pulled pork with homemade BBQ sauce and coleslaw

The first time my brother told me that he ate coleslaw on pulled pork sandwiches, I thought he was crazy!  Well, just like with tomatoes, onions, and baked beans.... I came around.  I found this recipe on the Food Network, and although my husband was skeptical about whether or not the pork would actually shred.  Oh, it shredded all right.  It shredded like a hair band lead guitarist.  Oh yeah. 

Totally unrelated... My husband and I are watching SNL reruns on VH1.  This commercial came on called "Flirty Girl Fitness" and showed some girls dancing on poles and chairs for exercise.  We kept waiting for the SNL actresses to come on and say something funny about this ridiculous exercise program, but they never did!  It was a serious commerical.  You could even get a pole for $1.00 more!  Good grief...

Well, enjoy your pulled pork!  If you don't like mustard-based BBQ sauces- don't make this one.  It's like a South Carolina sauce, but it is delicious.  The coleslaw was pretty good, but I think I'd use a little less dressing and more sugar.

Pulled Pork with homemade BBQ sauce and coleslaw

source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/pulled-pork-barbecue-recipe/index.html

1 (5-7) pound pork roast

BBQ rub:

3 T paprika

1 T garlic powder

1 T brown sugar

1 T dry mustard

3 T coarse sea salt

Cider- Vinegar BBQ Sauce:

1 1/2 c cider vinegar (don't use regular distilled!)

1 c mustard

1/2 c ketchup

1/3 c brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t salt

1 t cayenne

1/2 t pepper

Cole Slaw:

1 head green cabbage, shredded

2 carrots, grated

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 green onions, chopped

1 fresh red chile, thinly sliced

1 1/2 c mayonnaise

1/4 c dijon

1 T cider vinegar

1 lemon, juiced (about 3 T)

pinch sugar (I would up it to 2 T)

1/2 t celery seed

dash hot pepper sauce

salt and pepper

hamburger buns

Add the rub ingredients together in a small bowl.  

Coat the pork with the rub on all sides.  Roast it in a 300 degree oven for 6 hours.  

Add the shredded cabbage, carrot, onion, and pepper in a bowl.  Combine the dressing ingredients and toss it all together.

 You'll end up with a creamy coleslaw.  I would add about half of the dressing to start, mix it, and add more as you'd like.  I thought there was a little too much dressing on mine.  Store the coleslaw in the fridge until you're ready to eat.

 Take the pork out of the oven and shred it with two forks.  It'll just fall right apart.  I actually did mine in the oven for three hours and then in the crock pot on low for three hours while I went to church.  It worked like a charm.

 Combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat for ten minutes or until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat until you're ready to serve it.

 Pile some of the pulled pork on the bottom bun.  Top it with the BBQ sauce.  Then add the coleslaw, and you'll get the picture like the first one.  Devour! 

After cooking it for the six hours, we prepared some wood chips and put them on the gas grill.  Once the wood chips were smoking, we put the meat on there for about 15 minutes to give it a little smoky flavor. 

If you want to do the whole thing on the grill, put the pork shoulder on the grill with indirect heat for 5-6 hours or until it registers 170 degrees on the inside.  Shred and do the cole slaw and bbq sauce, and you're good to go!

Skewered Ginger Beef

The other night when I made Chinese food, this tasty beef graced our plates with its presence.  The marinade makes it sweet, garlicky, and gingery.  Me gusta!  Too bad I don't speak Chinese. 

Skewered Ginger Beef:

1 c sugar

1 c soy sauce

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 bunch green onions, sliced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c sesame seeds

3/4 t ground ginger

2 t pepper

2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into 1/4 inch strips

Slice the steak into 1/4 inch slices.

 Combine all the remaining ingredients in a Ziplock bag and add the steak.  Let it marinate for 8 hours or overnight.  Flipping the bag occasionally.

Sorry for the lack of pictures... I was cooking all kinds of stuff this night.

Look at the top picture to see how to put the beef on the skewer.  Grill over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning a couple times. 

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

Do you ever have those "where has this been my whole life?!" moments?  This dessert was one of those when I first tried it.  My mom whipped this up on day, and we were all head over heels in love.  If you've ever seen "Arrested Development," there is a scene when Michael goes to visit his father in prison.  He is talked to his dad while the dad is eating an ice cream sandwich.  While the son is in the middle of a sentence, it shows the dad eating the ice cream sandwich lovingly and says, "I am having a love affair with this ice cream sandiwch."  That always made me laugh.  Now, if that dad was loving that ice cream sandiwch, he would flip out if he tasted this!  It's a beefed-up ice cream sandwich.  It'll blow your mind how easy it is.  And don't forget about how delicious it is.  Ridiculous.

 Ice Cream Sandiwch Dessert
Source: Taste of Home Chocolate Lover's Cookbook (you know I'm loving this one!)

12 ice cream sandwiches
1 carton cool whip
1 11 oz bottle hot fudge
caramel ice cream topping
salted peanuts

Layer the ice cream sandwiches in the bottom of a 9 inch pan as seen below.  You'll have to break 2 of them in half to fill the pan to the end.

 Top with half of the cool whip, dollops of hot fudge, peanuts, and caramel sauce.  I didn't use caramel sauce last night because it wasn't in recipe.  After sleeping on it, I think it would make a glorious addition.

 Use the remaining 6 ice cream sandwiches to top the dessert. 

 Add the rest of the cool whip, sprinkle with peanuts, and add some streams of caramel. 

 Keep it in the freezer.  Take it out about 15 minutes before you want to eat it. 

Now, go and have your own love affair with this ice cream sandwich dessert.  :)

Chicken Wellington

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away, I was married to the best man ever.  We spent our honeymoon in Yellowstone National Park.  One night, we went to this little restaraunt called Bullwinkle's Saloon.  I ordered Chicken Wellington, which I had never had before.  It looked pretty tasty.  I ordered it and loved it.  Back then, I was not a good cook, and I probably only owned 1 cookbook.  I hadn't the foggiest idea how to make this.  Well, almost 8 years later, I got some asparagus from my bountiful basket and remembered this dish.  I thought I'd try to recreate it.  I'm sure it's not even close, but it still turned out delicious! 

On a side note, my husband hates asparagus and picked it out.  A couple nights before this meal, he had a dream that he made this stuff called "Pojo."  It has chicken broth, beef broth, peas, and gelatin all mixed together.  *gag* While picking out the asparagus he said, "Remember that Pojo stuff I dreamed about?"  "Yes."  "Well, it tasted like asparagus in my dream."  Oh come on!  It's not that bad!  I'm going to make him some Pojo and fresh asparagus covered in Bernaise sauce and see which he'd prefer.  Chicken and beef broth jello with peas or asparagus?? 

 Chicken Wellington:
source: a faint memory in my head from a honeymoon
makes 3

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
monterey jack cheese
asparagus
2 chicken breasts
cream cheese (about 3 ounces
salt and pepper
bread crumbs
Bernaise Sauce

Once the puff pastry sheet is thawed, roll it out very thin.

 Use a pizza cutter to slice it into three equals rectangles.  Place slices of the monterey Jack cheese in the top third of each rectangle.

 Trim the asparagus to fit on the cheese.  I actually trimmed them a little more after taking this picture. 

 Top with the chicken breast.  When I made this, I actually only used one chicken breast.  It was one giant breast!  I sliced the bottm half off.  For the thicker top, I sliced it in half to thin it out a bit.  If you want more chicken in yours, you can use a whole breast.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper on them.

 Top the chicken with some cream cheese.

 Fold the bottom half of the puff pastry over the top portion with the chicken.  Fold the edges around and pinch them together to create a seam.  I used a pastry brush to put water along the seams to seal them a little better.  Repeat with the other two bundles.

 Place them seam side down on a greased baking sheet  Brush the tops with water and sprinkle some bread crumbs on the top.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown and toasty on the top. 

While they are baking, make the Bernaise sauce.  I did mine from scratch, but a sauce packet from the store would be just as wonderful.  If you want the from-scratch recipe, let me know!  Serve the sauce over the top of the bundles. 

Cheese Rolls

Homemade Rolls + cheese in the middle = pure happiness.  Enough said.

Cheese Rolls:

Source: King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion

dough:

4 1/2 t yeast

1/2 warm water (95 to 105 degrees)

1 t sugar

1/2 c flour

1 c lukewarm milk

1/4 c butter

1 t salt

1/3 c sugar

1 large egg, beaten

4 to 5 c flour

Filling:

8 oz cheddar cheese (or mozzarella if you'd like)

Topping:

2 T butter

1/4 c Italian-flavored bread crumbs

1/4 Parmesan cheese

1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 T water

Combine all ingredients and knead until soft and elastic.  I threw all my ingredients, in order, into my bread machine and let it do the hard work.  Bless the woman that got me that as a wedding present!  Let the dough rest in a warm place for 20 minutes or until it has doubled in size.

Take out the dough and break it into 16 pieces.  If you think I don't know how to count based on the picture below, I do (contrary to my four-year old's belief).  I halved the recipe and made 9 rolls in a 9 inch pan instead of 16 rolls in a 9 x 13 pan.  Our little family cannot eat 16 rolls.  Not that they weren't delicious because they were.   Grease the pan that you're going to use.

Cut the cheese (ha!) into 16 1-inch squares.  Place one piece of cheese in the center of each roll. 

 Press the cheese into the middle of the roll.  Pinch the bottom of the sides together and create a tight seam. 

 Place the rolls, piched side down, into the pan you've prepared.

 Let them rest for 20 minutes, or until doubled in size. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, combine the topping ingredients in a small saucepan.  Melt the butter.  Add the Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

 Stir to evenly combine the butter with the cheese and crumbs.  Isn't that a lovely crumbly topping?

 Once the rolls are doubled in size, take them out of the warm spot.  I always place mine in the microwave with a glass container of boiling water... works like a charm.

 Using a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the rolls with the egg yolk/water mixture.

 Sprinkle the crumb topping over the rolls.

 Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top. 

These rolls turned out lovely.  They were tender on the inside, slightly crunchy from the topping, and it has cheese in the middle!  Bonus!  My daughter was sad because she didn't find any cheese at first.  When she found it, you'd think she struck gold.  Well, my dear, you kind of have.  :)

This dough was amazing.  You could use it to make plain rolls, breadsticks, or even a loaf of bread.  It's a keeper recipe!

Kung Pao Shrimp

Ah, so!  Here goes the white girl trying to make Chinese food again!  I had my brother, his girlfriend, and my mom over for dinner, and this Kung Pao Shrimp lasted about two minutes!  There were a few left on my plate to get a small picture.  omm nom nom.  See now... If I didn't try shrimp shish-kabobs a couple weeks ago, I would have missed out on this tasty dish.  However, if you're not a shrimp fan, you can use chicken.  It would still be amazing.  Next time you're craving Chinese food, make it yourself!  It's not hard, but if you're not a multi-tasker, you're out of luck.  

Kung Pao Shrimp:

source: Here in America's Test Kitchen: 2002

1 pound shrimp (I used medium)

1 T dry sherry or rice wine

2 t soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t ginger

3 T vegetable oil

1/2 c peanuts

1 t red pepper flakes (more or less depending on how much hot, hot heat you like)

3/4 c chicken broth

2 t rice vinegar

2 t Asian sesame oil

1 T oyster-flavored sauce

1 T hoisin sauce

1 1/2 t corn starch

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

3 medium scallions, diced thin

Here is a picture of all of the not-so-common ingredients.  They can all be found in the Oriental section in the grocery store.  Unless you live in an itty-bitty town.  Then, you might have to take a road trip, order some, or just chicken out and buy the pre-made Chinese food.  

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, and 1 T vegetable oil.  Set aside.

In another small bowl, mix the peanuts and red pepper flakes.  Set aside.

In another somewhat larger bowl, mix the chicken stock, rice vinegar, sesame oil, oyster-flavored sauce, hoisin sauce, and corn starch.  Here a tip for you- Put the corn starch in a small bowl or measuring cup.  Scoop a couple tablespoonfuls of the chicken stock mixture in with the cornstarch to make a paste.  Add the paste back in with the chicken stock stuff.  If you just dump the corn starch in, you will have lumps all over the place.  Mixing it with liquid first prevents any lumps from showing up in your sauce. Set this bowl aside as well.

In a 12 inch skillet, heat 1 T oil over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp to cook, stirring frequently for about 40 seconds.

 Add the peanuts and red pepper flakes.  Cook for another 40 seconds or so, stirring often. Remove this to a bowl and set aside.

 In the same pan, add 1 T of oil.  Swirl it around to cover the bottom.  Add the diced red pepper and cook until the peppers are softened, about 20 seconds.

 Add the garlic-ginger mixture.  The garlic will scorch fast, so you only need to cook this for about ten seconds.

 Add the chicken broth stuff.

 Add the shrimp and peanuts back into the pan.

Cook it for about one minute.  The mixture will thicken to a nice saucy consistency.  Put it in a serving bowl and top with the chopped green onions.

I served this with fried rice, cream cheese rangoons, stir-fry vegetables, and skewered gingered beef (coming soon).  This would go awesome with the sweet and sour chicken as well.  One of these days, I'll make my dad's egg rolls and post them on here.  They are my favorite, and no one makes them quite like him.  Yes, we are very caucasian, but we love Chinese food!  fa-ra-ra!

Layers of Love Chocolate Brownies (Jude Brownies)

I know it's hard to believe, but I did not come up with the name for these brownies.  Although I probably would have named them something similar.  There are definitely layers.  There is a lot of love that goes into these bad boys.  And they are chocolate brownies... obviously.  I took these and the homemade snickers to a dinner group, and those desserts was gobbled down in minutes!

Layers of love Chocolate Brownies:

source: from the packaging of an 8x8 pan I bought months ago

3/4 c flour

3/4 c cocoa

1/4 t salt

1/2 c butter

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

3 large eggs, divided

2 t vanilla

1 c chopped pecans

3/4 c white chocolate chips

1/2 c caramel ice cream topping

3/4 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 x 8 pan.

Combine the flour, cocoa, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars.  Add 2 eggs, one at a time.  Make sure you mix well after each addition.  Mix in the vanilla.

 Add 2 eggs, one at a time.  Beat well after each addition.

 Add the flour/cocoa mixture slowly to incorporate.  I have made the mistake a million times to dump it all in while the mixer was running, and I end up with a tornado of flour that coats every square of me and my kitchen.

 Reserve 3/4 c of the batter.  Set aside.

Spread the remaining batter in the bottom of the pan.  I put a plastic bag on my hand, coated it lightly with cooking spray, and spread the batter on the bottom of the pan.  If you try to use a spatula, you might use some language that you'll regret if there are children around.

Sprinkle with the pecans.  (sorry, Angel... You can omit these. I still love ya!)

 Next up- white chocolate chips.

 Drizzle with caramel ice topping.

 Take the remaining 3/4 c of batter and put it back in the mixer.  Add the remaining egg.  Beat it until it turns lighter in color.  You can see the difference in the picture below.

 Spread that on top of the caramel layer and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

 Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Those layers make me happy.  You know what else makes me happy?  "Hey Jude" by the Beatles.  It's kind of like how Jude can take a sad song and make it better.  These brownies can take a sad day and make it better, too.  I've now nicknamed them "Jude Brownies."

After relaying that last tidbit to my husband, he said, "You should name something after Jimmer."  *enter raised eyebrow and dirty look here* Sorry, Jimmer.