Chorizo and Pea Stuffed Crepes

Ingredients:
butter (just to coat pan)
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 package Mexican chorizo (plastic tubes of pork goodness)
1/2 package frozen peas
your favorite recipe for crepes
cream of a vegetable soup (I used asparagus)
milk

Coat a pan with butter and start sauteing the onions. When they soften, add chorizo and cook until it has fallen apart and is crispy.

While that is cooking, add the cream of vegetable soup to a small pot and mix with 1/2 the called for amount of milk.  Warm it through as though you are making soup.  Add more milk if you like a thinner cream sauce.

Once crispy, use a slotted spoon to remove chorizo and onions from the pan and drain on a paper towel. You may reserve the fat if you want to use it for some awesome potatoes later.  After removing the fat from the pan, return the chorizo/onions to the pan and add the 1/2 bag of frozen peas.  Heat peas through.

Make crepes according to your favorite recipe.

Spoon chorizo mix onto crepe and wrap.  Top with "cream sauce" and enjoy!

Nutella Mug Cake

Want a sweet treat that's quick?  Easy?  Won't warm up the house in the summer?  Meet Mug Cake.

Ingredients:
1 box angel food cake mix
1 box chocolate cake mix
2 tbs milk
1 tbs heavy cream (or a couple of tablespoons whipped cream)
Nutella spread

Directions:
1. Whisk the angel food cake mix with the chocolate cake mix, put it all in a storable container (I use a ziplock bag) and you have a ready-made, go-to, mug cake mix.
2. In a microwave safe mug, stir three tablespoons of the mix with two tablespoons of milk and microwave for 1 minute.
3. Pour the heavy cream on top, and spread a thin layer of Nutella.  Enjoy!

Split Pea Soup

Oh man, this stuff is so simple and so delicious!  I just came up with the recipe based on what sounded good.

Ingredients
1 smoked turkey leg/drumstick
1 package split green peas (the dried kind)
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
a small amount of oil or butter for sauteing
salt, to taste (note, the smoked turkey leg is already salty, so taste first)
freshly ground black pepper, in copious amounts

Directions
1. Boil turkey leg until meat is tender and falling off of the bone.  I've boiled it anywhere up to three hours.  While turkey leg is boiling, saute chopped carrot and onion until golden brown.
2. Let it cool down, then remove bones and chop finely (I also remove most of the skin).  Return meat to the broth and add carrot/onion saute.  Rinse the peas and add to the broth as well.
3. Simmer, covered, until peas are soft.  Add lots of ground black pepper and enjoy!

Carnitas

Ingredients:
1 bone-in pork shoulder, 4lb or more
salt
pepper
3 tbsp tomato paste (I have subbed this with chopped tomatoes, and it was fine)
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
1.5 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp black pepper
2.5 tsp salt
1 yellow onion, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
3 peppers (chopped) and 3 tbsp of adobo from a can of chiles in adobo sauce
tsp-tbsp of chicken stock concentrate
enough water to cover the shoulder

Season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper, then place in hot pan to sear each side.

While searing, combine tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt, onion, adobo, and chiles in the crock pot.  Place shoulder in and add chicken stock + water, enough to just cover.  If a small portion of the shoulder sticks out, that's ok; towards the last few hours of cooking, just flip the shoulder.

Cook on high for about 6 hours (until the meat is super tender and falling off the bone).  Take out, and loosely shred/chop.  Line a baking pan with foil and brush with oil or bacon fat.  Transfer the chopped shoulder to the baking dish, and broil/cook on your highest oven setting until the meat on top starts to brown/crisp.

YUM!

No-Bake Coconut Cheesecake

graham cracker crust
1 (8oz) package cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup/can of cream of coconut
1 package cheesecake flavored instant pudding
1 1/2 unsweetened shredded/powdered coconut
1 (8oz) tub of whipped topping

Mix together cream cheese and cream of coconut.  Add pudding mix and shredded coconut and incorporate. Fold in the whipped topping.  Spoon mixture into crust and refrigerate.  You may toast part of the shredded coconut and use as a topping.

Fluffy Amazing Pancakes

Makes 14-15 delicious, fluffy pancakes.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbs white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
4 tbs melted butter

Whisk together dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls.

Heat up a couple of pans (or a griddle) at about 3 (out of 10).

Combine the wet and dry ingredients, but don't overmix.

Scoop 1/3 cupfuls of batter into hot pans.  Flip when golden brown.

Veggie Dip

1/2 cup mayo

3/4 cup sour cream

dried parsley flakes

garlic powder

onion powder

ground black pepper

salt

Mix it up and let it sit for a few hours.