Category: Inspiration

Cuban Pulled Pork & Mojo Sandwiches

This amazing pulled pork can be thrown together in as little as 20 minutes, and then you can set it and forget it while it slow-roasts all day.  Dinner will be waiting for you when you get home.  Initially I was worried about this one.  I was afraid that a pork loin, which is a pretty lean cut, would dry out in the slow cooker.  But marinating it ahead of time and letting it soak in it’s own juices rendered a product that was juicy and unbelievably tender.

Prep: 20 minutes
Marinate: 2 hrs – 8 hrs
Cook: 4 hrs slow-cooker on HIGH; 8 hrs slow-cooker on LOW
Total Time: 4.5 to 16.5 hours
Total Active Time: 20 – 30 minutes
Level: Easy
Cost: About $4 per plate
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

For the Pork

  1. 1 3-4lb pork loin, trimmed of silver skin and cut in half or in thirds, depending on the size of your slow cooker
  2. 4-6 cloves garlic, finely minced
  3. 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  4. Zest from one orange
  5. Zest of 2-3 limes
  6. 1.5 cups orange juice
  7. 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 6-8 limes)
  8. 1/4 cup olive oil
  9. 2 tsp ground cumin
  10. 2 tsp ground oregano
  11. 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  12. a few generous grinds black pepper

For Mojo Sandwiches (per sandwich)

  1. 1 Croissant
  2. 2 slices ham (not honey)
  3. 2 slices Swiss cheese
  4. Dill pickle chips
  5. Dijon mustard

Instructions

For the Pork

Combine all ingredients except pork in a large mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.  Add pork to marinade refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Once pork is finished marinating, remove from marinade (do not discard the marinade) and pat dry with paper towels.  Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or sauté pan until shimmering and just slightly smoking (about 375°F).  Add pork and brown on all sides, 5-7 minutes.

Using cooking spray, spray the inside container of slow-cooker until lightly coated.  Add browned pork and reserved marinade.  Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.

When pork is finished, use two forks to shred pork.  Serve over steamed white rice or as part of Mojo Sandwiches (recipe follows).

For the Sandwiches

Halve a croissant lengthwise and slather both cut sides generously with Dijon mustard.  Add one slice of Swiss Cheese, followed by a generous helping of pork, followed by a few pickles, followed by a slice of ham and another slice of Swiss cheese.

Chicken Tikka Masala

So far, I haven’t posted any Asian-inspired recipes on this blog – this is the first one.  Basically, it was interesting to note that although the ingredients were a bit different, the process is basically the same as it is for any one-pot wonder.

Time: 90 minutes on stove top; 4 hrs slow-cooker on HIGH; 8 hrs slow-cooker on LOW
Level: Easy
Cost: About $5 per plate
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

  1. 2 lb s  boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
    1. NOTE:  If going the slow cooker route, I’d recommend opting for thighs – they are higher in fat content and are less likely to dry out over an extended cooking time.
  2. 1 cup full fat Greek Yogurt
  3. Juice of 1 lemon
  4. 5 cloves garlic, minced
  5. 1 medium sized onion, diced
  6. 2 TSP freshly grated ginger (or powdered is fine in a pinch)
  7. 2 TBSP garam masala
  8. 2 TSP paprika
  9. 2 TSP kosher salt
  10. 2 TBSP tomato paste
  11. 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
  12. 1 14oz can low sodium chicken broth (stove top method only)
  13. 1 can full-fat coconut milk
  14. Fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving

Prep:

  1. Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes and marinate in Greek yogurt and juice of 1 lemon for a minimum of 30 minutes or a maximum of 2 hours.
  2. Dice onion, garlic, and 2 TSP cilantro
  3. Mix ginger garam masala, paprika and salt together in a small bowl and set aside

Cook:

Add 2 TBSP olive oil to a large sauté pan and heat until shimmering but not smoking (about 350F – 375F).  Add chicken, (working in batches if you have to) and brown on all sides.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium.  Add onion and cilantro and sauté until fragrant and onions are translucent, 2-3 minutes (don’t burn this stuff, make sure your pan isn’t too hot before dumping everything in!)  Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1-2 more minutes.  Add spice mixture and tomato paste and sauté for 1 minute more, stirring constantly.  Add canned tomatoes and their juices and stir constantly for 3-5 minutes more making sure nothing gets stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Slow-Cooker:  If using a slow-cooker, add the reserved chicken to the cooker and then add the tomato mixture on top.  Cover the slow-cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for four hours.

Stove Top:  If making on the stove top, add the can of chicken broth to the tomato mixture and then add the reserved chicken.  Cover partially and simmer on low heat 40-60 minutes until liquid is reduced and chicken is cooked through.

In the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in coconut milk, stir well and allow to simmer with the lid off until flavors are melded together and sauce has thickened.

Serve over steamed rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

 

Classic Spaghetti & Meatballs

Nothing says comfort food like Spaghetti & Meatballs. In this recipe, you’ll prepare Classic Marinara Sauce as well as scrumptious, tender meatballs that will stick to your ribs, and possibly put you into a food coma on a cold winter’s night.

Time: 60 minutes
Level: Easy
Cost: About $4-6 per plate
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

  1. 3/4 lb ground beef (either 80/20 or 70/30, but too lean and your meatballs will dry out and fall apart)
  2. 1 lb ground pork
  3. 4oz bacon, finely diced
  4. 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
  5. 2 eggs
  6. 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (fresh is best!)
  7. 1-2 TBSP freshly chopped Italian parsley
  8. 2 cups classic bread crumbs (or 1 cup Panko, if you prefer)
  9. salt and pepper
  10. 1 TBSP powdered oregano (I like a lot of oregano, adjust accordingly)
  11. 2 packets unflavored gelatin
  12. 2 pieces bread, torn into roughly 1 inch pieces
  13. 1 cup milk or water (you may not use all of it)

For the Marinara Sauce:  See Classic Marinara Sauce

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450F.

Add ingredients 11-13 in a medium bowl and allow to soak for 10 minutes.

While soaking, combine first 10 ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Remove bread from milk/water and add to meat mixture.

Mix together well using your hands.  Add water or milk, a few splashes at a time, until the mixture becomes sticky but not overly wet.  You want it just moist enough that it sticks together and that’s it.  Remember, once you add the water, you can’t take it out!  Don’t overwork the meat.

Once the mixture is the desired consistency, begin making your meatballs by rolling a portion of the mixture into balls between the palms of your hands.  I prefer my meatballs to be about 2.5″ in diameter, but form them to whatever size you like.

Pat them dry-ish, and transfer them to a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Transfer them to 450°F oven and bake until brown, 10 – 15 minutes.  If they don’t brown enough, you can turn the broiler on for a couple minutes.  Once browned, turn the oven off and allow meatballs to finish in residual heat.

Prepare Classic Marinara Sauce.

Once the marinara sauce has reduced to desired consistency, remove the meatballs from the oven and place them in the sauté pan with the marinara sauce.  Using tongs, gently rotate them in the sauce to coat and simmer on low for 5-10 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through (internal temp should be 165°F).  Serve over spaghetti.

 

 

Cajun Jambalaya

Nothing says Autumn like hearty soups and stews… and here in SoCal, the temperature is often still in triple digits at the end of October (not very Fall-like).  The solution?  A spicy, hearty stew that’s tasty all the time: Cajun Jambalaya!  The observant chef will notice that this dish bears a striking resemblance to paella, but somewhat simpler and with different ingredients.

Note:  This dish also works well served over pasta.  While not traditional, it’s quite delicious.  Simply leave out the rice and cook the pasta of your choice according to package directions.

Time: 60 minutes
Level: Easy/Intermediate
Cost: About $4-6 per plate
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

  1. 1 TBSP olive oil
  2. 2 TBSP butter, divided
  3. 1 TBSP Creole Seasoning (I just use Emeril Lagasse’s version, found here
  4. 2-3 chicken breasts, cubed
  5. 12oz – 1lb Andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
  6. 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
  7. 1 large Spanish (or yellow) onion, diced (see How to Chop an Onion to streamline this process)
  8. 1 large green bell pepper, diced
  9. Roughly 1.5 – 2 cups celery, chopped
  10. 4-5 cloves garlic, finely minced
  11. 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  12. 1 tsp hot sauce (any kind will do depending on your flavor preference and heat tolerance)
  13. 1 14oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
  14. 4 cups chicken stock
  15. 2 cups white rice

Instructions

Mix about 1/2 TBSP creole seasoning with chicken in one bowl, and in another bowl mix the remaining 1/2 TBSP with the shrimp.  Mix well.  Cover, and reserve in refrigerator.

Heat a medium saute pan or large skillet over medium high heat.  Add 1 TBSP butter and 1 TBSP olive oil to the pan.  When butter is melted, add sausage and brown nicely on all sides, 5-7 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon and reserve.

In the same pan, add chicken.  Brown nicely all around.  Remove with slotted spoon and reserve.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 TBSP butter.  Once butter is melted, add onion bell pepper and celery.  Sauté, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and onions are mostly translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1-2 more minutes.   Add hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and canned tomatoes.  Cook all these ingredients together for about another 7 minutes stirring constantly to ensure nothing burns or gets stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Add rice and continue to stir into mixture for about 1 minute.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Add chicken, sausage and any drippings back into the pan and give everything a good stir.  This is the last time you’ll stir it.

Cover, and reduce heat to a low simmer, about 30 minutes until the rice has filled the pan and is no longer crunchy.  (You can test the doneness of the rice by removing a grain or two with a spoon – if it’s crunchy but all the liquid has absorbed, add about 2 TBSP of water, give everything a good shake, recover the pan and wait another 5 minutes or so.  Repeat this process until rice is cooked, if neccessary).

Once the rice is cooked and has reached the desired consistency, tuck the shrimp into the mixture and cook, covered for about 5 – 7 minutes, until they are a nice orange color and no longer translucent.

Serve in bowls with crusty bread.  Enjoy!