Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce

I love pulled pork. Dinosaur BBQ out in Syracuse, NY was one my favorite places to eat. They know how to do BBQ! Since we do not own a smoker, the crock pot is the next best way to make pulled pork. This recipe puts a different spin on the traditional BBQ pulled pork.  Give it a try and let me know your thoughts.

Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce

One 2 lb boneless pork loin, cut into 4 pieces

2 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips

1/3 cup prepared teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

 Rice

For Serving:

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

2 limes

Directions:

1. Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Put the pork, bell peppers, teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, and garlic in the cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW until the pork is fork-tender, 8-9 hrs

2. Remove the pork from the cooker and coarsely chop.  Add the peanut butter to the liquid in cooker; stir well to dissolve the peanut butter and blend with the liquid to make the sauce.  Return the pork to the sauce and toss to coat the meat evenly.

3. Serve in shallow bowls over hot jasmine rice, and sprinkle each serving with some of the green onions and peanuts.  Pass the lime wedges.

Maple Syrup Dressing

Who doesn't love Maple Syrup? In our house you can catch people drinking it straight, putting it in coffee, or sweetening up the homemade yogurt. I seriously buy it by the gallon. I also use it in my Maple Oat Bread that I bake for the markets.  So try out this dressing and I know you'll become a fan. 

Maple Syrup Dressing

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1 clove of garlic minced
1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Mix them in the order listed at enjoy over your favorite salad (with goat cheese of course)!

So I've been working on a quilt for my bedroom for a while. I am new to quilting, but really having fun with the whole process. I am not one to necessarily follow a patter, but get an idea in my head and develop it as I come across different fabrics. I have just finished the top part and now I have to figure out what to do with the back (cream muslin or another color?) and how to actually do the quilting.  In the meantime, here are few photos of my creation and any comments would be appreciated. 

Honey Poppy Seed Dressing

How tired are you of the same old salad dressings from the store? Over-priced, filled with bad for you (and tasting) oils, or lack any flavor type dressing. Nothing like warmer weather that sets in the craving for delicious garden salad and it is up the dressing that can either have your taste buds dancing or drown it in a pile of hydrogenated oils. I am here to rescue your salads and taste buds with a series of fantastic, simple, and delicious salad dressings.


Honey Poppy Seed Dressing
1/4 cup of honey (preferably local. one of these days we'll get some bees of our own)
3 tablespoons of Cider Vinegar (or something fruity)
2 teaspoons of your favorite mustard
2 teaspoons of poppy seeds
1 small shallot or 2 tablespoons of minced onion
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil (preferably Extra Virgin, First Cold Press)

Whisk the honey, vinegar, and mustard together till thoroughly mixed.
Continue to whisk in the poppy seeds shallot/onion, and salt/pepper.
Lastly, whisk in the olive oil.

You'll probably want to double this recipe because it is sooo good.

enjoy!

tomorrow I'll post one that contains Maple Syrup ( I buy it by the gallon)

Marshmallows

Have you tried the Graham Crackers yet? Good, now you are ready for the Marshmallows. I found this recipe through King Arthur Flour, but modified it to include Maple Syrup instead of Corn Syrup (one of those "ingredients" that I try very hard to avoid).  I started making these 2 years ago when I was pregnant and had my daily fix of hot chocolate w/ marshmallows of course!

To begin you will need:
Equipment:
A tall pot
Candy Thermometer
Patience
No distractions or multitasking 

Ingredients:
3 packages (1/4-ounce each) unflavored gelatin
1 cup cool water, divided
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup cool water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Combine the sugar, maply syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup cool water in a small, deep saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. 
Here comes the tricky, pay attention part: 
Raise the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 240°F on a candy thermometer. You may have to tilt the pot so you'll have more liquid to get a more accurate reading. Also use your nose and do not let it burn!! I know I have removed it before it reached 240°F and it still turned out great. Remove from the heat.

With mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase the speed to high, and whip until the mixture is very thick and fluffy, and has cooled to lukewarm, 8 to 10 minutes. (It should be cool enough that you can spread it into the pan without burning your fingers.)

Spread the marshmallow mixture into a greased 9" x 13" pan (glass or ceramic is best). Use your wet hands to smooth and flatten the marshmallows. Sprinkle confectioners' sugar over the top, and let sit for several hours (or overnight) before cutting. Use a greased knife or cookie cutters to make squares or other shapes. Yield: about 100 1" squares.

Graham Crackers

       I have been slacking with my posts. My darling little Rosalie recently turned 1 and man does she keep me busy.  Where once I was able to make 50 loaves of bread with her home (thank you Johnny Jump-up), now I can barely get the dishes done.  But I really don't mind, she is my little explorer and refuses to be left out of the kitchen!
      I came across a recipe for Graham Crackers in a Fine Cooking magazine. Chris and I were in an airport heading out to California for my brother-in-laws wedding and of course you have to check out the magazines while you are stuck with a layover. This is when I came across Fine Cooking for the first time. Let me tell you, this magazine is by far my most favorite; few ads, seasonal recipes. beautiful photographs, and great tips.  I use to be a big fan of Bon Appetite (this is where I learned how to cook), but then the advertisements really piled up and their recipes just seemed strange or filled with too many ingredients that were hard to come by. Anyway, Fine Cooking I highly recommend it. They also put out Fine Woodworking, Fine Gardening, and Fine Homebuilding. 
      So... Graham Crackers. This tasty, sweet, s'more buddy goodness is not that hard to make and will have you making them for a party because you can't bring yourself to buy them from the store. So beware, I warned you.

Ingredients:
5 oz. (1 cup) whole-wheat graham flour
5 oz. (1 cup 2 Tbs.) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 Tbs. milk
3 Tbs. honey
1-1/2 Tbs. unsulfured molasses
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 350°F

Put both flours, and the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk the milk, honey, molasses, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and pulse (do not hit the ON button and walk away) until a dough begins to form.

Remove the dough from the food processor and transfer to a large piece of parchment.  Roll the dough into a ball and then roll it out till it's about 1/8-inch-thick. You may need to add a bit of flour to keep it from sticking.

With a pizza cutter, divide the dough into 2-inch squares (press just hard enough to cut the dough and not the paper). With a fork, prick each square 3 or 4 times (or even more fun, make smiley faces or your initials). Bake until golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on the sheet.
Enjoy!







Next up: Marshmallows
 

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Every year I make sure to plant sugar pumpkins so we can have pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies (w/cream cheese frosting of course), and pumpkin spice muffins. In the fall, once the pumpkins have turned their gorgeous orange color I roast them in the oven.  I take the soft fleshy inside to puree it and freeze in ziplock bags for just this purpose.  It's really a nice reward, when it's February and you aren't going to find any sugar pumpkins in the grocery store.  Sure you can go with the canned pumpkin, but I really prefer the homegrown kind.  These muffins are so tasty that you might want to double the recipe because they really disappear that quickly.  You can add a cream cheese frosting to these, but I don't think they really need it. Also these are fantastic snacks for your little ones. Miss Rosalie absolutely loves them (10 months old). 

                                                    Rosalie contemplating how to eat her muffin

Ingredients:
1 cup All-purpose Flour or Organic Bread Flour (which is what I always have on hand)
1/2 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons Butter soften, cut into pieces
1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree
1/2 cup Milk
1 whole Egg
1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla 

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400.
Take the soften butter and whip it in your mixer.  
Add in one at a time, mixing after each addition the sugar, eggs, milk, pumpkin, and vanilla.  

Mix the rest of your dry ingredients in a separate bowl before you add them to the pumpkin mixture. Do not over mix, but make sure it's all incorporated.  


Grease your muffin tins or use paper ones. Fill up the tins 1/2-3/4 of the way. Bake for about 20 minutes depending on the size of the muffin tins. 

 Enjoy!


Yes, she ate the whole thing!