Uncle-Niece Cooking Day!

It has finally arrived! My Uncle Tom and I have been talking for MONTHS about cooking together. We both love food and trying new recipes, so we thought this would be a great way to share ideas and have the family over to taste-test the recipes.

I had such a great time cooking with my uncle! I learned a few really clever tricks (like actually using the olive oil that the sun-dried tomatoes are packed in) and was so happy to share this time with him. He's a great man and a great cook that makes me proud to call him Uncle. I hope he had as much fun sharing recipes and stories as I did.

Below you will find the list of dishes and recipes that we decided to cook. There really wasn't any rhyme or reason, just dishes that we enjoy and wanted to share.

Uncle Tom's Dishes:
Blue Cheese and Carmelized Onion Galette
Fajita Enchiladas
BBQ Chicken Pizza with Carmelized Onion
Pasta with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

My Dishes:
Sweet 'N Spicy Asian Pulled Pork
Israeli Couscous with Apples, Cranberries, and Almonds
Honey Balsamic Chicken Satay

Blue Cheese and Carmelized Onion Galette

This was by far my favorite dish we made at our Uncle-Niece cooking day! I first had this dish at a family holiday party a few years ago. Ever since, I have been hounding my Uncle Tom to make it again. It is a great dish to make for a party because it's simple, yet makes a delicious and beautiful statement. Not only does this dish look fancy, it tastes amazing!

Blue Cheese and Onion Galette

1 pie crust (we used Pilsbury refrigerated crust to make

it easy on ourselves, but you can always make a homemade crust!)

1 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

2 medium sweet Vidalia onions halved and thinly sliced

2 t. sugar

2 T. balsamic vinegar

3/4 C. blue cheese crumbled (here we used Gorganzola, and slightly less than 3/4 C.)

2 tsp. fresh rosemary finely chopped

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil and butter together in a large skillet. Add onions and sugar, cook over medium heat until caramelized, stirring often, for about 25 minutes. Stir in vinegar and stir until it evaporates, about 2 minutes.

Heat oven to 350°F. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12 inch circle. Place on a ungreased cookie sheet. Roll the edges in about 1 inch and flute to create a border. Sprinkle cheese over dough. Spread onions over cheese. Sprinkle with rosemary and pepper.

Bake until crust is golden brown, about 25 - 30 minutes. Slice into wedges.

Sweet 'N Spicy Asian Pulled Pork

I first tasted this recipe at a work party this spring. I changed it slightly to make it a little spicier. This dish is an interesting and delicious twist on pulled pork. The flavors come together to create something that at first is sweet but with a nice bite at the end. When using the sweet chili sauce, use as little or as much as you like. With this dish, you really can't go wrong! It may take some patience, but everything goes into a crockpot and cooks together until you have a deliciously tender meat for pulled pork sandwiches. This recipe makes a lot, so be sure and invite some people over for a casual and tastey get-together! It was a hit at our Uncle-Niece cooking day!

Sweet 'N Spicy Asian Pulled Pork

7 lb. Pork loin, shoulder or butt (here I used pork loin, it's what was on sale that day)

1 head of garlic, peeled

2 medium onions, peeled and cut in half
2 C. Lemon-lime soda

2 tsp. Chinese Five Spice (a little goes a long way!)

1 large can pineapple juice

1 can coconut milk

1 large bottle of Sweet Chili Sauce (located in the Asian aisle of any supermarket)

2 bags French rolls, sliced

Remove as much fat as you can from the pork and place it in the crockpot. Add the garlic, onions, and Chinese Five Spice powder. Add the soda. Fill the rest of the crockpot with water until the pork is covered. Cook on low a long time, at least 8 hours. (I cooked mine overnight) The pork should pull apart very easily.

Once the pork can be easily pulled apart with a fork, strain through a colander. Throw away the garlic pieces and onion. Pull the pork apart with forks, discarding any remaining fat. Put shredded pork back into the crockpot.

Add the coconut milk, about 1 1/2 cups of pineapple juice, and half a bottle of Sweet Chili Sauce. Stir and continue to cook on low another 3-4 hours. Taste to see if you want to add more chili sauce. If it begins to look dry, add more pineapple juice.

Once hot and the flavors have married, serve on sliced French rolls.

Fajita Enchiladas

These enchiladas were a recipe of my Uncle Tom's that were a huge hit at our gathering! They are very simple and come together quickly, but are packed with fajita flavor. This recipe would be great for a larger gathering because it's very filling and is hearty enough to serve a crowd. It can, however, be easily divided and made as a delicious weekday dinner meal.

Fajita Enchiladas

1 Tb. olive oil

1 Lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and cooked (we used most of a whole chicken roaster for added flavor and tenderness)

1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 large onion, thinly sliced

1 (4.5 oz.) can chopped green chiles

3 C. shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese (we used both)

2 (10.5 oz) cans red enchilada sauce (or just use one large can)
1 package flour tortillas (12 tortillas, 6-inch round)

1/4 C. fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add peppers and onion. Cook until veggies are tender but still crisp, about 4 minutes. Stir in chiles, cooked chicken, 1 1/2 cups cheese, and 1/4 C. enchilada sauce.

In the bottom of a lightly greased 13X9 glass baking dish, evenly spread about 1/2 C. of the enchilada sauce.

Spoon about 1/2 C. of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas. Place each seam side down on the enchilada sauce, arranging them in 2 rows. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Cover tightly with foil.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and back, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with cilantro just before serving.

Honey Balsamic Chicken Satay

This dish is a quick way to have appetizers ready for a sudden dinner guest. The marinade is quick but packed with flavor. This can also be adapted using whole chicken breasts to serve as a main dish.

Honey Balsamic Chicken Satay

1 Lb. Chicken tenderloins, cut in half

1 Tb. olive oil

4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided

4 Tbsp honey

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

10-15 bamboo skewers (one for each piece of chicken)

Heat grill to medium heat. In a ziplock bag, combine the chicken, oil, 1 Tb. vinegar, salt, and pepper. Marinate for at least 15 minutes, but up to overnight. Once marinated, skewer each piece of chicken onto a bamboo skewer. Grill until chicken is golden, and cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the remaining vinegar and the honey. Cook, stirring often, until very thick. Coat the cooked chicken with the glaze. Serve the glaze alongside the chicken satay.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

This pizza was an afterthought during our Uncle-Niece cooking day. We used some of the ingredients from other dishes and made an amazing pizza. It comes together quickly but tastes like it took all day.




BBQ Chicken Pizza
(from my Uncle Tom)


1 pizza crust (we used Boboli)
1/2 C. (or so) BBQ sauce
1 C. chicken, shredded (we used chicken from a store-bought roaster)
1/2 C. Carmelized onions
Garlic salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 C. shredded cheese


Assemble the pizza crust with the BBQ sauce, chicken, onions, salt and pepper. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in a 500 degree oven until the cheese melts and begins to brown.

Pasta with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This recipe was given to me by my Uncle Tom. It is a delicious and hearty pasta dish that could be a side dish or stand alone as a main course meal. I thought the technique of using the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes was genius! It really adds great flavor to the sausage and ties the rest of the dish together.

Pasta with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

(Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis)

3/4 C. Sun-Dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced

2 Tb. oil from sun-dried tomatoes

1 Lb. Italian sausage (hot or mild), casings removed

2 (8 oz.) packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

2 Lg. garlic cloves, chopped

1 3/4 C. Chicken broth

1/2 C. Dry white wine

1/4 C. tomato paste

Sugar, to taste

Salt

12 Oz. pasta, such as penne, farfalle, or rigatoni

1/2 C. freshly shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

1/3 C. fresh basil, chopped

1/4 C. flat leaf parsley, chopped

8 Oz. fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed (optional)

Freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil from the tomatoes in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-sized pieces. Transfer sausage to a bowl.

Add the artichokes and garlic to the skillet and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, tomato paste, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces slightly. Add a small amount of sugar to the sauce only if the tomatoes are too tart.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, do not rinse. Add the pasta, sausage, and 1/2 C. of parmesan cheese, basil, and parsley to the atrichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella, if using. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with additional parmesan cheese on top.