Pulled Pork - A New Favorite

Recently it seemed that every time I looked at a blog, pulled pork sandwiches were a highlight so I decided to give them a try. Oh my goodness, these were sooo good. I found this recipe on The Way the Cookie Crumbles and will just link you there as I made no changes and wouldn't dream of it. This picture absolutely does not do this meal justice - I was clearly in too much of a hurry to bite in to take a good picture!

Just a few notes:

-For some reason I thought buying an 8lb pork shoulder was a good idea. I did the spice rub and and left it in the fridge overnight, but the next morning it did not quite it in the slow cooker so I ended up cutting all the meat off the bone and trimming off some of the fat before putting it in the slow cooker.

-I was around home while it cooked so I occasionally basted the meat with the juices.

-I have read that you can use pork loin and pork rib to make pulled pork so I might give that a try in the future.

I wanted to serve this with coleslaw as recommended by many people. I started off looking for a healthy version and tried this recommended recipe from Sparkpeople. It had a little too much of a bite for me so I ended up adding a little low fat mayo and sugar to make it more to my taste (I know took away a little from the healthy part!).

I would highly suggest this recipe - the pork also freezes really well in ziploc bags. I just defrosted the meat overnight and then reheat in a pot with BBQ sauce and a dash of water to add some moisture. Made for some easy nights cooking!

Valentine's Dinner: Salmon Pesto Pasta and Mango Shortbread Bars

(I will warn you now my picture skills need some work!)

We are not a couple big on crowds, so dinners at home on holidays is our style and we always try something new. I asked for ideas on a cooking board I frequent and found this salmon recipe with very positive reviews. Everyone was right - this pasta is delicious with a perfect combination of flavors. The dessert is not new to us, but is one of the hubby's favorites and he has been asking me to make it for months so I thought Valentines Day was a good time.

One of the most fun parts of the night was I decided to bring out our "fancy china" for the first time. I decided since we are not really in the era of our lives for hosting holidays and fancy dinner parties, I should stop waiting and use the china for just the two of us!

Dinner: Salmon Pesto Pasta

Source: The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Ingredients
1 lb salmon
1 lb pasta (we used thin lunguini but anything would work)

2/3 cup heavy cream (recipe used evaporated milk to add healthiness, we went all out with heavy cream)
1/2 cup pesto (can be made from scratch as the original recipe says, personally I just used out of a jar!)

1 Lemon

Salt

Pepper

Grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1) Start water boiling for pasta with a small amount of salt and olive oil in the water. Cook pasta al dente, drain and return to the same pot. (do steps 2 and 3 while the pasta is cooking)

2) Season salmon with salt, pepper and lemon zest then rub with olive oil (place on baking sheet lined with aluminium). Turn on broiler put salmon on middle rack for 10-15 minute until cooked through and flakes away from the skin with a fork. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Remove from oven and break apart with a fork (skin should stay behind on the pan)

3) Heat cream on low heat until just simmering. Add a small amount of salt and pepper for flavor.

4) Pour the cream over the pasta and mix. Stir in the pesto next and top with the salmon. Serve with grated parmesan cheese for topping.

I served this with steamed broccoli and a salad of romaine, apples and walnuts with a rasberry vinagrette (care of Paul Newman).

Dessert: Mango Shortbread Bars
Source: All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter
1/2 cup white sugar
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

4 cups sliced mango
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Sprinkle of ground nutmeg

Directions
1) Cream together butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Add flour and mix (the mixture will be crumbly).

2) Press 2/3 mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan.

3) Combine mango and the last 4 ingredients. Place in the pan.

4) Place remaining mixure over the mangos and press lightly.

5) Bake in 350 degree oven for 1hr until golden brown. Allow to cool, cut and serve.

Perfect served with tea!

Banana-Oat Muffins - The Perfect Portable Breakfast

I found this recipe while searching for a way to use up some about to die bananas. While I was a little concerned they would be heavy given the oats and whole wheat flour, the turned out really moist. I wrapped pairs of muffins in plastic wrap in a ziploc and froze them. I then defrosted a set overnight and microwaved them for 30 seconds at work the next day. Combined with a piece of fruit and yogurt it was a great breakfast that kept me full until a late lunch.




Source: Slightly adapted from Health Magazine recipe on myrecipes.com

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1/2 cup fat-free milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup regular oats
1/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mash bananas and mix with canola oil, egg, milk and vanilla. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until just combined (the recipe say to combine in a separate bowl and then combine, but I just mixed them all in the same bowl just making sure the baking powder was well mixed). Spray muffin tin with Pam and fill with 1/3 cup batter (will be filled to top). Bake until pick comes out of center clean (around 16+ minutes).

The original recipe says this makes 9 muffins but with the extra banana I added it stretched to 12 muffins.

ENJOY!

Homemade Pizza

After years of paying for pizza or homemade Boboli or Pillsbury dough, I decided to give totally homemade pizza a try. My husband and I both love pizza, so I was thrilled when this turned out so well and we will be saving a ton of money in the future by enjoying evenings at home cooking pizza together!


Dough from epicurious.com (Giada DeLaurentiis recipe)
3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups (or more) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Brush large mixer bowl lightly with olive oil. Add 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt and combine. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; mix using dough hook until it forms a sticky ball. Transfer to a floured surface and knead for 1 minute (add more flour as needed to make it less sticky). Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to glass or ceramic bowl and spread to cover the bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat in olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area to rise for one hour. Punch the center of the dough down and then roll out on a floured surface. When rolling form a raised edge to make the outer crust. Poke holes in the crust with a fork.

Sauce - not very original but my own creation
1 can crushed tomatoes
1/2 medium onion finely diced
3 cloves crushed garlic
Dried oregano, parsely, basil, salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic in a dash of olive oil. Add crushed tomatoes and seasoning. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Toppings
Shredded mozerella (obviously)
Grated Parmesan (just a dash on the top)
Hot turkey sausage (removed from its casing, broken apart and cooked in frying pan before topping)

Red Peppers
Anything else you like

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pizza stone in preheated oven for at least 30 minutes until hot. Place the dough on the stone and bake for 3-5 minutes. Add sauce, cheese and toppings. Return to oven for 15-20 minutes or until crust is brown and cheese is browning. Remove, cut and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

White Chicken Chili and Blitz Bread- A Success and a Failure

I had never seen a white chili recipe and when I saw this recipe and the reviews I just had to give it a try. I decided to make a foccaccia recipe which I had seen on the same blog to go along side. Fortunately the chili was wonderful, however, as you will see later in this post, the bread did not work out so well. Every blog I see this bread recipe on gives it rave reviews so I will have to try again!

White Chicken Chili
Source: Slightly adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth (plus one can water or a second can of broth if you want a stronger flavor)
1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin (I added a little more)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cup sour cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is just cooked. Add beans, broth, water, pepper and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and serve.

Review: Absolutely delicious - much more "soup-like" than your average chili, but a wonderful flavor and very filling!

Blitz Bread
Source: My Kitchen Cafe, adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (I used garlic powder)

3 teaspoons dried herbs (I used oregano, basil, parsley and rosemary)

dried herbs for sprinkling the top (I also topped with thin slices of red onion)

Grease a 9"x13" pan and drizzle 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom. Combine all but the last ingredient at high speed in a mixer for 60 seconds. Scoop the batter into the pan and let rise for 1 hour at room temperature. Once it rises, poke all over the top of the dough with yor finger, drizzle with olive oil and toppings of your choice. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Wait 5 minutes then remove from pan and serve (warm or at room temperature).

Review: Well - I gave this recipe my best shot...unfortunately the dough did not rise and when I went ahead and cooked it anyway I ended up with dense doughy bread stuck to the bottom of the pan. I was only able to cut off the top of the bread as the base was so stuck and it was still not exactly tasty due to the consistency. I will blog if I try this again and hopefully have some success!

Almond Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies - A New One for the Rotation

My go-to cookies have always been chocolate chip cookies (the good old Nestle recipe) but I felt like experimenting and stumbled on this cookie recipe on Good Things Catered and decided to give it a try. This cookie has most definately made it onto my favorites list and will join my cookie baking rotation. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!

Almond Rasberry Thumbprint Cookies
Source: Good Things Catered

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. softened butter
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. almonds, coarsely ground
1 c. raspberry preserves (I have used strawberry preserves and raspberry jam - both worked great)

Place butter and sugar in mixer - beat on high. Beat in the eggs then add vanilla and mix. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the flour. Once mixed, add the almonds and mix. The mixture will be coarse.

Preheat oven to 385 degrees. Roll 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Use your thumb to create an indent in the center of the ball (it helps to wet your thumb so the cookies don't stick to you). Place the cookie sheet with cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes. Fill indentations with jam/preserves of your choice. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edge turn slightly brown. (It has taken mine between 8 to 14 minute - just keep an eye on them). Let the cookies cool before serving.

New Year's Eve Dinner

I decided to start this bog while cooking our New Year's Eve dinner. When we got married we started a tradition of spending the night in and trying new dishes. I realized how much I love spending time in the kitchen trying new things and wanted a way to remember my adventures - hence the blog. So I will start with our New Year's Dinner this year and will be updating as I try new things!

Appetizer: Roasted Artichoke and Spinach Dip
Source: Good Things Catered

Ingredients:
2 (14 oz) cans of premium artichoke hearts
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and ground black pepper
16 oz. baby spinach leaves
1 medium onion, minced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 c. mayonnaise
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 c. assorted cheeses, grated (I used pecorino, parmesan, asiago, mozzarella, and fontina)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced thyme leaves
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees, drain artichoke hearts and mix with 1 Tbsp oil, salt and pepper.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes (until brown on the edges). Once the artichokes are cool, coarsely chop. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees.

While the artichoke hearts are browning, saute the onion and garlic until softened, add the spinach and saute until wilted.

Place the spinach, onion and garlic in a bowl and add mayo, cream cheese, cheeses, lemon joice, thyme and cayenne. Gently stir in the artichokes. Add salt, pepper and more cheese as needed for taste. Place in a baking dish and bake uncovered until golden brown (should take around 20-30 minutes).

Serve with chips or crackers...whatever floats your boat! We liked it with stone crackers.

Review: This was fantastic, the only things I would do different next time is make sure not to cut the artichokes too small as they kind of got lost in all the flavors and textures, add some different cheeses (I only had romano and parmesan) and decrease the Cayenne pepper a little.

Main Dish: Shrimp Scampi over Bow Ties
Source: Adapted from Barefoot Contessa on FoodNetwork.com

1 pound bowtie pasta (or whatever type you like)
3 tablespoons butter

2 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste
3 cloves minced garlic
About 16 shrimp (1 pound), peeled and deveined
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (we used dried as we did not have fresh)
1/2 lemon, zest grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Directions
Boil Pasta as directed until al dente. While pasta is cooking melt butter and olive oil on medium-low heat in a large pan. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, salt and pepper. Saute until the shrimp turn pink (about 5 minutes). Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes.

Toss with the pasta and serve - we topped with parmesan cheese and a little extra red pepper flakes for the husband!

On the side we served a salad of spinach leaves (left over from appitizer recipe), strawberries and oranges tossed with lemon juice and olive oil. It was an attempt to add a little healthy to the meal!

Review: Very good - might add a little more garlic next time but otherwise a nice light sauce to allow you to enjoy the pasta and shrimp.

Dessert: Crepes with Nutella, Banana and Strawberries

Source: Mommy (the recipe our family has been using forever - found in a magazine ad 30 years ago)

Mix 3 beaten eggs, 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 cup milk. Be sure to use either a blender or immersion hand blender to make sure everything is well mixed. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Butter a shallow frying pan or crepe pan and place on medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter and swirl until thin. Cook until dry (a few minutes depending on your pan - just wait for the top to not look liquid anymore and the bottom to turn tan), flip and cook for one more minute.

At this point you can do whatever you like with the crepes. I spread the warm crepes with nutella, filled with banana and strawberry slices, folded over the sides, heated for a minute and then served.

In my opinion the best part of this meal (supported by the fact they were eaten before I could remember to take a picture)! The nice thing about this recipe is the crepes can be used for savory or sweet fillings.