Crock Pot Posole

Posole (or pozole) is a traditional Mexican soup made with pork shoulder and lots of hominy. The first time I ever had posole was at a restaurant/hotel in Telluride, Colorado. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant, but it was good. Of course anything in Colorado tastes good when your fingers are numb from the wind and snow, and your hand warmers have worn off!

Since having posole in Telluride, I have been meaning to find a recipe to try and copy. This is the closest one I found. While the pork wasn’t as good as Telluride, the flavors of this crock pot posole soup were very good.

It’s just about the easiest recipe you can make. With a 3 month old, I’m always looking for simple recipes, and this one can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.

Top with tortilla chips and cheese, and you’ve quite the meal!

crock pot posole

Crock Pot Posole

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 7 hours

Total time: 7 hours 10 mins

Serves: 6-8

Adapted from Big Giant Food Basket

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 lbs. boneless pork loin roast, cut into one-inch cubes
flour for dedging
2 (14.5 oz) cans enchilada sauce
2 (15.5 oz) cans yellow hominy, drained
1 cup chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup canned chopped green chilies
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp. oregano
cayenne pepper, to taste
1/3 cup fresh cilantro

Instructions

Dredge meat in flour and place in pan with hot oil. Brown the meat with a good sear and place in a 4-quart crock pot.
Pour the enchilada sauce over the meat and then top with the remainder of the ingredients except for the cilantro.
Cook in the crock pot on high for 6-7 hours. (I cooked on high for 2-3 hours, then on low for 3-4 hours). Add the cilantro and then cook another 30 minutes.

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Maple-Chipotle Sauce

I don’t know about you, but summer is definitely my favorite time of the year.

I used to like cold weather better… bundling up in warm jackets, sipping hot chocolate, and sitting by the fire, BUT…. as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to LOVE being outdoors!

Being outdoors in the sun and warmth mean getting a tan, working up a sweat from a nice long run, pool parties, backyard grilling, summer vacation, more daylight, and more productivity (at least for me)!!

When I heard my mom and dad were grilling out for dinner this week, I couldn’t help but invite myself over. Don’t worry, I don’t normally invite myself over to friends’ houses, but these are my parents. 🙂

I love anything grilled, and this pork tenderloin, was fast, easy and healthy. It’s got a nice smokey taste to it from the adobe chilies, paired with sweet maple syrup and tangy cider vinegar, for a surprisingly good combination of flavors.

My parent’s cat, Pippa even liked the tenderloin. (Yes, Pippa is named after Kate Middleton’s sister. Silly, I know….but a super cute name for a cat). Pippa is not your normal cat. She is not independent or weird, or aloof like most cats. In fact, she behaves like my dog Skippy… a lap dog who loves attention, food, and being petted.

Who ever heard of a cat begging for people food…. in your lap???

Enjoy the rest of your summer and TGIF!!

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Maple-Chipotle Sauce

Serves: 8

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Maple-Chipotle Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
2 tsp. olive oil
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp. fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

Instructions

TO PREPARE PORK: combine first 6 ingredients; sprinkle evenly over pork. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and refrigerate 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove pork from bag. Place pork in a roasting pan; drizzle with oil. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in center of pork registers 155 degrees F.
Remove pork from pan; cover and let stand 10 minutes.
TO PREPARE SAUCE: remove 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can of chiles; reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use. Add 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, syrup, broth and vinegar to roasting pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
Cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat. Place pork in pan, turning to coat. Remove pork from pan, reserving sauce in pan.
Cut pork into 1/2-inch thick slices. Strain sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl; serve with pork.

Calories: 201 Fat: 5.1g Carbohydrates: 13.8g Sodium: 229mg Fiber: 0.3g Protein: 23.9g Cholesterol: 74mg

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Medallions with Tomato-Corn Salsa

As I’ve mentioned before, I write a “Resident Recipe” column in our monthly neighborhood magazine. The following recipe is featured is this month’s issue for June 2012.

After interviewing and snapping photos with Brian and Kristin, I went home and immediately recreated this recipe. “Wow” is all I can say! The tomato-corn salsa is light, flavorful and out-of-this world! It especially pairs nicely with grilled chicken, which is what I made, since I did not have any pork on hand at the time. I can’t wait to grill the tenderloin next!

Now for the blurb I wrote in the magazine:

Summer is finally here! If you haven’t already, it’s time to fire up the grill, have your friends over, and impress them with these delectable bacon-wrapped pork medallions and tomato-corn salsa. With Kristin preparing the food and setting the table, and Brian hard at work at the grill; it’s obvious that this couple makes quite the team. “Great food and entertaining is about making memories with friends and family,” Kristin quotes; and I would have to agree.

Brian at the grill.

Brian and Kristin show off their grilled pork medallion recipe.

A close up.

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Medallions with Tomato-Corn Salsa
Ingredients
TENDERLOIN
3 pork tenderloins
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder
1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
8 thick-cut bacon slices (Matador’s has great smoked bacon)

TOMATO-CORN SALSA
4 ears fresh corn, husks removed
2 tsp. olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in quarters
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:
FOR THE TENDERLOIN:
1. Whisk together olive oil and next three ingredients. Rub mixture over pork; place pork in ziplock bags with remainder of rub mixture. Chill for at least 2 hours. (Freezes well at this point, too.)
2. Cut pork into eight 3-inch slices. Place meat, cut sides up, between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to 2-inch thickness, using the flat side of a meat mallet.
3. Microwave bacon until partially cooked. Wrap sides of each pork slice with 1 bacon slice, and secure with a wooden pick.
4. Light one side of grill, heating to medium-high heat (350-400 degrees F); leave other side unlit. Arrange pork over lit side; grill, covered with grill lid, 30-35 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees F. Let stand 10 minutes.

FOR THE TOMATO-CORN SALSA
1. Brush corn with oil. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, turning ever couple minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and cut kernels from cobs.
2. Combine corn, tomatoes, and next 5 ingredients. Toss together. Serve over pork.

Yield: 8 servings
Recipe from: Kristin and Brian, who got this from Southern Living

Mustard-Crusted Pork Chops

See that nicely browned crust? Delicious!

I like pork chops, but when given the choice of what to order at a restaurant, I would choose chicken and beef over pork. In my opinion, pork is very similar to chicken, except it has a chewier texture. This pork chop recipe, however, is a restaurant-worthy item that I would order. Tangy and slightly sweet, this dish gains a lovely crust from roasting in the oven. It is savory, extremely easy and can be prepped, baked and table-ready in just under 30 minutes. In addition, this is a very healthy meal. There is no butter, and the only fat comes from the one tablespoon of olive oil which provides you with the healthy, monounsaturated fat you need in your diet.

Who doesn’t love quick, easy, and healthy recipes in the busy world we live in today? These pork chops are well seasoned, delicious, and a recipe definitely worth trying. I found this recipe on the internet when I Googled “pork chop recipes.” Serve with a side salad and drop biscuits. Enjoy!

Mustard-Crusted Pork Chops
Ingredients
4 pork chops, 1-inch thick
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (I used dried rosemary)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Season pork chops lightly with salt and pepper.
2. In a smal bowl, combine mustard, sugar, mustard powder, rosemary, and garlic; mix well. Smear evenly over chops.
3. Heat oil in a large, heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add prepared chops and brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer skillet to oven and cook 20 to 25 minutes, until no longer pink and cooked through. Serve warm.

Yield: 4 servings