Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Now that football season has arrived (Gig 'em, Ags!), we all need some good game day watch party food, right? And what could be better than mouth-watering pulled pork sandwiches? Here's the best and easiest recipe I've found for pulled pork - just grab some rolls/buns (and maybe some toppings... pickles? cheese? red onion? cole slaw?) and you're good to go! 
Recipe adapted from here. Ingredients: {pork} 3-4 lb Boston butt roast 1/2 a large onion, thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup chicken stock 2 tbsp paprika 2 tsp dry mustard 2 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp brown sugar 1 1/2 tbsp salt {sauce} 1 cup ketchup 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 3 tbsp brown sugar 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 3/4 tsp salt 3/4 tsp ground black pepper Directions: 1. Put onion and garlic in the bottom of a slow cooker. Cover with chicken stock. 2. In a small bowl, mix the paprika, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and salt (the ingredients for the pork, not for the sauce).  3. Pat the roast dry, and rub all over with the spice mixture. 4. Place the roast on top of the onions and cook in the slow cooker until pork is fork tender (6-8 hours on high, or 8-10 hours on low). 5. While pork is cooking, make the barbecue sauce. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together all sauce ingredients and simmer until sugar has dissolved (ten minutes or so). Set aside. 6. When pork is tender, remove it from the slow cooker and set it aside. Let the pork rest for ten minutes, then use two forks to shred the meat completely. 7. Strain the remaining liquid from the slow cooker, reserving the onions, and add the shredded meat back into the onion mixture. Stir in the barbecue sauce, mixing to coat.  8. Serve with buns and any toppings you want!  This is what you want to buy. A "pork boston butt roast." Added bonus: you can tell your husband you're cooking butt for dinner and see his surprised face. :)  onions + garlic + chicken stock dry rub ingredients rubbed pork shredded meat (pre-sauce) Ready to serve! Ta-da!  Enjoy!

Dan's Chicken Stir-Fry

While we were in Singapore, I cooked dinner with our friend Dan. I was pretty excited about how delicious his stir-fry recipe is, and he was pretty excited about his handiwork being photographed for good old Spirals & Spatulas, so today I'll be sharing (straight from Singapore!) Dan's Chicken Stir- Fry!

But first, you must meet the chef:

Recipe adapted from Stir-Fry: Tasty Recipes for Every Day

Ingredients:
2 tbsp red curry paste (find it in the Asian foods section)
6 tbsp oil, divided
4 tbsp fish sauce (find it in the Asian foods section)
Juice from 2 limes
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
1.5 lb chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 bunches green onions, cut into short lengths
12 oz snow peas, ends chopped off
Steamed rice (I suggest jasmine rice!)

Directions:
1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together red curry paste, 4 tbsp oil, fish sauce, lime juice, cilantro, ginger, sugar, and sesame oil. Add chicken and mix until chicken is coated.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok. Stir-fry chicken in batches, cooking for 4-6 minutes (stirring once to flip over chicken pieces), or until cooked through. Remove from the wok and set aside.
3. Stir-fry snow peas and green onions for 5-7 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Add chicken back in and mix.
4. Serve with steamed rice.

Snow peas, ends trimmed (if they're long, you may want to chop them in half too).

Green onions, cut into short lengths.

Chopping vegetables is fun when you do it with friends! :)

Sauce ingredients!

Chicken coated in cilantro-sauce mixture!

Stir-frying the chicken in batches...

Cooking the chicken...

Stir-frying the veggies...

(adding chicken back into the veggies)

Mmm, stir-fry! 

Ta-da! 

Oh, and just so you know, everything tastes better when you eat it on your luxurious 27th-story Singaporean balcony. :) 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

I've been really into bite-size desserts lately (the mini devil's food cupcakes with coconut cream frosting; the little sugar cookie fruit tarts). I think people are more likely to eat (and enjoy!) desserts when they're not super large and guilt-inducing. This recipe is quick-and-easy (it would even be great for kids to make!), and it's one I come back to again and again!  
Recipe adapted from an old Pillsbury recipe pamphlet.
Ingredients: 1 16oz tube of refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough 36 mini Snickers bars, unwrapped 36 mini cupcake papers  3/4 cup fudge frosting
Directions: 1. Cover each mini Snickers with a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough, rolling between your hands so the Snickers bar is completely surrounded by dough. Place dough-covered Snickers bars into mini cupcake papers in mini muffin tins. 2. Bake at 375 for 9-14 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely. 3. Pipe fudge frosting onto each cookie cup, and serve! 
Mini Snickers!
Wrapping Snickers with dough...
All covered with dough...
Ready for the oven!
Ta-da! Perfect for tailgating! :) 
Enjoy!