Main Course – Page 4

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Pork Tacos

August 15, 2014 by Asharae 3 Comments

These barbacoa pork tacos are the perfect thing to serve to a large group of friends. Most of the work is done in the morning, then you throw everything in the slow cooker and let it get happy for 10 hours or so. Your house will smell amazing and I promise your friends will love you more than they did before. Before they arrive, you remove the pork from the slow cooker, shred it, and put it back in with a little of the reserved juices to keep it moist. You’ll still have time to get all cleaned up and enjoy eating and chatting with your friends rather than working away in the kitchen. (Unless of course you offer to make margaritas for everyone like I did, then all bets are off.)

We had a bunch of friends over to our house before our summer travels got started and this is just what I made for them. With a side of cilantro lime rice and all the chips, salsa, guacamole, and queso our friends wrangled up, we had quite the feast on our hands. I even had a little extra fun with the decorations – I rolled out some brown kraft paper on our dining room table, set it up as our buffet, and used chalk to write out all the taco options.

If you’ve never cooked with pork before – fear not! This is probably the easiest way to cook it – the process of slowly cooking over low heat makes the meat so moist and tender and delicious. If you want to add an extra layer of fabulousness to these tacos (and you’re up for a little challenge), brown the pork in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed skillet before placing it in the slow cooker. This gives the meat a little more depth of flavor and those browned edges tend to be my favorite once the pork is cooked and shredded.

Enjoy the barbacoa pork in tacos, in quesadillas, over rice, or on nachos. I’m certain any way you enjoy it would be delicious. You can also serve it with this pico de gallo, or one of these corn salsas.

Please tell me you’ll make these tacos? It just might change your life.

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Pork Tacos

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Ingredients

For the barbacoa

5-7 lb pork shoulder bone in
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce minced
1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped
1/2 red onion cut into large pieces
6-8 cloves of garlic sliced
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 Tbs kosher salt
Juice of 4 limes
32 oz beef stock
3 bay leaves

For the tacos

Flour tortillas
Freshly shredded cheese
Red onions diced
Fresh cilantro chopped
Lime juice
Other toppings of your choice

Instructions

(Optional - gives the finished pulled pork an extra layer of tastiness when it's all done) In a large Dutch oven or deep heavy-bottomed pan, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium high. Remove the pork shoulder from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Brown the pork shoulder on all sides, carefully using a pair of tongs to turn the meat in the pan every couple minutes. This is a tricky operation, so be very careful not to burn yourself.
Once pork shoulder is browned, place it in a large slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients.
Cook on low for about 10 hours, or until pork shreds easily with a fork.
Carefully remove the pork from the slow cooker and place on a rimmed baking sheet. The pork should be falling apart, so this part gets a little messy. Use two forks to shred the pork, remove the bone and fatty pieces, and place the "good meat" in a large bowl. Discard the bone and fatty pieces. Continue this process until there is no pork left in the slow cooker. Carefully pour the remaining juices into another large bowl or stock pot. Put the shredded pork back in the (now empty) slow cooker and ladle some of the reserved juices on top of it until the pork is moist.
Let the shredded pork rest in the slow cooker while you prep the rest of your taco ingredients.

Guest Post by Lily Dunn – Zucchini Lasagna

July 23, 2014 by Asharae Leave a Comment

Today I’m excited to have my dear friend Lily Dunn guest posting here on This Wild Season. Lily is a fabulous writer, so you should check out her blog Such Small Hands, as well as the travel blog she shares with her husband – Two Sore Thumbs.

I made this recipe to share with my family over the weekend and I can assure you that it is absolutely delicious! It got glowing reviews all around, including one from my dad who admitted it was the best lasagna he’d ever eaten. I confess I was a little hesitant to swap out noodles for zucchini instead, but I honestly enjoyed this recipe way more than regular lasagna! I have a distinct feeling this is the only way I’ll make lasagna from here on out.

And with that introduction, I’ll hand it off to Lily!

Eleven months ago my husband and I moved to South Korea to teach English. Living in a foreign country can feel exciting and adventurous, but there are still times when it’s hard not to be overcome by homesickness and longing for the comfortable and familiar. One of the best ways for me to feel connected to home is through food. I love to cook, especially for friends and family. Here in Korea, I don’t have access to the same ingredients or cooking methods I did at home (no ovens!) so I’ve had to make some creative adjustments and adaptations.

This lasagna is one of those recipes born from “creative adaptation.” It is special to me, not only because it’s so delicious, but because I have come to associate it with community. A few months ago I made this for a group of girls who were meeting for the first time, hoping to start a Bible study. My Wednesday nights with them have now become the best part of my week. When my parents visited at the beginning of May we went to lots of great restaurants and enjoyed some great meals, but one night we stayed home and I made this lasagna for them and we ate together sitting half on the couch and half at the table because we only have 2 chairs. After they left my mom sent me an email that said, “I asked Dad what his favorite food was that we tried while we were there. He mentioned a few restaurant meals we’d had, but then he said, ‘I think my favorite thing was Lily’s zucchini lasagna.’” Winning. 🙂

The zucchini actually replaces the pasta in this dish, so it’s a great option for those who eat gluten-free or low-carb as well as being a great somewhat lighter version of a well-loved comfort food. Since most of the flavor comes from the sauce and the cheese, and the zucchini itself doesn’t have a strong flavor, you really don’t miss the pasta. In fact, my husband, who is a lasagna aficionado but not a big vegetable eater, LOVES this dish. There’s a bit of prep time involved, but you can make it ahead of time and just pop it in the oven when you are ready to eat it. As they say in Korea, “잘먹겠습니다!” (jal meog-es-seub-ni-da – the Korean version of “Bon Apetit!”)

Cooking Notes:

The sweating process for the zucchini is very important. If you don’t do this you will end up with watery soupy gloop.

The original recipe calls for an egg added to the cheese mixture. I prefer it without the egg because I think it makes the cheese creamier. If you like the cheese part to be stiffer you can add one egg.

I add mushrooms to my sauce, but these are entirely optional.

I make this in a convection toaster oven since Korean kitchens don’t have ovens. Because of that I have to use a smaller pan (maybe 11’x7’?) I use the same amount of sauce and cheese mixture, but only 1 – 1 1/2 zucchinis.

This recipe calls for mozzarella, but I have trouble getting that here so I have been using a three-cheese blend and it’s delicious. I think you could really use any cheese, it will just change the flavor slightly.

Zucchini Lasagna

Lily Dunn / Adapted from Sandra M at Key Ingredient

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Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup white mushrooms chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce I use Classico’s Italian sausage and pepper for this and it is AMAZING
2 large or 3 medium zucchinis
15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
16 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella or other cheese + 1/2 cup to sprinkle on top
1/4 cup grated parmesan

Instructions

In a large saucepan, brown the ground beef. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
In the pan you used to brown the meat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onions, and mushrooms and sauté until the onions are soft. (2-3 minutes)
Add the ground beef and marinara sauce. Bring to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer for 45 – 50 minutes. The sauce is meant to thicken quite a bit. Do not add any water.
Meanwhile, slice the zucchini lengthwise into long lasagna-noodle shaped strips (about 1/8 inch thick). I use a vegetable peeler for this. Lay the zucchini slices out on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Allow the zucchini to “sweat” for 20 minutes. Then pat dry to remove excess moisture.
In a large bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, and shredded mozzarella.
Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of an 8’x12’ casserole dish –just enough to coat the bottom. Top with a layer of zucchini. (If some of your zucchini pieces are very thin, you can double them up). Finish with a layer of cheese mixture. Continue to layer in this order until your ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of sauce and the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. (I usually get two complete layers)
Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until the center is hot. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Lily Dunn is mastering the art of toaster oven cooking in Daegu South Korea where she and her (devastatingly handsome) husband Jonathan teach elementary school English. Lily writes about life, faith, and searching for grace at Such Small Hands. She and Jonathan also share a blog about expat life in Korea at Two Sore Thumbs. You can follow her on Twitter at @LilyEllyn.

Summery Greek Pasta Salad

July 16, 2014 by Asharae Leave a Comment

Well hello there ol’ bloggy blog. Nice to see you again!

This summer has been a whirlwind so far – I can hardly believe we’re halfway through July already! Tim and I spent most of June traveling to Arizona, Illinois, and Wisconsin to visit friends and family, attend my cousin’s wedding, and do a little sightseeing along the way.

At the end of our trip we totaled 11 different locations that we’d spent the night – ranging from hotels to friend’s guest rooms to pull-out couches in the living room to separate twin beds (and separate bedrooms hah!) at my grandparents’ house to the floor of the airport when our late-night flight was cancelled on the way home.

Needless to say, we’re happy to be home and have our very own bed to sleep in. It’s taken me a couple weeks of being back at home to feel like I (maybe?) have my feet back under me and can get back in the routine of life here. We’re in a wild season right now (see what I did there?) as we figure out our next steps with our business, deal with the looming uncertainty of Tim’s job this coming school year, and as we dream about the possibilities of the next few years of our lives.

We keep reminding ourselves that we don’t have to have it all together right now. We’re nowhere near “having it together,” so that’s a reassuring reminder that we need daily. I’m so guilty of comparing myself and our lives to others and it quickly becomes discouraging. I keep coming back to the thought that my story isn’t the same as theirs and it’s not supposed to be. Tim and I are meant to live our own story – one that is unique to the gifts and the passions that the Lord has given us. Comparing ourselves to others isn’t just unrealistic, it’s comparing two different things that do not compute.

I’m reminded of this pin I came across on Pinterest recently that says, “Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.” I see these words as freedom from feeling like I have to fit into someone else’s expectation for my life (or even my skewed perception of what I think someone else’s expectation is for my life.) God does strange things and works in unexpected ways – often we don’t see what He was doing till after the fact.

I also like to turn the tables and see this quote from the other direction – “Sometimes you won’t understand other people’s journeys. You don’t need to, it’s not for you.” In other words – stop comparing, stop setting unrealistic expectations, relax, focus on the things that you are meant to be doing, enjoy where you are right now, love on the people in front of you, be present and mindful, breathe, and say no to the lies that say you’re not good enough and you never will be. Live your own story. Enough with trying to live someone else’s.

And on that bombshell, (as we like to say in our house – Top Gear anyone?) let’s get on to the recipe!

This is a great summertime recipe – the cucumbers in our garden are multiplying daily and our tomatoes aren’t far behind. This dish can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until you’re ready to serve, making it perfect for a picnic or an outdoor dinner on a warm summer evening!

Summery Greek Pasta Salad

Asharae Kroll

A light pasta recipe, perfect to make-ahead for a picnic or outdoor dinner on a warm summer evening.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings 3 -4

Ingredients

2 cucumbers peeled, seeded, and diced
2-3 medium tomatoes diced (I also like to remove the seeds)
1/4 of a red onion diced
3/4 lb of pasta I love using tiny bow ties or orzo
2 Tbs red wine vinegar add more to taste - I usually do
3 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs pesto optional, but if you have a jar in your fridge I definitely recommend using it!
1 tsp honey
2-3 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Feta and chopped mint for garnish

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and set aside to cool completely.
Combine red wine vinegar, lemon juice, pesto, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk together to combine. Pour over the top of the cooled pasta. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust flavors to suit your preferences. I tend to add more red wine vinegar at the end for a little extra zip.
Place in fridge until ready to serve.
Serve topped with feta and chopped mint.

I picked up this adorable screen-printed flour sack towel at The Handmade Market in Raleigh a while back – you can see more fantastic designs from The High Fiber and purchase items at her Etsy shop!

The Power of Presence. And a Recipe for Costa Rican Gallo Pinto

June 12, 2014 by Asharae 3 Comments

I would like to introduce you to Flor (I’m actually going to introduce you to her cooking, but first a little about her.) During one of my summers in college I lived in Costa Rica with Flor and her husband while volunteering for a local organization with my friend Leslie. Flor became more than our host mom while we lived with her – she took it upon herself to be our guide to the bus system and the ins and outs of San Jose, she guarded us fiercely with her warnings about Costa Rican men (my friend and I stuck out like sore thumbs with our blonde hair and blue eyes – Flor made certain we knew to avoid the attention of men in the city), she was our personal chef as she prepared Gallo Pinto every morning, packed our lunch each day to take to work, and had dinner waiting each night when we returned home. Flor always spoke with immense faith in the Lord, his provision, and his power to heal.

A couple months before I was set to go to Costa Rica, my dad was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. The doctors quickly started him on chemo and he had a particularly strong round a week or so before I left for my summer trip. He was expected to get sick shortly after, due to the chemo-therapy knocking out his immune system. I remember my dad hugging me tight in the airport before I left, reminding me that Costa Rica is where I was meant to be for the summer and putting my fears and feelings of guilt to rest about being so far away while he was undergoing treatment.

Within about a week of arriving in San Jose with Leslie and beginning our volunteer work with the Rahab Foundation, I got word that my dad was very ill and had been rushed to Duke for treatment. Those conversations are all a blur to me as I found out he had fallen into a coma and the doctors were doing what they could to keep him stable. What I do remember from that night is Leslie helping me scour our local shops for phone cards so I could call my mom to hear more news (these were the early days of Skype and all the internet cafes were already closed.) And I remember Flor comforting me as I anxiously dialed my mom’s number only to have to fight with Costa Rica’s automated system (in Spanish of course) until I could reach my mom’s distant voice on the other end of the phone. Instead of telling me everything was going to be okay or patting me on the back, Flor quietly grabbed a bowl of warm water, knelt down on the tile in her living room, took my shoes off one by one, and gently washed my feet.

I’m tearing up just remembering it.

In that moment, there was nothing more powerful, more thoughtful, or more meaningful anyone could have done. There were no words that would have been helpful, and no amount of “I’ll be praying for you”s that would have comforted, but I will forever remember her selfless act of loving on me without hesitation.

I wonder how I could share that selfless kind of love with others. How do you comfort someone when they’re in the midst of the darkness and they’re not sure the light is anywhere close? I’m not entirely sure. But having been on the other side, I can say that perhaps actions and presence are more important than having the perfect words.

My dad had been in a coma for a few weeks when I called my mom on Skype one afternoon. She answered and then said “hang on a second,” I waited a moment and then heard my dad’s weak voice from miles away – “hey baby.”

And there I was, bawling in the internet cafe.

My dad is all healed now. He spent 80-something days in the hospital that year, but just over a year ago he passed the 5-year mark, so they’ve declared him cured. Praise the Lord.

All that to say, this recipe for Flor’s Gallo Pinto is pretty special to me. It’s simple, and maybe you don’t like rice and beans, that’s fine. But to me this dish is comfort food. It reminds me of sitting in Flor’s kitchen in Costa Rica, chatting over the newspaper, learning to like coffee, and her husband laughing at me because it was possible that I liked Gallo Pinto even more than he did. Most of all it reminds me of Flor and her selfless act of washing my feet the night I was so scared and felt so uncertain about the future. I pray I learn to love like that.

It would make my day if you tried this recipe. It’s the closest I’ve been able to get to the dish Flor would serve us each morning. I love it served with bananas – call me crazy but the salty sweet combination of the rice and beans with the banana is delicious. Avocado and scrambled eggs are also great sides. We even became friends with one family in Costa Rica whose tradition was to have Gallo Pinto with leftover birthday cake the day after a family member’s celebration (that was also surprisingly delicious!)

On a side note – if you live in Chicago, you should visit Irazu, one of the only Costa Rican restaurants I know of in the states. Be sure to ask them for Salsa Lizano (pronounced lee-san-o) – they’ll be impressed. If you can’t get to Irazu to try Lizano, you can always order some online! Tim got a bottle for me for my birthday this year – he knows me so well.

Happy cooking! And Pura Vida!

Costa Rican Gallo Pinto

Asharae Kroll

This is the closest recipe I've gotten to the delicious gallo pinto my Costa Rican host mom made every morning.

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 4 -6

Ingredients

1 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbs canola/vegetable oil don't use olive oil or spray
1 15 oz can black beans do not drain
About 3 c cooked rice day-old is best
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
Salsa Lizano only if you're lucky enough to own a bottle
Optional Avocado, banana, scrambled eggs, birthday cake.

Instructions

Cook rice according to package directions (day old rice is actually best, so you can skip this step if you have cooked rice on hand)
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion, about 3 minutes.
Add garlic and sauté one more minute.
Add beans, with liquid, and salt and black pepper. Heat through and let simmer for 1-2 min.
Add rice and stir to combine, trying not to smash the beans. Cook until heated through. I like to stir it together and then let it cook, without stirring it for about 3 minutes at a time. This allows the mixture to get little crunchy bits throughout. Stir after 3 minutes and then let it sit an additional 3 minutes. Repeat this, tasting along the way, till the gallo pinto is the consistency you'd like. I cooked mine about 15 minutes total.
Serve with your choice of bananas, avocado, and scrambled eggs.