Carolina Pulled Pork BBQ

Over the weekend I just really, really, really wanted a pulled pork sandwich.  No particular reason.  I just did.  So I set about on a mission to find a slow cooker recipe I could try and hit the jackpot on one of my usual websites.  It had a lot of ingredients in it that aren't necessarily my favorite thing ever... But I've had good luck with just about all of the recipes that I've tried from this site, so I gave it a whirl!

Recipe: (from Sweet Peas and Pumpkins)

Make the rub:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika (I used my new love - smoked - obviously)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine the above ingredients and rub 4-6 pound whole pork butt or shoulder. (I used a 4 pound and I can't imagine much more than that fitting into my slow cooker.)

Place in the slow cooker:
2-3 onions quartered and the pork shoulder.

Mix the sauce:
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (I did skip this as I didn't have any.)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine and pour 1/4 of the mixture over the roast.  Save the rest for serving later.  (It made about 1 cup, so I poured on a 1/4 cup.)

Cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.  Remove the roast, let cool about, and shred using two forks - it should just fall apart.

Serve on buns with remaining sauce.

Verdict:
Definitely good if you like vinegary barbecue.  If you like sweet and/or saucy, look elsewhere.  The pork was very tender when it was done cooking and easily fell apart.    In fact, it was in pieces just trying to take it out of the slow cooker.  Not difficult at all.

We used the sauce on our sandwiches and liked the extra moisture and flavor.  But it doesn't go far.  The remaining sauce was gone after the two of us ate sandwiches for two dinners.  I still have half the meat left and no sauce.  Fortunately it is easy enough to make, which I will do when using the remaining meat.  If you intend to serve it all at once, at least double the sauce.

Pistachio Baked Salmon

I just can't get enough of salmon.  And while I have my tried and true favorite recipes, I'm always open to new suggestions and creating new favorites.  My mom and tried and liked this recipe and I had an used bag of pistachios from the holidays, so the timing was perfect.  It looks like she found the recipe in one of Yahoo's articles, and it originally came from Better Homes and Gardens.

Recipe:
1 cup salted dry roasted pistachio nuts, chopped
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. dried dill
1 tsp. ground black pepper
6 6-oz. skinless salmon fillets (I made 1/2 the recipe)
1/4 cup purchased basil pesto (optional - I did not use)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine pistachio nuts, brown sugar, lemon juice, dill, and pepper; set aside.

Place salmon fillets in a greased foil-lined 15x10x1 inch baking pan (Although I used Reynold's non-stick pan liner - Love that stuff!).  Spoon pistachio mixture evenly on each fillet.  Gently press in place to form a crust.

Bake for 6 - 8 minutes per half inch of thickness or until fish flakes easily.  (Mine baked for about 20 minutes.)

Verdict:
Yum!  Yummy!  Yummo!  Yummilicious!  I hadn't had salmon in awhile, so I think I just really savored the amazingness that is salmon.  (If I had my choice, I'd eat salmon several times a week.)

The crust on the top was a little salty - a little sweet.  With a little less brown sugar, I think it would still be good and slightly healthier.  Having the crust on top did make it a little difficult to tell when the fish was done, but if I made it a few times, I think that I would have the routine down.

The leftover brussels sprouts were a great side dish.  I usually feel the need to have rice with fish, but the pistachio topping made the fish substantial enough on its own, so I skipped the rice.

Oh, and MESS in the pan.  DO use the pan liner.  What could have been a grumpy, 30-minute scrub job was a simple toss job.  Nice.  Easy clean-up always gets my vote.

New Kitchen Gadget!

Back to that awesome Williams-Sonoma cooking class.

Of course in addition to the food they cook, they do try and sell a product or two to the audience.  It is a business after all.  I have to say that the class I took was extremely low pressure.  They used a couple fancy products from the store and mentioned how / where you could find them of course.  The store personnel was more than happy to give explanations and advice.  But it was all very laid back.

One of the dishes the instructor made that night was a Steak and Arugula Salad with Oranges. It was delicious and served with a very simple dressing made of olive oil and lime juice.

I had been thinking for awhile about making my own salad dressings once in awhile.  Mainly because the only salad dressing I really like is crazy expensive and never on sale.  But to do that I would need something to mix salad dressing in.

Voila!

The coolest part is the device on the inside that mixes the salad dressing up without having to pour the bottle.  So far I've only made the basic Balsamic Vinaigrette from the side of the bottle, but I'll be trying more soon...

Paprika Spiced Pork Chops

Sometimes a side dish looks so good that I get caught up in preparing that for dinner and forget that duh, I need a main course too.  These brussels sprouts were one of those times.  So I scrounged through my freezer coming up with either pork chops or chicken breasts.

The internet is a wonderful thing because 10 minutes of browsing later, I had this recipe for pork chops from Real Simple and a real plan for dinner.  Saved!

Recipe:
(Technically the recipe is for Paprika Spiced Pork Chops with Spinach Saute - but I just made the pork chop part.  Click here if you want the full recipe.)

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless pork chops (I only made three though)
1 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked paprika)
kosher salt and black pepper

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.  Season the chops with the paprika, salt, and pepper on both sides.

Cook in the pan until browned, 2-3 minutes per side.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake pork chops until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes (although mine were massively thick and took more like 18-20 minutes to be sure they were fully cooked).

Verdict:
Good.  Tender.  Juicy.  Simple to make.  It takes a lot for me to not like a pork chop, but the brussels sprouts were still the highlight of the meal!

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon

For my birthday, Alex signed me up for a Cookbook Club class at Williams-Sonoma.  I'd been thinking about finding a cooking class to take but hadn't heard of this particular version.  Each participant in the class is given a cookbook and the instructor/chef cooks a selection of recipes for everyone to try.  The cookbook featured for this class was Healthy in a Hurry.

Awesome present.  Awesome class.  Awesome cookbook.

At the end of three hours, she had cooked six recipes from the cookbook.  All were incredible.  Plus I had paged through the cookbook and found about twenty more recipes that I wanted to try.  I will definitely be looking into taking this class again.  It could make a fun date night too; there were several couples there, and they seemed to be having a great time!

In the meantime, here is one of the recipes that I spotted while in class.  I made it this week as a side to some pork chops - recipe to come later!

Recipe:
brussels sprouts, 1 pound
2 tablespoons olive oil
lemon zest strips from 1/2 a lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Makes 4 servings

Trim stem ends off brussels sprouts and cut lengthwise into thin slices about 1/4 inch thick.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  When oil is hot, add sprouts, lemon zest, salt, and a few grindings of pepper.  Cook, stirring often and keeping heat high but adjusting as needed to prevent scorching, until leaves are lightly browned around the edges and tender, 7-8 minutes.

Stir in lemon juice and cook for 1 minute longer.  Serve right away.

Verdict:
This may be my new favorite way to make brussels sprouts!  They were perfectly tender.  They tasted light and fresh.  They were easy to make (and easy to clean-up).

Fun features of the cookbook include: appetizing picture of the finishes product, per serving nutritional information, and a quick rundown of some of the health benefits in each specific dish.  A serving of these brussels sprouts is 110 calories, 4 grams protein, 11 grams carbs, 7 grams fat, 0 grams cholesterol, 4 grams fiber, and 150 mg sodium.  Brussels sprouts themselves have several health benefits including folate, vitamin C and K, compounds that are thought to detoxify and fight cancer, and are rich in fiber.

My pictures may not have the professional look of the one in the cookbook.  But I could eat this veggie delight every night of the week and feel good doing it!

Chicken (or Chickenless) Potpie in the Crockpot

Not trying to expose any dirty family secrets here but for several years one of my mom's 'I don't know what's for dinner and it's 5:00 already' go-to staples has been chicken pot pie.  I hate chicken pot pie.

The year before I got married, I pretty much made a career out of mooching week-day dinners from my parents, but if I called ahead and discovered pot pies were on the menu, I'd keep driving.  If I was already there and discovered this, I'd usually walk out.  I saw a frozen pot pie box, and I'd run.  Run. 

If I'm being honest, I don't really know if it's the pot pies themselves that I had a problem with, or if I was just disappointed not to be getting a delicious home cooked meal, or if I was just being a stubborn 13-yearl old hating it simply because it existed and my parents liked it then never growing out of it.  If I'm being brutally honest I'd admit that that third one at least played a large role with a little but of irrational pickiness thrown in.

Nobody's perfect.

Either way, I surprised myself when I ran across this recipe and actually thought, "I'd like to try that."  We're talking 15 solid years of hating on the pot pie (and insisting I get a meal completely separate from the rest of the family) getting hit with an inexplicable reversal.

I decided that it would be an experiment in trying to discover the real root of my pot pie disdain.

The Recipe: (from Sweet Peas and Pumpkins)

Filling:
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery ribs, diced
1 large potato, diced
7 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken -OR- 2 - 15oz cans Great Northern beans (or 3 1/2 cups cooked beans)
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup corn starch
1/3 cup light sour cream

Topping (based on a recipe from Eating Well magazine):
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or just use all-purpose flour)
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk*

Make the filling:
Combine the carrots, celery, potato, water, salt, pepper, thyme, chicken (or white beans), and peas in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Strain the vegetables and chicken, being sure to collect all the broth in a stock pot. Ladle out about 2 cups of the broth in a bowl, and add the corn starch. Add the broth/corn starch mixture into the broth in the stock pot and heat to high, stirring until it boils. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until it thickens. Remove from the heat. Add the sour cream and stir well.

Meanwhile, if you are using chicken, remove the chicken from the strainer and shred with two forks.

Add the chicken (if using) and the vegetable mixture back into the thickened creamy broth. Stir well. Pour into a 9x13 or slightly larger pan.

Make the topping:
Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and thyme in a bowl. Add the butter, and using two butter knives or a pastry blender, "cut" the butter into the flour until the butter is in small pieces, no bigger than a small pebble.  Add the oil and buttermilk. Stir until just blended. Scoop in 2-3 tablespoon sized scoops on top of the creamy broth.

 

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the biscuit top is slightly browned.

*don't have buttermilk? No problem! Just add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk, let sit for 5 minutes, and voila: homemade buttermilk.

Verdict:
Alex: What's for dinner?
Me: Chicken Pot Pie.  I don't like chicken pot pie.
Alex: Ummmm....???



It can be fun confusing him!


Although this uses a crockpot, it's not exactly a hands-off kind of recipe.  If you make it, be prepared.  For a lifelong chicken pot pie hater, it was actually pretty good.  The vegetables were well cooked, the sauce was delicious, and the chicken was tender after having been slow cooked all day.  I liked that the biscuit topping was whole wheat and that it was just a 'topping' rather than an actual pie.  I think I need a little practice in portioning out the topping more evenly though..... And since buttermilk is not something that I tend to keep in my kitchen, I loved the tip at the end so that I didn't have to go buy any.


Alex enjoyed it (and ate it for dinner for three nights in a row + one lunch - he is such a good sport!)  Of course, he was happy with the inclusion of peas (and I didn't dislike the peas). I'm not sure how he'd feel about the 'chickenless' version, but it sounds interesting to me, so I'll probably try it sometime.

Oh, and as much as I love my oval le Creuset dish, this makes a lot of volume.  It sort of dripped over the sides.  Ooops.  So bigger dish next time.  Easy fix.


The biggest downside of this recipe is the sheer volume of bowls, pans, utensils, and appliances you need.  Who wants to do all that work cooking then spend half an hour doing dishes?  Not me.  So I have a genius evil plan: Someday when we have kids and they start doing little things to irritate me (cause they will have my genes, so let's face it, they'll be irritate-my-parents champs), I'll make this for dinner.  I'll look like such a good mom making a delicious and nutritious homemade meal for my angelic off-spring.  I'll use as many bowls, pans, utensils, and appliances as possible.  Plus a few more that may not be necessary.  Then after dinner, I'll have a glass of wine on the couch and laugh to myself while they scrub away.


Are all parents this evil?

Lemon Caper Pasta

Because I can't get enough of artichokes.  Enough said.

Recipe: (from Sweet Peas and Pumpkins)
1 pound penne or other small-medium pasta, preferably whole wheat
1/2 cup drained and rinsed capers
1/2 cup sliced olives
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, quartered and packed in water - drained
1/4 cup olive oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
optional: steamed asparagus, green beans, or peas
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, steam the asparagus, green beans, or peas until just crisp-tender.

(Diva Note: Mid-way through cooking pasta, my burner just decided to.... not be hot...  Mind you, the dial was turned all the way up... the little red light was so on... but when I checked on the pasta after the timer rang.... the water was lukewarm at best.  I.Hate.My.Stove.  So I had some extra time and decided to cut my asparagus.  I liked it.  I'll do it again.  Hopefully by choice.  Not out of boredom.  Stupid stove.)

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine capers, olives, artichoke hearts, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, feta, and pepper.

If desired toast the breadcrumbs under your broiler for a minute or two.

When the pasta is done, drain the pasta - reserving a tablespoon or two of the pasta water - add in the caper mixture and toss lightly.  Add in the asparagus, green beans, or peas and toss again.

Serve immediately in low bowls and top with breadcrumbs.

Verdict:
One of the nicest surprises of this dish was a light, lemony taste.  If you're sick of this gloomy, rainy winter... Make this!  It will taste like springtime.  (And can I just say?  suckiest.winter.ever.  I'd like a little snow.  And then we can just move on.  Anyway.)

I had mixed up the caper mixture when I started attempting to boil the water, and it turned out that artichokes are even more delicious when they have soaked up lemon juice.  Awesome.

I loved that this pasta dish was loaded with vegetables.  If vegetarian isn't your thing, grilled chicken would be a perfect addition.  I loved the olive oil and lemon juice base of the sauce.  Light.  Refreshing.  Filling.

But it must be said, I didn't find that the breadcrumbs particularly added anything to the dish.  They were just kind of... there... They added a bit of a crunchy texture, sure.  But still, when I make it again, it will likely be without the breadcrumbs. 

 Having again.  Soon I hope.  Sans breadcrumbs.

*Note:  I typically hate leftovers of spaghetti.  I always have.  But I was feeling to brain dead to cut this recipe down by half when I made it, so I figured we'd take a chance with the full recipe... And it actually made pretty decent leftovers!  Woo-hoo!

Chicken and Pepper Stew with Olives

There are two surprising things rocking my culinary world these days: smoked paprika and artichokes.

Smoked paprika I had never heard of until I made this.  Amazing.  I'm trying to restrain myself from putting it on everything in sight.  Like cereal.  That would probably be inappropriate.  But soups and stews?  Bring it.

Artichokes on the other hand, I have been fully aware of.  Just never tempted.  Ever.  (Well, other than spinach artichoke dip, but that hardly counts.  Enough fat and calories to make anything taste good!)  But I was adventurous enough to include them in this dish and was surprised at how much I loved them.  I've eaten them three times in less than two weeks.  It's love.

This stew includes both of those fabulous items and is brought to you by my mother through Real Simple magazine.  I had actually seen the recipe a few weeks ago myself but skipped over it because it included golden raisins, which didn't sound tempting.  But Mom had a brilliant substitution to solve that problem... and a few others...

Recipe: (originally from Real Simple... adapted by my mom... implemented by the Diva!)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
kosher salt and black pepper
16 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved (this recipe as written serves 8 - my mom used 8 - I used 5)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 red bell peppers, sliced (2 used)
3 green bell peppers, sliced (2 used)
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups pitted olives
1/2 cup golden raisins (at my mom's suggestion, we used dried cranberries instead)
*also my mom's suggestion: we added 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered and packed in water, drained
2 cups long grain white or brown rice (I used brown and cut it down to 1 cup)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Add the chicken and toss to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oi in a large pot over medium-high heat.  In batches, brown the chicken, turning, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a plate as it browns and add oil as necessary.  (With only 5 thighs, I was able to brown all my chicken in one batch.)

Add the bell peppers, garlic, 1/2 cup of the broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the pot.  Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits (in my dutch oven - I have to use a wooden or silicone instrument for this), until the peppers being to soften, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the olives, raisins (or cranberries), artichokes if using, remaining 1 1/2 cups broth and bring to a boil.  (I also added another dash or two of smoked paprika at this point.  Because it seriously rocks.) Nestle the chicken in the vegetables and simmer covered for 15 minutes.  Uncover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thickened, 15-20 minutes).  Make rice according to directions.

Serve chicken and vegetables over rice in shallow bowls.

Verdict:
Well first of all, genius that I am, I cut down the amount of chicken, peppers, and rice... Then didn't cut down the amount of the liquid.  Duh.  So ours was a little soupy.  But that can be fixed when serving, so it's not a deal breaker.

I rarely cook with chicken thighs (and this could easily be made with breasts if you prefer), but this made a nice change.  I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience cooking with artichokes and loved the addition of olives, which I rarely eat outside of pickle and olive trays and parties.  Perhaps the best bit though was the cherries.  It was in no way a sweet dish but every few bites there was a delightful hint of sweetness amongst all the savory flavors.

Very unique.  Very delicious.  Very much going into my permanent cookbook!

Italian Pasta Bake (tweaked)

Alex: This is the best pasta bake you've ever made.  You should always make it this way.

And he's Italian.  So he knows.

(Personally I think it's because it was baked in my awesome new covered purple baker.  Le Creuset rocks my world.  But I guess slight recipe adjustments could also have a little to do with it.  Maybe.)

I am still loving trying out all sorts of new recipes, but it is also nice to have the chance to take an old favorite and make it suit our tastes just a bit more.  This Italian Pasta Bake has long been a favorite of mine, and I will crave it a few times a year.  Last week was one of those times.  But I also remembered how much I liked the flavor of this Versatile and Vegetarian Pasta Bake, so I added the spice combination from that recipe.

Recipe:
1 lb. ground beef (I use extra lean.)
3 cups penne or rotini pasta, cooked, drained (I use Barilla Plus penne because mom always did.  And mom knows best.)
1 jar (26 - 28 oz.) your favorite spaghetti sauce (marinara is better than chunky style)
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 8-oz. package shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t garlic powder

Cook noodles according to package directions.  Brown meat in a large skillet; drain.  Heat sauce in saucepan and add oregano and garlic powder.  Stir in pasta, sauce, and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. 

Spoon into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.  Top with mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Verdict:
Well you already heard Alex's opinion.  And I agree.  Something about this recipe was better than either pasta bake I've made before.  I meant to add a can of diced tomatoes, but I didn't have any in the cupboard.  So that will be next times adaptation!  Loved the purple pan for more than just it's looks: easy cleanup!  Baked on cheese is my nemesis.  Usually I have to soak the baking pan for awhile and scrub until the scrubbrush bristles have ground down a good 1/4 inch or so.  But as I filled this pan with hot, soapy water, the cheese practically floated off.  Floated.  And since the biggest downfall of this recipe is three (three!) pans and a baking dish.... Well anything that makes that part easier gets major points for me.

Let's just have another moment of awe for one of my new favorite pans: