Amazing Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Link HERE From 100 Days of Real Food

Ingredients:

3 Tbs paprika

1 Tbs kosher salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 c honey

1/4 c red wine vinegar

3 Tbs olive oil

1 onion cut in fourths or sixths

3-4 lbs pork shoulder, cut in half

In a small mixing bowl mix together the spices.  Then add the honey, vinegar, and oil.  Stir.

Place the onion pieces on the bottom of the slow cooker.  Top it with the 2 pieces of pork and pour the honey paste over all sides of the pork pieces.  Lift to let a little get under.

Turn the slow cooker to low and cook for 7-8 hours or until the meat is tender enough to be easily shredded with a fork.

Serve on hamburger buns with Mama's Coleslaw!  DELICIOUS!

Coleslaw:

Half Recipe:  (Full recipe HERE)
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c mayo
1/4 c milk (can use half buttermilk- or use a little lemon juice at bottom of milk measurement)
1 1/4 Tbs lemon juice (so 1 Tbs plus a little less than a tsp)
3/4 Tbs cider vinegar (so 2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 tsp salt
sprinkle of pepper
10-14 oz bagged coleslaw mix

Whisk the sugar, mayo, milk, lemon, vinegar, salt, and pepper in medium bowl.  Add coleslaw mix and stir til combined.

Hard Boiled Eggs

In the instant pot place however many eggs you want on the trivet. 
Add 1 c water.
Close lid and keep vent sealed.
Set for 6 min.
Naturally release pressure 6 min. (or 8...)
Place in cold, icy water.
Shells will come off beautifully!

Cob Salad

Lettuce
Tomatoes
Green onions, or purple
Peas (if frozen, just put on and they will thaw)
Grilled chicken (I cooked my chicken in the fry pan with some chicken season Grill mates)
Hard boiled egg
Avacado
bacon, opt
Feta cheese (or bleu)
Croutons

Dressing: (From Cara)
1 c mayo                                         
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c crumbled feta or bleu cheese
2 Tbs or more milk or buttermilk to thin

Jasta: Italian Pasta Salad

        JANE'S FAVORITE PASTA

• (1) 16 ounce package of rotini pasta (multi-colored)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 cucumber, cut and quartered
• 4 oz mozzarella cheese cubed
• 3 oz sliced pepperoni cut in fourths 
• 1 large green bell pepper diced
• (?)(Red onion, chopped fine
• 1 can of black olives 10 oz, drained
• 8 oz Italian dressing
• 6 oz shredded Parmesan cheese (opt)

1. Bring a large of of water to a boil.
2. Add pasta and cook until al dente. You want your pasta firm.
3. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the pasta with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, green pepper, and black olives.
5. Pour the Italian dressing over the top. Add in the Parmesan cheese and stir to coat.
6. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour for the flavors to come together.

Serves 12

If Putting together the night before, just add a little dressing to the noodles and veggies.  Add the cheese and rest of the dressing right before serving.

*Can instead of using pepperoni do more veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, etc

Lemon Shrimp

Heat fry pan to medium. (Cook 1 bunch asparagus in a little oil for 4-6 min until crisp-tender, then remove and keep warm)

Add:
1 Tbs olive oil
About 24 shrimp, peeled and deveined.
salt and pepper

Cook a couple minutes on first side, flip, then add:
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp basil
1 Tbs lemon
1/2 tsp onion powder

Add 1/4 c chicken broth and heat another minutes until liquid evaporates a little.  (Add asparagus)

Taco Seasoning

For 1 lb beef or turkey:

Mix in a small bowl

• 1 tablespoon chili powder (less to be less spicy??)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Add 1/2 c water to cooked meat with the seasonings. 

Tex-Mex Enchiladas

YIELD: 6-8 SERVINGS

TEX-MEX ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

PREP TIME 25 MINUTES

COOK TIME 55 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

•  14 corn tortillas cut into fourths
•  1/2-1 pound ground beef or lean ground turkey (or *1 c shredded chicken)
•  1 tablespoon butter
•  1 tablespoon olive oil
•  1 medium onion, diced
•  1 medium red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
•  1 large poblano chile, diced (pasilla is what I found)
•  1 cup frozen corn kernels
•  2 cloves garlic, finely minced
•  1/4 cup all-purpose flour
•  2 tablespoons chili powder
•  2 teaspoons ground cumin
•  1 teaspoon ground coriander
•  2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
•  1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
•  1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
•  Salt and black pepper to taste
•  8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
•  8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded (**or mozzarella.  For each layer I did about half cup cheddar and half cup moz.  On the top and bottom layer I added some cotija cheese)
•  Chopped cilantro for garnish, sour cream salsa, guac

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Arrange the cut tortillas in a single layer on two large, rimmed baking sheets. Bake the tortillas until slightly crisp, about 15 minutes.
3. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef or turkey with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper breaking the meat up into bite-sized pieces. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Scrape the meat onto a plate and wipe the skillet clean (you may need to drain off excess grease from the meat depending on the fat content).
4. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil and stir in the onion, bell pepper, poblano, corn and garlic. Cook until the veggies are softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir the flour, chile powder, cumin and coriander into the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the beans, lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
5. Line the bottom of the greased baking pan with 1/3 of the baked tortillas. Layer with 1/3 of the meat (can just combine the meat and sauce **I also added cilantro to the sauce**) and then 1/3 of the veggie/sauce mixture and then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat that process again twice more ending with the cheeses.
6. Bake the casserole until hot and bubbly, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes or so before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

LINK to Mel's

Frosting/Fruit Dip

8 oz cool whip
8-12 oz yogurt (strawberry)
small box instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding mix

For frosting use large cool whip

*When I made this for the Greer's baby blessing party I did something like this:

• 8 oz cool whip
• 8-12 oz strawberry yogurt (I only used 5 oz mixed berry)
• 1 3.5 oz box vanilla pudding powder
• 3.5 oz marshmallow creme
• 3 oz cream cheese

Zucchini Bread

YIELD: ONE LOAF

THE BEST ZUCCHINI BREAD

PREP TIME 15 MINUTES

COOK TIME 55 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

•  1 lb zucchini- About 1 1/2 cups of zucchini after shredding and wringing dry 
•  2 cups flour (either white wheat or half all-purpose, half wheat)
•  1 teaspoon baking powder
•  1 teaspoon baking soda
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  1 teaspoon allspice
•  1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (could just do 1 c, especially if using vanilla yogurt)
•  2 large eggs
•  1/4 cup plain yogurt
•  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or more plain yogurt
•  6 tablespoons butter, melted (do half oil)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees  Generously coat a 9X5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and put a little wax paper on bottom of pan.
2.  Shred the zucchini. Place in a clean kitchen towel, wrap the towel, and wring the ends (like a an old-fashioned candy wrapper) to squeeze out some of the excess water. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of  zucchini. Set it aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk the sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and butter until combined.
4. Gently fold the yogurt mixture and zucchini into the dry ingredients, using a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together until just combined - don't overmix! Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
5. Bake until golden brown and a thin knife or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, 45-60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then turn out into wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour. Store well-covered for up to three days.

**I normally double this and bake into 3 loaves.  Bake about 40 min.

From Mel's

Chicken and Rice Soup

8 c chicken broth
2 c cooked chicken
8 sliced carrots
6 sliced celery
1 onion
3 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
3c cooked rice (white, brown, or wild would probably be really good)

Place all but rice in slow cooker on low 4 hours until vegetables are all cooked (Maybe on high?).  Add the cooked rice and cook 5-10 min until heated through.

**The original recipe says you can use 1 c parboiled rice and don't cook.  Just add with all the other ingredients.

HERE is the original recipe I adapted this from.  It calls for thyme.  I used basil instead.

Super Tasty-Good Granola

Super Tasty-Good Granola (Southern Living)

Combine in large bowl:

2 c uncooked regular oats

3/4 c. uncooked hot oat bran cereal (I use wheat bran)

1/2 c. sliced almonds

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Combine in small bowl:

1/2 c. honey

2 Tbs oil

1 Tbs water

1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir honey mixture into oat mixture.

Spread onto a 15" x 10" jellyroll pan.

Bake at 350, stirring often (about every five minutes) for 20 min (I do 18min) or until dark brown. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Combine and stir into above, cooked mixture:

3/4 c raisons

1/2 c dates, chopped

1/3 c craisons

1/4 c sunflower seeds

*I haven't ever used dates. I add about 1/2 c. raisons and 1/2 c craisons with the sunflower seeds.

Store in airtight container

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

ROASTED MAPLE-GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN

PREP TIME 15 MINUTES

COOK TIME 30 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME 45 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

•  1/2 cup  maple syrup divided (meaning you'll use half at first and save half for later in the recipe)
•  1/4 cup molasses
•  1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
•  1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
•  1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
•  1/4 cup cornstarch
•  2 tablespoons sugar
•  1 tablespoon table salt
•  2 teaspoons ground black pepper
•  2 pork tenderloins (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each)
•  2 tablespoons vegetable, canola or coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Stir 1/4 cup maple syrup, molasses, vinegar, paprika and ginger together in a liquid measuring cup or bowl; set aside.
2. Whisk cornstarch, sugar, salt, and black pepper in small bowl until combined. Transfer the cornstarch mixture to a rimmed baking sheet. Pat the pork tenderloins dry with paper towels, then roll in cornstarch mixture until evenly coated on all sides. Pat or shake off the excess cornstarch (really important or the excess coating can get gummy).
3. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat shimmering and hot. Place both tenderloins in the skillet, leaving at least 1 inch in between and cook until well browned on all sides, 5-6 minutes total.
4. Transfer the tenderloins to a lightly greased oven-proof wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. If you don't have a rack that size, the tenderloins can be placed on a lightly greased baking sheet - the coating on the undersides of the pork may be a bit soft after baking but it will still work fine.
5. Pour off any excess grease/fat from the skillet and return it to medium heat. Add the syrup mixture to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, and simmer the mixture until it is reduced slightly, 1-2 minutes.
6. Transfer 1 1/2 tablespoons of the hot glaze to a small bowl and set aside. Using the remaining glaze, brush each tenderloin with approximately 1 tablespoon glaze. Roast the pork for about 15-20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of tenderloins registers 130 degrees. Brush each tenderloin with another tablespoon glaze and continue to roast another 4-6 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of tenderloins registers 135 to 140 degrees. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and brush the pork with the remaining glaze. (It took closer to 45 min. to cook and the tenderloin was split in half!) Let the pork rest for 10 minutes.
7. While the tenderloins rest, stir the remaining 1/4 cup maple syrup into the reserved 1 1/2 tablespoons glaze (you may need to warm the reserved glaze slightly if it has thickened). Brush each tenderloin with the glaze (it's ok if there is some remaining; read on). Slice the pork into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices and serve with the remaining glaze.

HTTPS://WWW.MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM/ROASTED-MAPLE-GLAZED-PORK-TENDERLOIN/

Rolo Pretzels

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Place small flat or regular pretzels on parchment paper.
Top with rolos or peppermint kisses.
Melt in 250 oven for 3-5 min.
Pull on and top with M&M, nut, etc.
Cool.