Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

All this time off at Christmas really makes me long for summer vacation when I can actually enjoy cooking and blogging, but since it's basketball season and the school year, that gets shoved to the back burner. I'm lucky if I even read a book once a month. Let's just say that this week was much-needed. Another recipe I've been meaning to try is this pulled pork from November's Food Network magaine. I'm not usually a huge pork fan, but after this dinner tonight, I longed for more and more and more.

So here it goes:

3 T. light brown sugar
2 t. hot paprika (I used cayenne)
1 t. mustard powder
1/2 t. ground cumin
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 3-4 lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat (I left it on for flavor)
2 t. vegetable oil (I used olive)
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar (I used 1/4 c. apple cider, 1/8 red wine, 1/8 white because I ran out :) )
3 T. tomato paste*
6 potato buns
Barbecue sauce and prepared cole slaw, for serving (I didn't have the coleslaw)

1. Combine 1 T. brown sugar, the paprika, mustard powder, cumin, 2 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture on the pork.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the pork and cook, turning until browned on all sides-- 5 min total.
3. Remove pork, set on a plate, add 1/4 c. water into the drippings and whisk.
4. Transfer liquid to a 5 - 6 qt. slow cooker.
5. Add the vinegar, tomato paste, the remaining 2 T brown sugar, and 2 c. water to the slow cooker. Whisk to combine, add the pork, cover, and cook for 8 hours.
6. Remove the pork and set on a cutting board.
7. Pour slow cooker liquid into a pot and bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, until reduced by half. Season with salt, if desired. (I didn't).
8. Scoop one cup of cooking liquid and the pork back into slow cooker and serve.

Calories: 508 cal; 20 fat; 152 cholesterol; 1270 sodium; 31 carbohydrate; 3 figer; 49 protein**
* If you ever need 1-2 T of tomato paste (very rarely do we use a whole can), take the excess, measure out tablespoons and place in a plastic bag and freeze for future use--viola.
** This is including the coleslaw, which I didn't use and it depends on what you choose for buns.

I used spicy Sweet Baby Rays. Also, served with broccoli in a beer cheese sauce from FN (it was not very good and not worth posting the recipe)

Poooork!

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

Since it is Christmas break, I finally have some time to make some of the recipes that I've stored away and this one has finally, after a year, made its way into the kitchen. A coworker of mine always has the most delicious breads and she baked me a loaf last year for Xmas and gave me the recipe. This is fresh out of the oven so the lovely, nutty flavor is lingering in my mouth as I write this. If you are going to make this, please note that the starter dough has to ferment for at least 12 hours and dough has to then be mixed, and rise for another 2.5 hours at least and then bake for 45. So, this will take some time to mix.

My advice is to mix the dough at night, leave it on the counter to ferment, and then spend a Saturday kneading, and letting the dough rise. This bread is delicious, and there's something special about making your own bread without the use of a machine.

Starter dough
2 c. cooked oatmeal, let cool until about room temp.
2 c. room temp water
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 T. salt
1 T. dry yeast
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. flax seeds ( I used ground)
1/3 c. sunflower seeds

1. Mix water and oats
2. Mix oil, salt, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, and yeast.
3. Add flour, even more if you need. It should look like thick-coated cereal.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and leave 12-24 hours at room temperature. Once fermented, it can be refrigerated for up to a week before making the bread.

To make the bread:
1/4 c. sweetener (barley malt or maple syrup)
2 c. whole wheat flour
3-4 c. whole wheat or I unbleached white flour (I used white because I ran out of ww flour)

After the 12-24 hour of fermentation, add sweetener to the starter dough and stir. Add whole wheat flour. As you add the white, the mixture will become difficult to stir. Knead it by hand in the bowl and continue to add white flour. When dough is less sticky, transfer it to a floured surface and knead 10 minutes until dough is soft and springy but not too sticky. ( I had to continuously add small amounts of white flour to keep the dough from sticking to my hands. Place dough back in a bowl and let it rise in a warm place for 1.5 - 2 hours.

Baking the bread:
Form 2 loaves 2 lbs. each (I just divided it in 2). Let it rise, again, for another 45-60 minutes until they have doubled in size. Test for readiness by pressing the dough and if it stays in, and has a little spring, it's ready to bake. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray bread pan with olive oil and dust with flour to prevent sticking. Bake for 45 minutes and let cool.


Voila! You've just made your own bread!

'Tis the Season, I Guess.

If you know me well enough, you know that I absolutely hate Christmas and pretty much everything along with it. However, Mr. X had a hankering for something sweet so we decided to put our bah humbug attitudes aside and make some Christmas cookies. This recipe is from my friend's mom, Ann Marie, the sweetest women on the planet. I've done the research, it's true.

Colors of the rainbow

Recipe:
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt


1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Cream the butter and sugar
3. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla
4. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt
5. Add wet ingredients to dry.
6. Dust the counter top with flour and roll out the dough.
7. Cut out cookies and place on an un-greased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 5-7 minutes. For our oven and thickness of cookie, it took 7.

Icing:
about 1 c. powdered sugar and 1 T. milk-- add more or less to desired consistency and 2 drops of color

My icing skills are surely lacking :) Happy Holidays!
I didn't do the calorie count; I'm just telling myself that they're calorie free.