Sunday, February 21, 2010

Recipe of the Week! Slow Cooker Pulled Jerk Pork Sandwiches

For a great meal when you come home from work... put your crock to use! Try this great version of BBQ Pork and you'll be dreaming of summer in no time!


1boneless pork shoulder (2 1/2 lb)
1tablespoon Jamaican jerk seasoning (dry)
1/4teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1cup cola
2cups barbecue sauce
8sandwich buns or flour tortillas (8 to 10 inch)

1. Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Remove fat from pork. Rub jerk seasoning over pork; sprinkle with thyme. Place pork in slow cooker. Sprinkle with onion. Pour cola over pork.

2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.

3. Remove pork from slow cooker; reserve 1/2 cup juices. Use 2 forks to pull pork into shreds. Place pork in slow cooker. Stir in barbecue sauce and reserved juices. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 30 to 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Spoon filling onto buns.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Recipe of the Week! Pan Seared Scallops on Linguine

Our Recipe of the Week is a Recipe for TWO being the big Valentine's Day is coming! There's no need to go out to a fancy restaurant... in the cold... only to come home and resume all normal activities... I'm being prejudiced towards the scant few people left in my life who are SINGLE or don't have any kids yet! :) Not much going to the bar or staying out all night left in this girl!

My suggestion is the find a sitter for the kids AWAY from home and surprise your sweetie with a great meal you don't have to wait for. Followed of course, but some cuddling on the couch and well... other things depending on how long the kids are away! LOL! {Yes, I really just said that, but HEY!}

Anyway, here is a start for your romantic evening... If any of the men who might happen upon this website are like my husband... the first course, salad, can pretty much be eliminated. So we'll skip to the main course. Maybe I'll talk about dessert in another post, but just having a nice meal between 2 people with no other distractions can be nice all by itself!

**Now... If you're new to cooking scallops... I suggest going to your local grocer {since most of us don't have a local Fish Monger!} and asking specifically for the scallops. If they're fresh, even better, but if you must buy them frozen, either defrost them in the fridge which is the preferred method, or put them in a bag and run them under COLD water. Warm water will certainly thaw them faster, but also cook them and make them rubbery. Ick. Please take consideration of all the proper methods of defrosting, because when you're paying a little more for these tasty morsels... well... you want to make sure they're still tasty!
Pan Seared Scallops on Linguine... with a tomato cream sauce...

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup minced shallots
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2/3 cup chopped seeded plum tomato
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups hot cooked linguine
  • Cooking spray
  • 3/4 pound large sea scallops
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Chopped cilantro

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium skillet; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Drain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids.

Return wine mixture to skillet. Add cream; cook over medium heat 1 minute. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Stir in tomato, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add linguine; toss well. Cover and keep warm.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Arrange scallops in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Add scallops to pasta mixture; toss gently to combine. Garnish with cilantro, if desired

Monday, February 1, 2010

Recipe of the Week! Bacon Mac & Cheese

The ultimate comfort food! Now, I really don't know anyone who doesn't like Mac 'N' Cheese, but if you are out there.... Sorry! Kick up your standby recipe a notch, or break out of the Kraft rut {nothing against Kraft, I use it myself...) but here's something that you can serve with a refreshing salad and call it a meal. And who wouldn't like that little bit of broiled goodness on top!?

Recipe courtesy of CookingLight.com

Ingredients

  • 3 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 12 ounces strozzapreti or penne pasta
  • 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups skim milk, divided
  • 2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1/4 cup sliced green onions
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Bring 6 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. Combine flour and 1/2 cup milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add 1 cup milk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until it cools to 155°. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, onions, hot sauce, pepper, and bacon; stir. Add pasta; toss. Spoon into a 2-quart broiler-safe dish coated with cooking spray; top with 1/2 cup cheese. Broil 7 minutes.