Smoky Bacon Horseradish Pulled Pork Sandwich

There is this…

And this…I did a bit of recipe combining this week and came up with a pretty amazing open-faced sandwich.  I think you should try it immediately.  My ass will be on the couch, watching football and eating this sandwich.  

To make this sandwich, you just need to make this pork roast and this dip.  Get a loaf of Cuban bread or a baguette, lightly toast and build your sandwich!

The 35th Anniversary of Elvis Presley's Death

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Today is the 35^th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death.  I wrote about the 34^th anniversary last year (click here to read).  You can pretty much bet that each year I will remember Elvis on this day so just deal with it.  I’m spending the day cleaning, swiveling my hips and listening to my Elvis radio station on Pandora.  I think that is what he would have wanted.  I’m also eating a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich for lunch.  

Elvis’ Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Ingredients

1 small ripe banana

2 slices white bread

3 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons butter

Preparation

In a small bowl, mash the banana with the back of a spoon.  Toast the bread lightly.  Spread the peanut butter on one piece of toast and the mashed banana on the other.  Fry the sandwich in melted butter until each side is golden brown.

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Copy Cat In-N-Out Burger - WTF and WOW Recipe Wednesday

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Copy Cat In-N-Out Burger

Ingredients – Special Sauce

½ cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp sweet pickle relish

2 tsp onion finely minced

Ingredients – Burger

Hamburger buns

Grilled hamburger patties

American sliced cheese (optional)

Lettuce

Tomato, sliced

Onion, finely sliced

Preparation

Stir sauce ingredients together until well combined.  For the bun, butter both sides and toast it until butter melts and edges get a little crispy.  Smother some sauce on bottom bun.  Put on tomato slice.  Place lettuce on top of the tomato.  Place patty on top of lettuce.  Top the patty with onion and a little more sauce.  Place on the bun and dig in!

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Buffalo Chicken Crescents - WTF and WOW Recipe Wednesday

Well...this seems perfectly safe.  I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of mailing myself places.  Imagine the delightful surprise when you mail yourself home for Christmas...naked.

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I wanted so bad to be a combination of Wonder Woman and Han Solo when I was a kid.  I also wanted to travel to Fantasy Island on the Love Boat.  Now, I just wish I'd had my own snake babysitter.  I was denied the sweet embrace of a large constrictor.  FML.

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Isn't this always the way.  Ironically, this very thing happened at my family's last Easter get-together and I forgot my camera.  FML...again.

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This recipe is because college football will be starting in less than 40 days.  It is time to start thinking about game time appetizers.  It just is…

Buffalo Chicken Crescents

Ingredients

8 fully cooked fried chicken fingers

4 slices provolone cheese, cut in half

1 can crescent rolls

¾ cup buffalo wing sauce

¼ cup ranch dressing, plus additional for dipping

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375.  Separate crescent rolls into 8 triangles.  Pour wing sauce and ¼ cup ranch dressing in a bowl.  Place one half slice of provolone cheese on top of crescent rolls.  Dunk chicken finger into wing sauce and place on top of cheese.  Roll up crescent and place on cookie sheet.  Repeat with remaining fingers and crescents.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

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0 Carb Boneless Buffalo Wings - WTF and WOW Recipe Wednesday

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Zero Carb Boneless Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast – cut into large chunks

1 ½ cups crushed pork rinds (gross, I know…but trust me it doesn’t taste like pork rinds)

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

¾ cup Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce

2 Tbs butter

½ tsp garlic powder

Olive Oil

Preparation

Trim excess fat off chicken breast and cut into large chunks. 

In a food processor combine pork rinds, garlic powder and parmesan cheese until they make a nice crumb mixture.  You can also just crush the pork rinds in the bag and then add the parmesan and shake the bag until well mixed.

Heat about ½ inch of olive oil on medium-high heat in a skillet.  Press the chicken chunks firmly into the breading, coating both sides.  When the oil is heated and starting to bubble, place the chicken into the oil and let it fry.  Using tongs (duh), flip the chicken a few times until they are a nice golden brown and crisp on both sides.  About 5-6 minutes.

Take finished chicken and place on a paper towel to soak up some of the excess grease and allow breading to crisp up.   Melt the butter and mix with the Franks Wing Sauce.  Lightly toss the chicken in the sauce.  Plate and enjoy!!  You can serve with celery and ranch or blue cheese (not included in carb count).

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What I'm Reading and Low Carb Pizza!!!

We went to Kohl’s yesterday.  Kohl’s always has some sort of sale going on and we usually get caught in that trap of going in for one thing and coming out with a cart-full of stuff.

I told Tiffany before we went inside that we did not need any more quilts.  She is a certified quilt hoarder.  It is quite possibly her only fault and it is out of control.  We were going to look at sheets, but absolutely no quilts.  Then I saw an amazing quilt on sale and rescinded my no new quilts rule.  It took her approximately 1.2 seconds to grab the quilt and put it in our cart.  Keep in mind, we did not start out with a cart, but 22 seconds into our shopping I had to go to the front of the store and get a cart.  The quilt was 60% off.  I also found some 700 thread count sheets on clearance.  700 THREAD COUNT!!!  That is like sleeping on a cloud in heaven.   Once we got home, I wanted to rearrange the bedroom so the sheets and quilt could be displayed in a museum-quality way.  Here’s the new quilt and sheets…plus the amount of times it took me to get a picture of just the bed.

This picture is especially disturbing because of Harpo's eyes and the presence of orbs.  Our bedroom is haunted...I just know it.

The dogs just think everything is theirs!

I love reading.  I have trouble trusting people who don’t read as well as people who like clowns.   I always have a stack of books to read.  Tiffany hoards quilts and I hoard books.  I’m currently reading Jackie, Ethel and Joan Women of Camelot by J. Randy Taraborrelli.  After I finish that book, I’ll start The Rook by Daniel O’Malley and then move on to Defending Jacob by William Landay.  Is there anything better than having your housework finished and a good book and hammock waiting for you?

You really need to check yourself before you wreck yourself and look at this freaking recipe!  I made this last night and holy shit it was good!!  I’m really enjoying these low carb recipes and this was maybe my favorite to date.  It is a chance to eat your vegetables and feel like you are cheating.  Who doesn’t like pizza?  For this one, I gathered what I had available, but I think the next pizza might be veggie.  The only thing you really need to follow is how to make the pizza crust…the rest is just whatever you like on top of your pizza. Less than 10g carbs for two pieces.  Check it!!

Low Carb Pizza

Ingredients

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp crushed garlic

½ tsp garlic salt

Olive oil

Pizza sauce

Your choice of toppings

Preparation

To "Rice" the Cauliflower:

Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes (some microwaves are more powerful than others, so you may need to reduce this cooking time). There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.


One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower.  The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella.  Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir.  Transfer to the cookie sheet and using your hands, pat out into a 9” round.  Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven.  To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese.  Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

Enjoy!

Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

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Low Carb BLT Lettuce Wraps - WTF and WOW Recipe Wednesday

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BLT Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

4 slices bacon (cooked and chopped)

1 medium tomato, diced

1 tbsp miracle whip (can also use light mayo)

3 large iceberg lettuce leaves

Fresh cracked pepper

Preparation

Carefully remove 2 large outer leaves of a head of lettuce.  If you rip or tear one, just save it for the 3^rd leaf you need to shred.  Shred the 3^rd leaf and set aside.  Dice tomato and set aside in a bowl.  Combine diced tomato with mayo and fresh black pepper.  Place lettuce cups on a plate, top with shredded lettuce.  Add tomato mixture and then bacon and roll it like a wrap and dig in!

This is super easy, super tasty and about 8 g carbs and 160 calories per serving.  Plus, I get to use the delicious tomatoes growing in my garden.  In the immortal words of Charlie Sheen, “WINNING!”

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Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

There is always a certain amount of excitement when finding a good recipe.  My excitement was at the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Carlton dancing level when I found this recipe.  I’m making these stuffed peppers this weekend!  Best believe.

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

8 oz. Thinly Sliced Roast Beef

8 Slices Provolone Cheese

2 Large Green Bell Peppers

1 Medium Sweet Onion

6 oz. Baby Bella Mushrooms

2 Tbs. Butter

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

1 Tbs. Garlic - Minced

Salt and Pepper - to taste

Preparation

Slice peppers in half lengthwise, remove ribs and seeds.

Slice onions and mushrooms. Saute over medium heat with butter, olive oil, minced garlic and a little salt and pepper. Saute until onions and mushroom are nice and caramelized. About 25-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400*

Slice roast beef into thin strips and add to the onion/mushroom mixture. Allow to cook 5-10 minutes

Line the inside of each pepper with a slice of provolone cheese.

Fill each pepper with meat mixture until they are nearly overflowing.

Top each pepper with another slice of provolone cheese.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese on top is golden brown.

Serve and Enjoy!!

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Beer Burger Sliders - WTF and WOW Recipe Wednesday

It is truly amazing what pops up when you Google images of beer.  Don't you wish this guy was in the movie Magic Mike?

What would the 4th of July be without beer and burgers?  The true glory is when you can combine the two.

Beer Burger Sliders

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

2 tablespoons dark beer such as brown ale

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

2 packages (8.8 ounces each) sweet Hawaiian snacker rolls

15 slices snack-sized Cheddar cracker cuts

Preparation

Line rimmed baking pan with plastic wrap.  In a medium bowl, add beef, beer, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco and mix until well combined.  Form beef mixture into 16 very thin patties, then place on baking pan.  Cover patties with a second sheet of plastic wrap; freeze 10 to 15 minutes or until firm.  Meanwhile, slice each roll in half to make 16 square mini buns.

Heat grill to medium-high heat.  In batches, add frozen patties and cook 4 to 5 minutes, turning once.  Place sliders on bottom halves of buns; top with cheese and braised onions.  Place top halves of buns on sliders to serve.

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In Pursuit of the Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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I just noticed that today or tomorrow my blog will hit the 100,000 page views milestone.  This makes me as happy as that pug.  Thanks for caring and reading.  This blog as been a wonderful creative outlet for me and I hope I can continue to make you want to keep clicking.  In honor of this milestone and to have an entry for a grilled cheese sandwich contest, I decided to work on creating a very tasty grilled cheese sandwich just for you.  Here’s my recipe.  I hope you like it.  Nothing says, “Thanks for reading my blog” better than a savory sandwich. 

I had a basic idea of what I wanted to create.  Here is what I started out with…I later added Miracle Whip (not because I didn’t plan to use it initially, but because I forgot to get it out of the fridge for this picture) and English Muffin Bread.

I took a picture of the Miracle Whip separately…to give it the honor it deserves.

The bread choices I used were Sourdough Bread, European Style Waffles and English Muffin Bread.  Ultimately, the Sourdough Bread won out. The cheese choices were mild Gruyère and Wisconsin Swiss.  In the end, I decided there was really no need to chose one cheese and that there was a home for both cheeses on my sandwich.

The European Style Waffle option was too sweet.  I will revisit this idea; however, I’ll make it an egg and maple-flavored bacon sandwich.

The English muffin bread option was actually really good.  It just wasn’t as good as the Sourdough bread option.

The Whistle Stop

Ingredients

Loaf of Sourdough Bread from the bakery

Mild Gruyère, shredded

Wisconsin Swiss, shredded

Parmesan, shredded

Butter, room temp

Bacon (crispy fried)

Green Tomatoes

Panko Bread Crumbs

Salt

Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Eggs

Olive Oil or Cooking Spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice green tomatoes.  One slice per sandwich.  Grease cooking sheet with olive oil or cooking spray. In a bowl crack two eggs and whisk.  In another bowl, mix handful of panko, handful of Parmesan cheese, dash of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.  Drench tomato in egg and then cover completely in panko mixture.  Place tomatoes on cooking sheet and cook until golden brown (about 30 minutes).  I baked the green tomatoes instead of frying to keep the sandwich less greasy.  Trust me…you won’t be disappointed with the baked green tomatoes.

While your tomatoes are baking, fry your bacon.  You’ll want it to be crispy friend because it is just better that way.  Slice your sourdough bread (avoid slicing it too thick because it will take too long for your cheese to melt).  Butter both sides of your bread and heat up a skillet or griddle (spray with butter flavored Pam cooking spray or add butter).

Build you sandwich like this:  first add Gruyère, then baked (but fried tasting) green tomato, a bit of Miracle Whip, bacon and then Swiss.  Place in skillet or on griddle and grill until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is completely melted.


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