Tev's Skillet Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Tev's Skillet, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

-- Topping --

1/2 cupButter

1 cupBrown sugar; firmly packed

1 20-oz canSliced unsweetened pineapple rings,; drained and dried, reserving juice

-- Batter --

1 1/2 cupsAll-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoonsBaking Powder

1/2 teaspoonSalt

1/2 teaspoonCinnamon

1 stickUnsalted butter; (4 oz) softened

1 cupGranulated sugar

3 largeEggs; at room temperature

1 teaspoonVanilla extract

1/4 cupReserved pineapple juice

1/2 cupMilk; at room temperature Place oven rack in middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. To make batter: In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately in batches with the milk and pineapple juice, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and beating well after each addition. Set batter asside, and make topping. To make the topping:  For the topping, melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet placed in the hot or heating oven. When melted, remove skillet from oven, swirl to coat evenly with butter, then spread brown sugar evenly over the butter. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Pat pineapple slices very dry between several thicknesses of paper towel. Cut pineapple slices in half, reserving one whole slice. Place whole pineapple slice in center of skillet, then arrrange half-slices in spoke fashion around whole slice in center. Add batter as follows while skillet is still warm. Spoon, or carefully pour batter over brown-sugar-pineapple topping in bottom of skillet, and spread evenly. Bake until top is golden and toothpick inserted into cake center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cake cool in skillet on a rack for 5 minutes, run a thin knife around edge of cake to loosen from skillet. Place serving platter over skillet, carefully invert cake onto platter. Let stand for 1 minute before carefully lifting skillet off. Replace any pineapple stuck to bottom of skillet, scrape any remaining glaze from skillet onto cake. Cool on platter on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cake is best immediately after making, but can be placed in the refrigerator over night. Store left overs in the fridge as well. *You may bake this in a regular baking dish, but if you dont have a cast iron skillet, try to either buy or borrow one, as it really is much better that way! Makes one 10-inch cake, for 8 to 10 servings.

Trevors' Pork Carnitas

With a hint of sweetness, and packed with flavor, this simple quick recipe will be sure to wow every time! Enjoy with tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, or even sandwiches.
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cook time: 4-5 hours
(this is not a "Cafe Rio Sweet Pork" Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 Pork Shoulder Roast (or rump if preferred)
• Kosher or Sea Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 2 cans (24oz) Cream soda
• 1/2 Cup Enchilada sauce (the better the sauce, the better it will be)
• 1 Tablespoon BBQ sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Rinse pork roast in room temperature water, without drying, apply salt and pepper liberally, rubbing into the meat with your hands.
2. Place roast into crock pot, and apply BBQ sauce. Set cooker to low and cook 20 minutes.
3. In a bowl, mix together the Cream Soda, Enchilada Sauce, and Minced Garlic, apply directly onto the roast, and set cooker to high setting for 4-5  hours or until tender and cooked through.
4. Once roast is cooked, pull out onto a cutting board and chop, not shred, the pork roughly with a large knife, until all pieced are smaller than 1" sq. 
5. Apply 1/4 cup of gravy mixture from Crock Pot to moisten the meat.
6. Heat 2 Olive Oil in a large skillet or pan to medium high, give the pork a quick toss around in the oil (no longer than 1 minute.
7. Salt and pepper to taste (liberally)
8. ENJOY!!!

Trevor’s 3 Bean, 3 Meat, Bacon Chili

Trevor’s 3 Bean, 3 Meat, Bacon Chili

2                Large Caramelized Yellow Onion

20 oz. fresh Pearl Onions (skinned and added whole)

16 oz.        Green Chilies

2                Anaheim Peppers

4                Fresh Garlic Clove

12 oz. Can Tomato Puree/sauce

24 oz. Can Diced Tomato

12 oz.        Tomato paste

1/2 Cup     Sugar (mixed right into chili)

2 Tbs         Sugar (for caramelizing the onions)

1/4 Cup     Sriracha Hot Sauce (or less if you don't want as much heat)

1 Tbs         Liquid Smoke

4 Tbs         Chili Powder

To Taste     Sea Salt/Pepper

Below are 12oz. cans

4 Cans       Black Beans

3 Cans       Kidney Beans

4 Cans       Pinto Beans

1 Lb.          Ground Turkey (cooked then added)

1 pack       Bacon Ends & Pieces or 2 packs bacon strips

1 Lb.          Smoked Beef Sausage (kielbasa style, pre-cooked)

Directions: 

• Cook the bacon extra crispy in the same pot you will be cooking the chili, do not drain. 
• Rinse all beans and add to the pot once bacon is crispy
• Add all tomatoes and tomato sauces
• Add sugar, chili powder, garlic, Sriracha, liquid smoke and kielbasa
• Meanwhile, caramelize onions in 1 stick butter, and once opaque add sugar
• Add onions to pot
• Use un-rinsed sauté pan to brown ground turkey, and add to pot
• Add diced green chilies, dice and add Anaheim peppers and whole skinned pearl onions
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Simmer for at least an hour before serving 

Notes:

• Make sure there is enough salt to offset the bitterness of the chili powder
• Sriracha is a Thai hot sauce, Any kind will do.
• Other types of peppers can be added to increase heat or change flavor, for example jalapeños or habaneros for heat, or chipotles for flavor.

Cranberry Salsa

Just had this dip at the Relief Society party, it is really good!

Delish Cranberry Salsa

1 (12oz) Bag of cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 Bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green, cut up
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 limes, juiced
3/4 C. white vinegar
1/4 tsp salt

combine cranberries, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, sugar and salt in food processor or blender. Chop to medium consistency. refridgerate if not using right away. serve with tortilla chips.

Tracy's Crepes

2/3 c flour. 1/2 teaspoon salt. 3 beaten eggs. 1 c milk. I usually double recipe. Sometimes triple. Combine flour, salt, eggs beat until smooth. Gradually add milk. Mix until very well blended. Make crepe a. Fill with deliciousness. Make sweet or savory.

Link to the best "around the world" cookies to celebrate St. Nicholas Day.

The vanilla cookies are the best!
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/cookies-other-traditional/#Serbian

Trevor’s Pumpkin Swirlies

Ingredients:

(Cake)
- 3/4 Cup Flour
- 1 Cup White Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 Teaspoons “Pumpkin Pie Spice”
- 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice (preferably fresh)
- Tablespoons Confectioners Sugar
(Filling)
- 1 (8 OZ) Package Cream Cheese (at room temp.)
- 1/3 Cup Softened Butter (salted)
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ Cup Confectioners Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- Citrus rind (I use a small amount of Orange, but other citrus is good if preferred)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, Grease a cookie sheet (with edges), lay down a layer of wax paper, and grease wax paper as well. (It wont work w/o wax paper)
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in pumpkin puree, eggs, and lemon juice. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread the mixture evenly.
3. Bake at 375, for 15 minutes.
4. Lay a kitchen towel on the counter, sprinkle liberally with confectioner's sugar, and turn the cake onto the towel. Immediately, and carefully, roll the towel up (lengthwise) with the cake in it. Place the cake-in-towel on a cooling rack and let it cool for 20 minutes. (no longer than 25)
5. Make the icing: In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, butter, vanilla, sugar, pinch of salt, and citrus rind with an electric mixer.
6. When the cake has cooled 20 minutes, unroll it carefully, and spread icing onto it. Immediately re-roll (not in the towel this time), and wrap it with plastic wrap. Place the cake in the refrigerator, seam side down, and chill before serving. Before serving, dust cake with confectioners sugar, and slice thick.

The one and ONLY Cafe Rio Pork Recipe

First off, you are welcome!! You will love this...more than the one you may already have. This tops yours!

Pulled Pork
3-4 lb. Pork Butt or Shoulder Roast
2 small cans El Pato Tomato sauce (found in the mexican aisle, this is a key ingredient)
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups brown sugar

Wrap pork completely with foil, place in crock pot and pour ½ cup water around roast. Cook for 8 hours on low. (YES, 8 hours! The longer you cook a pork roast, the easier it is to shred, the more tender it is, the more delicious it is. 8 hours is key!) Remove roast, drain juices, remove fat and shred. Dump the tomato sauces and brown sugar into the crockpot, stir together and add shredded pork back in. Cook two additional hours on low.

Cilantro Lime Rice
2 cups white rice
4 cups chicken broth
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
½ tsp. salt
2 limes, juiced
1 Tbs. butter
1 can green enchilada sauce
Combine rice, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and the juice from 1 lime in a rice cooker or saucepan. Cook according to package directions. When rice is cooked, juice the additional lime, green enchilade sauce and add in butter. Stir to incorporate.

Spicy Cilantro Ranch Dressing
1 envelope Buttermilk ranch dressing
1 cup milk
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 bunch cilantro,
2 large tomatillos, or 4 small, chopped
2 serrano peppers with seeds removed and chopped

Puree the above ingredients in a blender or food processor and refrigerate to thicken.

Additional ingredients
8 Tortillas, preferably homemade or uncooked tortillas for authentic flavor
1 cup colby jack cheese
crisp lettuce, shredded or finely chooped
1 can black beans, warmed
Salsa
Tortilla strips

To assemble:
Cook tortillas and melt ⅛ cup cheese on one side, leave open faced on plate. Top with lettuce, rice, pork, black beans, salsa, tortilla strips, and Spicy Cilantro Ranch Dressing.