Week 22

*Chicken Wild Rice Soup
*Creme Brulee French Toast
*Crock Pot Coca Cola Pork Barbeque
*Caribbean Salad

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

• 4 cans chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 box Uncle Ben's wild rice original
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 cup carrots chopped
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 cup chicken cooked and diced ( I use a  rotisserie chicken) 
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

Combine chicken broth, water, and rice, reserving the seasoning packet aside.  Boil for 25 minutes. During last 5 minutes, add carrots.  In a small skillet, melt a tablespoon of butter and sautee the onions until slightly browned. In a separate pan, melt butter and then add flour, salt and pepper and seasoning packet. Stir until smooth.  Then add the half and half and heat until thickened. Add this mixture to the rice mixture. Add the onions, chicken and bacon and heat through.  Add milk if too thick.

Creme Brulee French Toast

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 TBSP light corn syrup
• 1 loaf Texas Toast or Texas French Bread
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. salt

Melt the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup over medium heat until smooth, just until sugar is melted. Don't cook. Pour into an 11x17x1 cookie sheet. Cut each slice of Texas toast into thirds so you have 1"x3" strips. Arrange the bread strips in a single layer on top of the sugar mixture.

Mix the eggs, half and half, vanilla and salt; pour over the Texas toast. Refrigerate for at least 7 hours. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes until lightly browned.  When removed from the oven, immediately flip each piece over onto a serving platter or you can't get it out of the pan.  Serve with syrup.

Crock Pot Coca Cola Pork Barbeque

• 3 - 4 lb. Pork Roast, Boston Butt or Shoulder
• 6 oz. Coca Cola at room temperature
• Black Pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, salt, Wochestershire sauce, and liquid smoke 
• Granny's BBQ Sauce

Trim the excess fat from the roast. Season the bottom moderately with the seasonings. Place the roast in the crock pot and pour the Coca Cola in.  Season the top moderately and put the lid on. Turn it on low and cook for 12 hours.

Turn the crock pot off.  Carefully remove the roast to a large bowl or platter.  It will be very hot and falling apart. Dispose of the cooking liquid. After the crock pot cools a bit, wash it, dry it and return it to its base. After the meat has cooled enough that it can be handled, remove the fat and connective tissue and break the meat into medium pieces. Return the meat to the crock pot. Add the barbeque sauce and stir thoroughly. The objective is to moisten and flavor the meat, not to overwhelm it. Replace the lid. Turn the crock pot on low and cook for 4 more hours.

Serve the meat either as a main course or as an open face sandwich.

Granny's BBQ Sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 TBSP pepper
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• juice of a lemon

Mix thoroughly and simmer for 15 minutes.

Caribbean Salad

• 1 large bunch Romaine lettuce
• 2 - 3 chicken breasts grilled
• 8 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 red bell pepper, diced or sliced
• 4 - 5 green onions chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 - 8 TBSP dried cranberries
• black or regular sesame seeds

Dressing

• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 3 TBSP white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 1/4 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 3/4 cup canola oil

To prepare dressing, combine everything except canola oil in blender. Blend until sugar is dissolved.  With the blender running on low, remove the stopper from the lid and slowly drizzle in oil, mixing until just combined.  Store dressing in fridge until ready to use.

To prepare salads, divide lettuce between 4 plates, top with grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro and cranberries.  Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds.