Egg and Bacon Cups

Came across a version of these via Pinterest and kinda did what I could with them! Pretty yummy, but I over cooked them a bit.

Bacon and Egg Cups 
Ingredients
6 Eggs
12 slices turkey bacon
6 slices bread
Nonstick cooking spray
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350
-Spray a 6 cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.  Using a large round cookie cutter, cut bread into circles and press into muffin cups.  Set aside.
-Cook bacon in whatever method you use (I prefer to bake it) and place two slices in each cup
-Crack an egg in a bowl and gently place an egg in each cup on top of the bacon.
-Season with salt and pepper
-Bake until eggs are done the way you like them!

Rumaki

An appetizer fit for any bacon lover! And honestly, I think it is impossible to get a picture of this rumaki that makes it look like you want to eat it. My manager from my old part-time job makes this for all of our get togethers and I love it.

Rumaki
Ingredients:
Whole water chestnuts
Thick-cut bacon, cut in half
Dark brown sugar
Soy sauce
Oh, and you will need toothpicks


Directions:
-Drain water chestnuts and put in a container.  Cover with soy sauce and let marinate overnight.  Give it a shimmy-shake if you remember.
-Wrap each piece of bacon around a water chestnut and secure with a toothpick.  Bake at 400 on a foil or parchment covered cookie sheet until bacon is crispy.  Be sure you cover the cookie sheet or it will be a nightmare, lol.

Coca Cola Slow Cooker Ribs

Don't have the time (or a smoker) to smoke your own yummy ribs? Here is an easy recipe for the crockpot! I will definitely be making these again during the summer months!
Coca Cola Slow Cooker Ribs
Ingredients
3 lbs. country-style boneless ribs
1/2 C Coke
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder
BBQ Sauce of your choice (this time we used Open Pit because it was on sale)

Directions
-Season ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Layer in crock pot and add Coke to crock pot. Cook on low for 7 hours.
-Drain juice from ribs. Slather on the BBQ sauce and let cook on low for 30 more minutes.
-Serve with some yummy side dishes, such as some corn on the cob!
-Easily adaptable to serve more people!

Chipotle Honey Lime Pork Chops

This marinade was intended for a pork tenderloin. I would have had to sear it and then bake it in the oven but let's be honest. The less time I have to spend on dinner the happier I am these days. I decided to do some porkchops and then have C toss them on the grill! And let me tell you...I wish I would have made more of them because I am pretty sure we all would have had seconds! I served this with cilantro lime rice and corn. It would also be an excellent marinade for beef or chicken!
Chipotle Honey Lime Pork Chops
adapted from Beantown Baker

Ingredients
4 pork chops (any kind will do)
Juice from 6 limes
Zest from 2 limes
1/2 C honey
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
1 tbsp adobo sauce

Directions:
-Place porkchops in Ziplock bag to marinate
-Mix together lime juice, zest, honey, salt, and garlic powder. Stir to combine and pour over chops.
-To chops, add chiles and adobo sauce. Seal and marinate in fridge as long as possible
-Remove from fridge and allow to rise to room temp. Cook on grill until done.

Pierogie Bake

One of my work friends, and fellow pierogi lover, sent me a text that said she had a new recipe for me and that it was "better than sex."

Well. I HAD to make it, didn't I?
Not the prettiest picture, but holy sweet mother of pearl, this was amazing. Make it. Tonight.

Pierogie Bake
Ingredients
1 package pierogies (I used the church lady pierogies and used 8. You can use Mrs. T's, but I find that a travesty to the pierogie)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
Jalapenos (optional and I used some of the chopped, canned variety)
Olive oil for sauteeing
4 oz cream cheese
1 /2 C FF chicken broth
2 C cheddar cheese
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked and chopped
Green onions, sliced
Sour cream for serving

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-Layer pierogies in a 9x13 baking dish
-In a nonstick skillet, heat olive oil. Saute garlic, onion and jalapeno until soft.
-Add cream cheese and chicken broth to skillet and stir until combined and heated through. Pour over pierogies (it will sink to the bottom of the dish). Cover with cheddar cheese and bake until cheese is melted.
-Sprinkle with bacon and green onion. Serve with sour cream.

Enjoy the giant pile of love.

Oh and I know, not the best picture. But trust me.

Tortilla Pinwheels

I have to perfect my rolling techniques for these guys because they happen to always come unrolled for me. But they are a light, yummy treat for any party. Prepare ahead of time to let the flavors of the cream cheese and salsa meld together and so the roll will hold up when you slice them.

Tortilla Roll-Ups
Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese, softened
Salsa (to the consistency you desire; I use a little less than half of a jar)
Fresh baby spinach
Thin slices of turkey and ham (from the deli)
Flour tortillas

Directions
-Mix cream cheese and salsa together. Using a hand blender is helpful, or make sure your cream cheese is VERY soft. Make sure the mixture is not too runny.
-Spread mixture on a tortilla. Layer with baby spinach then the turkey/ham
-Starting at one end, tightly roll up tortilla, keeping it tight as you go. Wrap tightly (can I say tightly any more?) with plastic wrap and store in fridge.
-Right before serving, slice thinly using a serrated knife.

Day 21: A Recipe

Cabbage Rolls:
extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups steamed white rice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large heads green cabbage, about 3 pounds each

1. Saute onions and garlic in oil, add the tomato paste and sauce, let cool
2. Bring to boil a large pot of salted water and blanch the cabbage heads whole. Let cool, peal the leaves off and cut back the large vein in the middle.
3. in a large bowl mix meat, rice, salt pepper, onion mix, and parsley. Fill each leaf with mix and roll.
4. There are two methods to cook these: Put them in the crock pot, in a single layer and cover with crushed tomatoes, you can season it is you like, but you do not need to, just set for 8 hours and they are done. You can also put them in a baking dish and bake at 350 for about an hour or until the meat is done
To freeze: line them up in large ziplock bags and lay flat till they are frozen.

Symon Sunday: Corn Crepes with BBQ Pork

For the first recipe in our second round of Sundays with Symon, Ashlee chose the Corn Crepes with Barbecue Duck Confit.

In my newly knocked-up state that seems to include a strong aversion to most meats, there was no way I was about to try to make duck. And I have no coffee in the house right now either, so I was unable to make the coffee bbq sauce that Chef Symon uses with the duck confit. So, here is what I swapped up in the recipe.

Instead of duck, I used a pork tenderloin, put it in the crock pot, and dumped in a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce. Normally I add a bag of cheddar cheese to the mix, but did not this time. I usually prep my bbq pork this way, but was missing the Lipton Soup Mix.
Crepes are a pain in the ass. I was getting frustrated and ridiculously pissed and kept tearing them. And I think they were too thick. Whatever.

The husbo said they were yummy and an interesting way to eat bbq pork. I, unfortunately, could not try any because of the newly acquired nausea and aversion to most meat. He really seemed to enjoy it!

For the full recipes, visit Natasha's or Joanne's blog and their take on the recipe!

In two weeks, we will be making Chef Symon's Mac and Cheese with Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Rosemary. I had this at Bar Symon and it is delicious; unfortunately, I will not be able to eat any because GOAT CHEESE is on the FORBIDDEN TO EAT WHILST PREGNANT list. AUGH!

Easy Crock Pot BBQ Pork

Easy Crock Pot BBQ Pork

Serves 12-15

Ingredients

3-4 lb pork cut of your choice (I used pork tenderloin, my aunt swears by pork butt.)

1/4 C water

1 package Lipton onion soup mix

3-4 celery stalks, chopped

2 C shredded cheddar cheese

1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (any flavor)

Mix water and soup mix together and pour into crock pot with pork and celery. Cook on low 6-7 hours. Shred pork and add barbecue sauce and cook on low for another hour. Before serving, add cheddar and allow to melt. Serve on kaiser rolls. Pairs perfectly with Cheesy Potatoes!

Recipe: FAIL

I am posting this because, well, we have all had these.

You stumble across an amazing recipe. Pork and apples are an amazing combo. You are positive it is going to be a sure-fire hit.

And disaster strikes.

I had stumbled across this recipe probably two years ago, and since I am attempting to incorporate new recipes each week, I decided to give it a whirl.

This was the result:
A mass of pork and apples, blackened on the sides and a giant ball of mush within. Not to mention totally and completely flavorless.

I am posting the recipe to see if anyone has suggestions for ANOTHER recipe (and it does not have to be a crock pot recipe) involving pork and apples. Or perhaps an idea of where the hell I went wrong.

Crock-pot Pork Tenderloin with Apples

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. lean pork tenderloin

2 large Granny Smith apples, chopped
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 bunch green onion with 3" greens, thin sliced
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon balsamic or cider vinegar

Directions:
Trim excess fat from the pork and slice in 1 1/2-inch pieces.
Place pork slices in the crock-pot with the remaining ingredients, mixing to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours (and I turned off my crockpot at 6.5 hours).

Sausage Cups

A favorite of my group of friends, and a definite hit anywhere! One friend began bringing them to all of our parties and soon enough, we were all asking for the recipe! A super easy appetizer for a small crowd! Sausage Cups
1 lb Bob Evans original sausage
2 C shredded cheese (you can do cheddar, but we have found the 4 cheese Mexican style is the best)
1 C ranch dressing (I used light)
4 boxes phyllo dough cups (so you end up with about 60 sausage cups since there are 15 per box)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350
-Brown the sausage
-Mix sausage, ranch and cheese until combined.
-Put into cups (I used my little cookie scooper thingie...you know, the one that looks like an ice cream scoop?)
-Back for 10 minutes, or until the bottom is slightly golden
-Serve warm!

BBQ pork

So, I had planned on making Sloppy Joe's sometime this week, but instead decided to give BBQ pulled pork a whirl.
I will be honest, I had no idea what I was done. I pulled up some random recipe online (which I can not find anymore) and dumped some stuff in the crock pot. Here is what I put in:
Pork tenderloin
Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce
Ketchup
Worcestershire sauce
Some brown sugar
Chili powder
Onion powder
Salt and pepper

I let it cook on low for about 6 1/2 hours, came home, shredded it and served it with some waffle fries and green beans.
Oh. My. Goodness.

Jamie took one bite and said, "Oh my gosh, this is AMAZING!"

Needless to say, I was proud. And I am making this on Tuesday for my day to bring in Christmas lunch for my department at school!