I have a head cold and I made this recipe on a whim last night. It turned out excellent and really cut through the sickness. I didn't measure the spices so feel free to use your best judgment here.  

Spiced Pork Stew

3 pounds boneless carnitas pork, roughly cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon dry minced onion
cayenne, to taste
2 small acorn squash, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
Chicken broth, as needed

Heat oil in large, heavy pan over medium-high heat until the pork is just browned on the outside. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the pan.

Add the ginger, garlic, spices and 1/4 cup chicken broth to the pot. Cook until tender and fragrant. Once the garlic and ginger are soft and tender, add the rest of the ingredients, including the meat, back into the pot. Add just enough chicken broth to almost cover the meat and vegetables, but not quite.  

Bring just toa boil. Reduce heat and simmer on medium-low until everything is tender, approximately 30-40 minutes. Cooking longer is fine, but your vegetables will begin to disintegrate. ;) Salt and pepper to taste.  I used fresh flake sea salt.

You'll need a fair amount of table/counter space for this and a bit of preparation, but it's actually fairly simple and so worth it. If you like zucchini, that is. ^^;

3-4 medium sized zucchini (green summer squash, about 2 pounds)
2 cups egg substitute (I use the stuff you can get at Costco. You get six cartons to a box and I used a whole carton.)
2 whole eggs
1/4 cup milk (I used skim)
2 ounces grated three-cheese Italian blend (parmesan, romano, asiago, though any one of the three would work)
2-3 tablespoons Bisquick (regular flour would work in a pinch)
Salt
Pepper
Italian seasoning
Olive oil non-stick spray

First, spread out some thick paper towels (might need a couple of layers) over a wire rack or in a colander. Slice your zucchini (a little on the thick side, about 1/4 inch), spread it on the paper towels, and sprinkle it with salt. You can layer it if you need to, but make sure each layer has a layer of salt. The salt makes the zucchini "sweat". After about an hour or two, wipe off all the "sweat". Your zucchini should be slightly limp. ;)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a big bowl, toss your zucchini with the Bisquick, grated cheese, pepper, salt and herbs. Spray a shallow baking dish (I used a 9x13", but an 11" should work, anything deeper/narrower will require longer cooking time) with olive oil non-stick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with the zucchini slices, then sprinkle the remaining Bisquick/cheese mixture over the top.

In the same bowl, mix your milk, egg substitute, eggs and just a little more salt. Beat with a whisk for a good 30 strokes or so. Pour this mixture over the zucchini, making sure that every slice is well coated at least once and not a bit is left dry. If you like, you can sprinkle extra Italian seasoning or pepper on top.

Mine made one layer because I used such a wide pan. I baked it for 15 minutes, then left it in the oven (with the heat off) for another five. If you are using a deep dish, you may need 20-30 minutes. If it's a thin pan, it should be obvious when it's done, but if it's thick, you'll want to test the center with a fork or a table knife to make sure it's cooked through. To do this, insert the utensil into the center of the pan and pull it out carefully. If there is slimy uncooked egg on your knife/fork, it's not done. Simple enough. ;)

I served this with chicken/tomato/basil sausages and green salad. Made as instructed above, it's very low-calorie. Don't feel guilty. ^_____^

(makes 4 servings)

1 Boboli whole wheat pizza crust
1 small can tomato sauce flavored with garlic, basil, and oregano
1 small can pineapple chunks
8oz ham, chopped
1 1/3 cup pizza style three cheese blend (or Mozzarella)
1 medium sized red bell pepper, chopped

( Nutritional Content )

4 cups fat free chicken broth
4 boneless, skinless breasts of chicken
4 cups water
25 baby carrots, cut in half
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons dried minced onion

2 cups bisquick
2/3 cup 1% milk

Simmer chicken breasts in broth 10 minutes. Reduce heat to Medium. Add veggies, water and seasonings. Simmer until tender.

Meanwhile, mix bisquick and milk in a medium bowl. Divide dough into 8 parts and roll loosely into balls. Return soup to a boil. Drop balls in. Reduce heat to Medium. Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and continue cooking 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information based on entire pot making 8 servings.

Tomorrow is Irish Pride day. In honor, here is a recipe for Colcannon. It is the ultimate Irish side dish. This is my bastardized version, but I'm Irish, so that counts, right?

1/2 head cabbage, chopped (I've heard kale or dark cabbage works best, but I haven't tried it)
3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 large parsnip (or two small ones), chopped
1/2 pound bacon, cooked to a crisp and chopped
1 stick butter
half and half, as needed for desired consistency
salt and white pepper to taste

Boil the cabbage in salted water until it is tender (but not mushy). Drain well and keep warm. Boil the remaining vegetables in salted water for 20 minutes. Drain well. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add about four ounces of half and half. Heat until warm. Add potatoes, carrots and parsnip. Mash well. Add bacon, cabbage and seasoning. Add more half/half as needed.

2 1/2 pounds ground Italian sausage (sweet, hot or a mix of both)
1-1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, thickly sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
1-2 ounces fresh basil, chopped
1/2 ounce fresh oregano, chopped
1 26-ounce can crushed tomatoes, with puree
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (about 4-6, depending on size, Roma recommended)
12-16 ounces pasta (Radiatore works well)
grated Parmesan, Romano, Asiago (I used a combo of all three)
(optional) crushed red pepper

Saute the sausage in a large pot over medium-high heat until brown. Drain excess grease. Add garlic and onions; saute until tender and translucent. Add mushrooms and herbs; saute 1 minute, stirring often. Add both cans of tomatoes; cover and simmer over medium heat 20 minutes. Remove cover and simmer for anther 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. For extra zing, add crushed red pepper and additional fresh minced garlic. Add diced tomatoes; simmer until tomatoes are soft, stirring frequently, about 15-20 minutes. Season with pepper.

Cook pasta according to package directions until tender, but still firm. Drain well, add to sauce, toss to coat. Serve with copious amounts of cheese.

On the side, I served cottage cheese with pears, green salad and crusty garlic bread.

Linguica is a Portugese sausage. It's great on pizza, so I thought I'd try it in this stew recipe.

6 slices bacon
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
1 pound linguica sausage, sliced
6-8 medium potatos, chopped
4 small zucchini, chopped
10 white button mushrooms, quartered
16 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 cup red wine (I used a Pinot Noir)
1 cup water
parsley, basil, salt and pepper to taste

Heat your skillet to medium-high. Use kitchen shears to cut the bacon into 1 inch pieces. Cook, stirring often, until bacon is crispy, but not burnt. Scoop out the bacon and let drain on paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan. Saute the onion and garlic in the bacon grease until the onions are carmelized. Once carmelized, they will be soft, sweet and that lovely golden color. Meanwhile, break the now-cooled bacon into pieces in your big soup pot. Add the carmelized onions and garlic. Drain the remaining bacon grease. Use the same skillet to brown your linguica. Add the linguica to the pot. Add the vegetables, tomato sauce, water and wine. Stir well and bring to a simmer. It will seem as if there is not enough liquid in the pan, but the mushrooms and zucchini will cook down and you'll have a thick stew by the time it's all done. Stir in the seasonings. Cover and simmer, stirring occassionally until the potatos are tender, about 2 hours. Dish into bowls, sprinkle with shredded parmesan and romano. Serve with warm bread of your preference and the remaining wine.

This recipe was a throw-together of things I had laying around. All I actually purchased was the chicken broth and nappa cabbage. I was going to use savoy, as suggested in an Austrian Pork Stew recipe, but there wasn't any at the store that I visited. It turned out quite tasty. I was very, very liberal with the pepper. The texture turned out almost as thick as mashed potatos, though I only used about 2 cups. Very fragrant.

1 small lean pork roast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
olive oil or butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
4 medium-large potatos, quartered and sliced thick (peeling optional)
5 carrots, sliced thick
1 small head nappa cabbage
32 ounces chicken broth
savory, to taste (about 2 tablespoons)
about 2 cups leftover mashed potatos

Heat pot with oil or butter over medium-high heat. Sear the pork chunks. Toss in the garlic and onions and give it a few good stirs while it continues to sear for a minute or two. Sprinkle with salt and liberal amounts of pepper. Stir.

Add potatos, carrots and chicken broth. Remove any outside leaves from your cabbage as well as an damaged portions. Cut off the bottom 2 inches and discard. Slice remaining cabbage and add to the pot. When it boils, reduce heat to medium.

Simmer for 10 minutes to let the cabbage steam a bit, then stir well. Add savory to taste. Stir well. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for an hour and a half. Thicken with leftover mashed potatos.

1-2 pounds ground Italian sausage*
1/2 onion, chopped fine (or 1/4 dry/minced)
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchini, grated
2 carrots, grated
1 stalk celery, finely chopped (optional)
1 small bag baby spinach
1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatos
3 tablespoons basil~
2 tablespoons oregano~
1 tablespoon marjoram~
1/4 cup sugar
1 16-ounce tub cottage cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella or mixed Italian cheeses
1/2 cup parmesean, shredded (or 1/4 cup dry/grated)
16 ounces pasta of choice (gemelli, ziti, penne)

*You may use either turkey or pork Italian sausage. If you use turkey, you will need to add a little olive oil to keep it from sticking.

~Herb measurements are approximations for dry herbs. I don't measure spices. If using fresh herbs, double the amount.

Begin to brown your sausage in a large pan over medium-high heat. As it is browning, add the onions and garlic. Continue to cook until onions are soft and translucent. Stir often.

Add zucchini, carrots, and celery. Cook until the zucchini begins to soften. Add spinach. Give it a quick stir to wilt the spinach.

Add tomatos and sauce. Immediately reduce heat to low. Stir in herbs and sugar. Let simmer all day long, stirring now and then.

Eventually, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta according to package directions, though keeping on the al dente side. You don't want to overcook the pasta once it's in the oven with the sauce. This will vary slightly depending the variety you choose.

Mix cooked pasta with sauce, cottage cheese and 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Pour mixture into a baking dish, top with remaining cheeses. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and turns a golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves well with salad and bread of choice, but there are enough vegetables in the pasta you can skip the salad if you like.

3-4 pounds -lean- pork roast
1/2 onion, sliced
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons apple cider
2 teaspoons grated orange peel (avoid the white pith)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Spread the sliced onion in the bottom of a crock pot. Lay the roast across the top of the onion and sprinkle with pepper.

Mix honey, cider, orange peel, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Pour over top of roast.

Cook on low 8-10 hours. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Smells -heavenly- while it's cooking and tastes great, too!