Pulled Pork Wrap or Taco

Typically served in a bun, I thought I'd give this pulled pork a light makeover using flour tortillas and taco shells. You could even go lettuce-only Asian style.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, sliced

2 1/2 lb pork shoulder

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup ketchup

1 cup salsa

3/4 cup cola

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cumin

3 tsps minced garlic

1 tsp red pepper flakes

flour tortillas, taco shells, and/or lettuce leaves to wrap

rice (optional)

Start with putting the sliced onion on the bottom of the crockpot and sit the pork on top. Then mix the rest of the ingredients together for the sauce and pour it over the meat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Easy peasy right?!

If you want to use a conventional oven use a casserole deep enough so the sauce keeps the meat covered. Then cover and slow cook in a 300°F oven for 3 1/2 hours.

Once the meat is cooked transfer to a plate and shred with forks, discarding the layer of fat from the shoulder. Return the shredded pork to the sauce and keep warm until ready to serve.

Wrap it up in a tortilla with lettuce and rice or skip the tortilla and go gluten-free with just a large lettuce leaf.

Or tuck some into a taco shell! NomNomNom 😋

This recipe serves 6-8

Rigatoni Chicken Helper

This one pot helper turns a cup of leftover cooked chicken into an awesome pasta plate!

Ingredients:

2 tsps olive oil

1 tsp butter

1 small onion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsps minced garlic

2 tbsps tomato paste

4 cups chicken broth

1 - 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 tsp dry oregano

14 oz (6 cups) rigatoni

1 cup cooked chopped chicken

1 cup shredded cheddar (I used jalapeño cheddar)

Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot. Add the onion and cook until lightly golden, then add the salt, pepper and garlic for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, broth, canned tomatoes and oregano and bring to a boil. Add the rigatoni and make sure it is covered with liquid. Cover the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the pasta is tender.

Remove from heat and add the chicken and cheese. Cover 2 minutes then stir and serve.

Makes 5-6 servings

Golden Pumpkin and Turnip

This fall veggie dish with pumpkin, turnip, red onion and herbs is the perfect side dish to any pork, chicken or turkey meal. Oh wouldn't it be nice with a stuffed turkey breast?

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups peeled and diced pumpkin

2 tsps olive oil

1 1/2 cups peeled and diced turnip

1 small red onion, sliced

2 tbsps olive oil

2 tsps minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

fresh dill and/or parsley

Peeling the mini pumpkin was not an easy task as the skin was quite hard. But once peeled I cut it into small diced pieces so that it would cook relatively fast. Toss the cubes with 2 tsps olive oil and make a foil packet of it. Bake in a 400°F oven for 20-30 minutes or until tender. Cooking time is dependent on the size of the cubes. As the pumpkin is quite a bit harder than the turnip it is best to cook it ahead like this then add it to the rest of the dish later.

In a large skillet heat 2 tbsps olive oil on medium high and add the turnip and red onion. Cook until golden. When you see a few caramelized or charred edges add 2 tsps water to the pan and cover quickly to catch the steam. 

Once the turnip is tender add the pumpkin, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss together for 1 minute then remove from heat. Toss with fresh chopped herbs and serve.

Makes 2-3 servings

No Bake Biscuit Cake

This not-too-sweet chocolate no bake biscuit cake is incredibly delicious, a cinch to make and you may already have all the ingredients  in your pantry!

Ingredients:

325 g or 11 oz (about 2 2/3 sleeves) Maria biscuits or any digestive cookie or graham cracker

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup cold water

1/3 cup butter 

1 tsp vanilla 

Whisk the sugar, cocoa powder, cold water and butter together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat then simmer for 7 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat.

Toast the chopped walnuts in a pan 2-4 minutes then add to the chocolate mixture along with the vanilla.

Break up the cookies into a large bowl. I like the pieces bigger as you can see, but you may break the cookies into small pieces as you prefer. Pour the chocolate mixture in and toss together with two big spoons to completely coat the cookies. It may look dry by that's ok. This bowl pictured wasn't big enough, I had to transfer everything to a larger bowl to have room to mix well.

Line the bottom of you choice of pans with parchment paper. I used 2 - 5" springform pans, but you could use an 8 or 9" pan or even a loaf pan. Spoon the mixture into the pans, pressing into place.

Refrigerate overnight before cutting to serve. That will give the cookies enough time to absorb moisture from the chocolate syrup.

Very good plain, but everything is better with whipped cream!

Store in refrigerator.

Wrapped well this biscuit cake may be frozen then thawed in refrigerator when needed. 

Makes about 10 servings

Citrus Basa with Sweet Potatoes

This sauce gives a burst of tart citrus flavour to an otherwise plain white fish. And the crispy sweet potato rounds are a nice accompaniment.

Ingredients:

3/4 lb basa fillets 

cornstarch for dusting

salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

1 sweet potato, sliced in 1/8" thick rounds

vegetable oil for brushing

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup soya sauce

1/2 small lemon, juiced

1/2 small orange, juiced

1 tsp fish sauce

2 tsps sesame oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp hoisin sauce

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp cornstarch

handful of greens (I used arugula)

sesame seeds and dill to garnish

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Slice the sweet potato in rounds and brush with vegetable oil on both sides. Place on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, then flip and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.

For the sauce, combine the soya sauce, lemon and orange juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, honey, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger and cornstarch in a small saucepan. If you want it less citrusy omit either the lemon or orange juice. Cook until thickened.

In a large non-stick skillet sauté the sliced mushrooms in vegetable oil. Once lightly golden toss in the greens, stir just to wilt and remove from pan. Keep warm.

In the same skillet add more vegetable oil. Dust the fish with cornstarch, salt and pepper and fry the fish on one side, then flip and sprinkle with garlic powder and continue cooking until easily flaked. The time will depend on the thickness of the fillets.

Place the crispy sweet potato rounds on the plate. Nestle the fish alongside and top with mushrooms and greens. You can add your favourite rice or not. Then drizzle the sauce over the fish and add sesame seeds and dill to garnish.

Serves 2-3

Korean Style Beef Lettuce Wraps

Sweet and subtly spiced, these Korean style beef lettuce wraps can be served as a wrap or as a simple rice and ground beef plate.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked white long grain rice or sticky rice

1/4 cup low sodium soya sauce

2-3 tbsps honey

1/2 - 1 tsp sriracha

1 tbsp minced ginger (about 1" piece of ginger)

2 tbsps toasted sesame seeds (divided)

2 tsps sesame oil

1 1/2 lbs beef (or trio - beef, pork, veal)

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 medium sized red pepper, diced

1/2 cup shredded carrot

3 tsps minced garlic

black pepper to taste

Red leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce leaves

Chopped parsley and peanuts

Cook rice as per package directions. If you want to wrap these up to eat then sticky rice is the way to go. We used long grain white here and ate them open faced with a knife and fork. Toast the sesame seeds in a frying pan until lightly golden.

Whisk the soya sauce, honey, sriracha, ginger and 1 tbsp sesame seeds. Set aside.

Heat the sesame oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add the beef and onions, black pepper and red pepper. Cook until no pink remains in the meat then add the garlic and carrot and cook 1 minute longer. Pour the sauce into the skillet, stir together and cook 1-2 minutes.

To serve scoop rice into a lettuce leaf along with a serving of beef. Place less in each lettuce leaf than shown here for easier wrapping. Garnish with the remaining toasted sesame seeds, chopped parsley and peanuts.

Serves 4

Super Moist Pumpkin Muffins

STOP! Don't throw yesterday's Jack-O-Lantern away! 

Cook and purée that pumpkin. You can use it now or freeze packets of pumpkin purée for use later in the winter. Or in this fall spiced muffin recipe today 🎃

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup pumpkin purée

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsps cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ginger

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 tsps lemon juice

Topping:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp flour

1 tbsp butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsps cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

First you need to cook and purée "Jack". If you want to know how to do this just click the link I've included at the end of this post. I also left a Pumpkin Carrot Soup recipe link down there as well.

Once you've got the purée made it's time to start these muffins!

Whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda together and set aside. Mix the milk and lemon juice together and set aside. Then mix all the dry topping ingredients together, cut in the butter then add the seeds and, you guessed it, set aside!

In a saucepan and on medium heat, mix the pumpkin, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger together and cook just until heated through. Remove from heat and add the vanilla, then add in the cream cheese and stir until smooth. Now add both sugars and the olive oil.

Whisk the eggs into the milk/lemon juice and add to the pumpkin mixture. Finally add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined. Ladle into a lined muffin tin and sprinkle about a tablespoon of topping on each muffin. You might want to give each top a little tap to secure the seeds.

Then bake at 350°F for 23-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool on rack then enjoy!

Makes 12 medium sized muffins

Pumpkin Purée

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2016/10/pumpkin-puree.html

Pumpkin Carrot Soup

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2017/10/pumpkin-carrot-soup.html

Muffin recipe adapted from: chewoutloud.com