Copy Cat Cafe Rio Pork Barbacoa

(this is the best copycat recipe for Barbacoa I have tried, It works best over night with the crockpot, and then it needs to sit in the sauce for a few hours until the flavors combine. It is so good though it is worth it.)

5-6 pound pork roast
1 liter Dr. Pepper (not diet)
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
7 oz. can Chipotle Chilies in adobo sauce.
6 oz. red taco sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Place roast in crockpot, cover halfway with water and cook on low over night or on low for 12 hours. After 12 hours or in the morning after it is cooked, Drain of water and remove any fat. Shred cooked pork roast and then
Mix remaining ingredients until sugar dissolves. (I did not use all the chilies in the adobo sauce, I rinsed the chilies off in a cup of water and chopped about 3 of them and put the cup of the Dr. Pepper and the 3 chopped chilies in with the pork. Throw the rest away or keep them for another use. Using all the chilies in the adobo sauce is too hot for our family) Add the rest of the Dr. Pepper and all the adobo sauce minus the extra chilies. You can put the 3 or however many chilies you choose to use in a food processor them add to the pork. Add the sauces and spices and sugars then stir until the sugar is dissolved. Put back in Crockpot and cook for another 2 or 3 hours.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2 tsp. Olive Oil
1 medium onion chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can artichokes drained and chopped
2 pounds spinach (cleaned trimmed and coarsely chopped)
1/2 cup milk
6 oz cream cheese
3 dashed Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes hot sauce(Tabasco)
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Baguette slices, breadsticks, crackers or best with torn pieces of fresh French Bread.
Preheat oven to 425°oven. In a large Dutch Oven(5 qt Pot with a tight fitting lid) over medium heat, warm oil. Add Onions(chopped) and minced garlic, cook until lightly browned. 5 to 8 minutes.
Add Spinach in two additions, letting the first batch wilt before adding the next; cook until completely wilted. Add artichokes that have been drained and chopped.
Transfer to colander and drain.
In the same pot, warm the milk over high heat. Whisk in the cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese.
Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a lightly oiled 1 1/2 qt. shallow baking dish; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until bubbly and slightly golden brown. 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot with accompaniments as desired.

Grandma Laura's Finger Jello

4 pkg Knox Gelatine
4 cups boiling water
1 pkg 6 oz sugar free jello
1 pkg 3 oz sugar free jello
Stir together and put in a large shallow pan and let it chill for several hours or until it is set.

Fathers Day Salmon

1 Large piece of Salmon (with or without skin.)
Spray a large sheet of tin foil with Pam.
(it needs to go under the salmon and over the top enough to cover and seal your piece of salmon)
Wash your salmon and place on the prepared foil. Dry with a paper towel.
Spray or coat salmon with a few tablespoons of Olive oil. Sprinkle it with Lemon Pepper and a little seasoning salt. Fold over foil and seal top and sides. Place over hot grill and cook about 7 minutes in each side. Take off flame and let sit on plate or tray in the unsealed foil for 10 minutes. Unseal carefullly and serve with lemon juice or and Cucumber sauce or Fresh Tomato Corn Relish (recipes to follow)

Cucumber Sauce
!/4 cup reduced fat mayonaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped cucumbers(peel and remove seeds)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dill fresh chopped dill (or dried dill)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Mix and let sit for at least an hour for flavors to mix well. Serve with Fish.

Fresh Corn, Tomato and Avocado Relish (recipe revised from Salad in a Jar blog)
1 cup fresh or frozen sweet corn( run under cold water for a few minutes until soft.)
2 large fresh tomatoes diced.
2 large avocados diced.
1/4 cup cilantro chopped fine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
Blend ingredients and let chill and marinate for several minutes.
(This sauce is so good I put it out early to serve with the fish but most of it was used with tortilla chips and not was left for the fish) I make lots more now.

Mint Brownies

Mint brownies

Betty Crocker original supreme with Hershey's syrup - cook with high altitude instructions in side of box.

Peppermint frosting

5 cups powdered sugar

2 cubes of butter slightly softened but still cold

2 tbs of peppermint extract

1/4 cup milk poured in 1/2 at a time

4 to 5 drops of preferred food coloring

Beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer until well blended.

( frosting should look like thick paste)

Spread on cooled brownie

Chocolate topping

11.5 oz package milk chocolate chips

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

2 cubes butter

Pour into large microwaveable bowel and heat for 2 minutes and stir till all chips are dissolved.

Pour onto frosted brownies and smooth out

Then chill in freeze or fridge until set

Serve cool

Makes 35 1 1/2 inch square brownies

Easy Chocolate Ganache Cake with dipped strawberries

Easy Chocolate Ganache Cake Using a cake mix

1 chocolate cake mix (milk chocolate, devils food, or fudge cake mix)
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk( use 3/4 cup milk and add 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; let it sit for a few minutes until it is thick and slightly curdled
1 3-ounce pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix.
Add all ingredients together and let beat for 2 minutes.
Pour into 2 9-inch greased and floured cake pans, or 1 9 x 13 cake pan.
Bake round 9 -inch cakes at 350° for 25 to 27 min or until tests done in center of cake.
9 x 13 inch pan should bake at 350° for 35 to 38 minutes.
Take from oven and cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans and let cool on wire rack.



Chocolate Ganache Recipe:

24 oz bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped) you can also use 24 oz. chocolate chips either milk chocolate or semisweet.
2 cups heavy cream unless you want it thicker, add less cream

Directions:
Place chopped chocolate into a bowl. Slowly heat the heavy cream in a medium saucepan on the stove until it comes to a simmer (do not boil) As soon as the cream starts to simmer, remove it from heat and pour it gently over the chocolate. Let sit for 3 minutes, and then stir with a spoon or a mixer on low to blend the cream and chocolate. The mixture should be smooth. Allow it to cool for a few minutes until slightly thickened. Make sure WATER does not touch the chocolate or mixture or it will go really hard and will ruin your ganache.
Put ganache mixture in a covered container over night and leave on counter or in a cool place to thicken over night. If you need to use it right a way put it in the refrigerator or freezer for an hour or two. Take out and stir. Ganache can be whipped to make creamy ganache frosting or spread it on cake just after it is thickened and cooled. For layers of chocolate: frost cake with thickened ganache in middle layer. Save 1 1/2 cups of thickened ganache for top. Then whip remaining ganache with mixer until creamy frosting consistency. Then frost cake over all layers and decorate putting saved thickened ganache over top of cake and let drip down sides. Then decorate with dipped strawberries. Keep cake refrigerated.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries for top:

Wash several large strawberries and let dry completely.
1 large bag of milk chocolate chips
Melt milk chocolate chips in microwavable bowl for 1 minute. Stir and melt another 30 sec. Take out of microwave then stir until smooth and completely melted. May add 1 tablespoon margarine or shortening to thin chocolate if it is too thick. Dip strawberries in chocolate one at a time using a fork or hors d'oeuvres stick. Place in tray covered with parchment paper and let dry. Wait for several minutes to roll in chopped nuts or chocolate sprinkles then return to parchment and let dry. When completely dry put on top of cake.

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