Month: June 2015

Pasta with Broccoli Marinara

~ Marlee And Christie ~ 2 Comments

Today’s dish is inspired by an Amy’s Kitchen Microwavable Dinner. We don’t normally eat microwavable dinners, but on our road trip, this dish was our best option in the middle of nowhere.

We thought these microwave dinners would taste like cardboard that needed way more salt, because they were gluten free and everything free, but they were surprisingly delicious, that could have been from the fact that we were dying for some healthy food, but either way we made our own version to share with you!

Pasta with Broccoli Marinara

Pasta with Broccoli Marinara

Pasta with Broccoli Marinara 

Ingredients 

  • 1 Jar of your favorite Marinara Sauce
  • 1 Bag Broccoli Florets
  • Half a Red Onion
  • 2 Tablespoons Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Kosher Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 Box Uncooked Pasta

Step 1: 

In a large sauce pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the red onion and sauté for two minutes. Next, add the garlic. Sauté for thirty seconds.

Step 2: 

Add the entire jar of marinara sauce. Next, add the basil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and baking soda. Stir together and reduce the heat to low.

Step 3: 

In a large pot, put the broccoli in and just cover with boiling water. Cook for two to three minutes. Immediately drain the broccoli and place in a ice bath. Refill the pot with water and place on the stove to cook your pasta.

Step 4: 

When the pasta water is boiling, add salt and pinch cayenne pepper (if you’re not a fan of heat, omit the pepper) then add your pasta. Cook according to the box.

Step 5: 

While the pasta is cooking, drain and pat the broccoli dry. Drain the pasta, and return to the pot adding the broccoli and then cover with the warm sauce. Mix until combined and then serve!

Pasta with Broccoli Marinara

Maple-Mustard Pulled Pork

~ Marlee And Christie ~ 3 Comments

Happy Porky Monday!

Today’s recipe is  genuine meat candy! Canadian maple syrup and tangy English mustard make the pork squeal with Commonwealth pride. We’ve made this a couple times now, and last time our guests were constantly complimenting us while sneaking bites of pork, thats always a good sign!

Even though it takes while to cook, it’s not that difficult to put together, so trust us and give it a try this weekend. Let the pork marinade over night and pop it into the oven in the afternoon, you will be thanked!

Ingredients

  • 5lbs Pork shoulder/butt
  • 1 cup Maple syrup (aka Canadian Blood)
  • 1 cup Whole grain Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup Yellow mustard (We recommend Coleman’s English Mustard)
  • 4 tbs of Mustard powder
  • 6 oz Brown sugar
  • 4 oz Sea salt
  • 2 splashes Apple cider vinegar

Maple Mustard Pulled Pork

Step 1: (Do this the night before)

Rub sea salt/sugar mixture on the pork and massage it in. Place into ziplock bag (or two) or even better a vacuum sealed bag for ultimate infusion. Refrigerate overnight.

Step 2:

Preheat the oven to 250°F(120°C). To make the mixture: Add to a bowl 1/2 cup of maple syrup, 4oz of whole grain dijon, 2oz of yellow mustard, 2 tbs of mustard powder, 2 oz of brown sugar, splash of apple cider vinegar and dash of salt.  Whisk it up until it’s combined.

Maple Mustard Pulled Pork

Step 3:

Release meat from it’s flavor prison, the meat should have released it’s juices by now. Rise the meat completely with cold water.

Step 4:

Place meat on the bottom of a roasting pan. Pour mixture onto the meat and, with gloves, rub the mixture onto all the sides of meat, so that it completely coated. Let it swim in the maple-mustard mixture!

Maple Mustard Pulled Pork

Maple Mustard Pulled Pork

Step 5:

Place in oven for 6 hours, occasionally basting with it’s own juicy-juices.

Step 6:

Make another maple mixture, like in the beginning, but this time you will add 4oz of brown sugar so that it caramelizes beautifully. (Just in case you don’t want to look: 1/2 cup of maple syrup, 4oz of whole grain dijon, 2oz of yellow mustard, 2 tbs of mustard powder, 4 oz of brown sugar, splash of apple cider vinegar and dash of salt.) Pour the mixture over the pork and put it back into the oven for 1 more hour.

Maple Mustard Pulled Pork

Step 7: 

Take out of the oven and shred the meat in the pan with all the juices and maple mustard mixture. Mix all the meat with maple mustard mixture and serve. People will thank you.

Maple Mustard Pulled Pork