Hawaiian Pulled Pork with Pineapple Guacamole

I know I overwhelm you with all of the pulled pork I make, but it's just so fun and so easy.  And I can eat it all week, in many different formats.  The original recipe is for skillet nachos, but I cut out the middle and went straight for it.  So good.  Such a success.  So many more pulled pork recipes to come, I'm sure!

Hawaiian Pulled Pork with Pineapple Guacamole
adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

3-4 lb pork butt, trimmed and cut in large hunks
garlic salt
15 oz can chopped pineapple
1 cup BBQ sauce, divided
1 large red or sweet onion, sliced

Pineapple Guacamole:
2 avocados
1 garlic clove, minced
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/4 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
salt

Place the pork in a large crock pot and season generously with garlic salt on all sides.  Add the can of pineapple and it's juices, 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, and sliced onion.  Mix slightly and cover.  Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, until meat shreds easily.  Shred, then mix 2 cups pork with remaining 1/2 cup BBQ sauce.  Discard cooking liquid.  Freeze the extra pork.

Meanwhile, combine avocados, garlic, lime juice and salt in a bowl.  Smash with a fork until desired consistency is reached.  Fold in cilantro and pineapple tidbits.  Serve pork topped with pineapple guacamole with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, and extra BBQ sauce for dipping.

Buffalo Chicken Polenta Bites

Buffalo Chicken Polenta Bites
from Housewife In Training

1 (18 oz) tube of Polenta
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/4 to 1/3 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce
1 avocado
4 oz crumbled blue cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat a skillet over medium heat.  Spray with non-stick spray.  Slice polenta into 15 slices.  Once skillet is warm, add polenta.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until golden brown, then flip and cook again for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.  While polenta is cooking, combine shredded chicken with hot sauce.  In a small bowl, mash avocado with a fork, keeping some small chunks.  Fold in blue cheese crumbles, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Drizzle with a little lemon juice and mix, to prevent browning.  Once polenta is done cooking, layer with avocado mixture, then the chicken and sprinkle with cilantro.

Indian Spiced Chicken Burgers

Yes, another burger.  That one that was all wet and goopy really set me off and I told you I had a bunch more recipes to try.  This was delicious.  I can't remember what recipe I bought the Garam Masala for, but I'm glad I had it on hand.  This mixed up so quickly in the food processor and cooked perfectly on my grill pan.  I'd mix and match with different types of buns.  I used a potato roll and it was just okay.

Indian Spiced Chicken Burgers
from Eat Live Run

1 lb ground chicken
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 inch knob fresh ginger
1/4 of a large yellow onion
3 tsp garam masala
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
buns for serving

Place the seeded jalapeno, cilantro, ginger and onion in a food processor and pulse until finely minced.  Add the ground chicken, egg, panko, salt and garam masala and mix well to combine in the food processor.  Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Form patties out of the meat mixture and place in the skillet.  Cook about 6 minutes per side, or until juices run clear.  Serve as you'd like.

Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches

This is one of my favorite things ever!  I've made it a couple of times because I bought the Giardiniera and pepperoncini practically in bulk (not really, but the jars are huge).  It's SO GOOD!  It's great for setting up Friday before you go to work, so you don't have to mess with much when you get home.























Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
from Iowa Girl Eats

3 lb chuck roast, trimmed and cut in large chunks
1 envelope Zesty Italian salad dressing mix (dry)
8 oz pepperoncini slices + splash of juice (and more for serving)
8 oz Giardiniera, drained (and more for serving)
14.5 oz can beef broth
provolone cheese slices
sub rolls

Place the roast into a large crock pot and sprinkle with the salad dressing mix.  Add pepperoncini plus a splash of juice, Giardiniera and beef broth, and then lift up the meat to make sure it gets under it, too.  Place the lid on top and cook on low for 9 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork.  Shred the meat, then place back into the crock pot and cook on low for 1 more hour.  Split the buns and scoop the shredded meat on top. Top with provolone and serve.

Crockpot Sweet Corn and Jalapeno Dip

Oh sweet corn goodness.  Holy, holy yum.  Definitely keep the seeds in the jalapenos.  This dip needs a  nice little kick.  So good with Frito Scoops.

Crockpot Sweet Corn and Jalapeno Dip
from Crockpot Gourmet

16 oz bag frozen sweet corn
1 diced jalapeno, seeds and ribs intact!
8 oz chive and onion flavored cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in crockpot.  Cook on low until completely melted for 2-3 hours.  Stir every 20 minutes or so.

Chicken and Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers

When I will learn to always blanch peppers before I stuff and bake them?  Hopefully after this.  I loved the stuffing.  I love that it doesn't include rice, because that would throw my sometimes diet way off.

Chicken and Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers
from Herb on Herbs

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 24 oz can or bottle of spaghetti sauce
8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz shredded cheddar or pepper jack (or a mix of both)
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
4 bell peppers, blanched
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large bowl, mix together chicken, cream cheese, half of the cheese, spaghetti sauce, salt and pepper.  Cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds and membranes.  Blanch in boiling water for about 1 minute.  Set in a baking dish.  Stuff with chicken mixture.  Top with remaining shredded cheese and sprinkle with panko.  Bake for 30 minutes and serve.

Baked Salmon Cakes

I think you've been reading along long enough that this is kind of out of left field for me.  But I went with my gut (literally) and it worked out so well.  I will make again, and I will also try to substitute crab (do NOT tell Maryland!).

Baked Salmon Cakes

from Skinnytaste

1/2 lb salmon filet

kosher salt, to taste

olive oil or cooking spray

1 tbsp olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup small-diced red onion

1 1/2 cups small-diced celery (4 stalks)

1/2 cup small-diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup small-diced yellow bell pepper

1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used a couple shakes of dried)

1 tbsp capers, drained (I omitted)

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1 1/2 tsp Old Bay 

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

3 tbsp light mayonnaise

3 tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Season salmon with salt.  Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  When hot, lightly spray with oil and add the salmon.  Cook until browned on one side, about 5 minutes, then turn and cook on the other side for 5 minutes, or until salmon easily flakes.  Set aside on a dish to cool.  Add olive oil to the pan and then add onion, celery, red and yellow bell peppers, parsley, capers, hot sauce, Old Bay, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are soft, approximately 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.  Flake the salmon into a large bowl.  Add the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard and eggs, egg whites.  Add the vegetable mixture and mix well.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to mesh flavors and make easier to work with.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.  Shape the batter into 15 (1/4 cup) cakes and place on prepared baking sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.