Moist, Delicious Pork Barbecue

This is one of my "go-to" recipes when I need a tried and true/everyone-will-eat meal. It is a recipe I found several years ago when I was following a Weight Watcher's diet and I have used it many times for both family and parties. I begin with a pork tenderloin which is rubbed in a mix of brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper. Place the meat in a slow cooker (over top some quartered onions) and pour a generous amount of a vinegar-based marinade over the meat. Cover and cook on low for about 6 -8 hours. The result...a house filled with the wonderful smells of dinner when you get home from work. Best of all.....this recipe yields tender, moist, spicy BBQ that eveyone (even the kids) will eat. I served this on lite whole wheat buns with cole slaw, BBQ sauce and a side of fries.

Pork Barbeque
(adapted from aimeesadventures.com)

2 onions, quartered

1 (4-6 lb) Boneless Lean Pork Roast (I use tenderloins)

For the rub:

4 Tbs light brown sugar

1 Tbs paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

For the marinade:

3/4 cup cider vinegar

4 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

Spray the crockpot with nonstick spray and place quartered onions in bottom.

Prepare pork roast by removing excess fat. Pat dry with paper towels. Combine ingredients for rub and rub on all sides of roast. Place in crockpot over top of onions.

Combine ingredients for marinade and stir well. Drizzle about 1/2 of vinegar mixture over roast. Refrigerate remaining marinade.

Cover crockpot and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high 4-6 hours. Remove meat to a large shallow dish (9x13 works well) and remove the onions to a side bowl. Shred pork using two forks. Place meat back into the crockpot and stir well to allow the meat to absorb the remaining liquid. At this point, I sometimes add a little of the remaining marinade to keep the pork moist.

You may add the onions back into the meat or serve on the side. Any remaining marinade may be used to drizzle over sandwiches.

Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog....

I am not new to the blog concept but I am new to "blogging". By launching The Cottage Chef, I am going to attempt and merge both my love of cooking and my love of organization (otherwise known to DH as control-freakish tendencies). Hopefully, this will help me sift thru my growing stack of to-try recipes while allowing my creative side an outlet to play.

Why "The Cottage Chef"? For the long story (see "Learn More" on the side bar). The short story is that I live in a 1920's cottage and love all things cooking! Seriously, there's nothing like a day in the kitchen with my KitchenAid mixer, my favorite tools (yes, I'm addicted to kitchen gadgets), a glass of good wine, good aged cheese and some great music (Buffett or Norah Jones come to mind).

So, thanks again for stopping by. I hope you will visit often. I look forward to sharing my kitchen adventures with you all.

~Michelle

Baked Gruyere and Sausage Omelet

So, I'll begin my first post with a review of a rather simple recipe. Simple, in that, I know there are many accomplished cooks out there who can whip up this sort of dish with their eyes closed. Nevertheless, it was a new recipe for me and one worth sharing.

Typically, we are not "egg" people. An occasional egg is okay but I don't usually serve a main dish that consists mainly of eggs. But, my brain has turned to mush after all of the holiday recipes, holiday cooking and holiday parties and I just needed something different.

Insert disclaimer here: As noted above, I am not an accomplished cook. Mostly, I am just your average mom of four who is constantly looking for something new or different that the kids and DH will eat. Generally more of a problem with the former rather than the latter unless pinto beans or fruit are involved :-) Most of the "to-try" recipes I nab are those that have an ingredient I am passionate about (such as the cheese in this omelet) or those recipes that have an ingredient I know the kids will eat (yes, the list is limited).

On this particular night, only the DH and I were home to try this recipe and boy did the kids miss out. This one will definitely go in the repeat file.

This omelet has a great blend of flavors and the nuttiness of the gruyere is the shining star in this dish. I did use turkey sausage and only made a couple of minor changes which are noted in ( ) beside the specific ingredient. I only served this with whole grain toast, but it would be great paired with a salad. Leftovers are great the next day too!

Baked Gruyere and Sausage Omelet
source: Food Network, Giada at Home

Ingredients

2 Tbs olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1/2 pound mild turkey sausage, casings removed

8 large eggs

1/3 cup whole milk (I used 2% milk)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 red bell pepper (I used half of a red pepper)

1 1/2 cups (4 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used green onions)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly butter or spray an 8 x 8 -inch baking dish.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Set the pan aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepepr, to taste until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add the red bell pepper, 1 cup of Gruyere cheese and 1/4 cup of parsley. Stir in the onion mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cut the baked omelet into wedges and sprinkle with the remaining parsley before serving.

Cook's Note: To make individual servings, divide the batter between 4 buttered 8-ounce ramekins. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.