Chicken and Beef Fajitas

Chicken and Beef Fajitas with all the toppings: cheese, sour cream, tomatoes (deseeded and chopped), sauteed red, orange, and yellow bell peppers, avocado, beans, and rice.  Marinade the meat for 2 hours on the counter or 6 hours in the refrigerator.  A flavorful marinade could be made with soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic (minced).  Cook the meat on the grill or broil in the oven, and then slice.

Creamy Butternut Squash and Ham Soup

Saute chopped onion until translucent, add cubed butternut squash and chicken stock.  Boil until butternut squash is tender.  Strain, saving liquid, and puree the butternut and onion in a food processor or blender, add as much of the saved liquid as necessary to puree the mixture smooth.  Add the mixture back to the pot and add cream and/or saved boiling liquid to make it creamy and the correct consistency, not necessary though.  I didn't use all the saved liquid, just pour out the rest.  Once hot and the correct consistency, I added cubed ham that were leftovers from a Christmas Ham dinner.

Slow Cooked Pulled Pork

Started with a 5 lb pound pork shoulder, also know as boston butt, cut of pork.  I let it brine all day in a mixture of salt, brown sugar, and water, and I used enough water to just completely cover the pork shoulder.  Once it had been in the brine for 12 hours, I patted it dry and added a dry rub all over, made from dry mustard, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.  If you are going to use a dry rub and brine, use less salt.  I used the correct amount of salt for a pork brine of that size and a dry rub, but if you are using the two together, it can be too salty.  My pork definitely came out over salted.  I slowed cooked it in the oven overnight at 200 degF in my oven, with the pork in a dutch oven, uncovered.  Once the inside temperature of the pork reached 175 degF, I turned off the oven without opening the door and let the pork rest for 2 hours in the hot oven as it cooled down.  Once the pork had completed resting, I pulled it apart using two forks and removed the bone.  Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce.