Easy Marmalade Pork

A few weeks ago, my family went to a friends house for dinner. That right there is a special occasion, because my kid goes to bed at 7:30, and when that time comes- its not a scenario that is appropriate for public viewing. To put it bluntly, she turns into devil child. So, we usually try to stick around home at night so as to not experience the devil child situation or make for an unpleasant evening with the public.

We are working on this. You know, trying to teach our little minion to be more flexible around bed time...dang is it hard to train a child that is a clone of yourself. I have found I take her temper tantrums and attitudes very personally- which is another thing I am working on.

I am not a natural at this mothering thing like I thought I would be.

Back to the dinner at our friends house.

So she made this apricot chicken, that was SO good, I wanted to drink the sauce. I am not even joking a little. She gave me the recipe and I have made it twice since....which in our house is rare. I hardly ever make the same thing within the same month- just cause I love experimenting with different flavors and such. Does anyone else get overwhelmed with all the incredible combinations of food there are out there, just waiting to be created??? Maybe I have too much time on my hands....

(no corn syrup- yay!)

The second time I made this recipe, I used marmalade instead of apricot preserves, just because the store I was at didn't have apricot preserves without corn syrup in them.

And I doubled the sauce. And used pork tenderloin instead of chicken thighs.

I posted a picture the night I made the pork and marmalade version, and captioned that it was the stuff dreams are made of.....except I wasn't joking. It was even better with the marmalade, me and the husband agreed.

Did I mention its made in the crock pot, too?

Sorry, I'm already married.

But if you're looking to get hitched, make this for your future spouse.

Marmalade Crock Pot Pork 
1 - 1.5 pound pork tenderloin
most of a 25  oz. jar marmalade
2 tsp. Dried onion flakes
1-2 tsp. jarred garlic
2 TBSP. Low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. Mustard (dijon or yellow)
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients, except for the tenderloin, together in the crock pot. 3-4
Add in pork and coat well with sauce.

Cook on low 6-8 hours, or high 3-4 hours, flipping pork half way through and coating with the sauce occasionally.

Try to not drink the broth before you serve it.

We had ours over quinoa that's been cooked with chicken stock, salt and pepper, a roasted pepper and goat cheese salad, and biscuits! The best.

Cheddar Bacon Swirl Rolls

I haven't done a post in a reeeally long time! 

It feels good to be back...I have made SO many recipes in my time being gone, but I haven't taken the time to write down anything...and I have just been to busy  lazy to blog about any of it. My apologies. I have been eating good eats and haven't shared one bit of it.

I don't know how women that have full time jobs, take care of their house, kids, do all these catering events, cook amazing meals AND blog about it.....can do it! I'm just not like that...I wish I was....but I'm learning what I can and can't handle, and it's just not worth overwhelming myself and putting too much on my plate. I'd rather be able to relax and enjoy things more.

One of the things I have been enjoying lately are these rolls.

Warm out of the oven, the rolls are sooo soft, the cheese is so gooey, and the bacon is so bacony.

Also there is butter and garlic in there. Yes, these are easily some of the best rolls I've made or had.

Cheddar Bacon Swirl Rolls
Makes 12-14 rolls

My dinner roll recipe, halved
4 tbsp butter, room temp
1-2 tsp garlic powder
2-3 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 lb. bacon

Make your dough like the recipe says to, except halve it...unless you want a toooon of rolls.
While dough is rising, heat your oven to 425.
Spread bacon on a cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake bacon for 12-15 minutes, until crispy.
Remove from pan with a spatula, and allow to drain on paper towls.
After dough has risen for one hour, roll it out on a lightly floured surface, into a rectangle.
With the long side paralell to you, spread the butter all over the surface and sprinkle with garlic powder.
Sprinkle cheese evenly over the butter. I like mine extra cheesy, so I would do 3 cups.
Crumble bacon evenly all over cheese.
Tightly roll up dough.
You should have a long, skinny roll of dough.
With a dough cutter, or a large, sharp knife, cut dough log into about 2 inch sections.
Place each cut section into a greased 9x13" pan, swirl side up.
Allow rolls to rise another hour, before baking for 18-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Enjoy!

Antipasto Bake

I made this last week for dinner....Now remember, it's just me and my husband and our 14 month old daughter...

This stuff didn't even last 24 hours.

We LOVED it! 

I've been doing this new rating system thing, where I ask my husband what he thinks of our meals on a scale of 1-10. This way I know if I should waste my time making the dish again or just throw it in the trash....I don't usually have a thick enough skin for these types of things, but I figured I would give it a try anyways.

This antipasto stuff was a 9.

Meaning it was pretty great..............I HIGHLY suggest you make this for your man. If I have learned nothing else since I have been cooking for my husband, it's that men love simple food. With a lot of meat. And cheese. They don't care how it's made- so long as it's hearty and flavory.

Antipasto Bake
adapted from tidy-mom

2 cans crescent dinner rolls
1/4 lb. thinly sliced ham
1/4-1/2 lb. provolone cheese
1/4 lb. swiss cheese
1/4 thin sliced salami
1/4 lb. pepperoni
3 eggs
4 tbsp. parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. black pepper

• Pre-heat oven to 350.
• Layer 1 can crescent rolls in a greased 9x13" pan. 
• Layer the meats and cheese on the dough.
• Beat the eggs, parmesan cheese and pepper, and evenly pour 3/4 of the mixture over the meat and cheese.
• Place the second layer of dough over everything, and with your hand spread the remaining egg and cheese mixture over the the crescent dough.
• Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 25 minutes.
• Remove foil, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until dough is puffy, risen, and golden brown!

Enjoy! You will love this and your husband will love it even more! :)

The Best EVER Sweet and Sour Crockpot Pulled Pork

Okay you guys. I made this for dinner tonight, and I could. not. stop. eating it.

It was a party in my mouth. I have never had pulled pork so flavorful and just so darn amazing...This is by far the ultimate pulled pork recipe!

Sweet and Sour Crockpot Pulled Pork
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup water
1 cup vinegar (white, apple cider- doesn't matter)
4 TBSP. reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 lbs country style boneless pork ribs

Mix brown sugar and flour in a medium saucepan.
Add the rest of the ingredients except for the meat, and turn heat to medium.
Stir constantly until sauce thickens and boils.
Place ribs in crockpot; Pour sauce all over. Ribs should be completely covered.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours (which is what I did) or on high for 5-6 hours.
Shred pork with two forks.
I served ours with a greek salad, oven roasted sweet potatoes, and fresh homemade french bread!

Perfect!
You won't be able to stop soaking up the sauce with your bread!

The World's BEST Dinner Rolls

The other night, I made these dinner rolls to go with our dinner. I felt like the wife of the year, because everything for that dinner came out PERFECT. A roast chicken that was so moist and perfectly cooked it melted in your mouth, scalloped potatoes with green onions and canadian bacon that were so flavorful and cheesy, you couldn't help but go back for seconds and thirds, and fresh corn from the neighbor- need I say more?!
But the dinner rolls, oh.....oh my.
We could have made a meal just from those.
My husband said to me in between mouthfuls of chicken he sandwiched in these amazing rolls: 'I'm having these for breakfast tomorrow, and if you want, you can just pack me these rolls with some chicken in them all week; these are incredible. Moan moan, sigh sigh.'
But since I didn't realize when I started to make the recipe that it made 24 rolls, after dinner I sent my husband to the neighbors with some....Today, our neighbor stopped me on my way out and told me (while he was clutching his chest and his eyes rolled in the back of his head) that they were 'the best rolls he ever had.'

So, if you're still sitting there wondering if you should make these or not, I will help you and tell you that yes, yes you should.

They are so soft, sweet, buttery and everything a roll should be.

The World's BEST Dinner Rolls
Adapted from Our Best Bites

2 Cups of whole milk (yes, WHOLE-trust me)
2/3 cup very warm water
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
8-9 cups AP flour
3 beaten eggs

Combine milk, water, butter, 1/2 cup sugar, butter and salt in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until butter is melted.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
In an electric mixer, add the butter/milk mixture, 3 cups of flour and yeast.
Mix til combined.
Add in beaten eggs (eggs must be beaten to ensure everything gets evenly distributed so you get perfect rolls!)
1 cup at a time add in remaining flour until you have a soft dough that doesn't stick to the side of the bowl yet sticks to your finger when you touch it.
It will firm up during the rising process, but you want it to be a little sticky so the rolls are soft and light instead of heavy and dense.
Cover bowl with a hand towel and put in a warm place.
Allow to rise 1 hour.

After the dough has risen to twice it's size, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut in half.

Spray 2, 9x13" pans, or a roasting pan (which is what I used) with cooking spray.
Roll one half of dough into a rectangle and cut into 12 equal sized pieces.

Shape each piece into a ball and place in prepared pan.

Repeat with other half of the dough.
Pre-heat oven to 375, and allow rolls to rise 30 minutes.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

When you take the rolls out of the oven, immediately rub a cold stick of butter to coat the top of each roll for the most amazing dinner roll experience of your life.

You don't even need butter for these babies- trust me!

Enjoy and Happy Friday!

Easy Pizza Pasta Bake

Believe it or not, there are some nights I just don't feel like cooking dinner or at least doing anything fancy...

Last night was one of those nights. I had like, 7 different kinds of cheeses hanging around my fridge leftover from other recipes I had made, and I wanted to use them up before they went bad.

And seeing a bunch of little chunks of random cheese in my fridge was stressing me out.

So I threw this stuff together and it was D-E-LI-CIOUS.

So easy. So fast. So yummy.

Easy Pizza Pasta Bake

(Serves 4-6)

Pre-heat oven to 350.

8 oz. Pasta

2 Cups canned, unseasoned tomato sauce

2 Cups grated cheese (1 Cup mozzarella, and the other cup can be whatever you want)

1/2 Cup turkey pepperoni slices, halved

3 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

1 Tsp. dill

1 Tsp. italian seasoning

1 Tsp. parsley

1/2 Tsp. red pepper flakes

Cook pasta according to package directions.

When pasta is cooked, drain and return to pan.

Add in tomato sauce, spices, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and the pepperoni.

When everything is well covered and mixed, pour into a deep pie plate, or a 9x9" pan.

Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese  on top.

Bake for 15 minutes.

EAT.

Fish Tacos

I have been trying really really hard to keep a lot more fruits and veggies in our house, and less boxed processed foods...it's definitely a challenge since my husband likes to have things on hand that he can just grab and eat that aren't fruit.

So far though, it's been going pretty good- I've been experimenting and have come up with some really yummy, filling and even vegan meals! Obviously this isn't vegan, but it is super healthy and one of our favorites.

It's perfect for a light dinner, and bursting with flavor...your mouth will be so happy! I usually keep it simple and just make some oven roasted potato wedges on the side. It's perfect.

Fish Tacos

• Salsa:
• 3 Peaches, diced
• 2 Mangos, diced
• 2 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro (or 1-2 Tsp. dried)
• 1 T. Lime Juice
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt
• 1/4 Tsp. Chili Powder
• 1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 4 Large Strawberries (optional)

• 1 Lb. Fish (Salmon is best)

• For Breadcrumbs:
• 1/2 Bread Crumbs (homemade is best)
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Chili Powder

• 8, 6" Taco shells (soft or hard, I made my own- So easy!)

Combine all salsa ingredients, and let the flavors mingle and marinate in a covered bowl for at least 1 hour, but the longer the better!

To prepare the fish, cut into 2-3 inch strips.

Combine the breadcrumbs, salt and chili powder. 

Add fish, tossing to coat.

Place fish in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Serve Salsa with fish in prepared taco shells! 

Enjoy!

Dinner Tonight!

My husband always tells me that he can tell when I cook with love and enjoy the process, and when I am making dinner just to get it done and not loving it so much.

Which makes perfect sense.

When  I make food, I want people to eat it and go, 'wow'-and for a moment, forget all their problems and be immersed in the moment.

Some nights, If I know the meal I have planned takes a lot of steps, or there are some things that I can make ahead of time I'll prep here and there a little at a time throughout the day...this makes the actual dinner making process a heck of a lot easier and more enjoyable. It also helps if the baby takes her nap like she's supposed to during that time.

I've never understood why people DON'T enjoy cooking...It makes me so sad! But, to each their own, I suppose! There are days where I simply just have no imagination and therefore, don't want anything to do with my kitchen...but I find that the part that makes it fun and worthwhile is when we sit down after a long day, catch up on things and enjoy the food I made...To me, there is nothing better! It's not about following a recipe and getting the measurements right, or freaking out about not having the right ingredients- It's about  imagination, improvising, a lot of tasting as you go, and a lot of love.

With that being said...I want to share with you the dinner I made last night. It wasn't anything fancy or crazy, but the flavors and the simplicity of it were out of this world! Mr. Husband was a very happy man with a very full tummy.

I'll start off by sharing the salad:


Romaine Heart Casar Salad
serves 3-4


2 Romaine Lettuce Heads
1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (whatever you desire)
1 Recipe homemade dressing
Homemade croutons

Start off by getting out the biggest bowl in your kitchen.
Tear off the outter leaves of your Romaine heads, so you are down to the nice, crisp hearts.
Chop off the end of the hearts, and give them a good rinse. Dry well.
Leave your lettuce leaves whole and put in the big bowl.

For the dressing:
(this makes a lot so if you halve it, i'm sure it will be fine, or you can just keep the extra in your fridge.)
6 Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp. White Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Lemon Juice

In a Magic Bullet, food processor or even blender, combine garlic, mustard, vinegar and a pinch of salt.
Blend very well to form your base.
Slowly pour in your olive oil while blending.
Scrape sides down to make sure it's all combined and add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Pout desired amount of dressing all over your lettuce leaves and toss to completely coat.
Add in Parmesan cheese.

For the croutons:
3-4 Slices of thickly cut bread (Italian is best!)
3 Tbsp. Butter
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Paprika ( If you don't have this, don't worry about it.)
1 Tsp. Pepper

Cut Bread into 1/2 inch cubes.
Melt butter. In a bowl, toss cubes with butter and spices. Be sure to coat bread very well.
With oven on 425, toast cubes on a well greased pan for 10-15 minutes, til golden brown.

I waited to put the croutons on the salad til the last minute. Warm, fresh croutons on a crispy, cold salad are out of this world!!!
Eat with your hands. No joke.

We also had a side of oven roasted mushrooms and asparagus in white wine and butter, but we ate those too fast for me to get a picture of. They were divine- Here's how it goes:


Mushrooms and Asparagus in White Wine and Butter:
serves 4
1 Bunch asparagus
1 Package Whole, not sliced,Mushrooms ( don't worry about exact size or anything, just whatever size you get will be perfect.)
2 Tbsp. Butter, melted
2 Tbsp. White wine
pepper to taste

Cut off 2-3 inches from bottom of asparagus.
Melt butter, mix with wine, pour all over veggies in pan, asparagus on bottom, mushrooms on top.
Sprinkle with pepper.
Bake at 425 in a round casserole dish, or a 8x8 deep pan, for 15 minutes. Poifect.



So, for the best part: these rolls have a lot of steps, but don't worry....they're actually super easy cause the steps are spread out over a few hours, so you can do laundry, clean, chase your children around or just read a book with some coffee and bon- bons in between.

South African Sausage Rolls:
Serves 4
For the Pastry:
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Stick butter
1/2 Cup sour cream
1 Egg white
For the filling:
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. ground beef
2 tsp. of your favorite meat seasoning
1 tsp. salt (if your seasoning has lots of sodium already, skip this.)

Start by mixing the flour and salt in a bowl.
Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until it resembles large peas.
Add sour cream and cut in with a butter knife.
When it starts to come together, with one hand knead the dough. Don't add more liquid to the dough even if it seems like it needs it. Just keep kneading.
So many knead's/ need's. So confusing.
When it comes together, wrap in plastic wrap that is lightly spray greased. Place in a ziplock bag, and allow it to rest in the fridge for an hour.

For the filling, add meat and seasoning to a bowl. Mix with one hand.
Tear 3 Large strips of plastic wrap and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Form 3 sausages with the meat mixture, each measuring about 12 inches long.
Roll in the plastic wrap and let rest until your dough is ready.

After your dough has rested for an hour, roll it out onto a lightly floured surface into a rectangle.
Fold the rectangle into thirds, so it forms a parcel.
Turn dough 90 degrees, and roll out again the long way to form another rectangle, folding it into thirds again...repeat 3 more times.
Place on a pan and refrigerate for another hour.

Assembly:
Pre-heat oven to 425.

Roll dough parcel into a rectangle, about 12" x 18" and cut into thirds the short way.
Roll thirds out individually a little more if needed so your sausage rolls can fit nicely.
Brush edges of dough with egg white, fold dough over and pinch to seal. Leave the ends open.
You can cut them to whatever size you want, or just leave them long.
Place seam side down on a lightly sprayed pan and brush with egg whites.
Do same thing to other 2 rolls.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Serve with marinara sauce, or chutney. I did both, and we LOVED them with the chutney. Here's the recipe I used for Mango chutney, but you can pretty much use any tropical kind of fruit to make it. I also added extra crushed red pepper for an extra kick. Wicked good!!!

It doesn't look fancy, but it tastes fancy.

I'll post the dessert we had, next:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Box Cake!

Enjoy cooking!