Category Archives: Recipes

Recipe // easy bbq pork sliders

May 2, 2013

Now that the weather is finally warming up, picnics, barbecues, and summer get togethers are on their way soon!  I recently made these yummy barbecue pork sliders for my son’s second birthday party, and they were so easy to make for a large crowd, and they turned out to be very tasty especially on the pretzel rolls from Costco!
Crockpot Barbecue Pulled Pork Sliders
adapted from Paula Dean
Serves 10-15
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
5 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder
2 cups barbecue sauce (homemade or store bought) -I prefer sweet baby rays
10 to 12 soft rolls (I loved the pretzel rolls from costco)
5 garlic cloves peeled and sliced in half

Directions

In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne, if using.  Rub the spice mixture on all sides of the pork.  Poke the pork with a knife and place the sliced in half garlic cloves into the meat throughout the pork shoulder. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Place pork in a slow cooker.  Set on low heat and cook for 10 hours.  Transfer from the slow cooker to a roasting pan and shred with two forks, removing any large pieces of fat.  Pour the broth into a heatproof pitcher or large fat separator, and skim off the fat.  Put the pork back into the slow cooker.  Combine the barbecue sauce and about 2 cups of the skimmed broth.  Stir into the pork and cook 2 hours.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the slow cooker.  Place the meat on a serving platter or on individual buns.  Serve the remaining sauce alongside.
Enjoy!

Recipe // vietnamese spring rolls

April 5, 2013

Being half Vietnamese, I grew up eating a lot of Vietnamese food.  Fresh spring rolls are probably top on my list of favorite things to eat!  I love that they are so fresh, not fried, and you can really be adventurous if you want and try new fillings.

I like the traditional Vietnamese Spring Rolls that are made with Shrimp and Pork.  You can dip them in a peanut sauce or a fish sauce, and they are so tasty! (affiliate links are used in this post)

Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon)

Ingredients: 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 pound cooked small shrimp, tails removed sliced in half lengthwise
8 ounces thin rice vermicelli noodles 
Shredded lettuce 
1 bunch fresh mint leaves 
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, removed from stems 
1 English cucumber or seeded regular cucumber, thinly sliced  
1 package rice paper (banh trang) – I prefer three ladies brand rice paper wraps
*can also add shredded carrots, and boiled pork

Directions: 
1) Follow package directions and cook rice vermicelli noodles.
2) Fill a medium bowl with warm water and quickly dip and spin a piece of rice paper into water; make sure to wet the entire piece. Lay it down on a cutting board. Place some lettuce leaf at the lower end of the rice paper. Add rice noodles, mint, cucumber and cilantro evenly across the rice paper. 
3) Roll the rice paper over the filling and tuck it underneath. Add shrimp with the sliced side facing up. Continue rolling while keeping tension on the rice paper for a tight roll. The roll will seal itself.
4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 until shrimp is gone. 


Serve with peanut Hoisin dipping sauce.

Makes 16-18 rolls to serve 6 to 8 as an appetizer

Spicy Peanut Hoisin Dipping Sauce Recipe (Nuoc Leo)

Ingredients: 
1 cup light chicken stock 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 tablespoon thick soy sauce 
4-5 tablespoons of Hoisin sauce 
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons crunchy or creamy peanut butter (natural or organic) 
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or diced chilies to taste  
1 ounce dry roasted peanuts, chopped



Directions: 
1) In a small sauce pan, add light stock and garlic. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.



2) Add thick soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, 4 tablespoons peanut butter and chili garlic sauce. Stir until peanut butter is dissolved and the sauce thickens. Add additional peanut butter until desired thickness is obtained. Adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish sauce with chopped peanuts.


Makes almost 2 cups of sauce

Enjoy!

Recipe // veggie tacos

March 28, 2013

Eating healthy can sometimes be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be.  Sometimes we run out of ideas, but it really isn’t too complicated.  The other day I needed something to put together for dinner in a hurry.  I started to dig through the fridge and pulled out all the vegetables we had, and pretty soon, a healthy dinner was served!
{Veggie tacos}
Mushrooms, sliced
Red peppers, diced
Zucchini, sliced
Onion, Diced
Kale or spinach, chopped
In a skilled heat 1 tsp coconut oil over medium heat.  Add onions red peppers, and mushrooms sauté until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add the kale, and zucchini and sauté another 3-5 minutes until cooked.
Place in a corn tortilla and top with cheese. Serve with salsa!
Enjoy!