Easy Banh Mi Sandwiches

We don't make many sandwiches.  Maybe because we never have deli meats in the house and usually only have bread when I make it so sandwiches here take some planning.  I had been wanting to try a banh mi sandwich for a while and while this is probably an adaptation of the real thing, it was pretty delicious.  What stood out to me, actually, was the shredded carrot and cucumber relish that's soaked in rice vinegar and a little sugar.  It was delicious! I would eat that all by itself.  But with a spicy sauce and then some Asian meatballs (which were very flavorful), this is the kind of sandwich I would make again and again.

I served this with some cauliflower tots (which fell apart but were delicious!) and a salad.

Easy Banh Mi Sandwich
Taken from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Makes 4-6 sandwiches

Spicy Sauce

• 2/3 cup mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (like sriracha) or sweet Thai chili sauce (see note above)
• 1 green onion, white and green parts finely chopped

Relish:

• 3 large carrots, coarsely grated or cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 English cucumber, coarsely grated or cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Meatballs:

• 2 pounds ground pork (I used ground beef instead)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried (I completely forgot to add but will try to remember next time)
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (like Sriracha) or sweet Thai chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Sandwiches:

• 4 to 6 (6-inch) baguettes or hoagie buns
• Bunch of fresh cilantro

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the spicy sauce. Cover and refrigerate. This can be made several days in advance.
2. For the relish, toss together the carrots and cucumber. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, vinegar, salt and sesame oil. Pour over the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate. The relish can be made a day or so in advance.
3. For the meatballs, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork (or beef), basil, garlic, green onions, fish sauce, hot sauce, sugar, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Scoop the mixture into 1- to 2-inch meatballs. Place on a baking sheet or in a muffin tin.  
4. Bake the meatballs for 10-15 minutes until fully cooked. Remove from the oven (I like to place the cooked meatballs one by one on a layer of paper towels to absorb any excess grease).
5. While the meatballs are cooking, slice baguette/buns in half (I prefer to cut almost all the way through but still leave the buns connected).  We prefer our bread warm - wrap them in aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes while the meatballs cook.
6. To assemble the sandwiches, spread the spicy sauce on the top half of the bread. Layer cilantro to taste on the bottom half. Place 3 or so meatballs (will depend on how big you made them) on top of the cilantro. Place a heaping spoonful or two (or three) on top of the meatballs. Press on the sandwich top and devour.

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Korean-Style Pork Lettuce Wraps

I owe you new recipes.  A lot of them, actually.  I have 8 recent recipes that I want to post but the problem is, I forget to take pictures of the food! We usually get about halfway through our meal before one of us says, "This should be on the blog." And it's tough to style halfway-eaten food.

Luckily, these lettuce wraps were easy to make more of.  This is my fourth recipe for lettuce wraps on this blog (we've had chicken, beef/turkey, and vegetarian), and this might be my favorite.  I like pork tenderloin and this one is so incredibly flavorful.   Even our toddler was eating her meal like there was no tomorrow.

Korean-Style Pork Lettuce Wraps
Taken from: The Food Network
Serves 4-6

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (I used about a teaspoon of dried ginger)
• 1-2 tablespoons Sriracha hot chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice or quinoa 
• 1 head Boston, Bibb, or butter lettuce, leaves separated, washed, and patted dry
• Toppings: sliced red bell pepper, grated carrot, sliced cucumber

1. Wrap the pork tenderloin in several sheets of plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 40 minutes. (This is to make it easier to thinly slice, so make sure it doesn't freeze completely.)
2.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar, 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil, green onion, garlic, and ginger. Whisk together until the sugar dissolves.
3.  Take the pork out of the freezer and unwrap on a clean cutting board. Slice the pork into thin strips, about 1/4-inch thick, 1/4-inch wide, and 2 1/2 inches long. Place the pork strips in the soy marinade, cover, and refrigerate for 1-3 hours.
4. (At this point, I started cooking my quinoa in my rice cooker to make sure it was done at the same time.)
5. In a small mixing bowl, combine the Sriracha hot chili sauce, honey, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Stir to combine. Set aside.
6.  When the pork has marinated, take the bowl out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
7.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the marinade and carefully place in the skillet. (Be careful that the drippings don't splatter out of the pan.) Cook the pork, stirring constantly with tongs or a wooden spoon, 4 to 5 minutes, until the pork is cooked through. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame seeds.
8.  To serve, spoon several tablespoons of rice/quinoa into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style. Top with a few pork strips and drizzle with a few drops of the chili mixture. Roll up and eat!

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Coffee-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This recipe had me at the word "coffee."  My husband and I love coffee and I've used it in desserts before (adding a little espresso powder to brownies or double chocolate cookies is a wonderful thing!) but I've never made a savory dish with it.  And it just so happens that pork tenderloin is probably my favorite type of meat so I was sold.

 

A huge bonus to this dish is that it's very quick-cooking (although if you're pan-searing it, open the windows! Our little apartment can get smoky pretty quickly) and no chopping required which means you can have it prepped, cooked and on the table in less than 30 minutes.  And this was exactly what I needed on a weeknight.

 

One thing I love about pork tenderloin is just how juicy and flavorful it can be.  This rub doesn't add a ton of flavor but adds a great smokiness to the pork.  I really enjoyed this - it was such a simple and tasty meal (I served this with the chickpea & barley side dish as well as a green salad).

 

The original recipe gave directions for grilling the pork but since we don't have a grill, I used my stove-to-oven method which works for me every time.  I provided directions below for grilling as well as stove-to-oven.

 

Coffee-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
Taken from: Cook Like a Champion
Serves 4-8

• 1 tablespoon very finely ground coffee beans (preferably French roast)
• 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 1-pound pork tenderloins, trimmed (I only used 1 pound pork but still used most of the rub)

 IF USING STOVE-TO-OVEN:

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Combine the coffee, brown sugar, chili powder and salt in a small bowl. Divide the mixture evenly between the two pork tenderloins and rub to coat completely.
2. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Place the tenderloins in the skillet and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes total.  Remove from the heat, leaving the pork in the skillet.
3. Place the skillet in the preheated oven and roast about 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of each tenderloin registers 130-140˚ F.  Transfer to a serving plate, loosely tent with foil and let stand approximately 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

IF USING GRILL:

1. Combine the coffee, brown sugar, chili powder and salt in a small bowl. Add the olive oil and mix until combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the two pork tenderloins and rub to coat completely.
2. Prepare a charcoal grill for indirect cooking (medium-high heat if using gas). Place the tenderloins on the hot side of the grill, cover and cook, flipping once, until grill marks form on each side (about 4 minutes per side). Move to the cooler side of the grill and continue cooking an additional 7-9 minutes, or until the pork has reached an internal temperature between 140º and 145º. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork with Homemade Barbeque Sauce

For 4th of July this year, we ended up straying from the classic hot dog and hamburger type of meal and went with barbeque pulled pork instead.  Pulled pork is one of my husband's favorite foods (every time we go to a barbeque-style place to eat, I always know what he'll be ordering) so it still seemed to be a great way to celebrate 4th of July.

While I had made this pulled pork recipe before (but hadn't shared it yet!), this was my first time making my own barbeque sauce.  We had really liked a Trader Joe's bottled sauce and while that version is still good, this recipe was even better. It's so easy to make -- it only takes 20 minutes and I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen.  As my husband described it, the flavor was nicely balanced with tangy and sweet and not ketchup-y tasting.   Excellent with the pulled pork and my husband used it to dip his sweet potato fries as well. Oh, and in a few days I'll have another recipe that would be a great use for this BBQ sauce!

The pulled pork recipe is wonderful and I love using my slow cooker.  I rubbed the spice mixture over the pork the night before and then in the morning, pulled out my handy slow cooker and let it do all the work. I halved this recipe so I only needed to cook my pork for about 6 hours instead of the full 8-10.  I'm pretty meticulous about getting out all the visible fat (who wants to bite down on a piece of that?) but other than that, it's a very hands-off recipe. 

We served this with homemade hamburger buns, sweet potato fries, Thai slaw, and cut watermelon for an amazing, albeit slightly untraditional, 4th of July meal.  Oh, and it probably wouldn't surprise my family at all that I had to put a few Heinz Genuine Dill pickle slices on my pulled pork sandwich (the only pickle we eat, thankyouverymuch).

BBQ Pulled Pork
Taken from: Crumbly Cookie
Makes a lot (I halved this recipe and we got 5-6 generous meals out of it)

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons table salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
• 1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
• ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional, I omitted)
• 2 cups barbecue sauce (see below for homemade recipe)

1. Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl.
2. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
3. Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker. Add liquid smoke, if using, and ¼ cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.
4. Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in liner. “Pull” by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers, discarding fat.
5. Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.

Homemade Barbeque Sauce
Taken from: AllRecipes
Makes 3 cups

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 2 teaspoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke (I omitted)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed (I omitted)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, wine vinegar, molasses, liquid smoke and butter. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, celery seed, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper.
2. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for up to 20 minutes. For thicker sauce, simmer longer, and for thinner, less time is needed. Sauce can also be thinned using a bit of water if necessary. Brush sauce onto any kind of meat during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

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Tomato Florentine Soup

This was really a clean-the-fridge kind of soup.  I was going to call it pasta e fagioli but apparently, true Italian pasta e fagioli doesn't have much in the way of vegetables.  Or bacon.  And since I'd rather have vegetables and bacon (thankyouverymuch), we're going to call this Tomato Florentine soup.  But whatever you want to call it, it worked. I used whatever we had on hand and loved the results.  I especially liked cooking the pasta in the soup because not only did it make this a one-pot soup, but it also gave the soup an extra thickness thanks to the starch being released while the pasta cooks. 

Topping the soup with bacon, not surprisingly, took it to the next level.  However, we ate it for dinner the next day (and that does not happen often in this house), and still thoroughly enjoyed it bacon-less.  I served this with savory scones and a simple salad.

Tomato Florentine Soup
Adapted from: AllRecipes and MyRecipes
Serves 4-6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (if you cook bacon as a topping, you could use the bacon fat instead)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 carrots, chopped
• 1-2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley (I used about 2-3 tablespoons of fresh parsley)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 4 1/2 -6 cups water or chicken stock (I used about 3 cups of water and 2 cups of chicken broth)
• 1 (15 ounce) can or 1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans (I used canario beans instead)
• 1 - 1/2 cups pasta (I like a little less pasta because there's so many other things in this soup but you could increase the amount to 1 1/2 cups; I used small shells)
• 6 oz spinach, chopped
• Toppings: grated Parmesan cheese, cooked bacon

1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and carrots in olive oil until onion is translucent (approximately 4 minutes). Stir in garlic, parsley, basil and oregano and cook until tender. Stir in bay leaves, tomatoes, 4/12 cups of water/chicken stock, and beans.  Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil on high then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer about 20 minutes.  Stir in a little more water/chicken stock if the soup seems too thick.
2. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; during the last 2 minutes of pasta cooking time, add spinach.  Season to taste.
3. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and bacon, if desired.

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Island Spice Pork Tenderloin

I can't believe that all these years, I've been missing out on pork tenderloin. Until recently, I just never made it, always assuming it would be stringy, dry and gray.   However, when done right, it's tender and juicy. It's also a great vehicle for some delicious rubs, glazes or bacon (Seriously. Try it wrapped in bacon.).  This Island Spice Pork Tenderloin is incredibly simple to prepare with great contrast of heat and sweet.  Also, it's so easy to prepare.  There's no marinading necessary and the only chopping involved is mincing garlic. 

Like many of the pork tenderloins I've done, this is seared on the stove and finished in the oven.  If you have a cast iron skillet or another oven-safe skillet, that's the easiest way to go (and one less pan to dirty!).  Otherwise, you can transfer the seared tenderloin to a baking sheet or roasting pan before throwing in the oven.

An instant read thermometer is also wonderful to help produce perfectly cooked pork. Cook until the center of the tenderloin registers 130-140 degrees (we like it a little on the rare side) and then let it sit covered for 10 minutes (although I often get too impatient to wait that long!).  My guess is that we served this with a side of polenta and roasted broccoli. (Namely, because I love polenta and roasted broccoli.  The joys of being the cook in the house!)

Island Spice Pork Tenderloin

Taken from: Annie's Eats

Serves 4 (I halved the original recipe)

• 1 pork tenderloins (about 1-1 1/4 lbs. total)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

For the spice rub:

• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the glaze:

• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. (2-3 cloves) finely minced garlic
• 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Combine the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Stir together with a fork to blend.  Pat the mixture over the pork tenderloins.
2. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Place the tenderloins in the skillet and brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes total.  Remove from the heat, leaving the pork in the skillet.
3. Stir together the brown sugar, garlic and Tabasco in a small bowl until blended.  Spread the mixture evenly over the tops of the tenderloins.
4. Place the skillet in the preheated oven and roast about 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of each tenderloin registers 130-140˚ F.  Transfer to a serving plate, loosely tent with foil and let stand approximately 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Thai Pork Curry

While searching for a last-minute dinner for tonight, I had a few requirements: fast, on-hand ingredients, and an extra bit of spice to combat the last of my cold.  I found an easy Thai shrimp curry dish that looked like it would hit the spot.  I've loved the different kinds of curry that I've had in Thai restaurants before so I didn't mind trying to recreate it at home.

This morning, I double-checked for shrimp in the freezer...only to find no shrimp.  Since my brain had a slight relapse of what ingredients I actually had on hand, I grabbed plan B: pork tenderloin (I had bought 6 pounds of pork tenderloin when it was on a great sale, removed the fat and froze it in 3/4 lb. portions).  Now it would be Thai pork curry.   I threw a pork tenderloin in the fridge to defrost and headed off to work.

It ended up being an amazing plan B. However, I think any meat (or tofu) would be delicious - shrimp, pork, beef, chicken...whatever you happen to have! This curry dish had that slight kick that I wanted and took less than 30 minutes from start to finish.  Serving this dish with rice is a must to help soak up the juices.


Thai Pork Curry
Taken from: Food.com
Serves:4

• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1/2 - 3/4 lb pork tenderloin, sliced thin (if you partially freeze the pork, it makes slicing the pork much easier)
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 1 lime,  zested and juiced
• 1-2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 3- 4 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, minced (you can keep seeds and ribs in for more heat or leave out the jalapeno completely for a milder dish)  
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2  red onion, thinly sliced
• 6-8 mushrooms, thinly sliced
• Any additional veggies (optional; I added red cabbage)
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped (optional, I omitted) 
• 1/4  cup cilantro, chopped

1. Heat wok to medium high.  Add oil and then add curry paste, stirring for about 30 seconds. 
2. Add pork, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.  Add vegetables and cook for an additional 2 minutes. 
3. Stir in coconut milk, lime zest, ginger, garlic and jalapeno. Bring to boil, and cook 2-3 more minutes. 
4. Serve over cooked rice and top with lime juice, cilantro and basil.

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Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

While the idea seemed a bit laughable to me at first (really? pig wrapped in pig?), this bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin is an incredibly delicious meal.  Pork tenderloin is very low in fat and wrapping it in a few pieces of bacon not only adds a lot of flavor but it also keeps the tenderloin nice and moist.  Roasted garlic and herbs add even more flavor to this delicious dish. 

As much as Bryant and I like bacon, we're a bit particular about the way it's cooked.  We like it crispy...the crispier, the better. I was worried that this dish would end up with soft bacon but it didn't at all -- searing the bacon gives it the crispiness it needs

I highly recommend having an instant read meat thermometer (I use mine ALL the time).  My tenderloin was still slightly frozen when I cooked it so I just kept testing it until it reached 150 degrees. After letting it rest about 7 minutes, we had perfectly cooked, slightly pink pork. I only wish that I had doubled the recipe.

Well done, Bobby Flay, well done.

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
From: Bobby Flay
Serves 4

• 1/2 head garlic, top sliced off
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 - 1 1/4 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves (I substituted 1 tsp.+ dried rosemary)
• 6 fresh sage leaves (I substituted 1/2 tsp.+ dried sage leaves)
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (I substituted 1 tsp.+ dried thyme)
• 4-5 slices bacon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

-This step can be done ahead of time and roasted garlic stored in the fridge until ready to use: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place garlic in a small ramekin or oven-proof dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and wrap in foil. Bake until soft, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic flesh from head into a small bowl.
-In a small bowl, mix the herbs together.  Rub the top each tenderloin with the roasted garlic and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the herb mix over the garlic on the tenderloin. Wrap with 4 strips of bacon (5 if necessary) around the tenderloin and tie bacon in place with kitchen twine.
-Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat oil in a medium skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Sear the tenderloin until golden brown on all sides (for 2-3 minutes per side). If using a cast-iron pan, transfer pan with tenderloin into oven.  Otherwise, transfer seared tenderloin to medium roasting pan and place in the oven.
-Cook to medium doneness about 8 to 10 minutes (if using an instant meat thermometer, 145 degrees for more rare and 150 for slightly pink pork). Transfer tenderloins to plate, cover with aluminum foil and let stand 5-10 minutes. Remove twine before carving.

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Weekly Menu Plan & Pulled Pork

With my husband working long hours this month, I've been trying to do things to make his life easier and of course, taking pity on him and making his favorite meals. This is especially true when he works on the weekends so that's when I really try to make something special. And that something special this weekend is definitely pulled pork sandwiches. This recipe is so good! The spices give the pork a great flavor. And it's not just meant for BBQ pulled pork (although I didn't realize that fact last time). Once this recipe is cooked, it can be used in lots of other dishes - Chinese, Mexican, salads, etc. Of course, we'll be having BBQ pulled pork sandwiches tonight but I'll freeze the leftovers to use in other dishes.

Pulled pork is traditionally made with a cheaper cut of pork called pork shoulder or Boston butt. However, once you remove the tons of extra fat, a 4-lb shoulder is suddenly much closer to 3 pounds. I've started buying a slightly more costly, leaner cut of pork but since it's leaner, I can buy a small quantity (since you don't have to remove as much fat). While I still haven't found a perfect cut of pork for pulled pork, I've tried pork loin chops before which worked well.

Week's Menu Plan

Saturday: slow cooker pulled pork, salad, my husband's award-winning cookies

Sunday: Jamaican Jerk Chicken with corn on the cob

Monday: pad see ew (thanks to lots of leftovers from a lovely lunch I had with my grandma on Friday) with baby bok choy and red peppers

Tuesday: beef enchiladas from last week (I've actually already made the meat and frozen it so all I have to do is bake the enchiladas) with restaurant style salsa

Wednesday: Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Thursday: shrimp and grits

Friday: Vietnamese chicken pho (it never was made last week)


Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Taken from: Life's Ambrosia

• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (5 pound) bone-in pork shoulder OR 3 pounds of pork loin chops or whatever cut you've chosen (again, if you go with a leaner cut of meat, you won't need as much)
• 1 medium onion
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 cups water

-Remove as much fat as possible from the pork.
-Combine salt, chili powder, cumin, granulated garlic, pepper and oregano in a small bowl.
-Rub spice mixture all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate over night or for several hours.
-Slice the onion and lay it on the bottom of a 5 quart slow cooker. Place the pork on top of the onions. Pour beef broth and water over the top. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).
-Remove from slow cooker. Allow to cool slightly. Discard bone and pan juices. Using a fork and spoon shred meat (removing any visible fat).
-If making BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, return shredded pork to slow cooker and add good bottled BBQ sauce or homemade sauce. Cook on low for 1-2 hours.

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Moo Shu Pork with Vegetables, Homemade Crepes

We don't go out to eat often but when we go out, I often find myself wondering if I could recreate the meals we like. We visited my grandmother about a month ago and went out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. We decided to have the food "family-style" and split everything. The best thing was definitely the moo shu pork that my grandmother ordered. It was so good and also made me wonder if it was possible to make it at home.

After some online searching, I found a moo shu pork recipe but it didn't seem like enough. Then I found a moo shu vegetable recipe, so I combined the 2 recipes to make one dish. Also, moo shu is served with Chinese pancakes and on several reviews, it was recommended to actually serve crepes because it most closely mimics the Chinese pancakes! I found a great recipe for crepes (which I made whole wheat, of course!) to complete the dish.

Altogether, the meal worked REALLY well. It was a create-your-own dinner so we put the crepes, vegetables and pork all on the table so both my husband and I could make them as we'd like (plus, it made it really easy to go back for seconds!). My husband actually declared this better than the delicious moo shu we had at the Chinese restaurant! The only thing I would change was that we didn't have plum sauce, the traditional sauce served with moo shu (I'm currently looking for a recipe for that!).

The crepe recipe was wonderful with the meal but it would also be easy to use for either sweet or savory fillings. We'll definitely make this again!

Moo Shu PorkLoosely adapted from: AllRecipes
Is a slow cooker recipe so allow 2-6 hours to cook.

• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 5 (4 ounce) boneless pork loin chops, cut into thin strips
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce (if you don't have hoisin, some people recommend replacing with BBQ sauce but I've actually never tried that myself)

-Trim all visible fat off pork.
-In a slow cooker, add all ingredients. boneless pork chops, chicken broth, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Slather hoisin on pork. Cook on low for 6 hours (you could also try cooking on high for 2-3 hours if you're more pressed for time).
-Serve both pork and sauce.

Moo Shu Vegetables
Taken from: Eating Well
**If you want to make this recipe simple and save time, buy a bad of shredded mixed vegetables. If you want to go cheaper, I shredded red cabbage, grated carrots and cucumbers.

• 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 12-ounce bag shredded mixed vegetables, such as “rainbow salad” or “broccoli slaw” OR chop up and core red or Napa cabbage head, grate 2-3 carrots, bean sprouts (if you'd like)
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced, divided
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

-Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs; cook, stirring gently, until set, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.
-Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute.
-Add shredded vegetables, half the sliced scallions, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes.
-Add the reserved eggs and hoisin; cook, uncovered, stirring and breaking up the scrambled eggs, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining scallions and remove from the heat.

Crepes
Taken from: AllRecipes
I had never made crepes before but this was an incredibly simple and delicious recipe! It was perfect for the moo shu but after dinner, we had 2 leftover crepes which we turned into dessert! Extremely versatile and if you were going to use them for sweet crepes, you could probably add in vanilla or almond extract and/or some spices like cinnamon or nutmeg.

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk (I used skim which worked really well)
• 2/3 cup white whole wheat or all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil or canola oil

-In a blender combine eggs, milk, flour, salt and oil. Process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
-Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Once the skillet is hot (if you flicked a drop or two of water on the surface, the water should sizzle), pour 1/4 cup of crepe batter into pan, tilting to completely coat the surface of the pan. Cook 2 to 5 minutes, turning once, until golden (mine took about 1 minute per side). Repeat with remaining batter.

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