Crock Pot Pulled Pork for Sandwiches

I liked the flavor of the crock pot ribs so much I adapted the recipe for pulled pork.  This is an easy dish for a pot luck or a weekday meal.  If you need a side I recommend the Vinegar Based Coleslaw. 

Ingredients
2 tbs smoked paprika
2 tbs dark brown sugar
1 tbs kosher salt
1 tbs ground black pepper
1 tbs cayenne pepper (optional)
5 lbs pork tenderloin
1 16 oz bottle of Barbecue sauce


Mix dried ingredients and rub all over tenderloin and let sit overnight in the fridge.

The next day place tenderloin  into the crock pot and pour barbecue sauce over tenderloin.

Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.

Take 2 forks and shred pork in crock pot and let absorb sauce for about 10 to 20 minutes. 

Serve on favorite bun or hoagie roll. 

Balsamic Chicken with Swiss chard

I know the weather is getting better, but here is another Crock Pot recipe, with a little bit of skillet prep.  I like the fact that I can put everything into the pot, set it on low, go to work and come home to a nice meal.  I also like the fact that it doesn't heat up the entire house, or I am not standing over a hot grill in the even hotter sun.


Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion minced
2 anchovies fillets minced.
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Merlot (or another red wine)
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
Salt and pepper
6 skinless, bone in chicken thighs
2 cup Swiss chard, stemmed and leaves roughly chopped.


In a large skillet heat oil, add minced onion and when they begin to lightly brown, add garlic, dry thyme, tomato paste, minced anchovy.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Stir in flour 1 tablespoon at a time.  Once combined, whisk in balsamic vinegar.  Cook until balsamic vinegar is slightly reduced.  Transfer contents to slow cooker.  Add Diced tomatoes, chicken broth, red wine, bay leaves and red pepper flakes to slow cooker.  Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken and add to slow cooker.  Make sure the Chicken is covered with some of the sauce.  Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

30 minutes before serving add Swiss chard and cook until Swiss chard is tender.  Serve with your choice of polenta, mashed potatoes or rice.

Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry/Orange sauce

This is another good fall/early spring main dish.  Tim said the house smelled like Thanksgiving when he came home.

1 pork tenderloin (about 5 lbs) 

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup orange juice

The zest of one medium orange and the juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon olive oil 

salt and pepper

Dry pork with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Brown pork well on all sides.  

In large crock pot, stir in cranberry sauce, orange juice, zest and cinnamon.  Set pork in slow cooker, and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low or until pork reaches 140 to 145 degrees.  

Once the pork is done, place on cutting board and tent.  Transfer liquid to a saucepan and reduce to about 2 cups.  If necessary, season with additional salt and pepper. 

Kale and Butternut Squash Chowder

Tim and I visited a spice shop a few weeks ago and he wanted to buy whole nutmeg and a micro plane.    I have never used either, but now that I have I am sold on both.  The fresh ground nutmeg gives this chowder a nice depth of flavor.

Next time I think we are going to try sausage instead of bacon.  

Ingredients

at least 4 oz of bacon

1 onion finally chopped

1 tablespoon garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 ground nutmeg

1/3 cup all purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups vegetable broth 

3 pounds butternut squash peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1/2 inch pieces) 

2 bay leaves 

1 tsp olive oil

6 oz of kale 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1/2 teaspoon dried sage 

1 teaspoon brown sugar

In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan and let drain on paper towels.  In the same skillet stir in onion, garlic, thyme and nutmeg.  Cook until onions begin to soften and begin to turn lightly brown.  Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute.  Whisk in 2 cups chicken broth.  Chop up bacon and stir into mixture.  Note:  I did this step the night before I was making the soup and refrigerated it.  

Add above mixture into slow cooker.  Stir in an additional 2 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth and half of the the butternut squash, and the bay leaves.  Place the remaining squash in a foil packet and season with oil, and salt and pepper.  Place the Foil packet on top of the soup.  Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low.  

Remove foil packet and stir in Kale, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.  Add Squash from foil packet back to the slow cooker and stir in cream, sage, and sugar.  Taste, add additional salt, pepper, nutmeg as needed.  

I served with garlic cheese croutons, or Texas Parmesan toast.  Tim added Parmesan cheese on his.