Spicy Orange Chicken Stir-Fry

HG note: I made this with blanched asparagus, fresh peas and green beans. I like veggies cooked like this as opposed to in the stir fry itself. I also used fresh squeezed orange juice so I added a little bit of honey. Very delicious!

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice or long-grain white rice (10 to 11 ounces)
3/4 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small red onion, halved, thinly sliced
Large pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 8-ounce package stringless sugar snap peas

Cook rice according to package directions. Cover to keep warm; set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch in medium bowl until cornstarch dissolves. Mix in orange peel.

Heat oil in large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat. Add onion and crushed red pepper. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add to wok and stir-fry until onion is crisp-tender and chicken is just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and juice mixture. Toss until sauce thickens and comes to boil and peas are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with rice.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/353398

SLOPPY JOES

American Classics by Editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine

Serves 4
These sandwiches are sloppy to eat, so serve them on plates with forks and knives.

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 3/4 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup water
• Dash hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco (optional)
• 4 hamburger buns


1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the onion and saute, stirring often, until softened and browned around the edges, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and chili powder and saute until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the beef, salt, ground black pepper, and brown sugar and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, using a wooden spoon to help break the meat into small pieces, until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the tomato puree, ketchup, water, and Tabasco (if using). Cook until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon 1/2 cup of the meat mixture into each hamburger bun and serve immediately.
sandwiches

Carnitas in a Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (4 pound) boneless pork shoulder roast
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chicken broth

Directions

1. Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl. Coat pork with the spice mixture. Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the pork on top. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.
2. Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 10 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 5 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker, and shred with two forks. Use cooking liquid as needed to moisten the meat

Reviewer note (not mine): As the aroma of this wafted through the house I just knew we were in for something good and boy, were we! I doubled the amount of spices but left out the cinnamon, and used 4 big cloves of minced, fresh garlic instead of the garlic powder. I cut the roast into large chunks so the spices could penetrate the meat better and it worked like a charm. Finally, to make these more authentic, after shredding the meat into smaller chunks I spread it out in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and baked it in a 400 degree oven about 20 minutes, just long enough to crisp the exterior of the meat. Great on it's own, but in a tortilla with a little of the "Avocado Salad with Bacon and Sour Cream" this was just over the top good. The meat was tender and perfectly seasoned, keeping in mind, however, that I doubled up on the spices. We are looking forward to having the leftovers again tomorrow night!