30-minute spicy pork and garbanzo bean stew

 

I am SO happy to have found this recipe.  It was VERY delicious!

The original recipe called for sweet potatoes but I swapped them out for garbanzo beans.

30-minute spicy pork and garbanzo bean stew (food network)

1 cup canned unsalted diced tomatoes (I used the whole 15 ounce can)

1 medium white onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic

1/2 chipotle in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1.5 pounds)

kosher salt and freshy ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans

2 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon pickled jalapenos

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 medium head red cabbage

1 medium Hass avocado

1 lime

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

Puree the tomatoes, onions, garlic, chipotle and adobo sauce in a food processor until completely smooth.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium--high heat until hot.  Add the pork in a single layer, season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, undisturbed, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.  Turn the pieces and cook until brown, about 1 minute more.  Dust the meat with the chili powder, and add the tomato puree, beans, broth, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and gently simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the toppings: chop the jalapenos, and whisk together with the yogurt in a small bowl.  Shred the cabbage, cut the avocado into chunks and cut the lime into wedges.

Ladle the stew into large, deep bowls.  Top with the yogurt mixture, garnish with the cabbage, avocado, lime and cilantro and serve with the tortillas.

quick and easy pork tacos

 

I wish I'd found this recipe sooner.  This pork turns out so flavorful and tender!  Delicious!

All I did was top my taco with my daughter's fresh tomatillo salsa to give both new recipes a try.  

quick and easy pork tacos (slenderkitchen)

1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into small pieces 

4 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

oil for the pan

corn tortillas

toppings: cilantro, tomatillo salsa, diced onions etc. 

Add the pork to a bowl with the lime juice, honey and taco seasoning.  Let marinate 15-30 minutes.   Do not marinate longer or the pork will break down in the lime juice.

Remove the pork from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels.  This will help get it crispy.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-heat.  Add a drizzle of olive oil.  Add the pork in a single layer and let it sear and brown for 2-3 minutes.  Stir and repeat until the pork is cooked through, about 5-8 minutes total.  Pork tenderloin cooks really quickly and gets dry if cooked too long.

Assemble the tacos with warmed corn tortillas, cilantro and your favorite toppings.

roasted pork tenderloin with oven roasted veggies

I anticipated a good meal but it was soooooo good!  The roasted veggies were caramelized and the rub on the pork was super flavorful.  My husband said this meal was better than meals at his favorite restaurant downtown!!

roasted pork tenderloin with oven roasted veggies (slightly adapted from theblackpeppercorn.com)
1 pork tenderloin
1 red onion, chopped
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Spread vegetables evenly across the bottom of the pan.  Drizzle with oil. Roast vegetables for 30-35 minutes.  
Trim the pork tenderloin of excess fat.
Make the seasoning rub by mixing together the garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano and paprika.  Rub all over the pork tenderloin.
Remove the vegetables from the oven. Move the vegetables in the middle of the pan to make room for the pork tenderloin.  Place the pork in the center.
Place back into the oven and roast until the pork is cooked and reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees, about 25 minutes.

haitian pork

From the Caribbean (which I really think is heaven on earth), comes this super delicious dish.  My family loved it.  It's worth the extra time and effort.

Note: When I taught my little cooking camp this summer I told the kids to always read through a recipe before you make it.  I should have listened to that wise advice before I thought I could make this and serve it up for dinner the same day.  It requires marinating 12-24 hours!  So keep that in mind before you decide to have this for dinner...tonight! :)

haitian pork (Cooking Light's Global Kitchen Cookbook, which is an excellent cookbook!!!)
1 habanero pepper
3/4 cup fresh orange juice (about 3 large oranges)
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
3 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons salt
4 fresh thyme sprigs
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (for less fat I used pork sirloin roasts)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (I used green onion)
1 teaspoon cider vinegar (oops I think I used a tablespoon)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil

Cut habanero pepper in half.  Seed one half of pepper, and leave seeds in the other half.  Mince both pepper halves.  Combine minced habanero, orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, minced shallots, and next 5 ingredients (through thyme) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.  Add pork; toss to coat.  Cover and marinate in refrigerator 12 to 24 hours.
Place pork and marinade in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add broth; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.  Remove pork from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving cooking liquid.  Strain cooking liquid through a sieve into a saucepan.  Set 1/2 cup cooking liquid aside.
Place saucepan with cooking liquid over medium-high heat; bring to a boil.  Cook 20 minutes or until reduced to about 1 cup.  Add sliced shallots, vinegar, black pepper and 1 tablespoon lime juice.  Cover and keep warm.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add pork; cook 10 minutes, turning to brown well on all sides.  Add reserved 1/2 cup cooking liquid and remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice.  Increase heat to medium-high; cook 4 minutes or until liquid nearly evaporates, stirring occasionally.  Place pork in a bowl; pour sauce over pork.  Serves 10.

jamaican jerk pork tenderloin

This was sooo good and very different from what I expected.  My family visited Jamaica last spring.  Jamaica is gorgeous and the people were wonderful.  However, I have never been much of a fan of jerk chicken.  Something about the sweetness of the cinnamon with the chicken?  I'm not sure.  This sauce was different and I really, really enjoyed it.

Note:  I grilled the tenderloin as the recipe called for but the center wasn't cooking properly so I sliced the tenderloin and put it back on the grill.  Next time I'll slice the tenderloin and marinade it sliced.  I enjoyed the marinade/sauce so much that this will allow me to taste more of it.

jamaican jerk pork tenderloin (Cooking Light's Global Cookbook)
2 cups coarsely chopped green onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice (I didn't have any!)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 4 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, seeded and chopped (I used Jalapeno)
2 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
cooking spray

Place first 15 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.
Combine pork and green onion mixure in a dish or large zip-top plastic bag.  Cover or seal; marinate in refrigerator 3 to 24 hours.  Remove pork from dish or bag; discard remaining marinade.
Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer registers 160 degrees (slightly pink).  Serves 6

lamb pitas with yogurt sauce

I enjoyed my pita meat on the side but the rest of the family actually wrapped the "lamb" in pitas.  I couldn't find lamb because I didn't look very hard and wanted to use pork anyways.  This was a delicious dish and I particularly enjoyed the tomato base which was different than what I've had before.  The meat was tender and delicious and I was more than completely satisfied with our meal.  The whole family enjoyed it.

lamb pitas with yogurt sauce (taste of home)
2 tablespoons oil
2 pounds lamb stew meat
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup broth
1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 medium cucumber
1 cup plain yogurt
pita pocket halves
4 plum tomatoes, sliced

In a large skillet, heat oil.  Brown lamb in batches.  Transfer to slow cooker.  In drippings, saute onion 4-6 minutes.  Add garlic and tomato paste.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Stir in broth, 1 teaspoon salt, basil.  Add to lamb.  Cook on LOW 6-8 hours.

vietnamese pork soup

Great, simple soup.  I loved how tender the pork was and added some garlic chili sauce to add a kick.

vietnamese pork and noodle soup (Food & Wine)
1/4 pound linguine (I used whole wheat noodles)
1 pork tenderoin, cut into 1 1/2 by 1/2 by 1/2 inch strips (easier said than done)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (I omitted)
2 cups water
1/4 pound bean sprouts
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into thin slices
1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
6 scallions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 quart chicken broth
2 tablespoons lime juice plus lime wedges for serving
1 cup lightly packed basil or cilantro leaves

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles until just done. Drain the pasta.  Rinse with cold water and drain.
Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the oil over moderate heat.  Add the pork, scallions, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, fish sauce, water and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the pork is done, about 10 minutes. Stir the cooked linguine, bean sprouts and lime juice into the soup.  Ladle into bowls, top each serving with some of the cucumber and herbs and serve with the lime wedges.

slow cooker chili lime pork roast

We enjoyed this chili lime pork roast in street tacos and it was awesome!  Super flavorful.

slow cooker chili lime pork roast (slow cooker gourmet)

3 pounds sirloin pork roast
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup chicken broth

Mix together seasonings and rub on all sides of pork loin.
Heat oil in skillet and brown pork on each side for 3-4 minutes.
Transfer to a slow cooker and add lime juice and chicken broth.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Slice or pull apart with forks to serve.

pork chop soup

Always trust the reviews.  This soup was super flavorful and the pork was so tender and delicious.  Two of my kids thought the soup was spicy; I think it was the pepper so just cut that in half if you think you'll need to.  I love spicy so I thought it was great as is.
Note:  I doubled the recipe that is below and I was grateful I did!

pork chop soup in the slow cooker (adapted from allrecipes.com)
2 boneless pork chops (I used pork sirloin chops)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 bay leaf
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
handful of green beans, cut

Place pork chops, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, bay leaf, chicken broth, water and soy sauce in a slow cooker and turn to HIGH.  Add the carrots, onion and celery.  Let cook for several hours.  Take out 5 cups of the soup broth and put into a saucepan.  Heat to boiling.  
Combine the flour with about 1/2 cup of cooled soup broth and whisk into the boiling soup broth that is in the saucepan.  When it is nice and thick add to the slow cooker and stir to combine.  Add the broccoli and green beans and allow to cook for another 20 minutes or so until they are cooked through.  Remove the bay leaf.
Serve with crusty bread.

slow cooker tender greek pork

I LOVE this recipe.  The pork turned out so flavorful and delicious.  My favorite toppings only made it that much more fresh, flavorful and delicious.  HUGE hit with my entire family.  I even added a little hummus to my sandwich.
Note to self:  I thought the pitas were too fluffy.  That may sound strange but it's true.

slow cooker tender greek pork (Mel's Kitchen Cafe)
3-4 pounds pork roast, cut into 2-3" chunks
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Put pork in slow cooker.  Whisk together the other ingredients and pour over the top.  Cook on low 8-9 hours or on high 4-5 hours.  
Serve with pitas and all the toppings.

stuffed pork chops with butternut squash and figs

Hall of Fame.  Seriously!  It's been killing me that it's taken so long for me to post this after making it and enjoying it so much.  Posting delicious dishes sort of seals the deal for me; makes it official.  Will life slow down?  No.  It just speeds up and gets more complicated.  That's okay if you can slow down long enough to enjoy a dish like this.  Thanks, Erin, for the great recipe!

stuffed pork chops with butternut squash and figs (my friend Erin K found it at skinnytaste, slightly adapted)
3 thick boneless pork chops
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups diced butternut squash, 1/2-inch diced (I used 1/2 package from Trader Joe's)
5 black mission figs, chopped (I picked out 5 from bulk foods section)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup baby spinach
3 fresh sage leaves, chopped (next time I'll add a few more)
1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper
cooking twine
cooking spray

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil.  Add onions and saute for 2 minutes.  Add squash and 2 tablespoons water and cover; cook on low for 10 minutes.  Remove lid and add figs, garlic, spinach, salt, sage and pepper and cook for another 3-4 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
Cut a pocket into the sides of the pork chops, careful not to cut all the way through at the ends.  Season the inside and outside of the pork with salt.
Stuff each with about 3/4 cup of squash mixture. Cut cooking twine long enough to tie each with twine.  Cut off extra twine.
Preheat oven to 375.  In the skillet over medium-high heat, carefully sear each pork chop on each side- 3 sides.  If your skillet is oven-safe, cover with foil and place in the center of the oven.  If not then transfer to baking dish and cover with foil.  Place skillet or baking dish directly into the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes.  Allow to sit 5 minutes before cutting off twine.  Enjoy!

sesame dan dan noodle bowl

This soup was just what I was looking for to satisfy my hankering for Asian food- I blame it on the delicious food we had at Kimhoa last weekend.  I saw this recipe in a magazine and snapped a picture. I didn't catch the name of the magazine but that's okay because I adapted the recipe anyway.  Pretty sure it was a Better Homes and Garden for May or June.
I served it with some cantaloupe bread and fresh strawberries.  If you haven't tried cantaloupe bread- it's here.

sesame dan dan noodle bowl
6 ounces Udon noodles, cooked according to package directions
1 pound thinly sliced pork loin, diced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup tahini sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup finely chopped pickles
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, sliced
bunch of cilantro
extra chili garlic sauce

In a saucepan, whisk soy sauce, tahini, vinegar, sesaem oil, garlic and garlic chili sauce.  Stir in broth.  Heat until nice and hot.
In a wok, heat the canola oil and fry the pork until it is nice and brown.  Drain if needed (I didn't need to because I cooked it so well the liquid evaporated).  Add pickles and garlic.  Cook 2 minutes.
Divide noodles into bowls.  Spoon broth over the top.  Top with pork, onions and cilantro.  Definitely top with more chili garlic sauce.  It will pack a punch!
Yum!
  

braised pork, carrots and fennel stew

No joke- this is one of my most favorite meals.  The ingredients are so fresh and so simple but the flavor is just soooo good.  It reminds me what the family in Pride & Prejudice eats as the family sits around the dining room table.  I made this recipe back in 2013 when it came out in Real Simple magazine and loved it then but lost track of the recipe.  I am so glad I re-discovered it.  I had always made it with sweet potatoes but decided to try carrots this time and loved it.  If you've never tried fennel- try it!  Fennel is a hit at my home because of great recipes like this.

braised pork, carrots and fennel stew (Real Simple magazine, December 2013)
 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed (I omitted)
kosher salt and black pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
6 fresh thyme sprigs, plus leaves for serving
2 sweet potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces (I used a can of sliced carrots; wish I'd used 2 because they were so good!)
2 fennel bulbs, quartered, plus 2 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds, for serving
crusty bread for serving

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Season the pork with the fennel seeds and 1 1/2 teaspoons each salt and pepper.  Cook, turning occasionally until golden grown on all sides.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Add the broth and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until the pork can be pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.
Add the sweet potatoes and fennel bulbs.  Cook, covered, until the pork is tender and the vegetables are soft, 15 to 20 minutes more.  Remove the thyme sprigs.
Serve the stew sprinkled with the thyme leaves and fennel fronds and with the bread on the side.

cuban pork tacos

Hall of Fame.  These are outstanding- the flavors really stand out!  I'll have to remember to make these the next time we have dinner guests.  My oldest had three of them in about 3 minutes flat.  I love it when dinner is this good.  I'm going back for another; this post is making me hungry all over again.

cuban pork tacos (Mel's Kitchen Cafe) 
4-pound boneless pork top loin roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 medium orange, halved and juiced
tortillas, small red onion thinly sliced, cilantro, salsa, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese

Rub the pork all over with salt.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot.  Add the pork and sear each piece on all sides, working in batches.  Once browned, remove the pork to the slow cooker.  In the same pot used to sear the pork, pour in the water and broth, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula to get up all the brown bits from the bottom.  Add pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, garlic, jalapenos, onion, lime juice and orange juice and bring to a simmer.  Pour the mixture over the pork in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the pork is very tender.
Remove the bay leaves and onion and discard.  Remove the pork and place in a bowl and set aside.  Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a pot on the stove and over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil.  Let the mixture boil until it reduced to about 1 cup and is thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes.  Shred the pork and pour the sauce over the pork.
Serve in tortillas garnished with all the most glorious toppings you can think of!

slow cooker pork roast with gravy

Dinner doesn't get any easier than this or more comforting.  Throw 4 ingredients into a slow cooker and force yourself to buy a container of already-mashed mashed potatoes.  Grab a fruit tray and dinner is served!

slow cooker pork roast with gravy (adapted from dinners, dishes & desserts) 
3-4 pound pork loin roast
1 packet onion soup mix (I bought mine at Trader Joe's- no MSG and fewer ingredients)
2 cups chicken broth
1 packet pork gravy mix 

Place pork loin, onion soup mix and chicken stock into a slow cooker.  Cook on high for 8-10 hours.   Shred pork.  Serve over mashed potatoes.

pork and rice meatball soup

I say Hall of Fame, my husband said almost Hall of Fame.  It's so good all four kids ate it and enjoyed it.  Make it- you'll be glad you did.

pork and rice meatball soup (Real Simple Magazine, January 2015)
1/2 cup cooked white rice (I used brown jasmine rice)
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 scallions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1 bunch spinach, about 4 cups
fresh cilantro, grated Cheddar and sour cream for serving

Combine the rice, eggs, oregano, a third each of the scallions and garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a bowl.  Add the pork and gently mix with your hands until just combined.  Form the mixture into meatballs (I formed about 24).  Broil on the prepared baking sheet, until cooked through.  Recipe called for 8-10 minutes but to get them nice and brown on top I cooked mine much longer.
Heat broiler.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the remaining scallions, garlic, and cumin and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the scallions are tender, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to thicken, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add the broth and bring to a boil.  Stir in the spinach and meatballs.
Serve topped with the cilantro, Cheddar, and a dollop of sour cream.

chipotle pork with tomato onion relish

This dish was outstanding!  The flavors were "just right" and there certainly wasn't a lack of flavor- it was bursting!  We'll enjoy this dish again for sure. 
Note:  This dish is a good one to serve company.

chipotle pork with tomato onion relish (adapted from Your Home Based Mom) 
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce plus 1 tablespoon sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup olive oil (I omitted to make it healthier.  Next time I might use 2 tablespoons.)
4 bone-in pork loin center cut pork chops (I used boneless and suggest it!)

Combine chiles, sauce, garlic, cumin, thyme, cinnamon and 4 teaspoons salt in a food processor and pulse to make a paste.  Place mixture in a bowl and add onions, tomatoes, cilantro and 1/3 cup olive oil.  Add pork chops and marinade into a zippered plastic bag and let refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  When ready to cook, remove pork chops and put the "relish" into a saucepan with 1/4 cup water.  Cook over medium high heat until onions are soft, about 10 minutes or so.  Grill pork chops about 8-10 minutes per side.  Top with tomato onion relish and serve.

mandy's smoked pork (but in a slow cooker)

My friend Mandy makes the best smoked pork.  As you can see here I posted her recipe a while back.  Today I went ahead and made it via slow cooker.  It worked great and it's just as fabulous (with less clean up).  So...the next time you're at Costco, pick up a nice 8 to 9 pound pork loin and go for it.  It will fill up your slow cooker and you'll have plenty for dinner.  Then I do what Mandy taught me to do and I fill up zip-lock bags and freeze it.  I pull it out as needed and add barbecue sauce for pulled pork or use it to make green enchiladas- my personal favorite.

mandy's smoked pork slow cooker style (my friend mandy, aka Gourmet Mom on the Go)
8 to 9 pound pork loin
sea salt
liquid smoke

All you do is unwrap the pork loin.  Cut it in half cross-wise so both pieces will fit into your slow cooker.  Sprinkle sea salt and both sides of the pork loin.  Pour liquid smoke all over the pork loin.  Place in slow cooker on high.  Today I cooked mine for 9 hours and it was PERFECT!

baked egg rolls

I feel like I am on a roll with finding great recipes for this week!  These egg rolls are outstanding.  My kids have been eating the kind you buy at Costco and bake in the oven.  They are pretty artificial tasting and I don't like biting into an eggroll and feeling like grease is dripping from my lips.  These are FRESH and delicious.  This is a Martha Stewart recipe and she got the proportions just right.  We'll be making these again and again.  Hooray for delicious egg rolls!  The filling is delicious over basmati rice too...in fact I prefer to eat the filling that way.

baked egg rolls (Amy's Cooking Adventures) 
1/4 cup soy suace
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar (original recipe called for 1 tablespoon but I thought 1/2 was perfect)
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 nappa cabbage shredded, about 4 cups shredded (I used prepackaged angel hair cabbage)
2 medium carrots, grated (I used prepackaged grated carrots to save time)
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and pepper
1 pound ground pork
5-6 green onions, thinly sliced
egg roll wrappers, about 21
1 large egg, beaten 

In  small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and ground ginger.  Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the cabbage and carrots.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes or until slightly tender.
Add the garlic, ground pork and soy sauce mixture.  Cook until the pork is cooked through and the liquid has cooked down.  (I drained my mixture).
Stir in the green onions and move the mixture to a baking sheet to cool for about 15 minutes.  Once cool, press the mixture with paper towels to sop up any excess moisture.
Place 2-3 tablespoons of filling mixture slightly off center in the eggroll wrapper.  Tuck the nearest corner around the filling.  then bring the two short corners in toward the center.
Brush the remaining corner with the beaten egg.  Then roll the egg roll tightly, sealing the wrapper with the egg washed corner.  Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 15 minutes.  Serve with sweet and sour sauce or hot mustard.

What I have to say- my kids apparently aren't as enthusiastic about "healthier" food as I am.  As I took a bit of an egg roll they said, "Be sure to chew it well mom.  It's pokey."  While they would prefer them fried, I still prefer them baked.

pork sirloin roast with spicy peanut sauce

This pork recipe was one of the best I've had in a long time.  The pork was amazingly tender and I loved the sauce.  My husband said "this is a good recipe" (and he is not a fan of pork in general) and my oldest got seconds before she ate anything else on her plate.  To tell you the truth, I hadn't expected her to like it at all.  So there you have it- what do I know?  I'll be making this again!

pork sirloin roast with spicy peanut sauce (adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen) 
2-3 pound pork sirloin roast, fat trimmed
1-2 teaspoons Pappy's garlic and herb seasoning
2 teaspoons olive oil

sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup tomato sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar (I used 2 Splenda packets)
1 teaspoon chile garlic sauce
3 tablespoons chicken stock


In a bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, peanut butter and tomato sauce and stir until well combined.  Add the soy sauce, sweetener, chile garlic sauce and chicken stock.  Stir until mixed.
Trim any visible fat from the pork sirloin roast then rub the roast on all sides with Pappy's garlic and herb seasoning (or you can use salt, garlic powder and pepper).  Heat the oil in a heavy pan over high heat and brown the roast well on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
Put the pork roast into a slow cooker then pour the sauce over the top.  Cook on low for 2-3 hours (I cooked mine for more like 6 hours) or until the roast is tender and reaches at least 145F.
Remove the meat from the slow cooker and let it rest for a few minutes.  If the sauce looks separated, whisk it for a minute to combine.  Slice meat into slices about 1/2-inch thick serve with the sauce drizzled over the top.

What I have to say- if kids weren't involved, I'd definitely double the chile garlic sauce.  The spicier the better!