No one would ever confuse me with Martha Stewart. EVER. I tend to choose recipes based on how short and uncomplicated they are. But I love recipes that make it look like I slaved all day. Today's blog post shares one of my favorite recipes that look complicated, but is soooooo easy to make.
One of my favorite recipe websites is Rachel Rappaport's Coconut and Lime. Last January, I threw a large party for the Tampa Bay area's biggest all day pirate party and wild drinking festival - The Gasparilla Pirate Festival. I wanted to spend my time enjoying cocktails with my guests, not being tied to the kitchen. So I whipped out the Crock Pot slow cookers. I laid out trays of flavored tortilla wraps and julienned veggies. Then in the slow cookers - in one I had pulled chicken tossed in a Buffalo hot wing sauce. In the other slow cooker, I had Rachel Rappaport's recipe for Blueberry Pulled Pork. Rachel's recipe is ridiculously easy to put together. Throw a few ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low. Rachel's recipe says to cook on low for 8-10 hours but I usually do 12 hours so that the pork roast falls apart. My guests helped themselves to pork and buffalo chicken wraps all day and I could help myself to plenty of cocktails and great conversation.
As Gasparilla 2012 is approaching, I remembered Rachel's fabulous recipe and was craving Blueberry Pulled Pork but on a salad. Since this is New Product Wednesday, I'll be sharing information on several "new products" (new to me) that I put on my "Everything but the kitchen sink Blueberry Pulled Pork Salad."
Now traditionally, pulled pork salads include black beans, cheddar cheese, corn kernels, tortilla strips and a fatty dressing. Now don't get me wrong - that sounds incredibly delicious. But I wanted to try to lighten up my salad a little bit. No starchy corn, no cheese, no deep fried tortilla strips, no fatty dressing. But I did add in a few items that are probably just as bad. So take a look at what I put on my salad and feel free to omit the unhealthy items!
I woke up early and threw a pork roast into the slow cooker using Rachel's recipe for Blueberry Pulled Pork. I doubled the number of garlic cloves and blueberries that Rachel's recipe called for and cooked on low for 12 hours.
After 12 hours, the contents of the slow cooker looked like this ...
I removed the pork roast from the slow cooker and it was already falling apart tender.
Using two forks, I pulled the pork roast into shreds. Meanwhile, I mashed up the sauce that remained in the slow cooker.
I then took the shredded/pulled pork and put it back in the slow cooker and thoroughly combined it with the sauce.
At this point, I recommend you could serve delicious pulled pork sandwiches on Hawaiian sweet bread. Makes a great meal. However, I was in the mood for a big salad.
Lily On The Lam Readers may know that I have an affinity for serving ware with cats on it. But today, we're going fishy ... This is one of my favorite "Big Salad" serving platters. It easily holds salad for 2-4 people or one incredibly hungry person.
I purchased this fish-shaped platter at Oceanic Supermarket in Tampa, Florida. I love Asian grocery stores! I started my Monster-sized salad with sliced hearts of romaine and diced red onion.
I love salads chock fill of vegetables. I halved big cherry tomatoes and threw them in. Remember, I'm not a food stylist!
Next up- diced red bell peppers (or capsicum, if you're Australian/British). I love bell peppers. They are chock full of Vitamin C and add a juicy crunch. I also added sliced celery. You may also want to try water chestnuts if you're looking for a crunch without adding fat/calories of nuts or croutons.
Now to add in some richness but a healthy fat - I diced avocado and then squeezed lemon juice on the avocado so it would not brown/oxidize quickly.
And since it's New Product Wednesday, I grabbed some summer sausage sticks from Nueske's. If you want the best bacon in the world, check out Nueske's of Wisconsin. It is insanely good. Their summer sausage is pretty darn tasty too! The summer sausage brought out the smokiness of the pulled pork and added a decadent richness to my salad.
My salad with one chopped up Nueske's Summer Sausage stick on it.
And don't forget the blueberry pulled pork! I made three little mounds of gently warmed pulled pork on top of the salad. This would make a hearty appetizer salad for 3-4 people.
I sprayed the top of my salad with this tart dressing spray. But while I saved calories by using a salad spritzer, I had to add some fat and decadence with another New Product Wednesday item: Fresh Gourmet Garlic Pepper Crispy Onions. I seriously could eat these yummy garlic pepper crispy onions on anything. They add a crispy, buttery, oniony crunch and they are so good. I won't use regular fried onions in my green bean casserole again. The garlic pepper ones are amazing.
And with a generous dusting of Fresh Gourmet Garlic Pepper Crispy Onions, my monster everything but the kitchen sink salad was complete. Look at it - total monster!
I knew I needed a smaller plate for myself ... lucky I had a little fish dish! My biggest regret was not buying more of the little fish platters. Sigh ...
But wait! It's New Product Wednesday - I need to add some heat to this salad, before serving. I found Victoria Taylor's Seasonings Jalapeño Pepper Flakes at Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium in Brandon, Florida. This product is fantastic. When I want to add a bit of heat, a sprinkle of jalapeño pepper flakes does the trick.
And for a little more heat and smoky complex flavor, I sprinkled on a dash of Target's Archer Farms ground chipotle peppers.
This heavenly, rich, decadent salad made four servings and utilized over a month's worth of New Product Wednesday items! Check out the great products in your next salad!
One of my favorite recipe websites is Rachel Rappaport's Coconut and Lime. Last January, I threw a large party for the Tampa Bay area's biggest all day pirate party and wild drinking festival - The Gasparilla Pirate Festival. I wanted to spend my time enjoying cocktails with my guests, not being tied to the kitchen. So I whipped out the Crock Pot slow cookers. I laid out trays of flavored tortilla wraps and julienned veggies. Then in the slow cookers - in one I had pulled chicken tossed in a Buffalo hot wing sauce. In the other slow cooker, I had Rachel Rappaport's recipe for Blueberry Pulled Pork. Rachel's recipe is ridiculously easy to put together. Throw a few ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low. Rachel's recipe says to cook on low for 8-10 hours but I usually do 12 hours so that the pork roast falls apart. My guests helped themselves to pork and buffalo chicken wraps all day and I could help myself to plenty of cocktails and great conversation.
As Gasparilla 2012 is approaching, I remembered Rachel's fabulous recipe and was craving Blueberry Pulled Pork but on a salad. Since this is New Product Wednesday, I'll be sharing information on several "new products" (new to me) that I put on my "Everything but the kitchen sink Blueberry Pulled Pork Salad."
Now traditionally, pulled pork salads include black beans, cheddar cheese, corn kernels, tortilla strips and a fatty dressing. Now don't get me wrong - that sounds incredibly delicious. But I wanted to try to lighten up my salad a little bit. No starchy corn, no cheese, no deep fried tortilla strips, no fatty dressing. But I did add in a few items that are probably just as bad. So take a look at what I put on my salad and feel free to omit the unhealthy items!
I woke up early and threw a pork roast into the slow cooker using Rachel's recipe for Blueberry Pulled Pork. I doubled the number of garlic cloves and blueberries that Rachel's recipe called for and cooked on low for 12 hours.
After 12 hours, the contents of the slow cooker looked like this ...
I removed the pork roast from the slow cooker and it was already falling apart tender.
Using two forks, I pulled the pork roast into shreds. Meanwhile, I mashed up the sauce that remained in the slow cooker.
I then took the shredded/pulled pork and put it back in the slow cooker and thoroughly combined it with the sauce.
At this point, I recommend you could serve delicious pulled pork sandwiches on Hawaiian sweet bread. Makes a great meal. However, I was in the mood for a big salad.
Lily On The Lam Readers may know that I have an affinity for serving ware with cats on it. But today, we're going fishy ... This is one of my favorite "Big Salad" serving platters. It easily holds salad for 2-4 people or one incredibly hungry person.
I purchased this fish-shaped platter at Oceanic Supermarket in Tampa, Florida. I love Asian grocery stores! I started my Monster-sized salad with sliced hearts of romaine and diced red onion.
I love salads chock fill of vegetables. I halved big cherry tomatoes and threw them in. Remember, I'm not a food stylist!
Next, sliced cucumbers and sliced carrots. OK I cheated, the carrots came pre-sliced. I didn't use a french fry wavy cutter on them. At least I am honest, people!
Next up- diced red bell peppers (or capsicum, if you're Australian/British). I love bell peppers. They are chock full of Vitamin C and add a juicy crunch. I also added sliced celery. You may also want to try water chestnuts if you're looking for a crunch without adding fat/calories of nuts or croutons.
Now to add in some richness but a healthy fat - I diced avocado and then squeezed lemon juice on the avocado so it would not brown/oxidize quickly.
And since it's New Product Wednesday, I grabbed some summer sausage sticks from Nueske's. If you want the best bacon in the world, check out Nueske's of Wisconsin. It is insanely good. Their summer sausage is pretty darn tasty too! The summer sausage brought out the smokiness of the pulled pork and added a decadent richness to my salad.
My salad with one chopped up Nueske's Summer Sausage stick on it.
And don't forget the blueberry pulled pork! I made three little mounds of gently warmed pulled pork on top of the salad. This would make a hearty appetizer salad for 3-4 people.
Because of the richness of the avocado, summer sausage and pulled pork, I wanted a light dressing. And since it's New Product Wednesday, I chose Wishbone Salad Spritzers Balsamic Breeze vinaigrette dressing spray. I have used their Caesar and their Italian and was happy that the Balsamic Breeze packed a great punch too.
I sprayed the top of my salad with this tart dressing spray. But while I saved calories by using a salad spritzer, I had to add some fat and decadence with another New Product Wednesday item: Fresh Gourmet Garlic Pepper Crispy Onions. I seriously could eat these yummy garlic pepper crispy onions on anything. They add a crispy, buttery, oniony crunch and they are so good. I won't use regular fried onions in my green bean casserole again. The garlic pepper ones are amazing.
And with a generous dusting of Fresh Gourmet Garlic Pepper Crispy Onions, my monster everything but the kitchen sink salad was complete. Look at it - total monster!
I knew I needed a smaller plate for myself ... lucky I had a little fish dish! My biggest regret was not buying more of the little fish platters. Sigh ...
But wait! It's New Product Wednesday - I need to add some heat to this salad, before serving. I found Victoria Taylor's Seasonings Jalapeño Pepper Flakes at Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium in Brandon, Florida. This product is fantastic. When I want to add a bit of heat, a sprinkle of jalapeño pepper flakes does the trick.
And for a little more heat and smoky complex flavor, I sprinkled on a dash of Target's Archer Farms ground chipotle peppers.
This heavenly, rich, decadent salad made four servings and utilized over a month's worth of New Product Wednesday items! Check out the great products in your next salad!
