Weeknight Red Beans and Rice

This recipe was born after I bought way too many cans of red beans. I have no idea what I was thinking, but somehow I accumulated more than 25 cans of red beans over the course of a year. We typically eat black beans, so I still don't know how or why I made this mistake, but I decided it was time to find a recipe for these beans.

I'm not from New Orleans, so it goes without saying that this red beans and rice recipe probably isn't authentic. Despite this fact, it tastes great and it's quick enough to prepare that you can put it into your weeknight dinner rotation.

I browned the vegetables in a little rendered bacon fat, which brings an extra layer of smoky flavor to this dish. I keep bacon fat in my refrigerator for special meals. Whenever I cook bacon I pour the rendered fat into a mason jar and store it in the refrigerator. However, you can substitute vegetable oil if you don't have or use bacon fat. You can also use a chicken andouille sausage if you don't eat pork.

Most of the ingredients have a decent shelf life, so you can shop for this meal a week or more in advance and have everything on hand for when the mood strikes you. I was looking for a change from the typical pizza/pasta/sandwich quick weeknight dinner rotation. I wanted something complex and savory. This hit the spot. It's very savory, a little spicy and has a a fresh ending with those green onions on top. The leftovers are even more awesome than the original meal.

Weeknight Red Beans and Rice
yield: about 6 servings

3 tablespoons bacon fat (or vegetable oil)
1 medium onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 piece of smoked turkey (you can find smoked turkey parts in the meat section of the grocery store)
about 14 ounces of andouille sausage or smoked sausage
1 1/2 cups water
3 cans of red beans (I use small red beans), 2 rinsed and drained and one straight from the can
chopped green onion, for garnish (optional)

Heat bacon fat in a wide pot on medium-high heat until melted.

Saute onion, celery and bell pepper until softened, about 3-5 minutes.

Mix in garlic, tomato paste, thyme, garlic powder, black pepper and smoked paprika. Stir and cook for about two minutes.

Add in smoked turkey, smoked sausage, water and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Simmer for 15 minutes. Use a potato masher or the back of a spoon to mash up about half of the beans to thicken the sauce. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Check seasonings. Add salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve over rice. Garnish with green onions, if desired.

Barilla Pasta with Chorizo and Chickpeas

If you're looking for a weeknight pasta dish that's not run-of-the-mill, check out my most recent recipe on the ShopRite Potluck Blog for Barilla Pasta with Chorizo and Chickpeas. You can use whatever shape pasta you have on hand and if you don't have or don't enjoy chorizo, Italian sausage (turkey or pork) is a great alternative. The leftovers are good for lunch the following day and the chickpeas are an affordable healthy way to add bulk and flavor to this dish.

Check out the recipe here.

Tailgating... at home!

I'm on a quest to enjoy autumn this year. I normally associate fall with cool weather, short days, and back to school chaos, but now that we have a toddler I am also trying to embrace the family time, cozy nights and fall colors.

A few weeks ago my mom, brother and cousin went to an Eagles home game and raved about their tailgating experience. I'm not sure if I'll get to an NFL game this year, so I decided to do my best to re-create the party atmosphere at home this past Sunday.

Earlier this year, we invested in a Traeger grill. I had never heard of them, but I'm so glad that we bought one. They aren't cheap, but our Traeger (we have the 'Lil Tex Elite) has replaced our big, dirty charcoal smoker and we often use it instead of a regular charcoal grill. Yes, the Traeger is expensive, but we paid way less than retail at our local Costco. And remember, we love to grill, so we feel that it was a worthwhile investment for our family. We used our Traeger earlier this month to smoke a turkey breast and a pork shoulder.

The key to smoking is to cook your meat low and slow. This requires a controlled temperature and a lot of patience. It's also best if you burn wood to flavor your meat. Using our Traeger is like Wood Smoking for Dummies because you just load the smoker, set the digital thermostat and let it run. I baste the meat occasionally, but it's so low-maintenance that I feel comfortable running to the store or watching a movie while our dinner cooks.

We put our turkey and pork shoulder on the Traeger right after breakfast and they were ready to eat by early to mid-afternoon. We enjoyed the meat later as pulled pork sandwiches with and turkey, bacon and cheddar paninis. The leftovers were amazing.

While we're on the topic of tailgating, here are a few of my favorite party recipes for football season:

Super Bowl Meatballs - You can make these in advance and freeze them.
Roasted Tomato Salsa - This one uses Roma (plum) tomatoes, which are available at a decent price year-round.
Spicy Salsa Wings - Pick your favorite salsa (jarred works great here!) and adjust the heat to your liking.

In all honesty, I'm not a big football fan, but I love the opportunity to cook and eat game day food, so tailgating at home is a winning idea for me. Do you have any favorite football food recipes? Link them up in the comments!

P.S. Traeger doesn't know I exist, I'm just sharing my experience with our new grill.

Breakfast Hoagie

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend full of family, fun and good food.  Maybe after eating all of that traditional food you're in the mood for something quick, but still indulgent if you have a day off this week.

In the name of all things ridiculous, why would you want to eat a hoagie for breakfast?  I thought it sounded crazy, too, but around these parts we have a lovely convenience store/gas station/fast food mart called Wawa.  Wawa started selling breakfast hoagies earlier this year.  If you've ever lived in the Philadelphia area you'll know that Wawa is legendary for having everything you need to get through your day.

Case in point:  We discovered the breakfast hoagie on our way to the beach back in August last year. I pulled in to get gas and a cup of coffee and to make a rest stop.  My hubby went up to the deli counter to get us some food.  He noticed that they had breakfast hoagies for $2.99.  $2.99 for bacon, eggs and cheese made to order on a classic 12-inch hoagie roll?  Okay!  He ordered one and devoured the entire thing.  I got in a bite or two.  I'll admit, it was good.

So what if you don't live near a Wawa?  What if you live near one, but you don't feel like getting in your car and driving to get a fast food breakfast sandwich?  What if you are like me and you like really good quality bacon and the finest American cheese?  Well, you'll need to make your own breakfast hoagie!

If you live in a place that doesn't have fresh hoagie rolls I feel sorry for you I hope you can find some type of long roll that's crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.  Once you have the roll, you're on a roll!

First I cooked up some bacon.  I like to roast mine in the oven for about 12 minutes at 400 degrees.

I turned on the broiler and put the roll under the broiler for a few minutes to toast it up... Then I scrambled up some eggs and started layering everything on the roll...

First eggs, then cheese, then bacon (not eggs on top like I did in this photo... doh!)...

The cheese is like glue for the eggs and the bacon.  Pure deliciousness.  Of course, this isn't exactly a healthy breakfast, so make this an occasional treat and save it for a morning when you  know you're going to have a long day.

And there you have it!  A homemade breakfast hoagie.  A simple combination of toasted bread, eggs, cheese and bacon that's enough food for two reasonable adults (or one very hungry husband).  You don't even need a recipe for this one!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

In my effort to fully embrace autumn, I'm keeping up with my recent trend of preparing seasonally-appropriate recipes.  This latest creation is inspired by the October 2011 cover of Bon Apetit magazine:

I saw this beautiful stuffed, prosciutto-wrapped pork loin and I immediately decided I had to have it.  I ended up making my own version of this dish that's probably a bit easier than the original.  And I'll admit it, it's a pretty impressive dinner!

Before we get started, let's deal with a few things.  First, the pork issue.  I know some people don't eat pork and I know some people have eaten pork, but don't think they like it.  If you're open to the idea of eating pork, but you don't think you like it, may I suggest that you may be the victim of too many over-cooked pork dishes?  I've experienced more dry, gray-ish, chewy, poorly seasoned pork than I care to remember.  There's a huge difference between lean, juicy, properly cooked, properly seasoned pork and dry, under (or over) seasoned, chewy, fatty pork.  I want you to have a positive experience with cooking pork tenderloin (or loin), so I'm offering some suggestions.

First, follow a good recipe and season your meat properly.  For me this means using kosher salt and fresh herbs as either a rub or a brine.  I've posted several pork recipes that use these techniques and I promise they are all good and they will make you a culinary rock star if you can follow the instructions.  Brined Pork Loin is almost guaranteed to be juicy and well-seasoned.  Roasted Pork Loin with Herbs and Garlic is a great choice if you don't have time to brine.  Stuffed Pork Loin is a great choice once you gain some pork loin confidence. The recipe I'm sharing today falls somewhere in the middle in terms of difficulty.  It doesn't require any advanced planning, but you have to be skilled enough to wrap pork with pork.  It's not difficult at all, but it does require a few extra minutes.

Second, do not overcook your pork.  Buy a meat thermometer.  You can get one for less than $10 at most stores and it's well worth the investment.  Why ruin $15 worth of meat because you couldn't tell the internal temperature?  Cook with confidence and use a meat thermometer.

Finally, let the pork rest before serving, but don't let it rest in a hot oven!  You definitely want to let pork rest 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving, otherwise you'll lose all of the seasoned juices from the meat.  What you don't want to do is put the pork back in a warm oven to "rest" before serving.  It will continue to cook and will be in danger of turning gray and chewy... not good.

Okay, on to today's recipe, Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Loin!  I just happened to have 1/4 pound (4 ounces) of proscuitto in my refrigerator.  You can probably find this in the deli section of your grocery store.  Mine was with the pre-sliced, pre-packaged meats.

I almost always have both pork loin and pork tenderloin in my freezer.  I'm obsessed.  Plus, there's a big difference between the sale price and the regular price for pork tenderloin, so when it goes on sale, stock up!  I chose pork tenderloin for this recipe because it's thinner and smaller (sold in packs of 2, each loin is about 1 pound).  It cooks pretty quickly, so the proscuitto doesn't burn while you're waiting for the pork to finish roasting.

The first few steps can be done in advance... maybe the day (or morning) before serving.  If you break this recipe down, it's not difficult at all.

Rub the pork with the herbs and spices...

Wrap the pork in prosciutto.  Tie the prosciutto to the pork using butcher's twine (this isn't fancy stuff, you can find it at most grocery stores and it costs about $2)...

Place the pork atop an assortment of root vegetables and fall fruits (I used potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pears... carrots and onions would also be great).

Roast the pork until done (about 40 minutes).  The vegetables will likely need to roast for closer to an hour, so just remove the pork and let the veggies keep cooking.  Everything will be at perfect serving temperature when the vegetables are done.

Serve with a green vegetable, like Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.  Invite a few friends over, 'cause this meal will serve 4-6 people.  We invited my mom to dinner and enjoyed this fabulous meal with a bottle of apple cranberry wine from Vermont... you know, that trip to Vermont that I still haven't got around to blogging?  (Coming soon, I promise!)  It was so good that my husband thought he had forgotten an anniversary or my birthday!  This is an impressive meal, people!

It goes without saying that I probably wouldn't make this on a weeknight.  The hands on prep took me about 45 minutes and the roasting took another hour.  However, this meal is really impressive in both taste and presentation, so I highly recommend it for a Sunday dinner or a small dinner party.  I also like that it's served family-style, so you just bring this beautiful masterpiece to the table and let people go to town!

I can't think of a better way to use my favorite cut of meat and some fresh herbs that are still alive in my garden.  I just made a classic even better... give this one a try!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
by Keeley
serves 4-6 


Special equipment:  butcher's twine for tying the pork (you can find this at any kitchen supply store and many grocery stores), a large roasting pan (although any broad pan that will allow the veggies to spread out without touching will work)


Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (I use Diamond Kosher Salt.  If you use another brand, use less salt!)
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
3 Tablespoons chopped rosemary (about 3 sprigs)
2 cloves of minced fresh garlic
extra virgin olive oil
about 1 1/2 pounds root vegetables and fruit for roasting (sweet potatoes, white potatoes, carrots, and pears are an excellent combination), chopped into 2" pieces

In a small bowl (or the bowl of a mini food processor) mix garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper and about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.  Rub this spice paste on the pork.

Carefully wrap the pork with the slices of proscuitto.  Secure the prosciutto to the pork by tying it with the twine.

Line roasting pan with foil.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if it has a "roast" setting or "convection roast" setting, use it).

Place chopped vegetables on the line roasting pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat with a few tablespoons of olive oil.  The vegetables should be spread out enough that they are not crowded on the pan.  This will allow them to cook evenly.

Place the prepared pork loin on top of the vegetables.  Roast in a preheated oven until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees (start checking your roast at 30-35 minutes).  Do not overcook.

The pork may be cooked before the vegetables are finished roasting.  If this is the case, remove the pork from the oven and place it on a cutting board.  Continue to cook the vegetables while the pork rests for 15-20 minutes.  After the pork rests, gently remove the twine (I used scissors), slice and serve with hot vegetables.

Brined Pork Loin

I really thought I knew how to cook a pork loin.  I wrote this recipe a few years ago and I was so excited to share it on my blog.  While that original recipe is really good, I will admit that when you know better, you do better, so I'm proud to say that I'm a brining convert.

It all started when Pioneer Woman posted this recipe for brined turkey last Thanksgiving.  I forwarded it to my mom and asked if she'd consider brining the Thanksgiving turkey.  Long story short:  mom brined the turkey, it was beyond delicious and now mom and I are both big fans of PW.

My new mantra on pork loin is if you have the time, then brine.  You can absolutely get moist, flavorful pork (or turkey) without brining, but with a little advance planning you can pretty much guarantee that your meat will come out perfectly.

So, what is brining?  It's soaking raw meet in a sweet salty solution for a day (or a few days) prior to cooking.  The meat doesn't end up salty, but it does get flavorful throughout and stays moist after cooking.  Brining gives you a lot more leeway when cooking foods like turkey breast or pork chops, which tend to dry out if you cook them a few minutes too long.

My first reaction to brining was that it must be really difficult.  First of all, who in the world would use all that salt and sugar on meat?  Also, how am I going to cool this hot brine down in time to pour it on my food?  It's just too much.

I was wrong, it was easy.  Trust me.

First you dump your salt, sugar and other flavorings in a pot.  For this brine I used whole coriander seed (picked it up at the farmers market for a few dollars - you can find it at any well-stocked grocery store), whole black peppercorns, garlic cloves and an orange.  Yes, I know, that's quite a combination!

Then I poured in a quart of water and brought the whole mixture to a boil. 

Once the salt and sugar dissolved, I removed it from the heat and cooled the whole mixture down with about four cups of ice. Then I put a big zip-top bag in a bowl (just in case it decided to rupture and cause a salty waterfall in my fridge), put the pork in the zip-top bag and poured the brine into the bag.

I put the whole bowl in the fridge and went on with my life.  I worked a few days.  I ate at Chick-fil-a.  Bought some cds at Target.  I almost forgot that I had dinner marinating in my fridge.

After a day or two, I pulled the pork out of the brine.  I grabbed some fresh rosemary from my garden, chopped it up and rubbed it on the pork. 

I drizzled a little olive oil on the pork, then roasted it (fat side up, so all the goodness could saturate the meat) for about 45 minutes...

Let it rest a few minutes before you slice it, or the juices may run all over the place.

But, when it's ready to slice...

Slice it thinly.  Or thick.  I like thin slices for sandwiches and thicker slices for eating straight up.  We enjoyed our pork loin with Yukon gold mashed potatoes, then put the leftovers on jalapeno cheddar bread for sandwiches for lunch.  Yeah... it was good.

Now, a few words of warning.  You should probably give the meat a quick rinse after brining, just to make sure it doesn't come out too salty.  Also, if you're using previously frozen meat (boneless skinless chicken comes to mine) please, please double check to make sure it wasn't already brined before it was frozen (read the package).  'Cause you may end up brining some already brined chicken.  And that would be salty... not that I did that or anything.

So, if you're short on time and you want to serve pork loin, go for Roasted Pork Loin with Herbs and Garlic because you don't have to marinade it in advance.  If you are planning ahead (maybe you are using a menu plan for the week), then try the brine!

Oh, and I know some people don't like to use their ovens in the heat of July, so try this one on the grill, too!  Just sear it over high heat first, then move it to the medium  heat on your grill.  Cook it covered until the internal temperature is around 160 degrees.  The recipe below is for the traditional roasted version that you can cook any day.

Brined Pork Loin
a Keeley original
serves 6

One, 3-pound pork loin
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt (I use Diamond brand - It's like $1 a box, buy it.)
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 orange, sliced
1 Tablespoon coriander seeds (optional)
2 Tablespoons black peppercorns
4 cups water
4 cups ice
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Day one

Preheat a medium pot to medium-high heat. 

Toast coriander seeds (if using) in the dry pot for about 30-90 seconds, or until fragrant.  Add brown sugar, salt, garlic cloves, orange peppercorns and water.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.

Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved, then cut off the heat.  Pour ice into the brine and stir until dissolved.  Brine should be lukewarm or cool.

Place the pork loin in a large zip-top bag and place the bag in a bowl.  Pour the brine over the pork.  Put the pork in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, up to 36 hours.

Day two (or three, or four)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove pork from brine.  Discard brine and quickly rinse pork.

Place pork on a roasting pan (preferably on a roasting rack), fat side up.  Rub olive oil and rosemary on all sides of the pork. 

Roast pork (fat side up) for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown and internal temperature reads about 160 degrees.

Let pork rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and seving.

Chorizo Burgers

I'm not a fan of beef hamburgers.  I know they are the quintessential all-American food, but I just don't care for beef.  Sure, I'll eat it if it's the only thing served at a party, but I prefer pork, chicken or seafood over beef every day.

We love to barbecue at our house and E normally makes a few hamburgers for the beef eaters who come to dinner.  We always end up with more hamburger rolls than burgers, so I wondered if there was a burger I could make that I would eat.  I remembered eating a chicken burger that was a spicy blend of sausage and chicken a few years ago, so I decided to try to make my own version. 

I used fresh Mexican chorizo (Primio brand). Chorizo comes in two styles:  fresh and smoked.  The smoked variety is firm and doesn't need to be cooked.  The fresh variety is soft like uncooked Italian sausage.  The fresh was the best choice for this burger because the spicy, fatty sausage blends well with the lean chicken.  The result is a spicy, sausage-like burger that's not to greasy and it's lightened up by the chicken.

I make my burgers about 3/4 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter with a sight indent in the middle.  The indentation keeps the burgers wide and flat when the middle puffs up during the grilling process.

These burgers only take a few minutes to form and you can park them in the fridge until you're ready to grill them.  I even made extra burgers and froze them for future barbecues.

Chorizo Burgers
a Keeley original
makes 4 burgers

1/2 pound Mexican fresh chorizo, casing removed
1/2 pound ground chicken
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients by hand.  Divide mixture into four equal portions and form into burger patties.

Grill over medium-high heat for about four minutes per side, or until burgers are cooked through.

Serve on a fresh roll with lettuce, tomato, red onion or other toppings of your choice.

Pork Enchiladas

Last week I shared an easy way to get a whole lotta juicy, flavored pork on your table with very little effort. I mentioned that you can make multiple meals off one huge pork shoulder, so here's a great alternative to the barbecued pork sandwiches from the last post:  Pork Enchiladas.

I always feel like a culinary genius when I figure out how to morph one meal into two, especially when the two meals are so different that it's hard to believe that they came from the same cut of meat.  As an added bonus, both the Barbecued Pork Sandwiches and these Pork Enchiladas heat up very well if you have leftovers, so you can pack them for lunch the next day at work.

These enchiladas feature my new BFF, Ro-Tel.  I didn't know anything about these canned tomatoes with green chiles, but once I "discovered" them, my world was changed!  I used them to make some salsa for Potluck and I've since decided that it's the only salsa recipe I need in my life.  This time I stirred some Ro-Tel into these enchiladas and I got a whole lot of Tex-Mex flavor with very little effort and few added calories - perfect for a weeknight.

I like to use corn tortillas for my enchiladas, but they are a bit more difficult to work with than flour, plus E prefers flour tortillas.  I ended up making half corn, half flour.  Do what you've gotta do to please your family.

Obviously this recipe isn't authentic Tex-Mex cuisine.  I am from Delaware, after all.  The ingredients are easy to find at any grocery store, even if you live in a small town.  I think you'll be pleased with the results.

Pork Enchiladas
a Keeley original
makes 4 servings

3 cups cooked pulled pork from this recipe
1 can Ro-Tel (I use Original flavor)
1 small onion, diced
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 teaspoons ground cumin
salt, to taste
28 ounces enchilada sauce (canned or homemade)
8 tortillas (corn or flour)
2 cups shredded cheese (I use a blend of cheddar and mozzarella)
chopped green onions or cilantro for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat oil to medium heat in a pan.  Saute onions until soft, about 4 minutes.  Add pork, Ro-Tel, cumin, and salt to the pan.  Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.  Check for seasonings and adjust salt if necessary.

Microwave tortillas until they are soft and pliable (about 30-60 seconds in the microwave).  (Corn tortillas are notoriously difficult to roll.  I recommend microwaving them in small batches of 2-3 between damp paper towels for 30-60 seconds.)

Pour 1 cup of the enchilada sauce into a shallow pie plate or similar dish.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

For each enchilada, dip the tortilla in the shallow plate of enchilada sauce, covering the entire tortilla with sauce.  Roll 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the filling into each tortilla, then place the enchilada snugly into the baking dish.  Repeat until you use all of the filling (or until you run out of tortillas).

Pour remaining enchilada sauce over prepared enchiladas.  Top evenly with cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and the enchiladas are lightly browned.  Garnish with green onions and/or cilantro, if desired.  Serve hot.

Pork Shoulder (or A Shortcut for Two Weeknight Dinners)

This is a pork shoulder.  Actually, it's half of a pork shoulder, specifically the "butt" end, although it's not a pig's behind, so don't worry.

That not exactly a convincing argument for this cut of meat, is it?

Please take my word for it, pork shoulder is really, really good.  Yes, I know that fat layer looks excessive and scary, but you don't eat the fatty parts.  Yes, I know it's huge and tough, but you cook it low and slow and it falls off the bone.

I've already shared a few recipes that utilize pork shoulder:  Carnitas, Carolina Chopped Barbecue, and probably another that I can't remember.  As much as I love pork, I never cooked this cut of meat until about two years ago.  I grew up eating tons of barbecue with my pop pop, including chopped barbecue, but I didn't attempt it myself until recently.  Now that I've had over a year's experience with pork shoulder, I have some tips and I'm ready to fully endorse it as a great weeknight meal.

First, don't buy a whole pork shoulder.  My grocery store (local readers know I love ShopRite), sells it cut in half and I buy the nice, rounded "butt" end and I prefer cuts that are 4 to 6 pounds, max.  Four to six pounds will feed 8 adults, or it will allow me to have a nice amount of leftovers for a second meal and lunches at work for a day or two.  I can buy a half pork shoulder for $5-8 at my store.

Second, cook it in a Crock Pot or a pressure cooker.  You can cook it for hours in your oven, but I haven't tried it.  If you have, let me know how that works out.  You'll need to cook it in your Crock Pot all day (I let it go on low for 10 hours while I'm at work) or you can get it on the table in less than 90 minutes if you use your pressure cooker.  Either way works fine.

Finally, save the leftovers.  I immediately pull all the meat off the bone, remove and discard the fat and put the pork in a recipe.  However, if you have way more than you need, pop it in the fridge for up to three days, or even freeze it.  I just wrap it tight and park it in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.  Next time you want pulled pork, you have a shortcut.

I like to season my pork with a healthy dose of dry rub up to three days before I actually cook it.  I'm sure you could season it at the last minute, but I like to let the flavor get in the meat.

I use a spice rub from use real butter.  It's a combination of cumin, paprika, onion powder, black pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.  It's a little sweet, a little hot, and a little smoky and it's not too salty.  It's a great base flavor whether you're going to use your pork for barbecue sandwiches or a Mexican-inspired dish.  Jump over to use real butter to get Jen's dry rub recipe, if you're interested.  Perhaps you have your own dry rub.  Whatever you do, just season your pork in advance.

(Pssst... if you don't eat or like pork, try this same recipe with the same quantity of boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  Adjust the seasoning to your taste.)

(I also LOVE Jen's vinegar-based sauce for Carolina-style barbecue sandwiches, but E prefers traditional barbecue sauce.  Go figure.  Try both on your pork and tell me what you think.)

I always brown my pork shoulder before I put it in the Crock Pot or pressure cooker.  I like getting a crispy crust and I think it sears in the juicy flavor.  Oddly enough, most of the time I prepare this dish you'll find me standing in the kitchen in my robe at 5:45 a.m. trying to get dinner in the pot before I get dressed for work.  It's not unusual to smell seared pork and spices in our kitchen before sunrise.

All you need to do is put a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan (preferably not non-stick) and take a few minutes to brown the pork on all sides...

Nothing like the smoky smell of pork at 6:00 a.m.

Then you just put the pork (fat side up) in the Crock Pot with about 3/4 cup of water (or chicken broth), set the timer for 10 hours on low and just go on with your day.  Sometimes my day is longer than 10 hours.  That's okay, your Crock Pot will keep your food safe and warm for up to 12 hours.

When I get home, I pull the fatty layer off the top of the cooked pork, remove the center bone, and begin pulling the meat.  The pork is so soft that it's very simple to pull.  I remove all fat from the pork and it's ready for dinner...

The crazy thing is that you can buy this meat already cooked for about $6 a pound in some stores.  That's at least three times what it cost you to do it yourself... crazy.

We opted to have pulled pork sandwiches on the first night.  Just separate the amount of meat that you'll need for your sandwiches and put the rest of the cooked meat in the fridge for your next meal.  I like mine on a soft bun in a vinegary sauce (I use potato hamburger rolls) and topped with red onion.  E likes a traditional, thick, sweet barbecue sauce.  Whatever floats your boat.

With less than 15 minutes of effort, dinner is served.  Plus, I have another recipe coming soon for the leftovers!

Hoppin' Jason

First, who or what in the world is a Hoppin' Jason?  This whole culinary ordeal started about a month ago when I was watching an episode of Cooking For Real on Food Network.  Sunny (the host) was working on some type of Southern-style menu and she made her version of Hoppin' John.  Okay, so what's Hoppin' John?  It's a black eyed peas and rice dish that's commonly enjoyed in the South.  Despite the old tradition that they bring good luck, I don't like black eyed peas.  Apparently, Sunny doesn't like them either, so she made a modification of the traditional dish and called it Hoppin' Jason.  Who is Jason?  Apparently he's her boyfriend.  Or something like that.  I don't know, but the food was good.

(Click "read more" below.)

Pepperoni Bread

Pepperoni Bread is the second in a series of three recipes that I'm sharing this week that utilize Easy Pizza Dough.  On Monday, I started off (predictably) with straight up Pizza.  Today I'm branching out to one of my favorite appetizers:  Pepperoni Bread.  There are lots of (more complicated) ways to make pepperoni bread, but this recipe is my easiest version yet.

What is pepperoni bread?  When I was growing up in New Jersey my mom would often purchase it at local Italian bakeries.  It's basically baked bread with a crispy exterior and a chewy exterior rolled up with pepperoni and cheese.  I like mine straight up, but E prefers his with a side of marinara sauce.  To me, it's just the right ratio of bread to filling.  It's not greasy or wet (as Stromboli can sometimes be), but it's moist and very flavorful. 

So how do you do this?

Roll out the dough into a rectangle (-ish) shape.  Top the dough with shredded mozzarella and sliced pepperoni...

Roll the dough up in a snug little shape, tucking the ends as you go.  You'll end up with a tidy little package. 

Let the roll rise for 15-30 minutes, then poke it with a skewer to prevent excessive tunnels of air from forming in the bread. 

Then you just bake it!

When it's golden brown, remove it from the oven.  It may burst on the side and have a little cheese oozing out (especially if you overfill it, which I tend to do).  It's okay, just let it cool. 

Slice.  Serve.  Enjoy.  Life is good.  Pepperoni makes everyone happy.

P.S. If you don't eat pork, you can find turkey pepperoni in the dairy section at your grocery store.  It won't be in large slices like the traditional pepperoni, but it works. 

P.P.S.  If you don't want to make your own pizza dough, you can buy it fresh or frozen at the grocery store.  It's often more cost-effective to make your own, but do what you've gotta do - adjust accordingly to accommodate your dough.

I still have one more recipe to share that utilizes this versatile pizza dough.  Stay tuned!

Pepperoni Bread
a Keeley original
Serves 4 as an appetizer - or 2 hungry adults

1/3 recipe of Easy Pizza Dough
1/3 pound sandwich-sliced pepperoni (from the deli counter)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
warm marinara sauce (optional) for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

If pizza dough is refrigerated, let dough relax at room temperature for 30 minutes to one hour before baking.

Roll dough into a thin rectangle, about 14" by 8" - you don't need to be exact.  Top dough with mozzarella cheese, leaving a 1" border on all sides.  Lay pepperoni on top of mozzarella, be sure to leave a 1" border.

Roll the dough into a log.  Tuck the corners as your roll so that none of the filling pops out of the edges.  Dampen your finger with water to seal the open edge.  Place roll seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Let the roll rise for about 30 minutes.  Poke the roll all the way through with a skewer or toothpick in a few spots and then bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool for 30-45 minutes before slicing.  Serve with warm marinara sauce, if desired.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.  Slices reheat well in the microwave.

Roasted Pork Loin with Herbs and Garlic

This is, hands down, my favorite fall dinner. I know everyone in the food blogisphere is writing about pumpkin, apples, and butternut squash (which are all delicious), but I love pork loin and tenderloin. Pork loin is great roasted in the oven in the fall or winter or smoked on the grill in the summer. It's affordable (as low as $.99/lb. on sale), it's lean, and it cooks relatively quickly. It's just as versatile as chicken, but it's jucier. So juicy, in fact, that it doesn't need any gravy or sauce.

Now E may tell you that he's sick of pork loin. He jokes with me because I love it so much that I stock up on it.  I make it at least three times a month once the weather gets cold. He's right. But I'm the cook, so I get to choose the menu.

I love this recipe because it has the perfect balance of salt, fresh herbs, garlic, and spice. The pork develops a crunchy, highly seasoned exterior, but remains juicy on the inside. It's perfect with a fall vegetable and mashed potatoes or cornbread stuffing. The leftovers are great on a soft potato roll as a sandwich. Trust me, this is a crowd pleaser.

I start with 3 pounds of pork loin or pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is typically sold in 3 pound packages that include two loins. Pork tenderloin is leaner (and a bit more expensive) than pork loin. Pork loin is often sold like this:

I picked up this 10 pound pork loin on sale at ShopRite for about $12. I cut it into 3 smaller loins, wrapped and froze two of them and cooked a 3 pound piece for dinner. This was super easy to do (I'm sure you could ask the butcher at the grocery store to do it for you) and it was a great deal.

Next, I combined herbs, salt, pepper, fennel seed and garlic in my food processor to create a thick paste.   Make sure you use fresh herbs.  They cost a bit more (although I still have some growing in my garden), but this recipe won't be the same with dried herbs.  Also, I use kosher salt for all of my cooking because it doesn't tase as salty as table salt.  I spread this paste all over the pork loin, placed the pork in a zip-top bag, and let it marinate in the fridge overnight.

When it was time to roast, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees, placed the roast in a pan and cooked it about 45 minutes.
I served it with cornbread stuffing (a recipe in progress for a future post) and brussels sprouts. 

Roasted Pork Loin with Herbs and Garlic
a Keeley original
serves 6

3 pound pork loin
3 teaspoons kosher salt (or one teaspoon per pound of pork)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seed
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (rosemeary and/or sage)

One or two days before roasting:

Rinse and dry the pork loin.  Combine the rest of the ingredients in a food processor (or mince by hand) to form a paste.  Rub the herbed oil paste on to the pork, place the pork in a zip-top bag, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

Roasting instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  (I have a convection oven and I use the "roast" setting.)  Remove pork from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.  Line a baking sheet or roasting pan with foil, place the pork fat side up on the pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 145 degrees (160 is the recommended temperature for pork, but I like mine at this temperature.)  Let the pork rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing thinly and serving.

Carnitas

As much as feel Don Pablo's has mass-produced somewhat mediocre Tex-Mex food, I must admit that I enjoy their carnitas.  My husband orders them whenever we end up in the restaurant (which I will say is a few times a year) and I definitely appreciate any version of slow cooked pulled pork.  I figured I'd try to make carnitas at home (even if the taste wasn't exactly the same) because I can make enough for eight servings for about the cost of one serving at the restaurant.

What are carnitas?  In Spanish carnitas means "little meats".  In my experience it's the Mexican version of pulled pork. It's seasoned with oregano, onion, garlic, and citrus and served on fresh tortillas with fresh toppings.

I searched the Web for recipes and many of the authentic (and I'm sure delicious) versions used lard.  I just couldn't bring myself to roast or fry an already fatty cut of pork in lard.  It seemed unnecessary.  I came across a recipe on the Williams-Sonoma website (yes, they do have a few recipes listed) that did not use lard and could be prepared in a slow cooker and I decided to give it a try.

Main ingredient?  Pork shoulder!  You know I love pork shoulder.  Read more about that here and here and here.  (I think I need a pork category to organize my blog.)

I rubbed the pork shoulder with spices and let it sit in the fridge overnight...

Then I got up at 5:00 am (I typically rise at 5:15 for work) and browned the pork, covered it with lime, lemon, garlic, onions, and beer, and plopped the whole mess into the Crock Pot for 10+ hours.  Yes, my house was smelling like fried pork and beer at 5:00 am.  Welcome to Keeley's home.

It's like a party in a Crock Pot!

I came home to this...

Which I pulled with tongs, removed some fat and bones, and broke down into this...

It was pretty good.  The taste was milder than Don Pablo's version (if that's even a standard for carnitas) and I'd like to add more garlic and a bit more salt next time.  The flavorful broth can cause your tortilla to get too moist, so I drain mine well before wrapping it in a tortilla.

Speaking of tortillas, corn tortillas (while more difficult to work with) are authentic, but we ate ours with flour tortillas.  Recently, I've learned how to make my own flour tortillas, which has opened up an entirely different world of possibilities (that's a topic of another blog post).

I like my carnitas on a (homemade) flour tortilla topped with pico de gallo or just some red onion and cilantro...

Maybe you like yours with cheese... or chipotle sauce... or sour cream... do your thing.

I'm not sure how "authentic" these carnitas are, but they were satisfactory.  With a bit of tweaking I can make this recipe perfect for my little family.  I love finding a good slow cooker recipe, especially with the fall coming up soon.  If you enjoy fresh Mexican food, try this one!

Carnitas
from Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:

2 tsp. salt I would add a bit more salt next time
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 boneless pork shoulder roast, 3 to 4 lb.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Mexican lager-style beer I used Dos Equis (bought one bottle for about $2)
Grated zest and juice of 1 large orange
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 Tbs. dried oregano

For serving:
Warm corn or flour tortillas
Lime wedges
Chopped yellow onion I prefer red onion
Hot or mild salsa
Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the salt and pepper. Season the pork roast generously with the mixture.

In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the pork and cook, turning frequently until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and set aside.

Pour off all but a thin layer of fat in the pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté just until they begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beer and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the pan bottom with a wooden spoon.

Transfer the pork to a slow cooker and pour in the beer mixture. Add the orange and lime zests and juices and the oregano. Cover and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions until the pork is very tender, about 5 hours on high or 10 hours on low.

Transfer the pork to a carving board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Using a large, shallow spoon or a ladle, skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the cooking liquid. Using a large, sharp knife and a fork, coarsely cut and shred the pork into small bite-size pieces.

Arrange the meat on a warmed platter or individual plates, moisten it lightly with the cooking juices, and serve immediately with the tortillas, lime wedges, chopped onion, salsa and cilantro. Serves 6 to 8.

Bacon Mac and Cheese

It goes without saying that this should be consumed in moderation, right?  Wait until you have some friends over before you attempt to whip this one up.

This recipe is inspired by the rich, creamy bacon macaroni and cheese that I experienced at Lord Hobo in Cambridge, Mass. last month.  I knew I wasn't going to drive eight hours to experience this mac and cheese again (well, at least not anytime soon), so I figured I'd attempt to make my own version at home.  Mine is different, but I think it's just as good.

I ran into a few challenges in creating this recipe.  First, I think Lord Hobo used Barilla Mezzi Rigatoni in their recipe.  I also know that my local grocery store sells this pasta.  Of course it went on sale last week and was all sold out.  Great.  So my patient husband drove me to three other grocery stores until we found this pasta.  I'm a perfectionist.  I can't help it.  I'm sure medium shells will do if you can't find Barilla Mezzi Rigatoni.  When I found the right pasta, I bought three boxes.  Just in case.

Next challenge was finding applewood smoked bacon.  My husband thought it would be hard to find.  Believe it or not, Oscar Mayer makes a version and not only did my grocery store had it, I got it for $1.99 with a rain check (normal retail is $5.99/pound).  And yes, I did purchase 6 pounds of bacon and put the rest in the freezer.  I love Oscar Mayer bacon.  I don't eat it every day, but if I'm going to eat fatty meat, it may as well be the best.

For the recipe, I reflected on my Cheesy Baked Shells with Broccoli.  The method is similar, but the broccoli is replaced by bacon and I made a few minor additions.

Bacon Mac and Cheese
a Keeley original 

1 pound Barilla Mezzi Rigatoni pasta (or any other sturdy, small pasta) 
3 tablespoons butter 
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
3 cups milk  I used1%
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
1 cup grated fresh (soft) Asiago or cheese of your choice I added a little Parmesan, too
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
fresh ground pepper
5 slices of thick cut bacon, cut into small pieces and cooked until crisp (I used Oscar Mayer Applewood Smoked bacon)

Heat broiler. 

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir in the nutmeg and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper.  I add more pepper.  Just taste as you cook.

Add the pasta, cooked bacon, and chives and toss to combine. Transfer to a broilerproof 2 quart baking dish.  Broil until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Serves 6 as a side dish or 4 as an entree.

Low Country Boil

Today marked the beginning of a five-day weekend in our household.  Both my husband and I are planning to spend the Independence Day holiday weekend at home with family and friends and enjoying some good summertime food.  After spending half the day at the wine shop, grocery store, and Costco (believe it or not, we love running errands together, particularly if they involve food shopping), we were ready to go to work on our dinner.

I decided to try a Low Country Boil.  It's a southern-style shrimp boil and typically includes some combination of smoked sausage, potatoes, corn, and shellfish.  I didn't have a recipe, but I've read a few recipes and I've watched Paula Deen on The Food Network, so I figured I'd make my own version of Low Country Boil, Delaware-style.

We figured this would be a great celebratory meal, since we're celebrating the four-year anniversary of the adoption of two of our family dogs:  Zelda, our Papillion, and Jonesie, my mom's Mini Dachshund.  Both dogs were adopted on July 3, 2006 from the Delaware SPCA.  No, the dogs didn't get any low country boil, but they did beg as we enjoyed each bite.

I didn't have any crabs, plus we aren't fans of picking out crab meat.  My husband is from Maryland and we both love Old Bay, so I figured I'd throw some of that in.  We always have kielbasa in the fridge, so that was a go.  Corn was on sale for 17 cents an ear, so we threw it in, too.  We had shrimp in the freezer and a past-it's-prime bag of fingerling potatoes in the pantry.  Beyond that, I just started cooking.

First I cut up and browned one pound of kielbasa.  I used my favorite, Hillshire Farms Lite.  It doesn't give off much fat, so I added a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to keep it from sticking.

Then I removed the kielbasa from the pot and added some chopped garlic.  Garlic makes everything taste better.  I made sure not to cook the garlic for more than 60 seconds because I didn't want to burn it.

Next came the fun part.  I dumped in a cocktail of clam juice, water, old bay, and tomato paste.  I also threw the (thoroughly scrubbed) fingerling potatoes into the pot of cold broth.  I brought it up to a boil and let it roll for about 20 minutes.  The broth has a great layered flavor.  It's surprisingly flavorful, considering that it's mostly water.  It's not to salty, not spicy, but rich and savory.

Next I threw in some corn (and a little more Old Bay, for good luck), added the kielbasa back to the pot, and cooked it another 10 minutes.

Finally, I threw in the shrimp (and a little more Old Bay), put the lid on for three minutes, then it was party time!

I invited my mom over, we popped open a bottle of Pinot Grigio (the hubs had some craft beer from our Boston trip), and we got down and dirty with the Low Country Boil.  All that was left was a pile of shrimp tails and corn cobs.  The juice from this boil was so good that we poured it into our bowls and then sopped it up with crusty bread. 

This meal took less than 45 minutes from start to finish and it was restaurant-quality.  We pulled it off for less than $20 and it would have cost much more if we had gone out.  I recommend this for casual entertaining, or any day you just want to celebrate summer.  My husband doesn't even love seafood and he enjoyed this.  Just make sure you try to eat it all in on serving... I'm not sure this would be great reheated.

Low Country Boil, Delaware-Style
a Keeley original
serves 4

1 pound kielbasa (I use Hillshire Farms Lite, you can use any smoked sausage)
4 ears of corn, cut into thirds (use fresh, if possible)
1 pound of small red potatoes (or baby yukons, or fingerlings... any waxy potato suitable for boiling)
1 pound raw, deveined, tail-on shrimp (I buy them in the frozen section, 21-24 count per pound)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 12-ounce bottle of clam juice
1 quart of water (plus more, if needed)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1/3 cup of Old Bay (plus more, to taste)

Cut the kielbasa into chunks and brown over medium-high heat in a large stockpot with 2 tablespoons of oil.  Remove kielbasa from pot and set aside.

Reduce heat to low and cook garlic for one minute.  Deglaze the pan with clam juice, water, tomato paste, and Old Bay.  Immediately add potatoes to pot.

Cover pot loosely with its lid and boil potatoes on high (or medium-high) for 20 minutes or until they can be pierced with a fork.  (Don't overcook the potatoes, you'll be cooking them a bit more as the recipe continues).  Keep an eye on the potatoes and add more water (to barely cover potatoes) as necessary. 

Add corn and cooked kielbasa to the pot.  Add more Old Bay, if desired.  Cover and cook for an additional ten minutes.

Add raw shrimp and cook for three minutes, or until shrimp is just pink.  Add more Old Bay, if desired.  Serve in shallow bowls and ladle the broth over each serving.  Crusty bread is great for sopping up the juice.