Mealtime Monday

I know you missed it. Here's a few newbies to try this week.

Mexican Roast from Wendy Paul

4-6 lb Pot Roast or Shoulder Roast

1 onion, sliced thin

2 tbsp. cumin

Garlic salt

Salt and pepper to taste

Place your roast in the slow cooker, topping with onion, cumin, garlic salt (approx 1/2 tsp.) and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on slow for 6-8 hours. Remove from the crock pot and shred, then place back into the juices. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream. olives, tortillas, or any of your favorite toppings.

Quick & Easy Noodle Stir-Fry from Our Best Bites

1 12-oz. package linguine (whole wheat or regular)
1-2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Asian sweet red chili sauce (Thai Kitchen makes one that’s great and easy to find; this is not the chili sauce you find near the ketchup)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 small red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or pressed
1 large or 2 small orange, red, and/or yellow bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen green sugar snap peas, snow peas, edamame, or green beans
1 medium zucchini, julienned or chopped
Optional: Grilled chicken, shrimp, or steak, black sesame seeds, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it is boiling, add the noodles and cook al dente. When the noodles are done, drain them and toss in 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil.

Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sweet chili sauce, and dark sesame oil. Set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry 1-2 minutes or until fragrant, but the garlic isn’t burning. Add the peas (or beans or edamame) and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the zucchini and peppers and stir fry for another 30 seconds or until the veggies are crisp-tender. Add the noodles and stir fry until the noodles are well-combined with the vegetables. Give the sauce a quick whisk and then drizzle it evenly over the noodles and stir fry the entire mixture for about 30-60 seconds or until everything is well-coated in the sauce. Serve immediately–if you want, you can garnish individual servings with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and black sesame seeds. Serves 6-8.

Chipotle Pork Tacos from Cooking Light

1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced thin
1 ½ tsp grated lime zest
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
2 tsp minced fresh oregano, or a heaping ½ tsp dry
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (use the peppers for heat and the adobo sauce for a mild smoky bite.  I used 1 1/2 Tbs of sauce and no peppers and it was hardly spicy at all.)
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
¼ tsp kosher salt
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 C thinly sliced shallots, or onions
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro

Combine thinly sliced pork, lime zest, lime juice, oregano, brown sugar, chipotles, garlic, and salt.  Set aside.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp olive oil.  Add onions and sauté for 4 minutes or until tender.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add 2 tsp olive oil to pan and add pork mixture.  Saute for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink.  Add pork to onions.  Warm tortillas on a hot grill and fill with pork mixture.  Top with sour cream and cilantro.
 
This would be good with this Lime Cliantro Rice inspired by Cafe Rio

3 cup water 4 tsp. chicken bouillon
4 tsp. garlic, minced ½ bunch cilantro
1 can green chiles ¾ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter ½ onion
3 cups white or jasmine rice

2 limes

Blend cilantro, green chiles, zest of both limes, juice of one lime and onion together in food processor. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered for 30 minutes. Squeeze second lime over rice and serve.