Slow Cooker Pulled Pork {Crock Pot}

Who doesn't love a good slow cooker recipe?!  It's truly the best of both all worlds - you come home from work and your house smells wonderful, you don't have to turn on the oven for hours and there aren't a bunch of dishes to clean up afterwards.  Win, win in my book!

We had company for dinner the a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to make something that didn't require me standing in the kitchen the entire time that they were at my house.  I hate trying to cook dinner and entertain at the same time.  (Add into the mix a house full of kids running around too and my brain gets a little fuzzy.)  So this was the perfect recipe!

 

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Source: My Recipes

* 4 pounds pork roast (shoulder or butt) 

* 2 large onions sliced (I used a sweet onion)

* 1 cup ginger ale

* 1 bottle (18oz) bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce

* 1 bottle barbecue sauce for serving (optional) 

Slice one onion and place in the bottom of the crock pot.

Put in the roast and cover with the other onion, sliced. Pour over the ginger ale. Cover and cook on LOW for about 12 hours.
 

Remove the meat, strain and save the onions, discard all liquid. With two forks, shred the meat, discarding any remaining fat, bones or skin (if any). Most of the fat will have melted away.

 

Return the shredded meat and the onions to the crock pot, stir in the barbecue sauce. Continue to cook for another 4 to 6 hours on LOW.

Serve with hamburger buns or rolls and additional barbecue sauce.

This was an easy recipe to make and it's delicious!  My house smelled wonderful!   We served our sandwiches with our Ranch BLT Pasta Salad.  Perfect combination!

 

Enjoy!

 

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Chicken and Broccoli Pockets

I just love these Chicken and Broccoli Pockets and have been making them for years.  I'm not sure where I first found the recipe.  Probably in one of those Pillsbury cookbooks that you find in the checkout aisle.  (I love those little cookbooks!)  I've lost the actual recipe and just whip these up without measuring anything, adding more or less of what I want or have in the fridge.  They are easy and delicious!

Chicken and Broccoli Pockets

* Cresent rolls

* 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

* 2 cups steamed broccoli

* 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

* 1/2 cup sour cream

* 1/4 to 1/2 cup ranch dressing- depending on how creamy you want the mixture to be

* salt and pepper to taste

Mix the cream cheese, ranch dressing and sour cream together until smooth.  Add the chicken and broccoli and mix well.  Add salt and pepper.

Lay out your Cresent rolls and pinch together the sides of 2 rolls to make a rectangle.  Plop a good amount of filling in the middle of the dough.

Fold the sides over and pinch to seal.

Bake according to the Cresent roll package

Easy and so darn good!

Enjoy!

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General Tsao's Meatballs from Thai Kitchen & Simply Asia

At Thai Kitchen and Simply Asia, we’ve made your favorite Asian flavors available to enjoy anytime and anywhere. From noodles to sauces and seasonings, coconut milk to fish sauce, our premium products deliver restaurant-quality Asian cuisine in minutes. Our ingredients and recipes offer simple solutions to spice up any celebration - and what better time to “thai” new dishes than Chinese New Year? The traditional 15-day celebration kicks off February 10, 2013, and is a perfect reason to gather a group of friends and try tasty Asian cuisine. From mild to spicy, appetizers to dessert, Thai Kitchen and Simply Asia have something for every taste bud, sure to please even the most discerning palates.

The aromatic essences. The exotic flavors. The abundant texture. There’s no culinary experience that compares to Asian cuisine – whether you’re preparing a meal for the whole family or looking for a quick snack, we’re here to bring the adventure to your kitchen.
 

Thai Kitchen and Simply Asia offer a complete line of Asian ingredients and convenience items, including sauces, curry pastes, rice noodles, fish sauce, coconut milk, noodle bowls, and more. Most items are free of gluten, artificial colors/flavors and MSG – more reason to celebrate a New Year, and new you! Our ingredients and recipes offer simple solutions to spice up any celebration - and what better time to “thai” new dishes than Chinese New Year? The traditional 15-day celebration kicks off February 10, 2013, and is a perfect reason to gather a group of friends and try tasty Asian cuisine.

I was thrilled when I received my box of Thai Kitchen and SImply Asia products to try.  I am very familiar with both brands and have using them for years.  I love them!  They have such wonderful and delicious products!

The first product I tried was Simply Asia's General Tso Stir Fry Sauce.

I'm hooked.  It was delicious!

General Tsao's Meatballs

Source: Simply Asia

• 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1 pouch Simply Asia General Tsao Stir-fry Sauce
• 1/4 cup orange juice

Mix breadcrumbs, egg, milk, garlic powder and ginger in a large bowl until well blended.  Add ground beef and mix well.

Shape into 1 inch meatballs and place on a foil lined baking sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through.  Drain, if needed.

In a large skittle bring Stir Fry Sauce and orange juice to a simmer over medium heat.  Add meatballs; toss to coat.

You can serve these as an appetizer just like this.  Or serve over sticky rice.

They were wonderful!  Next time I make these (and I will definitely be making these again!) I am going to buy 2 packets of the Simply Asia's General Tsao's Stir Fry Sauce so there is extra sauce to pour over the rice.  It was that good!

For entertaining, why not try a Satay Partay - a delicious chicken dish featuring Thai Kitchen's Coconut Milk, Premium Fish Sauce, Red Curry Paste, Lemongrass and Peanut Satay Sauce. 

Peanut Sauce is one of my absolute favorite sauces!  And Thai Kitchen makes a wonderful one!  It has the right amount of peanut butter flavor and isn't terribly spicy (which I appreciate.)  Doesn't it look wonderful?

Another recipe that is now on my to do list is Thai Kitchen's Ginger Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps.

Or, add a little zing to traditional party favorites with Thai Kitchen dipping sauces. Our Spicy Thai Mango dipping sauce puts a fruity twist on traditional spring rolls in this Zing Rolls recipe featuring Thai Kitchen's Red Rice Noodles.

Whether entertaining a crowd or an everyday dinner with the family, Simply Asia Stir-Fry Sauces are the perfect way to create Real Asia, Real Fast at home. Try our mild, flavorful General Tsao Stir-Fry Sauce in Restaurant Style General Tsao Chicken or General Tsao's Meatballs. Fans of ginger will enjoy the flavor our Ginger Teriyaki Stir-Fry Sauce brings to these Ginger Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps. Looking for a little more heat? Serve up these "Kung Wow" chicken wings with our Thai Kitchen Kung Pao Stir-Fry Sauce.

Check out Thai Kitchen and explore their amazing Asian cuisine ingredients!

Follow Thai Kitchen on Twitter at @Thai_Kitchen

Follow Simply Asia on Twitter at @SimplyAsiaFoods

Thai Kitchen on Pinterest

Simply Asia Foods on Pinterest

Thai Kitchen on Facebook

Simply Asia on Facebook

This sponsorship is brought to you by Foodie Blogroll who we have partnered with for this promotion.

Parmesan Panko Crusted Chilean Sea Bass

A short while ago I wrote a review of Certified Steak & Seafood Company and talked about the best Fillet Mignon I have ever tasted.  Today I bring you an amazing (and super easy) recipe for Parmesan Panko Crusted Chilean Sea Bass.   And it was delicious!

 

Parmesan Panko Crusted Chilean Sea Bass

• Equal parts Panko crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• lemon pepper to taste
• 2 eggs
• Frying oil (I used vegetable)

Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat.

In a separate bowl, add the Panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Add salt, pepper and lemon pepper and stir.

The Sea Bass Steaks were amazing and huge. 

I cut them into thirds.

Dip each Sea Bass strip into the egg and then into the Panko mixture.  Make sure you coat evenly and thoroughly.

Make sure your oil is good and hot!  You can add a drop of water or a sprinkling of the Panko crumbs to the oil to see if it immediately starts to sizzle.  If it doesn't, wait a bit longer and let your oil get hotter.

Cook the Sea Bass in the oil until it is golden brown, then flip over.  How long you have to cook them depends on how thick your fish is, but make sure you don't over cook them.

Place on a plate covered with a paper towel to drain and serve hot. 

They were delicious!  Moist and tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside.  And I loved the added taste of the Parmesan cheese.

Check out Certified Steak & Seafood Company to see what they have and how impressive their items are.  You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest as well.

Visit the Certified Steak & Seafood website! Use coupon FBR125D to get $25 off your order.

 

  

 This sponsorship is brought to you by Certified Steak & Seafood Company who we have partnered with for this promotion.

Zucchini Bacon and Cheese Quiche

I figured since this had zucchini in it it was healthy. Right?  Anything with zucchini is healthy.  =o)  And I do love quiche.  So I decided to make a quiche using zucchini.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect since I've never had a quiche with zucchini in it but I felt adventurous today.

Zucchini Bacon and Cheese Quiche

Adapted from: Food Network.com

* 1 9 inch pie crust (refrigerated or homemade)

* 10 strips of bacon, cooked

* 1 cup shredded mozarrella

* uncooked, sliced zucchini (enough to cover the bottom of the crust)

* 4 eggs

* 1 cup milk

* 1/2 tsp. salt

* 1/2 tsp. dry ground mustard

* 1/2 tsp. pepper

Place a layer of zucchini in the bottom of the pie crust.

Top with crumbled bacon and cheese.

In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients and pour into pie crust.

Cook in a 375 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes (until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.)

Now that's my idea of healthy!

 

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Falafel and Hummus Wrap with Stonefire Naan Bread & a Giveaway

If I could, I would eat pita bread and hummus every day.  I love it!  I love the garlicy deliciousness of it all.  (I would, of course, sprinkle Feta all over it too and maybe some tzatziki dressing and I would be in heaven.  I might even chose this over chocolate.  Can you believe it?!?!

Flatbreads have been in existence for over 6,000 years.  And with Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads, it's all about authenticity, being worldly and family. 

From the sponsor:  “Don’t fight tradition” is a familiar saying at the Ajmera family table. And this is always referred to in regards to flatbreads, the world’s oldest breads. For the family, the start of the journey in creating Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads was all about being true to the history, heritage and homage of these worldly breads.

Flatbreads are in almost every corner of the world.  From India comes Naan and Roti, from the Meditteranean comes Pita.  And the intrigue of bringing all the different shapes and textures of flatbread to North America began.

The Stonefire adventure was rooted with two unbreakable rules. Rule #1 – The flatbreads had to be utterly authentic. Only traditional baking methods and the finest ingredients would be used. Why break with tradition? Rule #2 – The flatbreads would be “preservative free” just as they were years ago.

Ingredients and the baking method is extremely important in making flatbread.  Naan is made with buttermilk and traditional ghee (clarified butter) and is made in small batches and hand stretched.  Every Stonefire Authentic Flatbread is made with natural ingredients and no preservatives.  There are no artificial flavors or colors, 0 grams of trans fat and no hydrogenated oils.  That is important to this family!

One of the things that I love about Naan bread is that it freezes great!  Just take it out a couple of hours before using it and it's perfect.  It doesn't dry out or become hardened.

I was given three packages of Naan bread to try: Original, Garlic and Whole Wheat.  All three flavors were wonderful.  They were soft and full of flavor.  The Garlic was my favorite.  I just love garlic.  I think I could eat this bread all by itself for a snack (or a meal.)

With the Original Naan I made a steak sandwich with steak, lettuce, tomatoes and a creamy garlic dill dressing.  It was amazing!

I changed up the Falafel and Hummus Pita recipe so I could use Stonefire's Naan bread rather than the pita bread.  It was amazing!

Falafel and Hummus Naan Wrap

* Stonefire Naan bread (you can use any variety.  I used Garlic because it was amazing!)

* Hummus (either homemade or store bought)

* shredded lettuce

* diced Roma tomatoes

* Falafel balls (warmed)

I was hoping to slather tzatziki all over it but I couldn't find any at the store.  (Not happy about that but it was still so delicious!)

Sprinkle the Naan bread with water and place on a cookie sheet.  Warm up in a 400 degree oven for 2 to 3 minutes.  This makes it warm and soft(er) and wonderful.

Spread hummus on one side (or both if you love hummus).  Add falafel balls, lettuce and tomatoes.

Voila!  Easiest "sandwich" ever to make and oh, so good!

Yes, the top is ripped because I couldn't help myself =o)  I had to eat it pronto!

Interested in hearing more about Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads and the other amazing flatbreads they make?  You can find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Stonefore is also having a Cooking at Home For the Holidays Sweepstakes on their Facebook page.  Just like their page and enter to win 1 of 8 prizes to help you cook at home for the Holidays.

How would you like to win the same three flavors of Naan bread?  Enter on the rafflecopter below for your chance.

Giveaway is open to US residents, 18 years of age and older and ends December 6th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Move Over Camping Food! Hello PUDGY PIES

One of the best things I've done with my kids is taking them camping.  I was a little afraid the first time we went.  It was just me and my two, very young, children.  We had so much fun.  Now, 5 years later, it's the highlight of our summer when we go camping.  We load up the car with great food, bikes and scooters and a deck of cards, and we're off.

When we discovered Dough Boys I thought I had hit the jack-pot.  Then when we discovered Campfire Eclairs?  Holy heck.  I didn't think it could get any better than that.

Then my nephew told me about Pudgy Pies.  I thought he was making it up until my Dad reminded us that my Grandfather (who was a patent attorney) helped put the patent on the first pie iron.  How cool is that?  So I was determined to figure out what these were.

Are you ready for this?  This is a pie iron.

You fill it with awesome and delicious food and then cook it over the camp fire.  Easy and so simple.  And FUN!

 But look what you can make.  The possibilities are endless!

Butter the outsides of two pieces of bread (like you're making a grilled cheese sandwich.  Add whatever "inside" you want in your "pie".  My son?  Guess......  yep, spaghetti =o)

Place the other piece of bread on top (buttered side out) and place in your pudgy pie iron.

Close the pie iron.  This will squeeze off the crust (yeah!)

Remove the crust and now cook over your campfire.  You'll have to turn it often to get it golden brown on both sides.  Don't put it right in the fire but you want it pretty close.  The pie iron needs to get nice and hot.

Are you ready for this???  Voila!

You have a Spaghetti Pudgy Pie!

Now be creative!  How about a Grilled Ham and Swiss Cheese Pudgy Pie?

I think my favorite was a Bacon, Egg and Cheese Pudgy Pie.

Ready for this???

Then we tried making Pudgy Pies with Cresent Dough instead of bread.  Yowza!!!  I'm hooked!

This is what my daughter wanted for breakfast... a Bacon Filled Pudgy Pie =o)  (That's my girl!)

And for dessert?  How about a S'more Pudgy Pie?

It was delicious!  The marshmallows get all gooey and the chocolate melts and the Cresent dough cooks and it's like heaven in your mouth!

And even though this isn't technically a Pudgy Pie, guess what we discovered you could cook in a pie iron.

You guessed it!  Cinnamon Rolls cooked over a campfire.  We just took camping food to a new level!

What do you think?  We can't wait to go camping again, just to cook =o)

 

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