Corn & Sweet Potato Chowder

Recipe From: Cook's Country via mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

The recipe calls for whole milk, but I used skim and it was still very thick and yummy. Below is the recipe cut in half, so it serves about 3-4.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast (I boiled and shredded)
1 large sweet potato (peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces)
1/2 cup frozen corn (not thawed)
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 cup yellow corn muffin mix
1 tbsp butter
1/2 onion (chopped fine)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Mix milk and muffin mix in bowl until well combined. Meanwhile, heat butter in large pot over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, chicken and sweet potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sweet potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens, about 10 minutes. Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve with french bread.

Hula Joes

Recipe From: Rachel Ray

Not great, not bad...probably won't do again.Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 pound bacon (diced)
1 1/2 pounds ground pork (I used ground turkey)
1 sweet onion (finely chopped)
2 to 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup pineapple* (chopped)
salt and ground black pepper
4 Kaiser rolls (I used small dollar rolls)
cheddar cheese

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of olive oil, about 1 tablespoon. Cook bacon in the pan until crispy, about 3-4 minutes, and remove it to a small bowl.

Return the pan with the bacon fat back over the heat, add the ground pork and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes.

While the pork and onions are cooking, in a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire and tomato sauce. Pour into the skillet with the pork and onion, cook about a minute, then stir in pineapple and bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the filling is cooking, split open the rolls and toast them under the broiler.

To serve, place a bun bottom on a plate with a scoop of Hula Joe mixture and a sprinkling of cheese. Top with the bun cap.

*The recipe calls for fresh pineapple, but I used canned and it worked.