Week of Feb 14th 2021

 Sun - (Valentine's Day) Paella

Mon - Chicken Florentine Pasta

Tue - Carnitas

Wed - Verde Enchilidas

Thur - Pot Roast

Fri - Beef and Barley Soup

Paella

1 smoked link sausage ( like kelbasa)

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

1 celery stalk

2 garlic cloves, pressed

4 cups chicken/veggie stock

olive oil

Salt and Peper

Chives, Parsely, chopped, to taste

In a large pan with a lid, heat 1 tbsp of oil on medium heat. Brown sausage. Remove. Add extra oil, if needed to have abuot 2 tblsp in the pan. Saute onions until translucent. Add garlic, stir until fragrant. mix in rice, then pour in stock. Add sausage, pepper, celery, 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 and/or parsely on top.

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.

Beef Pot Roast
Ingredients
3 lb chuck roast
salt and pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb bag carrots, chopped or baby carrots
4 celery, chopped

Pot Roast (crock pot cooked)

4 cloves garlic, pressed
6 medium red potatoes, quartered
1 tbsp thyme
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp browning liquid
5 cups beef or veggie stock
Directions
Brown roast in 2 tbsp oil on high heat preferably in the roasting pan or cast iron pot (Dutch oven) you will be using to roast meat in oven. Turning to brown on all sides. Remove meat. While still on high heat, add 1 cup of the stock, scrap pan. Add all other ingredients except potatoes to pan. Return meat and add enough stock so that liquid reaches about halfway up the side of meat. (Add more stock if needed) Bake covered with foil /lid for 3 hours at 350F. Turn meat over every hour. Remove meat. Add potatoes to pot, and return meat. the liquid should cover the potatoes. Add more HOT stock if need. Cover. Cook for one more hour or until potatoes are tender.
Roast should be fall-apart tender when done.
For Gravy:
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp butter
mix together, whisk into drippings from roast pan on high heat. Boil, whisking constantly until thickness is reached.
NOTE: SLOW-COOKER directions:Add vegetables to bottom of cooker. Pour in stock and bay leaves. Put roast on top and add seasonings. Cook on high for 6 hours. At the last 2 hours, mix in the flour and butter mixture.

Beef and Barley Soup

left over shredded beef for roast (at least 1 cup)

2 box 32 once boxes of beef stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (1/2-inch) diced carrots (4 carrots)

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1 cup   (1/2-inch) diced celery (2 stalks)

2 garlic cloves, pressed

3 bay leaves

32 oz beef broth

2 cups water

1 cup   pearled barley

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stew or pasta pot. Add oil in the pot, then put in carrots, onion, celery, and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.

2.  Add the broth and bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves, and skim off the fat.

3. Add the barley. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. 

4. Add in the left over meat, and cook until how. 

5. Taste, add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve hot.