Perfect Pulled Pork

LuAnn is responsible for finding this yummy recipe. 

Perfect Pulled Pork

1 whole boston butt

Dry Rub

1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix well and store in an air tight container.

Brine Solution

1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 qts cold water
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp dry rub mix

Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay leaves and stir well to combine.

Pork shoulder preparation:

Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Then remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees. When the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very easily. Serve for friends and family!

{Kevin & Amanda http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/perfect-pulled-pork-slow-roasted-seasoned-savory.html

Slow Cooker, Pumpkin Pie Steel-Cut Oatmeal

I found that my slow cooker cooks this in just 3 hours. 

Slow Cooker, Pumpkin Pie Steel-Cut Oatmeal 

Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other dairy or non-dairy milk)
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats (gluten-free, if desired)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (may substitute other preferred sweetener)
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (unsweetened,unflavored)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (or one apple, peeled, cored, and grated)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tablespoon ground chia or flax seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into 5-6 pieces (optional)
• Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, brown sugar, additional milk or butter

Directions

Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to slow cooker, using 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice. Stir, cover, and cook on low for  approx. 5 hours, or until oats are cooked & softened, but edges haven't browned. (Slow cooker times may vary.) Taste and stir in more pumpkin pie spice, if desired. Spoon oatmeal into bowls; add optional toppings, if desired. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Freezes well.

Alternative slow cooker method for extended cooking time without over-browning the edges: Insert a heat-tolerant bowl inside the slow cooker; coat inside of bowl with cooking spray. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to the bowl; stir to combine. Pour water into the slow cooker on the outside of the bowl so that the water fills approx. halfway up the sides of the bowl. Put the cover on the slow cooker, and cook on low for up to 8 hours.

To reheat single servings: Put 1-cup cooked oatmeal in microwave proof bowl. Add 1/3 cup milk. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Continue cooking for another minute, or until hot. (If frozen, microwave longer at half power.)

Recipe may be doubled in 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Increase cooking time 1 hour.

Nutritional Info (per 3/4 cup serving): 149 calories, 3.6g fat, 27.3g carbs, 3.9g fiber, 4.9g protein; Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 4 pts

{From The Yummy Life http://www.theyummylife.com/Slow_Cooker_Pumpkin_Pie_Oatmeal }

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas Recipe:

Ingredients:

Marinade:

6 tablespoons honey

5 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Enchiladas:

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I usually boil 4 chicken breasts and shred them)

8-10 flour tortillas

1 pound Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

16 ounces green enchilada sauce

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Whisk the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken in a Zip-loc bag.  Let it marinate in the fridge for at least a 1/2 hour, but preferably a half day or so.  Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan.  Fill the tortillas with chicken, saving marinade, and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.  Put rolled tortillas in 9x13 pan as you go.  Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade (if there is any).  Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

{from SixSisters blog}
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/05/honey-lime-chicken-enchiladas.html#

Popeye's Ice Cream

Popeye's ice cream

3/4 c half and half

1/4 c agave nectar

2/3 c fat-free powdered milk

2 c spinach

1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla

Blend all ingredients in blender and freeze

Variations:  Add 10-12 baby carrots for the spinach

or substitute 1/2 c pumpkin puree for the spinach and add 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Vegan variation:

3/4 c coconut milk

1 avocado

1/4 c agave nectar

2 c spinach

1/4 tsp almond extract 

3 Tbsp shelled pistachios

Blend and freeze

The original recipe includes 2 1/2 c. of ice to make it in the blender.  Since I made it in the ice cream freezer, I eliminated the ice.  You probably could increase the coconut milk because of this.  It was pretty thick when we made it the other night.

Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake

I have come to the conclusion that this is called Texas Sheet Cake, not only because it makes a large cake, but because it uses enough sugar and butter between the cake & frosting to cover Texas!! But I wouldn't have it any other way!

2 c sugar

2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c buttermilk (add 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar to 1/2 c whole milk) or 1/2 c sour cream

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 c water

2 sticks butter

4 tsp cocoa

Preheat over to 400. In a bowl mix together the first 7 ingredients. In a small pan bring water, butter & cocoa to boil. Boil for 1 minutes. Add the boiled mixture to the mixing bowl. Pour into greased & floured 11x17 cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes

Frosting:

1/2 c butter

6 Tbs evaporated milk

4 Tbs coca

1 tsp vanilla

1 lb powdered sugar

1 c chopped nuts

In small saucepan bring to boil the butter, milk, & coca. Boil 1 minutes, remove from heat & add powdered sugar & nuts. Stir until smooth. Pour over cake as soon as it is taken from the oven. The frosting will firm as the cake cools. 

Frog Eye Salad

Frog Eye Salad


Cook 4oz Acini De Pepe macaroni

While that's cooking mix:
1/4 C Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Flour
1/8 tsp Salt
1/2 C. Pineapple Juice (from canned pineapple below)
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice

2-11oz cans mandarin oranges, drained

1-20oz can pineapple tidbits, juice reserved for mixture above

1 C Miniature marshmallows

1/2 C Shredded coconut

6-8oz Cool Whip

Whisk together 1st 5 ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.
1 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
Add lemon juice.
Add mixture to cooked acini de pepe & refrigerate overnight.
The next day add:
2-11oz cans mandarin oranges, drained
1-20oz can pineapple tidbits, juice reserved for mixture above
1 C Miniature marshmallows
1/2 C Shredded coconut
6-8oz Cool Whip

Apple Dumplings

Recipe from www.thepioneerwoman.com

Ingredients

• 2 whole Granny Smith Apples
• 2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1-1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• Cinnamon, To Taste
• 1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda

Preparation Instructions

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

WARNING: Prepare this dish at your own risk. It is beyond imaginable.

Christy's Oriental Salad

1 large head green or purple cabbage-sliced thinly
8 green onions-finely chopped
2 pkg Ramen Noodles, broken up (not the flavor packets)
1 C. slivered almonds
1 C. shelled sunflower seeds
4 chicken breast-cooked, cooled, cubed (or 2 cans-12.5 oz- chicken breast)

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl & add dressing. Cover & refrigerate several hours before serving.

Dressing:
1 C. oil
1/3 C. rice or cider vinegar
1/4 C. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
Mix well in a jar with a lid, so you can shake it. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Paninis

Josh and I LOVED this glorious twist on the traditional grilled cheese sandwich.

On Italian bread (I used homemade foccacia), spread a little pesto;top with tomato slices and part-skim mozzarella cheese slices. Coat outside of bread with cooking spray;brown in skillet, pressing sandwiches with spatula until cheese melts.

Cinnamon Toast

This is THE BEST cinnamon toast EVER! I always beg Josh to make it for me.

• good white bread
• ground cinnamon
• granulated sugar
• unsalted butter

Heat the broiler, toast thick slices of bread on both sides, then butter thoroughly. Mix the cinnamon sugar sugar, sprinkle generously to cover the bread. Put the toast back under the broiler until the sugar starts to melt and bubble. Remove carefully and eat when the toast has cooled enough not to burn your lips. YUM!

Tortilla Soup

This recipe was given to me by my friend Janet. She raged about it for a month and so I finally had to try it.

• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans
• 2 (15-ounce) cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15-ounce) can black olives, halved
• 1 bag frozen corn or 1 can corn
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 small can chopped chili peppers
• 3 large chicken breasts

Put all the ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours. After it is cooked, shred the chicken. Garnish bowels with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.

Moroccan Lentil Stew

Josh and I have been trying to make time to try some new recipes. The other night we decided to try this recipe out and, though I was skeptical at first, it turned out to be wonderful.

Makes 6 servings
Preparation time:10 minutes

Cooking time:about 25 minutes

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 (28-ounce) can no salt added or regular petite diced tomatoes
• 2 (19-ounce) cans lentil soup (such as Progresso)
• 1(15-ounce) can rinsed reduced-sodium garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 6 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt

Heat oil in a large pan on medium. Add onion;cook 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic; cook 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes, soup, garbanzo beans, raisins, cinnamon, cumin and red pepper. Bring stew to simmer on medium-high; stir occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until liquid is reduced and sauce has thickened, stirring often to prevent sticking; serve. Garnish each serving with yogurt.

Josh and I took out the onion and the raisins and added zucchini and summer squash. We ate it with flat bread, spinach salad, and couscous.

April Fools

Chicken pot pie? Not so! This one calls for pudding, starburst & white chocolate.
Find this recipes & lots more here http://familyfun.go.com/april-fools-day/april-fools-food-pranks-gallery-842659/view-all/

Asparagus or Green Beans

I was not a fan of asparagus until I found this recipie.
Take asparagus, was and remove woody ends (this is easy to do, bend stem until you find the point atwhich it snaps)
Line on foiled covered pan, spary with olive oil (or Pam) then sprinkle lemon pepper.
Bake 425* for 10-12 minutes.

This is also great for fresh green beans.

Acorn Squash

Cut squash in half & clean.
Dice apples & sausage, toss with cinnamon.
Fill the center of the squash with mixture. Top with syrup or brown sugar. Wrap in tin foil. Place in crock pot (add a little water to bottom of crock pot)
Cook on high until squash is tender & done, about 3 hours.

Edamame Fried Rice

2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups brown rice
1 med onion, diced
4 oz sliced water chestnuts
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, defrosted
2 eggs-scrambled
1 scallion -green onions
2-3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce *depending on your taste

Cook rice according to package directions. Scramble eggs, set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft about 5 minutes. Add garlic & saute 2 more minutes. Reduce heat to low. When rice is rooked, add to pan along with water chestnuts, edamame, eggs, scallion & soy sauce. Toss & serve.

*This is a great one to add cooked chicken or more stir-fry veggies

Irish Brown Bread

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
3/4 cups quick oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk *To make 1 cup of buttermilk add 1 Tbsp vinegar to a 1 cup measuring cup, fill the rest of the way up with milk. Let sit 5 minutes.2 Tbsp honey

1. Heat oven to 425*. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl mix flours, oats, wheat germ, baking soda & salt.
2. Whisk together buttermilk & honey. Add to flour mixture, stir to combine until soft dough forms.
3.Turn dough out onto floured surface. Divide in half. Shape each half into a round loaf. Place loaves 3in apart onto prepared baking sheet, bake 10 minutes.
4. Reduce temperature to 400*. Continue baking 10 minutes longer or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool 15 minutes.

Beef Tenderloin & Bluecheese Butter

This recipe has nothing to do with veggies, besides the zucchini you can saute & serve on the side. But it's DELICIOUS! You don't even have to used the tenderloin, we have done a top sirloin for a smaller meal also. I also used SmartBalance instead of butter & added a sprinkle of garlic powder to the beef.

Beef:
1 Beef tenderloin (about 2 1/4lbs) trimmed & tied
1 Tbl unsalted butter, softened
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Heat over to 350*. Pat beef dry & spread with butter, sprinkle salt & pepper. Roast for 35-40 minutes until temp reaches 135*- flipping halfway through cooking

Blue Cheese Butter:
1/4 crumbled Blue Cheese
3 Tbl unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbl fresh chopped parsley or 2 tsp dried

Stir together while beef is roasting.

Remove roast, place on serving platter, top with 1/3 butter, let sit 10 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining butter.

Zucchini Pie

4 cups raw zucchini
1/2-1 cup butter
1/2-1 chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp basil
2 Tbp parsley flakes
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 pkg crescent rolls
2 tsp yellow mustard

Cook zucchini, onion and all spices in butter until tender. Meanwhile, press crescent rolls into pie or 8x8 pan to make a crust. Brush with mustard. Remove zucchini mix from stove and add eggs & cheese. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes at

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip

½ cup Peanut Butter
½ cup cream cheese
6 Tbl chocolate syrup
1/4 cup carrot puree
½ teas. salt
Fruit slices, for dipping

Stir all ingredients until smooth.

Creamy Hot Chocolate

Creamy Hot Chocolate

2 ½ cups Milk
1 cup sweet potato puree
4 Tbl Chocolate Syrup
1/2 -1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
dash of salt

Blend together in blender. Place in saucepan and simmer. (Or heat in micro if you prefer)

Sneaky Brownies

1 prepackaged brownie mix
¼ cup sweet potato or squash puree

Prepare as directed. You may omit oil in the recipe.



Even Sneakier Brownies

1 prepackaged brownie mix
¼ cup of carrot puree
¼ cup of spinach puree

Mix brownie ingredients as directed on box, add purees, and bake as directed. Do not eat brownies warm. The spinach flavor doesn’t disappear until cooled.

Marshmallow Crispy Treats

Marshmallow Crispy Treats

Nonstick Cooking Spray
¼ cup of butter
1 package of marshmallows
6 cups brown rice cereal
¼ cup flaxseed meal

Coat 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Melt butter in a large pot over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove pan from heat. Add rice cereal and flaxseed and stir until all in combined. Press into pan and let cool before cutting and serving.

Avocado Dip

1 cup avocado puree
½ cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 cup cottage cheese
1 tbl. lemon or lime juice
½ teas. salt
1/8 teas. garlic powder
Hot sauce to taste (we like El Pato - found in the Hispanic Food aisle)

Combine all ingredients. Store in air tight container up to 2 days in refrigerator or freeze up to 1 month. **Can also be made without Hot Sauce and used as a spread**

Deviled Eggs

6 large eggs
3 tbl. of reduced fat mayo
¼ cup of cauliflower or carrot puree
1/8 teas. salt
Pepper & paprika to taste/presentation

Hard boil eggs. Let cool in cold water and peel. Cut eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolk. Combine yolks with remaining ingredients and mash with fork. Fill each half egg with yolk mix.