Simple & Succulent Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork Barbecue

This recipe is so easy that I almost didn't share it, but it came at the perfect time, so here it is!  It was a very long day of work immediately followed by cleaning, running errands (piano lessons, groceries, etc.), helping my little sous chef with her homework (Everyday Math can be so frustrating)... all while being reminded that I hadn't fulfilled my promise to "play with me" yet.  At the end of the day, I thought to myself, "I sure am glad I put that pork in the oven at 6:00 this morning!"  It was dinnertime.  I yanked the pork out of the oven, pulled it apart, mixed in some barbecue sauce, and served it on buns.  Viola!  After a day like that, I'm thankful for an easy meal!  It's so tender and juicy... and with little-to-no effort on my part!  Time for wine.  Cheers!

Asian Salmon Burgers with Orange-Ginger Slaw

School is out and we've been busy enjoying the beautiful weather, so blogging has kind of taken a little backseat these past two weeks.  These salmon burgers are a great summer meal because they're easy, delicious and ready in 15 minutes!  You don't have to spend copious amounts of time prepping and cooking, so you can spend more time with family and friends.  Happy Saturday!

Reuben Sandwiches with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

Is it really the middle of March already?!  With Saint Patrick's Day not very far away, I decided to whip up one of my favorite hot sandwiches for dinner, the Reuben sandwich.  Prepare your taste buds for a ride... there are so many wonderful flavors packed into this little sandwich!  

Chicken Parmigiana & Spinach Sandwich

My schedule tends to be pretty hectic as it is but this week is a different story.  On top of my activities of daily living, I have been asked by a friend to help make food for her wedding this weekend.  I am super nervous excited because this will be a first for me.  Since my schedule will be so busy, I have planned my meals for the week accordingly.  This delicious, juicy chicken parmigiana & spinach sandwich is always a huge hit with my family and it can be ready in under 30 minutes.  

Sliders with Bacon, Cheddar, BBQ & Homemade Onion Rings

Dude food at its finest!  Kick back a few of these babies during the game.  Cheesy, smoky, crispy, sweet, tangy, chewy - so many wonderful things going on in this little slider!  

Grilled Cheese with Bacon, Tomato & Scallions

It doesn't get much better than a grilled cheese sandwich and hot tomato soup on a cold winter day... until you add bacon.  Enough said.

Turkey Wrap with Bacon, Apples & Pepper Jack

This healthy wrap is perfect for those busy days of fall.  The pepper jack cheese brings a delicious spiciness and the crisp apples add a burst of sweetness.  Oh, yeah - and there's bacon. 

Caprese Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Basil Pesto

Here is another great summer dish, a delicious Italian spin on the classic grilled cheese sandwich!  I came across the recipe on Closet Cooking and it has quickly become one of my favorite sandwiches.

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

If you love buffalo wings, then this spicy and hearty sandwich topped with creamy blue cheese and cool, crunchy celery is for you!  It is perfect for the upcoming picnicking season.  Serve it with a side of carrot and celery sticks with blue cheese dressing for dipping.  

Reuben Wraps

Do you have corned beef and cabbage leftover from Saint Patrick's Day?  Last year, I utilized the leftovers to make rosemary corned beef and carrot pasta but this year, I decided to make Reuben wraps.  It's hard to resist the combination of creamy thousand island dressing and tangy, crunchy sauerkraut with savory corned beef and Swiss cheese.  

BBQ Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp & Pineapple Wrap

While my husband and I were celebrating our 8-year anniversary on a beautiful tropical island a couple weeks ago (sigh, is it spring yet?!), we enjoyed dinner with a view of the sun setting over the ocean.  It was a magical experience that I will never forget.  One of the seafood dishes we were served included bacon-wrapped shrimp slathered with BBQ sauce and it was so incredibly delicious that I have been daydreaming about it since that time.  I finally got around to making it tonight and decided to use it in a wrap.  There are so many wonderful elements to this wrap.  It is warm, salty, smoky, sweet, tangy and cheesy -- absolutely wonderful!   My family loves it and it definitely will be put into my meal rotation list.  My grill is currently hibernating until spring, so I have included directions for pan frying the shrimp but you may certainly grill it.

Southwestern Blackened Chicken Spinach Wraps

I knew that my entire week was going to be really crazy, so I planned for quick meals each night.  This is one of my go-to recipes for a busy week night.  It can be made in 15 minutes, is tasty and the entire family will love it.  This would also be a nice addition to your Super Bowl Sunday parties.

School Lunch: Sandwich Kabobs

Maybe it's just me, but everything tastes better when it's on a stick.  Why not turn a boring sandwich into something fun for the kids?!  These are great because you can create all types of sandwiches.  Some other good additions to the sandwich on a stick are grape tomatoes or olives.  Spread some peanut butter on the bread and alternate with grapes for a fun spin on the classic PB&J.  Or, skip the sandwich idea and make Fruit kabobs instead.  Just remember to cut the pointy edges of the wooden skewers off.  You wouldn't want to send your kids to school with a weapon!

Southwestern Burgers with Chipotle Sauce

One Year Ago:  Chicken Parmigiana

Remember the addicting creamy cheddar chipotle sauce recipe that I posted a few days ago?  I decided to use it on burgers to give them a southwestern spin.  My family loved them and my husband told me that it was the best burger he has had in a long time... and I totally agree! 

Southwestern Bruschetta

One Year Ago:  Strawberry-Cinnamon Galette

It was between lunch and dinner and I found myself craving a snack, particularly something Mexican.  I had made some guacamole and had French baguette that I needed to use up, so I decided to make southwestern bruschetta.  Simple and delicious.     

Creamy Ranch Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Crostini

One Year Ago:  Chicken Quesadillas

One of my favorite things about being a food blogger is getting free food and ingredients in the mail.  As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received Tostitos' and Lay's new Dip Creations.  Two packages of three different flavors were sent to me:  Country Ranch, Garden Onion and Freshly Made Guacamole.  For the Garden Onion and Country Ranch, you simply pour the spice packet into sour cream, stir and voila!  For the Freshly Made Guacamole, you mash 3 large avocados and add it to the spice packet.  They are all so amazingly tasty and simple to make.  My husband and daughter went crazy over the taste of each.  Of the three, my personal favorite (though it was hard to chose) was the Garden Ranch.  The best thing about these Dip Creations is that they are made with all natural ingredients, there is no MSG, no preservatives and no artificial flavors.  I decided to whip up a special treat for my family using the Dip Creations Country Ranch.  

Ingredients:
Printable Recipe

• 1 packet Lay's Dip Creations Country Ranch
• 2 c sour cream  
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 c baby spinach, chopped
• 1 c cooked chicken, diced 
• 1 c roasted red peppers (I roasted my own peppers, which I highly recommend)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 French baguette, thinly sliced 
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste 
• 2 tbsp basil, chopped 

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the Dip Creations Country Ranch with sour cream.

Stir in the cooked chicken, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the baby spinach and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the spinach is wilted down.  Stir the spinach into the Country Ranch mixture.

Brush olive oil over both sides of each baguette and rub a clove of garlic over both sides.  Season with salt and pepper.  Preheat the same skillet that the spinach was cooked in to medium-high heat and place the baguette slices on it.  Cook until both sides are golden brown.

Arrange the crostini.  Spoon the Country Ranch mixture on top of the crostini.  Top with roasted red peppers.

Garnish with basil.

Enjoy!

Tuna Salad Sandwich

One Year Ago:  Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

There was a two-year span in my life (when I was still living at home) that my mom and I worked at the same company.  Other than my amazing husband and beautiful sister, my mom is my best friend and we were able to have lunch together every day.  I look back on those days so fondly.  I happen to be a creature of habit and every day for the entire two years that we worked together, my mom packed me the same tuna sandwich.  She would mix the tuna with Miracle Whip (which I have since converted to mayonnaise, courtesy of my husband), slice cucumber and layer it over the tuna and add some celery salt.  When I got a little older, she introduced me to adding sliced green olives, which I adored.  Bunny trail:  I am an olive freak.  My Grandmommy and Granddaddy would take me to Sizzler and I would literally get nothing but plates full of green and black olives.  No, seriously.  I would literally get nothing but green and black olives!  I have been seeing a lot of my favorite blogs recently posting tuna salad recipes (check this amazing one from The Weekend Gourmet out here) that have had me craving it, so I decided to turn my mother's sandwich into a tuna salad sandwich.  Speaking of best friends, my sister gave me a beautiful french baguette a few days ago (for no reason other than just because) that made this sandwich possible.  YUM!  

Ingredients:
Printable Recipes

• 12 oz canned tuna in water 
• 2 tbsp vidalia onion, minced
• 1/4 c green olives, sliced 
• 1/4 c mayonnaise 
• 1/2 c cucumber, chopped 
• Pinch of celery salt
• French baguette, sliced
• Olive oil, for brushing 
• Pepper, to taste 
• Salt, to taste
• Lettuce (I was fresh out)

Directions:

Thoroughly drain the tuna.  In a medium-sized bowl, combine the tuna, onion, olives, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cucumber, pepper and celery salt.

Brush olive oil on both sides of the sliced baguette, season with salt and pepper and toast.

Assemble the sandwich with toasted baguette, tuna and lettuce.

Enjoy!

Double Egg, Prosciutto & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

Yesterday was my nephew's 1st birthday party.  My sister served a delicious baked ziti meal for our family and we had a lovely time.  Saturday mornings, I normally make a huge breakfast but the morning of the party proved to be hectic, so I made my husband's favorite fast and easy breakfast sandwich.  Whenever I make these sandwiches, bacon is usually used in place of the prosciutto but we had a lot of it that needed to be used up.  These sandwiches are also perfect for on the go.

Moons Over My Hammy

Last night, I had a dream about my dear Grandmommy. Grandmommy has a very large and special place in my heart; she was like a second mother to me. I wish all of my readers could have had the privilege of knowing her. She was an enchanting, beautiful, funny and loving woman, who loved children and would do anything to see me smile. My daughter's middle name is named after her: Shirley. She battled Alzheimer's disease for the last ten years of her life. In July of this year, God took away her Alzheimer's and she is now living in heaven. In my dream, my Grandmommy and Granddaddy took me out to eat at Denny's, as they had many, many times in the past. My Grandmommy ordered her usual Moons Over My Hammy and happily ate it while I talked to her about whatever came to my mind. A very simple dream about a very pleasant memory. Unfortunately, never once did I taste her sandwich when she offered. In fact, I used to think it was gross because of the Swiss cheese and the name in general. All morning I have been thinking about this dream and I had no choice but to make it today. What a beautiful brunch this was. My grandparents seem to have a way of inspiring me to cook, like my granddaddy in this post. This sandwich is absolutely delicious. I feel a little guilty for making this and eating it without my husband here -- he would really enjoy it! 

Chicken Caesar Flatbread Sandwich

I had planned on cooking leg of lamb tonight for dinner but I decided to stray from my weekly meal planner (which I hardly ever do) and go with what I was craving -- chicken Caesar sandwiches! These are very simple and fast but so delicious! The family gobbled them right up and loved them. My daughter came up with the idea that I should have her showing a thumbs up if it's good, thumbs medium if it's "meh" or thumbs down if it's not good. I think it's a cute idea, so I will (try to remember to) add the thumbs up, thumbs medium or thumbs down for Madelyn's rating of a meal. I have to be careful now that I have a food critic judging my every meal. lol

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
• 1/4 c Caesar dressing PLUS more for topping
  
• Cooking spray, to coat indoor grill, panini maker or cast-iron grill pan
  
• 4 flatbread slices or pitas
  
• Shredded Romano cheese, to taste
  
• Parmesan cheese, to taste
  
• 2 c Iceburg lettuce, chopped
  
• 1 tomato, chopped
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Here are the thumb rating pictures (let's hope I don't get too many of the last two):



Directions:

• Marinate the chicken breast strips in 1/4 c of the Caesar dressing for at least 2 hours.
  
• Preheat grill and coat with cooking spray.
• Cook the chicken strips for 5 minutes (I used panini maker), until chicken is no longer pink in the center.
  
• Assemble the sandwich. Lay lettuce on top of one slice of flatbread. Pour desired amount dressing over the lettuce and top with chicken, tomato and cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat for the remaining slices of flatbread.
• Fold and enjoy! Simple? Yes!
  

Madelyn rating:
"Good!"