What I'm Ready For: Picnic Season

Oh, how I love three-day weekends. (Have I ever mentioned that my preferred work-week would be Tuesday-Thursday from 10a to 2p? Yeah ... I'll keep on dreaming about that one.) And the arrival of Memorial Day this weekend indicates that Picnic Season is upon us. Of course, where you live, picnic season may have already long been underway. However, up here in the Northwoods, spring has only just sprung. And while we may have had temperatures in the mid-80s earlier this week, last night we were under a frost/freeze warning. So, yeah, summer isn't quite here yet. But, even if the daily temperatures are in the mid-60s, as long as the sun is shining, I think there's no reason why you couldn't break out the picnic basket and a big ol' blanket, and set out for an afternoon adventure with food in tow. (And if the weather isn't accommodating, just unfurl that blanket inside and share a picnic indoors!) Below are some of my favorite options for picnicking from my blog archives.

Dad's Famous Potato Salad

Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad

Greek Pasta Salad

Asian Cole Slaw

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Black Bean Vindaloo Burgers

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Strawberry Hand Pies

Blueberry-Blackberry Crumble

Lemonade

Strawberry-Basil Rum Soda

Sangria

What's For Dinner: Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken

I made slow cooker BBQ pork chops late last week and ended up saving the leftover barbecue sauce that the pork chops cooked in, as I didn't want it to go to waste. This week I planned to have D cook barbecue chicken on the grill, but since he was stuck in the field all day long, I decided to give slow cooker BBQ chicken a whirl instead. To help keep the chicken moist, I gave the thighs a quick dredge in a flour and spice mixture, then pan-browned them in a skillet. The chicken was then added to the slow cooker, topped with barbecue sauce, and set to cook on low for about six hours. Right before serving, I used two forks to shred the chicken. I served the shredded barbecue chicken over rice, but I think this would make an excellent filling for a sandwich (similar to the pulled pork sandwiches I featured a while back), too.

Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Chicken (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
6-8 organic chicken thighs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups barbecue sauce

1. Add the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and ground cumin to a gallon-sized plastic bag. Add in the chicken thighs, seal the bag, and shake to coat the thighs evenly.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned all all sides, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add enough barbecue sauce to cover the bottom of a 2-quart slow cooker bowl. Add in the chicken and top with enough barbecue sauce to cover.
4. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Serve immediately atop a bed of rice or other grain, or as a sandwich filling.

(adapted from this recipe)

What's For Dinner: BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Memorial Day signifies the beginning of the summer season. Though I don't particularly associate summer with my slow cooker, I had the urge to make pulled pork sandwiches for my parents while they were in town, so out it came.

After brunch on Sunday we headed to Whole Foods, where I picked up some pork shoulder (aka pork butt), a can of Whole Foods root beer, and a few other items to go along with our sandwiches, including a tasty cucumber-tomato-onion dill salad and cole slaw.

Apparently Food & Wine magazine was reading my mind, as Sunday morning's F&W Daily email featured a recipe for slow cooker barbecued pulled pork. I was intrigued by the recipe's addition of onions to the slow cooker at the beginning of the cooking period. I opted to caramelize the onions before adding them on top of the pork in the slow cooker. And, since I had a head of roasted garlic in the fridge, I decided to add those roasted cloves to the slow cooker as well.

The resulting pulled pork was quite savory and was a hit with my parents. I think this may just be my go-to pulled pork recipe from now on.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (printer-friendly version)
makes enough for 8+ sandwiches

2-3 lbs pork shoulder
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 can of root beer
1 onion, chopped
8-10 roasted garlic cloves

1. Place the pork shoulder in the bowl of a slow cooker. (I used the 4-quart bowl.)
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour a can of root beer over the pork.
4. Add in the roasted garlic cloves and caramelized onions.
5. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 6-7 hours.
6. Use a knife and fork to shred the pork. Drain off the liquid.
7. Stir in about 1-2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce. (I like to make mine from scratch.)
8. Serve immediately with buns and a selection of sides.

What's For Dinner: Dr. Snap Pulled Pork Sandwiches

As I mentioned the other day, I (kind of randomly) decided to make pulled pork sandwiches for dinner on Sunday night. Inspired by a Pioneer Woman recipe that used Dr. Pepper, I picked up a can of Whole Foods' version of the drink (Dr. Snap, though I think it would be funnier if it were named 'Snap, PhD') to make up a batch of pulled pork. Though I had a bottle of BBQ sauce in the cupboard, I decided to make up a batch of my own anyway -- the stuff that's made from scratch just tastes so much better. I picked up a variety of rolls for our sandwiches; pictured above is a yummy pretzel roll.

Dr. Snap Pulled Pork (printer-friendly version)
makes enough for 8+ sandwiches

2 lbs pork shoulder (our pork shoulder came from Simply Grazin', a farm located in NJ, and had a Whole Foods animal welfare rating of 4 (pasture centered)
freshly ground black pepper
fine sea salt
1 12-oz can of Dr. Snap

1. Place the pork shoulder in a slow cooker. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper.
2. Pour a can of Dr. Snap over the pork. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 6-7 hours.
3. Before you shred the meat, use a spoon to ladle off some of the fat. You can also remove any residual fat on the meat as well.
4. Use a knife and fork to shred the pork. Drain off the liquid.
5. Stir in about 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce.