Cafe Rio Pork

Submitted by Sister Cooper

We love to serve this over rice with black beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, sour cream, and salsa. You could also wrap it up in a burrito.

4-6 lb pork roast
16 oz bottle of salsa
1 Can Coke (not diet, but you can use caffeine free)
2 C brown sugar

1. Place pork in crock pot and fill 1/2 way up pork with water. Cook on High for 5 hours. Drain off water.
2. Clean fat off pork and shred with forks.
3. Mix together sauce ingredients and put on top of pork - bakc in crock pot. Cook for an additional 3 hours on high. Leave on low until ready to serve.

Cha-Cha’s White Chicken Chili

Submitted by Sister Cooper

1 T. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4-oz. can chopped green chile peppers
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. ground red cayenne pepper
2 14.5-oz cans chicken broth
3 15-oz. cans white beans (cannellini or Great Northern)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Juice from 2 limes

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano, and ground red pepper. Continue to cook an additional 3 minutes.
3. Stir in chicken broth, beans, and chicken. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, cilantro, and fresh lime juice.

Tomato-Cream Sauce for Pasta

Submitted by Sister Cooper

1/2 - 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 red onions, diced (depending on size and onion preference)
1 Italian squash, chopped
1 Italian zucchini, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz.) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 T. dried basil leaves
1 1/2 t. white sugar
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
Dash red pepper flakes
2 T. - 1/4 cup Parmesan
1 cup heavy cream (or lighten it up by using 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 c. cream OR 1/3 c. milk, 1/3 c. cream, and 3 oz. low-fat cream cheese for a little tang)
2 T. butter

1. Brown the Italian Sausage over medium heat. After the sausage is browned, remove it from the pan and drain the fat.
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté onions for a few minutes. Add the chopped zucchini and squash and the minced garlic and sauté until the vegetable are crisp-tender.
3. Add tomatoes, basil, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper, dash of red pepper flakes, and parmesan. Add the browned Italian sausage. Bring to boil and continue to boil 5 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in whipping cream (and/or substitutions) and butter. Reduce heat and simmer 5 more minutes.
5. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Red Lentil Soup With Lemon

Submitted by Sister Cooper, taken from NY Times

Time: 45 minutes

3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of ground chili powder or cayenne, more to taste
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
3. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
4. Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
5. Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.

Yield: 4 servings.

Chocolate Cake

Submitted by Sister Cooper

This is the chocolate cake recipe my mom would make when I was growing up, and it’s so moist and delicious! I haven’t been able to find one I like better.

Double the recipe below for two 9" round layers, or make as is for a 9" square pan. Make sure to use parchment on the bottom and butter and flour well or the chocolate chips will stick to the bottom.

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
5 T. oil
1 T. vinegar
1 t. vanilla
1 c. water
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or more or less to taste)

1. Combine all the dry ingredients with a whisk, then add wet ingredients and mix it all together.
2. Add the chocolate chips at the end.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or 32 minutes in my oven).

“Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting

(to top the cake above – taken from the back of the Hershey’s cocoa can)

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Melt butter. Stir in cocoa.
2. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed.
3. Stir in vanilla.

Makes about 2 cups frosting.

Garlic Lover's Chicken

Submitted by Sister Griffin

1/2 Cup Dry bread crumbs
1/3 Cup Grated parmesan cheese
2 Tble Minced fresh parsley
1/2 Tsp Salt, optional
1/8 Tsp Pepper
1/4 Cup Milk
6 (1-1/2 lbs) Boneless skinless chicken breast, halves
1/4 Cup Butter or margarine, melted
1 to 2 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Tble Lemon juice
Paprika

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first five ingredients.
2. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in milk, then shake in the crumb mixture.
3. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in.
4. Combine the butter, garlic and lemon juice; drizzle over the chicken. Sprinkle with paprika.
5. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Yield: 6 servings.

Chocolate Waffle Cookies

 Submitted by Sister Nay (credit to Savannah Wyatt)

1/3 c. butter melted
6 tlb cocoa
2 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. flour
  

1. Stir butter and cocoa until smooth and melted over low heat.
2. Bea eggs, sugar, and vanilla together in a bowl until light and add chocolate mixture, mix until smooth.
3. Gradually add flour.
4. Heat waffle iron, spray with Pam and cook for 60 seconds 4 cookies at a time.
5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.