Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

In the depths of winter we need a little bit of summer flavor. This recipe will bring back memories of warm summer days. Yum!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

• 1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast

• 1 cup barbeque sauce

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 cup chicken broth

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 extra large onion, chopped

• 2 large cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

• 8 hamburger buns, split

• 2 tablespoons butter, or as needed

Directions

1. Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir in the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours.

2. Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices.

3. Spread the inside of both halves of hamburger buns with butter. Toast the buns, butter side down, in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Spoon pork into the toasted buns.

Image via Pxhere - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0) Public Domain

No Knead Artisan Style Bread

This is a very easy bread to make without any kneading. Bake in a Dutch oven or heavy casserole dish. The bread comes out very crusty and with huge holes throughout, just like at the bakery.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 2/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F)

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (optional)

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (optional)

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the water and herbs, if using, and mix well. The dough will be very sticky and shaggy-looking. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 18 to 24 hours.

2. Generously flour a work surface. The dough will have risen and will be covered in bubbles. Transfer the dough to the work surface and dust it with flour. Fold the dough in half, and then form the dough into a ball by stretching and tucking the edges of the dough underneath the ball.

3. Liberally flour a kitchen towel (do not use terrycloth). Place the dough ball on the floured towel. Cover with another floured towel. Let the dough rise for about two hours [see footnote].

4. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F. Place a lidded Dutch oven or deep heavy duty casserole dish (with lid) into the oven to preheat.

5. Carefully remove the hot baking dish from the oven. Remove the lid and gently turn the dough ball into the ungreased baking dish, seam-side up; shake the dish so the dough is more evenly distributed.

6. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake until the crust is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the loaf from the baking dish and let it cool on a rack before slicing.

Sausage, Veggie, and Apple Sheet Pan Dinner

This Sheet Pan Dinner is the perfect way to use those seasonal veggies and herbs. It's an easy recipe to throw together and it has the perfect flavors to make you feel warm and cozy on cold winter nights.

Ingredients

• 12 oz. smoked turkey sausage, sliced into 1/3-inch thick slices

• 16. oz sweet potatoes,* peeled and diced into 3/4-inch cubes

• 16. oz. brussels sprouts, halved

• 1/2 medium red onion, diced into chunks

• 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 tsp each dried thyme, sage and rosemary (crush rosemary)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 crisp baking apples, cored and diced into 1 1/4-inch chunks (I recommend honey crisp.)

• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  

2. Add sausage, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, apples, onion and garlic to sheet pan.

3. Drizzle everything with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme, sage and rosemary then season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. 

4. Roast in preheated oven 15 minutes then remove and toss.  

5. Return to oven and continue to roast until veggies and apples are tender, about 15 minutes longer.

6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

Easy Granola Bars

This basic granola bar recipe can easily be modified to fit your tastes. Add nuts, substitute the raisins with other dried fruit, add different grains, the sky is the limit with these granola bars. Shoot! Add some chocolate chips! Yummy!

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup wheat germ

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup raisins (optional)

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Mini Philly Cheesesteaks

Miniaturized sandwiches don't usually float my boat, or submarine, as they're almost always not as good as the full-sized versions, but these mini Philly cheesesteaks really captured everything I love about the classic.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, or as needed

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed

• 1 cup cold milk

• 2 ounces shredded provolone cheese, or more to taste

• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

• salt to taste

• 1 (12 ounce) skirt steak

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, or as needed

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/3 cup diced onion

• 1/3 cup diced sweet peppers

• 2 baguettes, or as needed, cut into 48 1/2-inch thick slices

• 1/4 cup shredded provolone cheese, or as needed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil.

2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk flour into hot butter and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is pale and flour taste cooks off, about 1 minute. Pour milk into flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is hot and thickened, 3 to 6 minutes. Add 2 ounces provolone cheese, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and salt; stir until cheese is completely melted. Remove from heat.

3. Season steak all over with salt and ground black pepper.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steak in hot oil, turning occasionally, until meat is slightly firm and pink on the inside, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate.

5. Return skillet to heat and pour water into the skillet; bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Pour liquid from the skillet over steak. Cool steak to room temperature; dice meat and place meat and accumulated juices from the plate into a large bowl.

6. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; saute onion and peppers in hot oil until softened and slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.

7. Stir peppers and onions mixture into diced meat; season with salt and pepper.

8. Spread bread slices out on prepared baking sheets and drizzle remaining olive oil over the top. Turn slices over so that the oiled-side is facing down. Spread a thick layer of cheese mixture onto each slice. Spoon meat mixture over cheese. Sprinkle provolone cheese over the top of each slice.

9. Bake in the preheated oven until browned and cheese is melted, 12 to 15 minutes.

Orange Pumpkin Bread

You can try this moist loaf with an orange cream spread, butter, or leave plain. For a variation, try substituting dates for the raisins.

Ingredients

• 1 large orange

• 1/3 cup butter, softened

• 1 1/3 cups white sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup canned pumpkin

• 1/3 cup water

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• 1/2 cup chopped raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

2. Cut orange into wedges, and remove seeds. Place orange, peel and all, in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the pumpkin, water, and the ground orange. Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir into batter just until moistened. Stir in nuts and raisins. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan.

4. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, then remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack.

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Image by Rebecca Siegel

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