Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Wow....a lot has happened since the last post. Sorry for the huge delay in getting back on here. I have lots to tell you about but for today, I'll just give you a super delicious and very easy recipe.

Hopefully in a few days though I can get all my pictures around and show you my 30th birthday celebration which was a BLAST! And also, pictures from Pat's and my weekend get-away to Gatlinburg TN. Lots of fun stories there!

This time in my life is a bit crazy and a lot chaotic. I am working full-time and going to school. And while I love to cook, sometimes my schedule just doesn't permit a whole lot of extra time. Which is why I love my crock pot. Pat actually gave me my crock pot as a birthday present a few years back and I was ecstatic! Yes, that does sound like a bit of an odd gift, but I had been asking for someone, anyone to get me one for the past 2 years for Christmas, birthday, anniversary, basically anything I could come up with as an excuse to get a gift!

And now that I finally have it, I really try to make good use of it. Here is a great recipe I came across on the Food Network website. Now, I don't normally make any of Sandra Lee's recipes but this was is a must. I promise, people will go crazy over this...and it's just so easy!

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Adapted from Sandra Lee

Ingredients

1 packet Hawaiian Marinade (recommended: McCormick Grill Mates)
1 Tbs smoked sweet paprika
1 tsp ground pepper
3 ½ pound pork shoulder
½ cup low sodium chicken broth
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 cup chili sauce
1 (6 ounce) can pineapple juice
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
8 hamburger rolls

Hawaiian Sauce
2 Tbs canola oil
1 Tbs ginger, chopped
2 tsp garlic, chopped

Directions

1. In a small bowl combine Hawaiian mix, paprika and pepper. Coat the pork with the rub mixture, patting until all the rub is used.
2. In a bowl whisk together the chicken broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, chili sauce and pineapple juice. Set aside.
3. Put the chopped onions and carrots in a 5-quart slow cooker. Place the pork on top of the onions and carrots and pour half of the pineapple mixture over the pork. Reserve remainder for Hawaiian sauce.
4. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. The meat should fall apart easily.
5. Remove the roast from the slow cooker to a cutting board. Using 2 forks carefully pull the meat into shreds.
6. Serve the pork on rolls drizzled with the Hawaiian sauce or on the side for dipping.

Hawaiian Sauce:
In a medium pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add remaining pineapple mixture, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Last Bite: The Hawaiian Sauce is the ticket. You almost want to drink it, it's so good. Pat and I liked dipping our sandwiches but be prepared to get a little messy. You won't mind though, and will soon be practically licking the dripping off the table, your fingers, your plate....(and when I say practically, I mean you will be!) Enjoy!

To each his own said the old lady as she kissed the cow

This is a birthday/tribute post to my dear grandma. It is her first birthday since she's been gone and I think most of the family is unsure how to celebrate or what to do. But I know we all want to remember and give toast to an incredible woman who influenced all our lives.

While my brother and I were one of the many grandchildren she had, I know she always made each of us feel special. She may not have had a lot of money, but she always had a lot of heart. But more than that, the lady was a hoot! My mom actually made each family a jar of "Momism's" filled with little pieces of paper of all the funny things she said. The heading to this post is my case in point!

I think it has been a sort of healing process for us to have the jar around. When I am having a bad day or unsure of what is to come, I often ask the Momism jar. While much like a Magic 8 ball....she is way more insightful.

There was one day where Pat and I were disagreeing on something and I was getting frustrated so I decided to ask Grandma why we weren't getting along at the moment. Her response: "Love will find a way, even in a manure pile"

It was such a perfect thing to say that I started laughing right away.

She also loved babies. It makes me sad sometimes that I never had any kids for her to meet before she passed away. But I remember having a conversation with her about it one time. She told me that I would have kids someday and they would be beautiful and look just like me and have my eyes. I know when I finally do have a baby she will be smiling. She always used to say, "Our family is blessed. Not with money, but with healthy babies".

To celebrate tonight Pat and I are going to share a nice bottle of red wine in her honor. For, if you knew her, you know she loved her red wine!

She was quick-witted and one of the wisest women around. I know she was sad to leave us all....but I also know she is watching down on us, day after day, and I can't wait to see her again!

I don't have a great or recent picture of her, but this is from Christmas a few years back. At her nursing home they put on a Cowboy Christmas.


Grandma and baby Aaron!

It's a Cowboy Christmas!


In honor of her birthday I have included one of her favorite recipes. I am sorry I don't have a picture to show you, but I have had it before, and trust me, it's good!!

Daffodil Dip

Ingredients
1 hard cooked egg, chopped
2Tbs chopped onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise (the real stuff!)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
Dash of pepper

1. Gradually add mayonnaise to softened cream cheese. Mix until well blended. Add parsley, chopped egg, onion, garlic and pepper. Mix well.
2. Serve with veggie dippers such as cucumbers, radishes, cherry tomatoes or crackers.
Last Bite: Make the dip, you'll love it! And hopefully you have a wonderful grandma to love too!

Pesto-Part 2

Yes, I love pesto so much that I am giving you another way to use this delicious stuff! With the weather a bit warmer and the sun out shining I feel the need for lighter, healthier food which is why I just love this little dandy!

This pesto stuffed salmon actually came to me by way of realtor's postcard in the mail. Although I'm probably not going to call the realtor, I was pretty excited to snag the recipe off the front of the postcard. I also thought it was a pretty clever marketing tactic.

Pesto Stuffed Salmon

Ingredients

Pesto (recipe below)

4 salmon fillets

2 Tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Pesto Sauce
2 cups fresh basil or spinach (pack these cups FULL!)
2-3 Tbs pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, chopped (you can use less if you prefer)
2 tsp butter (feel free to leave this out...I try to...but I just can't!)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed
Pepper and salt to taste

1. Combine pesto ingredients into a food processor and pulse until combined while drizzling in the extra virgin olive oil

2. Slice each fillet horizontally, stopping 1/2 inch from the edge. Open the fillets and divide stuffing mixture evenly between them

3. Close the fillets and brush with oil. Season with salt and pepper

4. Saute in a non-stick skillet and/or grill

5. Cook each side for about 5 minutes

I also served up some Spicy Sweet Potato Fries with this meal as well. But I bake my fries....makes them sound healthier doesn't it?? These fries are pretty easy but I will warn you...they always take me at least 45 minutes to an hour to make. Every recipe I read out there claims they are finished in about 20 to 35 minutes. That has never, not once, not when I am starving for food, been the case in my house. So brace yourself!

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

2-3 sweet potatoes, sliced into wedges

2 Tbs olive oil

Cayenne pepper, garlic powder, black pepper and salt (I sprinkle all of the above until I feel good about it...feel free to use as much or as little as you like!)

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Place your baking sheet in the oven while it preheats so it is hot.

2. Place the sliced potatoes in a bowl and coat with olive oil and seasoning. Make sure each wedge is coated

3. Remove your baking sheet from the oven and (carefully!) place the potato wedges in the sheet

4. Bake anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Flip potatoes occasionally.

Last Bite: This is a fairly easy yet very good meal! I really liked the pesto stuffed in the salmon. I haven't ever made it before, but it's a new favorite! Also...I always love these potatoes...they have just enough kick to make your upper lip sweat just a little....or maybe that's just me!

Pesto, You're the Besto!

Well....it's starting to feel like spring out there isn't it?? The weather has a hint of warmth that we have all been so longing for! I don't even care that it's a little rainy today....because it is at least above freezing!!

In light of the recent warm weather I have been spending time dreaming about what we will plant in our garden this summer. This will be the third year for us to have a garden and have learned quite a bit since our first garden several years ago.

Pat and I both grew up in families who planted big gardens, but I am fairly certain neither of us paid any attention to what was going on at all.

This became pretty evident when Pat brought home 10 tomato plants and 15 pepper plants for our tiny little 8x8 foot garden in our backyard the first year!! Needless to say, our neighbor ended up with some extra tomato and pepper plants they hadn't planned on....

Last year I decided to plant a few herbs in the garden. It was pretty much a huge failure, except for my basil. Oh, did my basil grow! I had gads of it that I had no clue what to do with. That is when one of my friends mentioned something about making pesto!

Let me tell you, once you make your own pesto, you will NEVER buy it again! It is that good! I'll tell you how I make my pesto but you can find a recipe just about anywhere...they are all pretty similar too.

However, in the dreary months of winter, basil can be tricky to find, and if you do find it, it can be a bit pricey. So I just swap out the basil for spinach and find it to be just as good.

But, what do you do with all the wonderful pesto? Pat and I love to add it to pasta with shrimp. It's one of my favorite, easy, go-to meals...summer or winter! Plus I think it looks fun too....all green and fresh with yummy shrimp....I'm sure you will love it!

Pesto Pasta with Shrimp

Pesto Sauce (recipe below)

1 bag peeled, deveined shrimp

2 Tbs olive oil

1 lb cooked pasta of your choice

Pesto Sauce

2 cups fresh basil or spinach (pack these cups FULL!)

2-3 Tbs pine nuts, toasted

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, chopped (you can use less if you prefer)

2 tsp butter (feel free to leave this out...I try to...but I just can't!)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed

Pepper and salt to taste

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta until al dente.

2. For the pesto, add pesto ingredients to your food processor except for the olive oil. Begin to pulse while streaming in your olive oil until smooth and combined. Scrap down the sides as needed.

3. Heat olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat and add shrimp. Cook for approximately 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook.

4. Drain the pasta and add pasta to cooked shrimp. Add pesto sauce and stir to combine. Enjoy!

Last Bite: I love pesto...and this meal is super simple and delish!

Meatloaf My Way

Do you know that I have never made meatloaf in my entire life until recently? Sure I’ll try all sorts of complex things, but meatloaf? Never.

Then I realized the simple beauty of meatloaf. There is really no way to screw it up! I think you could really put whatever you wanted in a meatloaf and it would probably taste good.

This reminds me of the “Friends” episode where Rachel makes an English Trifle, but totally messes it up by combining two recipes accidently. While everyone was gagging theirs down, Joey of course loved it, “Cream? Good! Jam? Good! Beef? Good!!”

So I think the same rule could apply for meatloaf. I gave it a whirl and included some of my favorite ingredients and was pleasantly happy with the result. Pat is still trying to talk me into making this with venison…..but….I’m not sure I want to ruin the meatloaf!

I also made a side of dill potatoes with this dish too which were super easy and very tasty.

Meatloaf My Way

Ingredients

2 lbs ground turkey
2-3 cloves garlic
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1 onion chopped
4-5 sundried tomatoes chopped (I used the ones NOT in oil)
2 tsp red pepper flakes (or as much heat as you like!)
1 slightly whisked egg
Basil, Parsley, Salt and Pepper (I just eyeball this…use what you like here!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Mix everything together in a large bowl until combined.
3. Spray non-stick spray in your loaf pan and then pour the meat mixture in. Press until even. 4. Coat generously with ketchup.
5. Cook for 1 hour or until cooked through.


Dill Potatoes
Adapted from Rachel Ray

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cut into chunks
2 Tbs butter
¼ chopped fresh dill
Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Fill a large saucepan with cold water. Add the potatoes and place them over high heat. Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Drain and place the potatoes back into the pan on the burner for 30 seconds to dry them out. Add the butter and toss in the herbs. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.

Last Bite: I really liked this meatloaf! I thought it had great flavor and I really liked the subtle heat from the red pepper flakes. I really like the fresh taste the dill brought to the potatoes…I might even try a squeeze of lemon the next time I make them too!

Super Simple Appetizer

The first Wednesday of every month a bunch of girls get together for Girls Night. We rotate houses and bring appetizers to share. It is a great time as we laugh and talk and eat and drink all night long! But every month I freak out before girls night as I am horrible at appetizers.

Sure, ask me to feed you dinner and my mind races with a billion and one things I could make. But appetizers….hmmm…I always get a little lost.

So when I stumbled across this one I knew I hit the jack pot…and I will share it with you so you can make it too!

You can use whatever type of paprika you have on hand, but my mom recently bought me Smoked Sweet Paprika and let me tell you...it was the bomb with the goat cheese!

Paprika and Dill Goat Cheese

From The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 packages (11 Ounce) Fresh Goat Cheese
• 6 Tablespoons Fresh Dill (or More If Needed)
• 6 Tablespoons Paprika (or More If Needed)

Preparation Instructions

1. Place the package of goat cheese into the freezer to chill.

2. While the goat cheese is chillin’ in the freezer, finely chop your fresh dill and spread it out a bit on the cutting board to let it dry for a few minutes.

3. The goat cheese should now be slightly firm. When it is ready, carefully remove the goat cheese from the packaging and gently roll it over the fresh dill, coating it almost completely.

4. Now pour some Paprika (a few tablespoons should probably do) onto a baking sheet. Give the pan a very slight shake to spread out the paprika a bit. Roll the second cylinder of goat cheese in the paprika until it is covered completely.

5. Carefully wrap each roll snugly in plastic wrap and chill until it’s time to serve. (The Paprika Goat Cheese will not do well if kept for longer than one to two hours so don’t make it too far in advance). Carefully slice them (easier when they are cool) and serve on crackers or crostini.

Last Bite: You can’t get any easier than this for an appetizer that looks so elegant. I took this to Girls Night last month and it was a hit!

Barefoot

We dined barefoot tonight in the Knox house. Well, what I really mean is we dined Barefoot Contessa tonight.

After not really accomplishing much of anything today, especially any of my homework that really needed to get done, I felt I ought to at least make a real effort with dinner.

I resisted my typical urge to just decide on a whim what to make for dinner based on what sounds good at the time and then run to Mejier and buy everything to go with that specific recipe. This would also most likely explain why I spend a ridiculous amount of money on food, and why the greeters at Meijer practically know me by name. I promise to sort this problem of mine out someday….I hope.

So after searching the fridge and cupboards I realized I had some leeks that were very close to reaching the end of their shelf life. A quick browse through Ina Garten’s “Back to Basics” cookbook and I had dinner figured out.

Roasted Potato and Leek Soup
And
Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

Roasted Potato Leek Soup
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes cut into chunks (I left my peel on)
2 leeks chopped
2 cloves garlic
¼ olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup fresh arugula
¼ cup dry white wine
4 to 5 cups chicken stock
¼ cup heavy cream
2 Tbs sour cream
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Combine potatoes and leeks on sheet pan in single layer. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes turning with a spatula a few times during cooking until very tender.
3. Add arugula and garlic and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes until arugula is wilted.
4. Remove from oven and put into Dutch oven. Add half of wine and chicken stock and combine.
5. Transfer in batches to a food processor to make a puree. Transfer back to Dutch oven and heat through adding more stock if necessary.
6. Add cream, sour cream, and pepper.
7. Just before serving whisk in 2 tablespoons of white wine and parmesan cheese

For the soup I didn’t puree mine completely because we like chucks!

Getting ready to be roasted!

Yum...the finished product....

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
Olive oil
½ large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic cut into thin slivers
3 Tbs dry white wine
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
4 Tbs grated Parmsean cheese
4 ounces goat cheese
1 large tomato cut thinly into 4 slices
1 ½ Tbs dried basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste


1. Unfold puff pastry on lightly floured surface and roll lightly to 10X10 inch square. Using 4 inch wide sauces or round object cut 5 to 6 (depending on how many you can fit) from the pastry. Place on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Preheat over to 425 degrees
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in skillet over medium heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes until the onions are limp, stirring frequently, until there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet.
4. Add salt and pepper, wine and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes until onions are lightly browned. Remove from heat.
5. Using a sharp parting knife, score a ¼ inch wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on each round.
6. Place a portion of the onion mixture on each circle, staying within scored edge. Crumble goat cheese on each round. Place a slice of tomato in the center. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle a little bit more parmesan cheese on top.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.


Here are the tarts ready to go in the oven.

Hello sweet goodness....

The house was filled with the wonderful aroma of garlic and the meal did not disappoint. It was a great wintery meal and actually one of the best potato leek soups I have tried. It was so good in fact Pat and I both walked around with huge bloated bellies after gorging ourselves at the dinner table. When will we learn?!?

Secret: I actually ended up with extra onion mixture from the tarts. Since I didn’t want to waste it I just tossed it in with my potato and leeks before I pureed them for the soup!

The soup was rich and creamy, but still had some chucks like we like. And the tarts….oh, the lovely tarts…. They were buttery and flaky on the outside and with a huge punch of warm tomato and onion on the inside. These would be perfect as appetizers for any occasion. So, so, good!

Last Bite: A fairly simple meal with high quality taste! I’m not sure I will ever make this soup any other way. And the tarts…..perfect!