Pulled-Pork Fajitas

So easy, I love this. My pork is doing double duty so all I have to do is throw it together and serve since it was cooked ahead of time.

Menu: Pulled Pork Fajitas and all the yummy fixin's

Pulled-Pork Fajitas

Ingredients:
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (ground red) pepper
About 2 pounds leftover roast pork
8 flour tortillas
Fresh cilantro leaves
Avocado wedges
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped red onion

1. Combine the vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and cayenne pepper in a medium saucepan. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut pork into 1-inch-thick slices, then shred it by hand. Stir the pork into the sauce, cover, and heat through, stirring occasionally.

2. In a large, dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast the tortillas one at a time until crisp and slightly charred around the edges, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. (You can use the microwave if you choose instead)
   

3. To serve, spoon some pork into the center of a tortilla. Top with cilantro, avocado, tomato, and onion. Roll.

What's better than a no fuss meal?

Carolina Pulled Pork with Lexington Red Sauce

Sorry I'm just now posting this - week got away from me but anyways here's what I did...

Menu: Carolina Pulled Pork with Lexington Red Sauce on hamburger buns with store bought potato salad

Carolina Pulled Pork with Lexington Red Sauce

Ingredients:
Pork:
8 hickory wood chunks (about 4 pounds)
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (I just used brown sugar)
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (5-pound) bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt)
1 cup cider vinegar
2 1/4 cups water, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon canola oil
Cooking spray

Sauce:
1 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1. To prepare pork, soak wood chunks in water about 16 hours; drain. (Nix this if you're doing the crockpot)

2. Combine turbinado sugar and next 4 ingredients (through ground red pepper); reserve 2 tablespoons sugar mixture. Rub half of the remaining sugar mixture onto pork. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and refrigerate pork overnight.

3. Remove pork from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Rub remaining half of sugar mixture onto pork.

4. Place the pork in the crockpot and combine reserved 2 tablespoons sugar mixture, 1 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, and oil in a small saucepan; add this to the crockpot OR cook over low heat 10 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

5. Skip this step if crockpot cooking: Remove grill rack; set aside. Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to medium-low and leaving one side with no heat. Maintain temperature at 225°. Pierce bottom of a disposable aluminum foil pan several times with the tip of a knife. Place pan on heated side of grill; add half of wood chunks to pan. Place another disposable aluminum foil pan (do not pierce pan) on unheated side of grill. Pour remaining 2 cups water in pan. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place on grill. Place pork on grill rack over foil pan on the unheated side. Close lid, and cook for 4 1/2 hours or until a thermometer registers 170°, gently brushing pork with vinegar mixture every hour (avoid brushing off sugar mixture). Add additional wood chunks halfway during cooking time. Discard any remaining vinegar mixture. Preheat oven to 250°. Remove pork from grill. Wrap pork in several layers of aluminum foil, and place in a baking pan. Bake at 250° for 2 hours or until a thermometer registers 195°. Remove from oven. Let stand, still wrapped, for 1 hour or until pork easily pulls apart. Unwrap pork; trim and discard fat. Shred pork with 2 forks.

6. To prepare sauce, combine 1 cup vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1 1/4 cups (about 5 minutes). Serve sauce warm or at room temperature with pork.

7. After your pork has cooked, shred it and take 1/2 of the meat and seat aside for Thursday night's Fajitas. Then mix with the bbq sauce and serve!
   

I served this on hamburger buns with store bought potato salad. Super yummy

Crockpot Apple and Onion-Stuffin' Pork Chops with Orange-Pineapple Gravy

I saw this recipe and I knew I had to try it out. It seems a little labor intensive so I decided to go ahead and make some tweaks to it and try doing it in the crockpot along with stuffing. This is definitely an experiment so we'll see how it turns out.

Menu: Crockpot Apple and Onion-Stuffin' Pork Chops with Orange-Pineapple Gravy and steamed green beans.

Crockpot Apple and Onion-Stuffin' Pork Chops
with Orange-Pineapple Gravy

Ingredients:
4 (1-inch thick) pork chops
2 slices bacon, roughly chopped
1 large sweet onion, 1/2 chopped and 1/2 in wedges
4 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced thin
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons pineapple-orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, zested
2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Set your crockpot to 6 to 8 hours depending on your time needs.

1. Gently cut pockets into chops by slicing horizontally in the side. On a plate, place salt and pepper. Dredge chops in seasoning.
   
2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, saute the bacon, chopped onions, thyme, and sage until the bacon is almost crispy and the onions are beginning to caramelize around the edges, about 10 minutes.
   
3. Using this skillet we will make the gravy, add 1/2 cup of pineapple-orange juice and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add lemon zest and parsley. Transfer to a storage container and put in refrigerator until serving time.
   
4. Pour mixture into a bowl. Add apples, butter, 2 tablespoons of pineapple-orange juice and cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper.
   
5. Stuff each chop with apple mixture and hold together with skewers.
   
6. Place chops in the crockpot. Add boxed stuffing mix and amount of butter per directions (I used cornbread) Add 2 cups pineapple-orange juice and remaining onion wedges around the chops. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Allow to cook until thoroughly done. Remove pork chops from pan and let rest 10 minutes.
   
8. Reheat gravy made from earlier in the day and pour sauce over pork chops & stuffin'.

Now please remember this is an experiment and you might want to watch your crockpot. Make sure that the stuffing doesn't get too dry, maybe add some water or more juice if you think it needs it. If I make an adjustments I will be sure to let you know.

Serve these chops up with a bag of steamed green beans and you've got a meal that even your mother-in-law will love!

Recipe and photo courtesy of FoodNetwork

Menu Plan Monday - September 8

Phew last week was a whirlwind! As a former waitress I will say with great emphasis that I was in the WEEDS! Mostly it was while at work so by the time I got home I was to tired to do anything. You should see my house, it's a wreck. On second thought I'd never let anyone see that disaster. The Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas were delicious, a little too sweet for our tastes though. I think next time we'll leave the remaining marinade out of the cream sauce. Other than that everything went just as planned with the exception of my sandwich on Saturday. I forgot to take the meat out of the crockpot before I left for the rehearsal and of course hubby didn't even think about it. So that was a bust. I'll be trying it again another time when I can babysit it. This week should be calm in comparison so I'll be trying out lots of new yummy meals.

Monday
Dinner: Pan-Seared Salmon with Pineapple-Jalapeno Relish served with coconut rice

Another great CookingLight recipe: Tangy, spicy and fruity, this inviting recipe belies its simple preparation. Seed the jalapeño pepper if you prefer a milder dish, and serve over coconut rice accompanied by a crunchy salad.

Recipe and photo courtesy of CookingLight.com


Tuesday
Dinner: The Best Lasagna Ever!, crisp ceasar salad and garlic bread
I'm always looking for a great lasagna recipes, not sure why it's been so hard to find one that I'm in love with, so I'm giving the Pioneer Woman's lasagna a shot. Seems pretty simple and simple is always a win in my book.

Recipe and photo courtesy of PioneerWoman

Wednesday
Dinner: Crockpot Chicken Piccata, garlic mashed potatoes and seasoned peas

My take on chicken piccata, adding artichoke hearts and using my favorite cooking convenience, my crockpot.

Recipe and photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com


Thursday
Dinner: Chicken Spaghetti and steamed green beans

Another recipe from the Pioneer Woman. I'm trying out some of her recipes because I know she feeds a large crew and well I need all the leftovers I can get this week since the boys will be fending for themselves this weekend.

Recipe and photo courtesy of PioneerWoman


Friday - Rehearsal for tomorrow's wedding, I'll be home late but the boys will have stuff ready for them.
Dinner: Crockpot Apple and Onion-Stuffin' Pork Chops with Orange-Pineapple Gravy

Found this recipe on the FoodNetwork but I think I'm going to play around with it and turn it into a crockpot recipe and add boxed stuffing to it. I'm not making any promises on this concoction but in my head it sounds delish!

Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Saturday - Another wedding so the boys will be fending for themselves.
Breakfast: FFY
Lunch:FFY
Dinner: Leftovers

Sunday
Breakfast: Orange Pecan French Toast Casserole (you'll think you died and went to heaven)
Lunch: Sandwiches, if we really need anything after breakfast
Dinner: "Already Married Chicken", roasted potatoes and asparagus (an advanced version of "Engagement Chicken" for those gals who have already "scored" their man and are looking for a diamond upgrade or of course just want to be sweet)

And of course here's your shopping list for the week....

September 8th Shopping List

As always, stay turned for the recipes to be posted bright & early each morning, or the night before.

Red Chile Pork Tacos

At my house you can never go wrong with tacos, or nachos or how 'bout anything mexican or TexMex. I guess its only natural with us living in Texas and so close to great authentic flavors. And these tacos are a favorite, there's something about the spicy yet sweet pork and the crunchy taco shells. Its making my mouth water just thinking about it! I'm changing up the directions a little bit because as you know we've been in a crazy heat wave and I don't dare use my oven. So everything's going in the crockpot.

Menu: Red Chile Pork Tacos, fruit salsa and black beans(go ahead throw in a frozen margarita, I promise not to tell)

Red Chile Pork Tacos with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 cups thinly sliced onion
8 hard taco shells
1/2 cup chopped tomato
8 teaspoons chopped green onions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Or set your crockpot to low.
   

2. Combine first 3 ingredients; rub evenly over pork. Here's where I'm changing it, throw it in the crockpot for about 8 to 10 hours, you know the drill. Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Remove pork from oven; let sit 5 minutes before slicing. If you're preparing the night before, just pop in the fridge and when you're ready for dinner reheat and continue to step 3.
   

3. While pork cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion; cover and cook 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Uncover and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

4. Fill each taco shell with about 2 ounces pork, 3 tablespoons sautéed onion, 1 tablespoon tomato, and 1 teaspoon green onions.

Now I'm not a banana fan, actually can't stand the smell or taste of them but my hubby and son love them with a passion and they both need to eat more fruits and veggies so this one's for them.

Fruit salsa: Combine 2 cups sliced banana, 1/2 cup diced pineapple, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 diced seeded jalapeño peppers in a large bowl; toss gently.

Because I won't eat the salsa I throw together a 2nd side dish. Open up a can ob black beans and drain them. Dice up a red bell pepper and a jalapeno. Add a few handfuls of them to the beans and heat them up. After warming the beans, put a dollop of sour cream and there you go.

Grab a plate of tacos, add your side dish and go to town.

Recipe and picture courtesy of my favorite website CookingLight.com

Mama's Crockpot Meatloaf

I have a great meatloaf recipe that I love to make, its so yummy my mouth's drooling just thinking about it but of course since I'm trying to stay out of the kitchen that recipe would not be the best thing to make right now. Instead I decided to experiment, I've never made meatloaf in the crockpot, well and honestly I've never made traditional meatloaf. I always either do meatloaf stuffed peppers or my sun-dried tomato turkey meatloaf. So this was most definitely going to be interesting. Googling meatloaf brought up a million different recipes but non seemed to match exactly what I had in mind so I combined a few and here's what I came up with.

Menu: Mama's Crockpot Meatloaf, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and a tall glass of milk.

Mama's Crockpot Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 lb of ground beef
1 lb of ground pork
2 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs (make your own or store bought)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 eggs
2 tbsp of worchestershire sauce
1 tbsp of ketchup
2 tbsp of milk
salt & pepper to taste

Line your crockpot with 2 strips of aluminum foil (needs this to get the loaf out) and set the time on low, either 8 or 10 hours depending on your needs.

1. In a medium bowl combine your breadcrumbs and milk, allow to soak for 5 minutes.
2. Combine the beef and pork, making sure to mix well so that you don't have any beef/pork sections.
3. Combine the meat, breadcrumbs and next 5 ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Shape the mixture into a loaf and place in crockpot.
   
5. Generously cover with extra ketchup.
6. Cook until done, you may need to drain the juice from the crockpot about half way through the cooking.

Now I like my meatloaf to have a crisp crust and I found that this was not achieved when done in the crockpot so just prior to serving I placed the loaf on a sheet pan, set the oven to 400 degrees and baked it for about 15 minutes.

While the meatloaf was crisping I prepared a package of instant mashed potatoes and heated up a can of green beans. When all was done, just plate and serve.

There's nothing like a home cooked meal of meatloaf, my son kept making yum yum faces and grunting while eating this so according to him it's delicious!

Chipotle Pulled-Pork Sandwiches

Oh the dog days of summer in Texas and I have a new found love affair with my crockpot. I used to think crockpot cooking was only for winter where warm soups and roasts were just the thing to take the chill away but THINK AGAIN! With a 2 week run of 100 plus degree temperatures and my poor a/c cranking up every 5 minutes, I dread the idea of even turning the light on in the kitchen. So this week out came the crockpot again, we're best friends now. During the fall I usually make this meal on the stove per the directions but I thought I'd give my new best friend a crack at it, and sure enough it turned out even better than on the stove. The meat was so tender and just fell apart.

Menu: Chipotle Pulled-Pork BBQ Sandwiches, coleslaw and your choice of ice cold beer.

Chipotle Pulled-Pork BBQ Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon sugar
6 (1/2-ounce) slices provolone cheese
12 sandwich-cut bread-and-butter pickles
6 (2 1/2-ounce) Kaiser rolls

1. Remove 1 chile from can; reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use. Finely chop chile. (If you like it spicy, use another or two, which come on bbq is supposed to be spicy right)
   

2. (Ok this is where the directions call for a saucepan but instead just throw the meat in and then cover it with the rest of the ingredients. ) Place chopped chile, barbecue sauce, and the next 4 ingredients (barbecue sauce through tomatoes) in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 10 minutes or until sauce thickens and pork is very tender. Remove from heat. Remove pork from sauce; shred pork. Return pork to sauce. (Since we cooked it in the crockpot no need to remove the pork, just take two forks and shred it in the crockpot and then give it a good mix)
   

3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, thyme, and sugar; cook 10 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet (or your panini maker) over medium heat. Place 1 cheese slice, 1/2 cup pork mixture, about 2 tablespoons onions, and 2 pickle slices on bottom half of each roll. Cover with top halves of rolls. Add 3 sandwiches to pan. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches, and press gently to flatten. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until cheese melts and bread is toasted (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook). Repeat procedure with remaining sandwiches.

Doesn't this just make your mouth water! Now grab a bag of dress and serve coleslaw, mix it up and plate next to your ooey goey sandwich.

Now an important note, choose your bbq sauce wisely as this can make or break your sandwiches, you want to make sure it's not too sugary tasting because it'll be overkill with the pickles, too spicy itself and you'll be dying with the chipotle, not too smokey either because that's what the chipotle is for. I'd suggest a nice mild to medium flavor bbq sauce with a hint of kick whether its name brand or a local specialty.

Recipe and picture courtesy of my favorite website CookingLight.com