Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

I had found a great Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe at Canadian Living that I was really happy with and then Low Carb dieting hit! So I mucked around a lil bit with the recipe I liked; I am sure it is lower carb than the original version and I now serve it on an Oopsie Roll or a Savoury MIM (Muffin in a Minute) rather than a scrumptious Portuguese Roll.

Low Carb Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

3 1/2 lb Pork Shoulder Blade Roast
Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Onions, sliced
4 cloves Garlic, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 teaspoons Ground Coriander
2 Bay Leaves
2 cups Tomato Sauce
1 Tablespoon Xylitol
1 Tablespoon Molasses
2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
Green Onions

Trim off excessive visible fat.
Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper.
Heat oil over med-high heat in large, deep frying pan and brown pork all over.
Place in slow cooker which has been lightly sprayed with vegetable oil spray (for easy clean up)

To frying pan, add onion and cook for a minute or two.
Add garlic and continue cooking for another couple of minutes.
Add tomato sauce, chili powder, coriander and bay leaves; stir well.
Stir in xylitol, molasses, worcestershire sauce and cider vinegar.
Pour over pork roast in slow cooker, cover and cook on low until pork is tender, 8 – 10 hours.

Transfer pork to cutting board and tent with foil.
Let stand for 10 minutes.
With two forks, shred or “pull” pork.

Spoon sauce into a bowl for serving.

Split a bun or low carb alternative, heap with pulled pork, top with sauce and garnish with chopped green onions.

Pulled Pork on an Oopsie Roll
Pulled Pork on an Oopsie Roll

 

Sex in a Pan

One heck of a sinful dessert! Shortbread crust,  yum; cream cheese layer, yum; chocolate pudding layer, yum; whipped cream topping, yum! Yum, Yum, Yum!
I got this recipe out of a newspaper about 18 years ago and it quickly became a family favourite. Sometimes I misplace my old, faded recipe card and I google it but have never found this exact recipe online. Hopefully it is now immortalized in the world wide web!

Sex in a Pan
Sex in a Pan

Base:
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Flour
1/4 cup Sugar
First Layer:
1 8 ounce pkg Cream Cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup Icing Sugar
1 tub Cool Whip
Second Layer:
3 cups Milk
1 pkg Instant Chocolate Pudding, (6 serving size)
1 pkg Instant Vanilla Pudding, (6 serving size)
Third Layer:
250 ml Whipping Cream, whipped with 1 Tablespoon Icing Sugar and a splash of Vanilla
Chocolate Curls or Shavings

Base:
Combine flour and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl.
Cut butter into flour and sugar until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Press into a 10″ Springform pan.
Bake in 325F oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until slightly golden.
Cool completely.

First Layer:
Beat together cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth.
Stir in Cool Whip topping.
Spread evenly over the base; refrigerate

Second Layer:
Measure cold milk into mixing bowl.
Add pudding mixes; beat on slow speed until blended; increase speed and mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Spoon over Cream Cheese Layer.

Third Layer:
Prepare whipped cream and spread over Pudding Layer.

Top with Chocolate Curls or Shavings.

Serves 16 – 18

 

Roasted Root Vegetables

I love to make Garden of Eden but sometimes that is just way too much prep work for me!  And on the Induction Phase of the Atkins diet there are some veggies in Garden of Eden that Luke cannot have so I used the same technique to make this Roasted Root Vegetable dish which tastes every bit as good as the Garden of Eden.

Roasted Root Vegetables
Roasted Root Vegetables

1 Onion, sliced
1 head Garlic, separated – leave peels on, or take them off – I leave them on
2 Parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
1 Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into chunks
2 Beets, peeled and cut into chunks
2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Basil
1 teaspoon Salt
Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375F.
Coat a 4l (9×13) casserole dish with vegetable oil spray.
Combine all the prepared vegetables together in a large bowl (I used to try doing it in the pan I was going to bake them in but found I made too much of a mess!)
Pour into prepared pan and bake in 375F for 1 hour.

Easy as that!

Note – Yes, you see potatoes in there, those were added for those who are not on Induction.

 

Whole Roasted Chicken with Pan Drippings

I went to Fraser Valley Meats, I know, I know, something you thought you would never here me say! They had Whole Fryer Chickens on sale for $8 so I bought one…not that I had the faintest idea on how I was going to get it to the table. I  googled how one is supposed to cook a whole fryer and discovered that you can either fry or bake it. Well, I am not a fan of frying chicken…the less I have to touch the thing, the better!
I do believe this roast chicken was a hit with those consuming it and I will definitely add it to my dinner rotation because it was so easy to do, and easily shared the oven with a pan of  roast vegetables. I like to keep the veggies separate so I can eat them too.

Roast Chicken
Roasting a Fryer Chicken

1 2 kg (4 lb) Whole Fryer Chicken
1/2 Onion, thickly sliced
1 Carrot, cut in half
1 stalk Celery, cut in half
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Rosemary

1 cube McCormicks Chicken Stock

Lightly spray a 4 litre (9×13) casserole dish with vegetable oil spray.
Rinse chicken, pat dry with paper towel.
Loosen skin from the chicken breasts and rub chicken, under the skin, with butter; rub in the rosemary and squirt in the lemon juice.
Stuff the inside of the chicken with the onion, carrot and celery.
Tuck the legs in and secure.
Bake in 375F oven for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, basting every so often and watching that it does not brown to quickly. Once golden brown, tent loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking until cooked through and juices run clear when chicken is pierced and meat thermometer reads 83C or 180F.

Remove from casserole dish and let stand while processing the pan drippings.
Discard onion, carrot and celery.

Pour pan drippings into a small frying pan, scraping bits of chicken into the pan; bring to a boil. Add a 1/2 cup of water and a bit of a McCormicks Chicken cube, continue boiling until it has reduced and thickened nicely.

Roast Chicken with Pan Drippings
Roast Chicken with Pan Drippings

 

Black Olive and Cheddar MIM (Muffin in a Minute)

When Low Carbing you often miss all those yummy bready sides! This will take the edge off the cravings; good to eat with a smear of butter or cream cheese or plain along side a bowl of Taco Soup.

Black Olive and Cheddar MIM
Black Olive and Cheddar MIM

1 teaspoon Butter, just melted (0.15oz)
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup Flaxseed Meal or Almond Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
Dash of Salt – very easy on the salt
Pinch of Pepper
Dash of Chili Flakes
0.5 oz Sliced Black Olives
0.5 oz Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped Cilantro

Lightly spray a 4″ Ramekin with vegetable oil spray.
In large measuring cup, melt butter to just melted (5 – 7 sec)
Stir in egg.
Add flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, chili flakes and cilantro, stirring until well combined.
Fold in sliced black olives and cheddar cheese.
Turn out into prepared ramekin and microwave on HIGH for 1 – 2 minutes depending on the strength of your machine.