Slowcooker Pork Tacos

This recipe is from my step-daugther Tanya. She was at the airport one time reading this magazine and she came across with this recipe. She decided to keep the magazine and tried the recipe. Fortunately I was at her place when she was making this and got to try it the first time. This is great for busy moms that wants to plan a Friday Mexican meal with the family. Simple meal and easy to prepare. Make it healthy by using whole wheat tortillas and low fat sour cream for toppings.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. pork shoulder (Boston butt)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, sliced

Directions

1. Combine salt, pepper and cumin and rub on both sides of the meat.
2. Put the meat in the slowcooker and add oregano, galic and onion.
3. Cook for 6-8 hrs. on low setting.
4. Shred the meat with fork.
5. Serve with tortilla and top with sour cream.

Easy Cheesecake Bars

This is the thinnest cheesecake I have ever eaten. This  doesn't require long baking either. It's so easy....and yummy. Enjoy....

Serves 16 squares

Ingredients

5 tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar, ( optional Splenda for baking)
1 (8 ounce) packet cream cheese, softened
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla


Directions

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl blend thoroughly butter, brown sugar and flour with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Put 1 cup of the mixture aside for topping.
4. Press remaining mixture into an 8x8 inch baking dish sprayed lightly with cooking spray: bake 15 minutes.
5. In another bowl combine sugar and cream cheese, mixing until smooth.
6. Thoroughly beat in egg, milk, lemon juice and vanilla.
7. Spread over the baked crust and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture.
8. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool, then chill for at least 1 hour. ( Or put in the freezer for at least 20 minutes).
9. Serve.

Easy Chicken Curry with tomato sauce

Chicken curry is another dish that my husband love to eat in the Philippines. The only thing is, he won't eat this with just plain rice, it has to be fried rice. But now that I have been watching his eating habits, I got to talk to him to try this dish with brown rice. It was a quick switch, he even ask for more  rice. You can  make this with bell peppers and carrots. From my collections... to yours....

Serving 6

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 tsp salt and pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tbsp sugar

Directions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute.
4. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil.
5. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
6. Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine.
7. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximatley 30  to 40 minutes.
8. Serve hot over rice.

Bruschetta

I have never tried Bruschetta before until after I watched the Julie and Julia movie. I enjoyed the movie so much because it's  not just all about cooking. It's about lives, cultures, relationships of two different women. Never tried a French cooking before but I will definitely will try. This is surely a keeper.

Servings 16 to 20 slices

Ingredients

1 long sourdough baguette

1 1/2 pound tomatoes, seeded and diced small

2 tbsp olive oil

1 bunch basil, chopped fine

 6 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

 pinch of Italian seasoning

Directions

1. Heat broiler. Slice baguette down the middle and brown slightly under the broiler. And take it out.
2. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, olive oil, basil, garlic and cheese.
3. Cover cut side of bread with tomato mixture. Place under broiler until the whole things begins to brown and the cheese begins to melt about 2 minutes.
4. Remove and slice into serving pieces.

Recipe adapted from Sam the cooking guy

Chocolate Flan Cake

Thanks to AJ for making  this cake for so many times and now I finally told myself I have to try this. I made this for my dear friend Jojie's husband's birthday. I got great comments about it and a  friend asked for the recipe already and she made few. The recipe was adapted from Ms. Annie. Enjoy!

Serves 12

Ingredients
For the cake:
1 (18 ounce) box of chocolate devil's food cake mix
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs

For the flan:
1 (11 ounce) jar cajeta caramel topping (has richer flavor) or smucker caramel topping
1 (14 ounce) can sweetend condensed milk
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup fresh milk
1 ( 8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
5 eggs

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. Spray a large 12 cup Bundt pan with nonstick coating. (This is very important).
3. Soften the cajeta in the jar in the microwave ( no more than 30 sec) and pour into prepared pan.
4. Prepare cake mix according to package directions.
5. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan over the cajeta.

6. To make the flan: Pour condensed, evaporated and fresh milk into the blender with the cream cheese,    vanila and eggs. Mix well.

7. Pour the flan mixture very slowly over the cake batter. (The flan mixture will sink to the bottom of the pan).

8. Spray aluminum foil with non-stick spray. Cover the pan TIGHTLY with the foil. (Very important)

9.  Set the Bundt pan into a large pan and set on the oven rack and slide inches.

10. Carefully pour hot water into the larger pan to a depth of 2 inches. ( The Bundt pan will be sitting in 2 inches of water).

11. Bake cake for 2 hrs(test); do not uncover during this time.

12. After 2 hrs, remove cake from water and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Peel off the aluminum foil.

13. Invert cake onto a large plate with rim.

14. The cajeta will drip down the sides of the cake.

15. Cool completely then refrigerate. Refrigerate leftovers.

Bourbon Chicken

The first time I tried this recipe was when I had a party at my house. My husband like it alot because he said it taste like Filipino Adobo. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to take a picture of this dish. But I will make this again and definetely will take picture. One of my friends asked about the ingredients I used on this dish which I did tell her. And also I decided to add this on my blog. Thanks to Recipezaar.

SERVES 4 (change servings and units)

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces(coat with a little flour)
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed ( I like garlic so I added extra)
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce (I used reduced-sodium)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet.
2. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.
3. Remove chicken.
4. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium Heat until well mixed and dissolved.
5. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. (Optional: You can a little bit of cornstartch to thicken the sauce.)
7. Serve over hot rice and ENJOY.

Awesome Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

If you love comfort food then you have to try this one. I had this recipe in my drawer for along time. I finally got to try this today for our Easter sunday dinner. My husband doesn't like mushrooms but he didn't even noticed the tiny bits of mushrooms in there. All I could hear from him while eating was "yum" and "hmm."The pork was so tender and the taste of garlic was awesome! Thank you Allrecipes.

Original Recipe Yield 12 servings

Ingedients
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1 1/4 cups water
5 1/2 pounds pot roast

Optional
1. The night before you slowcook the meat do these suggestions.
2. I head of garlic slightly smashed. Using a sharp knife, poke holes around the meat and insert the garlic. This tip will give your roast a flavorful garlic taste, only if you like garlic.
3. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper both sides of the meat.
4. The day you slowcook the meat, rub flour on both sides of the meat and brown the meat in the skillet with a little bit of oil for about 10 mins. (Some people doesn't like the browning part.)
5. I used a 7 qt slowcooker and lined it with Reynolds Slowcooker Liner. This helps alot.

Directions
1.In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
2.Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

Grape Salad

15 servings

Thanks to Jamie R. of Recipezaar who posted this recipe.  I did change some of the ingredients because my husband is diabetic. I have been using Splenda for years for our desserts.

Ingredients

2 lbs green grapes ( I used all red grapes because the green ones are too sour for me).

2 lbs red grapes (smaller rounder not the oval shape ones)

1 - 8 oz  cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese)

1 - 8 sour cream (I used 6 oz fat free vanilla yogurt Albertsons brand)

1/2 cup white sugar (I used the Splenda for baking. You can get the big bags at Costco).

1 tsp vanilla extract ( I added extra 1 tsp)

Topping Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar ( I  used 1/4 cup organic brown sugar or you can use Splenda brown sugar).

1 cup pecans (I used toasted walnuts or better use candied walnuts if you have).

Directions

1. Wash and stem grapes( red smaller rounder grapes are sweeter than the oval shape ones). Let it dry.
2. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, white sugar and vanilla extract by hand until blended.

3. Add grapes into mixture.

4. For toppings: Combine brown sugar and nuts.

5. Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely.

6. Chill overnight.

(I don't put the toppings before chilling  because the sugar melts overnight and it gets watery the next day. So I sprinkle them 1-2 hrs before serving.)