Grilled Pizza Crust

2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons yeast
2 tablespoons sugar

Mix together and let stand 10 minutes

1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tablespoon salt
5 to 5 1/2 cups flour

Mix the rest of the ingredients and kneed for 5 minutes using dough hook on Kitchenaid or kneed by hand for 10 minutes. Roll into balls (about the size of a baseball) and flatten using rolling pin until desired thickness (it is easiest to work with if they are personal sized pizzas). Drizzle or spray each side with olive oil to make sure it is covered. Pre-heat grill to 300 degrees. Place dough on grill and quickly close the lid. When grill marks appear on the crust and the inside starts to cook, flip crusts and quickly add toppings then close grill lid as quickly as possible. Leave closed till grill marks appear on the other side of the crust and cheese melts.

For freezer meal: Grill each side of the crust and do not add toppings. Freeze in ziplock bag. When ready to eat, thaw on counter (only takes about an hour), add toppings and broil in your oven.

My Favorite Cafe Rio Pulled Pork

3-4 lbs bone-in pork shoulder/butt roast (cheaper cuts do great in the slow cooker)
Coke

Add the pork and some of the coke (doesn't need to cover it) to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Remove the pork and shred. Discard bone and fatty pieces. Drain the juices from the slow cooker and return shredded pork to slow cooker.

2 cups coke
1 cup brown sugar
16 oz red taco sauce
1-2 tsp. chipotle pepper seasoning (to taste, it is a little spicy)

Combine these ingredients in a separate bowl and then pour on top of pork. Let pork soak for 30-60 minutes.

Serve with black beans, rice (cook using chicken broth instead of water, stir in some cilantro and lime juice after it is cooked), THIS salad dressing, and Tortillaland uncooked tortillas (Costco has these).
Or serve with lettuce, pico de gallo, guacomole, rice, beans and tortilla strips and the same salad dressing.

Shredded Wheat Banana Bread

3/4 cup sugar (I use 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
4 tablespoons buttermilk
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup flour (whole wheat works well)
1 1/2 cup crushed shredded wheat (leftover from cereal works)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine sugar and wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (except nuts). Add dry ingredients to wet and mix. Add walnuts. Pour batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan and bake for 60-75 minutes. Or pour into greased muffin tins (makes about 18) and bake for 25 minutes.

Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups pasta sauce

Mix all ingredients using your hands then shape into 15-16 balls. Place on cookie sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Place tomato sauce in a skillet and turn stove to low. Place meatballs in sauce and cover and simmer another 15-20 minutes.

Serve over spaghetti or on subs with provolone cheese.

Asian Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon oil
3 gloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon white sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and boil green beans for 5 minutes. Drain beans and immerse into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. In the meantime mix sugar, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar.

Heat a pan over medium heat then add both kinds of oil and then garlic. Saute for a minute then add green beans and the soy sauce mixture. Saute until beans reach desired crispiness.

Chile Rellenos

Sauce:
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chiles:
1 1/2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon dried oregano
6 poblano chiles, charred, seeded, and deveined *see Cook's Note
2 egg whites, at room temperature
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions
Sauce: Put the tomatoes, garlic and onion in a blender. Blend until smooth. In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes or till done with other steps. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Chile rellenos: Mix the cheese and oregano in a small bowl. Cut a slit through 1 side of the charred chiles and fill each chile with 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture. Close with toothpicks to hold the filling in place. In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolk and continue to beat for about 1 minute.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Dredge the filled chiles in flour until fully covered. Shake off any excess flour, then dip the chiles into the egg mixture, until well coated. Fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels.

Arrange the chiles on a serving platter, spoon the sauce on top and serve.

Notes
To char the chiles (or any fresh chile): Put the chiles over a gas flame or underneath the broiler and cook until they are blackened on all sides. Enclose them in a plastic bag and let stand for 10 minutes to steam, which will make them easier to peel. Peel, stem, and seed the chiles (use plastic gloves!) Once peeled, the chiles may be chopped, sliced or stuffed.

Eggplant Parmigiana Sandwich

1 large firm eggplant
Salt
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
6-10 soft rolls, warmed in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes before serving
3/4 cup part-skim Mozzarella, shredded
2 cups prepared marinara sauce, warm

Directions

Slice the eggplant crosswise about 1/2-inch thick - make slices as consistent as possible. Season eggplant slices with salt and let sit for 1 hour then rinse with water.

Beat eggs with a fork and place in shallow bowl. Place flour in another plate and bread crumbs in another. Then dip the eggplant slices in flour, then egg then seasoned bread crumbs, covering all surfaces, and set on cookie sheet.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and allow it to heat up. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.)

Add the breaded eggplant slices to the pan cook 3-4 minutes. Flip and put the cheese on and cover. Cook till the other side is browned and the cheese is melted.

Remove from frying pan and place onto paper towels to blot any excess oil.

Place 2 or 3 eggplant slices onto warmed roll, top with warm marinara sauce.