Pork Skewers with Greens and Twice Baked Potatoes

We decided to try a variation on the pork tenderloin. Chunk the tenderloin up and toss it with a mixture of 1/3C olive oil, 3T balsamic vinegar, some fresh tarrigon and salt and pepper to taste. Add some mushrooms and onion and allow the mix to marinate for a few hours. Skewer the meat and veggies separately because of the difference in cooking time. This is especially true with chicken and pork because, while we don't like the pork over done and dry, we don't want it medium rare like beef either. Turn the meat skewers after about 10 min on the grill and add the veggie skewers then. The greens were simply steamed and tossed with a little vinegar and hot sauce. The twice baked potatoes have been here many times before.

Beef Asparagus Roll-ups with Sundried Tomato Olive Sauce and Pasta

Apologies for the out of focus picture but you get the idea. We had some left-over london Broil to use. Start by sauteing 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1/4C diced onion in 2T olive oil. When the onions are soft, add 2T each fresh chopped basil and oregano. When the herbs become fragrant, add 1/4C dices sundried tomatoes and 1/4C sliced kalamata olives. Add 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes with their juice and simmer while you cook the pasta. Cut the left-over beef (we used london broil but flank steak would work too) into thin strips and wrap around pieces of asparagus. Secure with toothpicks. Place the roll ups in the sauce just long enough to heat them and return them to a plate. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce so that it can absorb some of the sauce before serving. Serve with the rollups and a green salad. Nice use for leftover beef roast.

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells - Adapted from Real Simple Magazine

Start by cooking the 10 jumbo shells according to package direction. While they cook, combine 8 oz. of ricotta cheese, 2C baby spinach leaves and 1/4C Parmesan cheese, 1C grated mozzarella cheese, some freshly chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the shells with the cheese mixture. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with about 12 oz. red sauce ( use your favorite) and place the stuffed shells on top. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 min, to heat through. Finish by placing the dish under the broiler to brown the cheese. We served them with grilled sausages and a green salad, but you could serve them alone.

Chili Verde

This is the green variety of the "Chili without Beans" posted here earlier. Start by removing the paper-like outer skins of about 8 tomatillos. Cut them in half and put them under the broiler with 5 cloves of garlic for about 5-7 minutes. The tomatillos will just be beginning to brown. Place the tomatillos and garlic in a food processor along with one seeded and chopped jalapeno, one seeded and chopped pablano pepper, one can of chopped green chilies and 1/2C cilantro leaves. Process to a smooth paste and set aside. Brown 1 lb of pork shoulder cut into chunks in about 3T olive oil. Remove the pork and add 1 diced med. onion and three cloves of garlic to the pan. When the onions are tender, add 1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano and add the meat back to the pan. Stir in the green sauce and add enough chicken stock to cover the meat. Cover and place in a 275 degree oven until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hrs. Top with fresh chopped cilantro and serve with your favorite tortillas and sides such as refried beans, avocado, sour cream and cheese.