What's For Dinner: Maple-Bourbon Pulled Pork

Maple-Bourbon Pulled Pork || A Less Processed Life

Although as I type this I can see snowflakes flitting about outside, this weekend we're supposed to reach 45 degrees. (Heat wave!) Which can only mean one thing –  spring must be right around the corner. With the big caveat being that up here in the Northwoods, a big dump of snow in late April is not unusual.

Maple-Bourbon Pulled Pork || A Less Processed Life

All that to say that we have started looking into finding our next batch of pigs to join the farm this summer. (Is it weird to talk about raising pigs on a post about pulled pork? Not if you're into hyper-local food, I suppose.) Last year we raised three Tamworths, and this year I think we'd like to find the same breed. Let's just say they are just as tasty as they were friendly. (OK, now that's a weird sentence.) If we can find the customers (which proved to be quite easy last year), we may in the very least double our number to six pigs, although we are considering getting a full litter (8-10 pigs). I really enjoyed having the pigs around last year, and I definitely shed a tear or two when D drove off with them in the back of the trailer last October. But it was a bittersweet moment, as it's also super important to me to know exactly where the meat I'm eating came from, and you can't get any more local than your own backyard.

Maple-Bourbon Pulled Pork || A Less Processed Life

Pork shoulder (also called pork butt or Boston butt) is my favorite cut of pork, I think, solely because I love pulled pork so much. And it's just so dang easy to make! This recipe features a smoky-sweet flavor with the addition of maple syrup and Bourbon. Once pulled apart, you can eat the pulled pork as-is, or stir in some of your favorite barbecue sauce before serving.

Maple-Bourbon Pulled Pork (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

1 red onion, cut in half and sliced (half-moons)
1 3-4 pound pork shoulder
salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup Bourbon (mid-range is fine)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses (unsulphured)
bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce, if desired

1. Add the sliced onion to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Pat the pork shoulder dry and season all sides liberally with salt and pepper, then set atop the onion layer.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Bourbon, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and molasses. Pour over top the pork.
4. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until the pork is tender and shreds easily.
5. Use two forks to shred the pork into bite-size pieces. You can then serve as-is, or stir in barbecue sauce as desired. (I stirred in about 1/3 cup of barbecue sauce, but we like our pulled pork lightly sauced; you may opt to add in more.) Serve on toasted buns (I highly recommend pretzel buns) with coleslaw.


Maple-Bourbon Pulled Pork || A Less Processed Life



SHARE:

What's Baking: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread || A Less Processed Life

A small bunch of bananas was languishing on the countertop yesterday, so I did what any sane person would do and baked up a delicious loaf of banana bread.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread || A Less Processed Life

These days bananas don't last too long in our household, as they are one of D's favorite snacks, and I tend to snag any super-ripe ones and toss them in the freezer for future smoothies. Somehow these be-speckled bananas were overlooked, and let me tell you, I'm glad they were.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread || A Less Processed Life

This loaf of banana bread was absolutely amazing. Quite possibly because I was feeling decadent and thus tossed in a generous handful of semisweet chocolate chips into the batter. But also because the outside was just a tiny bit crisp, but the inside was perfectly (avert your eyes, m-word haters) moist. I usually go to town with cinnamon and nutmeg, but truth be told I totally forgot to add the spices in when I was making the batter. No big deal. I just sprinkled the top with cinnamon and then gently swirled it in with the tip of a rubber spatula, so there's still the subtle warming flavor of cinnamon on top of all that banana-y goodness.

I need to remember to overlook those ripening bananas more often!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (printer-friendly version)
makes one 8-inch loaf

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" x 4" loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the syrup, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir in the mashed bananas and then stir in the melted butter.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepped loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon, then gently swirl in the cinnamon with a spoon.
6. Bake in the oven for 50-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Wrap any leftovers in foil and store at room temperature for up to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread || A Less Processed Life


SHARE:

Made From Scratch: Buttermilk Ranch Dressing


Buttermilk Ranch Dressing || A Less Processed Life

Ours was a romantic dinner Chez Bronson for Valentine's Day on Sunday, as (a) we're not ones to pay a gazillion dollars for some sub-par Valentine's prix fixe menu, and (b) even if we were, we don't exactly live in an area rife with prix-fixe Valentine's dinner specials. (Unless you count "fried cheese curds" as a fancy food.)

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing || A Less Processed Life

And anyway, we already had all the makings for a romantic meal in our refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. On our dinner menu? Venison tenderloin and twice-baked potatoes. And to start, wedge salads with bleu cheese crumbles, bacon, and a fresh homemade buttermilk ranch dressing.

This tangy dressing is a cinch to whip together, particularly if you have a food processor. Toss all the ingredients in, give it a whirl, and voila, your buttermilk ranch dressing is done. One recommendation, however -- do try to make it in advance if at all possible. At least an hour in the fridge will give the flavors time to meld together, making it that much tastier. Trust me, it's definitely worth a little wait. Your lettuce (and tastebuds) will thank you.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
makes ~3 cups

3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoons dried dill
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk

1. Add the scallions, chives, parsley, lemon juice, mustard, dill, olive oil, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor with the metal blade attached. Process for 20-30 seconds, or until well combined. Carefully scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, and buttermilk and blend until smooth. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired. Place in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

(adapted from this Ina Garten recipe

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing || A Less Processed Life

SHARE:

What's Baking: Valentine's Day Spritz Cookies

Valentine's Day Spritz Cookies || A Less Processed Life

I typically break out my cookie gun over the winter holidays and then promptly forget about it until I pull the box out of my pantry and blow the dust off the top the next time December rolls around.

Valentine's Day Spritz Cookies || A Less Processed Life

But, given that one of the cookie shapes is a heart, that seems awful silly, doesn't it?

Valentine's Day Spritz Cookies || A Less Processed Life

So, I reached back into the depths of my pantry (don't get D started on my interesting organizational scheme...) and pulled the box out from the back corner to make these (easy! simple!) Valentine's Day spritz cookies.

The secret to cookie gunning (is that a term?) is to go slow and don't get too trigger happy. And, if the dough comes out in a weird clump, just toss the dough back in the bowl and keep going. I usually press out three or four misshapen cookie blobs before I get in the groove.

While you can always decorate these cookies with sprinkles before popping them in the oven, this time I chose to get a little fancy by dipping the cookies in a little melted semi-sweet chocolate. Because just about anything is made better with a little chocolate, right? Right after dipping each cookie, I sprinkled on little decorative hearts or red, white, and pink nonpareils. Or you could just dip 'em in the chocolate and call it a day. (And thus avoid covering your kitchen floor in bouncing nonpareils. Not that I have any experience in that or anything.)

So, whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or the following day's 75-percent-off-Valentine's-candy Day, I hope it's a good one!

Valentine's Day Spritz Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes 50+ cookies

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
sprinkles for decorating

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
3. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at high speed until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the egg. In several batches, stir in the flour mixture at low speed, until just combined.
4. Fill a cookie gun with the dough, choosing the heart-shaped disk to make heart-shaped cookies. (Or choose whatever shape your heart desires.)
5. Press the cookies out onto the prepped baking sheet. You can place them pretty close to each other; they won't spread much at all. Bake for 9-12 minutes. or until just set and slightly golden on the bottom. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Line your work surface with parchment paper. Dip each cookie into the chocolate and set on the parchment paper. Decorate with sprinkles before the chocolate sets and then let cool until the chocolate has set. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to three days.

(adapted from this Giada De Laurentiis recipe)

Valentine's Day Spritz Cookies || A Less Processed Life

SHARE:

What's For Breakfast: Easy Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

Easy Roasted Breakfast Potatoes || A Less Processed Life

After a long hiatus, our ladies are finally laying again. Yes, I'm talking about our lady chickens, aka, our hens. They seem to be enjoying their new winter digs (a fully enclosed coop filled with straw and a heating lamp for the really cold days). Last week we collected 13 eggs in one day! A marked difference from the paltry two or three we were collecting all summer and autumn long. Not quite sure what the difference is, but if they're happy and laying, I'm happy, too.

Easy Roasted Breakfast Potatoes || A Less Processed Life

Which means, of course, we now have a lot of eggs on our hands! So eggs are in heavy rotation on our breakfast menu – scrambled, over easy, sunny-side up, poached ... good thing there are plenty of different ways to cook eggs!

Easy Roasted Breakfast Potatoes || A Less Processed Life

This past weekend, I made a batch of these easy roasted breakfast potatoes to serve alongside a plateful of scrambled eggs. I love this recipe because it takes less than 30 minutes to make and the potatoes turn out perfectly roasted every time. I've kept it simple with just salt and pepper as the seasonings, but you can fancify this dish any way you want – a handful of fresh herbs tossed over the potatoes once they've been pulled from the oven would be an excellent starting place.

Easy Roasted Breakfast Potatoes (printer-friendly version)
makes 2-4 servings

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1" pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
coarse sea salt

1. Set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or oil.
2. Place the diced potatoes into a large bowl and toss with the olive oil. Turn the potatoes out onto the prepped baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
3. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a spatula to flip the potatoes over.
4. Roast for an additional 15 minutes, or until fork tender and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Easy Roasted Breakfast Potatoes || A Less Processed Life

SHARE:

What's Baking: Meyer Lemon Cookies

Meyer Lemon Cookies || A Less Processed Life

I am still on a Meyer lemon kick ... i.e., I still have a couple of Meyer lemons hanging out on my countertop begging to be used.

Meyer Lemon Cookies || A Less Processed Life

So, of course, cookies it is! Though when I look out the window, the scene is covered with snow, all I have to do is take a bite of one of these cookies and I'm transported immediately to Spring. The fresh lemon taste, accented with the floral notes of cardamom and the gentle spice of a pinch of black pepper, makes these cookies a perfect accompaniment to that second cup of morning coffee or a steaming mug of afternoon tea. Or, well, yeah, they work as a sweet snack at any time of the day, too.

Meyer Lemon Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes 20 cookies

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh Meyer lemon zest (from ~ one lemon)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice (~ one lemon)
1/4 cup powdered sugar

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground cardamom, and black pepper. Set aside.
2. Add the brown and granulated sugars and lemon zest to the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir together for about 1 minute to help release the oils in the zest. Add the softened butter and beat until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
3. One at a time, beat in the vanilla extract, egg, and lemon juice, beating thoroughly between additions to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.
4. Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls (a small (1 tablespoon) scoop is helpful here) and roll in the powdered sugar. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.
5. Bake in the oven for 9-11 minutes, or until golden on the bottom and the top has just set. Let cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then remove to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

(lightly adapted from this White on Rice Couple recipe)

Meyer Lemon Cookies || A Less Processed Life

SHARE:

Made From Scratch: Meyer Lemon Hummus

Meyer Lemon Hummus || A Less Processed Life

There's a Big Game coming up next Sunday, and since my team isn't in the mix (go Pack go!), my focus will be more on the food than the game itself. Okay, well, really, my focus is always more on the food than the game. I am what one would call a fickle football fan, and my allegiance shifts with my changing state of residence. As a former Cincinnatian (ish), I was a Bengals fan until they broke my 10-year-old heart in 1989 when they lost against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII.  

Meyer Lemons || A Less Processed Life

As a resident of Chicago in the mid-2000s, I was a fan of da Bears, particularly of Tank Johnson, solely for his first name, if I'm being honest. (I might own a homemade "I ♥ Tank" sweatshirt that I wore at a Super Bowl party back in the day.) When we moved to Laramie, our closest team was the Denver Broncos. I remained a Bears fan. As was the case when we moved to Philly, where I suppose I should've been an Eagles fan, but, meh, that was when infamous Michael Vick was in the mix.

Meyer Lemon Hummus || A Less Processed Life

And then we moved to Wisconsin, where the Green Bay Packers rule the land. I have probably watched more football games since moving here in 2012 than I have in all my previous years of existence. And, yes, I have a custom Packers jersey with my last name on it. And this past fall we made it to a pre-season game at Lambeau Field. A few of my Chicago friends have yet to forgive me for changing my allegiance to their team's sworn enemy. What can I say? I love cheese. And Aaron Rodgers.

But ... back to this Sunday's game. While I might not care what the outcome is (and, um, I might rather change the channel over to Downton Abbey...), I'm still down for an excuse to eat lots of yummy food and hang out with friends. And since there is sure to be plenty of not-so-healthy foods in the mix, I better plan on bringing something nutritious (and tasty) to the table. Meyer lemons – which have a sweet floral flavor that lands somewhere between a lemon and an orange – add a slight twist to this classic hummus recipe. The tart flavor of ground sumac adds a counterbalance to the lemon's sweetness and gives this hummus a little something extra. Serve it up with pita wedges or veggies, and you've got a delicious dip ready for kick-off.

Meyer Lemon Hummus (printer-friendly version)
makes about 1 1/2 cups

2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 16-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons tahini
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (~1 lemon)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground sumac
1 teaspoon fresh Meyer lemon zest

1. Add the garlic cloves to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until minced.
2. Add the chickpeas, salt, tahini, and lemon juice to the food processor. Process until coarsely pureed, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
3. Add in the olive oil and process until smooth. Sprinkle in the ground sumac and lemon zest and process until well combined.
4. Season with additional salt if necessary. Spoon the hummus into a serving bowl and drizzle with about one tablespoon of olive oil and add a sprinkle of ground sumac before serving, if desired. Serve alongside pita bread, toasted bread slices, or fresh veggies.

Meyer Lemon Hummus || A Less Processed Life

SHARE:
© A Less Processed Life. All rights reserved.
BLOGGER TEMPLATE MADE BY pipdig