In the words of Neil Diamond, "Hello again, hello!" It's been weeks since I've posted, but for a great reason. I accepted a new full time position with a great local company, Priority One Financial Services. It's a great place to work. In fact it was named as one of Tampa Bays Best Places to Work by the Tampa Bay Times. I'm having a great time learning about boat and RV financing, but the hours have created a challenge for cooking dinner. It's one of my favorite things to do in the whole wide world, but I'm working until 7:00 PM. Even though Pup Daddy and I are used to eating fairly late, my usual habit of sipping a glass of wine for an hour before starting dinner would leave us eating at 9:30. This would be a real problem because we are asleep by then! Over the last several months I have gotten out of the habit of planning our meals for the week and shopping for groceries on the weekend. I've enjoyed deciding day to day what I wanted to eat, but now planning ahead is a must. I'm going to try to make more slow cooker meals. I'm also looking for recipes that I can prep in the morning and leave in the fridge for Pup Daddy to put in the oven when he gets home from work. I hope I'll have some great new recipes to post in the next few months.
When I made these pork and mango skewers, from FineCooking.com last night, it was Saturday, so I didn't think about prep ahead. You could definitely get them ready ahead of time so all you have to do when you come home is fire up the gas grill and cook them. You can find the prep ahead directions at the end of the recipe. The marinade for the pork is slightly spicy and very delicious. The mango adds just the right amount of sweetness and tanginess (is that word?) You could substitute just about any fruit you can think of. You could also swap out the pork for chicken or fish.
Start by soaking your wooden skewers in water for at least a half an hour. Next cut your pork tenderloin into 1 inch chunks and marinating it in the first eight ingredients for 1 - 8 hours. Peel and cut your mango into 1 inch pieces. Thread them onto your skewers and cook on your gas or charcoal grill.
You should try these soon.
Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. canola oil; more for the grill
2 tsp. dark brown sugar
2 tsp. pure ancho chile powder
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium ripe mangos, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 skewers, 10 inches or longer, soaked in water for 30 minutes if wooden
1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk the orange juice, lime juice, oil, sugar, ancho powder, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp. salt.
Add the pork, toss to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
Thread the pork and mango cubes onto the skewers, alternating them and beginning and ending with a piece of pork. Each skewer should have about 5 pieces of pork and 4 pieces of mango.
Prepare a medium gas or charcoal grill fire. Scrub the grill grate with a wire brush and then wipe clean with a paper towel dipped in oil. Cook the skewers, turning once, until the meat is browned on the outside but still slightly pink in the center, about 8 minutes. Serve garnished with the cilantro.
Prep Ahead Directions
Soak skewers for 30 minutes to overnight. Cut pork into cubes and thread onto skewers. Marinate pork on skewers for up to 8 hours. Just before cooking, peel and cut mango into cubes. Thread them onto skewers. Grill and and remove pork and mango from skewers to serve.
Sometimes there's no great story, it's just a really great dish. This is one of those times. I used pork cutlets because they caught my eye in the grocery store. After a long day on the road I knew they would cook quickly. The sauce is very creamy and the Rosemary, Dijon combination is perfect! This recipe is really more of a method. You could use any protein. Chicken, turkey, steak or even fish would be great. You can also flavor the sauce in a variety of ways. You could add your favorite cheese, herbs, even veggies like mushrooms or sun dried tomatoes. Get creative and give this a try.
Ingredients
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 TB seasoning salt
1 lb 1/2 thin pork cutlets
2 TB butter
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 TB fresh rosemary, chopped
1 TB Dijon mustard
Directions
Heat oven to 180 degrees. Combine flour and seasoning salt. Lightly coat pork cutlets in flour mixture. Melt butter over medium high heat in a large skillet. Cook cutlets for about 3 minutes on each side in the skillet. Remove to a oven safe pan and keep warm in the oven while your make the sauce. Deglaze pan with chicken stock, scraping up brown bits. Add heavy cream and reduce by half or until sauce reaches the thickness you prefer. Add rosemary and Dijon. Serve over pork cutlets.
You know it. The best part of using a slow cooker is walking in the door at the end of the day with the smell of dinner meeting your nose at the door! This day was even better because I was home smelling dinner cooking most of the day. I have found that pork chops can sometimes turn out very tough, but never in the slow cooker. This recipe has only a few ingredients and is super simple to put together, but has very deep and interesting flavors.
Onions, mushrooms, pork chops, cream of mushroom soup, Dijon mustard, apple butter and fresh thyme...that's all you need. Put in the first 3 ingredients. Mix together the next 3. Pour that mixture in. Lay you thyme (still on the stem) on the top. Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Delicious dinner, done!
I served this with stuffing I had frozen from Christmas. You could also serve with potatoes, rice or noodles.
Ingredients
1 large onion, sliced
8 oz button mushrooms, cut in half
4 pork chops
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 TB Dijon mustard
4 TB apple butter
4 -5 sprigs thyme
Directions
Put the first three ingredients in the slow cooker. Mix together the next three ingredients. Add to slow cooker. Lay thyme sprigs on top. Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours.
I love, love, love Cuban food. We have lots of great Cuban restaurants in our area, but I love finding ways to cook it at home. This recipe is so easy and the pork can be eaten as is or used for many other recipes, like the best Cuban Sandwiches EVER!
I use pork butt or picnic shoulder. It's inexpensive and very tasty. Just slice up the orange, lemon, lime and onion. Crush or mince about 5 cloves of garlic, and sprinkle the pork with a seasoning salt. I like Badia's Adobo.
Put about half of the citrus and onions on the bottom of the slow cooker, top with crushed garlic. Put the pork in and cover with the rest of the citrus and onion. Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Take the pork out, shred it and add back some of the sauce left in the slow cooker.
YUM!!!!
Be sure to save your left-overs for Cuban Sandwiches or Mojo Pork Tacos!
Ingredients
Pork Butt or Picnic Shoulder
1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
1 medium onion
5 cloves of garlic
seasoning salt
Directions
Slice citrus and onion. Layer half in bottom of slow cooker. Top with crushed or minced garlic. Sprinkle seasoning salt on pork. Place in slow cooker. Top with the other half of the citrus and onion. Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Remove pork and shred. Moisten with sauce left in slow cooker.
Try this recipe and let me know what you think!
When I made these pork and mango skewers, from FineCooking.com last night, it was Saturday, so I didn't think about prep ahead. You could definitely get them ready ahead of time so all you have to do when you come home is fire up the gas grill and cook them. You can find the prep ahead directions at the end of the recipe. The marinade for the pork is slightly spicy and very delicious. The mango adds just the right amount of sweetness and tanginess (is that word?) You could substitute just about any fruit you can think of. You could also swap out the pork for chicken or fish.
