Bosc Pear Salad with Sweet Balsamic Dressing

My sister in law brought this salad over for dinner and I couldn't stop eating it.'

I now call it the "Molly Salad" and make it all the time.

There is just something about this salad...maybe the candied walnuts, the delicious pears, or the homemade balsamic dressing, but everything goes together perfectly.

You will need:

Spring mix & spinach

Candied walnuts (directions below)

Cranberries

2 Bosc pears

Shaved parmesan

Balsamic Dresssing

3/4 cup evoo

¼ cup balsamic

1 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp brown sugar

Sea Salt, pepper

To candy the walnuts, 2 Tbsp butter and 1 TBSP brown sugar melted in pan. 

Then add walnuts and coat. Lay on wax paper to dry.

After the walnuts are candied, add spring mix and spinach to a bowl.

Slice up 2 bosc pears and toss in a handful of cranberries.

Add some freshly grated parmesan cheese and your salad is ready to eat!

To make the dressing combine all ingredients and whisk.

Pour over salad and toss well. 

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

Living out in the Midwest, we don't have the luxury of Cafe Rio.

So, I found this copycat recipe to make and it did the trick!

I broke it down into steps and remember to marinate it overnight for best results!

Then just toss it into the crock pot the next day and let the wonderful aroma fill your house.

To make it a low carb way, I have a photo below, just place it on a bed of chopped romaine!

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

step 1:

2 pounds pork (rib meat or loin)

¾ cup coke

¼ cup brown sugar

step 2:

1 cup coke

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon onion salt

¼ teaspoon chili powder

step 3:

¾ cup coke

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon chili powder

1 4 ounce can diced green chiles

10 ounces mild red enchilada sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Place pork in a zip lock bag. Add coke and brown sugar and seal bag. Chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

Step 2: Add pork to slow cooker and discard marinade. Add coke, water, garlic salt, onion salt, and chili powder. Cover and cook on high 3 hours. Drain slow cooker and shred pork with two forks.

Step 3: Blend coke, brown sugar, chili powder, green chills, and enchilada sauce together in blender. Pour sauce into slow cooker. Cook 30 minutes longer. Serve with rice if desired.

{You can make it a low carb version as well and place it on a bed of chopped romaine}

Recipe adapted from: http://lecremedelacrumb.com/

Root Beer Pulled Pork

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This is a wonderful crock pot recipe, but warning: it cooks in the crock pot for 10-11 hours, so some planning is required when you make it. I was up early one morning so I got mine in my crock pot at 7:00am and it was done by around 5:00pm.

Perfect recipe for a mom on the go!

There is also a low carb option, by skipping the bun and using lettuce cups. (photo below)

You will need:

1 (5-6 pound) bone in pork shoulder butt roast

1 (1 oz) envelope dried onion soup mix

Salt and pepper

1 (12 oz) can root beer (Mug)

2 cups barbeque sauce, divided

10 hamburger buns

To Make:

Trim the pork roast of excess fat. 

Place on a work surface and sprinkle with the onion soup mix. 

Use hands to rub in onto meat well. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned roast in your slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the root beer and ½ cup of the barbeque sauce. Pour over the roast in the slow cooker.

Cook and cover on low for 10-11 hours. 

Remove the roast to a cutting board and let cool a few minutes. 

Use 2 forks to shred the pork, cutting around and disgarding all but ¾ cup of the juices. Disgard any fat pieces. 

Place all of the pulled pork back into the slow cooker along with the reserved juices. 

Add remaining 1 ½ cups barbeque sauce. 

Stir to combine and put lid back on.

 Cook on high heat 15-20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 F.

Split the buns and place cut side up on a baking sheet. 

Warm in the oven until ready to serve. 

Scoop pulled pork onto warmed buns and serve immediately.

Low carb option too: skip the bun and place them in lettuce cups.

Source: Recipe girl by lori lange

Carrot Salad

Carrot Salad

I'm always on the hunt for new side dishes, and since my kids love carrots I knew that they would like this because it was a different way than they were used to for eating carrots.

They were a fan of the thin strips and it was so tasty, yet so simple!

You will need:

2 large carrots, peeled

¼ cup EVOO

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt & fresh pepper

To Make:

 Use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to cut the carrots into long thin strips.

There should be about 2 ½ cups of carrot strips. 

Place in a bowl & toss with evoo & lemon juice. 

Season with s&P and serve.

Source: The Tucci Cookbook by Stanley Tucci

Leftover Chicken Lettuce Cups

Leftover Chicken Lettuce Cups

This is the perfect recipe for leftover chicken.
I like to make this because it is comprised of food that I typically already have in my house, so it's easy to just throw it together.
I made mine with Avocado, Mozzarella, and Tomato grilled cheese sandwiches. 


You will need:
1 1/2 cups chopped leftover chicken, any bones removed or shredded rotisserie chicken

1/4 cup chopped cucumber

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tsp dried italian seasoning or 2 tsp fresh marjoram

12 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1 Tbsp whole capers

1 Tbsp EVOO

2 tsp sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 head of butter lettuce (Boston Lettuce)

To Make:

In a large bowl, combine chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, italian seasoning, olives, capers, evoo, vinegar, salt and pepper. Fill the lettuce cups with mixture and serve.

Source: The Busy Mom's Cookbook by Antonia Lofaso