Crash Hot Orange Potatoes

These potatoes were out of this world.  They were so good.  Nice and crispy on the outside and all warm and fluffy in the middle.  The kind of reminded me of really good fries.  The orange flavour just took this potaotes over the top.  My kids really liked them (and to tell the truth I was a bit worried because they had skin on them and they are not big skin fans).  I think I will try them again and maybe switch the citrus, lemon, thyme potatoes anyone?

Crash Hot Orange Potatoes

Ingredients:
14 small potatoes
3 oz butter
orange zest
1 small garlic clove grated
1 tsp dried parsley
coarse sea salt
black pepper



Directions:
1.  Give your potatoes a seriously good scrub. Transfer them to a pan, add about 2 tbsp salt and pour in enough water to submerge them. Boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes, depending on their size, until tender.
2.  In the meatime combine the butter, zest of one orange, grated garlic and however much black pepper you like.  Allow this to sit while the potatoes boil so the flavours come together.
3.  Once the potatoes are done drain and allow them to steam dry for about five minutes.
4.  Cover a baking sheet with prachement paper or tin foil to save on clean-up.
5.  Using a potatoe masher squash the potatoes but do not break through the bottom skin.
6.  Evenly divide the butter mixture among the potatoes.
7.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.
8.  Enjoy!

Rosemay and Garlic Butter Rolls

These rolls were pillow light, soft, fluffy and buttery, in short they were delicious.  My family really enjoyed these rolls.  They would have eaten all twelve if I had let them (I did not and they were dissapointed).  If you have a stand mixer these rolls are also super easy to make.

Rosemary and Garlic Butter Rolls

Ingredients:
2 tsp instant yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast)
1 stick butter (soft)
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk
2 tbsp sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
1 rosemary sprig
2 garlic cloves
coarse sea salt
Directions:
1.  First, mix 2/3 stick of butter with 1 cup of milk.  Lightly beat a large room-temperature egg.  Keep 3 cups of flour nearby.

2. Dump 2 tsp instant yeast (or 2 + 1/4 tsp active dry yeast) in a bowl and add 1/4 cup of warm water. Not hot, just warm. Stir and let the yeast sit there for 5 minutes.
3.  Pop the milk and butter mix in the microwave for a minute at full power. It doesn’t have to be hot, just luke-warm. Transfer the yeast water to your mixer bowl. Add 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, pour in the egg and add 1 cup of flour.Now pour in the milk with butter. The butter will have melted a bit.

4.  Mix until the flour is incorporated before adding another cup of flour. Repeat this process until all the flour is incorporated. As soon as the wet and dry ingredients are combined, turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 5 minutes before starting the kneading process. Unless you’re doing this by hand, then you start kneading straight away and only use extra flour if the dough starts sticking to your hands. The dough will look really sticky at first, but that will resolve itself during kneading as the gluten are developed.

I let the machine knead for 6 to 7 minutes, by the end of which the dough will have formed into a ball. If your dough looks impossibly sticky in the final few minutes, add a tbsp flour at a time. But remember, it should still be sticky to the touch! Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
5.  If you used active dry yeast you now transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, apply some oil to the top of the dough to prevent it from drying out and instead of the 10 minutes I’m giving it now, let it rise for about an hour, until it doubled in size. Proceed with the recipe as listed below after the first rise.
6.  Lightly butter a baking tray. Or cast iron skillet if you want to get all fashionably old-fashioned on me.

After 10 minutes I transferred the dough to a lightly floured cutting board. It should be a really supple and slightly sticky dough.  Flatten it with your hand and using a sharp knife divide the dough into 9 pieces. Or 12, if you want them smaller.

7.  In stead of rolling the dough in your hand, you simply fold the sides to the bottom and shape them in the palm of your hand. Transfer them to the baking tray but give them a little room to rise. Cover them with a towel and let them rise for an hour to an hour and a half. Until they doubled in size.
8.  In order to get the flavor inside the butter, you have to release some of the oils. Strip the rosemary sprig and add 2 garlic cloves. Now smash the whole shebang, reallly bruise the rosemary. Add the remaining 1/3 stick of butter and lightly mix it. Leave it be for an hour or so, while the dough rises.

9.  That’s your cue to nuke the flavored butter, this will intensify the flavor and will make it easier to brush on top of the rolls. Give it 30 seconds at full power.  Brush it all over the dough.   Last but not least, sprinkle a generous amount of coarse sea salt all over them yummy rolls.
10.  Bake them in a preheated oven at 350F (175C) for 20 minutes. Until all puffy and golden brown.

Strawberry Upside-down Cake with Cardamom

When I think of upside down cake I think of warm brown sugar goodness.  This recipe did not dissapoint and it hit the spot right on.  The strawberry was a nice change from pineapple and the cardamom gave it a nice warm flavour. 

Strawberry Upside-down Cake with Cardamom

For the Topping:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup sliced strawberries

For the Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

2/3 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

I used an 8-inch round with 3-inch tall sides.  You can also use a 9-inch round with 2-inch sides.

Place butter in the cake pan and place in the oven.  When butter is melted, remove pan from the oven.  Using two pot holders, tilt the pan around and around, coating the sides of the pan with butter.  Once sides are coated, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar on medium speed.  Cream until slightly pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Stop mixer, scrape down the bowl with a spatula, and add egg and vanilla extract.  Beat for 1 minute.

Turn the mixer off, scrape the bowl, and add the dry ingredients.  Beat on low speed while adding the sour cream.  Beat until the batter just comes together.  Batter will be pretty thick.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and finish incorporating ingredients with a spatula.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar into the melted butter in the cake pan.  Sprinkle strawberry slices over the butter and sugar in a single layer.  Spoon batter over the strawberries and spread evenly with a spatula.  Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cake rest for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the cake and inverting the cake onto a cake plate.  Serve warm with sweetened sour or whipped cream.

Marinated Flank Steak

I made this for my husband for father's day.  It had nice flavour.  I would use this marinade again.  ( I was actully pretty impressed because I grilled the steack all by myself while he was out enjoying some father son father's day fishing.  All my kids also ate this recipe, but then again I do have predominately boys and they love meat!

 Marinated Flank Steak

Ingredients
½ cups Soy Sauce
½ cups Cooking Sherry
3 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons (heaping) Minced Ginger
3 cloves (to 5 Cloves) Minced Garlic
½ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 whole Flank Steak
Preparation Instructions


Combine all ingredients in a glass or ceramic dish.

Remove flank steak from package and give it a quick rinse. Coat both sides of the meat with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 3 to 6 hours.

Remove the steak from the marinade and place on a plate while you heat up the grill pan. Make sure to turn on your overhead exhaust fan as the cooking process can be quite smoky.

When the pan is extremely hot, place the steak on a slight angle as this makes for more appealing grill marks. Cook without touching for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Rotate the meat about 45 degrees, keeping it on the same side, and cook for another 1 ½ minutes.

Now flip it to the other side. Cook using the same method on the other side, cooking for 1 1/2 minutes, then rotating it and finishing the cooking process. I cook the flank streak to medium rare, which usually takes about 5 to 7 minutes total cooking time. Remove the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.

When you’re ready, thinly slice the meat against the grain. That means find the directional striations/lines in the meat grain and slice perpendicular to it.

Controversial Optional Sauce: Before grilling the flank steak, strain the marinade into a small saucepan. Discard what stays in the sieve. Add ½ cup of water to the marinade. Boil the marinade while heating the grill for the meat AND add an additional 10 minutes. The point of boiling, obviously, is to take away any risk of bacteria from the marinade. Also, by boiling for ten to fifteen minutes, the sauce will reduce and slightly thicken. Then just spoon a little into a dish and use it as a dipping sauce for the meat.

Brown Butter Banana Strawberry Bread

Can you tell yet that I really like strawberries and brown butter?  Well I noticed the rotting bananas on my counter and combined it with the fact that it is strawberry season and then realized that this recipe was just calling to be made.  It was a good banana bread, the strawberrie and brown butter kind of elavated it a bit.  So if you tired of the same old banana bread try something new today.

Brown Butter Banana Strawberry Bread

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and browned to just over 1/2 cup of butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup plain yogurt (any fat content) or buttermilk

1 1/4 cup mashed banana (from about 3 medium bananas)

1/2 cup diced strawberries plus 1 strawberry very thinly sliced, for topping

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan and set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Butter will begin to foam and crackle as it melts.  When the crackling subsides, the butter will begin to brown.  Swirl the pan as the butter cooks.  When the butter browns and begins to smell nutty, remove the pan from the flame and transfer the butter to a small bowl.  Taking the butter out of the hot saucepan will stop the butter from overcooking and burning.  Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla extract, and yogurt or buttermilk.  Whisk in the mashed bananas.  When butter has cooled, whisk in the browned butter.

Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients.  Fold together, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to reveal any hidden pockets of flour.  Fold in the diced strawberries.  Fold together ingredients, but try not to over stir.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and top with thinly sliced strawberries.   Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 15 minutes, before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Bread will last 4 days, well wrapped at room temperature.  This loaf also freezes well.

Strawberry Balsamic Flatbread with goat cheese and fresh mint

This was yummy and delicious.  I know that I have been on a strawberry quick lately, but when are in season you have got to use them.  This was a really yummy treat and went nicely with our marinated flank steak father's day supper.  I just love fresh strawberries.

Strawberry Balsamic Flatbread with goat cheese and fresh mint

2 packages (about 5 teaspoons) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (between 110 and 115 degrees F)

3 cups of flour, divided into 1 cup increments

3 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 cup thinly sliced strawberries

coarse sea salt for topping

1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles

good quality balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

1 tablespoon fresh mint, coarsely chopped

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water.  Stir to dissolve.  I use a fork so I can mash and stir any yeast clumps.  Add the flour and blend together until smooth.  Cover and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

After the mixture has risen, remove the covering and stir in 3 tablespoons of olive oil, sugar, and orange zest.  Add one cup of flour and stir to blend.  Add the remaining cup of flour and salt and work together into a dough.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.  If the dough is too sticky, add up to 1/3 cup more flour and knead.  Dough will be slightly sticky, and that’s alright.

Clean out the large bowl and coat with 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Place dough in the bowl, and flip it over so that it’s entirely coated in oil.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Punch the dough down and knead for just a minute, before pulling and stretching the dough into a 16×9-inch rectangle.  I used a rolling pin to help me to this.  Place on a greased baking sheet and let rise for 30 minutes.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

When dough has risen, use your fingers to make random indentations in the puffed dough.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Top with sliced strawberries, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.  Bake bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden, crisp and baked through.  I rotated the pan once, halfway through baking.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Remove from the baking pan, slice into squares with a pizza cutter and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, goat cheese, and fresh mint.

Serve.

This bread is best served within 2 days of baking.

Oregano & Lemon Chicken Souvlaki

Oregano & Lemon Chicken Souvlaki

Ingredients
1 pound Chicken Tenderloins
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
¼ cups Fresh Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
1 package Wooden Skewers (you'll Only Need A Few), Presoaked In Water For 30 Minutes
Preparation Instructions

1. Put the chicken into a bowl.
2. Add all other ingredients.
3. Mix well, coating chicken on all sides.
4. Let chicken marinate for 1/2 hour to 1 hour, covered in the fridge (or longer if you wish).
5. Thread marinated chicken tenders onto a pre-soaked (in water) wooden skewer.
6. Place souvlaki onto a screaming hot grill and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through and has gorgeous golden brown grill marks.

Serve with some dreamy creamy tzatziki and BE HAPPY!

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

This recipe was also another good use of strawberries.  It was a little bit of a shortcake, cookie, and scone all in one and it was delicous and relatively easy and quick to make.  The worst part was cutting the strawberries. 

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

ingredients:12 ounces strawberries, hulled and diced (2 cups)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

zest of one lemon
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sucanat or organic, whole sugar
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
6 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream
turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

instructions:• preheat oven to 375*.  line two rimmed baking sheets with a silpat pad.
• combine strawberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of sucanat. set aside.
• in a large bowl, whisk the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, salt, and 7 tablespoons of sucanat.
• cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture. using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients unitl it resembles coarse meal.
• stir in the cream, using your hands, mix until the dough comes together.
• stir in the strawberry mixture.
• using a 1 1/2″ ice cream scooper, drop dough onto silpat lined baking sheets (I used silpat because the dough is very wet)
• sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• bake until golden brown, about 22-25 minutes.
• let cool completely on baking sheet before removing.
• these are best eaten the same day they are made.
note: I shaped all the dough and froze them.  I then baked off a dozen and stored the rest in the freezer for the perfect weeknight dessert.
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Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

I made this for father's day lunch for my husband.  I actually saw a similar recipe a year ago on Food Network and made a mental note to try this dish but then I never got around to it.  When I saw the recipe again in my inbox i knew that the time had come.  This was an awesome french toast and it was much easier then I thought to make.  So you what to make a special brunch for someone you love, or just indulge yourself.  Try it, I guarantee you will like it.

 Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

Filling:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and more for cooking the french toast
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 Tablespoons strawberry preserves or jam
1 cup diced strawberries 
4 thick slices challah, French, or Italian bread
Powdered sugar, for dusting 

Egg Batter:
6 extra-large eggs 
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 
2 Tablespoons sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 cup whole milk 

Breading:
1 1/2 cups crushed Cornflakes
1 cup sliced almonds 

In a medium bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of butter and the cream cheese until combined. Add the strawberry preserves and mix until incorporated. Fold in the diced strawberries into the cream cheese mixture. 

Cut bread into thick slices. Make an incision on the crust side of the 4 pieces of bread about 3/4 of the way through. You're creating a pocket to stuff the cream cheese mixture into. Gently spoon 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture into each of the 4 slices of bread and gently close the pocket. Refrigerate the stuffed slices while you prepare the batter and breading.

For the egg batter, add the eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, vanilla, and milk to a medium shallow bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Prepare the breading by adding the crushed cornflakes and almonds to a sheet pan. Dip the bread slices in the egg batter making sure to let each side soak for about 20 seconds. Next, dip them into the cereal mixture.

Put a large skillet on medium-high heat and add a couple of tablespoons of butter. When the butter has melted add the stuffed bread slices and brown on each side for 2-3 minutes. 

Remove from skillet and serve immediately. Top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, fresh sliced strawberries, and syrup if desired. The french toast is pretty sweet on it's own so the toppings are more for visual appeal. Unless you are me, then they are just to add more sweetness...

Grilled Flank Steak wiht Chimchiri Sauce

My husband and I both had the same thoughts about this meal.  It tasted really good and we both enjoyed the sauce but we could taste it for the rest of the night.  The raw garlic was quite powerful.  That being said we did both like it and I used the leftover sauce and steak on homemade pizza the next night it was a really nice addition.

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimchiri Sauce
Ingredients


1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 tbsp water

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt and coarsely ground black pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 1/2 lb flank, skirt, or sirloin steak

2 bunches scallions



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Directions

To make the chimichurri sauce, mix the vinegar, water, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and pepper flakes. Whisk in the oil. When everything's blended, whisk in the parsley.

Heat a grill or stovetop grill pan until hot. Season the steak with salt and pepper and place it on the hot grill. For medium-rare, cook it for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 140°F. Trim the roots from the scallions and add the entire bunch to the grill just after you've flipped the steak. Cook the scallions until they're lightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes.

Drizzle the steak with the chimichurri and serve with the grilled scallions.

Blackened Fish Sandwich

This meal was really good.  The warm spicy fish contrasted with the cool lemon yogurt was just really good.  However my family did not enjoy the yogurt but I on the other hand really liked it.  The fish was really easy to make and the meal came together in minutes.

Blackened Fish Sandwich


Ingredients
1 cup plain Greekstyle yogurt
1 tsp sriracha Juice of one lime
juice of one lime
1 tbsp canola oil
4 tilapia or catfish fillets (6 oz each)
1 tbsp blackening seasoning
4 whole-wheat sesame seed buns

Directions
Combine the yogurt, sriracha, and lime juice. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Rub the fish fillets on both sides with plenty of blackening seasoning. When the oil in the pan is smoking, add the fish and cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes, until a dark crust forms. Flip the fillets and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the fish flakes with gentle pressure from your finger.
While the fish is cooking, toast the buns (cut side up) under the broiler. Top with the hot fish and yogurt sauce, .

Homemade Cajun French Fries

Homemade Cajun French Fries

Canola Oil, enough to fill pot with 3 inches of oil

Cajun Seasoning

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon dried Oregano

2 large russet potatoes

Sugar water

2 cups cold water

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large pot until temperature reaches 350 degrees F.

2. Place cajun seasonings into small bowl and mix to combine.

3. Cut potatoes into desired thickness. Place water and sugar into a large bowl, mixing until dissolved. Transfer potatoes into water and soak for 30 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to dry, 5 minutes.

4. Carefully drop potatoes into oil and fry until golden, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Right before serving, fry potatoes a second time for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Immediately sprinkle with pinches of Cajun seasoning. Serve immediately.

Grand Marnier French Toast with Strawberries and Almonds

Grand Marnier French Toast with Strawberries and Almonds

Adapted from Ina Garten’s “Barefoot in Paris”

Serves 6

• 6 EGGS
• 1 1/2 CUPS HALF-AND-HALF
• 4 TABLESPOONS SUGAR, DIVIDED
• 1/4 CUP GRAND MARNIER, PLUS 1 TABLESPOON, DIVIDED
• 1 1/2 TEASPOONS PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
• 1/2 TABLESPOON GRATED ORANGE ZEST
• PINCH OF SALT
• 1 LARGE BRIOCHE LOAF OR CHALLAH, CUT INTO 3/4-INCH-WIDE SLICES
• 1/2 CUP SLICED BLANCHED ALMONDS (OPTIONAL)
• 1/2 PINT (6 OUNCES) FRESH STRAWBERRIES, HULLED AND SLICED
• 4 TABLESPOONS (1/2 STICK) UNSALTED BUTTER
• CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR, TO SERVE
• MAPLE SYRUP (OPTIONAL)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1/4 cup Grand Marnier, the vanilla, orange zest, and salt.
2. Dip each bread slice into the egg mixture, and place them in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour the remaining mixture over the bread, and let the slices soak for at least 30 minutes. (Or, cover and refrigerate overnight for tomorrow’s breakfast.)
3. To Toast the Almonds (if using): Place the almonds in a dry saute pan, and cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, tossing frequently, until lightly browned. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine the strawberries, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier. Set aside.
5. Place a baking sheet in the oven, and preheat to 300 degrees F.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Take each slice of bread from the egg mixture, dip one side in the toasted almonds (if using), and place in the saute pan, almond-side down. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.
7. Place the cooked bread on the baking sheet in the oven to keep it warm.
8. Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more butter, and continue to fry the remaining bread slices until they’re all cooked. Serve hot with a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar (or a drizzle of maple syrup) and the boozy strawberries.

Kansas City Barbeque Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Kansas City Barbeque Pulled Pork Sandwiches

5.0 from 6 reviews
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Recipe Type: main
Author: savory sweet life
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 2 hours
Total time: 2 hours 10 mins
Serves: 8
An easy dry rub barbecue recipe.
Ingredients
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds pork shoulder
3 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
8 hamburger buns
Instructions

Mix the brown sugar, paprika, pepper, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Cut the pork shoulder in large cubes and add it to a large heavy pot. Add the dry rub to the pot and massage (with your hands) the pork with the spices until most of the powder has been absorbed by the pork. Add the water and the bouillon cubes. Bring the water to a boil for ten minutes and then reduce the temperature to a low simmer for two hours. Using metal tongs or two forks, pull the pork apart in the pot. Pile generous amounts of pulled pork on top of each hamburger bun.

Pasta with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Creamy Lemon-Yogurt Sauce

Pasta with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Creamy Lemon-Yogurt Sauce

Adapted from Jillian Michaels’ “The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook”

Serves 4 (calories: 303 per serving)

• 8 OUNCES WHOLE WHEAT LINGUINE (OR YOUR PASTA OF CHOICE)
• 1/2 CUP NONFAT PLAIN GREEK YOGURT
• 1/4 CUP GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
• 1 TEASPOON GRATED LEMON ZEST
• 1/4 TEASPOON SALT
• 1/4 TEASPOON GROUND BLACK PEPPER
• 1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
• 3 MEDIUM (8-OUNCE) ZUCCHINI, CUT INTO THIN STRIPS (3 INCHES LONG AND 3/4 INCH WIDE, LIKE A BIG STICK OF GUM)
• 2 GARLIC CLOVES, THINLY SLICED
• 1/2 PINT GRAPE OR CHERRY TOMATOES, HALVED LENGTHWISE

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook about 9 minutes, or according to the package directions. Remove 1/4 cup of the cooking water, and set it aside. Drain the pasta. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, Parmesan, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, and cook just until wilted, flipping them over occasionally with a spatula. (The zucchini will be soft and somewhat see-through.)
4. Use a spoon or spatula to push the zucchini aside so a space on the bottom of the pan is clear. Add the garlic, and cook for 15 to 30 seconds, until golden but not really brown.
5. Mix the garlic into the zucchini.
6. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
7. Transfer the zucchini mixture to the yogurt mixture, and stir to combine. Add the drained linguine, and toss gently to combine. Add the reserved pasta cooking water a tablespoon at a time, if necessary, to thin it. Divide among four bowls and serve.