SAUSAGE RIGATONI IN A CREAMY LEMONY SAUCE

2 red bell peppers

4 scallions

14 ounces diced tomatoes

1 lemon

18 ounces Italian pork sausage (casings removed)  

1 teaspoon chili flakes

12 ounces rigatoni pasta

4 tablespoons cream cheese

6 tablespoons sour cream

6 tablespoons parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons butter

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Wash and dry produce.  Halve, core and thinly slice peppers into strips. Trim and thinly slice scallions.  Zest and quarter lemon. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan.  Add peppers and scallions; cook, stirring, until slightly softened.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add sausage to pan; cook, breaking into pieces until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of chili flakes. Once water is boiling, add rigatoni and cook until al dente, reserving ½ cup pasta water.  Add half the diced tomatoes to sausage mixture and cook until softened.  Stir in cream cheese, sour cream and parmesan cheese, pasta water as needed and butter.  Season with salt and pepper and lemon zest to taste.  Add pasta and toss to coat.  

PORK MEDALLIONS

Pork tenderloin

½ cup almond flour

½ cup flour

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

salt & pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ stick of butter

1 cup chicken broth

Juice of a lemon

Capers

Slice pork tenderloin into ¼” slices.  Combine flours, garlic powder and salt and pepper in a shallow dish.  Fry in olive oil and butter in a frying pan until brown on both sides.  Add chicken broth and lemon juice and simmer with lid on until tender.  Add capers and serve.  

GREEK PORK SOUVLAKI

2 lbs pork steak / pork fillet chopped into bite-sized chunks
¼ cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
4 garlic cloves crushed
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp rosemary finely chopped
1-2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper


Combine all the marinade ingredients then pour over the pork. Cover and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes, but up to 24 hours in the fridge. Carefully skewer the marinated pork onto skewers. Pre-heat an outdoor grill or griddle pan then add the skewers. Cook for 5-7 minutes per side until golden brown all over and cooked through. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Serve with lemon wedges, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and pita.

INSTANT POT ZUPPA TOSCANA SOUP

1 lb hot italian sausage
3 medium russet potatoes (or, 5 small idaho gold potatoes), unpeeled
1 small onion
4 strips of thick sliced bacon, diced
4 cloves garlic
2 cups of kale (veins removed and sliced thin like ribbons)
5 C. chicken broth
1 C. heavy cream (or, half and half for a lighter version)
salt, pepper to taste

Add sausage to the Instant Pot to brown using the saute feature. Use your spatula to crumble it as you saute, slowly breaking it apart as it cooks.

Once the sausage has browned, add the bacon, garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes or until soft.

Turn the Saute function OFF, and drain the extra grease, keeping the sausage, bacon, garlic and onions in the pot.

Add the chicken broth and unpeeled potatoes to the pot with the existing sausage & bacon.

Place the lid on the Instant Pot, close the valve (seal), and set the timer to manual, for 4 minutes.

The pot will take some time to come to pressure - once at pressure, it will count "down" from 4 minutes.

Once the pot beeps (finished), allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release.

Add the kale, stir in and let it sit a few minutes until it wilts in the pot.

Stir in the heavy cream/half and half and season with salt/pepper - to taste.

SAUSAGE AND TORTELLINI SOUP

2 tablespoons EVOO
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
2 large onions, chopped
3 celery ribs with green leafy tops, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, cored and chopped, a handful of the green fronds reserved
2 large pinches of red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 quarts chicken stock
2 9-ounce packages fresh tortellini (cheese, spinach, or mushroom)
1 1/2 cups fresh basil, about 25 leaves, chopped
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for passing at the table

Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO.  Add the sausage to the hot pot and break it up with a wooden spoon into little pieces as it cooks, 2 to 4 minutes.  Add the onions, celery, garlic, chopped fennel, red pepper flakes, and a little salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for a minute, then add the chicken stock.  Put a lid on the pot to bring the soup up to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.  Uncover the pot, add the tortellini, and cook for 5 minutes.  Once the pasta is cooked through, add the basil and parsley, then taste and re-season with a little more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.  Chip up the reserved fennel fronds, stir them in, and serve.  Pass the cheese at the table.

SWEET PULLED PORK ENCHILADAS

For the Pulled Pork:

• 3 lb. Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast
• 16 oz. Root beer (non-diet), divided
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/4 cup enchilada sauce 
• 4 oz. can diced green chiles
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
For the Enchiladas
• 2 cups enchilada sauce  , divided
• 8 to 10 corn & flour blended tortillas (or just corn)
• 3 to 4 cups shredded marbled cheddar cheese
Optional Toppings:
• Sour cream
• Diced Tomato
• Cilantro
• Diced Avocado

Instructions

1. Place the pork in your slow cooker and pour in 8 oz of root beer and 1/4 cup of water. Season the pork with garlic salt and pepper, then cover and let cook on LOW for 6 hours.
2. After 6 hours remove pork and shred with two forks. Drain any liquid from the crock pot and return pulled pork to the crock pot.
3. Combine the remaining root beer, 1 1/4 cup enchilada sauce, green chiles and brown sugar in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour over shredded pork and stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for an additional 2 hours.
To make Enchiladas:
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
5. Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" casserole dish.
6. Place a generous 1/3 cup of pork on a tortilla and top with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, then roll up. Place seam side down in the casserole dish. Repeat until the casserole dish is filled.
7. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the tortillas and spread so the tortillas are coated. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.
8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted nicely in the center. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

via http://www.iwashyoudry.com/sweet-pulled-pork-enchiladas/?m

PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

4-7 pound pork shoulder

Salt and pepper

Salt and pepper the pork shoulder.  Place pork in a roasting pan or Dutch oven.  Cover tightly with foil or a lid and roast pork at 

300°F for seven hours, turning once every hour.  When it is fork tender, remove pork from pot and shred with two forks. 

Brioche burger buns spilt; buttered and toasted (this is a must!)

Dead Simple Slaw (recipe follows)

BBQ Sauce 

Dead Simple Slaw

2 ½ pounds green cabbage, cored and cut into 3-inch chunks, then finely chopped or shredded

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 large carrot, coarsely grated

1 ¼ cups mayonnaise

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

Toss all vegetables in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar, then toss with the slaw.  Chill, covered, stirring occasionally, at least 1 hour (for flavors to blend).

Assemble sandwich:  Take buttered, toasted bun and place shredded pork on bottom half.  Top with barbecue sauce and coleslaw.  Top with top half of bun and eat (it will be deliciously messy).

SWEET POTATO, SAUSAGE & GREEN PEPPER HASH

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into ½-inch slices

12 oz bulk pork sausage

1 fresh Anaheim or green pepper, seeded and chopped

4 cups spinach

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ medium orange

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 eggs

Crushed red pepper

In a very large skillet heat 2 tablespoons water over medium head.  Add sweet potatoes.  Cover; cook 12 minutes.  Uncover skillet; add sausage and pepper.  Cook over medium-high heat until sausage is brown and sweet potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally to break up sausage.  Drain fat if necessary.  Stir in spinach and cumin; squeeze orange half over spinach.  Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until wilted.  Transfer to a serving dish; cover to keep warm.  

Add oil to skillet.  Heat over medium heat.  Crack eggs into skillet; sprinkle with crushed red pepper and salt.  Cover; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until desired done-ness.  Serve over hash.   

BISCUITS & SAUSAGE GRAVY

10 Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

1 lb. pork sausage

2 tablespoons flour

1 pint half & half

1 tablespoons butter

Pepper, to taste 

Brown sausage in a large saucepan.  Add flour, butter, and half & half.  Cook on medium-low until thickened (5-10 minutes). Season with crushed black pepper. Add a little more flour if you want to make it thicker, or a little milk if you want to make it thinner.

SWEET POTATO, SAUSAGE & GREEN PEPPER HASH

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into ½-inch slices

12 oz bulk pork sausage

1 fresh Anaheim or green pepper, seeded and chopped

4 cups spinach

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ medium orange

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 eggs

Crushed red pepper

In a very large skillet heat 2 tablespoons water over medium head.  Add sweet potatoes.  Cover; cook 12 minutes.  Uncover skillet; add sausage and pepper.  Cook over medium-high heat until sausage is brown and sweet potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally to break up sausage.  Drain fat if necessary.  Stir in spinach and cumin; squeeze orange half over spinach.  Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until wilted.  Transfer to a serving dish; cover to keep warm.  

Add oil to skillet.  Heat over medium heat.  Crack eggs into skillet; sprinkle with crushed red pepper and salt.  Cover; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until desired done-ness.  Serve over hash.   

4

BBQ'D SPARE RIBS

2 lbs country style pork ribs
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup tomato sauce or 1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons Worcestershire
1 tablespoon mustard
1 cup water

Sauté onions. Mix all other ingredients together and add onions. Pour over meat. Bake in a roaster pan 1 1/2 hours at 350 or crock pot on low for 8 hours.

PASTA WITH SAUSAGE & FRESH TARRAGON TOMATO SAUCE

1 lb medium pasta shells or rigatoni
 1/2 lb mild Italian sausage, casing removed
4 large tomatoes, halved
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
salt and pepper
4 oz feta cheese
EVOO for drizzling

In a skillet, crumble and blacken sausage.  Set aside to cool and drain excess liquid.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente.  Meanwhile grate the cut sides of the tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl, discarding the skins.  Add the garlic, tarragon, salt and pepper to the bowl and toss to combine.  Drain the pasta, then toss with the tomato sauce and about 3 tablespoons feta.  Divide among 4 bowls; season with salt and pepper, drizzle with EVOO and top with the remaining feta.

PAULA'S PORK NACHOS

1 pork loin
1 can of coke
1 cup of brown sugar
1 jar of chunky salsa

Cook the pork, with just a bit of water, in a slow cooker for 2 hours.  Drain off juices.  Add coke and brown sugar and cook for another 2 hours.  Remove pork and shred.  Add salsa to brown sugar and coke mixture.  Return shredded pork to the liquid mixture and cook for another couple of hours.  Serve over tortilla chips with cheese, cilantro, sour cream, etc.

ISLAND PORK TENDERLOIN

16 ounces pork tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tablespoon fresh garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

If you want your house to smell amazing, make this!!  It is so fragrant, delicious and EASY.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chile powder, and cinnamon, then coat pork with the spice rub.  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat and brown pork, turning, about 4 minutes.  Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco sauce and pat onto top of tenderloin.  Place pork in a roasting pan (or keep in skillet if it is oven safe) and cook in the oven for 20 minutes. 

ISLAND PORK TENDERLOIN SALAD
1/2 orange, peeled and cut
1 cup fresh spinach
1/2 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into this strips
1 tablespoon golden raisins
1 cup Napa cabbage, shredded
6 ounces Island Pork Tenderloin
2 tablespoons cumin vinaigrette

Peel and cut oranges crosswise into 1/4 thick slices and set aside.  Toss spinach, cabbage, bell pepper, and raisins in a large bowl.  Prepare the dressing.  Mound salad mixture on a large plate.  Arrange pork and orange slices on top and drizzle with dressing.

CUMIN VINAIGRETTE
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 tablespoon oranges juice
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

PORK & KIMCHI DUMPLINGS WITH SAUCE

Dumplings:

½ cup finely chopped shiitake mushroom caps

½ cup finely chopped Shang Kimchi [see next recipe]

¼ cup finely chopped green onions

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons mirin [sweet rice wine]

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

½ teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon dark sesame oil

4 ounces ground pork

24 gyoza skins

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Cooking spray

Sauce:

1 tablespoon minced green onions

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 ½ tablespoons mirin [sweet rice wine]

1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

½ teaspoon dark sesame oil

1. To prepare dumplings, combine first 10 ingredients.  Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time, spoon about 1 ½ teaspoons pork mixture into center of each skin.  Moisten edges of skin with water.  Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal.  Place dumplings, seam sides up, on a baking sheet sprinkled with 1 teaspoon cornstarch [cover loosly with a towel to prevent drying]. 2. Arrange half of the dumplings in a single layer in a bamboo or vegetable steamer coated with cooking spray.  Steam dumplings covered for 10 minutes. Remove dumplings from steamer; keep warm.  Repeat procedure with remaining dumplings.  3. To prepare sauce, combine 1 tablespoon onions and remaining ingredients.  Serve sauce with dumplings.  Makes 8 servings.  

Shang Kimchi:

14 cups coarsely chopped napa cabbage [about 2 pounds]

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

2 ½ tablespoons sambal oelek or Thai chile paste

2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

1. Place cabbage and salt in a large bowl, tossing gently to combine.  Weigh down cabbage with another bowl.  Let stand at room temperature 3 hours, tossing occasionally.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Drain and squeeze dry.

2. Combine cabbage, sesame seeds, and remaining ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.  Makes 4 cups.

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Meatballs:

3 pounds ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 tablespoons chopped onion

Vegetable oil for browning

1 cup beef broth

2 large eggs

1 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons salt

Sauce:

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup flour

1 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

Combine beef and pork in a bowl with a wooden spoon.  Brown onion in oil and add to meat mixture along with one cup beef broth, eggs, bread crumbs, pepper, and salt.  With your hands, mix thoroughly until smooth.  Shape into one-inch balls.  Coat a saucepan with oil and heat to medium.  Brown meat balls in batches; place each batch in a large bowl when done.  Leave drippings and oil in pan.  Add one tablespoon butter to meat ball drippings and oil; over medium heat, whisk until melted.  Whisk in flour and seasoning until thoroughly combined.  Add one cup beef broth and continue whisking until gravy begins to thicken, and then add sour cream.  Return meat balls to the pan and stir to coat.  Serve with toothpicks.  Serves 20-25 people.

STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN & GLAZE

1 ½ cups bread crumbs, toasted

3 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch nutmeg

1 bunch Swiss chard, leafy part only

1 cup fresh or frozen peaches, sliced

2 pork tenderloins, each around 1 lb.

Salt and pepper

Combine bread crumbs with the cinnamon and nutmeg and toss with the butter.  Slice the chard into strips and add with the peaches to the bread crumbs.

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.  Trim any fat from the pork.  Make a lengthwise cut down the center of each tenderloin.  Place in plastic wrap and pound lightly working from the center out.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.  Spoon the stuffing into the meat and roll.  Tie with cotton string.  Place on baking sheet with seam down so it doesn’t open.  Roast, uncovered, for 50 minutes or until it registers at 165 degrees.  Remove from over and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing. 

GLAZE

1 ½ cups balsamic vinegar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 cups mixed berries

¼ cup sugar

Place in small sauce pan and simmer until it thickens.  Drizzle over sliced pork to serve