Tamara's Cauliflower deluxe

I am fortunate to have friends.  I am REALLY fortunate to have a friend who is a professional chef.

Seriously.  How cool is that?  She is better than Allrecipes.com.

I was home alone a few weekends ago and wanted something fun to make.  I love cauliflower so I wanted to make something with it.  I sent her this note on facebook and I KID YOU NOT in less than 30 seconds this is what I get back. 

I'm a huge fan of cauliflower, two cheap and dirty recipes come to mind.

Cooked chicken cut up (this is optional, I would totally make it without anything else)
Chopped cauliflower
Chopped onion
Rotini or wild rice (I used regular elbow pasta)
1 can cream chicken soup
1 cup mayo  (I would use 1/2 cup next time)
1/2 cup sour cream
Shredded cheddar (notice no amount listed.  Use your best judgment.  I used it all)
At least 1 T curry powder or paste.  (Next time I would use at least 3 T of curry powder)

Her directions:

Get your Mise en Place together with the chopped chicken and onion, add soup, mayo, sour cream and spices in a bowl and mix. Boil rotini, at the last minute throw in cauliflower, strain, shock in frigid water, toss with other ingredients. Add ingredients to an oiled or sprayed pan, top with plenty of cheese, bake for 30 minutes.

I like to freeze half for a later, "I don't want to cook tonight" moment. This is one of those leftover recipes, I would have a grilled chicken one day and have made cream of broccoli or cauliflower soup on another and just start tossing stuff in.

I might cook a little longer to heat through the cauliflower.  This is AMAZING.  Sooooo good.  I had it for dinner with a salad and several lunches the following week. Thank you my friend.  And no, I won't share her email address.  :)

Salad dressing - Caesar Vinaigrette

Several weeks ago, I bought a little gem of an e-book with salad recipes.  What  I didn't count on were the amazing salad dressing recipes.  WOW.

Last night, we made a Caesar salad dressing from scratch.  It called for anchovy paste that activated the gag reflex (ick) but ... it added the perfect kick to the dressing. 

Oh yum. 

1 clove garlic minced.  (We never use one clove and we use the garlic press)
1 T Dijon mustard
1 t anchovy paste
1/4 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t Tabasco sauce
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 T)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place the garlic, mustard, anchovy paste, W sauce, and Tabasco sauce in a small bowl and, using a fork, mash them into a paste.

Add the lemon juice and stir to combine.  Whisking constantly, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream.   Continue to whisk until the dressing thickens. 

Fantastic.  Best dressing I have had in a while AND NO EGGS!  :) 

Crockin' Sunday- Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder

We are on a roll with the slow cooker.  Here is what is in the crock pot cooking.

5 lbs pork shoulder
1 c. BBQ sauce
2 c. beef stock
1 tbsp. table salt (or to taste)
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. granulated garlic (or to taste)
1 tsp. onion powder (or to taste)
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
Multiple shakes of Mickey & T's rib rub.  Double Yum.

Combine dry ingredients. Rub dry ingredients on pork, covering completely. Store overnight in tin foil. On a grill or on griddle which has a grilling side, sear meat thoroughly creating grill marks.

In a Crock-pot, combine Beef stock and BBQ sauce. Add pork shoulder to the slow cooker.

Set Crock-pot on high for 8 hours turning over half way through. Remove from Crock-pot and mash with hands adding 1 1/2 cups liquid from the crock.

Submitted by: Jem J Hamilton