Mediterranean Pork with Cous Cous

I saw this recipe on Kitchen Cafe.  My kids love cous cous and pork so I thought it was good combination for them.  I was a little worried about  the spices being to strong, but they were perfect.  All my kids had seconds so I consider that a hit. 

2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, trimmed of fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1-2 cups couscous, prepared according to package directions

In a liquid measuring cup combine the oil, broth and spices. Cut small slits with a paring knife into the pork roast (or pork chops). Place the pork in a 4-quart slow cooker and pour the broth/spice mixture over the top of the pork. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours until the pork is tender.  Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred into pieces. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and toss with the juices/liquid. Serve the meat/juices over couscous.

Spicy Green Beans and Pork

This recipe comes from Prudence Pennywise.  It was really delicious and worth all the ingredients!

1 pound pork tenderloin
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine (I used cooking sherry, but also could have used chicken stock)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon spicy bean sauce (I left this out)
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (I used BBQ sauce)
1 1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
1 pound green beans, trimmed and snapped in half  (I just thawed a bag of frozen green beans)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup toasted white sesame seeds

Cut pork into the thin possible slices. (I froze my tenderloin.) In a small bowl, toss the shaved pork with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice wine, and the pepper. Marinate the pork at room temperature while assembling the rest of the ingredients.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce, the remaining tablespoon of rice wine, the stock, spicy bean sauce, hoisin, chili garlic sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch, and set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the beans and stir-fry them until they begin to brown or blister, about 10 minutes. Remove the beans from the pan using a slotted spoon and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil.

Return the pan to the heat and add the pork, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry the mixture until the pork is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the green onions and cook for 1 minute.

Add the reserved sauce and green beans, mix well, and cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about one minute. Finally, sprinkle with the sesame seeds before serving. Makes about 5 cups.

Pork Carnitas

So I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen.  I really like shredded pork tacos.  I love the Cafe Rio version, but most times I don't have all the ingredients to make it.  I saw this recipe and thought it looked delicious.  It was awesome!  I actually liked it a little better than the Cafe Rio recipe. 

3 pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder, Cut Into Cubes
3/4 cups Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
½ whole Lime, Juiced
7 cloves Garlic
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Cumin
¼ cups Cilantro, Chopped
¼ cups Chicken Or Beef Stock
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients (except olive oil) and stir. Arrange the pork so it sits as a single layer at the bottom of the pot. Set slow cooker to High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours. 

Once the pork is done, it should be tender enough that you can shred it with a spoon. Heat a pan with the olive oil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork from the pot to the pan. Fry the pork until brown and crispy, breaking it up as you fry it.

Serve on tortillas garnished with chopped onions, avocado, fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

Pork and Ginger Potstickers

These were so worth the work to make them.  My kids are kind of hit and miss when it comes to non-typical kid food.  These had them fighting and drooling over who got to eat the next batch.  I think my 5 year old ate 10 and my 2 year old ate about 6.  We finally had to tell them no more!  Maybe that was just us parents wanting a few extra for ourselves!

Recipe and picture from Tasty Kitchen
¾ pounds Ground Pork
3 stalks Green Onion, Minced
5 leaves Napa Cabbage, Minced
5 whole Mushrooms, Minced
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
¼ cups Fresh Ginger, Minced
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (I Use Low-sodium)
½ teaspoons Black Pepper
1-½ package (about 12 Oz. Package) Round Potsticker Wrappers (I only used one package)
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil, For Cooking

Make sure all vegetables are finely minced. You don’t want a mush, you want a mince, but you don’t want large chunks of anything in the filling. Combine all the ingredients (except the wrappers and canola oil) and stir well to combine. Scoop small teaspoons of filling into the center of each round wrapper. Use a pastry brush to brush water on one half of the wrapper’s border.  Fold each wrapper in half tightly to enclose the filling and remove any extra air bubbles. Pinch the edge together tightly. Make several small folds at the top of each wrapper and set aside.  If you are making the potstickers ahead of time, place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment or waxed paper. Place in the freezer until solid (about 30 minutes), then store in an airtight container or freezer bag until ready to use. Otherwise, use immediately. 

To cook, heat a large pan with 1 tablespoon canola oil. Place about 1 dozen potstickers in at a time, flat side down. Cook 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat until bottoms are browned. Pour in 1/2 cup water and cover with a lid. Let steam 5-7 minutes or until water is absorbed and wrappers are transluscent.  If cooking frozen, add an additional 2-3 minutes to the steaming time.  Serve with dipping sauce or teriyaki sauce.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Skewers

These were awesome!!!  My little ones couldn't get enough.  I usually don't like pork chops, but I would eat these all the time.

From Eat It Up

Ingredients:

1-1.5 lbs. pork chops cut into 1 inch chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil

BBQ rub:
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
Glaze:
1/4 cup fresh or refrigerated lime juice
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon dried thyme
pinch of cayenne
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
limes for garnishing
skewers

1. Mix oil and dry rub ingredients together in a shallow dish. Toss pork chunks into dish and mix with spices until all the meat is coated. Preheat grill to med-high heat. Skewer your pork onto water soaked skewers.

2.Combine all your glaze ingredients together. Put your skewers on the grill and after they have been cooking for about 5 minutes start basting pork with glaze. Baste every couple of minutes to really enhance the flavor. After about 12-15 minutes check your meat for doneness and remove from grill when cooked through.

Orange Baked Ham

This will be our main meat for Christmas Eve dinner.

From Ina Garten

Ingredients
1 (14 to 16-pound) fully cooked, spiral-cut smoked ham on the bone
6 garlic cloves
8 1/2 ounces orange marmalade
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 orange, zested
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the ham in a heavy roasting pan.
Mince the garlic in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the marmalade, mustard, brown sugar, orange zest, and orange juice and process until smooth. Pour the glaze over the ham and bake for 1 hour, until the ham is fully heated and the glaze is well browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Mini Ham and Cheese Rolls

I have seen this recipe floating around cooking blogs for awhile and I finally decided to try it. I thought it would be just another hot sandwich. It was so good! I got the picture and recipe from "Cooking Mamas". This is now a family favorite. I definitely recommend trying it. It is super simple and easy.

2 T. dried minced onions ( I used fresh)

1 T. prepared mustard (I used Dijon)

1 T. poppy seeds

1 stick melted butter

1 dozen dinner rolls or 2 dozen party rolls (I made my rolls)

1/2 pound ham

1/2 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 325°. In a small mixing bowl mix onion, mustard, poppy seeds, and melted butter. Leaving the dinner rolls intact, slice them open so that you have one solid top and bottom. Place the bottom half on a baking sheet or in a 9x13 inch baking pan, the pan size will depend on choice of rolls. Line the bottom half of the rolls with cheese slices and ham. Return the top part of the rolls and drizzle the butter mixture evenly over top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Now use a sharp knife and separate the little sandwiches. Place on a pretty platter and serve immediately.

Simple and Meaty Skillet Lasagna

From Kitchen Cafe

3 (14.5 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

Salt

3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground beef

12 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 1 inch lengths

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup ricotta cheese (I used cottage cheese)

Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a blender or food processor until they are coarsely ground and no large pieces remain (in a food processor, that is about 12 pulses0.Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking apart the meat, until it is lightly browned and no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes.Scatter the broken lasagna noodles over the meat and then pour in the ground tomatoes and tomato sauce over the pasta. Stir in the basil and oregano. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.Off the heat, stir in half the mozzarella and half of the parmesan. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover and let stand off the heat until the cheese melts, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve.

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Adapted from Annie's Eats

1 12-oz. package jumbo pasta shells

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped

1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 15-oz. container ricotta cheese (Iused cottage cheese)

6-7 oz. fresh spinach, chopped OR 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 28-oz. can chopped tomatoes with herbs, including the liquid (I used a canned spaghetti sauce I had)

Directions:Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. Cook until the sausage is completely cooked through and no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, basil, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Stir together to combine. Add the cooked sausage mixture to the bowl and stir until evenly mixed.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread a thin layer of the chopped tomatoes in the baking dishes (either three 8×8″ pans, or one 9×13″ and one 8×8″). Stuff each shell with some of the sausage and cheese mixture, and arrange in the baking dishes, open side up. Spread the remaining tomatoes over the top of the pasta shells.Cover the pans with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 more minutes.

Cafe Rio Pork

Night before:
3 ½-4 lb. pork roast
2Tbs brown sugar
1 to 1 ½ tsp. red pepper (cayenne pepper)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
Mix together and rob on to pork roast. Put in crock-pot on low overnight.

Next morning:
Add to crock-pot
1 can coke
1 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion. Chopped


About 1 hour before you serve: (I ususally cook until about 4 p.m.)
Shred roast and add 1 cup brown sugar, put back in crock-pot.

Slow Cooked Pork Roast with Vegetables

21/2 to 3 lbs boneless pork loin roast (other cuts will work as well- you can also do this with a beef roast)
2 tsp minced garlic
5-6 potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
1 large onion, sliced
5-6 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can cream of mushroom1-2 T soy sauce
1 T Worsteshire sauce
Sprinkle of garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, salt, and pepper

Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper and lay on the bottom of crockpot. Top with veggies. In a bowl, stir together remaining ingredients, and pour over the top. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. (Low makes the meat nice and tender.)