Pulled Pork Sliders

One of my favorite things is pulled pork, I love messy food you can eat with either a fork or with out utensils. One of the first things that I started making and kind of got requests for was pulled pork. My family use to have a weenie wagon at the Sidney Market and we sold pulled pork, once we got rid of the weenie wagon I figure out how to make my own! It's a great thing to make because you can literally put it on and walk away from it for hours, ahh... the beauty of a slow cooker! There are many different variations to make this, but this has to be favorite. I but the pork logs from Costco, same as used in my pork chili, and cut a hunk off to make this.

Ingredients:
hunk of pork loin/butt/shoulder (whatever you have a hunk of is good)
Mexican chili powder
Garlic Powder
Season Pepper
Garlic Cloves (approx. 5)
1 Can of Coke/Diet Coke

Take the pork and slice some holes in it with a knife. Rub the pork down to taste with the 3 powdered seasonings. Take your garlic cloves and cut them in half, shove them into the holes of your pork. Place the can of pop into slow cooker and place your prepared meat into the slow cooker. COok on Low for approx. 5 hours. Once ready you should be able to pull the meat apart, you will have to drain some of the pop out of the cooker. Leave on keep warm until you are ready to serve. You can slather your choice of BBQ sauce onto the pork at this point or you can add a bit more pop to keep moist until you are ready to serve, I do this so people can choose their BBQ sauce.

I served mine on home made sweet buns (see earlier post for directions) with mayo, grated chedder cheese and a few pickled banana peppers. ENJOY!

Max Turns 5

Today was a very special day in the Root house... it is Max's 5th birthday. He started out the day with scrambled egg, peppers and a tiny bit of bacon, then he had a couple of the birthday cookies that his mommy and daddy got him, and he opened his brand new devil ball! I know it's kind of crazy pants of me, but I decided that this year he needed a birthday cake, it's no small feet turning a whole paw old, so he got a yummy banana peanut butter cake.  We had mom, dad, nanny and Baxter over for dinner and had a yummy pulled pork sandwich dinner, which I will post later this week (I will not be ignoring my blog any longer). Max and Baxter had their normal dinner as I knew that the cake was coming!

Banana Peanut Butter Cake
Yields 1 9" cake

2 smashed bananas
1/2 C of melted low-sugar/natural peanut butter
1 C whole what flour
1/4 cup canola oil
water till moist just right
1/2tsp baking soda
dash of salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Once combined pour into greased cake pan and spread out. Pre-heat oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes.

For the icing I simple whipped some cream, do not add sugar, until well combined, spread a thin layer on the cake, for the 5 and decor on the cake I melted some peanut butter and combined with the leftover whipping cream and pipped it onto the cake. Since I thought that putting candles in the cake would be going over the top... I used some of Max's favorite treats and placed 5 in the cake.

We then put a piece on plate for Baxter and Max and let them have at it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAXIE BEAR!

My family thinks it's time for Chris and I to have a real child.... lol

Nanny Lesson

My goodness what a busy couple of weeks! It's been so busy I've had no time to get blogging. Tonight though I have a special blog for you. My Nanny is a superb cook, however she hates doing it now, so she has started teaching me how to make some of her key things. So far she has assisted me in making a turkey dinner for thanksgiving (truth be known she did it), won ton soup, buns, and lemon meringue pie to name a few. On Sunday we had our most recent lesson on how to make her filo wrapped halibut. Delicious. We've never been a big fish eating family, which since my hubby is all about fishing I am learning to like, though Salmon and I do not like each other, however this recipe has long been a favorite of my moms!

So at about 2pm I went over to prep dinner with Nan, we got everything already then I came home, got the man and pup and headed back for dinner, we made the sauce right before serving as the fish was cooking.

Ingredients

Fish
4 sheets of filo pastry
1/2 C melted butter
2 x 5-6 Oz Halibut filet
1 bunch of fresh spinach, stems removed (and steamed)
2tbsp shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
salt and pepper cracked pepper

Sauce
1 tbsp shallot, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 C heavy cream
2 tbsp capers (drained)
1 tbsp chopped chives

Fish Directions

1. Saute shallots and garlic in a little butter, then add in the steamed spinach. 
2. Season the fish with salt and pepper to taste. 
3. Taking 1 sheet of filo and slather with butter, apply 2nd piece of filo pastry and cover in butter, place 3rd piece of filo ... continue until all 4 sheets are stacked with butter in between. 
4. Cut filo stacks in half to make rectangles, place spinach mixture in the centre of the filo pastry, place fish pieces on top. Wrap the filo around the fish to make a package presentation. If you need to use butter to close flap on filo.
5. Bake fish at 425 for approx 15 minutes. 

Sauce Directions:

1. saute the shallows in a little bit of butter and saute until translucent. Add the lemon juice to the shallots, cook until lemon juice reduces.
2. Add the ream and reduce until lightly thickens. 
3. Add the capers, chives and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

To serve place layer of sauce on the plate, place the cooked filo wrapped halibut ontop of the sauce and then drizzle more sauce over the filo fish.

Now for the best part... devour!