Birthday Carnitas

Len made carnitas for James at school and it turned out so gooooood!  Since it's Antoinettte's birthday, we are making them today.  So simple.  Minimal ingredients for gluten and milk free people.

We are serving them with tortillas, Len's homemade guacamole, refried pinto beans, whole black beans, sour cream, sliced cucumbers, and rice.  Bub will even get vegan sour cream!

Preheat oven to 375.

5 lb bone in pork shoulder cut into slabs

2 teaspoons salt

Water

Cut the pork slabs in half.  Arrange in an even layer in two 13x9 pans.  Salt liberally on both sides. Put 1/3 cup of water in each pan.  Cover tightly with foil.  Bake for one hour.

Remove from oven.  Bump up the heat to 450.  Remove the foil from the pans.  They look anemic at this point.  

Return to oven uncovered for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, the moisture should be cooked away.  Take each pan out and turn the meat.  Do this every 8 minutes until the meat is browned and lovely!

Top It Like It's Hot... Or Cold!

Still trying to make more recipes with edamame.  Len and I eat them every single day and, although we love them, it is getting to be a drag.  Our relationship with food already is "a daily dance vs. maybe I'll sit this one out".    We just want to eat without it being a big project once in a while.

Getting a real food processor, instead of my mini one, will be a huge help.  I just can't get one right now.  Anything good is costly.  It will be a great investment and will get tons of use like my mixer.  Damn you bills!  Don't you know I need this device?  I guess two trips to the ER last month will put this purchase on hold longer than usual.  Sigh.

This is a great pizza crust alternative or even veggie burger.  Hot or cold toppings make it versatile!

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment. I'm using the gold miracle pan so no greasing or lining necessary.  (I may not have a food processor but I have these kick ass pans instead!)  

You can use any pan you want really.  Round, square, rectangle...  If you have multiple people who like their own toppings, press the dough in multiple pans and they can top their own.

12 ounces cooked edamame/mukimame, drained
2 tablespoons margarine
2 teaspoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos
3/4 cup GF baking mix

1/4 cup mashed potato flakes
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
Plain Soymilk

Rough process the edamame, Bragg's, and margarine to form coarse paste.  Set aside.  I'm doing this half at a time since my food processor is tiny.

In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.  Add the edamame, margarine, and Bragg's paste and mix until a soft dough forms. You may need to add tiny amount of plain Soymilk to form the dough. It will be wet but not soupy.

Press onto your prepared pan or pans.

Bake for 20 minutes or until crispy on top. Just open your oven door and gently scrape a fork along the top to see if it has a nice crust on it.  Brush with softened margarine and return to oven for 3 minutes.

You can top the crust after it is baked with whatever you like (hummus, carrot purée, avocados and olives, lentils, vegan sour cream and cucumber slices).  Tons of options which is what I was shooting for here... OPTIONS.  Hot and cold options too!

Discs of Deliciousness

The cajeta is so damn delicious.  It really is!

Last night, Len melted some chocolate, spread it on a pan lined with parchment, spread some cajeta over it, sprinkled it with salt, and put it in the freezer.  

I remembered I have some candy molds and busted them out of the cabinet to make chocolate caramel candy.

1/4 cup chocolate chips
Cajeta or caramel sauce
Candy molds

Heat the chocolate chips in the microwave until soft.  Stir until smooth.  Drop by teaspoon tip fills into molds.  Add a little cajeta to the center of the chocolate. Swirl with a toothpick.  I got 9 discs.  

Put in the freezer until set (about 10 minutes).  Smooth and sweet!

Twin Fritters, Don't Ya Know

My first day off!  And Len has Mondays off!  And Happy Canada Day!

We are up to good in the kitchen together.  She came up with some great ideas for deep fried delights made with maple syrup to celebrate our neighbors to the north.

Banana fritters for her and carrot fritters for me.  We each used different ingredients and turned out a tasty Monday treat.

Banana Fritters

2 ripe bananas
1/2 GF baking mix
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons Pellegrino or sparkling water

Mash bananas in medium bowl with a fork.  Add baking mix and cinnamon until stiff batter forms, adding more baking mix if needed. Add enough Pellegrino just to loosen the batter enough to drop from a spoon into the oil.

Carrot Fritters

1/4 cup puréed canned carrots with 1 tablespoon maple syrup
3/4 cup GF baking mix
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Dash of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla Soymilk

Mix carrots, baking mix, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.  Add just enough Soymilk to loosen the batter enough to drop from a spoon into hot oil.

Heat your oil to 375.  Put 1/4 cup maple syrup into a bowl.

Drop your batters by teaspoons full into hot oil.  Cook until they float and are golden (about 2 minutes after they float).

Remove onto paper towels.  Roll in a bowl with maple syrup, replenishing when necessary while still hot.

The carrot fritters puffed nicely with baking soda and the sparkling water gave the banana ones a nice lift!

Oh Canada!  Thank goodness for your sweetness!