Slow Cooker Greek Stuffed Pork Roast

I LOVE the little Pork Sirloin Tip Roasts I get at Costco and I am always trying to find something new to do with them. I love Feta cheese so I wanted something with a Mediterranean flair today.
Here is what I came up with!





Ingredients:
1 2ish lb pork roast
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped purple onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 oz fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped(I prefer the pouch, not the oil packed)
1 TB fresh parsley, chopped(or 1 tsp dried)
1 TB fresh oregano, chopped(or 1tsp dried)
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 fresh lemon
salt and pepper to taste


Place your sun dried toms in a bit of warm water to soften
heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat, saute onion and garlic until tender.

Add fresh spinach and allow to wilt down, tossing gently

When the spinach is fully wilted drain the tomatoes and add to the skillet along with the oregano and parsley

Remove from heat, and add in Feta, tossing until just combined. Allow to cool slightly

While the stuffing mix is cooling slice the roast lengthwise ALMOST all the way through in 3-4 spots and splay it open.

Place the roast in your slow cooker crock pot.

Stuff the cooled stuffing mixture evenly into the slices, dont be afraid to press it in!

Squeeze your 1/2 lemon directly over the top of the roast.

Cook on low 6-8 until internal temp reaches 160

Carefully remove from cooker and allow to rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and ENJOY!!!

Breakfast Hot Pockets

Found this recipe at Tasteofhome.com I tweaked it a bit to suit my needs!

Totally amazing recipe, can be tweaked to YOUR tastes, bell peppers, bacon instead of sausage, no meat, or I think I am going to try Morning Star Farms Sausage Crumbles !!

Ingredients

• 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
• 3/4 cup warm evaporated milk (110° to 115°)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 2-2.5 cups white flour

• 
  FILLING:
• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 3 medium russet potatoes
  
• 7 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  
• 2 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• Peel and wash potatoes, place them in a pan of cold water and heat to boiling, boil 10 -15 minutes until fork tender, you want them cooked slightly but NOT mushy.. drain and let cool.
• In a bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add evaporated milk, oil, sugar, egg, salt and whole wheat flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (do not knead). Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Take Cooled potatoes and grate into hash brown style
• Beat eggs with milk and seasonings
  

• In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink; drain and rinse gently. Add hash browns and eggs. Cook and stir until the eggs are completely set. Sprinkle with cheese; keep warm.
• Punch dough down; divide into 16 pieces. On a floured surface, roll out dough into 7-in. circles. Top each with about 1/4 cup filling; fold dough over filling and pinch the edges to seal.
  
• 
  

Place on greased baking sheets.

• 

Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

• 

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Mushroom Sauce over Green Pasta

Chicken:
Heat Skillet over Med heat with 2 TB oil
6 boneless chicken breast halves
6 slices ham
6 slices swiss cheese
Pound breasts to about 1/2 inch place 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese on each breast and roll up securing with butchers string or tooth picks. Heat skillet to medium high. Season breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Place seam side down skillet and brown on all sides. Cover pan and reduce heat to medium, cook thoroughly turning GENTLY to cover all sides.

While the chicken is cooking make sauce.
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (or this recipe, for more homemade)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
whisk all together and simmer over medium low heat. stir often to prevent scorching

1 Batch Green Pasta, boiled and drained

Top noodles with chicken and put on a scoop of the mushroom sauce and DONE!

Strawberry Ice Cream!!(Ben and Jerry's Copycat)

Logan wanted homemade Strawberry Ice Cream for his b day. I found this recipe and it is DELICIOUS!!!!
LINK to original...

Ingredients

1 pint strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar , divided
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar in a mixing bowl, cover and set in fridge overnight(or at LEAST two hours).
2. In large mixing bowl beat eggs until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Gradually add 3/4 cups sugar, mixing well. Stir in milk and mix well.
4. Pour milk mixture into a pot and heat over medium heat stirring constantly until temperature reaches 160, this will destroy any bacteria that could be harmful in the raw eggs.
5. Place in a covered bowl and refrigerate overnight(or until cold)

Next Day:

1. Place milk mix back into mixing bowl and mix until fluffy(about a minute)
2. Add in Vanilla
   
3. Add strawberries with juice and mix well.
4. Gently stir in whipping cream just until combined.
5. Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.

I use a Rival Soft Serve machine. So After the process is complete I took it all and scooped it into a freezer container and placed in my freezer to harden up. During the freezing process I made sure to stir it by hand every 30-45 mins!

Copycat Applebee's Chicken Quesadillas

I love Applebee's Quesadillas but wanted a version I could have a bit of control over....so here it is!

Tortillas:(original link)
I sometimes make them 1/2 white flour and 1/2 wheat flour because sometimes WHOLE wheat is a little too much)

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup warm tap water

I do mine in my kitchenaid but here are the by hand instructions...

Combine flour, Baking powder and salt. Add olive oil and stir until well combined. Put in warm tap water 1 T at a time until dough can be gathered into a ball. Add more water if needed 1 T at a time. Knead on floured surface 15-20 times. Let dough rest for 15 minutes. Divide dough into 10-12 equal portions and shape into balls. On floured surface roll out ball from center into a circle. Cook on ungreased skillet over medium-high heat on each side about 30 seconds or until puffy. . Wrap them in a towel to stay warm.

Quesadillas...

Spray a heated(medium)skillet with butter flavor cooking spray*. Place one tortilla in the skillet.

Top with 1/4 cup colby jack cheese, 2 oz shredded chicken**(or however much you want) a sprinkle of REAL bacon bits and some pico de gallo. Add a sprinkle if ground chipotle powder, however much suits you, I like A LOT!!

Top with second tortilla and spray it with butter cooking spray. Cover pan and let the stuff melt for about 60 seconds.... Remove cover and GENTLY flip. Replace cover and melt a little more(30-60 seconds)

Place on a plate and cut as desired! Top with sour cream(darigold mexican style is the BEST) , guacamole and more pico de gallo/

*You can use real butter , spread lightly on the tortilla, if you are not counting calories/fat!

**For the shredded chicken I like to boil a few chicken breasts with a few cubes of chipotle bullion...

Chipotle Chicken Enchirritos

I wanted to make something Mexican for Cinco De Mayo but couldnt come up with something JUST right....so I made my own cross of Chicken and Rice Burritos and Chipotle Enchiladas....Pair with a Side Salad with a light cumin spiced vinaigrette(not pictured).
They were GREAT!!!! And Not-Fried, Fried Ice Cream with Blueberry sauce for dessert!


Chipotle Chicken Enchirritos....

Filling:
1TB olive oil
1/2 c chopped green onions
1 clove minced garlic
3 chicken breasts, boiled in water seasoned with 2 tsp chipotle powder(or 2 chipotle bullion cubes if you have it!) and 1/2 tsp garlic, cooled and shredded.
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
2 tsp chili powder(or more to taste)
1/2 c picante sauce
1/4 c chicken broth
1 tsp garlic salt
1 c COOKED rice (preferably in chicken broth)


Heat oil in large pan over medium heat, saute onions and garlic until tender,add in chicken, beans,picante sauce, chili powder, garlic salt and broth, cook until heated, add in cooked rice.

Sauce:
1 TB Olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can green chilies
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1-2 TB chipotle powder(depending on how spicy!)
1/4 c chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime (about 2 TB)

Heat olive oil over medium heat, sautee onions until translucent, add in garlic and saute a few moments more. Stir in toms, chilies, and spices. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro and lime juice,
I run my immersion blender through it to break up chunks, we like a SMOOTH sauce.


8- 8 inch flour Tortillas (HOMEMADE IS GREAT!!!link to a great tortilla recipe )


Assembly:
Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray
Place about 1/2 cup chicken mixture on each tortilla, top with a little (or alot!) of shredded colby jack cheese
Roll tortillas, place seam side down in prepared pan.
Cover in foil and bake until heated through...
Top with Sauce and a sprinkle of cheese and ENJOY!!

Alternately you COULD put about 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of the pan, put the burritos on top, top with the sauce and some cheese and bake it from there.... I am not 100% sure if the flour tortillas would get soggy though and my kids dont like too much spice/sauce so I did it separately for this first go round




Not-Fried, Fried Ice Cream.....SO easy!!! LINK to original..

• 1/2 quart vanilla ice cream
• 2 1/2 cups corn flakes cereal, crushed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Make 8 vanilla ice cream balls and freeze on wax-lined cookie sheet for about an hour.
2. Mix remaining ingredients and spread on a cookie sheet to bake at 350°F until crisp and golden.
3. (Cooking times will vary according to taste and oven temps.) Let cool.
4. Roll ice cream balls in the cooled mixture and refreeze for 2 hours more.

i made blueberry sauce to go over it!
1 cup frozen blueberries
3 TB white sugar
1 TB lemon juice
2 TB water
Boil over medium heat until the berries are soft
dissolve 1 TB flour in 3 TB cold water and quickly whisk mixture into blueberries allow to thicken.
Pour a spoonful of hot sauce over the frozen ice cream balls.
YUM!!