Spicy Shredded Pork

This recipe for spicy shredded pork was on our menu for last week, and boy, did it make a lot. I froze the rest in 2-person size portions, and we've been enjoying it for lunches ever since.

I never posted about it, but I really loved it so much that I can't not share! The flavors are incredible and the meat is as moist and tender as it gets. And of course, being a crockpot meal, it's as easy as pie!

This is absolutely perfect served in a flour tortilla, with a little bit of salsa and sour cream, and some fresh cilantro.

Spicy Shredded Pork

4-7 lb. pork shoulder (bone-in)
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 Tablespoon of salt
black pepper to taste

4 garlic cloves
1 onion, quartered
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 Tablespoons of white wine vinegar
2 cups water

Directions:
Rinse and pat dry the pork shoulder.

Combine the spices, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over pork shoulder, in the crevices and folds. Place pork shoulder in the crockpot. Add the onion, garlic cloves, olive oil, vinegar, and water. Set crockpot to low and let cook for about 10 hours.

When done cooking, remove pork from crockpot, and shred with a fork discarding the bone and fatty pieces. Serves about 8-12, depending on the size of the pork shoulder. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars

Remember my pumpkin rules?

Well, I don't know what's gotten into me, but I have not been following them too closely as of late. First I go all crazy and make something as daring as pumpkin lasagna, and now I've gone off and baked a batch of pumpkin bars to (gasp) share!

We were tailgating last weekend with friends, and I wanted to bring a fall-y dessert, to off-set all the savory snacks we'd be having. I didn't want anything fussy or frilly- this is a tailgate now, not a tea-party! So when I found these on my "to-bake" list, I decided they would be perfect for the occasion.

They were a big hit! These turned out to be like a combination of cake and a brownie in texture, and the white chocolate and butterscotch chips were a perfect touch!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 cup of white chocolate chips
1 cup of butterscotch chips

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9 X 13 baking pan with foil.

Mix the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl, and set aside.

In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree until well combined. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients, and beat until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate and butterscotch chips.

Spread batter on foil-covered baking sheet, bringing it to all the edges. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until edges start to pull away and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely, and cut into 24 pieces. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

Meal Plan Tuesday

I am not doing very well with my Monday meal plans. I have no excuses for yesterday, I just forgot! But here it is on Tuesday...

Monday: Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches with Grilled Zucchini and Tomatoes

Tuesday: Parmesan Tilapia with Cheesy Brown Rice

Wednesday: Ham and Potato Soup with Roasted Broccoli

Thursday: Feta and Sun-dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Mediterranean Quinoa

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: date night with H

Perfect Strawberry Maple Syrup

I love flavored syrups on pancakes. It's a great way to spice up otherwise boring, plain pancakes. It's also a great way to create interesting flavor combinations by adding them to pancakes that are already special on their own.

I had been on the search for a perfect strawberry (or any fruit, really) maple syrup recipe for a while though. All of the recipes I found had extras like orange juice, apple cider, corn syrup, vanilla extract, water, flour... the list goes on. But none of them were exactly what I was looking for. I decided to give it a try and make my own. Plain old strawberries and maple syrup. No frills. And wow! I do believe I've found it! We had this over chocolate chip pancakes, and it was amazing!

Perfect Strawberry Maple Syrup

6-8 large strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Directions: Simmer strawberries and syrup over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, while smashing strawberries with a fork. Pour over your favorite pancakes and enjoy! Makes 2 servings. Enjoy!

(Haven't tried this yet, but I bet this recipe would be good with any type of fruit- blueberries, blackberries, apples... 

Also, this makes for a fairly thick syrup, so you may want to top with a bit of extra maple syrup after the fruit.)

Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese

I had a tiny bit of pumpkin puree left from the pumpkin lasagna I made last week, and wasn't sure what I could make with such a small amount without having to open another can. I was really craving some type of pumpkin cheesecake, but didn't want to go through all the effort or ingredients needed. And then I stumbled upon this recipe for Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese. It sounded perfect! I figured this could really hit the spot as far as that cheesecake craving, without all the effort (or calories)! And it doesn't really get much easier than this...

Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 Tablespoons of maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

Directions: Mix all ingredients except cream cheese in a small bowl until well combined. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Enjoy!

Adapted from Pinch My Salt, original recipe here.

Meal Plan... Tuesday

I was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday (and the dreary, chilly, rainy weather we were having certainly didn't help) so I slacked off on Monday's meal plan post. I also slacked off on the actual meal plan, as we cracked open cans of chicken noodle soup last night instead of what I had planned...

But oh well, here is the rest of the week, ready to go!

Tuesday: Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce and Broccoli

Wednesday: Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas

Thursday: Pasta and Vegetable Primavera

Friday: Mexican Shredded Pork Tacos with Roasted Red Pepper Corn

Saturday: Dinner party at friends' apartment

Pumpkin Lasagna

I have a confession to make.

I have somewhat of a hoarding problem. No, I'm not like the people you see on TV, who are buried in mountains upon mountains of stuff, their addiction alienating friends and family. My hoarding problem involves pumpkin puree. Lots and lots of pumpkin puree. Really. The proof is in the cupboard.

Come every fall, I get wind of some type of pumpkin shortage. Whether this shortage is real, simply a rumor, or caused by crazies such as myself (which I imagine must be the case at least sometimes), I buy a few cans to "stock up" every single time I go to the grocery store.

And no matter how many cans of pumpkin I accumulate, I am still extremely particular about the recipes in which I choose to use my precious stock. I actually have a couple rules regarding it. Rule number one: whatever I make, I don't share it. I usually love sharing the fruits of my baking labor with friends, family, and co-workers. It's better for my waist-line, gives me those "warm fuzzies," and let's face it, all the compliments and "mmmmm's" don't exactly hurt my ego. However, that's not the case with any pumpkin goodies. In the rare occasion that we have some left over after a day or two, they go in the freezer to be enjoyed by H and I at a later date. Selfish, selfish, I know.

Rule number two: I'm very unadventurous in my pumpkin recipes. I usually love trying new recipes and ingredients, but pumpkin recipes have to be for something that I'm absolutely certain that I'll enjoy. God forbid I use up a can of pumpkin puree in something that doesn't turn out well.

So there you have it. Call me crazy, blame me for the pumpkin shortage at your local grocery store, or what have you. But all this does have a point... Last week, I was gazing at all the drool-worthy food porn on foodgawker.com, and I stumbled upon this recipe for pumpkin lasagna. It looked... delicious. But I hesitated in saving it, as it didn't follow the rules. I've only had savory pumpkin dishes a handful of times, and only in restaurants. I've never actually attempted one. But something about it... just drew me in. I decided to bite the bullet and add it to this week's menu.

(Edited: With all the waxing poetic about my love of pumpkin, I completely forgot to mention how this turned out! It was good, and I was really glad to be able to step out of my comfort zone a bit! A piece of advice- don't skimp on the salt. I did, because I am trying to cut back on sodium and I don't really like things too salty, but the salt definitely brought out a good flavor.)

Pumpkin Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles, either the no-boil kind, or the regular ones prepared according to package directions and left submerged in cold water

16 oz. sliced mushrooms, chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon of olive oil

2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup of half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons of dried sage
salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese
1 egg

4 oz. of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

Saute mushrooms and onion in olive oil, with a dash of salt and pepper. Allow them to simmer until soft, and then drain of excess liquid. Meanwhile, combine pumpkin puree, half and half, sage, and another dash of salt and pepper into a large bowl. Into a third bowl, mix ricotta cheese and egg and beat until combined.

Lightly spray cooking spray on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Start with the pumpkin mixture and spread about 1/2 cups worth on the bottom of the pan, enough to lightly cover. Layer pasta next, then ricotta cheese mixture, then a couple scoops of the mushrooms and onions. Top again with pumpkin, and continue to layer until you run out of ingredients. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheese all over the top.

Cover with foil, then place in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes. Remove cover, and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the cheese is starting to get golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Adapted from Prevention RD, original recipe here.