Café Rio Pork

Ingredients:
3 lb. Pork roast (butt or shoulder)
1 c Worcestershire sauce
1 t dried oregano
1 t powdered ginger
1 t salt
1 t chili powder
1 t garlic powder
2 T dried minced onions

Directions:
Cook all ingredients in a crock pot all day. One hour before serving, remove roast and shred it, dump out cooking juices. Put shredded pork back into crock pot and add…

1 c dark brown sugar
1 c red enchilada sauce

(Note: I didn’t add any brown sugar—it was sweet enough already)

Best ever banana muffins

3 large bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup melted margarine

Mash bananas; add sugar and slightly beaten egg. Add melted margarine. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Put in muffin tins and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.

(this is just a tip, which I am sure you know, but when my bananas are starting to go too brown and no one will eat them. I throw them in the freezer, then when I make these muffins, or anything calling for bananas, I just defrost those...)
-Vinnie

Turkey Divan

We love to make this after Thanksgiving with the leftover turkey.

2 bunches of broccoli
2 cups diced chicken or turkey
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs, buttered
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp lemon juice

Cook and drain broccoli. Arrange in casserole dish by stalk and head, alternating. Put turkey over top. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes....
-Vinnie

Orange Dump Salad

(I know the name sounds gross, but I really like it as a side, and kids LOVE it!)

3 cups cottage cheese
1 large tub of Cool Whip
2 cans mandarine oranges (small cans)
1 large can pineapple chunks, drained
6 oz orange jello mix

Mix first 4 ingredients together well, then sprinkle dry jello over; stir and let set in refrigerator until it thickens.

(the recipe actually calls for a 3oz pkg of orange jello and a 3 oz pkg of pineapple jello, but I can never find the pineapple jello...so I always just do two orange jellos...but it is good with the pineapple if you can find it!)
-Vinnie

Marshmallow chocolate squares

These are my new favorite treat...I promise I am addicted...

3/4 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa
3 well beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Icing
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
about 2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup milk
about 1/4 cup cocoa

Mix margarine, brown sugar and cocoa well and then add eggs, flour and vanilla. Bake at 350 F for 10-15 minutes in a 9X13 inch pan; take out and cover with marshmallows (I used about half a bag of small marshmallows). Put back in the oven until marshmallows are soft (about 7-10 minutes, depending on the oven, you dont want them brown...but just REALLY puffy). Remove from oven and cool. Then ice with chocolate icing and put crushed nuts on top (I never do the nuts).

Icing:
Combine butter, salt, vanilla and 1 cup icing sugar. Add remaining icing sugar with milk alternately...keep adding icing sugar until it is fairly stiff. Add cocoa...I add about 1/4 and then taste it, if it needs more chocolate, then I add more...Mix until smooth and creamy.
-Vinnie

Lemon Squares...

These are oh so good!

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
7 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup flour

Crust:
1 cup margarine
2 cups flour
1/2 cup icing sugar

Glaze:
2 cups icing sugar
1 Tbsp margarine

Crust: Mix ingredients together until cornmeal consistency. Pat into a 9X13 inch pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 F.

In blender, blend together eggs, sugar, baking powder, lemon juice and flour. Pour over warm crust and bake for 25 minutes at 350 F. Glaze with lemon glaze or just dust with icing sugar. (I like to just dust it with the icing sugar...but that is personal preference). This is really rich.
-Vinnie

Zucchini Soup

1 T. olive oil
steak, sliced into small, thin pieces
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 1/2 lb. Red, New, or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into cubes
3 c. water
2 c. vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 t. pepper
1 c. warm water
4-6 sun-dried tomatoes, not oil packed
3 zucchini, grated
2-3 green onions, sliced
1 (5oz) can evaporated skim milk
1 t. basil

In large saucepan, over high heat, bring the potatoes, water, broth, and pepper to a boil. Recude heat to slow, cover and simmer, stirring occationally, until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, saute steak in olive oil until it begins to turn brown. Add garlic and mushrooms. Continue cooking until meat is browned and veggies are soft.

Pour the warm water into a small bowl. Add tomatoes. Let stand until tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes. Drain, then chop the tomatoes finely.

Remove potatoes from heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about half of the potatoes to another bowl. Mash until almost smooth. Return to saucepan. Add zucchini, green onions, and mushroom mixture and stir to blend.

Return saucepan to medium heat, cover and simmer, stirring once or twice, until zucchini is tender and wilted, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, basil & chopped tomatoes. Serve. --Keri