Root Beer Pulled Pork

 Pulled pork is one of my favorite meals that I can make one day and make it into something else the next.  I cook the pork in the slow cooker, shred it, then split it up into freezer bags in dinner serving sizes. Another thing I like about this is, out of a 2.5 lb pork tenderloin I get 3 dinners out of it. Plus if I can keep an eye out for when it goes on sale, it makes for a super cheap dinner.

Here is the recipe:
Root Beer Pulled Pork sandwiches 
from The girl who ate everything

1 (2lb) Pork Tenderloin
1- 12 oz can Root Beer
1 bottle BBQ Sauce

Directions:
1) Put pork tenderloin in slow cooker.
2) Pour root beer all over and cover with a lid. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.
3) Once cooked, drain and remove root beer from slow cooker. Shred pork and separate into meal size portions (2/3). Place 1/3 back into slow cooker on warm and pour in bbq sauce. Heat for 20-30 min.

* Ideas on how to use pulled pork:
   fajitas
   pot pie
   nachos
   cuban sandwich
   chili

Meat Pies

The meat mixture in these pies have endless possibilities. The seasoning is just WOW.SO.GOOD.

Adapted Natchitoches meat pies- From Our Best Bites.

Meat Pies
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
5 mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2+ tsp. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
Tabasco sauce to taste
2 cans beef broth
Puff Pastry, Thawed or pie crust dough
Egg wash- 1 egg and 1/4 cup water whisked 




Directions:
1) In a large skillet, brown ground beef and ground pork, breaking the meat into small pieces. When it’s about halfway cooked, drain excess fat (if necessary) and then add green and red peppers, mushrooms, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent. 
2) Add 2 tsp. Tony’s and 1/4 tsp. Tabasco. 
3) Add beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cook for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with additional Tony’s and Tabasco if necessary, keeping in mind that the seasonings will mellow in the pie. 
*You can refrigerate this mixture for 3-4 days before baking the pies.
4) Take puff pastry and lay out on a lightly floured surface. You can make these into any size you want. I made One BIG one for two of us to share and a few smaller ones. Place meat mixture into middle of puff pastry, leaving a 1/2inch border. Fold over puff pastry and crimp edges with fork or twist edges shut. Brush with an egg wash.
5) Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min or until golden on top.

Nick's Grilled Chicken

It is summer time! I love grilling for many reasons:

• If you do it right, very few dishes to clean.
• Doesn't heat up the house.
• Isn't a heavy meal so it is nice and lite.
• Brings happy memories of summer time fun and relaxing.

Nick's Grilled Chicken

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Newman's Own Family Recipe Italian (Paul Newman's)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Onion powder

1) Pound chicken breast to be 1/4 in thick.
2) Combine all the ingredients into quart size zip-block bag.
3) Marinate 1hr or more.
4) Turn grill onto high heat and spray grates with olive oil.
5) Once the grill is at 400 degrees put chicken on and turn down heat to medium high.
6) After 5 min flip chicken. Cook until internal temp is 165-180 degrees.

Apple Upside Down Biscuits

Do I need to say more?
We LOVE Ree Drummond-The Pioneer Woman, and thanks to Bry for introducing me to this new recipe!

You most certainly can make this with pineapple and it is most delicious! I made this one with apples but you could make it with blueberries, peaches, raspberries, mmmmm the possibilities!

Apple upside down biscuts

Apple Upside Down Biscuits
¾ cups Packed Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1-½ cup Chopped Fresh Pineapple (I Used Chopped Peeled Green Apples)
Biscuits
2 cups All-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Sugar
¾ teaspoons Salt
¾ sticks (6 Tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, Frozen
1 cup Buttermilk, Plus Extra If Necessary

Directions:

*From “Perfect One Dish Dinners” by Pam Anderson.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

Pineapple: Heat brown sugar and 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat to a spreadable consistency. Pour into a 9-inch round cake pan, tilting to coat pan bottom; top with pineapple.

Biscuits: Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt with a fork in a medium bowl. Using a box grater, coarsely grate frozen butter into dry ingredients, mixing quickly with fingertips to evenly blend. Stir in buttermilk with a fork, adding extra droplets of buttermilk over any dry patches, if necessary and mix until dough just comes together.

Turn dough onto a floured surface. With your fingers, pinch dough into 10 rough rounds and arrange over pineapple. Bake until biscuits are golden brown and pineapple topping is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and serve immediately with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

Menu 6/6/11

This week I am using up what I have leftover in the freezer. Also replenishing it.
More on these recipes during the week with pictures.


Monday: Root beer pulled pork sandwiches and baked potatoes.
Tuesday: Nick's special grilled chicken, fresh green beans, and watermelon.
Wednesday: Beef burritos and mexican rice.
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Riverbank Zoo
Sunday: Grilled flank steak with tomatoes, green beans, and rolls.

Almond Boneless Chicken

Want Chinese? Don't want to go out? Here is your answer. Almond boneless chicken. This is Nick's favorite and the only chinese dish he will eat. And guess what else? You can only get it in Michigan. Go figure!

Almond Boneless Chicken

4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces or whole breasts

Batter

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 egg white

Sauce

4 Tbsp cornstarch

4 Tbsp water

3 cups chicken broth (low sodium)

1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms (optional)

3 Tbsp butter

2 tsp soy sauce

3 Tbsp chicken bouillon granules

Sliced Almonds (optional-but this is called ALMOND after all)

Sliced green onion

To make batter:

In a medium bowl mix all batter ingredients together until smooth. Cover and let sit 30min. Add chicken either cut up or whole, toss to coat.

Heat oil in medium/large pan to 350 degrees. Add chicken and fry for approximately 3 min for bites and 6 min for whole breasts. As always test a piece first to make sure it is cooked to 165 degrees. Batter should be slightly golden.

While frying chicken, make almond sauce. 

To make sauce:

In a small sauce pan, mix cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually add the chicken broth, mushrooms, butter, soy sauce, and bouillon granules. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Let boil 1 min and then keep warm.

Serve over rice and sprinkle almonds and green onions.

Fry some chicken to golden brown.

Make almond sauce.

Add some rice and there you go!

Buttermilk Banana Muffins

I was looking for something other then cereal for breakfast. I am tired of eating cardboard for my *most important meal of the day!* As a Mom, who has time to COOK breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Ummm... not I! Do you know how many dishes that is? I have a hard enough time just doing dinner dishes. Honestly, I need to know the secret to having more than one child. How do you split your time equally? I am hoping this helps a little.

Buttermilk Banana Muffins... or bread or however you like!
Makes 12 muffins or 1- 9x5in loaf

8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup(3 medium)ripe smashed bananas
4 Tbsp buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (or 1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp ground flax seed (optional-high in Omega 3,6,9, Fiber, Lignans)
2 Tbsp wheat germ (optional- high in Vitamin E and folic acid)
1 Tbsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350. Place muffin wrapers in muffin pan. Or grease and flour 9 1/4 x 5 1/4inch loaf pan.
2) In stand mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix well.
3) Add in the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and other optional items. Once combined divide batter into muffins or pour into bread pan.
4) Bake at 350 for 25-30 min for muffins or 50 min for bread. Always insert toothpick 10 min before time is up to make sure you don't over bake. If toothpick comes up clean then they are DONE!
*If making in loaf pan let cool in pan on wire cooking rack for 15 min. Then loosen sides with a knife and carefully remove from pan and let cool on rack. Slice and enjoy!
See below for step-by-step photos!

Smash those BANANAS 

Cream some pure goodness... oh I mean butter and sugar

Then add some eggs, monkey food,
 I mean bananas, buttermilk and  vanilla.

How about some flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder?
AND WHIP IT! WHIP IT REALLL GOOOD!!

shhhhhh... this is where you add the good for you stuff.

Pour into muffins or loaf pan... then bake.

... and then you have some
yummy buttermilk banana muffins