Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

One of my favorite foods to eat is pulled pork. I make it from time to time, and it is so easy to make. For this one, I used both a dry rub and a wet sauce to impart even more flavor onto it. The spices in the dry rub give it a lot of flavor-- more flavor than there would be from just a sauce. I hope y'all enjoy this recipe. It's very easy to make. Here it is:
7 lb. pork picnic roast (sometimes called a pork butt)
9 cloves garlic ( to insert into the meat)
2 large onions, sliced
2 c. coca-cola
2 T olive oil ( I used extra virgin, but you can use whatever kind you have)
Crock pot
1/3-1/2 c. of your favorite BBQ sauce ( I used Sweet Baby Ray's for this one)

Dry rub:
1 T Memphis style BBQ seasoning
1/2 T chili powder
1 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
1 T ground cumin
1 T dried oregano
1 T paprika
Mix together the dry seasonings and rub mixture onto meat. Once you have rubbed all of that onto the meat, take a knife and make deep incisions in the roast, 2 or 3 in each side of the roast. Stuff a clove of garlic into each incision. Make sure the holes are deep enough so that the garlic can fit and each clove doesn't fall out.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil to medium-high heat. Brown each side of the roast. This will help the spices to toast, which releases more of their flavor. Also, the meat will become a little sweeter and it will have a better color than if you didn't brown it. When that step is done, transfer the roast to a crock pot, and set it on high. Add in the sliced onion around the sides and on top of the meat. Next, add the coca-cola and cover the crock pot. After 6 hours, remove the bone from the roast, and place the roast back in the crock pot to finish the cooking process. The meat  should be tender enough to shred with a fork within an hour after removing the bone. Transfer the shredded meat to a large bowl and add the BBQ sauce. Transfer the remaining liquid to a pot on high heat. This is so the liquid can boil and reduce. When the liquid is reduced by 3/4, add a ladle  of it to the shredded pork and stir. Finally, have a feast and enjoy!

I put mine on a deli bun with mayonnaise and pickles and made a delicious sandwich with it.

Crabmeat pizza with Whole wheat crust

This was so fun to make! If you love out of the ordinary pizza, you should definitely try this recipe!
Here's the recipe:
Pizza crust:
3 cups all-purpose, whole wheat flour, divided
1 (0.25 oz) package dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
2 T olive oil

Topping:
2-8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
2-6 oz cans crabmeat, drained and flaked
1/4 c milk
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 c Swiss cheese, shredded and divided

In a large bowl, combine half the flour, the yeast, sugar, and salt. In a saucepan, heat water and oil to boiling. Add to the dry ingredients, and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 or 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top as well. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Once that is done, punch the dough down and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll each piece into a 13 inch circle. Transfer to two 12 inch pizza pans. Build up the edges slightly, and prick the dough with a fork thoroughly. Bake them at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the topping, except for the swiss cheese, and spread the mixture over each crust. Then, sprinkle each pizza with 1/2 c. swiss cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes longer or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and eat and enjoy!

Blackberry and Apricot Tartlets

So, several months ago, I was looking through my refrigerator and saw a roll of sugar cookie dough. I wanted to bake it, but was trying to think of clever ways to utilize it. So I made a strawberry jam to go inside. I pressed a little bit of dough into muffin pans and baked it off, and then added a teaspoon or so of the jam to the shells. They came out delicious. Well tonight, I did the same thing, except with blackberries and dried apricots. I reconstituted the apricots in a little bit of blackberry wine, and this also accentuated the flavor of the blackberries. My roommates loved them. Here is the recipe for y'all to make, devour, and enjoy:
 1-12 oz bag frozen blackberries
1-6 oz bag dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/3 c. blackberry wine
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 T corn starch (thickening agent)
3/4 c. water
1 roll sugar cookie dough

In a saucepan over medium heat, pour the wine and add the chopped apricots. They will take about 10-15 minutes to reconstitute, or until they are deep orange in color. When that is done, add in your blackberries, sugar, and water and raise the heat to medium high so that it bubbles and thickens. After 5 minutes, add in the cornstarch, 1/2 T at a time, and whisk so that you can't see the cornstarch anymore. I recommend mashing the berries slightly while they are cooking in the saucepan to give the filling some texture and body. Stir and cover the saucepan so that some of the liquid evaporates and the mixture thickens. After 10 minutes, turn the heat off and let the mixture sit and cool.
Take a  muffin pan (12 muffins) and press down some cookie dough into each hole. Press enough so that it isn't too thin of a layer of dough, probably a good tablespoon or so, depending on the size of the individual muffins. Bake according to the package instructions.
When they are lightly golden brown, take them out and let them sit on the counter to cool. You should be able to run a knife along the edges and pop them out with a teaspoon after cooling them for couple minutes or so. Be careful to not poke a hole through the sides of the cookie shells. Now fill them with a teaspoon of  the fruit mixture. Too much will result in the filling seeping through the shells and destroying your masterpiece.
Bon appetit!

Easy and healthy Black Bean Soup

So, last night I got home from school really late and very hungry. So I decided to make this quick dish. Made with canned beans, this soup is a quick and easy way to get a lot of protein into your diet. Serves 3. Here's the recipe:
1-15 oz. can reduced sodium black beans ( I used Bush's, but you can use whatever you have in your house.)
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 large bay leaf
1/3 tsp dried oregano
Cavender's Greek seasoning, salt-free (yes, I know I put it on everything. It's that good)
half a carrot, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
4 baby portabella mushrooms
half an onion
3 cloves garlic
1 c water
Half a tomato to garnish (optional)

Heat a pot on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add your olive oil. Then add your vegetables.Add in your salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaf, and Greek seasoning.  Stir frequently so that each nook and cranny can caramelize and so that they don't burn. When they are light caramel in color, add in your garlic. Keep stirring so that the veggies don't burn. Keep in mind that garlic should only be cooked for a couple of minutes. It burns easily. Now add your water and let the veggies boil for 3-5 minutes so that they get softer. Then add the black beans. There is also liquid in the can, so that's why I didn't add too much water. Cover and let the soup boil for 10 minutes. While it is still on the burner, mash with a potato masher or a fork, whatever you have, so that there is some texture. Add a couple pinches more of salt and pepper and stir. When the soup is at your desired level of consistency, ladle it up in your bowl and eat and enjoy! Don't forget to remove the bay leaf.  Mine took about 25-30 minutes to cook.