Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pork

Here's a great recipe I recently came across and have made a few times since. Brown up some thick cut pork chops and throw together some ingredients for a teriyaki sauce then off it goes to slow cook the rest of the day. Shred and serve up with your favorite rice and veggie. This is one of the few recipes I like because it doesn't come out dry for me. I've been using my slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours for most things, yours could be different.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pork
adapted from Six Sister's Stuff

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 boneless pork loin thick cut chops (2 1/4 lbs)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup Tamari
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 3 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. Transfer the chops to the slow cooker.
Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and just golden. Stir in the tamari, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remover from heat. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce.
Pour sauce over chops. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours until the meat is tender. Shred chops with forks and serve over rice.

brown them for a nice flavorful, golden sear

cooked, ready to shred

 enjoy,

Veggie & Pear Spring Rolls with a Spicy Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce

Here's a great healthy alternative to a sandwich for lunch, veggie spring rolls! Since you make them at home, you can add whatever kind of veggies, and even meat (shrimp) you like. The amounts needed are to your liking, each roll will use a good pinch of pretty much each ingredient. These were delicious, I loved all the flavors together. I love cilantro and the sweetness of the pears with the saltiness of the peanut butter sauce was great.


Veggie & Pear Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce
from Spoonful of Sugar Free

Rice Paper Spring Roll Wrappers (found in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store, specialty foods stores, or at Asian markets)
Cabbage slaw mix (I used broccoli slaw)
Carrots, grated or peeled into ribbons
Thinly sliced Fruit (such as mango or pear)
Avocado, thinly sliced
Bean Sprouts
Fresh herbs: cilantro, basil, or mint

Prepare your filling ingredients by thinly slicing, or julienning, the vegetables. Pluck the herb’s leaves.
Fill a shallow pie dish with warm water. Take a Rice Paper and dip the entire sheet into the bowl of water and pull out once it softens.
Place your ingredients on the middle of the rice paper sheet. Put a good amount (good pinch) of the filling in, but make sure there are still a couple inches around the edges to roll.
Fold the top part of the Rice Paper sheet over the ingredients.
Fold the sides over the middle.
Tuck in the fillings, and roll the rest tightly.
Seal the rice paper with a dab of water, if needed. Slice in half and enjoy with a little sauce on it.

Spicy Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 TBL water
1 Tablespoon Tamari (or Soy Sauce if not gluten free)
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tsp Sambal Oelek or Sriracha hot chili sauce

Whisk together all ingredients until well-combined and serve as dipping sauce.

lots of assorted veggies with pears {and spicy peanut sauce}

Allow the wrappers to sit in some warm water to soften, just takes a few seconds.

Lay the wrapper on a plate and fill with veggies, then roll up like a burrito/egg roll. I lay mine on plastic wrap so they don't stick to the plate and tear.

enjoy!

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enjoy,

Homemade Ketchup and Rosemary Steak Cut Fries

 I went all out for Father's Day dinner for Mr. I charcoal grilled burgers and shrimp which we had with a homemade cocktail sauce, I also made these steak fries with this ketchup and a garlic aioli. I was most excited for the ketchup, which I had a little of for my fries before they cross contaminated it with their burger buns. =( Luckily it's easy to make, and I'll be making it double to have on hand next time. I really like it, it's not too sweet (I did use less sugar than the original said, because of the honey), it's a little zesty but still mild tasting. I even used some of it in the cocktail sauce recipe.


Homemade Ketchup
slightly adapted from skinnytaste

6 oz can tomato paste
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat; whisk until smooth. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.
Remove from heat and cover until cool. Chill and store refrigerated in a covered container.

ketchup, garlic aioli and cocktail sauce

These fries came out great too, they're pretty much like roasted potatoes. I used the homemade ketchup and the garlic aioli sauce to try with my fries. Both were delish.


Rosemary and Garlic Steak Fries 
adapted from Mogwai Soup
6 medium Russets potatoes cut in wedges
about 3 T olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Rosemary
Garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and leave the baking sheet you will use in the oven.
Put cut potatoes in a bowl and drizzle on the olive oil, make sure they are well coated. Put in salt, pepper and the herbs. Mix well with hands and put on preheated baking sheet making sure they are in a single layer. Bake for around 45 minutes, depending on your oven, until they are golden brown and really crispy. I turned them over about 25 minutes into cooking to crisp the other sides. When done, remove from over and sprinkle garlic powder over them.


Garlic Aioli

3 gloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of light mayonnaise
pinch of salt
freshly ground pepper
little lemon juice
1 t. olive oil

Whisk with all the ingredients in a small bow and then let sit for a few minutes. Refrigerate if not using right away.


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enjoy,

Sesame Chicken II

Silly me, I found and blogged another Sesame Chicken recipe, but I think I like this one better. It's even good cold the next day, ya know like take out is. Different ingredients I guess and of course it's easy and quick to make and oh, the kids loved it and ate it all. I used some Melt buttery spread to sautee the chicken in, but you can use oil.


Sesame Chicken II
slightly adapted from Martha Stewart
3/4 cup rice

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons Tamari sauce (or soy sauce)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch chunks

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons Melt Spread (or oil)

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into large florets

Cook rice according to package instructions (I make mine: 2 cups boiling water, add 1 cup rice, cover, simmer on low for 25 mins, fluff).

Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites and cornstarch. Add chicken; season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon Melt Spread (oil) over medium-high. Add half the chicken; cook, turning occasionally, until golden and opaque throughout, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and chicken. Return all the chicken to skillet; add reserved sauce and scallions, and toss to coat.

Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, and fill with 1 inch water; over high heat; bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve sesame chicken with broccoli and rice.

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enjoy,

Crispy Tofu with Veggies and Noodles in a Sweet and Spicy Soy Sauce

Ok, I am finally going to post this, I have shared about it on Facebook so much lately. It's become one of my favorite lunches (because no one else here would eat it). The recipe is taken from Steamy Kitchen's cookbook (pg. 111) and of course I changed it up a little (making it gluten free now), added some veggies and noodles making a meal of it.

Crispy Tofu with Veggies and Noodles in a Sweet and Spicy Soy Sauce
slightly adapted from Steamy Kitchen

4 TBL low sodium Tamari (gluten free soy sauce)

4 TBL honey
2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sambal oelek
1 TBL crushed garlic
14 oz block firm tofu
Veggies of choice (mushrooms, bean sprouts, bok choy...)
Cooked Asian rice noodles (or soba/ramen if you're not GF)

Combine Tamari, honey, sambal oelek, and garlic. Set aside.
Drain tofu, slice into 8 thin slices, lay on paper towels and press to drain out excess moisture.
In a hot skillet, heat about 1 TBL canola oil. Add tofu slices and let cook for 4 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Set aside on paper towels to drain oil. Cut into bite size pieces.
In the same skillet, heat a little oil and add selected veggies and let cook until softened (can add a tiny bit of water, cover pan w/lid), about 3 minutes.
Using the same hot skillet, add the sauce and let it boil for a few seconds, turn off heat and add tofu and noodles, gently toss to combine.
This will give me 3 lunches worth.

(this is with ramen noodles, bell pepper & green onion curls, not GF)

sautee up veggies

let sauce simmer with tofu, add veggies

ready to add noodles

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enjoy,

Sesame Chicken {Gluten Free}

OK, so, I recently discovered I should be eating Gluten Free (GF) because of Celiac like symptoms I've had the last few years. After having pizza one night I googled why I was so bloated from it. A light went off, and I decided I will not eat gluten anymore. It's been nearly 2 weeks and I have not felt better in ages and all I know is it's working for me. Thank goodness for today's resources there are many recipes and sites for gluten free information (I like celiac.com for info). Wow, having to revamp your eating and recipes is not as easy as you think, cleaning out my pantry was an eye opener to how many things gluten is in. Only I have decided to go GF, so the kids and Mr. are not, but they eat GF dinners I prepare. I guess now they'll know they are. haha. I have tried a few recipes already and plan to blog about them so others can find them and know they are just as good as gluten recipes. One thing I was afraid to give up was Asian cooking, my soy sauce, noodles, etc...but nope! you can safely use GF Tamari sauce, eat rice noodles and even make GF wrappers. This is GF Sesame Chicken over rice. It was delish. If you're not GF, you can surely use regular soy sauce.

Sesame Chicken {Gluten Free}
slightly adapted from Gluten Free Mommy

1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon of San-J’s Wheat-Free Tamari Sauce

2 1/2 Tablespoons of rice vinegar plus 1 teaspoon

1 cup gluten-free chicken broth

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch plus 2 teaspoons
2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon garlic, minced
Red Pepper flakes
3 TBL sesame seeds
4-6 green onions, chopped
4 C cooked jasmine rice

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, 1/4 cup of the tamari sauce, 2 1/2 Tbl vinegar, and chicken broth. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine chicken pieces, remaining 1 Tablespoon of tamari, and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes. Once the chicken has marinated, add egg whites and cornstarch and stir until well-blended.

In your wok (or large skillet), heat oil over med-high heat. Cook chicken (in about 3 batches) until golden on both sides- this will take 3-5 minutes. Remove chicken from wok with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Cover with foil to keep the chicken warm. If you have more than a couple tablespoons of oil left in the wok, discard the remaining oil ( leave just a few tablespoons in the wok).

Reduce the heat to med. Cook the garlic and pepper flakes for about a minute. Then add tamari sauce mixture. Increase heat to med-high and cook sauce for about 15 minutes. Stir remaining two teaspoonfuls of cornstarch into a little water and whisk it into the sauce. Once the sauce is thickened and bubbly, add the chicken and sesame seeds. Top with green onions and serve over jasmine rice.

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enjoy,

Pork Pot Stickers with Dipping Sauces

Here's another great recipe from online friends, Kai and Jaden, as well as the Food Channel. I made Kai's Pork Pot Stickers with Jaden's Chinese Dipping Sauce and Chuck's Spicy Orange Sauce. I also made Jaden's Quick Noodle Stir Fry from her cookbook (another version is on her site).
Whatever you call them, gyōza, Chinese dumplings or pot stickers, they're delish. I prefer mine steamed (see how I did mine below), others may like them pan fried so they turn crunchy on the outside. I can't remember how many pot stickers I made but it used the whole pack of wrappers.

Kai's Pork Pot Stickers
slightly adapted from his YouTube

1 lb ground pork
1 TBL crushed garlic
1 TBL sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 TBL hoisin sauce
1/4 C. chopped bok choy
3 TBL diced green onions
1/4 C. shredded carrots
1 egg

Combine all until mixed well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Dumpling wrappers
1 egg yolk

Add 1 tsp. of pork filling to each dumpling wrapper. Using your finger, add some egg yolk around the edge of the dumpling and fold in half, pleat if you like (Kai shows you how in his video) and seal. I cooked some and froze some for later.

Using a bamboo steamer (wish I had gotten a tiered one), line steamer with liner (see below), place covered steamer over a large stock pot with about 1/2 way full of water, bring to simmer. Add pot stickers in steamer, cover and steam for 10 minutes. Any longer and the pork will over cook. Serve with dipping sauces.

my first time making pot stickers

Spicy Orange Sauce

Chuck's Day Off

1/4 cup mirin

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon chile flakes

1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 2 oranges
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon honey
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch diluted in a little water

In a small saucepan, whisk all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Let simmer until it thickens, about 1 minute. Set aside.


Steamy Kitchen's Chinese Dipping Sauce on page 29, has ingredients of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, chilli garlic sauce and cilantro. I loved it.

I use all my counter space when I'm in the kitchen lol

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enjoy,

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna

Welcome from Pinterest! I've got lots to share with you on my blog.

Oh Pinterest! Thank you for your dinner ideas. This was pretty good, everyone liked it. It's a Cheesy Chicken Lasagna, but really it's Chicken Ranch Lasagna because it's got a ranch sauce in it. Next time I make this I'll used cooked penne pasta (not the full box) and do a casserole with it. I served this with Garlic Knots (Pinterest also, and with those next time I'd use my own roll dough recipe, and for the topping use melted butter, garlic and parsley) and green beans.

*Recipe updated 2/3/12 to include it GF and as a casserole.

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna
Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
1 (1 oz) pkg. Hidden Valley dry Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix (not the dip blend)
3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (16oz) lasagna noodles, cooked (I used 9 noodles)
1 1/2 to 2 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 to 2 C mozzarella cheese, grated

Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing and pepper in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly.  Layer half of lasagna noodles, chicken, sauce, and cheese in well-greased 9×13 pan. Repeat layers again. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

This sauce may curdle on you when heating it, it's OK. Mine did not, because I kept it at a low heat after I let it come to just a boil, and stirred, stirred, stirred. You may not need the full 25 minutes, so when you can tell it's starting to thicken, it's OK to add to the dish. It may curdle after it's baked, but again, it's OK.

 FOR A GLUTEN FREE CASSEROLE STYLE:
(for non GF, use regular pasta)

2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
1 (1 oz) pkg. Any Gluten Free Dry Ranch Salad Dressing (not the dip blend)
3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken (about 2 large chicken breasts)
1/8 tsp pepper
2-3 C. uncooked gluten free penne pasta
1 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 C mozzarella cheese, grated

Spray a 9x13 baking dish. Cook pasta until about 2 minutes under regular cook time (probably about 5-6 minutes). Drain, add to prepared dish.
Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing and pepper in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat just to a boil then lower heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly.
Layer pasta, chicken, sauce, and cheese into dish.  Bake uncovered at 350' for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

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enjoy,

Hoisin Glazed Turkey Meatballs

Once again another Asian style recipe, oh how I love thee. These are for simple flavorful meatballs to serve as is or over rice. I served them with a stir fry veggie mix also. Now these call for ground turkey, I used ground turkey (dark meat) which is a softer texture than the ground turkey breast. Mr. and I both agreed that either ground turkey breast or even ground beef (or chicken) would be better for these as they were really soft. But the flavor of these was really great. I made these up earlier in the morning so the flavors would really come through the turkey.

Hoisin-Glazed Turkey Meatballs
from healthy seasonal recipes

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 scallions, minced plus sliced scallion greens for garnish, divided
1/2 cup finely drained, chopped water chestnuts

1 pound lean ground turkey (you could also use beef)

1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce (below)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
black and/or white sesame seeds, for garnish


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, sambal and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in cornstarch until smooth. Stir in 2 minced scallions and water chestnuts. Stir in turkey until completely combined.

Drop turkey mixture by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet, gently re-shaping into ball shapes if necessary. Lightly coat the balls with cooking spray and transfer to the oven. Bake until the meat is cooked through, 15 to 17 minutes.
Stir Hoisin sauce, cilantro and lime juice in a large bowl. Add the cooked meatballs and gently stir to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining sliced scallions and sesame seeds and serve hot.


Hoisin Sauce
adapted from food.com

4 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon black bean paste
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 tsp Sambal Oelek
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until it emulsifies. Use as directed in recipe.

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Homemade Pizza Crust and Sauce

I realized some of my recipes can't be searched here because they are at the other URL so I'll have to add them here too. This recipe for homemade pizza crust and sauce is a tried and true favorite for us. This pizza dough recipe gives me two 14" round pizzas and I usually make the kids their fave of Hawaiian with olives and Mr's fave of Italian Sausage, olives, onions and bell peppers.

Pizza Crust
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (I had to use more, just depends)

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.
In a stand mixer, add the yeast mixture, salt and oil. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Using a dough hook mix until the dough "cleans the bowl", you may need to add more flour until it looks right.
Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour if needed, until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a clean cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour (I set it in a warm oven).

Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before cutting it in half and rolling out and placing on pan/stone.
Add sauce and toppings.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (220 degrees C). Bake for 10-15 minutes.
(Convection oven to 475' bake for 10 minutes)




Pizza Sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used a shake of this)
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (I used a tiny pinch)
salt to taste

In a small bowl, combine tomato paste, water, Parmesan cheese, garlic, honey, onion powder, oregano, marjoram, basil, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and salt; mix together, breaking up any clumps of cheese.
Sauce should sit for 30 minutes to blend flavors; spread over pizza dough and prepare pizza as desired.

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enjoy,

The Best Ever Meatballs

Add these to your menu. Yep, I had to say that first before anything else. A friend and I were talking about spaghetti and meatballs on Facebook the other day, and she said her daughter loves this dish and gave me the link to the meatball recipe. It's Giada's of course. So tossing all my other meatball recipes aside, I gave this a try. So glad I did, because these are by far the best meatballs I have ever made. I made these into mini meatballs, using my small scooper, then cutting each meatball in half and rolling it. They were the perfect little size with a bite with pasta. Make up extras to freeze for tossing into sauce on a busy night.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

adapted from Giada

1 small onion, grated

2 Tbl dried parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil
1 large egg
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup Panko
9 ounces ground beef
9 ounces ground pork

Whisk the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and Panko. Mix in the beef and pork. Gently combine all. Using about 2 tablespoons of meat for each, shape the meat mixture into meatballs. Place on a baking sheet and bake 350' for 20 minutes. Add to sauce before serving, about 10 minutes before, to heat through.


I served these with my Mom's Spaghetti Sauce recipe (just skip the meat part and make it marinara) and pasta. Delish.

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enjoy,