BBQ Chicken Tortilla Wraps #NationalCookbookMonth

These super simple, family friendly wraps require only 4 ingredients and a couple of minutes hands on time.

It is National Cookbook Month........

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Grilled Tacos #SundayFunday

These delicious soft grilled tacos start off with the beef being slow cooked with aromatics and spices before being shredded and placed onto flour shells with cheese and grilled.  A little more work but absolutely worth it.

 

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are sharing Taco recipes today.......

Happy Halloween 2018~~I Have a Treat for You

Thrill your little ghosts and goblins with the easy Jack O' Lantern Taco Pockets before they go out begging tonight.

Filled with taco meat and cheese and sitting in a field of lettuce and tomatoes these Jack O' Lanterns are sure to scare up some fun at the dinner table.......

Braised Pork Roast with Apples, Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips #AppleWeek

Welcome to Day 3 of Apple Week.  I hope you have been having as much fun as I, perusing all the amazing recipes being offered.  My stomach starts growling just thinking about it.

If this is your first day joining us in this celebration you need to go to my Welcome Post.  There you will learn all about this great party being hosted by Carlee of Cooking with Carlee.  You will also meet our sponsors and be able to enter into an amazing giveaway.

That very first day I shared these moist and delicious muffins that are great to have on hand now that school is back into full swing.  Sometimes the mornings can get away from you and these tasty morsels are perfect to hand your child as they are running out the door saying they don't have time to eat.

Yesterday we enjoyed some tasty apple turnovers that were inspired by the book, Farmer Boy, by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  In fact, we are going to enjoy them again tonight for dessert after this fabulous pork roast I'm sharing today.

This recipe transforms an inexpensive pork shoulder roast into a masterpiece.  Filled with garlic and sage and browned before braising imparting great flavor into the meat itself.

I had received a pair of clip n snip shears from Casabella , one of our sponsors for this event.  They quickly and efficiently chopped the sage for insertion into the roast along with the garlic slices.  

This pork roast screams autumn to me.  Slow braised until tender, flavorful and juicy.  Surrounded by veggies and whole apples it is an elegant presentation.

The photos do not do it justice but trust me when I say your family and any guests you may have over will be duly impressed.  Our friend, Chris, joined us for dinner when I served this and exclaimed "Wow, this is a restaurant worthy presentation".

Did you know that we are in the midst of Family Meals Month?  It's true.  You can learn more about it over at the Food Marketing Institute.  This would be a great meal with which to lure your family around the table during this time.

I served this over buttered egg noodles but mashed potatoes would also make a great side or if you are watching your starch intake it is perfect just as is but I'm afraid, at the very least, I would still need some good bread to sop up that delicious sauce.

This recipe was very slightly adapted from one I found in Cuisine at Home.  I received no monetary compensation for the writing of this post and all opinions written are exclusively mine.  I hope you enjoy this wonderful dinner as much as we.  I was very proud to serve it to our guest.

Disclaimer: Thank you to #AppleWeek Sponsors: Rodelle, Dreamfarm, Casabella, Flahavan's Irish Oatmeal, Pryex, Chicago Cutlery, Rainier Fruit, and Veggie Wash for providing prizes for #AppleWeek free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #AppleWeek. All opinions are my own.

Braised Pork Roast

with Apples, Sweet Potatoes ad Parsnips

adapted from Cuisine at Home, Issue #79

1 pork shoulder roast
10 sage leaves, 3 set aside, remaining chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. olive oil
9 small tart apples, 6 left whole and set aside, 3 cored, peeled and diced
1 lg. vidalia onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 T. tomato paste
1/4 c. flour
1 c. dry white wine
2 c. apple cider
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced

Trim exterior fat from the roast and tie with twine by wrapping it around the roast, crossing the twine and bringing it around the roast in the other direction.

Pat pork dry and cut 1" deep slits all over the roast.  Combine the chopped sage leaves with the salt and pepper.  Insert a slice of garlic and some of the seasoned sage into each of the slits.

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over med high heat.  Add the pork and sear until browned, about 10 minutes per side.  Remove the roast to a plate and set aside.

Add the chopped apples, onion and celery to the dutch oven and cook in the pan drippings until onion softens, stirring frequently.  Stir in tomato paste and then mix in the flour.  Pour in the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Add the cider and reserved sage, bring to a boil.  Return the roast and any collected juices to the pot, cover and place in a preheated 325*oven for 2 hours.

Remove the pot from the oven and transfer the roast to a plate.  Strain the sauce from the dutch oven into a large bowl, discarding the apples, onions and sage leaves.  Return the strained sauce to the dutch oven along with the roast and any juices collected.  Cover, return to oven and braise another 1-1 1/2 hrs.

While roast is braising prepare the apples by scoring them around the middle.  Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and parsnips.  Add the apples and vegetables to the pot with the roast, cover and cook for another 30-45 minutes, until the pork and veggies are fork tender.

Transfer the apples, vegetables and pork to a large shallow bowl or platter with raised edges.  Remove twine and break the meat into pieces with a fork.  Pour the sauce over the meat and veggies and serve.  Print Recipe

Let's see what the others are sharing today!

• Apple BBQ Meatballs over Brown Rice from Tip Garden 
• Apple Butterscotch Crumb Cake from The Crumby Kitchen 
• Apple Cider Donuts from 4 Sons 'R' Us 
• Apple Coffee Cake from Bear & Bug Eats 
• Apple & Fig Flatbread with Goat Cheese from Simple and Savory 
• Apple Oatmeal Bars from Palatable Pastime 
• Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Bars from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Apple & Sausage Stuffing from Girl Abroad 
• Apple Pie with Oat Crumble Crust from The Redhead Baker 
• Baked Oatmeal with Apple Cheddar and Sausagefrom A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures 
• Braised Pork Roast with Apples from A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Caramelized Apple Hand Pies from Jolene's Recipe Journal 
• Caramel Frosted Apple Quick Bread from The Chef Next Door 
• Cheesy Apple and Brie Pull Apart Bread from Family Around the Table 
• Crunchy Apple BBQ Pork from The Freshman Cook 
• Easy Fried Apples With Cinnamon from Feeding Big 
• Fresh and Fun Dinner Salad from Cooking With Carlee 
• Lamb Lolipops with Apple Herb Chutney from Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• Roasted Beet and Apple Salad from Amy's Cooking Adventures 
• Skillet Pork Chops with Apples and Onions from Grumpy's Honeybunch 
• Slow Cooker Baked Apples from Jonesin' for Taste 
• Sweet and Sauer Apple Cabbage Salad from All That's Jas 

Pupusas de Queso #MexicanRecipes

This week our Holiday Fun with Our Blog Friends group is having a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta hosted by Sue of Palatable Pastime,  Sue has invited us all to post our favorite Mexican Recipes all week long so that our readers have a plethora of ideas from which to choose when planning their celebrations.

Today is the first day of May but all through April we were celebrating National Grilled Cheese Month so for my first recipe of this event I made a Mexican Grilled Cheese.  I served these up for Meatless Monday, topped with salsa and a side of refried beans.  Of course, we topped it all off with a Mango/Peach Margarita......I will be sharing that recipe tomorrow!

This recipe is quick and easy even making your own dough.  You simply mix Masa Harina with a pinch of salt and some water.  You want it to become the consistency of Play Doh

Divide the dough into eight pieces and roll into balls about 2" in diameter.  I felt like I was playing Play Doh as I made a well in each roll, stuffed it with cheese and wrapped the dough back around the cheese.

Then I used a rolling pin to flatten it into a round about 1/4" thick.  You could just pat it down with your hands too if you wanted.

I cooked them, one at a time in a lightly oiled cast iron skillet.  It only took a minute or two for them to be cooked and slightly toasted brown.

I served them with salsa and a side of beans.  Traditionally they are serve with salsa and a cabbage salad.  I think they would be good topped with guacamole too.  

Join us all week long as we share our recipes.  You can find us on all social media by searching #MexicanRecipes.  Don't forget to stop by and see what the others are sharing following my recipe. Buenos Dias.

Pupusas de Queso

adapted from crsricebowl

2 c. masa harina

pinch of salt

1 1/2 c. water

1 c. queso fresco, shredded

1 T. olive oil

Combine the masa harina, salt and water in a bowl and knead until it is the consistency of PlayDoh, adding more water if necessary.

Form the dough into 8 balls about 2" in diameter.  Shape the balls into small bowls and fill with a little cheese.  Seal the dough back around the cheese and roll it into a disc 1/4" thick.  Repeat until all dough and cheese is used.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Brush the pan lightly with olive oil and cook the pupusas for a minute or two on each side until dried and lightly browned in spots.  Print Recipe

More Fiesta Fare

• Papusas de Queso from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mexican Restaurant Rice from Palatable Pastime
• Posole de Camarones (Shrimp and Hominy Stew) from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Enchiladas to Feed a Crowd from Tip Garden
• Mexican Street Corn Barley Salad from Cooking With Carlee
• Conchas (Mexican Sweet Bread) from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Avocado Paletas (Mexican Avocado Ice Pops) from Caroline's Cooking
• Churro French Toast from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Beef Tacos from Books n' Cooks
• Easy Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms from Feeding Big
• One Pan Chicken Enchilada Rice Bake from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Mexican Strawberry Cheesecake Chimichangas from All that's Jas

Check back each and every day for new recipes by following along with the hashtag #MexicanRecipes on social media. Are you a food blogger interested in posting within our blogging community? Find out more by joining us online: Holiday Fun with Our Blog Friends.