It’s the age old question. What to do with a ton of leftover pulled pork. I’ve been pretty inventive with this dilemma in the past (pulled pork sweet potato waffle cheese fries, pork stuffed peppers, porky cornbread). This time, I craved pizza (shocking). The crispy multigrain crust (Hannaford has a yummy one…so does Whole Foods) holds up really well to the pulled pork and the jalapenos puts it over the top with a fresh punch.
This is a super easy way to make stuffed/rolled chicken of any kind – in this case, I used ham and thin slices of swiss cheese. These are coated in a crispy panko coating and baked until crispy on the outside and moist and cooked through on the inside. Also, and this really is an unnecessary addition and a bit of an indulgence, since I try to avoid super processed foods, but I ALWAYS heat up Campbell’s Golden Mushroom soup thinned out with a little water or chicken broth to use as a sauce. It’s delicious and mandatory for me, mostly because that’s what my mama does.
This was a bit of an experiment. I wanted to see how little work I could actually do to make something so incredibly yummy. Seriously – the only thing you have to do is season a huge hunk of pork and toss it in the slow cooker with some garlic, onions and maybe some fennel if you’re feeling fancy. Cook on low for 10 hours, which to me is the perfect length of time for a slow-cooker recipe because that’s how long I am usually out of the house on a work day. What’s up with those 4-hour slow-cooker recipes? If I could slow-cook something in 4 hours, then I could real-cook that same thing in probably 30-45 minutes, which would probably be less work in the planning department. I digress. This pork is amazing and will be the only way I make pulled pork in the future. I served it on some whole wheat buns with some greek yogurt coleslaw on top. YUM.
I had some brussels sprouts to use up and adding it to a pizza seemed like the natural thing to do. With some bacon of course. I took the basic premise from one of my favorite fall meals – roasted brussels and pancetta over creamy polenta and decided to make pizza out of it. YUM. In addition, I wanted to use up some of the 12,000 string cheeses I bought a costco a while back so I stuffed the crust with cheese. Win.
I made these for a family BBQ and they were a hit. I just made the meat mixture and sauce ahead of time and baked them off when I got to my parents house, then tossed them in the sauce. Poof – instant appetizer.
*Content and photos updated July 2012*
This was first inspired by a salad made for a BBQ by a new addition at my team at my former place of work. Follow that? No need, really. All you need to know that this salad is yummy, travels well, and I’ve made it a half a dozen times for cook-outs and the like. Both the simple and bold flavors make it a perfect summer party salad.
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I apologize in advance to any family members I may offend with this post, but this is definitely my favorite meatball recipe. The combination of ground turkey (I always have some of this in my freezer) and ground pork makes a super tender and flavorful meatball. I browned these in some olive oil before dropping them in some gravy, all to be served with pasta. These meatballs are also delicious on their own or with your favorite tomato sauce.
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Oh, man, this chili is good. And even better inside a roasted pepper underneath melted cheese with a little avocado and red onion and some sour cream if you like…oh boy, this was good.
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I’m sure I join many people in starting the new year with healthy, real food after so much holiday junk. This chili is definitely different from the chilis I’ve made before, but it might be my new favorite. Essentially it’s a big bowl of delicious limey pulled pork with beans and it’s absolutely awesome. Serve it with a nice big salad and you’re good to go.
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This is another restaurant fave — however, in restaurants, the green beans are typically fried. These are broiled, much healthier, and delicious.
After we finished eating this, Brian said “That was a WIN”. It made me giggle, and I agreed with him. Delicious and stupidly easy.
MAN, I wish these pics came out better because this is THE BEST PULLED PORK EVER. Ever! Eat it plain, on a roll with coleslaw, or mop it up in some homemade pork sauce. SO good, and the best part is that it’s pretty hands-off. First, there is a simple brining process for about 8 hours. This is my first brining experience and I have to say, I am a fan. This is what keeps the meat moist while it cooks for so long. Fan. Then, the pork shoulder cooks overnight (about 2 hours per pound…so mine was in there for 10 hours).
Here’s the game plan: The morning before you want to eat this, follow the directions to brine the meat. Let it brine all day, and before you go to bed, season the meat and roast it overnight. The next day, you’ll have perfectly moist pulled pork and it will kind of feel like a miracle.
Make this as soon as you can, you won’t be disappointed.
Giant delicious burger. That’s all you need to know.
Oh, and the mayo is the best part so don’t skip that!
I have a big problem. Every time I learn just how bad a particular food is for you, I can’t get it out of my head. You see, as my interest in nutrition/health continues to grow over the past couple of years, I read more and more about the health benefits (and defecits) of many food stuffs. Recently, while Brian and I were weekending in Portland, we hit up a Chili’s chain restaurant in search of some margaritas. (BTW, problem #2, for later discourse, is my inexplicable longing for chain restaurants when I am out in the middle of nowhere – restaurants that I am not particularly amenable to frequenting in “real life”). Regardless, as we perused the menu at Chili’s, we were fascinated that all of the menu descriptions were adorned with calorie counts. Let me just say: OHMYGOD. I was most taken aback by some of the “healthier” stuff’s deadly characteristics (um, 1400 calories for a salad?? almost 1300 for a grilled chicken sandwich??), and yet still bummed by some of the more notorious items (ribs and burgers clocking in over 2,000 calories, etc.).
Moral(s) of the story:
1) i took immense pleasure in the country fried steak (1270 cals) I ordered, of which I ate half and was glad with every bite that it was not a salad.
2) though it is probably not great for business, I appreciate having the information. maybe this kind of exposure will inspire restaurants to offer healthier food.
3) I haven’t been able to get ribs out of my mind since — and here is a killer recipe! These ribs are quick cooking, relative to most rib cookery which typically takes 4+ hours (this recipe only takes 1 hour), and have a great sweet/spicy flavor combination. Yum!
I don’t like to pick favorites with my pasta, but this one is pretty special. I love egg noodles, and while this recipe calls for — nearly demands — fresh pasta, this egg pappardelle found at TJ’s is super close to fresh pasta. The combination of the salty prosciutto and sweet/tangy orange is amazing.
“The best pork I’ve ever eaten”. Brian’s sentiment, and I agree with him! The fennel and mustard combo, in my opinion, is what makes this pork so good. Try it immediately!
In a continuing effort to improve my photos, I took a little field trip to one of my favorite shops, Paper Source, to purchase some props. Behold one of the pieces of beautiful wrapping paper I purchased to use as a background. Despite my somewhat inexplicable lack of motivation in pretty much every area of my life right now, I have, somewhat miraculously, managed to construct a DIY light box, very much using Ashley’s model and other resources on the interwebs — something that’s been on my to-do list for many months. I’m starting to see some improvements around these parts, which is a nice motivator. Who knew?
Oh, and the food. This sandwich is the freaking bomb. Make it, immediately.
These flautas are the answer to the soft taco v. crispy taco argument. Perfect served with quacamole and greek yogurt. Seriously yum.
It’s almost shameful posting another pasta recipe so soon, but this was just too good to wait (and yes, normally I would sit on my hands for a few days so i didn’t seem pasta-crazed, which I obviously am). Regardless, I love broccoli rabe with pasta, and the egg pappardelle I found at Trader Joe’s was fantastic. Together, this dish was delectable, and worth a little carbo shame. This is probably in my top 5 favorite pasta dishes ever.
Since I work a little later on Thursdays, I thought a slow cooker meal would be a great idea. I’ve been wanting to make pernil for a while (Puerto Rican roast pork shoulder) and I love the idea of cooking it in a slow cooker. We planned on just eating the meat for one meal, and then using the leftovers for cubanos, but we couldn’t wait.
