Balsamic-BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos with Red Pepper & Apple Salsa

Guys, as we speak, I'm watching Kim Kardashian's wedding. I also secretly made pulled pork in my (borrowed & awesome) Crockpot last week. If neither of these things make you hate me, then we're in pretty good shape.

Why didn't I post said pulled pork? My logic was as follows. Crockpot pulled pork recipes are about a dime a dozen on the interwebz these days. Everyone's got a recipe. Everyone's ends up tasting like... pork covered in BBQ sauce. This varies according to BBQ sauce, of course. But you get the point. It's delicious... but it ain't nothin' different!

I used this recipe, from The Way the Cookie Crumbles. It's fabulous. Delicious. Easy. One pot deal. I couldn't stop sampling the meat as I was pulling it... ya know.. little bit for the bowl, little bit for me. Little bit for the bowl, little bit for me. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I used this Balsamic BBQ Sauce, from Giada. Also fabulous. Everything she creates is amazing. I made the sauce, used about 1/2, before allowing the sauce to reduce, for the end of the pork recipe. I reduced the rest and served it on the side. 

So now, ladies and gents, now I am regretting not taking any pics to share with you, since I'm bragging about it anyway. It's really much easier to make someone wish they were eating something when they can see exactly what they're missing. But take my word for it here I guess. Phenomenal combination.

But why, you ask, am I bragging now?

Well, because I made something that I loved with the leftovers. So you're going to have to bear with me for a moment here.

I don't really care how you acquire your leftover pork. Or maybe it's not even leftover at all. Maybe this is the main squeeze and sandwiches will be your leftovers. Or maybe you bought some reheat variety from the supermarket. Whatever your style, these tacos pretty much rule. Tangy balsamic bbq pulled pork, contrasted with a fresh, sweet salsa and topped with an chipotle "sour cream," these are quick, easy and full of flavor.

Soundtrack:
HELLO by Ronaldo Vetro  

Balsamic-BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos with Red Pepper & Apple Salsa

Serves: 3-4

• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/4 c cilantro, chopped
• 1 honey crisp apple
• juice from 1/2 lime
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 can black beans
• 1/2 tsp adobo sauce
• 1/2 c plain greek yogurt
• dash of chile powder
• dash of garlic powder
• dash of paprika

1 lb pulled pork (perfect for leftovers!)

1/2 c. Balsamic BBQ sauce (or your favorite BBQ sauce)

1 c. finely grated Monterrey Jack cheese

1 pkg small corn tortillas

• In a small bowl, combine bell pepper, onion and cilantro. Chop apple. Immediately add to bowl with pepper, onion and cilantro. Quickly toss with lime and lemon juices (to prevent browning). Set aside.
• 
  
• In another small bowl, combine greek yogurt and adobo sauce using a whisk. (Yea, ok sounds weird. I SWEAR you can't tell it's not sour cream. I never use an entire container of sour cream, but yogurt I definitely will eat. So this is a great sub.) Set aside.

Place can of black beans in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Season with a dash of garlic, paprika & chile powder. Heat until warm & drain. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

Meanwhile, warm pulled pork (nuke it, cook it, etc) and toss in bbq sauce. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

Warm tortillas over a frying pan. Lay out pork, beans, salsa, cheese "sour cream" and tortillas. Dig in and have fun building!

Put the lime in the Coke you nut!

Autumn Salsa!

Tip: Use 1/4 tsp of sauce for this "Sour Cream"
then, freeze the chile's in bags of 2-3 to use in recipes
(most call for 2-3 chiles)

Taco night <3!

• 
  
• 
  

Butternut Squash & Parmesan Orzo Bake

Anyone feel like they need a little Vitamin A in their lives?
1 C. cubed squash contains 457% of your daily value.
Not sure what you do with the other 357%...

Why is it that if you call a dish a casserole, it makes people shy away from it? You can call it a "bake" or a "cassoulet" or a "gratin" and everyone wants a bite. But casserole? Casserole brings to mind canned green beans covered in cream of mushroom soup and topped with French's fried onions which, being my least favorite dish from childhood Thanksgivings, makes me shudder. And then tuna noodle casserole anyone?  Blech. 

Casserole seems to evoke feelings of food thrown together quickly and dispassionately. Maybe it's because we feel like a casserole reminds us of a time when cooking or being in the kitchen wasn't a personal choice; it was a gender role (too deep?).

In our minds, casseroles are akin to Jello molds. They're outdated and we've moved on. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a Jello mold? (It's your lucky day, because I've found a free BRAIN shaped Jello mold HERE. Did I mention it was free? And makes BRAIN SHAPED JELLO!? Add a little vodka and imagine the party possibilities..). Casseroles are like french onion dip or deviled eggs. We've evolved (it's the opposite of eat or be eaten!) and cooking has become a hobby for those who choose it, rather than a chore.

Maybe this is why we are afraid of the word casserole. Or maybe we just have all had one too many green bean casserole (I'm probably projecting with that thought). But either way, I'll call this dish a bake. And you'll want to eat it. Deviled eggs on the other hand, dress that up any way you like, I still won't touch it (mayo, ew!).

Speaking of food evolution, if you're really interested in foods we have all left behind over the years (and I mean really left behind, not just renamed) this website is particularly interesting. The timeline begins pre-17,000 BC and just keeps going, listing when many foods we know and still enjoy were created (or discovered). I can't, of course, attest to it's accuracy, (how do they know this stuff!?) but it's certainly interesting! The casserole was invented in 1708!

Soundtrack: I would say I don't know whether to love this or hate it, but I definitely love it. Listen and you'll know exactly what I mean by that. Mishka Presents Das Racist - Shut Up, Dude Mixtape by dasracist

Butternut Squash & Parmesan Orzo Bake
Serves 3-4


1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and cubed
6-10 garlic cloves, whole
2 tbsp honey
1 c orzo
EVOO
1 med red onion, chopped
6 oz baby spinach
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
10 sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/2 c grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt & pepper


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Toss squash and garlic cloves with honey and season with salt & pepper. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet, with the garlic interspersed throughout the pieces of squash. Bake for 20-25 minutes until squash begin to soften.


Meanwhile, cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.


When squash is finished, stir around on baking sheet to evenly distribute flavor. Remove the 3 largest cloves of garlic from the pan and chop. Remove and discard the remaining garlic (or save for another use!). Set the baking sheet and squash aside.


In a medium saute pan, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and onion. Saute until onion begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and stir. Add spinach in handfuls and continue cooking until spinach is cooked down, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.


In a large bowl, combine orzo, squash, sauteed spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1/3 c of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Transfer to greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes (oven still at 350).


Serve!

One thing that I love about BNut squash, is that it loves you back!

Oooh, HONEY!

Yea, looks good.

I don't like to abreve these as SDT's. Reminds me of something else...

Honey Goat Cheese & Dried Apricot Snack Time

Sometimes you just need to come home from work and eat cheese.

And that goes with crackers, naturally.

And then you say to yourself: "Self, you should really eat some fruit."

And next time that happens to you, I've got you covered. I've got your back.

Oh. Yea.

 Snack time rules!

PS I've made so many mentions of goats, goat cheese, etc on this blog that I get fairly frequent hits from people searching for goats on Google.

Breakfast Pizza

First, some VINews : Another season for Arrested Development? Oooohhh, exciting!

Now then...

Cracking an egg over a bed of rosemary-sweet potato-hash browns laid out on a whole wheat biscuit and then sprinkling it with hearty pieces of maple syrup-glazed bacon is a pretty rewarding feeling. Never mind actually eating it. Just doing it. (Also, please consider a bed of sweet potatoes for a moment.)

That feeling just grows as the aroma of the different flavors baking together in the oven fills the air.

Maybe you're drinking a Bloody Mary that is garnished with yet another piece of bacon and maybe some avocado. And maybe that's what feels so rewarding. Or maybe you're not, but you should be. And I should be too. Hell, everyone should be drinking a Bloody Mary with bacon and avocado right now.

All of these things have you feeling pretty great. But now I'm going to lay it on you. The most rewarding thing about this breakfast pizza, I mean. Get your head out of the gutter.

Eating it. Duh. I'm sure you saw that coming...

Here's the deal. This is fairly easy to assemble. Takes a little time in the oven. Perfect for brunch guests because you can put it together and then let it bake, while you sip your Bloody Mary and chat. I made my own biscuit "crust" because I love an opportunity to make anything healthier and homemade (I was also slightly less hungover today than I could have been, so there's that too..). You don't have to. You can skip that part and just top any biscuit dough you like!

Soundtrack: Aeroplane - September 2011 Mix! Check DPC for a review!

Aeroplane September 2011 Mix by Aeroplane (Official)

Breakfast Pizza
Serves 3-4


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


Biscuit Dough


1 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
5 1/3 tbsp cold butter
1 c. greek yogurt


In the bowl of a food processor, add both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse for a few seconds until combined. (Alternately, in the absence of a food processor, whisk the dry together in a large bowl.) Add butter, cut into tablespoon sized pieces and pulse for 15 seconds at a time, until dough resembles tiny crumbs (3-4 times). (Alternately, cut butter into dry mixture using 2 knives or a pastry cutter. This takes forever. Buy a food processor.) 


Transfer dough to a large bowl. Using a fork, stir yogurt into the dough. Once combined, use your hands to knead dough until it forms a ball.


Breakfast Pizza


Biscuit Dough
1 large sweet potato, shredded
1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 large eggs
5-6 pieces of your favorite bacon
1 tbsp real maple syrup


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet in a piece of parchment paper. Roll biscuit dough out in a circle until it is about 1/4 in. thick. Set aside.


Heat canola oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add shredded sweet potato and season with salt, pepper, rosemary & thyme. Fry in the oil for about 5 minutes, moving the potatoes every so often.


Meanwhile, microwave bacon for 1 minute between 2 paper towels to begin the cooking process. Remove from microwave and brush with maple syrup. Chop bacon into large, yet bite sized pieces. Set aside.


Once sweet potatoes are begin to soften (about 5 minutes) remove from heat and set aside. 


Place biscuit in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temp to 350.


Cover biscuit dough in sweet potatoes. Crack each egg separately into a small bowl or ramekin, then pour (more like a slide) over the pizza, taking care not to break the yoke. (It's ok if you do though, they will just cook harder!). Dot the pizza with pieces of bacon.


Return the pizza to the oven once the temperature has reduced. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the whites of the eggs are no longer runny. 

La guillotine.

Crumb-like texture, goopy yogurt.

Dough ball

Holy artery clogging...

Looks a little less than appetizing here..

Much more like it!

Plum & Brandy Applesauce

Oh, hey there! I'm back. Me! Over here! On this side of the computer I'm pretty excited! On that side of the computer, I hope you're excited as well.

AND I'VE GOT APPLESAUCE!

Most people overlook it, but homemade applesauce is really one of the best snacks around. It's super easy to make and can be adapted in all sorts of ways to make it a fabulous grown-up snack that is so far from that kids stuff in sealed plastic containers and sold in six-packs that you would hardly recognize it. Applesauce incognito. Someone get this snack a mustache.


It would hardly be fall to me without a few homemade applesauce experiments. And autumn is just one of those seasons that you just have to slow down and appreciate as much as possible. Ferris said it best. Because soon it's going to be unbearably cold and we are all going to be wearing mittens and playing in the snow. (No? You don't do that? Well you should. I play in the snow, sorry if you don't.)


In this applesauce, I added some plums that were still laying around from the giant $2 bag they sell at Wegs. Tossed in some brandy, just to prove this isn't kids stuff. And seasoned with a nice touch of ginger. You can thank me after you try it.

Soundtrack: Paper Diamond - Levitate
  Levitate by Paper Diamond

Plum & Brandy Applesauce


6 medium sized granny smith apples, (trust me on the granny smiths, you'll appreciate the tartness!) peeled and cored
6 small plums (mine were pretty small, so probably about 4 average sized plums), peeled and pitted
1 cup water
2/3 c turbinado sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch of allspice
2 tbsp brandy


Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pot (yea, told you it was easy). Heat over high heat until liquid boils, stirring every so often. Once liquid boils, reduce heat and simmer to cook fruit. Simmer, stirring every so often, for about 15-20 minutes until fruit begins to break down.


Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher. Eat warm or allow to cool (better warm!).

Apple peels (cut up, sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar & bake at 220 for about
1 1/2 hrs until crispy to make apple chips)

Beautiful sugar!

Sugar-slide

Gingah! Mah fave!

Couldn't bear to show the label. Cheap shit. ;)

Boiling apples, liquid still not reduced enough

Boil until the apples reach about this point (note the liquid reduction!)

Why, how artsy & creative of me?

Spicy Thai Tofu

It's has been brought to my attention that I seem to concoct a lot of recipes with tofu. (Liiiike here and here... that's right, taking over the world, one tofu dish atatime!). I like tofu, sorry if you don't. A lot. Like, a lot, a lot. I'm a huge fan of the consistency. Yum, mush! No, I'm serious. I eat it cold sometimes, right out of the package. Is that so wrong? You would do it too... because I know you eat peanut butter out of the jar. And it's not that much different.

OMG! Look how awesome this picture is! Thanks for the camera lend Jer!

I've come a long way in my relationship with tofu. Let's go back in time here for a minute. Long, long, ago (probably about 1 year) in a galaxy far, far away, (Newtown, PA) to a time when I was naive to the mysterious ways of the tofu. I needed a little help. Afraid to cook with tofu, aside from using it in place of chicken in the occasional stir-fry with the best Teriyaki sauce ever, I needed a little help. I got this recipe from Adam's (you've met him, my Sue) mom.


She's an amazing cook. Amazing. I aspire to be more like her (I'm not sucking up, I swear. Ok, I am a bit, but I really do mean that!). She always has a stocked cupboard full of baking supplies (including vanilla...and other things that I run out of), which I consider to be pretty impressive in itself! She taught me to make bread. She roasts a mean tomato (great for omelettes!). She introduced me to Penzey's, which... no, on second thought I won't get started on that again. And the list really does go on and on. 


But, I got this recipe from her. And I know I can always trust a recipe from her. And you can definitely trust this recipe from me. I made one tiny change, adding in some eggplant, well, mostly because it was going bad in my fridge.


Soundtrack: After that last uber-nerdy post about my not-so-secret-anymore love of spices, I sort of feel a need to share with you folks that I do have a life. I swear, it's real! I have real life, tangible friends. And I went to visit them last Friday and we did real life things. Like shake our shit on a boat and booze until all hours of the AM and eat delicious bbq. And I also want to share with my small, but OH SO appreciated, audience the talented and amazing sounds of Simon Green (aka Bonobo) who rules, dates one of my best friends, and is slowly becoming a great friend of mine. No embed code, so you'll have to click the link, but you should. Bonobo - Last FM


Spicy Thai Tofu
Recipe very slightly adapted from Bon Appetit (viewed on Epicurious)


2 tbsp olive oil
2 large red bell peppers, seeded, thinly sliced
1 c eggplant, cut into cubes
3 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 package extra-firm tofu, pressed for 20 minutes, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
6-8 oz baby spinach leaves (just about 1/2 a 1 lb bag)
1/3 c fresh basil, chopped
1/3 c sesame seeds


Heat oil over medium heat in a saute pan. Add bell pepper, eggplant, garlic and ginger and saute until the eggplant begins to soften (about 4 minutes). Season with salt & pepper. Add tofu and scallions and cook another 2-3 minutes. 


Add soy sauce, lime juice and pepper flakes and toss to coat. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Add spinach leaves in small additions. Stir to combine until just wilted. Season to taste with salt & pepper.


Remove from heat and toss in basil and peanuts. Serve over rice or with stir-fry noodles.

Step uno 

The dish!