Classic Pulled Pork

Few things remind me of Summer quite like BBQ. I was walking down my street the other day and could smell my neighbors BBQ-ing in their back yards. I was practically drooling by the time I got home, so I just had to make my Classic Pulled Pork so I could give in to my cravings.

I've posted a recipe for Pulled Pork before, but this recipe has since become by go-to. It's just as simple in its execution, but it is far tastier than my previous version. Try both and see which one you prefer! What I love about this version is that it is lighter, less sweet, and has more flavor. It's smoky with a hint of heat from the seasoning, with a little bit of sweetness from the BBQ sauce I used to dress it. I paired my lettuce wraps with a simple, dead easy coleslaw, as a perfect & classic accompaniment.

My favorite part of this recipe is how effortless it is. The only effort you will have to put in is the patience you'll need while it cooks in your slow cooker. Screw fork tender, this recipe falls apart with a spoon! Try it and see for yourself that it is truly easy, and also delicious.

Classic Pulled Pork

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

Pulled Pork: 
4lb Pork shoulder roast
1/3 C liquid smoke (I used Hickory, you can find liquid smoke at any grocery store, usually down the condiment aisle)
Spicy pepper medley seasoning (you can use any ol' steak seasoning or Montreal Smoked Spice would be a great one to try)
Cayenne pepper *optional*

Butter lettuce

Pulled pork fixin's: BBQ sauce (I used Organic Dad's Best BBQ sauce from the health food aisle at Safeway, it was delicious!), ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, sliced onion, etc. Get creative and try something new!

Quick Coleslaw:
1 bag coleslaw mix (shredded: red cabbage, green cabbage, carrots)
1/4 C mayonnaise
1/2 lemon, squeezed
1/4 t yellow mustard
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
2 t agave syrup (or honey)

Directions:

Rinse pork shoulder and pat dry with paper towel. Place the roast in your slow cooker, pour liquid smoke over top. Season with pepper medley/spice mix and cayenne. Cook on HIGH for four hours, then cook on LOW for 8+ hours. Shred pork with forks and cook on HIGH again for an hour or so to reincorporate the liquid.

While your pulled pork is simmering, in a small mixing bowl: add mayo, lemon juice, mustard, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and agave/honey. Whisk well until ingredients are incorporated and dressing is smooth. Toss together with coleslaw veggies.

Assemble your lettuce wraps however which way you like them. Keep in mind, these will be extremely messy, so make sure you stock up on napkins!

*Tips*

Feel free to use a different kind of lettuce for these wraps. I like Butter Lettuce because of the width and mild flavor of the leaves. Romaine would be sturdier, however, I usually just eat this right out of a bowl with my condiments and coleslaw on top.

Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

"The Dark and Dirty" Chocolate Cake

My favorite flavor of cake is more... as in more of it. I've always had quite the sweet tooth and love sweet baked goods. Cooking and baking have been ingrained in me for as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl, I would pull all of the drawers out in the kitchen and use them as steps so I could watch my mom cook. Six years ago I decided to take my culinary skills more seriously and I've been challenging myself to try new techniques and invent my own recipes. It can be difficult to claim that one has truly "invented" a recipe, since so many recipes are similar, if not exactly the same, in many ways. I did not follow another recipe when I created this masterpiece - I used my wealth of culinary and baking knowledge to put it together. When you understand how ingredients work together in baking to create the final result, it is much easier to experiment with recipes and to create your own!

I had so much fun creating this cake and I am thrilled with how it turned out. When you are baking with coconut flour, since it is so much more dense than regular flour, it has a tendency to end up dry or mealy. Baking with coconut flour also requires a lot of eggs in order to stand up to the density of the flour, and because of this, baked goods made with coconut flour have a tendency to result in an "eggy" texture. This cake did not turn out mealy or eggy at all. It is incredibly rich and moist, without being too sweet. I baked the cake on Sunday and the pieces I saved in the fridge were still moist and delicious when I finished them last night (Wednesday). The final point I'd like to make about this cake is the fact that it is 100% Paleo. It is dairy-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and free of GMO products. Anyone can enjoy this delicious, decadent cake, even if you do not follow a Paleo or "clean eating" diet. It is a wonderfully tasty treat for anybody, it just happens to be healthier (and tastier) than your average, basic cake.

"The Dark and Dirty" Chocolate Cake

Yields: 1, single layer 10" cake 
Suggested servings: 12

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 C coconut flour
3/4 C cocoa powder
2 1/4 t baking powder (or use 3/4 t baking soda and 3/4 t salt)
9 eggs
3/4 C coconut oil
3/4 C agave syrup, or 100% pure maple syrup
3/4 C brewed coffee
1 1/2 T vanilla

Raspberry Layer:
1 jar no sugar added Raspberry Jam (I used St. Dalfour Deluxe Raspberry Spread, sweetened with grape juice and thickened with natural fruit pectin)

Chocolate Ganachè:
8oz dark chocolate (70% or higher)
1 C full fat coconut milk
2 t coconut oil

Directions:

For the Cake:

Preheat your oven to 350. Set rack to the middle of the oven. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10" round cake or spring form pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add coconut flour; cocoa powder; baking powder, and set aside.

Using a stand mixer, beat eggs for one minute. Add coconut oil, agave, brewed coffee, and vanilla. Beat to incorporate.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, blend on low until mixture is incorporated. Then beat on high until fluffy.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan. The batter will be thick because coconut flour is far more dense than regular all purpose or cake flour, do not worry, this is how it should look. Smooth evenly, pick up the cake pan with the batter in it and drop it a few times on a counter or table to keep the cake as flat and even as possible.

Bake for 25-35 minutes. I checked mine at 25 and it was still loose in the middle. I baked it for exactly 10 more minutes and it came out perfect. Stick a toothpick into the center of the cake and it is done when it comes out clean. Let stand 10-15 minutes before removing it from the cake pan. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting the Cake:

In a microwave safe bowl, add chopped dark chocolate and coconut oil. Melt in 45 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add coconut milk and mix well. Let stand in the fridge to stiffen. The texture should be between a frosting and fudge.

Once cake is completely cooled and frosting is also cooled, place cake on a stand or plate. Spread raspberry jam all over the top of the cake. Then spread the chocolate ganachè over top. It will be thick and won't spread as easily as a regular frosting - do not fret, just try and spread it all over the top of the cake as evenly as you can. I love how it looks somewhat haphazard and not "perfect", that's why I named it "The Dark and Dirty" Chocolate Cake.

Nutritional Information (per 1/12 serving):

281 calories, 31g carbohydrates, 15g saturated fat, 0g transfat, 9g protein, and 75g sodium per slice. While this particular cake is far healthier than traditionally baked cakes, it is still a treat.

Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

WTF is "Caulfredo"?

Cauliflower is being used in all sorts of recipes that normally it would have no business being part of. I've seen recipes out there for cauliflower pizza crust, cauliflower mashed potatoes; and cauliflower rice. But never had I heard of cauliflower alfredo sauce, aka "Caulfredo", until now. I honestly thought it was going to be terrible when I heard about it, but it knocked my socks off and I had to share this recipe with everyone immediately.

You don't have to be lactose intolerant or follow a Paleo diet to enjoy this delicious recipe. Except for an extremely mild cauliflower presence, only in the sweetness at the middle notes of the flavor, it is pretty much uncanny to regular alfredo (but way healthier).

"Caulfredo" (Mock Alfredo Sauce)

Yields: 2+ C

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, chopped (small for faster cooking)
1 onion, diced
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 C chicken stock
1/4 C coconut milk
2 T clarified butter (ghee)
2 t oil
salt, pepper, nutmeg

Directions:

In a large sauce pan, heat 2 t oil and add onion and garlic. Sauté until softened and onions are transluscent, about five minutes.

Add chopped cauliflower and chicken stock. Cover until cauliflower is tender. Add coconut milk and remove from heat.

Using an immersion blender, blend cauliflower mixture until the sauce is absolutely FREE of lumps. Add ghee, salt & pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg. Blend quickly to incorporate spices. Serve hot over zoodles (zucchini julienned and sautéed ), cooked spaghetti squash, or even regular pasta.

Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

The Double Pork and Beef Burger

Even though they are dead easy to make, burgers are not something I normally cook at home (I actually think burgers are usually better from restaurants...). I'd been craving a good burger for a while though, and I just started The Whole 30 again on January 1st, so I knew ordering one from a restaurant was out of the question. Luckily I've found an excellent butcher shop right near my place and I was able to use top quality, organic grain-fed meat to accomplish the squandering of my burger craving.

Everyone who knows anything about burgers knows that it's not really a burger without bacon. I honestly built this burger around the double smoked bacon I picked up from Nosso Tahlo on Bloor St. W. Instead of a bun, I used two fresh rings of red onion. I topped the burgers with carmelized onions, portobello mushrooms, and more bacon (hollaaaaaaa!). I won't waste anymore time talking about it, I will just dive in and explain how to make these bad boys:

The Double Pork and Beef Burger

Yields 4 burgers

Ingredients:

1/3 lb lean ground pork

1/3 lb lean ground beef

1/3 lb bacon, finely diced + 4 strips, also finely diced

1 shallot, minced 

1 medium onion, finely diced 

1/2 portobello mushroom, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Handful fresh parsley, finely diced 

Salt, pepper, cayenne (optional) 

1 large egg

Mustard (Dijon or yellow will do)

Olive oil 

Directions:

In a pan over medium high heat, cook bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is firm. Add 1/2 diced onion, 1/2 the portobello mushroom, reduce heat to medium low and sauté until caramelized (about 15 minutes). Set aside. 

In a large mixing bowl, add ground pork, ground beef, finely diced bacon, remaining diced onion, remaining portobello mushroom, garlic, parsley, seasonings, egg, and mustard (I eyeballed it, start with 1 or 2 teaspoons). 

Using your hands, mix well until all ingredients are incorporated and evenly distributed. 

Heat a heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat. Divide meat mixture into 4 sections. Form into patties and squish down to flatten (the flatter they are, the more evenly they will cook). Add a few teaspoons of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Drop two patties at a time, so as not to crowd the pan, and cook 10-15 minutes, flipping once, until cooked all the way through. There should be no trace of pink and juices should run clear. 

Transfer to prepared serving dishes, garnish with your favorite fresh veggies and condiments, and enjoy the hell out of these burgers. 

Enjoy and Buon Appetito! 

*Tips*

Feel free to use one kind of ground meat for this burger. 

These do freeze well, but be sure to separate with wax or parchment paper. 

Paleo Morning Glory Muffins

After a lot of unhealthy food choices lately, I've decided to start eating Paleo again. It just gives me more energy and makes me feel so much better. One of my favorite things about this dietary choice is that you can make a lot of the same foods you love, you may just have to tweak the recipe.

Morning glory muffins are probably my favorite. I've been craving them lately, so I decided to come up with a simple dairy-free, gluten-free recipe. These muffins are healthy, filling and sweet with a hint of spice from cinnamon and cardamom.

Paleo Morning Glory Muffins

Yields: 9 muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 C almond flour
1/2 C mashed sweet potato
1/4 C shredded carrot 
1/2 C shredded coconut
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C walnuts
1/4 C palm sugar
2 eggs
2 T chia/flax/hemp seeds
2 t vanilla extract
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cardamom
1 t baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with papers, or grease the pan.

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together until well blended. Divide into muffin wells and bake 23-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cool 5 minutes, then remove from the pan... consume!

Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

I managed to give my KitchenAid Stand Mixer a run for her money this weekend and baked several different types of cookies - all with the help from my lovely friend, Chenelle :) **click here to see the various models and colors offered at The Bay.ca - we have the Artisan 5qt Stand Mixer in Metallic Chrome with the meat grinding attachment that I am dying to use!**

 

If any of you know me, or have followed my blog for a while, then you know that I really love chocolate. It is definitely my weakness! and I try to incorporate it into my recipes as often as I can. I always enjoy baking as much as possible during the holidays, since I like to give out giant gift baskets to my families instead of individual gifts - it just seems more personal and far less commercialized than purchasing individual gifts for each family member. It's also financially suitable since I have a very large family.

 

These Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies have become a part of my Christmas Countdown this year and it is the first time I've tried these. They have a very chewy, almost pillowy texture, which I really loved. I wish I had added some chocolate extract to enhance the richness of the cookie, but the flavor is still there since I used unsweetened baking squares instead of cocoa powder. The texture of the dough is quite soft and can be a little difficult to roll if it is too warm, if you have trouble, pop it into the fridge for 30-45 minutes and it should be chilled enough to roll nicely.

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies:

Yields: 24 cookies

Ingredients:

1 C butter, softened
1 C granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 t vanilla extract
2 oz unsweetened chocolate baking squares
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
20 caramel squares, unwrapped
Pecan halves *optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and chocolate. Mix well. Add flour and blend until well combined.

Shape into 1" balls and press one square of caramel into the center of each cookie. Bake 10 minutes, top with a pecan half and transfer to a cooling rack.

*Next time I make these, I am going to melt the caramels down with a bit of milk so that the caramel stays soft. The caramel squares harden and are a little tough to bite through, unless the cookies are dipped in tea or another hot liquid, which is very nice if I do say so myself.



Enjoy and Buon Appetito!

Chocolate Double Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies

I am the type of person who refuses to acknowledge Christmas until December 1st. Today happens to be that day, and I am launching my annual Christmas baking countdown. My last post, "White Chocolate-Cranberry Cookies" technically launched this motion, but now that it is officially December, I am planning to bake at full force.

My initial goal is set to two recipes per week, but I will definitely be crunching in extra recipes the closer we get to Christmas. I have eight recipes lined up, but I wanted to begin with an easy one.

My mom used to make these when I was younger and over the years I have tweaked them here and there. I have baked these so many times over the years, I could make them with my eyes closed.

Chocolate Double Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies

Yields: 30 cookies

Ingredients:

1 C unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
1/3 C cocoa powder + 1 square unsweetened baking chocolate
1 t baking powder
2 C all-purpose flour, less 2 T
2 T cornstarch
2 t peppermint extract
white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Mix on a medium speed and add one egg at a time, then add peppermint & vanilla extracts and melted baking chocolate.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour & constarch, salt, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Pour into mixing bowl, in 1/2 C intervals, while blending in between additions. Mix until well blended.

Fold in white chocolate chips, scoop onto prepared baking sheet and bake 12 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer to a wire cooling rack, and let stand 5 minutes before consuming.

Enjoy and Buon Appetito!