Linguine with Peppers and Sausage

Gina made this for family dinner last night, and it was delicious!

1 (8 ounce) package linguini pasta
1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed (Gina used flavored sausage--the kind you can find at Costco)
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup white wine (you could substitute white grape juice)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Saute sausages in a heavy skillet over medium high heat until light brown, breaking up clumps with back of spoon. Add peppers, onion, and garlic; saute until tender. Add wine and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 6 minutes.
Drain pasta, and add to the skillet. Toss to combine. Add cheese, and toss to blend.

(Source: www.allrecipes.com)

Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork Roast)

Mom made this pork for Sunday dinner, and it was a big hit. We had to give her a hard time because she found the recipe in an AARP magazine. That's not just funny because MOM gets...and apparently READS....her AARP magazine, but because she was brave enough to make a recipe she got from a magazine that is made for people old enough to have dentures and live in a rest home. But I must admit, it was delicious.

5 or more cloves garlic, peeled
1 onion, quartered
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablepoon olive oil
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
lime, juiced
1/4 cup orange juice
1 pork shoulder (3 to 4 pounds)
8 tortillas

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a food processor and blend.

Score the meat with a crosshatched pattern and marinate in the mixture overnight in the refrigerator.

The next day bring the meat to room temperature, place on a rack in a pan with a little water, and roast for 3 hours at 300˚ F until tender. Let meat rest for 10 minutes before serving, shredded, in a tortilla.

(Instead of baking it for three hours, you can put it in a crockpot on high for four hours, or on low for eight hours.)

(Source: AARP magazine-http://www.aarp.org/food/recipes/info-08-2011/barbecue-without-the-grill.2.html)

Buttermilk Lime Shortbread Bars

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, cold, cut into 8 pieces

Filling:
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon lime zest
1 teapoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Sprinkle the butter pieces over the top of the dry mixture and using a pastry blender, two knives or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Pour the mixture into the bottom of a 9X9-inch pan and press the crust firmly to form an even layer. Bake the crust for 16-17 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges.

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling by whisking together all of the filling ingredients in a large bowl until evenly combined. Pour the filling mixture over the hot crust when it comes out of the oven and return it to the oven to bake for 18-20 more minutes, until the filling is set (it will not jiggle if the pan is shaken slightly).

Cool the bars in the pan completely before dusting with powdered sugar, slicing and serving. These bars also taste excellent after they have been chilled.

(Source: www.bakingbites.com)