BBQ Pulled Pork

One of my favorite meals is BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. I used to get them all the time when we would go to a restaurant.  Then I learned to make them at home using a dead simple recipe I found on AllRecipes.com. In 2009 I served this for Christmas and my brother Tony raved about it and kept going back for extra helpings. We have enjoyed this meal time and again since then, and today I am going to walk you through how we make it, step by easy step.

First I gather up my ingredients.  You need:

• pork
• BBQ sauce
• beef broth

The original recipe calls for boneless pork ribs.  I always just use a roast. Use a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce, and about 2 cups of beef broth.

Next, plug in your slow cooker.  You think I am joking. I can not tell you the number of times I have come back to the kitchen to find that the rice in the steamer or the food in the crockpot is not cooking because I forgot this step.

Put the pork in the slowcooker.

If you are mixing up beef broth from bullion or Better Than Bullion, do that now.  2 teaspoons of Better Than Bullion, whisked into boiling hot water.

Pour the beef broth into the slowcooker with the pork. If you are using beef broth in a can or carton, there is no need to mix it, and you would just pour it in.

Put on the lid and set the temp.  Either cook this on high for at least four hours, or on low for eight if you have time.  The slower and longer it cooks, the easier it will fall apart in the next step.  When it is done cooking, heat up your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Use two forks and pull the pork apart into chunks and shreds.

Keep doing this until the whole roast has been pulled apart.

Pour the BBQ sauce all over the meat. Don't skimp!  You are going to use the whole bottle.

Continue covering the meat with the sauce.

Stir all the pork around to cover it with the sauce somewhat evenly.  Then spread it back out on the baking tray, and top it with any remaining BBQ sauce in the bottle.

Place the sauced meat into the oven and cook it for about half an hour.

Remove from the oven and serve hot.

If you want to bake up homemade Hawaiian rolls to put the pork on, check out this recipe for that.

Enjoy!

Zero Point Soup

Here is the sight that awaited me in the kitchen when I woke up this morning. I only wish I could post the scent instead. Yum!

This pot full of veggies was the backbone of my lunch today. And it cost me absolutely no Weight Watchers points to eat. Now how is that for feeling like you are getting away with something?

I modified the recipe that I found in my booklet from years ago. Here's how I made my version of Zero Point Soup:

• 2/3 cup sliced carrot
• 1 small diced onion - sauteed with Pam
• 1 can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic
• 3 tsp fat free beef bullion
• 3 cups water
• 1 can water chestnuts
• 2 stalks chopped celery
• 1/2 can green beans
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1 tsp corn starch (to help thicken it - you can also use 1 Tbsp tomato paste)

I put all these things in the slow cooker and let it do its thing on low all night while I slept. In the morning - lunch was ready before my feet even hit the floor. :)

Come lunch break, I was not disappointed! It was flavorful and filling. My only complaint is that the recipe only makes enough for four servings. Next time, I am making up a big batch!

Enjoy!

Slow Cookin' Goodness

I confess, I love my crock pot.

Whether I'm fixing a roast and potatoes...

or just turning simple ingredients into a simmering soup...

I just can't go wrong.

What is your favorite thing to slow cook?

Garlic Basil Chicken

Here is a great recipe that my friend Jen shared with me (I think it originated in a Betty Crocker Slow Cooker recipe book).  Sorry there are no pictures of this dish.  I was completely overwrought at the time due to the bean incident.

Ingredients:

• 8 large chicken thighs and drumsticks (about 2 pounds)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium bulb garlic, separated into cloves and peeled (about 15 cloves)
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, basil and olive oil, undrained
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• Basil pesto, if desired

1.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Cook chicken in oil until brown on all sides; drain.

2.  Place chicken and garlic in slow cooker.  Pour tomatoes and broth over chicken.

3.  Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours, or until chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

4.  Remove chicken from slow cooker; keep warm.  Skim fat from surface of juices in slow cooker.  Stir in beans; cover and cook on low about 15 minutes until heated through.  Serve chicken with beans and pesto.  

Makes about 4 servings.

This recipe is really tasty!  I make the meal [that is, brown the meat and assemble the ingredients... see comments below] the evening before, put the crock pot in the fridge, and then all I have to do on the day of is pull the crock pot out of the fridge and turn it on.  EASY!

Enjoy!

A Word About Beans

This is the first time I ever used dried beans in a recipe. I put them to soak, and was so proud of myself, I took a picture for the blog.

After all, using dried beans is more cost efficient and healthier for you (because of the lower sodium content - or so I'm told).

However, there is something I was about to learn about beans.  The ones that come in the can are pre-cooked!  Ack!  Who knew?  So when I substituted my frugal home-soaked beans in the recipe, throwing them in for the last 15 minutes... that was not nearly enough time for them to cook!  (Experienced cooks everywhere are having a good laugh at my expense, I'm sure.)

Serving dinner for six that night, I served up the chicken and confessed, "I'm a little concerned about the beans." lol

I ended up grabbing some canned beans from a cupboard, rinsing them quickly, putting them in a bowl with the slow cooker juices, and zapping them in the microwave for 5 minutes, while my guests talked politely amongst themselves (all the while sitting at the table with empty plates!)

But now I know.  After all, I've only been plaguing the kitchen for about three years now (Bryan and I celebrated our three year wedding anniversary last month) so I haven't had nearly enough time to make all the mistakes yet.  ;0)

In any case, stay tuned for the delicious Garlic Basil Chicken slow cooker recipe.  Using uncooked beans is purely optional.

Monday through Friday Steel Cut Oats

Most days for breakfast I have steel cut oatmeal. It is delicious and nutritious. But it takes a long time to cook! Do I get up at the break of day each morning and babysit a pot on the stove? I don't think so! Here are some simple instructions for making plain Jane steel cut oatmeal.


First, assemble a few ingredients. To prepare them the way I do, you'll need a crockpot, water, vanilla extract, and the oats themselves (which can be bought in bulk very inexpensively at Winco).


For each cup of oats you are cooking, you will need four cups of water. Some people make it with milk and butter - but I just skip it because I have a milk alergy. And why add the calories, right? If I feel like adding a bit of margarine on a specific day, fine - but I don't feel like the fat needs to be there already.


I LOVE vanilla! So I just pour a bit in to give it some flavor. The exact amount doesn't really matter. If you were making two cups worth of raw oats up - I might try two teaspoons and adjust from there.


Set the crockpot on high. You are going to let it cook for about three hours, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. So set a timer, or glance at your watch. If you have a fancy slow cooker that turns off after a pre-determined time -- great! (And I'm jealous.)


Unlike most slow cooker recipes, I find that it is best to stir this one a couple times. Use a spatula and scrape down the sides so they don't burn. (I experimented, by the way, to see if it was the lack of fat that was causing it to stick. Didn't seem to make a difference one way or the other.)

At the end of three hours, stir in any excess water and dish yourself up a bowl. Top with your favorite topping (ah...brown sugar) and dig in.


"But, wait! What do I do with the rest?" you ask. Put it in a large Tupperware container and store it in the fridge. The next day, when you see that it has congealed - don't hate me. Scoop out what you want, add a bit of water (or go crazy and put some creamer in there - whatever suits you) and reheat it in the microwave. You will have to stir it back up to get it the right consistency, but once you do, I promise you it is almost as tasty as it was originally (and tons better than instant oatmeal ever could be).

Edited on 2-17-08 to add:

Want to spice up your steel cut oats? Check out Oatmeal: It's What's for Breakfast at FatFree Vegan Kitchen for great variations.

Or are you looking for other great ways to get more oatmeal in your diet? Check out Beyond Cereal: Are You Eating Enough Oatmeal? where Kalyn Denny has compiled a great list of oatmeal recipes.

Or if all this health-talk has you craving something sweet, why not try the delicious Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies?