This is easy but delicious (from eatingwell.com) Slow cooker braised pork with tomatillo salsa 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, or butt [i use loin] 1 1/2 cups prepared tomatillo salsa 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth [I use 1 cup or less] 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, or ground cumin 3 plum tomatoes, (1/2 pound), thinly sliced [I usually use drained diced fire roasted tomatoes from a can] 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream Directions: Trim and discard pork surface fat. Cut meat apart following layers of fat around muscles; trim and discard fat. Cut into 2-inch chunks and rinse with cold water. Place in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Turn heat to high. Combine salsa, broth, onion and cumin seeds in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour over the meat. Add tomatoes and mix gently. Put the lid on and cook until the meat is pull-apart tender, 6 to 7 hours. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a large bowl; cover and keep warm. Pour the sauce and vegetables into a large skillet; skim fat. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, skimming froth from time to time, for about 20 minutes, to intensify flavors and thicken slightly. Add the pork and 1/4 cup cilantro; heat through. To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro. Oven method: Total: 3 hours Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine pork, salsa, 1/2 cup chicken broth, onion, cumin seeds and tomatoes in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; cover snugly with foil. Bake until the pork is pull-apart tender, about 2 1/4 hours. Skim fat. Uncover and bake until the meat begins to brown, about 15 minutes more. Stir in 1/4 cup cilantro. Ladle into bowls, garnish with sour cream and remaining cilantro. Note---I usually I don't have time to start and/or finish the sauce on the stovetop, and it still tastes very good.

I'm glad I read through the whole string first -- mine is the same as fearlessm's! We loved it, too. I'm going to post it here for everyone's convenience, and also to note that Bittman said (not that anyone here needs permission!) to vary it as desired: rice, couscous, quinoa instead of bulgar; cilantro (ick) instead of parsley; other dried fruits instead of apricots, etc. I'll also submit another really good new one we loved this month. Both of these will be on the menu often. I used figs because I was low on apricots, and I increased the amount of tomatoes. I used six or more thighs, but only used about 1 1/2 times the other ingredients, which was PLENTY. Chickpea Tagine With Chicken and Apricots The Minimalist: An Expedited Tagine (NYT April 14, 2010) Time: About 45 minutes Yield: 4 servings. 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 skinless chicken thighs 1 large onion, chopped 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots (or figs, or any dried fruit) 1 cup (I like more) chopped tomato (fresh or canned or boxed, with juice) 2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained, with the liquid reserved 1 to 2 cups chicken or other stock, bean liquid, or water, or more as needed 1/2 cup bulgur (or couscous, rice, etc.) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish. 1. Put oil in a large, deep pot over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add chicken and brown well on both sides; remove from pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, add onion to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes; add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, dried apricots and tomato. Cook and stir just long enough to loosen any brown bits from bottom of pan. 2. Add chickpeas and 1 cup of stock or bean liquid to the pan and turn heat back to medium-high. When mixture reaches a gentle bubble, return chicken to the pan. Cover pot, turn heat to low and cook, checking occasionally to make sure the mixture is bubbling gently, for about 15 minutes or until tomatoes break down and flavors begin to meld. Stir in bulgur, adding more stock if necessary so that the mixture is covered with about an inch of liquid. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Cover and cook until the chicken and bulgur are both done, about 10 to 15 minutes. Taste, adjust the seasonings and serve in bowls (I didn't; just all in one big bowl. It's not too runny to eat on plates) garnished with parsley. *** This salad tastes fantastic, looks very colorful, and keeps really well. It would be great for a potluck. Recipe said it's best room temperature, but I loved the leftovers cold at least as much. It was reprinted in the Columbus Dispatch in January, I think, from Mustard Seed Market &Cafe Natural Foods Cookbook by Bev Shaffer. Wheat berry salad with curry vinaigrette Ingredients for the Curry Vinaigrette: 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 tablespoon. packed freshly grated ginger (about a 1-inch piece grated) 1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed 1 teaspoon sea salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Ingredients for the Wheat Berry Salad: 8 cups water 1 1/2 cups whole-grain wheat berries 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar 1 lb. red beets, washed, stems and roots cut off 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup finely diced red onion 4 celery stalks, cut in 1/4-inch thick slices 1/2 cup dried cranberries or dried tart cherries 1/2 teaspoon. ground cinnamon 1/2 cup toasted, coarsely chopped pecans Directions for the Curry Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, curry powder, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the oil in a slow steady stream, whisking to blend and form an emulsion. Set aside until ready to use. Makes about 1 cup. Directions for the wheat berry salad: In a large saucepan, combine the 8 cups of water with the wheat berries and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 35 minutes, until the wheat berries are tender but still chewy. Drain the wheat berries in a colander, then place them into a large bowl. Pour the vinegar over the hot wheat berries and toss, coating evenly. Seat aside to cool to room temperature. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Halve the beets, cutting them into roughly the same size. Toss with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place cut side down on a baking pan lined with foil. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until soft when pierced with a fork. When the beets are roasted, remove the pan from the oven and set aside just until the beets are cool enough to handle. Using a small paring knife or your fingers, peel the skin off the beets, and then cube the beets into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside in a glass bowl until ready to use. Toss the onion, celery, dried cranberries or cherries, and cinnamon into the bowl with the wheat berries. Pour the Curry Vinaigrette over the salad, tossing gently to combine. Just before serving, add the pecans and the beets. For best flavor, serve at room temperature. Makes 6 or more servings (It made a LOT more than that).

SLC, sorry I didn't get get your message until tonight. Here's a couple of cajun shrimp dishes. Sounds like you're adding some great stuff to your repertoire. I really don't mind cooking as long as I don't have to deal with leftovers, so it is actually fun planning and cooking for company once in a while. Shrimp is my favorite seafood and I love creole-cajun dishes. CAJUN STYLE BROILED SHRIMP Serves 2 as an appetizer 5-6 uncooked shrimp ¼ cup butter, melted (½ stick) 1 Tbsp. Louisiana hot sauce (Franks Red Hot or Crystal are good) 2 cloves garlic, pressed ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp coarsely ground or cracked black pepper ½ tsp finely chopped fresh parsley Pinch dried rosemary Lemon wedges Prepare the oven to 400 degrees F. Shell and de-vein the shrimp. In a small baking dish, combine the melted butter with the hot sauce, garlic, salt, cracked pepper, parsley, and rosemary. Stir. Arrange the shrimp side by side in the baking dish and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately broil the shrimp for 2-4 minutes or until the shrimp are done, but not chewy. Squeeze some lemon juice over the shrimp. Serve the shrimp sizzling hot in the baking dish This is from Ruths Chris Steak House and in keeping with their New Orleans flavor of many of their dishes. CREAMY CAJUN SHRIMP LINGUINE From Cooking Light Magazine Serves 4 1 cup water 1 can (14 oz) fat-free, less sodium, chicken broth 6 oz. uncooked linguine 1 pound med. Shrimp, peeled & de-veined 1 ½ Tbsp. butter 1 large red bell pepper, ½" slices ¼ tsp. salt ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 8-oz pkg. pre-sliced mushrooms 2 tsp. all-purpose flour 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning 2/3 cup half-&-half Combine 1 cup water & broth in Dutch oven; bring to boil. Break pasta in half, add to pan. Boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes. Add shrimp to pan. Cover and simmer 3 more minutes or until shrimp are done; drain. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sliced red pepper; saute 4 minutes or until moisture evaporates. Add flour, seasoning and salt to pan; saute 30 seconds. Stir in half-&-half; cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add pasta mixture and parsley to pan. Toss. I like this with steamed broccoli, fresh French bread, and glass of red wine.

I love this adapatation by Molly Wisenberg/Orangette of Nigella Lawson's. A lot are too sweet for my taste. . .this one is not. Enjoy! Daily Granola Adapted from Nigella Lawson�s Feast The recipe that follows is the way I�ve come to use Nigella�s recipe. Of course, tweak as you will. For example, feel free to use whatever type of nut you like best - just one, or a variety. You could add some flax seeds, if you like, or some shredded coconut. If you like your granola with dried fruit, go ahead and add some - but after baking, not before. And about the applesauce: I like to buy it in those single-serving cups, the kind made to go in kids� lunchboxes. I used to buy it in bigger glass jars, but I found that it started to go moldy before I could use it all. The smaller containers are very handy that way; there�s less waste. Finally, I highly recommend eating this granola with plain soy milk. I like it with plain yogurt or regular milk too, but soy milk is especially good. This granola also mixes nicely with other cereals, like this one, and this one. Dry ingredients: 5 cups rolled oats 2 to 3 cups raw almonds or pecan halves, or a mixture 1 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds � cup sesame seeds � cup light brown sugar 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. salt Wet ingredients: � cup unsweetened apple sauce 1/3 cup brown rice syrup � cup honey 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, such as canola or safflower Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300�F. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Stir to mix well. In a small bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Stir to mix well. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones, and stir well. Spread the mixture evenly on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until evenly golden brown. Set a timer to go off every ten minutes while the granola bakes, so you can rotate the pans and give the granola a good stir; this helps it to cook evenly. When it�s ready, remove the pans from the oven, stir well � this will keep it from cooling into a hard, solid sheet � and set aside to cool. The finished granola may still feel slightly soft when it comes out of the oven, but it will crisp as it cools. Scoop cooled granola into to a large zipper-lock plastic bag or other airtight container. Store in the refrigerator indefinitely. Yield: about 10 cups