Crockpot Pulled Pork

1 pork tenderloin (1 lb)
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cut the tenderloin in half; place in crockpot.  Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over tenderloin.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours, until pork is cooked through and tender.

Remove pork from crockpot and use two forks to shred.  Stir sauce in crockpot, then add pork back to pot.  Toss well and allow to heat through.

Serve on hamburger buns or split kaiser rolls.

Sloppy Veg-Head Joe

This is from Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book that I got for Mother's Day... this is the first recipe I've tried and it's yummy! I made whole wheat hamburger buns with it {good buns, but use half the salt - they were way too salty for us}. Made it nice and cheap being meatless and with homemade buns and all... and when you borrow the yeast from your neighbor, it makes 'em even cheaper! ;) thanks Dude

1 T. canola or vegetable oil
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 red, green, or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 (21-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground coriander
salt and pepper
1 (15-ounce) can diced fire-roasted or chunky-style crushed tomatoes
1 rounded T. brown sugar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce (see Note below) or vinegar of any kind
1 lime
4 crusty rolls, split and lightly toasted
A handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. To the hot oil, add the jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, and garlic and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes.

Fold in the black beans, cumin, and coriander and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in the tomatoes, brown sugar, and Worcestershire or vinegar and simmer the mixture for a few minutes to combine the flavors.

Squeeze the lime juice into the pan and stir. Serve the joe mixture on buns with cilantro to top.

SERVES 4

NOTE Worcestershire sauce contains everything but the kitchen sink, including anchovies. I love it, but if you follow a strict vegetarian diet you might prefer to substitute vinegar.

Meatball Subs

For some strange reason, I had a hankering for a meatball sub. I don't think I've ever eaten a meatball sub before, but the craving was still there. I turned to reliable old allrecipes and found a winner.

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T grated parmesan cheese {I left this out to make it non-dairy}
1/2 egg, beaten
1/2 French baguette {I used wheat sub rolls we had on hand}
1 1/2 tsp EVOO
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 pinch salt
7 oz. spaghetti sauce

Preheat the oven to 350*. In a medium bowl, mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, italian seasoning, garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese and egg by hand. Shape into 12 meatballs and place into a Pyrex pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through. Meanwhile, cut baguette in half lengthwise and scoop out some of the middle to make a well for the meatballs. Brush with olive oil and season with garlic powder and salt. Slip into the oven for the last five minutes of the meatballs' cooking time, until lightly toasted. Heat up spaghetti sauce in medium bowl in microwave. When meatballs are done, place them in bowl with sauce and mix lightly. Scoop meatballs into baguette. {I topped Matt's with shredded mozzarella cheese and put it back in the oven for a few minutes.} Enjoy!

Blackened Tilapia Sandwich w/ Cilantro Lime Mayo

Awesome fresh flavor...

1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 tablespoons ground thyme
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
4 (10-ounce) tilapia fillets
4 Kaiser buns, split, buttered and toasted
Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise, recipe follows
Store-bought mango salsa

-In a shallow dish, combine first 6 ingredients.
-Pour melted butter into another shallow dish. Dip fish fillets in melted butter and coat with seasoning mixture.
-Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook prepared fish, in batches if necessary, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
-Spread Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise evenly over toasted buns. Place blackened fish on bottom half of bun, top with mango salsa, and cover with top half of bun.

Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill.

Paula Deen, 2007
Show: Paula's Home Cooking
Episode: Purse Pleasers

Southwestern Monte Cristos

A Rachael Ray from her 365:No Repeats Cookbook.

8 slices white sandwich bread
½ c. hot pepper jell or chili sauce, tomatillo or tomato salsa, or taco sauce – whatever you have on hand
8 slices honey-baked ham
8 slices Pepper Jack cheese
8 slices of smoked turkey
2 eggs, beaten
A splash of milk
1 T. unsalted butter

1. Spread the bread with a light layer of pepper jelly (or whatever you have), then build sandwiches using 2 slices each of ham, cheese, and turkey per sandwich. Beat the eggs with the milk and the remaining 2 teaspoons of hot sauce and season the mixture with a little salt.
2. Heat a griddle pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter in the skillet. Dip each sandwich in the egg coating and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side to melt the cheese and warm the meats through.
3. Cut them corner to corner and serve alongside the stoup for dipping and munching.

Can serve with Black Bean Stoup.

San Francisco Melts

These are a Mel original. She used to make them often when I would invade her house for Sunday dinner. I made them for the first time last night and they're as good as I remember!

grilled onions (cook until they are golden and begin to caramelize)
lettuce
tomatoes
slicedturkey, I prefer deli turkey sliced thin, not shaved
swiss cheese, sliced thin
cheddar cheese, sliced thin
sourdough bread
butter

For each sandwich, butter one side of two slices sourdough bread (like you're making a grilled cheese sandwich). Place buttered side down on a hot skillet (the easiest is an electric one). Put swiss cheese on one side and cheddar cheese on the other. As the cheese begins to melt, pile one side with as much turkey as you want. When the cheese is melted and bread is toasted golden, remove to a plate. Add onions, lettuce and tomatoes on top of turkey, top with the other half of sourdough bread. Cut in half and serve.

This is a meal in itself, but is also delicious as half a sandwich and soup. Enjoy!

Homemade Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans
5 T. tahini
½ t. sea salt
1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 ½ to 2 lemons)
2-3 cloves garlic
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup water (more or less to achieve desired consistency)

Blend in a blender
Makes 2 ½ to 3 cups.
Store in fridge.

I love to use this on sandwiches instead of mayo/mustard. Spread it on toasted bread and top with tomatoes, sprouts, turkey and spinach. Yummy!

From Feeding the Whole Family

Chicken and Pasta Salad

I got this recipe from Mel and made it for a bridal shower I hosted last weekend. I served it on croissants, but you could also eat it plain or serve on spinach as a salad. This makes great leftovers!

1-2 lbs. pasta, cooked al dente {I used shells, but anything that size will work}

2-3 chicken breasts cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
1 bunch green onions thinly sliced*
½ to 1 lb. red grapes halved*
½ to 1 lb. green grapes halved
2 medium apples diced
3-4 ribs celery diced
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained*
1 pkg. craisins*
½ can cashews or 8 oz. chopped almonds
coleslaw dressing {I used Kraft, but any brand will work}

salt & pepper to taste

Mix together with enough coleslaw dressing to coat. It is best if it chills for a couple of hours or overnight before serving. If you are adding cashews or almonds, add just before serving so they are crunchy. Items marked with an * are always in my salad, the others I add according to my mood.