Week of Nov 29 2020

• Sun - Turkey and Wild Rice Soup
• Mon - Pork Carnitas
• Tue Pork Verde Enchiladas
• Wed Caprese Chicken and Pasta
• Thur Paella
• Fri Chicken Strips and Fries

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

Stock:

leftover turkey bones, remove skin and meat

1 carrot, quartered

1 onion, quartered

2 celery stalks with leaves, quartered

head of garlic cut in half

2 bay leaves

2 sage leaves

bunch of parsley

few twigs of thyme

6 cups water

Soup:

Broth

1 cup wild rice - precook according to package

1 cup frozen diced carrots and peas

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup chopped turkey meat

Stock - add all to large stock pot. Bring to boil. Simmer on low for at least 1 hour - up to 4, until bones are breaking apart. Do not let it boil, only slow simmer - barely bubbling. Skim fat off every 20 minutes and discard. When done strain into another soup pot through a fine mesh strainer to get all solids and the bone fragments out. 

Soup - bring ingredients to boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pork Carnitas Tacos with Slaw

Pork Carnitas - slow cooker
Place the fresh 3 lb shoulder pork roast and 2 cans (7 oz) Mild Diced Green Chilies with liquid and 1 chopped yellow onion into the slow cooker. Cook in slow cooker 8 hours on low. Shred. Serve on warmed tortillas with taco fixings - such as cheese, lettuce or cabbage, onions, cilantro, fresh lime lime juice.

Enchiladas

2+ cups cooked diced or shredded Pork (left over carnitas)

 12-16 corn tortillas (taco size)

Green Chili Enchilada Sauce (see below, can be done week before or buy premade)

1 tsp salt and pepper (each)

1 1/2 - 2 lbs Shredded Colby jack cheese

Enchilada sauce: Sauté 1 small yellow onion diced in sauce pan until translucent. Add 1 cup chicken broth bring to boil. Add 1 (7oz) can of diced green chilis, and1 diced poblano (mild), and 1diced anaheim chili (medium), or 2diced jalapenos (spicy). Take off heat. Add 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tsp garlic salt. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to blend until smooth. Taste add salt as needed.

Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until flexible.

Spray a 9x13 rectangular baking pan with oil. Spoon a few spoonfuls of sauce to bottom of pan.

To assemble the enchiladas, place tortilla in the pan, fill with a spoonful of meat, sauce, and a sprinkling of cheese. Roll the tortilla up with the open side down. Repeat until pan is full. I usually do 12 total - 8 down lengthwise, an two sets of two on the side of the pan. Spread the rest of the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Heat in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until hot.

NON-OVEN RECIPE: You can also do this recipe with out using an oven in a casserole form: instead of rolling the enchiladas, layer the ingredients in a microwave safe casserole dish with a lid. Layer tortillas, sauce, meat, cheese, repeat 4x. On the top layer omit the meat. Microwave on high, covered, for 20 minutes, or until center is hot. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes before serving.

Caprese Pasta

• 1 pound linguine
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups roasted cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil (good quality, tasting olive oil such as California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
• 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced or shredded (about 1 cup) 

• To roast tomatoes:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-tomatoes-recipe/index.html . 

• Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large serving bowl, mix all ingredients together. Serve warm. Serving with grilled chicken breast.

Paella

1 smoked link sausage

1/2 lb shrimp

2 cups long grian rice

1 cup peas and diced carrots

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 sweet onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, pressed

4 cups chicken/veggie stock

olive oil

Chives, chopped

In a large pan with a lid, heat 1 tbsp of oil on medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Add garlic, stir until fragrant. mix in rice, then pour in stock. Add sausage, pepper, peas and carrots. cover and cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Then put shrimp on top, turn up heat to medium, recover and cook for another 5 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked thru and have turned pink, and a crust has started to form on the bottom of pan.

Service with chopped chives on top.