Bourbon Molasses Pulled Pork Sliders

I found a delicious recipe for pork chops on Real Food by Dad so I thought I would modify it into a pulled pork slider recipe!













1-2 lb pork roast
salt and pepper
2 TB canola oil

Sauce:
Juice and Zest from 1 good sized orange
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup bourbon whiskey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 TB smoked paprika

Sliders:
1 recipe or package pull apart dinner rolls
Shredded or Thin slices of cheese of your choice
3 TB butter
1 TB minced garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt


Heat oil in a deep wide pan on medium high heat. Rub roast with salt and pepper.












Brown roast on all sides and place in a slow cooker. (optional: deglaze your pan with a shot more bourbon and pour that in the with roast too)











Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a pan and heat to a boil. Reduce temp and simmer until it has thickened slightly.









Pour sauce over pork roast and cook on low for 8-12 hours until it is nearing 200 degrees via meat thermometer










Remove pork and allow to cool slightly.












Shred the pork up and return it to the slow cooker.












Allow to cook on low 1 hour more.












For the Sliders:

Without separating the rolls place them on a flat surface









 Slice them down the middle. Place the bottom half in a 9 x 13 pan.












Top with meat and the cheese,












 Then place the top half of the rolls back on.

Mix melted butter, salt and garlic, then brush the mixture over the top of the rolls.









Bake 15-20 minutes in 350 until golden brown and heated through

Slice and enjoy! (I stuck some jalapenos in mine, you can add extra toppings if desired!!

Kielbasa and Beef Chili

I did this recipe in late August, got it all set to put on here and then totally forgot about it!! I was going through my pictures and I found them so I thought I would get it on now.


I had some chipotles in adobo that needed to be used and I got some yummy Open Nature Turkey Kielbasa and my oldest son has been BEGGING for chili lately (It has been too warm for it in my opinion, but he never tires of it!) I decided since the weather is supposed to be changing that I would appease his appetite.




1 TB olive oil
1 lb tenderized stew meat*
12 oz Kielbasa(beef, pork, turkey, chicken.....whatever kind you like)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2  bell peppers, I used green and yellow, you can use any color or combo you like
5 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups prepared black beans, (approx 15 oz can, drained and rinsed)
2 cups prepared kidney beans, (approx 15 oz can, drained and rinsed)
1/4/-1/2 cup chipotle in adobo( chop the peppers small, use to your heat preference)
4 cups beef broth
3/4 cup tomato paste (6 oz can)
2 cups diced tomatoes(approx 14.5 oz can)
2 TB -1/4 cup chili powder (to taste)
1 TB dried oregano
1/2 TB cumin
salt and pepper to taste

*While you can get it in store to skip a step, you don't have to buy this "pre-made", just get a good sized steak, beat the crud out of it with a tenderizer mallet and slice into bite sized pieces



In a large deep pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the stew meat and sear well on all sides.











Add in the kielbasa, onion, peppers and garlic. Cook just until the veggies are tender crisp.











Transfer into a slow cooker and add remaining ingredients. Stir well

Cover and cook 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

Creamy Swiss and Cauliflower Soup

I was planning to make some kind of potato chowder with leftover mashed potatoes but when I went
to retrieve them, I discovered my husband packed them in his lunch.....so after digging through the fridge and some pondering, I started throwing things in the slow cooker. What came out was DELICIOUS!!! My kids even powered through 3 bowls each! No process photos as it was not a planned blogging recipe.






1 large head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 stalks celery, (hearts with leaves if possible), chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1/2 large red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
6 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour (or 1/4 cup potato starch for gluten free)
2 cups milk
8 oz swiss cheese, shredded


2 cups diced chicken
6 slices thick cut bacon, cooked crisp and diced
salt and pepper to taste


In a 6 qt slow cooker place cauliflower, bell pepper, celery, carrots, onion, garlic and chicken broth.

Set to low for 4-6 hours until the veggies are very tender.
Transfer to blender(or use a handheld if you have it!) and process until all the veggies are pureed and pour back into slow cooker.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter, add flour and whisk until smooth (if using potato starch, whisk it into cold milk)

Whisk in milk, stirring and heating until thickened.

Add Swiss cheese and stir to melt completely.

Fold cheese sauce into the pureed veggie mixture and stir well.

Add chicken and bacon, season to taste.

Allow to simmer on low for 30-60 minutes more.

Top with croutons(I put some dried pepper blend on mine too,for some extra kick) and serve with crusty garlic bread , enjoy!

Orange Beef Stew with Black Pepper & Orange Dumplings

I actually made this last week but forgot to hit the publish button! It was a very tasty stew. Even better the next day(all stews are in my opinion!)

2lbs beef, cubed
1/2 cup corn or potato starch(flour is ok too)
salt and pepper to taste

2 TB butter
2 TB olive oil

Juice of 2 large oranges(about 1 cup)

1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 red pepper, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
1 cup fresh green beans, cut(frozen are fine, no canned though)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TB orange zest
1 bay leaf
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cloves
salt and pepper to taste

In a bag or large lidded bowl combine cubed beef , starch and salt/pepper. Shake well to coat evenly.










Over medium high heat butter and olive oil in a large deep skillet. Add meat and sear evenly on all sides(you may need to to this in batches depending on your skillet size.)

Remove meat and place in slow cooker
To the pan add the orange juice to deglaze the pan, heat and stir/scrape until all the chunks are up off the pan.








Add orange juice and all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, add just enough water so that all the ingredients are submerged. Cook on low 6-8 hours, high 4-6


About 45 minutes before you want to serve, do the dumplings

Dumplings:
1/2 cup sorghum flour*
1/2 cup potato starch*
1/2 tsp xanthan gum*
1 TB sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 TB butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 TB orange zest
1 TB coarse ground black pepper(start with 1/2 or less if you only have fine ground)


* replace these with 1 cup all purpose flour if you dont want GF

Combine the dry ingredients and mix well, cut in butter until it resembles pea gravel,










add milk, egg, zest and pepper and mix well.

Drop healthy spoonfuls of dumpling batter directly on to the hot liquid.










Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook 10 minutes more. Scoop and serve!

Hawaiian Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

I different twist on plain old Ham and Scalloped Potatoes.










20 oz crushed pineapple, drained well(2 cups fresh would be better, I couldnt find a decent one)
1 cup diced ham
4-6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
4-6 potatoes,sliced thin(I leave the skin, you can peel if you like)
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped fine
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped

3 TB butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour OR 2 TB Potato Starch
2 cups milk
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
2 TB fresh chives, chopped
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
salt and pepper to taste

In a slow cooker layer potatoes, onion, green pepper, bacon, ham and drained pineapple. Toss gently.








Melt butter in a sauce pan, add garlic and cook until tender and fragrant.

If using flour add it straight to the butter mixture and stir until smooth, then add milk
If using potato starch first whisk it into the cold milk, then add to the garlic mixture
(Corn Starch is an ok substitute for potato starch but it doesnt hold up the thickness quite as well with the lengthy slow cooker cook time)

Cook over medium heat until thickened

Add cheeses and cook , stirring well until they are fully melted. Add Chives, liquid smoke, salt and pepper. Mix well








Pour Cheese mixture over the potato mixture. DO NOT STIR.

Cook on low 6-8 hours, high 4-6 until the potatoes are tender. Stir gently.







Scoop into a dish and top with a few fresh chives.

Faux Pho Tacos

I wanted to do tacos but with a not so typical flair. For some reason Vietnamese Pho jumped into my head. I figured I could slow cook the beef with the Pho-type seasonings and shred it up and make Pho Tacos!


1lb beef roast(cut of your choice)
1 cup beef broth(if you can get/make oxtail broth that is a GREAT way to make it even more Pho Authentic)
1 onion, peeled and chopped roughly
2 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled
1 TB coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1-3 inch stick cinnamon( or 1/2 tsp ground)
5 whole cloves(or 1/2 tsp ground)
3 star anise (1 tsp ground)
2 TB fish sauce*
* soy sauce is an acceptable substitute, but fish sauce if you have it!

Heat broiler to high and on a small sheet char your ginger and onion. It should be nicely toasted.

Combine all the above ingredients in a slow cooker , cook on low 6-8 or high 4-6 until the meat is a minimum of 165.









Remove meat from cooker









Shred well when cool enough to handle.











Strain out the solids from the liquid in the slow cooker....









return shredded meat to the liquid and simmer 30 minutes more.











Scoop meat into taco shells(store bought, or homemade) as desired and top with preferred toppings:

Bean Sprouts
Onion
Chile Peppers of choice(thai, jalapenos, serranos....etc)
Sriracha Sauce
Cilantro
Hosin Sauce
Fresh Lime
Green Onions

Apple Ale Pork Stew

Thunder and Lightening and rain pouring down. Sounds like a good night for stew!







2lbs boneless pork, sliced into bite sized chunks
2 TB olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 large onion
3-4 good sized carrots, diced
2 medium apples,seeded and diced(peeled if you like)
3 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
2 cups green beans
1 cup corn
2 cloves garlic, minced
24oz  Redd's or Angry Orchard Apple Ale*
2 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 TB brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
* you can sub apple juice if you like


red pepper flakes to taste


In a large deep pan heat olive oil, add pork slices and salt and pepper








 cook until the outsides are all white.










In the slow cooker add the cooked meat and remaining ingredients,











Cook set to low for 6-8 hours, high for 4-6.


Serve with red peppers flakes to taste.

24 hour Mock Apple Butter (Zucchini-Butter!)

Yep Yep, more zucchini, today its Zucchini Butter!!!
So yummy on a peanut butter sandwich, with cream cheese on a bagel, an ice cream topping or alone on some toast!











5 lbs zucchini, peeled , seeds removed and chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
2/3 cup cane sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
generous pinch of nutmeg



Place a liner in a slow cooker (liner isnt necessary but it makes for MUCH easier clean up)

Combine zucchini, vinegar and lemon juice and toss well.
Turn on to high and cook for 8 hours.








After 8 hours, add remaining ingredients and toss well.
Reduce temp to low and cook another 10 hours








Stir and mash all ingredients into a puree(leave chunks as desired) adjust sugars and seasonings as desired and cook on high another 6 hours









This made me 4  jars. I stick them in the freezer but you can process them  any way you prefer














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