1 1/2 ounce white chocolate in small zippered plastic bag. Make tiny snip across corner of bag. Draw parallel strips across cake. Using thin knife draw lines perpendicular and parallel across white chocolate lines to make a chevron design.

I keep wheat germ at my house to make skinny granola–or “cookies in a jar” as I call it. Because it goes rancid quickly, I’ve been looking for more recipes requiring wheat germ. These cookies may be the answer.

The honey and lemon flavored dough is formed into balls and rolled in wheat germ. The interior is soft and chewy with a coarse exterior reminiscent of ground oatmeal.

Since I’m obsessed with frosted cookies, I mixed up some lemon filling and turned these into sandwich cookies.  Adding powdered sugar to my microwave lemon curd made a delicious icing of rather firm consistency.  I frosted the flat side of one cookie and made a sandwich with the flat side of another cookie.

If you want to check out the recipe, go see Flourchild or get a copy of Dorie’s fabulous cookbook, Baking-From My Home to Yours.

Poppy Seed Rolls with Lime Curd

I have a new vice! Lemon Curd. 

Up until now, I always purchased lemon curd in a jar. An expensive little jar! But those days may be over. 

Making your own means variations are numerous.  In addition to lime curd or orange curd, consider strawberry, raspberry or cherry juice.

Unfortunately, I can’t stop thinking of new ways to eat it once I discovered how easy it is to make myself.

You can cook this on top of the stove but it’s easier in the microwave. Using the blender to mix it up is important to get a smooth, creamy texture in the final product.

The freshest ingredients are vital. Use FRESH lemon juice and REAL, good quality butter. 

Lemon Curd

An important note about grating the rind:   I can’t overstate the usefulness and desirability of a microplane grater. It  actually makes grating rind an enjoyable experience. No more scraped knuckles or difficult scraping of the rind out of a grater. Be careful not to grate too deep into the skin of the fruit. The white part adds a bitter taste you want to avoid. 

Get out your 2-quart batter bowl and whisk.  If you still don’t have a large pyrex batter bowl, take yourself down to Wally World and pick one up. They are cheap and extremely useful in the kitchen–especially if you cook with me. 

Microwave Lemon Curd

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
grated rind from 2 lemons
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup butter

Directions:
First: Combine sugar, juice and grated rind in blender.  Blend on highest speed until you can barely see grated rind. 

Second:  Add eggs and pulse several times. 

Third:  Melt butter in 2-quart batter bowl.  Pour into blender through hole in lid while machine is on low. 

Fourth:  Pour mixture back into 2-quart batter bowl and microwave on HIGH for 3-4 minutes, whisking well after each minute.  Toward the end, whisk every 15-30 seconds.  Don’t let mixture boil.  It should be thick, with a nice coating over the spoon.   It will thicken when chilled. 

Fifth:  Store in clean glass jars in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks or up to a year in the freezer. 

Orange Curd

Lime Version: Substitute lime juice for the lemon and grated lime for grated lemon. 

Orange Version: Grate rind from one orange and one lemon. Substitute orange juice for the lemon juice. 

Note: I like to add a touch of food coloring to the lime and orange. Otherwise they are yellow and look almost identical to the lemon. 

BE WARNED that eating with a spoon straight from the jar is not a good idea.  It could lead to a downward spiral with unpredictable consequences.

Sloppy Joes are on my short list for quick and easy meals.  Cheap too! And kids love them, especially when they get to help.

In my family, they are simple.  Ground beef.  Ketchup.  Mustard.  That’s it.

But through the years, I’ve added a few things.  Just know if you are in a hurry, you can do it with three ingredients.

Homemade whole wheat rolls take these sliders to a new level. But they aren’t required. As a kid, I had sloppy joes made with soft, cheap, white bread when there were no buns in sight and the closest store was 10 miles away.  In the interest of full disclosure, we usually use whatever hamburger buns are on sale.

Serving tips:
1.  Lightly grill or toast the bread/buns before filling.
2.  My husband insists on mustard and bread-and-butter pickles or sweet relish with his sandwich. Very good!

Sloppy Joe Sliders

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef  (Or ground turkey. I’ve been known to throw in some sausage too.)
1/4 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup catsup
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (optional–see note below)

Directions:
First: Brown meat and drain excess grease.  Add onions and saute with meat until soft.

Second:  Add catchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Stir and heat through.

Note: If I know this is going to have to hold for awhile, I add a can of tomato sauce to keep meat mixture from getting too dry and simmer on low. Also good if you like your sloppy joes a little saucier.

Whole Wheat Rolls

My niece, Gina, has been asking for whole wheat bread her husband would eat.  I like a challenge–especially if it has to do with homemade bread.

After trying several recipes and various modifications, this is the recipe I like best. If you are into whole wheat, give these a try.  Although light, they are still sturdy enough for sandwiches or sliders.

As with most of my bread recipes, I mix and knead them with a bread machine.  But if I haven’t convinced you yet, feel free to use an electric stand mixer. Google “convert bread machine to mixer” and you’ll find plenty of advice on how to do it.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup warm water
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cup all purpose, unbleached flour
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (optional)
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Directions:
First: Add ingredients to bread machine in order listed.

Second: Set for dough cycle and start.  After 5-7 minutes, lift lid and check on the dough. If too wet (sticking to all sides) add flour 1 spoonful at a time until dough begins to hold its shape.  If too dry, (bouncing against the sides) add water 1 spoonful at a time until dough sticks to one side at a time.  (See this picture tutorial if you are new to using a bread machine.) Can’t stress enough the importance of checking dough soon after machine is started. Weather conditions can make a huge difference and can’t be predicted.  Experience is the best teacher with bread dough.

Third: When dough cycle is complete, remove from pan. Shape into balls depending on the final use.  When I want dinner rolls,I like to make small balls and place them 2 or 3 each into a cupcake pan.  Or you could fill 2 8-inch or 9-inch pans (round or square) with balls, varying the size to your preference.  If you make the balls larger, they are good for sliders or little sandwiches.

Fourth: Cover pans with clean tea towels (not terrycloth) and place in warm place to rise until double.  This may take 30 minutes to an hour depending on the ambient temperature.

Fifth: Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown–about 10-12 minutes.  Optional:  Brush rolls with butter after removing from the oven.

Best eaten the same day.  After day one, I split ‘em, butter ‘em and grill ‘em.  Almost as good as fresh out of the oven.

As if this post isn’t long enough, I have one more item I am compelled to mention.  How do YOU spell ketchup?  or is it catchup? or is it catsup? I used all three in this post to try to satisfy everybody. Did you notice?

My little sports car (rear-wheel drive) got stuck in the snow in front of my neighbor’s driveway while coming home from work last Thursday.  Since I grew up in Indiana, that’s not a new experience for me. But in Texas??? We had record snowfall that day–9 inches at my house.

So I walked home.

I called my husband/hero who promptly arrived to rescue my car.  He rounded up all the males in our cul-de-sac. After some trouble, they got it unstuck.  In gratitude, he spontaneously promised all of them homemade cookies.

Lucky for me, I had dough balls  for these chocolate chip cookies in the freezer. I knew I wanted to make them fancy so I left out half of the chopped chocolate knowing I would dip them in more chocolate after they were baked.

I baked the first tray immediately after mixing the dough.  They spread like crazy and were very thin and crispy.  I tried to decorate them with a back and forth squiggle of chocolate but quickly discovered the error of my ways. I couldn’t eat them without getting chocolate on my fingers and they were too big for one bite.

First Attempt

I baked the second tray from a frozen state and made them half as big. Better!

While not my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, they turned out quite tasty and irresistible.  Made a great thank-you for all my helpful neighbors.

Go to Kait’s Plate to get the recipe if you like.

This recipe is for Crystal, who specifically requested a low-calorie salad dressing in a comment on my vacuum-pack giveaway last week. Like her, I also can get in a rut with salad dressing since I eat a jar of salad almost every day.

But making a low-calorie salad dressing more imaginative than a little bit of oil and vinegar/lemon juice is not all that easy.

Most published recipes for homemade dressing are HIGH in calories because they contain lots of oil. YIKES! While some types of oil are healthy in moderation, it’s easy to go overboard. (Speaking for myself here.)

Then I thought about nonfat Greek yogurt. It’s creamy. It’s low-calorie. It’s not as tart as regular yogurt . And I keep it in my refrigerator at all times. (I make my own but it’s certainly not necessary.)

This recipe for Creamy Yogurt Balsamic Dressing (yes, I know, I misspelled the label in the picture above) substitutes nonfat Greek yogurt for some of the oil which makes the calorie count more reasonable. My personal standard is 80 calories or below per serving. Incidentally, a serving is usually 2 tablespoons but always check if you are watching your calorie intake.

Sweet and sour is a good description for the honey/balsamic combination with subtle flavor notes from the soy sauce and Dijon mustard. Yogurt smooths out the flavors. It’s excellent with any kind of lettuce/fruit and/or nut combination. I love it with chicken and sliced oranges, or dried cranberries and almonds or dried blueberries and toasted pecans.

Low Calorie Creamy Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt (may substitute regular nonfat yogurt but finished product will be a little different)
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.

Mix well. Store in refrigerator.

Makes 3/4 cup.

Nutritional Analysis per 2-tablespoon serving:
62 calories, 4 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, no cholesterol, 192 milligrams sodium, 6 grams carbohydrates.

Before Christmas, a partially frozen bag of roasted green chilies arrived at my doorstep. My sister, Bonnie, (who is also my unpaid proofreader) sent them from Colorado.  Thankfully, she also sent some of her favorite recipes. The title on this one was, “Christmas Chili.”

Why Christmas Chili?  Is it like “Funeral Potato Salad”  or  “Fourth of July Cake?” Turns out the chili gets its name from the red and green colors. It most certainly IS NOT limited to the holiday season.  Tastes especially good on a blustery day.  (I love the word ”blustery”– ever since my boys used to watch Winnie the Pooh.)

Although they don’t make a good  first impression visually (especially after being frozen), fresh roasted green chilies are fabulous. Peel off the charred skin, split and clean out the seeds.

Canned green chilies are a more than satisfactory substitute if you don’t happen to have a source or a generous sister like I do.

This mildly flavored chili is reasonable in calories and EASY to make.  But the best part??  Dipping warm flour tortillas in the savory liquid.  Oh my…wonderful!! Especially if you use my favorite “cook them yourself” tortillas from Costco.

Green Chili Stew with Pork and Tomatoes

Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork (not sausage)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin (optional)
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and Pepper
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
4 oz. can chopped green chilies
4 cups water

Directions:
First: Brown pork in Dutch oven along with onions, garlic and cumin, if using. Drain grease.  I like to leave a teaspoon or two behind for flavor.

Second: Sprinkle meat with flour and stir till it browns. Season with salt and pepper.

Third: Add tomatoes and chilies to meat. Stir in water and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 30 to 60 minutes or until thickness desired.

Serve with warm tortillas.

Nutritional Analysis based on 4 servings:
Calories — 296
Total Fat — 6 g
Sodium — mg
Total Carbohydrates — 28.7 g
Dietary Fiber — 9.8 g
Sugars — 15.0 g
Protein — 34.3 g

In other business…

The winner of the FoodSaver vacuum pack machine is………Number 1, as picked by the Random Integer Generator. Congratulations  Julie. Early bird gets the worm on this one. Email me your address and I’ll  send the prize ASAP.

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
1
Timestamp: 2010-02-12 04:30:37 UTC

To the rest of you, thanks for your suggestions,  kind words and encouragement. Hopefully, there will be more contests to come, so check back.  Meanwhile, I’m working on several of your specific recipe requests for future blogs.