Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sliders with Vietnamese Slaw

I love pulled pork.  It's so easy, and delicious.  Recently though I've been looking for a way to spice it up a bit.  And then a great thing happened.  I received some purple cabbage and some carrots in our CSA box. (For those of you who don't know, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and every week I pay some money to get food fresh from a variety of farms.  But you just get what is in season, so you don't know what you're getting.  It's like a fun surprise every week!)  Anyway, those ingredients reminded me of the delicious Vietnamese tacos recipe, and I thought, why not mix them together.  So I did.  And they were amazing.  The spicy-sweet-crunchy slaw adds a nice contrast to the smoky BBQ pork.  Try it out!

As a note, pork shoulder usually comes as a huge piece of meat.  I usually buy the whole thing and then cut it into 3 or 4 pieces.  I freeze whatever I don't use.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sliders with Vietnamese Slaw

Ingredients:
2-3 lb pork shoulder, trimmed of large bits of fat
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, mined
1 Serrano or Thai chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1/2 cup matchstick-sized or coarsely grated carrots
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs chopped fresh mint
1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
Slider or sandwich buns

Place your pork shoulder into the slow cooker and sprinkle with the onion soup mix.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

In the meantime, in a medium bowl combine water, fish sauce, white vinegar, sugar, lime juice, garlic, and chili pepper.  Mix well, then toss in cabbage, carrots, red onion, cilantro, and mint.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  The longer it sits the better it will taste!

When the pork is done cooking, shred with two forks, removing and discarding fatty bits as you go.  Pour BBQ sauce over pork and stir to fully coat.

To assemble, place some pork on a bun, then top with the cabbage slaw.  Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Zucchini Lasagne

It's that time of year again -- Zucchini Time!  They are plentiful at the moment, and I'm loving it!  Unfortunately, I'm the only member of my family that loves the zukes, which means I end up having to "hide" them in foods quite often.  I love making Zucchini Bread, as well as Slow-Cooker Thai Chicken, which uses zucchini as well.  But I wanted something new. 

I was talking with my friend Amy and she mentioned that she had made lasagne, substituting zucchini for the noodles.  Her only complaint was that you didn't taste enough of the zucchini.  Perfect! I thought.  My family will love it!  Of course, if you are a big lover of zucchini you can double it, and just put thicker layers of the zucchini between the layers of cheese and meat.

I served this with some amazing cheesy garlic bread that I found on this site.

As a side note, this makes one 8"x8" square pan, enough for 6 servings.  If you want a 9"x13" pan, you can double the recipe.

Zucchini Lasagne
Recipe adapted from Natalie Beal

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1/2 lb Italian sausage
1 tsp minced garlic
1 T fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (or 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped)
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 large zucchini, very thinly sliced into circles or half-circles (use a Mandolin or food processor if you have one!)
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 lb shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.
In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add Italian sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.  Add garlic, basil, salt, tomatoes, and tomato paste and stir to combine.  Cook 5-10 minutes on a low simmer.  Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper and all but 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Set aside the last 1/4 cup of mozzarella to put on top of the lasagne before baking.
Spoon a very small amount of the meat sauce into the bottom of an 8"x8" square pan and spread to thinly cover the bottom.  Layer half the zucchini, with edges of circles slightly overlapping, in rows until the bottom of the pan is covered.  Next spread half the cheese mixture on top of the zucchini, followed by half the meat mixture.  Next layer the remaining zucchini slices, followed by the remainder of the cheese and then the meat sauce.  Top with the 1/4 cup reserved mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the preheated 375F oven for 30 minutes.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serves 6.

Juicy and Delicious Italian-Style Meatloaf

A few days ago I was planning out my menu for the week when my husband came over to see what I was doing.  For some reason he was thinking about meatloaf.  Now I've never made meatloaf, because it just didn't seem like the type of thing he would like.  He hates casseroles, and I guess I thought meatloaf seemed too casserole-ish (yes I made that word up).  But he told me about a meatloaf he had eaten years and years ago, before we were married, that was moist and delicious and had big chunks of tomatoes inside.  Normally, he said, he hates meatloaf.  But he loved that meatloaf, and maybe I could try to recreate it.

Since he's such a low-maintenance guy and never asks for anything (except occasionally cycling gear and power tools), I decided I couldn't let him down.  And anyway, I like a challenge.  So I began my search for the perfect meatloaf recipe.

The first thing I discovered is that there are a million and one ways to make meatloaf.  The second thing I discovered is that if you type "meatloaf" into Google or Pinterest, you get equal amounts of recipes and pictures of the singer Meatloaf.  Who, by the way, is not appetizing.

After reading at least twenty different recipes I had decided on a few things I wanted to do with mine.  I wanted fresh herbs.  I wanted to soak Panko breadcrumbs in buttermilk before mixing them into the meat.  I wanted something tangier than plain ketchup on top.  I wanted to include Parmesan cheese.  And I wanted to add some chunks of tomatoes (which, by the way, I never found a recipe that had them!).  There were tons of recipes that had one or two of these, but I didn't find a recipe that combined all of them.  Also, so many recipes used two or even three pounds of meat.  I only wanted to use one pound of ground beef, in case it was a total flop or none of my kids would eat it.  Finally I came up with a recipe.

I mixed it all together, put it in a loaf pan, and baked it.  I wasn't sure which temperature to cook it at, or how long it would take to cook, so I started with 30 minutes at 425F and checked it every few minutes after that.  I was a little nervous when it finally was done.  What if it was terrible?  What if I just wasted all those ingredients? I sat down at the table with the family.  The kids all looked at the meatloaf and stated emphatically that they hated this and were not eating it.  But since that's what they do any time they see a new food, I ignored them.  I sliced the meatloaf, and it oozed juices.  It smelled fantastic.  I cut up one slice and distributed it among my children.  My 7-year-old son was the first to taste it.  He smiled.  He quickly ate it all and asked for more.  He ended up eating four whole slices.  The rest took courage from his reaction and tasted it.  They all loved it.

I had to agree.  It was the best meatloaf I had ever tasted. The flavors were well-balanced.  It was moist and delicious.  It had just the right amount of the tomatoes my husband had specifically requested.  It was fantastic!  But would he like it?

Yes.  Yes he did.  He heaped praises on me and said it was the best meatloaf he'd ever had, and that I was the best wife ever.  It was great.  He took a huge slab of it to work for lunch today.

So now I'm sharing with you my best ever meatloaf recipe.  I hope you enjoy it!

Juicy and Delicious Italian-Style Meatloaf
Recipe by Holly

Ingredients:
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs fresh basil, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, but into bite-size chunks
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup steak sauce (I love A1!)

Preheat oven to 425-degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and buttermilk.  Let sit for a few minutes.  In a large bowl, place ground beef, onion, garlic, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, eggs, and Parmesan cheese.  Using your hands, mix it until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Add in the breadcrumb mixture and the tomatoes and mix again until evenly distributed.  Place the meat mixture into a 9-inch loaf pan and smooth the top.
In a separate small bowl, combine ketchup and steak sauce.  Use half of the sauce to spread across the top of the meatloaf.  Reserve remaining sauce for serving.
Bake meatloaf at 425F for 45-60 minutes (mine took 55), or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the loaf reads 165-degrees F.  Let sit for a minute, then drain off any excess grease.  Using two spatulas, carefully remove meatloaf from pan and put on serving dish.  Serve hot, with the remaining sauce on the side.
Serves 4-6.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I originally posted this about three years ago, but I've changed the recipe since then, so I thought i'd update it!

When I was a kid and we would go to a Chinese restaurant, the only thing I would ever order was Sweet and Sour Chicken.  Years ago, when my brother and sister-in-law lived in Hawaii, they got me a Hawaiian cookbook.  I was delighted to find this recipe in it, which is a more Hawaiian version of sweet and sour chicken.  Their directions were terrible and their quantities and cooking times were also pretty off, so I revamped the recipe a few times, until I came up with this version. I love it!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken (breasts, tenders, thighs, whatever you prefer)
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T oil
1 red or green bell pepper, sliced in 1/4"-thick rings
1 (10 oz) cans of pineapple in juice (rings or chunks), drained, reserving juice
OR 6-8 fresh pineapple rings

Sauce
3/4 cups pineapple juice
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 T corn starch
1 t ground ginger
1 cup sugar
1 cube of chicken bullion

Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the chicken into 1" cubes.  Place flour, salt, and pepper in a large Ziplock bag.  Add chicken and toss to coat.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add floured chicken and cook about 5 minutes, turning once, or until very lightly browned.  Remove chicken from pan and place in a 9"x13" pan.  Arrange peppers and pineapple on top of chicken and put in oven for 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Put all ingredients in medium saucepan.  Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes, still stirring, until sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and pour over already-baking chicken.  Continue to cook chicken with sauce until fully cooked.

Serve over rice.

Serves 6.

Honey Mint Lamb Chops

I love lamb meat.  Unfortunately in beef and poultry-driven America it's not nearly as plentiful as many other countries, which is why most of our lamb comes from Australia.  However, every now and then I still splurge for it.  This recipe is easy and combines honey and garlic, both my favorite things.  It makes a great fancy meal or a weeknight dinner.

Honey Mint Lamb Chops

Ingredients: 
One bone-in rack of lamb chops (about 8 rib bones), or 8 lamb chops
1/4 cup honey
1 T minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried mint
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a small bowl, combine honey, garlic, and mint.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over meat, to taste.  Brush on honey mixture until fully covered on all sides.  Place in roasting pan and bake at 400F for 15-25 minutes, or until meat registers 155F.  Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serves 4.

Seasoned Pork Chops

These are easy and delicious, a sure-fire hit!

Seasoned Pork Chops

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4"-1" thick
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 clove garlic, minced
Applesauce, to serve

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.

In a small bowl combine thyme, sage, tarragon, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and garlic.  Rub herb mixture evenly over all sides of pork chops and place meat into a 9 x 13" pan, or other roasting pan.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until pork registers an internal temperature of 150-155 degrees F.  Let sit five minutes before serving.
Serve with applesauce.

Makes 4 servings.

French Dip

When I was in elementary school, the lunch menu had ten items on it, repeating every two weeks.  French dip was one of my favorites, and I always ate every bit.  That's why I was pleased when my own children, upon first trying this delightful treat, also loved it.  There's something about dipping a sandwich into a hot liquid that just immediately appeals to kids.  And even though they don't like swiss cheese on its own, they loved it on the sandwich.

The other great thing about French Dip is that it's easy.  Slow cooker cooking at it's best.  I bought some hard French rolls at my local grocery store's bakery section, but you could, of course, make your own.  This makes enough to feed a crowd, so be prepared for leftovers if you're feeding your family of 4!

French Dip au Jus
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
2 T olive or vegetable oil
1 beef roast, 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 lbs
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 package (1-oz) dry onion soup mix, or 1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup water
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
Swiss cheese, sliced (about 1/2 lb)
Crusty buns or rolls, for serving

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  While oil is heating, sprinkle salt and pepper over the whole roast.  Sear the roast in the hot oil on all sides, just long enough to lightly brown the meat.  This seals in the moisture and adds flavor.
Transfer seared meat into the slow cooker.  Sprinkle with dry onion soup mix, or onion, and add water (omit if using fresh onion).  Add beef broth.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.  When the meat shreds easily with a fork, shred the entire roast with two forks.  Serve on sliced crusty rolls with a slice of swiss cheese.  Serve with a side bowl of the juices from the meat, for dipping the sandwiches into.
Serves about 8.

Furry Chicken

There are a million recipes out there for breaded chicken breasts.  I have at least three on the blog, and many more in the cookbooks that line my shelves.  But this is one of my favorites, because the flavor is unique and extra delicious.  Give it a try--it makes a great quick dinner.

You can also make the chicken ahead of time and freeze it until you're ready to use it.  Just bake at 425F for 20 minutes instead of following the baking instructions below.

Furry Chicken
Recipe by Ruth Beal

Ingredients:
4 Boneless-skinless chicken breasts, sliced horizontally to create 8 thinner chicken breasts
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, or 1 Tbs dried parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375F and lightly grease a large baking pan or cookie sheet.
In a medium bowl combine melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and garlic.  In a shallow dish (such as a pie pan) combine bread crumbs, parsley, and parmesan cheese.  Dip the chicken first into the butter mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture, patting the crumb mixture on to coat.  Place coated chicken onto baking pan.  Bake at 375F for 15-25 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.  Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 8.

Steakhouse Pizza

I saw this recipe on The Pioneer Woman Cooks website. I knew immediately I had to try it.  I was not disappointed.

This pizza is delicious and unique, and is definitely a must for steak-lovers.  My husband, who usually does not like "gourmet" pizza (or at least prefers a standard one over a gourmet one) ate half the pizza in one sitting.  He couldn't get enough of it. 

The key to the deliciousness is the mixture of the flavors--the acid from the balsamic vinegar, the sweetness from the caramelized onions, the tang from the Worchestershire sauce and steak sauce, and of course the creamy, salty mozzarella and the rich and juicy steak.  A.Maz.Ing.  Seriously.

I used a homemade whole wheat crust, but you can make your own or buy a premade dough if you'd like.  Either way, it's sooo good.

Steakhouse Pizza
Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients:
Pizza dough, enough to make a 10" crust
Skirt steak or flank steak, or a sirloin roast steak (I used the last one)
Salt and pepper
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs butter
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup marinara sauce
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/8"-thick slices
1/4 cup Your Favorite Steak Sauce (I used A1)

Preheat oven to 475F degrees. 

Grill the steak over high heat, flipping every three minutes, until medium rare, approximately 12 minutes total.  Set aside to rest.

Saute red onions in butter and half of the balsamic vinegar over medium heat until dark and caramelized, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine marinara sauce with the Worcestershire sauce and remaining balsamic vinegar. 

Roll out pizza dough until thin and about 10" in diameter.  Spread marinara sauce on the crust and top with red onions and then mozzarella cheese.  Bake pizza for 10-12 minutes, or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly but not burned.

While pizza is cooking, slice steak into very thin slices.  When pizza is done, remove from oven and drape slices of steak to cover pizza.  Drizzle steak sauce on top of the steak, and serve immediately.

Barbecue Pork Ribs

There are few things in this world that I like more than Barbecue Pork Ribs.  Several years ago, when my husband and I were living abroad, some friends invited us to dinner and served ribs.  I was in heaven.  They were amazing.  And then I found out how they were made, and was astounded at how simple they were to prepare.  Yes, they take all day to cook, but that's hardly difficult.  Since then I've made these on all my special BBQ occasions, such as Memorial Day, July 4, and Labor Day.  And sometimes I make them just because.  Because they're divine.  I'm often told by my guests that they're better than those you get at expensive restaurants. 

You can make as many racks of ribs as you want.  A rack usually has twelve rib bones in it and will serve 2 or 3 people, depending on how much they eat.  I don't recommend buying them without the bones, as you will lose some meat that way and definitely sacrifice on flavor.  By the time you're done cooking these the bones will be falling out of their own accord, so don't worry about them.  Generally when you buy ribs at the store they come packaged two racks together, though I've also seen them with three.  I buy some whenever they're on a good sale and throw them in the freezer until I'm ready for that special day.

Barbecue Pork Ribs
Recipe from Andrew Hill

Ingredients:
2 racks pork ribs, bone-in
1 jar of your favorite barbecue sauce
2 T to 1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper

To begin with, wrap a large baking sheet (jelly-roll pan) with foil.  You'll probably need two overlapping sheets.  Turn the oven to 215F.  It's not very hot, because you'll be cooking them all day long.

In a small bowl mix 1 cup of barbecue sauce with 2 T water.  You want the sauce to be thin enough that it's easy to brush thinly over the meat, but not so thin that it's watery.  If you need more water, add more, up to 1/4 cup.

Place the raw ribs on the pan, bone-side up.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then brush with the thinned-out barbecue sauce.  Flip the meat over and repeat. 

After both sides have been covered with the sauce, they'll look like this:

Cover the whole tray very tightly with foil and place in the oven.  Cook at 215 F for at least 6 hours or up to 8.

 

When they come out of the oven they'll look like this:

 

Next you need to glaze them.  Some people prefer to glaze them on a grill, and you're certainly welcome to do so.  I prefer to glaze them under the broiler because it's easier not to move them so much when they're that tender.  Either way, you need to brush full-thickness barbecue sauce over the top of the ribs.  Be generous.  Then, if you're using the broiler, place the whole tray under the broiler (about 6 inches from the element) and let the sauce carmelize a bit, about 3-5 minutes.  If you'd like to you can carefully turn them over with tongs and do the other side, but I have to say that I usually just do the meaty side.

If you want to glaze on a grill, then apply the barbecue sauce to both sides of the cooked ribs (use tongs to turn), and then carefully lift the ribs AND the foil onto the preheated grill.  Let them carmelize for about 3 minutes, then carefully turn them over and do the other side. They should look like this:

Serve these babies immediately.  Serves 4-6.

Short version of the recipe:

Barbecue Pork Ribs
Recipe from Andrew Hill


Ingredients:
2 racks pork ribs, bone-in
1 jar of your favorite barbecue sauce
2 T to 1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper


To begin with, wrap a large baking sheet (jelly-roll pan) with foil.  You'll probably need two overlapping sheets.  Turn the oven to 215F.  It's not very hot, because you'll be cooking them all day long.


In a small bowl mix 1 cup of barbecue sauce with 2 T water.  You want the sauce to be thin enough that it's easy to brush thinly over the meat, but not so thin that it's watery.  If you need more water, add more, up to 1/4 cup.

Place the raw ribs on the pan, bone-side up.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then brush with the thinned-out barbecue sauce.  Flip the meat over and repeat.  Cover the whole tray very tightly with foil and place in the oven.  Cook at 215 F for at least 6 hours or up to 8.

Next you need to glaze them.  Some people prefer to glaze them on a grill, and you're certainly welcome to do so.  I prefer to glaze them under the broiler because it's easier not to move them so much when they're that tender.  Either way, you need to brush full-thickness barbecue sauce over the top of the ribs.  Be generous.  Then, if you're using the broiler, place the whole tray under the broiler (about 6 inches from the element) and let the sauce carmelize a bit, about 3-5 minutes.  If you'd like to you can carefully turn them over with tongs and do the other side, but I have to say that I usually just do the meaty side.


If you want to glaze on a grill, then apply the barbecue sauce to both sides of the cooked ribs (use tongs to turn), and then carefully lift the ribs AND the foil onto the preheated grill.  Let them carmelize for about 3 minutes, then carefully turn them over and do the other side. 


Serve these babies immediately.  Serves 4-6.

Pork Tenderloin with Plum Barbecue Sauce

I love pork tenderloin, but I only know a few ways to prepare it.  So when I saw this recipe online the other day I knew I had to try it.  I was richly rewarded for the effort!  The sauce is like a sweeter barbecue sauce, with chunks of tender and juicy plum and the subtle bite of the pepper and spices.  It didn't take long to make and was so worth the effort!

As a note, if you don't have whole cloves or star anise, you can substitute 1/4 tsp of ground Chinese Five Spice, which is a spice you can get in your local grocery store right next to the cumin and chili powder.  

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Plum Barbecue Sauce
Recipe from Cooking Light

Ingredients
For the Sauce:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup chopped onion 

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons dry mustard 

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 whole cloves
1 star anise

1 1/2 pounds black plums, quartered and pitted 


For the pork:

2 tablespoons canola oil 

2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed 
(these usually come together when you buy a whole pork tenderloin)
1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To make the Sauce:
Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons canola oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add sugar and the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until plums break down and sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Discard cloves and anise.


To make the Pork:
Preheat oven to 450°F.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add pork to pan; sauté 7 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.

Transfer pork to a foil-lined baking sheet or 9"-x-13" pan; coat with 1/2-1 cup plum sauce. Roast pork at 450°F for 15 minutes. Remove pork from oven. Turn pork over; coat with an additional 1/2-1 cup plum sauce. Roast an additional 10-15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of pork registers 155°. Remove from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Slice crosswise. Serve with remaining plum sauce.

Serves 6.

Grilled Chicken and Garden Salsa

This recipe is from Southern Living Magazine, and is a lovely and quick thing to cook on a nice hot day.  It's a great idea to cook the vegetables on the foil, because they still get grilled, but without falling through the grates.  The flavor was great and I felt good about all those vegetables!  Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken and Garden Salsa
Recipe from Southern Living (May 2012)

Ingredients:
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbs mayonnaise
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2"-inch-wide strips
1 small onion, sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, quartered
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

In a small bowl, combine Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, then brush with cheese mixture.  Toss vegetables with oil, then place on a large piece of aluminum foil. 
Place chicken and vegetables (on the foil) on a preheated medium-high grill.  Grill for 6 minutes, flipping chicken and stirring up vegetables after three minutes.  Turn heat to medium-low and cook an additional 3-6 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle basil over vegetables just before serving. 
Makes 4 servings.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

This is another one of my favorite Thai recipes.  After tasting this recipe, you will forever be disappointed by the satay you eat in restaurants.  Sorry about that. 

A note about the ingredients:  you can easily find fish sauce and Thai red curry paste in the Asian Foods section of any grocery store.  Be sure you get the THAI curry paste, which is very different from Indian or other curries.  As for tamarind paste, you should read the note about it on my previous post.  If you absolutely cannot get tamarind paste, you can substitute lime juice, but it's not the same, so don't do that and then tell me you hate this recipe.  I personally think that it's worth it to spend a few hours hunting down the right ingredients, because it's just that good.  And once you have them, you can make this lots of times in the future, which I guarantee will make you happy.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Recipe adapted from "Thai" by Lesley Mackley

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips that are 1/4"-thick and 1"-wide
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced (about a teaspoon)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbs lime juice
1 tsp brown sugar

For the Peanut Sauce:
2 T smooth peanut butter
1 cup coconut cream or coconut milk
2 tsp red Thai curry paste
1 Tbs fish sauce
1 Tbs brown sugar

First make the marinade.  Combine oil, soy sauce, tamarind paste, lemon zest, garlic, cumin, coriander, lime juice, and brown sugar in a food processor or blender.  Blend to make a thin paste.  Transfer to a ziplock bag or a bowl and toss in the chicken, making sure everything gets well coated. Refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to 4. 

Meanwhile, make the peanut sauce.  In a small saucepan combine the peanut butter, coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, and brown sugar.  Heat over medium heat, stirring with a whisk, until sauce is warm and smooth.  Sauce can be set aside and reheated when ready to use.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread onto skewers.  Grill over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through.  You can also cook it under a broiler, though it will take a few more minutes. 

Serve with the warm peanut dipping sauce.
Makes 8 appetizer servings, or 4 main dish servings.

Tandoori Chicken

This is another of my mother-in-law's recipes.  She serves this often when we have big summertime gatherings with the whole family.  It's easy to multiply if you're serving a big crowd, and can be prepared the night before to save time.  You can also adjust the amount of hot pepper if you prefer it less spicy (I generally use 1/4 tsp instead of the given 1/2 tsp).  We like to serve this with rice, Cucumber and Vinegar Salad and Mango Chutney.  Delicious!

Tandoori Chicken
Recipe by Ruth Beal

Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" strips
1/2 tsp hot chili powder, such as Cayenne or Chipotle (you can use less to make it not so spicy)
1 tsp salt
2 T fresh lemon juice
4 T melted butter
3 T plain yogurt
1 T chopped raisins
2 inches ginger root, peeled and grated (or finely chopped)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp red food coloring (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a Ziplock bag and shake well.  Let marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.  Thread meat onto skewers if desired, and grill over medium-high heat for 9-12 minutes, turning every three minutes, or until cooked through.

Makes 6 servings.

Rosemary Rib Roast and Roasted Vegetables

Friday I decided to have a little Passover meal for our family.  I'm Christian, not Jewish, but someone had given me a nice two page mini-Seder script.  We'd been talking a lot about Passover in relation to the Holy Week of Christ's life, and so it seemed like a good lead-in to Easter. 

The ceremony itself went quite well and the kids did remarkably well, considering they mostly had to sit still and taste things they didn't like, such as parsley and horseradish.  They did like the matzo and the charoseth, but they were happy to get to the real full meal part of the Seder.  Their favorite thing was opening the door to look for Elijah, which is mostly amusing because my son's name is Elijah. 

For the meal we started with matzo ball soup (I cheated and bought it pre-made), latkes, and then had Rosemary Rib Roast with Roasted Vegetables.  In case you've never made a rib roast before, it is an extremely tender piece of meat, and is just delicious!  When you combine it with fresh rosemary and garlic and perfectly roasted vegetables, it's heaven!  You can use the vegetables I used, or you could use sliced eggplant, baby new potatoes, cauliflower, asparagus, turnips, and/or sweet potatoes.  Be creative!

Rosemary Rib Roast and Roasted Vegetables
Adapted from Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
3-4 lb Beef Rib Roast, boneless (or cut if from the bone if you can't find a boneless one)
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked
2 T minced garlic
2 T vegetable or olive oil
1 T kosher salt
2 zucchini, sliced into 1/4" slices
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices
4 oz mushrooms, washed and sliced

In a small bowl combine garlic, rosemary, oil, and salt.  Rub generously onto all sides of meat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. 
Preheat oven to 350F.  Remove roast from refrigerator and remove plastic wrap.  Place roast in a lightly greased 9x13 roasting pan (or larger) and sprinkle vegetables around it. 
Bake at 350F for about 1 1/2 hours, or until roast registers about 130 degrees on a meat thermometer.  Let sit for 15-30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serves 6.

Bangers and Mash

England isn't exactly known for it's stellar cuisine, but it does have some amazing homey favorites.  And they all seem to have fantastic names.  Toad in a Hole is my favorite, but I also love Bangers and Mash.  And what's better, it tastes great. Hard to lose there. 
Bangers are sausages, not the Jimmy Dean variety but more the six-inch-long, 1-inch diameter variety.  Lots of grocery stores sell them in the meat department (behind the counter), or you can quite easily make your own, which is what I'm going to do in this recipe.  If you do happen to find some nice Cumberland Sausages, you can use those and skip ahead to the baking directions.

Bangers and Mash with Onions
Adapted from Jamie Oliver 


Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork meat (or lamb, or beef, or whatever you'd like)
3 T bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tsp dry sage, divided
1/2 tsp dry thyme
1/2 tsp dry savory or tarragon (I prefer tarragon)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
1 stem fresh rosemary, leaves picked (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)
4 lbs russet potatoes
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
2 T butter
2 medium red onions
3 T red wine or balsamic vinegar (I prefer balsamic)
1 chicken or beef bullion cube
1 1/2 cups water
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F and spray a small baking sheet with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, egg, 1 tsp sage, thyme, savory or tarragon, pepper, and salt.  Mix well with hands, then divide into two.  Form each half into a sausage on the baking sheet, approximately 8 inches long.  Arrange the garlic on top of the sausages, then sprinkle with rosemary leaves.  Drizzle with olive oil, then bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes (if desired), chop into cubes and boil in salted water until tender.  When tender, drain, return to pot, and add milk or butter milk and butter and mash until smooth.  If you'd like, you can throw in a teaspoon of minced garlic.  Cover and put on a low burner until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the onions.  Place onions in a lightly oiled frying pan over medium heat.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When onions are tender and beginning to brown, remove cover and turn heat to medium-high, stirring until browned.  Add vinegar and let boil until vinegar is mostly evaporated, then add bullion cube and water.  Let boil until it reaches a gravy-like consistency.

To assemble, put a large mound of mashed potatoes on a serving plate.  Cut sausage in half, then cut in half through the length, and place pieces on top of the potatoes.  Top with onions and serve.
Serves 4.

Roast Beef

I had never made roast beef before.  I have cooked roasts in a slow-cooker plenty of times, but this is the kind of roast beef that you slice into thin slices and eat with mashed potatoes, or on a sandwich.  It was so good.  My kids, who aren't big beef eaters, loved this.  They asked for seconds, then thirds, then fourths.  They even asked for it again for lunch, which is unheard of.  It really is so good. Give it a try.  But be aware, you'll need to plan ahead for this one.  It's not at all difficult, but it takes some time.  But Boy, is it worth it!

Roast Beef
Recipe from America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 boneless eye-round or top-round roast (2 1/2 - 4 1/2 lbs)
Kosher salt (1 T for 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 lb roast; 4 tsp for 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 lb roast)
2 tsp vegetable oil, plus 1 T oil for cooking
Freshly ground black pepper (1 1/2 tsp for 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 lb roast; 2 tsp for 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 lb roast)

Sprinkle all the sides of roast evenly with salt.  Wrap roast in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
Heat oven to 225F.  Pat roast dry with paper towels; rub with 2 tsp oil.  Sprinkle all sides evenly with pepper.
Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until smoking.  Sear roast until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.  Transfer roast to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast in the 225F oven until a thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 125-degrees F, about 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 hours.
Turn oven off, but leave roast in oven, without opening door, until temperature of meat reaches at least 130 degrees (medium-rare) or 140 degrees(medium), about 30-50 minutes longer.  Transfer roast to carving board and let rest 15 minutes before carving.  Slice meat crosswise as thinly as possible and serve.
The leftovers make great sandwiches.  Try topping a pile of sliced roast beef with mango chutney for an amazing sandwich!
Serves 6-8.

Cedar Grilled Salmon

By the time we remembered to take a photo, this was all that was left!

I don't eat fish.  This is something you have to know about me.  My husband is always trying to get me to eat fish, and I obligingly try it, and don't like it.  But this fish I almost liked.  I certainly didn't have a problem finishing my entire steak, and if I hadn't known it was fish I probably would have eaten it without any problem.  My husband assures me it was fantastic.  Try it, and tell me what you think.  By the way, if you don't have a cedar plank, you can grill this without it, it just won't have that smoky flavor.

Cedar Grilled Salmon

Ingredients:
1 T chili powder
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp olive oil
4 salmon steaks, 3/4-inch thick (8 oz each)
cedar plank for grilling

4 hours before grilling, submerge the cedar plank in water.  Let soak for 4 hours.
Prepare grill.  In small bowl combine chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, thyme, salt, ginger and oil.  Rub on all sides of salmon steaks.
Place the cedar plank on the grill and turn the heat to medium-high.  Place salmon steaks on the plank and close the top of the grill to create that delicious cedar smoke.  Grill until just opaque throughout, about 10 minutes (when grilling on a plank you don't need to flip the meat).
If not using the cedar plank, grill 4 minutes per side.
Serves 4.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I love BBQ Chicken Pizza.  When I go to one of those fancy pizza restaurants it's always what I order.  When my sister-in-law Natalie mentioned that the Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken from the previous post was great on pizza, I thought, "I have to make that!"  Most of the ingredients for the pizza are the same as the sandwiches, so save some of everything if you want to make the pizza later on in the week.  Of course, you could always just make the chicken for the pizza, too!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2 cups BBQ Chicken
Pizza dough (see recipe below)
1/2 cup whole milk
4 T melted butter
1 T flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff, people, not the kind in the green can)
2-3 T chopped red onion
1-2 T chopped cilantro
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Corn meal

Preheat oven to 425F.  Sprinkle corn meal in a 10" circle on a baking sheet.  Roll out pizza dough into a 10" circle and place on baking sheet.  Refrigerate until needed.
In a small saucepan, combine milk, butter, flour, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.  Turn heat to medium-high and whisk continuously until mixture begins to bubble and turns thick.  Remove from heat and whisk in Parmesan cheese.
Remove pizza crust from refrigerator.  Spread warm milk mixture over crust.  Top generously with BBQ chicken, then red onion and cilantro.  Finally, top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Pizza can be refrigerated until ready to use, or baked immediately.
Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly brown. 

Pizza Dough
Makes 2 10-inch pizza crusts

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 T yeast
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour (I use 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, and the rest white, or you can use all white)

In a mixer combine water, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Add 3 1/2 cups flour and stir well.  If dough is very wet and doesn't come away from the sides of the bowl, add additional 1/2 cup flour.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.  After 1 hour, turn onto lightly floured surface and divide dough into two.  Form into pizza crusts, add toppings, and bake at 425F for 15 minutes.
Makes 2 crusts.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

These are so amazingly delicious.  We had them at my sister-in-law Natalie's house a few weeks ago and I made them again the next week because I'd been thinking about them non-stop.  I really think that it's the combination of toppings that makes it so amazing.  You can double this recipe and save some of the leftovers for BBQ Chicken Pizza, which I'll post next. 

Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
Your favorite BBQ sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 T mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Sandwich buns
Chopped cilantro
Chopped red onion
Avocado slices

Place chicken in slow-cooker.  Pour over enough BBQ sauce to coat chicken.  In a small bowl combine honey, mustard, and garlic powder.  Pour over chicken.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours.  Shred chicken 1 hour before serving.

To serve, place shredded chicken on sandwich bun.  Top with cilantro, red onion, and avocado slices.  Enjoy!
Serves 6.