Barbacoa Pork

Café Rio’s Sweet Barbacoa Pork
Source: The girl you ate everything (a mix between Sheri Denney and Martha McMullin’s recipes)
Serves 12-15 people

Ingredients:
7-8 lbs. boneless pork butt or shoulder (make a 3-4 lb pork roast if you are just doing your family)
4 cups root beer
5 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
4 Tablespoons molasses or honey
3 teaspoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt
2 – 3 cups brown sugar
pepper to taste
4 teaspoons cumin

Instructions:
Recipe Note: The above sauce makes a ton! So if you have a 3-4 lb pork roast, half the sauce.

Salt and pepper the pork and cook in crock pot 8 hours or overnight on low in a little water. In the morning remove the roast from the crockpot and pull apart with fork, removing fat. Drain all the water in the crockpot. Don’t overshred the pork or it will turn mushy.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot and add the shredded pork. Stir to combine. Cook another 3-4 hours in crockpot on low. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Traditionally this meat is served over a salad or in a burrito.

To make a Cafe Rio salad layer:

tortilla  (I warm mine in aluminum pans like cafe rio in the oven with cheese)
cheese
Cilantro Lime Rice
Black or Pinto Beans
Pork
Chopped Romaine or green leaf lettuce
sprinkle tortilla strips on top
grated Parmesan cheese

Serve with sides of:
pico de gallo
guacamole
fresh cilantro
fresh lime slices
Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Chicken Parm Bake

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed 
• hot red pepper flakes, to taste 
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 5, but they were huge!) 
• 2 cups marinara sauce 
• 1/4 cup chopped basil 
• 8 oz mozzarella, shredded 
• 4 oz Parmesan, grated 
• 1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Place olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes at bottom of baking dish. Align chicken breasts at bottom of dish, coat chicken with marinara sauce. sprinkle with basil and top with half of cheeses. Pour package of croutons on top of everything and spread evenly. Pour remaining cheese over croutons. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until chicken breasts are fully cooked.

Egg Muffins

Egg Muffins Revisited
 (Makes 12 muffins, recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from The South Beach Diet book. 

Ingredients:

• 15 eggs (for silicone muffin pans, use 12 eggs for metal muffin tins or individual silicone cups. You can use less egg yolks and more egg white if you prefer.)
•  1-2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional, if you have food allergies or don't have Spike, use any type of seasoning blend that's good with eggs.) 
• 1-2 cups grated low fat cheese (I like sharp cheddar or a blend of cheddar/Jack cheese, use less cheese if using meat) 
• 3 green onions diced small. Optional: chopped veggies such as blanched broccoli, red pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, etc. (Using veggies will reduce the fat content) 

Optional: diced Canadian bacon, lean ham, or crumbled cooked turkey sausage

 Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 F. Use regular or silicone muffin pan, 12 muffin size.

If using silicone pan, spray with nonstick spray. If using regular muffin pan, put two paper liners into each slot, then spray liner with nonstick spray. In the bottom of the muffin cups layer diced meat, if using, vegetables, if using, cheese and green onions. You want the muffin cups to be about 2/3 full, with just enough room to pour a little egg around the other ingredients.

Break eggs into large measuring bowl with pour spout, add Spike, and beat well. (I used to add a bit of half and half or milk, but lately I like the way they turn out without it.) Pour egg into each muffin cup until it is 3/4 full. I like to stir slightly with a fork.

Bake 25-35 minutes until muffins have risen and are slightly browned and set. Muffins will keep more than a week in the refrigerator. Egg muffins can be frozen and reheated, but I like them best when they are just refrigerated. For best results, thaw in refrigerator before reheating. Microwave on high about 1-2 minutes to reheat.