Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Well, back to normal programming. I feel like it's been a while since I've had just a plain old recipe post, with all that's been going on. And after much debate with myself and talking it over with good ol' Andrew... after I'm done with my Biology degree... I'm going to culinary school. I keep trying to convince myself of reasons not to, and honestly... none of them stick. I think I would be quite successful, and I would enjoy myself more. Right? I'm hoping so anyway.

There's nothing better than a great pulled pork sandwich. It's great because it's easy (you just leave the pork shoulder in a crockpot for the day and come back after work or school and BAM! nice, tender pork). And this is a different riff on your normal pork barbecue because it's not really barbecue at all, but something different... something good.

Ingredients:

4 lb. pork shoulder
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
1-2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon cumin
1 cup brown sugar
1 bottle of hot taco sauce
1 can of Coke or plain cola
salt and pepper to taste
Buns
Sliced tomatoes, optional

Place crockpot under high setting and add pork shoulder, garlic, onion, jalapeno, and enough chicken stock to come up half way on the pork. Let sit in crockpot at high for about 1 hour.

Place crockpot at low setting and let cook for about 6-8 hours. (Perfect for a workday).

Drain the chicken stock and add pork back into crockpot. Shred pork and add cumin, brown sugar, taco sauce, and cola. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Serve on toasted buns with a slice of tomato.

The one thing I wish I would have added to this sandwich was sour cream. It would have been a perfect trifecta of flavors! This was more on the sweet side, but not too sweet. The cola adds a depth of flavor to the pork like no other and it was just a darn good sandwich! Enjoy!

Braised Lamb Shanks

Now, I'll have to say I'm a pretty open-minded food eater. I practically eat and try to cook anything really. One thing that I haven't been able to properly do, or properly make taste well, is lamb. Yes, many say it's an acquired taste, and many just have a problem with eating a cute little baby lamb, but you know... it's the circle of life, just because it's cute, doesn't mean you can't eat it.

Anywho, I have finally had the huge burden of improperly cooking lamb taken off of my back. I've grilled lamb chops, I've roasted a rack, roasted a loin, and it just hasn't lost the "gameyness" of it. And who knows, maybe it's "supposed" to taste like that, but my tastebuds just seem to reject it. And then the final way I have never cooked lamb, braising, saved my life. I was almost about to give up on cooking lamb, and was quite hesitant on doing this as well (especially since lamb isn't the cheapest of proteins, and well... ruining meal after meal can be a little damaging to the pocket), but I'm glad I did. I felt a subtle "gameyness"... it was just right. The braising liquid entered the meat and flavored it so well that I couldn't help but smile after this meal. I had conquered something... it may not have been the world, but it was lamb. I can now check that off the list of things to accomplish in my lifetime.

Ingredients:

2 bone-in lamb shanks
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
5 parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
4 cups red wine
4 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons thyme
2 cups brussel sprouts, quartered
juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Season the lamb shanks with the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat a skillet under medium high heat, add about 1 tablespoon olive oil, and brown shanks, about 5 minutes per side.

Set your crockpot to the high setting. Add in lamb shanks. Cover with red wine and beef stock. Add in carrots, parsnips, and onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cook for about 5-8 hours. (I had mine on the high setting for the first hour and then switched it to low while I was at work).

About 30-45 minutes before serving, add in mushrooms and brussel sprouts.

Serve lamb shanks on mixed vegetables that braised along with it in the crock pot.

This was great! I can't say it enough! The meat was tender, fall of the bone, and absolutely delicious. The vegetables were juicy and really delicious all on their own. Enjoy!

What foods have you all found challenging? Foods that you almost gave up on, and a miracle recipe saved you? I want to hear it!

Beef Tips & Gravy

Well, today I took my first step into fully deciding I'm going to graduate school as opposed to pharmacy school. I bought a GRE study book. Now, some may think, just because I bought the book, doesn't mean I'm going to study it, or actually take the exam. But on the contrary, I wouldn't have shelled out the cash if I wasn't going to deliver. It's kind of a subliminal message to myself that hey, maybe things (such as rejections) happen for a reason and your path at life isn't supposed to go the way you thought and maybe it's supposed to go this way. Trust me, I know about things happening for reasons and life taking detours. I've had plenty. Anyway, I'll keep you updated on the school front.

Now, beef tips and gravy I think is just one of those comfort food recipes. Not your normal meat and potatoes kind of dish, there's tons of flavor here.


Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil
5 onions, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 & 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons paprika
1 & 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup red wine (I used a Shiraz)
6 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
zest from 1 lemon
3 lb. sirloin, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
salt and pepper to taste

Turn a crockpot on high setting.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 25 minutes. Add garlic and marjoram and stir until fragrant and garlic softens, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and stir constantly for about 3 minutes. Add paprika and cayenne pepper and stir well. Remove from heat and let flavors meld together.

Add the mixture to the heated crockpot and add vinegar. Stir well, cover, and let vinegar absorb into vegetables for about 2-3 minutes. Add in chicken stock, bay leaves, and lemon zest.

Sprinkle sirloin chunks with salt and pepper. In same skillet for onions, add beef chunks (you can wipe the skillet if you want to, but I think it adds to the beef so I didn't). Brown chunks on all sides and then add to crockpot. Deglaze skillet with red wine, scraping the sucs from the pan. Add wine to crockpot as well. Stir mixture, cover, and let cook on high for at least 3 hours. The longer it sits, the more tender the meat will be.

Uncover crockpot and carefully take out beef with a slotted spoon and transfer to bowl. Tent with aluminum foil. Pour crockpot liquid and onions into a large sauce pan and bring to a boil until reduced to about 5 cups, about 15 minutes. Let cool momentarily and blend with immersion blender until mixture is nice and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. If you want to thicken the liquid just a tad, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water in a small bowl. Add to liquid and stir. Then add blended liquid, along with beef chunks, back into crockpot. Turn to low or warm setting. Let simmer for about 5-10 minutes and serve along with rice or egg noodles and some roasted vegetables.

This was truly some good comfort food. It was slightly chilly outside and this was a hearty enough meal to truly warm one up! Enjoy!

Lazy (Wo)Man's Ribs

You know the keyword is "lazy" here. Lazy doesn't imply sloppy or not good either. Lazy just means that this is little to no effort... and what kitchen gadget provides that little or no effort appeal? You guessed it... THE CROCKPOT! I don't think these recipes are going to stop either, so you better get used to bringing out that thing and enjoying the food that comes out of it! These ribs are truly so easy you won't even believe how great they turn out.

Ingredients:

About 8 or more Pork Short Ribs
1 Cup Brown Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Turn your crockpot on to the high setting.

Stack the short ribs in first. Then, one by one, just "dump" each of the above ingredients (and feel free to improvise, because that's exactly what I did here!) on top of the short ribs.

Once all the ingredients are in there, you can either use your hands and be primal with it, or take a spoon or tongs and just move the ribs around so that they're evenly coated with all the ingredients.

Then cover the crockpot and cook on the high setting for about 1 hour. Then switch to low and cook for about 8 hours, or at least 5.


Yeah... it was THAT easy. This was probably the best ribs I've made so far. The meat was tender and falling off the bone. There was a sweetness from the brown sugar and a savoriness from the rest of the spices. It was great and I hope you try this! Enjoy!

Pot Roast

One of my favorite things about crockpot cooking (I know I've had a lot of crockpot posts, but seriously, for the busy student worker I am, it makes tasty meals with less work, so who can pass that up?), is that I can put something in there, go to work or school, come back home, the house smells absolutely amazing, and there's dinner just waiting for me to plate it. Seriously, with the fast paced world that we live in now, I don't know how I would survive without one of these contraptions! And pot roast is definitely a staple meal of the crockpot. The cold weather, crockpot, and pot roast are just a match made in food heaven.


Ingredients:

2 & 1/2 lb. pot roast (I used a chuck roast)
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 onions, chopped
1 bunch of celery, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
pinch of sugar
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
15 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
6 oz. can of tomato paste
3/4 cup red wine (I used a cabernet sauvignon)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat your crockpot up on the "high" setting.

Heat up a large skillet under medium heat and add olive oil. When shimmering, add pot roast and brown on both sides, maybe 3-5 minutes per side. Place pot roast in crockpot.

In same skillet, add onions, garlic, and green pepper. Cook until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the vegetables with flour and stir continuously for 1 minute. The flour will create a subtle added starchiness and help to thicken the sauce.

Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, sugar, parsley, and red wine. Stir until tomato paste is well incorporated throughout. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 3-5 minutes to allow to slightly thicken.

Carefully add vegetable mixture to pot roast in crockpot. Cover and let sit at high for about 1 hour. Then turn to low and can leave for up to 8 hours. I let mine sit a working day, so about 8 hours.

About 30 minutes before you're ready to serve, add the carrots and celery. You could add these add the beginning if you wanted to, but they would be a little mushy. I like my carrots and celery to be slightly crunchy but still somewhat tender. When carrots and celery are to your liking, serve pot roast and vegetables with white rice, mashed potatoes, or just by itself!

I loved this dish. I brought leftovers into work the next day and the pharmacist I was working with even ate it cold. You know something is tasty when you don't even have to heat it up! He also said that the dish brought back a "normalcy" and comfort when he was eating it. I think I should pat myself on the back then because those are some pretty great compliments! Enjoy!

Crockpot Ginger Chicken w/ Brown Rice & Mushrooms

I was really excited to try this recipe out. I love ginger chicken. I love letting my crockpot do the cooking for me. But I didn't quite love this recipe. I don't know if it was the mushrooms that overpowered the ginger. I don't know if it was maybe not enough ginger. I don't know if it was the brown rice. It was just something that was a little off. I think next time I try this, I may not use an earthy vegetable like mushrooms. Maybe something lighter and brighter, like carrots, or even onions. I guess that's half the battle with perfecting a dish... you can't always get it right the first time. But it's not giving up that makes it so worth it in the end.

Ingredients:
Adapted from Piggy's Cooking Journal's recipe

1 lb. chicken thighs, deboned
1 cup button mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon shallot, sliced and fried
1 cup brown rice
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
2 teaspoons coriander
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon shallot oil (from the frying)
1/2 tablespoon sake
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
3/4 cup chicken stock, more if needed
salt and pepper to taste

Clean your chicken and mushrooms with a paper towel. Just pat the chicken dry and carefully wipe the mushrooms of any grit or dirt.

Place chicken and mushrooms in large freezer bag and mix with ginger, coriander, oyster sauce, soy sauce, shallot oil, sake, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Let marinate for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, turn your crockpot/slow cooker on high so that it gets warmed up.

Rinse your rice, place in crockpot, and cover with about 3/4 cup chicken stock. It's okay if you start the rice before the chicken, as long as you're using brown rice because it takes FOREVER to cook sometimes. But if you're gonna use a short process rice, like basmati or something, I'd wait until the chicken is done marinating.

Place chicken, mushrooms, and rest of marinade in crockpot. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through and tender, and rice is done, about 45 minutes.

I really think the mushrooms stole the show from the chicken here. Kind of disappointing, but I will not give up. I will prevail. I will conquer this recipe... just not today.

Have you ever had a side ingredient steal the show from the main ingredient? Have you ever tried something multiple times just to see it still flop? Do you give up? Have you conquered?

Chicken Arepas

Arepas are little corn cakes, traditionally stuffed and sold as street food in many Latin American countries. They're tasty, they're authentic, and they're easy. Found this recipe over at the blog Pink Parsley and I added a few things to it because I was in the mood for something spicy.

Ingredients:

3 Chicken breasts
2 small avocados, diced
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
2 scallions, thinly sliced
juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 Serrano pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 cups corn flour
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 & 1/2 cups warm water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

It's CROCKPOT time! I received a crockpot as a gift a couple Christmas' ago and I absolutely love it. You just throw what you want in there and it does the rest! Makes a busy girl's life a little easier! And this is no exception.

For the filling, put the chicken, lime juice, chili powder, salt, black pepper, cumin, serrano pepper, and chicken stock in the crockpot and heat on low for about 3 hours.

Stir occasionally. This will get the chicken nice and moist and easy to shred when it's done! Which is the next step... when it's done, shred the chicken! Add avocado, cilantro, and scallions and keep warm.

For the corn cakes, mix together the flour, corn, baking powder, and water. Form a dough. This will make eight 3 inch round corn cakes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in fry pan and brown corn cakes, in batches of 4, about 6 minutes.

Transfer browned cakes to parchment paper lined baking sheet and fry other 4 cakes. When all the cakes are browned, place in oven for about 10-15 minutes.

The cakes should split apart with a fork, just like an english muffin. Stuff cakes with chicken mixture and you're ready to go! In addition to the chicken I also added shredded cheese and freshly made salsa! Enjoy!