Wedding Food Part 3

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is a great summertime salad perfect for a side with grilled chicken or pork.

• Baby Spinach, washed
• 2 Tbl sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 quart strawberries, sliced
• .5 cup canola oil
• .5 cup sugar
  
• .25 cup white vinegar
• 1.5 tsp grated sweet onion
• .25 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbl. poppy seeds
• .5 tsp paprika

Mix the oil, vinegar, sugar, onion, poppy seeds, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce together in a jar. Shake well and refrigerate for at least an hour. Toss the dressing, spinach, strawberries, and sesame seeds together and serve.

Wedding Food Part 2

Island Coconut & Sweet Potato Stew w/Rice

This stew is great served by itself or over rice. We have eaten it with pita or naan bread, it is great as a main dish or side. It is very easy to make and the ingredients are found in most major grocery stores. It might closely resemble Jamaican flavorings though it incorporates Siracha, an Asian hot sauce, and Thai curry paste for heat and flavor.

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 2 gloves garlic, smashed
• 1 Tbl ginger, smashed
• 1-3 Tbl Thai red curry paste
  
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 16oz can lite coconut milk
• 1 liter vegetable stock
• 8oz red lentils
• 15oz pureed pumpkin
  
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbl Siracha, plus more for garnish
• cilantro for garnish
  

Make a thick paste by mashing ginger and garlic together using a pestle and mortar or a small bowl and the heel of a wooden spoon or puree in food processor. Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in a large saucepan, add the onion and sauté until transparent. Add the garlic ginger paste and sauté another 2 minutes until fragrant; lower heat and stir constantly to avoid burning the paste. Add the cumin and coriander and sauté for a minute more. Add curry paste and sauté for another minute. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Simmer over medium - low heat for about an hour or until sweet potato is soft and almost melting into the stew. Be sure to stir occasionally.

Garnish with cilantro and more siracha depending on level of desired heat.

Wedding Food Part 1

Spanish Gazpacho

This gazpacho recipe is one that I wrote for the wedding. I have modified it so that it is vegan by using vegan Worcestershire sauce, but you can easily substitute the real sauce that contains anchovies as well if you are not serving to vegetarians.

• 4 Roma Tomatoes, peeled and seeded
• 3 stalks of celery, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
  
• 3.5 oz sweet onion, roughly chopped
  
• .25 cup Vinagre de Jerez (Spanish sherry wine vinegar)
• .25 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 whole yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1.5 tsp chopped garlic
• .5 cup loose parsley
• 1 48oz can of salt-free tomato juice

Puree all but the tomato juice in a food processor for at least a minute, until smooth. Pour vegetable mixture and tomato juice into a pitcher and stir. Chill well. Serve in martini glasses garnished with an olive.

Georgia Pulled Pork with Mustard-Vinegar Sauce

If you want real, good BBQ and don’t have a smoker or time to watch the grill you should try this recipe. With this you just put it in the oven and check on it 5-8 hours later. I love the sauce, though it can be a little spicy. If you want, don’t add the sauce to the pork and leave it dry, though I do find it dries out a little after time in the fridge. This recipe also freezes great and can just be reheated in a crock-pot or saucepan, the day of serving. Enjoy this great BBQ and try it with coleslaw on top….my favorite.

Serving Size: about 12 Sandwiches

Dry Rub:
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse salt

1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight, covered, in the refrigerator. (I prefer overnight) Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake for about 6 hours. Basically, roast the pork until it's falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees F.

To make the barbecue sauce: combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the pork roast from the oven and transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take 2 forks and "pull" the meat to form shreds. Using 2 forks, shred the pork by steadying the meat with 1 fork and pulling it away with the other. Put the shredded pork in a bowl. Pour 1/2 of the sauce on the shredded pork and mix well to coat.

Toasted Coconut Pie

Well I haven't posted lately, and I am sorry to all that actually read this, but the last couple weeks of the semester have been upon us and I am sure that it is not just me that is extremely busy. This pie is extremely simple to make and great for something quick to whip up. By using a premade pastry crust from Pillsbury or some other brand, you can save a whole lot of time and it tastes just as great.

1 pkg premade pie crust

MIX TOGETHER:
3 beaten eggs
1 1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. melted butter
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla

STIR IN:
1 1/3 C. shredded coconut

Pour into an unbaked pie shell and bake 40-45 minutes at 350. Cool before serving.