Lemony Lemon Bars

Lemony Lemon Bars 24 bars

Crust Vegetable oil 1 1/2 sticks butter, diced 2 cups flour 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for garnishing 1/4 tsp salt Filling 4 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks 2 cups sugar 1/3 cup flour 1 tsp lemon zest, grated 1 cup fresh lemon juice ( about 8 lemons)
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13 inch pan with vegetable oil and line with foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides.  Grease the foil with oil.  Mix flour, sugars, and salt together.  Pastry cut in the butter or mix in blender or food processor, should resemble fine crumbs when done.  Press evenly into the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of the foil lined pan, make sure there are no cracks in crust.  Bake 25 minutes or until golden.

Whisk the whole eggs and yolks, sugar, and flour in a meduim bowl until smooth.  Whisk in lemon zest and juice.  Remove crust from oven and reduce oven temp. to 300 degrees F.  Pour filling over warm crust and return to oven.  Bake 30 minutes or until filling in just set.  
Let bars cool, then refrigerate at least 2 hours.  Lift out of the pan using the foil and slice.  Dust with the powdered sugar before serving.  

*Hint to get the most juice from the lemons, roll lemons in a circle, while pressing down slightly for about 30 seconds. 

Chile Verde

Chile Verde serves 15

4-5 lbs pork roast or shoulder or butt 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper
1 lb tomatillas 1/2  med onion 3 cloves garlic, peeled 1/2 bunch cilantro 1 4oz can green chilies 1/2 jalapeno
1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp beef bouillon 2 tsp spicy montreal steak seasoning 2 tsp of salt Evenly sprinkle pork with 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.  Place in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.  I usually do 8 hours on low.  Shred pork with a fork disreguard visible fat and bone.  Do not drain liquid.

 Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Remove wrappers and wash tomatillas.  Place tomatillas and jalapeno on a baking sheet.  Roast for 20 minutes then turn them over and roast for 20 more minutes.  They should swell while roasting.   Color before roasting.

Colr after roasting.

Place tomatillas, jalapeno, onion, garlic, cilantro, and green chilies in a blender.  Blend until smooth. Add cumin, bouillon, steak seasoning, and salt to blender.   Blend a few more seconds.  

Pour sauce over the shredded pork and stir together.  Let simmer at least 15 minutes before serving.  Serve with burrito or taco shells, chips, over salad, etc.

   *The larger and bright green tomatillas the better the flavor.  I usually peel them in the store to make sure they are not wilted or pale. *I make this a lot for parties because it feeds so many and it is easy to keep warm during party in the crockpot. *I usually freeze half of the chile verde because it makes so much. *I usually double the sauce and freeze one batch of sauce for later. *You can use any steak seasoning you like. *I cut the cilantro right before the twist tie to get rid of the ends.

Chile Colorado

Chile Colorado Serves 15

4 lbs chuck roast 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp pepper 3 cloves garlic

6 dried red chili pods 3 cups water 3 cloves garlic
3 TBL  oil 1 1/2 TBL flour 2 tsp oregano 1 tsp cumin 1 TBL  chicken bouillon 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and 3 cloves minced garlic evenly over both sides of roast.  Place in a slow cooker for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. I prefer 8 hours on low.  Shred meat and remove visble fat from meat.  Do not drain .

In a medium sauce pan boil water.  Add dried red pepper pods and 3 cloves of garlic.  Boil for 20 minutes or until peppers are softened.  Stir occasionally.  Snip end off peppers with scissors throw ends away.  Place peppers, garlic and 11/2  cups of the pepper water in blender.  Blend on high for 2 minutes.  

Place a large bowl in sink.  Place a wire strainer over bowl.  Run the blended peppers through a strainer.  Use the extra water from peppers to help get all sauce through.  Throw away the leftover pulp. Set aside bowl with strained peppers.

Heat oil in a large skillet, add flour.  Make a roux by constantly stirring until it is a copper color. 

Add the strained peppers, oregano, cumin, chicken bouillon and salt.  Heat until boiling and thickened.  

Pour the sauce over the shredded beef in the crockpot.  Let simmer for 15 minutes.  Serve as burrito, taco or tamale fillling.