Crock Pot BBQ Pork Shoulder Ribs (that turned into Pulled Pork!)

TATTLE TALERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hi! I must let you know how incredibly sorry I am for having been so absent; I got sick AGAIN and it was a doozy. On top of that, I started school full time and it has taken a good portion of my cooking time! But, this weekend I was able to throw together a recipe for the record books. If you are like me, and want to BBQ when the weather is amazing (like it was this weekend) but don’t have easy access to an outdoor grill-USE THIS RECIPE! Now, I didn’t measure anything so this recipe is going to be a freestyle if you will. I hope you are all able to give it a shot and enjoy it as we did!!!

INGREDIENTS

2-3lbs  country style pork shoulder ribs (or any meat of your choice really; just make sure it’s boneless)
1-1 1/2 cups of chicken or beef broth (I used chicken)
A couple of Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Italian seasoning
Onion powder
Pepper (I used the Peppercorn Medley)
Garlic salt (I used Garlic Sea Salt)
As many cloves of chopped garlic to your liking
Your favorite BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)

1.)  Set your crock pot to the lowest setting-mine is a 6 or 7 qt that has settings for low-10 hours, I just turned it on to that so it would get warmed up while I prepped. Also, drizzle some olive oil on the bottom so things don’t stick.

2.)  If your pork ribs are big (mine were) cut them in half, then make a layer of ribs in the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle your seasonings and chopped garlic, then lightly drizzle with some olive oil. Repeat this step with a second layer of ribs.

3.)  Add the stock of your choice-I basically put just enough in to come up to the second layer of ribs.

4.)  Cook for about 6 hours or so, making sure (no matter how much you are tempted) NOT to lift the lid. Remember, every time you lift the lid you lose an hour of cooking time!

5.)   At about the 6 hour mark, go ahead and lift the lid, remove most of the cooking liquid (I saved most of mine and used it as my liquid for my rice), and add your BBQ sauce. Add as little or as much as you like. I added just a enough to cover the ribs, then I stirred them-this is when I realized I had pulled pork hahaha. After incorporating the sauce, add just a little bit more on the top and return the lid for 2 more hours. I had to just put mine on the warm setting after this, there was no need for it to cook any longer.

Serve and enjoy!

Now, I served this with jasmine rice infused with the liquid from prior cooking, and an epic salad. Plus, there is literally enough to feed an army; just tonight, we had pulled pork sammies!

Here are some pix–I hope you all enjoy and are able to give this recipe a shot!

Poached Chicken with Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce!

And hello Tattle Talers! I must apologize for the delay in blogs-things have been hectic! Life happens and sometimes, cooking a meal is out of the question. This recipe however, sounds like something that would take all day but only took me about 40 minutes! If you like Thai food, I highly recommend this amazing dish-I received a rave review from my favorite critic (aka Boyfriend) and let’s just say…we’ll be having this one again 🙂 Well, here we go! PS: I gotta give credit where it’s due, and my BFF Rose Christine Landon sent me a link of 10 recipes to use Sriracha in-THANK YOU ROSE! 🙂

 

INGREDIENTS

4  6oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces.
1  cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
4  1-inch slices of ginger*
2  cloves of minced garlic
1/3  cup of natural peanut butter **
4  teaspoons of lime juice
2  teaspoons of sugar
2  teaspoons of Sriracha
1/2  teaspoon of Fish Sauce
2  tablespoons of chopped cilantro
Finely chopped peanuts (this was my addition)
1.)  Simmer chicken in broth with ginger and garlic, in a deep 10-inch heavy skillet, covered, until just cooked through (about 8-10 minutes) skimming off any foam. Transfer chicken to a bowl with tongs and keep warm.

2.)  Boil broth until reduced to about 2/3cup.

3.) Transfer ginger and garlic to a blender with remaining ingredients except cilantro and chopped peanuts.

4.)  Pour cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve into blender and add any accumulate juice from chicken. (I didn’t do this step, I wanted all the yummy flavors!)

5.)  Blend until sauce is smooth. Season with salt to taste. Pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle with cilantro and chopped peanuts.

 

*I found that when I blended the sauce, the ginger didn’t get as chopped as I would have liked. I ended up having to pick out huge pieces of ginger because they didn’t break down. Next time I think I’ll actually chop the ginger as finely as possible.

**I ended up using more than a 1/3cup of peanut butter, because I REALLY love peanut sauce and wanted that yummy peanut flavor. This is the same for the other ingredients as well-I added more flavor to the sauce to adjust to my taste, you can do the same!

 

I served this dish with garlic infused jasmine rice and steamed snow peas-absolutely perfect combination. This recipe makes a TON of sauce, next time I think I’ll freeze some of it, or just make the sauce to pour over rice! If I had to change anything about this dish, it would be the poaching of the chicken. While it is the healthiest way of cooking chicken, I think I would prefer it baked or grilled. That’s just a personal preference for me-I think anyone could make this recipe their own for sure!

 

Mama Debbie’s Meatloaf….mmmmm…..

My oh my…if you guys could smell my house right now….

Oops, I got off track. RECIPE TIME! (I added just a couple of things of my own, which I’ll note through the ingredients)

 

1.5 lbs  Ground Hamburger (85/15)
12 oz.  Mild Ground Sausage
1 cup  Yellow Onion (a medium size one is fine)
1 cup Green Bell Pepper (again, medium size is fine)
1-2TBSP  minced garlic (JL’s addition to sauteing)
1  four oz can diced green chiles (JL’s addition to sauteing)
3/4 cup Ketchup
1 TBSP  Mustard
1 TBSP  Worcestshire Sauce
2  Eggs
3/4 tsp  salt
1/2 tsp  pepper
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 cup  crushed Saltine crackers (or so)
1/3-1/2 cup  1-minute quick oatmeal

 

1.)  Break up hamburger & sausage in a large bowl. Also, preheat oven at 350 degrees.

2.)  Saute onion, green bell pepper, garlic, and green chiles in a fry pan using either butter or olive oil. Once sauteed, let cool (so you don’t scramble the eggs later)

3.)  Mix seasonings, eggs, ketchup, mustard, and worcestshire sauce, then add to hamburger mixture.

4.)  Add sauteed veggies, then crackers and oatmeal. Get messy and mix with your hands-it is the only way to really incorporate all of the ingredients. (I personally despise touching raw meat; I make an exception for this recipe haha)

5.)  Spray loaf pan (or any pan you choose; I used a ceramic bundt pan from Pampered Chef!)

6.)  Bake for 1hr to 1hr 15 mins. Drain the grease, turn out, and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting up.

 

JL’s Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

1-2lbs  Yukon Gold Potatoes
Chicken Broth Concentrate (my new best friend)
1/4-1/2  cup  Milk
1/4-1/2   cup Sour Cream
1/2tsp  Garlic Powder

 

1.) Boil potatoes until a fork goes through them. Drain, put potatoes back into pot.

2.) Add all other ingredients, mash together until desired consistency.

 

 

ENJOY!!!

 

Indian Chicken Stew!

Better Homes & Gardens had an insert called “All-Time Favorites 2012 Cookbook” and I immediately snatched it up. I mean, I love to cook, why not add more recipes to my arsenal? The insert is conveniently divided into sections: Appetizers, Main Dishes, Sides, and Desserts. While flipping through my mouth starts watering almost immediately. Then, this recipe jumps out at me: Indian Chicken Stew. One, I’ve never made Indian food before in my life and two, it requires a slow cooker-SOLD! I’m always excited to try new things so this was right up my alley all the way around. With this dish, I stuck exactly to the recipe measurements (normally I put my own twists on anything I cook hahaha) just to be sure I got the spices correct and such. Started prepping at 8am, got all ingredients in by 830-845ish, set it on the 10 hour setting, and let it go. If anyone doesn’t know, every time you lift the lid on your crock pot you LOSE ONE HOUR OF COOKING. Leave it be, I promise you’ll have better results.

We left the house around 10am, got home around 330pm-the house smelled A-MAZ-ING! We could smell it in our entryway downstairs hahaha. I only stirred it once, to make sure everything was nicely incorporated. The cooker automatically set to warm after the 10 hours, and I started the rice (in my awesome new rice cooker!) which took about another 30mins or so. I’ll include that recipe as well, which is sort of a rip off from Guy Fieri’s Mambo Rice but with this I made it my way, because I can. Dinner was ready to rock at 7pm…I was literally giddy with anticipation in tasting this dish! So, with all this being said *drum roll please* I present to you all, Indian Chicken Stew with Garlic/Lime/Cilantro Jasmine rice. Hope you all enjoy! (PS: you will need at least a 6-quart crock pot/slow cooker for this recipe)

 

INDIAN CHICKEN STEW (prep: 15 mins, cook time: 8-10hrs (low) or 4-5hrs (high)

2lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1   medium onion, chopped (I used a white onion)
3   cloves of garlic, minced
5   teaspoons curry powder
2   teaspoons ground ginger
1/2   teaspoon salt
1/4   teaspoon black pepper and/or cayenne pepper (I used both)
2   15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
2   14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1   cup chicken broth
1   bay leaf
2   tablespoons lime juice
1   9-ounce package fresh spinach (optional; I didn’t use this, per boyfriends request and it was just as great I’m sure)

1.) Lightly coat a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or oil. Add chicken, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker. Add curry powder, ginger, salt, and pepper(s) to the slow cooker. Toss to coat. Stir in drained beans, undrained tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on high-heat setting 4-5 hours or low-heat setting 8-10 hours. (In my opinion, low & slow is the way to go!)

2.) Stir lime juice into cooked stew. If using spinach leaves, stir into stew and let stand 2-3 minutes to wilt.

Makes approximately 8 servings.

JL’S VERSION OF MAMBO RICE

If using a rice cooker, use the rice cooker cup to measure out your rice/liquid ratio’s. I used:

3   rice cooker cups of Jasmine Rice
6   rice cooker cups chicken broth
2-3   cloves of garlic

Cook rice according to your way or package directions if not using rice cooker. After rice was done cooking, I added:

1/2   cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/4   cup fresh squeezed lime juice

Stirred it all up, covered it up to infuse a little bit more, then served. I also added a little bit of chopped cilantro on top of my stew. EPIC STUFF.

Dirty Oscar’s Annex (my most favorite place ever)

Saturday’s are generally our “funday’s” in this household. At least once every weekend, aside from one in the last 6 weeks, we’ve been to the newest 6th Ave hotspot in Tacoma-Dirty Oscar’s Annex (aka DOA). For real, this is THE breakfast spot. Well, in my opinion, the best spot in general for delicious and unique twists on simple foods. For example-chicken & waffles. DOA kindly puts bacon (yes, bacon) in their waffles. Chicken, bacon, & waffles? YES PLEASE!!!!

That will have to be another visit, as today’s post is not about chicken & waffles. (though, at this point I kinda wish it was LOL)

Now, I’ve had several delicious dishes from DOA. NEVER been disappointed. First time we had breakfast there, I enjoyed the Pulled Pork Hash, while Boyfriend had Huevos Rancheros. Amazing ish, I tell you. I’ve had their spicy breakfast tacos (which I’m not sure they have anymore), whilst Boyfriend has enjoyed Chicken Fried Steak Sliders and the Breakfast Sandwich. One day, I went there by myself and enjoyed a Bacon, Asparagus, Havarti, and Onion Omlette (which they say is as big as yer head-TOTALLY true!) We’ve also enjoyed the Country Hash, Cap’n Crunch French Toast, and Monte Cristo Club.

Today’s visit presented quite the conundrum for me…I couldn’t decide between the Habanero Shrimp & Sausage Eggs Benedict, the Stuffed Pancake, or the Toad In The Hole (all of which you will see in the menu pix attached to this post). Since my friend Tim who is a chef there came up with the Benedict recipe, I settled on that. Was NOT disappointed what so ever! HUGE slabs of sausage, delectable bay shrimp, habanero hollandaise sauce, and hashbrowns….*drools* Amazing! Boyfriend had the “Big As Your Head Omlette” with Thick Hickory Bacon, Sausage Gravy, and Cheddar Cheese (with hashbrown and toast)-when I asked him to describe it he said “Its as big as DELICIOUS!” *sidenote, he only ate about a third of it as it was so big!* I enjoyed my breakfast with a Moonshine Mimosa (or three)-completely affordable and worth the trip every week. Honestly, it’s hard to go there and NOT want to stay and enjoy cocktails for the rest of the day!

I’m including photos of the new breakfast menu-they also have an incredible dinner menu with appetizers and dishes for veggie & gluten free friends, amazing burgers, salads, etc. I HIGHLY recommend this place for an evening of good times, good food, and booze! (next time I go will be for the dinner menu for all to see) I hope you all enjoy this post, and will be back next time with some amazing fare!

 

My first post! (Actually, it’s my “About” section reposted LOL)

Hello! My name is Jamie Lynn. I live in Tacoma, WA with my amazing boyfriend Tracy and our 3 cats-Oliver, Baxter, and Stella Rose. (Yes, we give our cats human names, so what?) I love life, my man, our cats, and FOOD! Recently, my amazing friend Tezra let me become a review/blog writer for her Facebook page called Tattle Tale Reviews & Blog. It’s a fantastic networking site that allows people to share things like recipes, favorite hot spots, etc. This WordPress blog is going to be my spot to write out all of my recipes and share with fellow Tattle Talers! (And, of course, anyone else who wants them hahaha)

Thank you for taking the time to check this out…it will be under construction for some time, as I am quite busy and will be adding things rather sporadically at first. I appreciate any feedback or input, so long as it is constructive and beneficial rather than hateful. Anything negative or hateful will not be tolerated. Nothing but love here ❤