The BEST pulled pork tacos

The BEST pulled pork tacos

Bonus: They're also crazy easy!  

You'll need:
3 lb pork roast, this is pretty forgiving - I usually get my hands on a shoulder... I'm confident that whatever you have on hand will suffice.
1 16 oz jar Herdez Mild Verde Salsa
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp granulated garlic
dash each salt and pepper

To serve:
corn tortillas, 3-5 per person
diced tomatoes
diced cilantro
crumbled Cotija cheese

Hardware:
Crock pot
1 large or two smaller cookie sheets
Broiler oven

Pour a little of the salsa in the bottom of your crock pot, place the roast on top, then cover with remainder of salsa.  Sprinkle spices over the top and cook.  4-5 hours on high, 6-8 on low.  Use a thermometer to make sure you're at or above 145F in the middle.

Once the roast is cooked, use two forks to shred it.  Return shredded pork to crock pot and stir it around in the sauce.  Use tongs or a large slotted spoon to move shredded pork to cookie sheet in a nice single layer.  You'll leave a good portion of the liquid behind in the crock pot, that's ok. 

Broil shredded pork on high for 5-7 minutes or until dark and crispy on the edges - just shy of burning, so watch closely!  This creates magic, caramelizing the sauce and the meat together into savory "meat candy".  It's practically irresistible.  I like to use two cookie sheets so that I can start building tacos while the second is in the oven. 

This will serve our hungry family of 4 two meals, generally dinner and lunch.  I like to make cilantro lime rice and a green salad to serve on the side. 

Huge thanks to Erin Woodward who taught me the value of broiling this dish and introducing our family to "meat candy". 

The BEST blueberry breakfast cake. Ever.

It's not mine, but I'm sharing and adding my notes for y'all's benefit.

Seriously delicious and crazy easy, Alexandra knocks it out of the park!  Head on over to her blog to see the recipe in all its glory.


AlexandraCooks.com | Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake
https://www.alexandracooks.com/2011/06/29/buttermilk-blueberry-breakfast-cake/

When I don't have a fresh lemon to zest, I add 3 drops of lemon essential oil.  I think there's true magic in creaming the lemon oils (from zest or EO) with the fat of the butter - it infuses that light freshness through the entire recipe and compliments the blueberries perfectly.

I use frozen berries when I don't have fresh, I just let them thaw a bit on the counter while I'm preparing the rest - then toss with flour as directed.  (That little step keeps them from all sinking to the bottom!)

Sometimes, I make these into muffins, using If You Care large baking cups (LOVE @If_You_Care). I preheat the oven to 350F then take it down to 325F once I pop the pans in.  They take about 25-30 minutes, but start checking at 20.  You can use a toothpick to test done-ness as they won't necessarily brown a bunch.

And don't skip the sugar sprinkle on top.  They're not the same without!

Happy Blueberry Month!

Sweet and Zesty Sesame Chicken

If you aren't familiar with the website epicurious.com yet, you should take this moment to go explore.  They are part of publishing groups like Gourmet, Bon Appetit, and more. So, they draw from lots of great, vetted recipe sources. The inspiration for this recipe came from their "inspiration" email "Not Your Mother's Chicken Skewers."  Of course, I couldn't actually follow their recipe... of course.  Kebabs sounded really interesting, but it was so blazing hot outsize, I couldn't touch the grill with bare hands.  Nix that.  Wok in the comfort of my air-conditioned kitchen! Win!

I started 2 cups of rice in the steamer...

Sweet and Zesty Sesame Chicken



2 lbs chicken, cut into bite size pieces
2 T oil for wok, I used coconut - olive is my other go-to

In small bowl, combine and set aside:
  1 T corn starch
  3 T cool water

Sauce:
Stir together in bowl or measuring cup and set aside.
  1/2 c dark brown sugar
  1/2 c cooking wine (sweet but dry)
  1/2 c light soy sauce
  1/4 c rice vinegar

Sprinkle:
Mix together and set aside (refrigerate any unused since it's not completely dry).
  4 T roasted sesame seeds (you can find these in large quantity, pre-roasted at your local asian foods
  market - much better value than the supermarket)
  2 T parsley, chopped fine
  Zest of 1 medium lemon, about 2 tsp.
  1/2 t red pepper flakes, I used the ones Stan keeps on hand for pizza and picked out the seeds
Mix together and set aside (refrigerate any unused since it's not completely dry).

Heat oil in wok over high heat. When hot, add chicken all at once and toss to coat in oil.  A bamboo spatula with a long handle is really nice about now.  Stir again every minute or two for 10 minutes, you might see a little color on a few pieces. Add sauce and let simmer to finish cooking chicken, about 5 minutes.  Stir in corn starch mixture, return to boil, then reduce heat to low.

Serve over rice, sprinkle with sesame mix. We had a simple green salad to round out the meal.

For the kids plates, I used wooden skewers to pick up 6-8 pieces of chicken to serve.  It was a big hit.  They both cleaned their plates and wanted more!


 Inspired by: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/soy-sauce-chicken-kebabs-with-sesame-lemon-sprinkle

Creamy Jalapeno Dip

If you've ever been to Chuy's, and have functioning tastebuds, you know how imperative it was to our budget to figure out the copy cat recipe for their Creamy Jalapeno Dip!  This is dip, salad dressing, or a quick addition to rice for a crazy-awesome side dish.  It goes on tacos, and chicken, and steak, and in my mouth.  Stan stops just shy of drinking it straight. Cora takes it in a bowl and laps it up with her fingers, occasionally adding a chip.

Creamy Jalapeno Dip

5-7 medium jalapenos, seeded
2 small bunches cilantro
1 c buttermilk
3 c mayonnaise
1 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 t salt
1 packet ranch dressing mix

Toss it all in the food processor and blend, blend, blend.  Serve chilled with chips and veggies for dipping. Keep refrigerated.  I'd like to tell you how long it keeps in the fridge, but it never lasts that long around here.  Best guess 3 days, longer depending on how fresh your ingredients were.
(Best practice for longevity -of any dip- is to pour servings each time so you're not risking contamination of the whole recipe when you eat... you know who you are, you double dippers, you.)

Easy Cranberry Bread

Ever stared blankly into your pantry wondering what you'll use to make... something... Hoping, maybe, that you'll find a new use for a tried and true pantry staple?  I have two words for you.

Cranberry sauce.

Not just for Thanksgiving, it also makes AMAZING sauce for tangy cranberry meatballs.  And, as luck would have it, quick bread!!  There's something so magical about baking yummy food without a special shopping list or trip to the store.  So here it is.  I scoured the interwebs, read dozens of recipes... and made one that we're keeping.  When I asked Stan if he liked it, he suggested it go on the blog.  We have a winner!!

Easy Cranberry Bread

Preheat oven to 325F, grease bottom of loaf pan.

2 c all purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
2 drops Wild Orange essential oil (optional)
1 c chopped walnuts

Sift together flour, baking powder and spices. Set aside.

Cream together butter, sugar and essential oil.  Add eggs then cranberry sauce.

Fold in walnuts.

Bake at 325F for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean from center.

Makes 1 medium loaf.  Store covered at room temp for about 5 days (if it lasts that long).

Ranch Chicken

And... we're back!  After struggling through the first trimester, (yes, I'm pregnant with baby #2!) I'm finally back to cooking.  Though my sciatic was killing me by the end of dinner AND dessert preparation - it felt so good to be back in the kitchen!  And creating a new recipe to boot.  Love it.  Baby is doing a happy dance too.

Ranch Chicken

1.5 lbs chicken, chopped to bite size (about 1" squares)
2 T olive oil

In bowl or gallon zip-top bag combine:
1 packet ranch seasoning
1 T corn starch
1 T parsley flakes
1 t dill weed
1 t onion powder
1 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t ground pepper

I use a non-stick wok for cooking dishes like these.  I love the wok because you can cook lots of food very rapidly.  I use it for most of my chicken recipes and recommend investing in one.  Pick up a non-stick version, and grab a set of bamboo tools while you're at it.  That angled spatula will be your go-to for the wok.  This is now my second and I've never spent over $30- so even an inexpensive one should last you 5-7 years.  Well worth it to be able to cook chicken in 14 minutes!

Okay - enough about the wok.  Because, you can make this in a traditional pan - just select a big enough pan that you give the pieces plenty of surface room so they can brown up.

Toss chicken in spice mix.

Preheat olive oil on high.  Add chicken and toss to coat, then let sit until browned. This will happen pretty fast due to the corn starch in this recipe, so keep close watch. Stir with a downward thrust into the middle of the pan, shifting the bottom pieces up to the side, and the side pieces down to the bottom.  Allow to brown again, then stir again (same motion).  Once you've reached the browning that you want, just keep stirring.

With the heat on high, you don't want to let it sit very long in one place or it will burn.  If you will not be able to give this pan your attention for 10 solid minutes, you should give your active time to browning and then turn the heat down to medium to continue cooking.  It will just take longer.  I like to check the doneness of my chicken by cutting a piece in half with my spatula.  If it breaks quickly and the juices run clear, it's done.  If I have to really push to get it to cut, or if the juices are still pink/red, it needs more time.

I served this over mashed red potatoes, broccoli, and some fresh pineapple I snagged on sale!  We had enough for dinner and lunch, since the potatoes also helped to fill our tummies.  

==
For dessert we had chocolate cupcakes with vanilla italian meringue buttercream.  I'm a big fan of the easier preparation on the italian version, but I like the slightly denser texture of the swiss meringue buttercream.  (Read: I could make myself sick on frosting shots. This from the girl who will scrape traditional buttercream frosting off a cake to avoid it.  I'm a frosting snob. Sigh).
If you've never made a meringue buttercream, I highly recommend it - assuming you have access to a stand mixer, it is well worth the effort.  HERE is the recipe I used for the italian version.  The swiss is out of my Joy of Cooking cookbook.  I used a chocolate cake mix, and added 1 T cocoa powder and 1 t vanilla.  Because you can't go wrong with extra chocolate and vanilla.

Easy Rustic Italian Bread

This recipe comes from Stan's Aunt Melodee and her fiance David.  They came for a visit and this was their contribution to the family dinner - it is crave-worthy, crusty and chewy, and oh-so-unbelievably easy!!  I asked if I could share this recipe and they agreed.  So grateful to them, for all their help (and for this awesome recipe).

First off, you'll need some hardware - a dutch oven, cast iron or stoneware.  Enameled cast iron is their preference, but they borrowed my Pampered Chef "magic pot", aka Deep Dish Covered Baker.  It worked great.  We'll be working with some high temps, so do check use instructions on your pot first.  If you have to reduce temps, increase bake time 5-10 minutes in each step.

Then, you'll need to plan ahead.  There's no kneading, or pounding... but you will have to give the yeast time to do its magic.  Mix up the sponge, or dough, a day ahead (18 hours).  So think of this as a "before you go to bed, and when you get home from school/work the next day", kind of adventure.

Ready?!

Rustic Italian Bread

30 oz (approx. 6 cups) flour, I used whole wheat and increased the water by 2 T)
1/2 t yeast
1-1/2 t salt
3 c water

1 T cornmeal
1 T flour

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Pour in water and stir to mix. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let sit on counter overnight, or 18 hours.

To Bake:
Put dutch oven, with lid, in oven and preheat to 450F for 30 minutes.  Just before the 30 minutes are up, put a little flour on the counter and dump the sponge/dough out onto it.  Fold all four sides into the center, use a large spatula or dough scraper if you need to.  Carefully take the dutch oven out of the hot oven, sprinkle cornmeal on the bottom.

Pick up the sponge and plop it down into the hot dutch oven. Yes, plop.  Do a happy dance that you didn't have to knead dough.  Put the lid on and return it to the oven.  After 30 minutes, remove the lid.  Continue baking for an additional 30 minutes at 450F.

The bread should be nice and toasty brown with a total cook time of about an hour.

Let cool for a few minutes then take out and put on a cooling rack. Allow to cool on rack (if you can bear to wait that long before digging in).  Slice and enjoy!  We had ours with a little butter and honey.

-- Sponge Cryostasis --
If, for some reason, you can't get to baking the sponge in the proper time, seal the bowl well with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for up to 12 hours.  Return the sponge to room temperature before baking as directed above.

Blue Tape in the Kitchen

I keep a roll of low-tack painters tape in the kitchen.  It's used for everything from sealing misbehav'n boxes (below, with a little tab-handle) to labeling food I'll share with others.  I have been known to tape a recipe to the cupboard door for easy reading, and it doesn't damage the walls when displaying kid's artwork. 

So... Do you use "blue tape" around the house?  I can't imagine my kitchen without it. 

Tricky Water

This is how I trick myself into drinking tap water... Yummy citrusy ice cubes.  So fancy, but so easy!

Start by slicing up the citrus of your choice.  I am picky.  Heirloom naval orange are a-mazing.  And when I can't get my hands on some Meyer lemons, organic lemons are the next best thing - sweeter than just any ol' lemon.  Or you can use a whole cranberry, sliced grapes, edible flowers... the options are as varied as your taste. 

Pop that little bit of flavor into an old fashioned ice cube tray. Fill with tap water and freeze.
When the cubes are frozen, put them in a zip top freezer bag and enjoy at your leisure. I like to put 2-3 in my reusable water bottle. I even have a bag stashed in the work freezer!

They're especially fancy with some orange juice and lemon-lime soda in a punch bowl at a party! 

Sneaky Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Muffins

What's that you ask? Oh, just a grated zucchini... Yup. Zucchini.
I use Aldi's Baker's Choice mix for Chocolate Chocolate-Chip muffins ($1.99), prepared according to directions, adding a shredded medium zucchini (3 for $1.79).

Alex enjoys them in mini-muffin form best. No matter the size, they're always really yummy and really moist, thanks to the zucchini.
.

Calico Corn Salad

This veggie side is easy to make ahead of time.  Allow the corn to thaw in transit to a BBQ and the salad will stay nice and cold, even in the heat of summer.

Calico Corn Salad
16oz (1 bag) frozen sweet corn
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 large sweet red pepper, diced
4oz can mild chopped green chilies (I get the fire roasted ones)

Whisk in large bowl:
1/4 c vegetable oil (I use olive)
2 T lime juice
2 T apple cider vinegar (or what you have on-hand)
1 t chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 t granulated garlic

Mix dressing in large bowl, add green chilies.  Dice zucchini and red pepper.  Combine chopped vegetables and frozen corn with dressing mix and stir gently. Allow corn to thaw and serve. Can be made ahead, keep chilled.  Serves 6-8.

When I double this recipe, I increase the corn to 3 bags, simply doubling the remaining ingredients.  I have also increased leftovers with additional corn on the 2nd or 3rd day.