I posted this long time recipe of mine on the Rubs and Marinades posting a week or so ago. Cuban Pork Tenderloin 1 Pork Tenderloin 2 Tbsp Cuban Spice Rub (see below) 1 Tbsp oil Preheat oven to 425 deg F Trim fat and silver membrane from tenderloin, and pat dry with paper towel. Rub spice mixture evenly all over the tenderloin. Preheat oil in large pan over high heat. Lightly sear tenderloin on all sides. Remove tenderloin from pan, place in baking pan, place in oven for 15 minutes. When tenderloin reaches 140 deg F remove it from oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes, during which time the temperature should rise to 145 to 150 deg F. Slice 1/4" - 3/8" thick and serve with Madeira-Apricot sauce on the side (see below) Cuban Spice Rub: 1 paprika 2 ground red pepper 2 cumin 3 onion powder 3 garlic powder 2 black pepper 1 oregano (dried) 1 basil (dried) 2 parsley (dried) Madeira-Apricot sauce Ingredients: 1 jar Polaner All-Fruit Apricot preserves 4 oz apple sauce 1/2 cup medium-dry Madeira 1 medium onion (chopped) 2 tbsp butter Cook onions in butter until they are translucent, then add the Madiera, the apricot preserves, and the apple sauce and heat it until it is thoroughly bubbling. Pour into bowl and allow to cool to room temp. Note: For the apple sauce I often buy a package of single serving apple sauce cups (look for the ones with no added sugar) and use one of the cups to make the sauce. This avoids the problem I usually have where an opened jar of applesauce gets moldy before I use it all.

Here are two that are tried-and-true that we like very much! Shredded Beef Fajitas (Serves 3-4) 20 (1½-inch) cubes sirloin OR 1½ lbs boneless beef chuck) ¾ cup medium-hot salsa sauce 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar, packed 1 Tbsp soya sauce ¼ cup fresh cilantro (optional) 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (optional) Put everything in crock pot and cook on High for 4-5 hours or on Low for 8 hours. Shred meat with forks and return to sauce; cook on Low for 20-30 minutes for meat to soak up the sauce. Stir in cilantro and lime juice, if using. Serve on small soft corn tortillas with toppings of your choice (shredded lettuce, sour cream, roasted peppers, Spanish rice, etc). ********************************** Sirloin Roast 2-3 lb sirloin tip roast 2-3 garlic cloves, quartered 2-3 tsp dried oregano 1½ tsp powdered thyme Black pepper, to taste 2-3 Tbsp dry onion soup mix ½ cup medium-bodied dry red wine 1½ cups beef broth, divided With a knife, make holes in roast and insert garlic clove quarters in each hole. Rub oregano, thyme, and a little pepper all over the roast. Let sit in refrigerator overnight. Let roast come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. In a skillet, brown roast on all sides; transfer to slow cooker. Pour ½ cup beef broth into skillet and scrape up all the browned bits; pour into crockpot. To crockpot, add remaining beef broth, red wine, and dry onion soup mix. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours. Turn roast over halfway through cooking. When done, let roast rest on platter (covered with foil) for 20-30 minutes to let juices redistribute. Put the roast broth into a small saucepan and thicken with a cornstarch/water mixture.

Here's a very good/tasty beer cheese soup recipe yes, it does have broccoli [that's to make NOT feel as guilty about indulging] Ingredients 3 tablespoons butter 5 celery ribs, finely chopped 3 medium carrots, finely chopped 1 small onion, finely chopped 4 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped 1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper 4 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup water 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer or nonalcoholic beer Optional toppings: Additional shredded cheddar cheese, cooked and crumbled bacon strips, chopped green onions, sour cream and salad croutons Directions In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrots and onion; saute until crisp-tender. Add broccoli and red pepper; stir in broth and pepper. Combine flour and water until smooth; gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened and vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes. Stir in cheeses and beer until cheeses are melted (do not boil). Top with additional shredded cheese, bacon, green onions, sour cream and croutons as desired. Freeze option: Before adding toppings, cool soup; transfer to freezer containers. Freeze up to 3 months. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight; heat through in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally (do not boil). Add toppings as desired.

Green beans are not on my list of favorites so I always have to dress them up for myself. Here are some of my favorite recipes but I don't have any casserole recipes! Haricots Verts With Goat Cheese And Warm Bacon Dressing 3 lb haricots verts (or regular green beans), trimmed 1/2 lb bacon slices, cut into thin strips 1/2 c chopped shallots (about 3) 2 garlic cloves,chopped 1/4 c Sherry wine vinegar 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 cup olive oil 1 c crumbled soft fresh goat-cheese (about 4 ounces) 1/2 c fresh pomegranate seeds (optional) Cook beans in water until tender crisp. Cook bacon until crisp. Saute shallots and garlic in drippings until soft. Add vinegar and mustard. Whisk in oil. Toss beans with dressing top with cheese and bacon. NOTE: I prefer this without the goat cheese and I also leave out the pomegranate seeds. Make-Ahead Garlic Green Beans Blanching the beans in salted boiling water and then shocking them in ice water (to stop the cooking process) proved to be the most consistent method of evenly cooking the beans. Cooked green beans can be held in the refrigerator for up to two days and then quickly reheated with a little water in a covered skillet when ready to use. We tossed the green beans with dry-roasted garlic and softened butter, with delicious results. Gardenlad's Green Beans with Poppy Seed Dressing 1 1/2 lbs green beans, tipped, tailed, and stringed if necessary. 2 tsp poppy seeds 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tbls white wine vinegar 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp honey 2 tbls minced shallot Salt & pepper to taste. Lightly steam beans until just tender. Set aside. Heat small skillet over medium low heat. Add poppy seeds and toast, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Add the oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, shallot, shat & pepper to the poppy seeds. Whisk until well blended. Warm dressing in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beans and toss to coat. Cook until beans are warmed through. from: Eating Well GREEN BEAN, PECAN, AND FETA SALAD (CindyMac) 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed 1 small purple onion, thinly sliced 2-3 ounces crumbled feta cheese 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic coarse salt and fresh ground pepper to taste CUT green beans into thirds, and arrange in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 5-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Immediately plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process; drain and pat dry. TOSS together green beans, onion, cheese, and pecans in a large bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour. WHISK together olive oil and next 5 ingredients; cover and chill 1 hour. POUR vinaigrette over green bean mixture, and chill 1 hour; toss just before serving. ~adapted from Southern Living magazine