Pulled Pork Panini

Last week I took a day off work to spend with my best friend. She is the same age as me - early 30s - and owns three restaurants in the town of Belfast, Maine (a pub, an Italian place, and a Mexican place). She is pretty amazing.

So of course I had to make her an awesome lunch. Every time we go to visit her she treats us to lunch at whichever restaurant of hers that we want to go. Believe me, the good life is eating at a nice restaurant with the owner at your table.

I decided on pulled pork paninis and a curried carrot soup. We had recently had pulled pork and coleslaw (cabbage and carrots came in the winter CSA) for supper and I had made some bread just for this. I've been wanting to make a cake and decided this was a good opportunity. I'll include the pulled pork, coleslaw and panini recipes here and the cake one will be separate.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Source: Pioneer Woman

1 medium sized pork butt/shoulder
1 large onion, quartered
1 bottle soda (I used Dr. Pepper)
1/2 small can chipolte peppers
4 tablespoons brown sugar

Season the pork with salt and pepper. Lay the onion quarters on the bottle of the crock pot. Put the pork on top of them and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the pork and pull, removing the fat from the meat. (Pioneer Woman suggests adding the pulled pork to the sauce in the crock pot but I think it would have been too spicy for my toddler so I left it as is and loved it.)

Creamy Coleslaw
Source: Martha Stewart

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I did half mayo and half yogurt)

1/4 cup sour cream

1 small green cabbage, finely shredded

2 medium carrots, coarsely grated

Whisk together mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a small bowl. Refrigerate dressing, covered, until ready to use, or up to 2 days.

Put cabbage, carrots, and onion (if desired) in a large bowl. Pour in dressing, and toss thoroughly. Refrigerate, covered, until slaw begins to soften, 1 to 2 hours. If not using immediately, refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days. Just before serving, toss coleslaw again.

Pulled Pork Panini
Source: ME!

Sour dough bread or focaccia

Salted butter

Pulled pork

Coleslaw

BBQ sauce (I used an awesome maple sauce made in VT)

Cheddar cheese, shredded

**I wanted to add caramelized onion but I forgot to make them ahead of time**

Heat panini press or grill pan on medium. Butter the bread and then layer all the ingredients on one slice, putting cheese on top and bottom. Top with the other piece of bread and panini press it! YUM.

Lobstah Salad Sandwich

Looks good doesn't it?

Lobster salad should be free of crap. A tiny bit of real mayo to hold it together. A few pieces of diced celery. Buttered and toasted bread (I would have prefered a hot dog roll but we didn't have any). That is it. Let the lobster speak for itself.

This looks a hell of a lot better than the ants on a log that I am eating right now.



Aarti's Chicken Salad

Have you watched the Food Network show, Aarti Party? I am in love with it. She is so cute and has the sweetest accent. And the food she makes is really creative but doable. This chicken salad recipe came from this month's Food Network Magazine. The flavors are pretty strong so if you don't like that kind of thing maybe move along or don't use so much curry, cumin and garlic. I, as you could probably guess, love strong flavors and love this chicken salad. The sweetness of the grapes and apples offsets the curry and cumin. Yummy!! Oh. And I used split chicken breasts because they are cheaper and I think they retain moisture better than a breast without the bone.


Lady Marmalade Chicken Salad

Source: Food Network Magazine

Yield: 4 servings


2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons orange marmalade

1 medium shallot, minced

1 green apple, diced

1 cup red seedless grapes, halved

Juice of 1 lime

1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt, mixed well

1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds or cumin seeds

1 clove garlic, minced •2 teaspoons curry powder

2 tablespoons roasted salted cashews, chopped

Fresh cilantro leaves, for sprinkling



Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Put the chicken breasts on the foil and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and rub until coated. Pop the chicken in the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 150 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes. Switch the oven to the broiler setting. Brush 1 tablespoon marmalade on each chicken breast. Broil, brushing occasionally with the pan drippings, until the chicken is cooked through and golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Meanwhile, build the salad: Toss the shallot, apple, grapes, lime juice, yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon marmalade in a large bowl. Heat the canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the mustard seeds and garlic; cook until the seeds stop popping (cover if they're popping out of the pan). Quickly add the curry powder; cook, stirring, 30 seconds, then pour the spiced oil over the yogurt mixture. Stir until combined. Once the chicken breasts are cool, thinly slice them. Fold into the salad and adjust the salt and pepper. Top with the cashews and cilantro.

Roasted Chicken and Focaccia Salad

This is a really easy and healthy lunch. The original recipe says that it takes 30 minutes to make. It took me about 5.

This is a great way to use up any leftover chicken and bread. I loved this warm salad.

Roasted Chicken and Focaccia Salad
Source: Better Homes and Garden
Yield: 2-3 servings

5 T olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 t Italian seasoning
1 t sugar

1/2 loaf focaccia, torn into chunks

2-3 cups roasted chicken

1/2 cup Greek olives, chopped

2 heads romaine lettuce

Whisk together 4 T of the oil, the vinegar, seasoning, and sugar. Set aside.

Tear lettuce into pieces and put into serving bowls.

Over medium high, heat the 1 T oil and then toss in the torn bread. Let toast for 5 minutes. Remove from pan.

To the same pan, add the dressing, chicken, and olives. Heat through and then add the bread. Put this ontop of the lettuce and have at it!

Smashed Caprese

I made this up on the fly!! I wanted a quick side to go with my veggie and tofu stack and I thought a cold salad would offset the hot veggies nicely. I chose to smash the mozzarella so it was more distributed and easier to eat on bread. This was awesome.

Smashed Caprese Salad
Source: ME!
Yield: 2 servings

1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 ball of fresh mozzarella
8 basil leaves, sliced into strips
Olive Oil
S&P

Combine the tomatoes and basil, smash the mozzarella in your fingers and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with S&P. Serve as a side salad or on grilled bread.

Barley and Bean Salad

This is an awesome versatile salad. You can use any kind of canned beans that you have on hand. I used black beans and cannelini beans. The original recipe called for kidney beans but I didn't have any. Chickpeas and pinto beans would be nice as well. I love beans.

I brought this salad to a BBQ at my father's house so that Seth would have a salad to eat that he liked. He doesn't like mayo based salads and my family does. I didn't anticipate my family liking this since it is barley and beans. They loved it!! My father went in for seconds!! I was so happy!

Barley and Bean Salad
Source: Erin's Food Files
Yield: 6 servings

1 cup pearl barley
2 cups water
2 cups of canned mixed beans
1 cup fresh corn cut off the cob, or canned corn kernels
1/2 cup red onions, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced

Dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2/3 cup olive oil

In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boil. Stir in barley and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 30-40 minutes or until tender. If using a rice cooker, increase water to 2 1/2 cups. Allow barley to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled barley, beans, corn, red onion and bell pepper. Mix well.

Combine remaining ingredients, whisking in olive oil. Pour over salad and toss well.

Serve at room temperature or chill in fridge for several hours.

If serving chilled, reserve some of the dressing to pour over salad just before serving.

Pesto Pasta Salad

I love summery salads. This is one that I make somewhat often. It is very versatile so I add whatever veggies I have on hand at the time. Tomatoes, peppers, olives, onions, cukes, zukes, carrots, etc. The measurements for everything but the oil, water and pesto mix is a guess. I just cook up a bunch of pasta. I especially like to use bow ties for this one. It makes me feel fancy.


Pesto Pasta Salad
Source: ME!
Yield: 4-6 servings

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 envelope Knorr pesto mix
2 garlic cloves, minced
dash crushed red pepper
1/2 box bow tie pasta
Mixture of veggies

Cook and drain the pasta. Whisk together the oil, water and pesto mix with the garlic and crushed red pepper. Add the pasta and veggies. Toss to coat. Chill.

Spinach and Barley Salad

This is my favorite salad so far this summer. I want to come up with a new name for it. Something in reference to the green of the salad. I'm not sure what to call it yet.

This came together quite quickly (aside from cooking the barley). The best part was that it was still good the next day, I just served it up on a fresh bed of spinach. Or maybe the best part was the unanticipated crunch of walnuts. No, no, the smooth avocado.

Eh. It was all awesome.

Spinach and Barley Salad

Source: Cate's World Kitchen
Yield: 6 servings

4 cups water
1 1/2 cups pearled barley

1 medium zucchini, diced
4 cups (or more) spinach leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 avocado, cubed
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

Bring the water to a boil and add the barley. Simmer until tender, 30-40 minutes, then drain the excess water. Let cool.

Combine the diced zucchini, spinach, walnuts, avocado, red onion, and green onion in a large bowl. Add the barley and mix well.

To make the dressing, mash the garlic and salt with a mortar and pestle to make a smooth paste. Transfer to a blender and add the lemon juice, cilantro, olive oil, and a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, then add as much as desired to the salad, tossing to mix.

Rainbow Bright Slaw!

We had a BBQ over Memorial weekend and I wanted to make a nice healthy slaw that Seth would love. He hates mayonnaise and he doesn't like cold potatoes and we had macaroni salad last week. I remembered having this really nice and bright slaw at a potluck lunch at my old job. I checked out the coworkers blog and found the recipe!

I looove this and plan on making it often. On her blog she referred to it as Asian Slaw but I'm naming my version Rainbow Slaw. I love all the colors...that means lots of vitamins and lots of flavors. I am listing her original recipe but I made a few changes and omissions and plan on playing around the the recipe each time I try it. Seth suggested slicing a bit of jalapeno into the slaw.

Oh. And I love the ginger flavor. Excellent!


P.S. Even my brother ate this!

Rainbow Slaw
Source: Keeley Kitchen Kapers
Yield: 4-6 servings

1 package of shredded cabbage (or shred your own)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, julienned into match-size pieces
1 celery stalk, sliced paper thin
1/2 red onion, in paper thin slivers (or 4-5 scallions, chopped)
1/3 cup slivered almonds (or peanut halves)
1 T freshly grated ginger (grated, not minced- use a microplaner for best results)
1.5 T canola oil
2 T white balsamic vinegar (can use regular vinegar but add a teaspoon of sugar if you do)
Optional: minced cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix the oil, vinegar, and ginger- set aside.
2. Mix all the veggies together. Add salt and pepper.
3. Pour on liquid and toss thoroughly.

Sweet Cheeks Guac

This is my own version of guacamole. It is chunky, flavorful, and versatile. I like to scoop it with chips but I also like to put it on my veggie burger. It is great in a burrito and the last time I served it I used it as a side with chips next to Cajun shrimp.

You can make this to your liking. My sister likes hers extra limey. I like mine with extra cumin. You could also had some hot sauce or chopped jalapeno for a bit of heat. I'm guessing on the measurements for the recipe below. I usually eyeball it and taste here and there. I'll do my best!


Sweet Cheeks Guac
Source: ME!
Yield: 2 servings

1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 plum tomato, chopped
2 T olive oil
Juice of half a lime
4-5 shakes cumin
Salt
5 sprigs cilantro, torn

Cube the avocado and mash slightly leaving large chunks. Add the onion and chopped tomato. Drizzle with olive oil and lime juice. Stir. Add cumin and salt. Add cilantro last so it is nice and fresh.

Cobb Salad...the vegan way

Get out the vegetable peeler! You are going to peel carrots...lots of carrots...then...even more carrots!! But I swear to you, it is worth it.

This recipe came from the Candle Cafe Cookbook that I received as a gift a year or so ago. I'm certainly cooking vegan much more now that I have a couple good cookbooks to reference. I love the tofu salad part of this recipe, it has great flavor and I took a scoop of it (no veggies or salad) for my lunch the day after making this. I think you could put that tofu salad in a wrap and be delighted with that lunch.


Candle Cafe Cobb Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
Source: Candle Cafe Cookbook
Yield: 2 servings

1 pound tofu, cubed
2T chopped fresh dill
2T chopped parsley
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/4T white miso
1/2 cup tahini
S&P
1t fresh lemon juice
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrots
4 cup mesclun
1 large tomato, sliced
3 thin slices soy cheese
5 button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup homemade croutons
1 cup shredded carrots
8 slices tempeh bacon
1/2 cup dressing (recipe below)

Bring pot of water to boil, add tofu and cook 1 minute.

Mix blanched tofu, dill, parsley, scallions, miso, tahini, S&P and lemon juice. Fold in celery and carrots.

Assemble rest of ingredients as salad and top with a big scoop of tofu mixture. Pour dressing over salad prior to serving.

Carrot Ginger Dressing
1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 cup diced onions
2 cups shredded carrots
2T apple juice
1t toasted sesame oil
1 cup safflower oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar

Blend ginger, garlic, onions and carrots in food processor. Add apple juice, sesame oil, safflower oil and vinegar slowly until well blended.

Smashed Chickpea Salad

This is another recipe that I've been meaning to make for about a year. I first saw this on Smitten Kitchen and thought it looked so simple, healthy, and delicious. Finally this past weekend I made it.

While chopping and rinsing vegetables I thought of my friend who married me and Seth. This is a dish she would love. She was always bringing into work some sort of amazing salad. And for the most part she just did these off the top of her head! For pot luck lunches she would share salads with combinations that I wouldn't think of; always healthy, always delicious. So this one is for you J.M.! I think you will really like it! :)

I ate some of this on rosemary bread and found it to be a little tough to eat as a sandwich. The next day I did the same and ate it open face and that worked pretty well. The last day I added a big scoop on top of my salad and that was great too! Very versatile!!

Unsmashed...

Smashed!

Smashed Chickpea Salad
Source: Smitten Kitchen
Yield: About 4

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons pitted, halved and very thinly sliced black olives
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Zest and juice from half a lemon
Couple good pinches of salt
A few grinds of black pepper
A few glugs of olive oil (the original is quite oily, like bread-soaking oily, I went a little lighter. Both ways are delicious)

Mix everything but the olive oil in a small to midsize bowl. Very lightly smash the chickpea mixture with the back of a fork or a potato masher. You’re not looking for a hummus-like puree but something closer to a coarse chop with a few smaller bits to hold it together. Add the glugs of olive oil, mix it lightly and enjoy.

Herb Vinagrette Potato Salad

Some where along the line I feel that I've lost my blog followers. I never had many but I enjoyed the comments I was getting. Now I have none! Did the newness wear off? Was it the vegetarian sloppy joes? They were good, I swear!

At any rate, I will continue. At least I amuse myself.

Back when I was working (I remember those days well...getting a paycheck so I could buy groceries) we had potluck lunches. The last one I attend was highlighted by this potato salad. No mayo in this one! My coworker was nice enough to pass along the recipe. I was dying to make this for Seth who swears that he doesn't like potato salad. He claims that he doesn't like the mayonnaise part. Well, perfect, he'll love this salad.

So one warm night I made a vegetarian barbecue which included this salad. I made the dressing from scratch (my first time!), I put lots of love and care into slicing all of the veggies and cooking the potatoes. We sat down, I watched him take a bite and he seemed to like it. Once he had cleaned his plate I said, "So, you liked the potato salad?" he sort of made a face and replied, "I think I don't like cold potatoes."

Really? That's it? Ugh. Men.

Herb Vinagrette Potato Salad

Source: Former coworker

Yield: 4 servings

3/4 lb small, scrubbed new red potatoes

3/4 c. vinaigrette dressing

1 13oz. can artichoke halves, quartered

1 small green pepper, cut into strips

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 small red onion, in rings

1/4 c. black olives, halved

1/4 c. parsley, snipped

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender but firm (about 15 minutes), drain, cut into quarters.

In a large bowl, pour dressing over potatoes.

Add remaining ingredients, toss gently to mix. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Transfer to serving dish and dig in!

Eggless Egg Salad

People keep asking me why I made tofu egg salad and not just egg salad. I don't have a good answer. I wanted to try tofu egg salad since I've never had it and it isn't exactly a hot commodity in Augusta, Maine. Your sandwich options as a vegetarian are much more slim than those who like deli meat (believe me, I miss quality Italian meats). Sure you can pile your sandwich high with veggies and hummus and cheese. Sometimes I like it outside of the box!

I love that this looks like egg salad. The color comes thanks to turmeric. The flavor comes thanks to dry mustard. I put mine on multi-grain bread with lettuce. Tomorrow I'm just going to put a scoop of the tofu salad on a garden salad. I'm really looking forward to lunch tomorrow!



Creamy Tofu Salad
Gourmet Magazine
Serves 4

1 (14-oz) package firm tofu, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste


Finely mash tofu with a fork in a bowl, then let drain in a sieve set over another bowl, about 15 minutes (discard liquid).
While tofu drains, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, turmeric, and mustard in bowl, then stir in tofu, celery, chives, salt, and pepper.

The Ladies of 1969

This is my second year catering a brunch for a group of women who all graduated from Gardiner Area High School in 1969, one of them being my mother in-law. The menu stayed the same this year upon request. I guess that means they enjoyed it the first time around!

The first dish is a baked french toast with a pecan praline topping. This is a Paula Dean recipe so you know it is going to be really rich!

Baked French Toast with Pecan Praline Topping
Food Network

Serves 6-8

1 loaf French Bread
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows

Directions
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.

Up next is Elaine's Christmas Morning Casserole. Elaine was my mother's best friend and the funny part of this is that Elaine went to the same high school as these ladies although she graduated a couple years ahead of them.

Christmas Morning Casserole

Elaine Melvin

6 Slices Bread, Cubed
12 Eggs
2 Cups Half and Half

½ # Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 # Sausage Meat
1 tsp Dry Mustard

Line 13 x 9 casserole dish with bread. Sprinkle sausage meat of bread. Add layer of cheese. Combine eggs, ½ & ½, mustard and salt & pepper. Pour over other ingredients. Let soak overnight. Bake @ 375 for 35 – 45 minutes.

Brunch would not be brunch without blueberry muffins. Made with Maine blueberries that I froze over the summer. I made them mini so the gals wouldn't get full on them.

Easy Wonderful Blueberry Muffins

My own recipe

Yields 6 huge muffins or 18 mini muffins

¼ Cup Butter

½ Cup Sugar
1 Egg
3 tsp. Baking Powder

1 ½ Cups Maine Blueberries

1 Cup Milk

2 Cups Flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat until combined. Mix in dry ingredients followed by milk. Carefully stir in berries. Bake 350 25 minutes.

I also made a faux Cloud 9 salad. Cloud 9 is the restaurant in a hotel in Augusta. They serve their salad with an orange ginger vinaigrette but I used Brianna's Strawberry dressing.

Faux Cloud 9 Salad

Mesclan Greens

Bleu Cheese

Strawberries

Candied Walnuts (made by cooking sugar with some orange juice then tossing in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and then baking until caramelized.)

Top with fruity dressing of choice.

For dessert I bought chocolate cups and filled them with a lucious chocolate mousse.

Chocolate Mousse

Hershey's Recipes

Serves 8

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Cocoa
2 cups (1 pint) cold whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl; let stand 2 minutes to soften. Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is clear. Cool slightly.
2. Mix sugar and cocoa in large bowl; add whipping cream and vanilla. Beat on medium speed, scraping bottom of bowl occasionally, until mixture is stiff. Pour in gelatin mixture; beat until well blended.
3. Spoon into dessert dishes. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Garnish.

And lastly I made a fruit plate with oranges and grapes. At this time of year it is so hard to get fresh fruit. Even the oranges weren't great yet and clemmies don't slice very well.

To sugar the grapes for garnish I mixed egg white with some water, brushed that over the grapes and sprinkled with sugar. Let dry to harden.