Ropa Vieja Joses (Cuban Sloppy Joes) and Cheesy Squash Casserole

This ain't your typical cafeteria sloppy joe...oh no...these are so flavorful!!! Make sure to toast your bun though!!!
Cuban Sloppy Joes (Rachel Rae)
Ingredients
Mojo Sauce:
10 cloves garlic, cracked from skin
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin, eyeball it in your palm
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball the amount
1/4 cup water, eyeball it
The Joes:
2 pounds ground sirloin
1/4 cup green olives with pimiento, finely chopped (I didn't have any so I left this out)
1 tablespoon paprika, eyeball it in your palm
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco) eyeball it
1 cup tomato sauce
A palm full grill seasoning blend (recommended: McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 crusty rolls, split (if available to you, look for Cuban rolls or Portuguese rolls, they are slightly sweet, but good ole keisers work fine, too) 

Directions
Make the mojo sauce: put the garlic and onion in a food processor with cumin, lemon zest and juice. Turn processor on and stream in about 1 cup of extra-virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup of water. Turn off processor and reserve.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown. Add half of the mojo and crumble the meat as it cooks, about 3 minutes. Add olives and pimientos, paprika, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, tomato sauce and grill seasoning. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook over low heat 10 minutes.


Cheesy Squash Casserole (Paula Deen)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 medium yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 sleeve crackers, crushed medium to fine (recommended: Ritz)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the squash, onion, and butter until soft. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan, Cheddar, and sour cream. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Place in the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the cracker crumbs evenly over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly

Ranch Chicken

This one I tried the other night and it was AMAZINGLY GOOD! Like really good.  It's a Pioneer Woman recipe so I'm just linking to her post about it!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/ranch-style-chicken/

Strawberry Slush Punch....

This is my absolute favorite punch...I serve it at all showers!

You need:

2 quarts water, divided

2 cups sugar

3 packages cherry koolade

16 oz frozen strawberries, thawed and pureed

3 banana, peeled and mashed

6 oz can frozen oj concentrate, thawed

6 oz can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 liter ginger ale

In LARGE pot/dutch oven bring two cups water to boil and add sugar.  Stir to dissolve.  Remove from heat and add Kool-ade packets and stir.  Stir in remaining water, strawberries, bananas, and concentrates.  (I sometime have to blend it in the blender for get a good consistency).  Pour into gallon freezer bags and freeze.  Set out at least 3 hours to thaw...pour ginger ale on top.  Sooo goooood!

Summer Soup and fruit shortcake!

We made this tonight and it was really good ...you can pretty much make it out of all the veggies you have out in the garden!

You need:

2 TB Olive Oil

2 jalapenos seeded and chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

3 cloved garlic, minced
salt and pepper

1 (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 (16 oz) stewed tomatoes

1 can vegetable stock

3 TB fresh cilantro,chopped

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add 2 TB oil and all veggies....saute until veggies are tender (5-10 minutes).  Add crushed tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, veggie stock, salt, pepper, and cilantro.  Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.

Serve with grilled cheese quesadillas and top with avocado smash!

Avocado Smash:

2 Avocados

2 TB chopped cilantro

3 scallions

1 lime, juiced
1 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

1 plum tomato chopped

Add first 5 ingredients and smash with potato smasher.  Add the tomatoes and salt/pepper to taste!

Fruit Shortcake:

fresh fruit (we used strawberries, blueberries and peaches)

1 package frozen pie crust

vanilla ice cream

cool whip

Bake the pie crust in the oven for about 10 minutes on aluminum pan....once cool break into pieces.

Put several pieces of pie crust in bowl and top with ice cream, fruit, and cool whip!

Banana Bread

1/2 c veggie oil

1 c sugar

3 very ripe bananas (mashed)

2 beaten eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat to 350.  Cream oil and sugar together.  Add in mashed bananas and mix well.  Add in remaining ingredients.  Pour into greased loaf pans (will make 2).  Bake 50 minutes!