Root Beer BBQ Pork Sandwiches

This was really good despite the fact that it has sweet soda in it! In fact, you can't really taste the sweetness or rootbeer flavor in the pork. It's just a juicy, tender pork roast, that is shreds wonderfully and is perfect as a sandwich filling. You could also use it in a salad or wrapped up in a tortilla with your favorite taco fillings. I used a 2-liter bottle of A&W rootbeer, but you can use cans if you want- it's just cheaper to buy a 2-liter bottle. The only adjustment I think that I'll make next time is to drain the juices from the roast before I shred it and add the BBQ sauce- the meat was just really wet and made our buns really soggy. If your roast looks dry, you could reserve the drained juices and add them back into the roast as needed to help add some moisture. And if you are concerned about the cut of the pork roast- it doesn't really matter. A cut without the bone is easiest for shredding, but even then if you roast has a bone, it should slip out pretty easy once the roast is done cooking. The recipe comes from a freezer meal computer software program called 30 Meals in One Day and it's a welcome addition to my crockpot recipes!

Root Beer BBQ Pork Sandwiches

1, 3 lb pork sirloin roast
1 cup root beer
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups onion, wedges (about 2 small onions; I would thinly slice the onions if you are going to keep the onions in with the pork at the end)
2 Tbl garlic, minced (I used somewhere around 7-8 cloves)
2 12 oz cans root beer (about 3 cups of rootbeer)
1 12 oz bottle chili sauce

Trim any visible fat from roast. Cut roast into 4 pieces and place in slow cooker. Pour 1 cup root beer over roast. Sprinkle meat with the salt and pepper. Add onions and garlic. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours (Low will help the roast be more tender and easier to shred). In a medium saucepan combine root beer and chili sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 2 cups. Remove roast and onions from slow cooker. Allow to cool enough to handle. Discard broth (I didn't this time, but I will next time- the buns were soaked by the extra juices). Shred meat and combine with onions (I didn't add the onions back in). Pour root beer sauce over all. Stir to coat. Serve on buns with lettuce and tomatoes, if desired.

Directions for freezing:

Allow to cool completely. Place in freezer bag or container. For individual servings, spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Fill muffin cups with meat and sauce. Cover and place pan in freezer just until frozen. Pop out and place in gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw and heat. Line buns with lettuce leaves and tomato slices. Add meat, onions and sauce.

Chinese Pork, Broccoli and Peppers

Aaah, cooking.... I am finally back on track to be cooking more frequently, which means that there might actually be more posts to read more frequently! To get back in the swing of things, I decided to give a new Chinese food recipe a whirl. This particular recipe is adapted from another library find, "Dinners in a Dash or a Dish" by Jean Anderson. And can I say, this was the BEST homemade stir-fry I have ever made! I think the reason I liked it more than the other ones is that the majority of this sauce comes from soy sauce whereas the other stir-fry sauces I've made were based on chicken broth- which is yummy, but soy sauce has so much more flavor. We will be making this again! I also think that it would be delicious with snow peas thrown in with the broccoli and peppers, as well as some bean sprouts thrown in when you add the sauce. The recipe also stated that it would be good using beef and chicken as well, which means it can be even more budget friendly because you can use whatever is on sale or whatever you have hanging around in the fridge or freezer! I love those kinds of meals!

Chinese Pork, Broccoli and Peppers

1/4 c. soy sauce

3 Tbl. chicken broth (I used 3 Tbl. water + 1/2 tsp. chicken boullion)

1 Tbl. brown sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

3 Tbl. oil (I used olive oil, but use whatever you have)

1 lb. well'trimmed boneless pork loin, cut into 1/2" strips

1 medium onion, quartered lengthwise and each quarter thinly sliced

1 large garlic clove, finely minced (or use a garlic press)

1 Tbl finely minced fresh ginger (or 1/2 to 1 tsp powdered ginger)

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2" strips

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2" strips

1 to 1-1/2 c. broccoli florets

Combine soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and cornstarch in small bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in large, heavey skillet or wok over high heat. When hot, add pork and stir-fry until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Note: The pork will not be completely cooked through at this point since it will be cooked again when you add the sauce to the skillet. With slotted spoon, lift pork to large bowl and reserve.

Add onion, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and greed and red bell peppers to skillet and stir-fry over high heat until onion begins to turn translucent, about 3 minutes.

Return pork to skillet, add soy mixture, and cook and stir just until mixture bubbles, thickens slightly, and turns clear, 3 to 4 minutes. Note: Make sure the pork is cooked all the way through before serving. Serve hot over rice or noodles.

Marinated Pork Chops

We made these for dinner last month and I've been meaning to post them because they were sooo good! In fact, my almost-1-year-old picked all the meat out of his dinner and ate it before he ate anything else. The recipe comes from a family friend that gave me the recipe at my bridal shower a little over 3 years ago. I did grill the chops, but you could also bake them (since I know not everywhere has weather condusive to grilling in the middle of winter!). I would probably bake them at 375*F for about 45 minutes- I'm guessing at the time. Just make sure that the juices run clear and the meat is cooked through. Or if you are a broiler pro (I am not) you could also broil the chops. However you cook them, these will be sure to please!

Marinated Pork Chops

4 boneless pork loin chops (you could use any cut of pork chop)

1 cup apple cider

2 Tbl brown sugar

1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Mix the marinade together, add the chops and marinate 4-6 hours. Bake till juice runs clear or grill!

Broccoli and Ham Ring

This is an old Pampered Chef recipe that I remember my mom making when I was growing up. I wanted to make something different, but easy, for dinner, and I immediately thought of this. It can be a little pricey with the crescent roll dough, so buy the store brand or use your favorite homemade roll dough if needed. Or to compensate for the cost of the dough, you could used leftover meat- I think even chicken or turkey would substitute well in this recipe. I found this version on razzledazzlerecipes.com. And I spaced taking a picture of the actual ring, and I didn't remember until it was too late. So if the instructions don't make sense in how to construct the ring, let me know and I'll help out as much as possible!

Broccoli and Ham Ring

4 oz. ham, chopped

4 oz. fresh broccoli, chopped

1/4 C. onion, chopped

1/2 C. fresh parsley, chopped (or about 1-1/2 Tbl dried parsley)

1 C. grated cheese (I used cheddar, but swiss would also be good)

2 T. Dijon-style mustard (I used regular prepared mustard)

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls

Preheat oven 350ºF. Coarsely chop ham, broccoli and onion. Add parsley, cheese, mustard and lemon juice to ham mixture; mix well. Unroll crescent dough separate into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle on a 13 inch round baking stone (or a pizza pan or cookie sheet) with wide ends of triangles overlapping in the center and points toward the outside. (There should be about a 6-inch diameter opening in the center.) Scoop ham mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring outside points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. (Filling will not be completely covered.) Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Brown Stir-Fry Sauce

I first had this recipe when I was visiting my mom a while ago. I am always a sucker for Chinese food, and this quickly made its way to the top of my home-cooked Chinese favorite dishes. I will be making this quite often! The recipe comes from Blog Chef and the picture is from the time I had the dish at my mom's (I've made it recently, but I forgot the picture!). You can also make the whole dish to your own taste. For example, we sauteed garden fresh vegetables and chicken, added the sauce and then served it over rice. But you could use any combination of meat and veggies that sounds good. This would also be a great clean-the-fridge-out dish!

Basic Stir Fry Sauce (Chinese Brown Sauce)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

4 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon oil

Step 1: In a bowl mix soy sauce, brown sugar, chicken broth and corn starch. Make sure the mixture is well combined and set aside.

Step 2: Add 1 teaspoon of oil to a wok or saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir fry for 10 seconds. Add the chicken broth mixture and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce becomes thickened and bubbly.

Snappy Stir-Fry

This was so easy, and so delicious! Plus it is one of those dishes you can adapt to help clean out your fridge of leftover meat and vegetables. While rice noodles are our favorite, this recipe is also good with rice. I mixed my noodles into the stir-fry, but just served the stir-fry over the rice. We've also loved it with shrimp in it. A trick I learned with the shrimp is that if you buy it from the butcher block, they taste less fishy than the kind you buy out of the freezer case. This recipe came from Better Homes and Garden magazine on budget meals and is one that will be on our table frequently!

Snappy Stir-Fry

1 pound peeled and deveined fresh or frozen shrimp or thinly sliced boneless meat (such as beef, pork, chicken or turkey- even leftover meat will work)
2 Tbl vegetable oil
4 cups cut-up vegetables (use whatever you have but the recipe suggests things like zucchini, yellow summer squash, sweet pepper, onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, garlic, corn, and peas)
Quick stiry fry sauce or 3/4 cup bottled stir-fry sauce (I made the sauce; the recipe is at the end of the post)
2 to 3 cups cooked rice, noodles, or pasta
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional (like peanuts, cashews or almonds- I left these out)

1. (Skip this step if using precooked meats) If using, thaw frozen shrimp. Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tbls of the oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp or meat; cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes until shrimp is opaque or meat is cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, remove shrimp or meat from skillet. Discard any cooking liquid from skillet.
2. In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add vegetables; cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes or until all vegetables are crisp tender. (I like to add the harder vegetables, such as carrots, first and let them cook for a couple of minutes before I add more delicate veggies, like cabbage. That way all of the vegetables are cooked right and nothing is mushy!)
3. If using, stir Quick Stir-Fry Sauce. Add shrimp or meat and stir-fry sauce to vegetable mixture (this is also where I add the cooked rice noodles). Cook and sitr until sauce is bubbly. Reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Serve over cooked rice. If desired, top with nuts. Makes 4 servings.

Quick Stir-Fry Sauce: In a 1-cup glass measure, whisk together 2/3 cup chicken broth, 2 tbls soy sayce, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp sugar (white or brown), 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and 1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper.

Teriyaki Pork Marinade

I got this recipe from Ellie Krieger, the health food guru from the Food Network. The original recipe is titled "Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin," but where pork tenderloin is a spendy piece of meat, I used thin cut pork chops and it was delicious. I served it with garlic mashed potatoes and peas.

Teriyaki Pork Marinade

2 Tbl soy sauce

1 Tbl canola oil (I used vegetable oil)

1 Tbl brown sugar

1 Tbl dry sherry (I left this out as I don't cook with alcohol)

1 Tbl rice vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced (I used 1/4 tsp garlic powder)

1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger (I used 1/4 tsp ground ginger)

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 pound of pork

Combine ingredients in plastic bag and marinate at least 30 minutes (up to 8 hours) (I marinated for an hour and it was great!). Cook until pork is cooked thoroughly (the original directions said to broil the meat, but I cooked mine at 350*F until done).

Simple Pan-Fried Pork Chops

This recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman, and it was delicious! I love to drool over her beautiful food pictures, but rarely do I make anything of hers. These pork chops were so delicious and not dry at all! I think the frying really helps to lock in the juices. I used regular pork chops that were boneless and not cut as thin as they should have been, but they still turned out well.

Simple, Pan-Fried Pork Chops

• 7 pieces Or 8 Pieces Breakfast Chops (very Thin Bone-in Pork Chops)
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste
• ½ cups Canola Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• Extra Salt And Pepper, To Taste

Rinse pork chops. (Yes, I rinse my pork chops. Please don’t be hatin’.) Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops.

Combine all dry ingredients. Dredge each side of the pork chops in the flour mixture, then set aside on a plate.

Heat canola oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add butter. When butter is melted and butter/oil mixture is hot, cook 3 pork chops at a time, 2 to 3 minutes on the first side; 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. (Make sure no pink juices remain.) Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining porch chops.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ok, so this isn't really an actual recipe. It's more of an idea with some guidelines. This meal is one of our favorites because it's really low key, but it is delicious and can be dressed up as much or as little as you'd like.

For the meat, all you do is take the following:

1 pork roast (it can be whatever cut of meat you'd like, even tougher cuts of meat work well)
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (I like Kraft's spicy honey and you probably won't use the whole bottle, but you want to have enough for the meat)

Put it in the crockpot and cook on low until the pork is cooked. You can also cook the pork by itself until it is done and then add the sauce and let it sit on low for an hour. If you'd like you could also add some salt and pepper to the pork, but since you are adding sauce, I don't think you need it.

Then serve it on your favorite buns or rolls. I like to serve mine on jumbo rolls that I make from the Debbie's roll recipe I've posted before (I make 5-6 jumbo rolls per batch of dough). Then if you want to dress up your sandwich a little bit, add toppings. Here are a few I've either used before or that I think would taste good with the pork:

Cheese (I've only used cheddar before, but I'm curious if Swiss would taste good?)
Sliced green pepper
crisp lettuce leaves
tomato slices
red onion slices