Mango Pulled Pork Enchiladas

So, this recipe was out of leftovers. You heard it folks! My husband actually KNEW we were going to eat this pork as a leftover and was OKAY with it! You know that a meal is 100% amazing if it is approved to be eaten twice in one week, (or one month for that matter) in my home. I first made Mango Pulled Pork Sandwiches, and a couple days later whipped up these delicious puppies. Honestly, the sandwiches were great. And HONESTLY, these were AMAZING. Good thing you can make them both by just preparing one night. Thank you for bringing this into my life Food Network, and my sanity of actually using leftovers thanks you as well.
Mango Pulled Pork Enchiladas
Printable Version 

1 boneless pork shoulder (boston butt), about 3 pounds
1 cup chicken broth

Rub
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Mango BBQ Sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 onion, finely minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced (seeds discarded if you don't like it spicy)
Kosher salt
2 cups mango puree (5 mangos, 1/2 lemon, 2 Tbs. sugar)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

Enchilada ingredients:
10 tortillas
2 cups Monterray Jack cheese
10 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1 cup leftover Mango BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp. cayenne pepper


Rub: Combine the rub ingredients, in a small bowl and massage it into the pork shoulder until well coated. Refrigerated until ready to use, 3-24 hours.

Mango BBQ sauce: In a large saucepan, warm the oil, over low heat, until hot and shimmering. Add the cumin and fennel; they should splutter upon contact - be careful! Add the onions, ginger and serrano and a little salt, to taste. Saute until they soften but don't let them get any color. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Simmer about 5 minutes. Taste and season.
Place pork shoulder in crock pot. Pour 1 cup chicken base over pork and cook on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours, drain liquid and replace with Mango BBQ Sauce, RESERVING 1 cup of sauce. Cook an additional 3 hours on low.
Remove the pork from the saucepan and shred it using 2 forks. Return it to the sauce and stir to coat with the sauce.
Equally divide meat and 1 cup cheese between 10 tortillas.
Pour 1/2 can of enchilada sauce along bottom of pan. Mix the other 1/2 of the can, the 1 cup mango BBQ sauce mixture, and cream together. Pour over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle cayenne pepper on top. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until edges are crispy and cheese is bubbling.

Serves 10.
Recipe adapted from Aarti Party

Mango Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Where to begin? We love The Next Food Network Star. My hubby and I are die hard, I mean seriously. We watch every episode and actually look forward to it all week! We were gunning for Aarti to win from the beginning- Indian food rocks our world. She pulled it out! And then she pulled these out...Mango Pulled Pork. Seriously?! What could be better? Sweet, delicious mango on tender, juicy pork that falls apart in your mouth with just a kick of flavor. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. (And I used the leftovers to make Mango Pulled Pork Enchiladas...which in my opinion, are MORE Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Really!)
Mango Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Printable Version


1 boneless pork shoulder (boston butt), about 3 pounds
1 cup chicken broth

Rub
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Mango BBQ Sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 onion, finely minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced (seeds discarded if you don't like it spicy)
Kosher salt
2 cups mango puree (5 mangos, 1/2 lemon, 2 Tbs. sugar)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
10 rolls, sliced

Rub: Combine the rub ingredients, in a small bowl and massage it into the pork shoulder until well coated. Refrigerated until ready to use, 3-24 hours.

Mango BBQ sauce: In a large saucepan, warm the oil, over low heat, until hot and simmering. Add the cumin and fennel; they should splutter upon contact - be careful! Add the onions, ginger and serrano and a little salt, to taste. Saute until they soften but don't let them get any color. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Simmer about 5 minutes. Taste and season.
Place pork shoulder in crock pot. Pour 1 cup chicken broth over pork and cook on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours, drain liquid and replace with Mango BBQ Sauce, RESERVING 1 cup of sauce. Cook an additional 3 hours on low.
Remove the pork from the saucepan and shred it using 2 forks. Return it to the sauce and stir to coat with the sauce. Put a generous spoonful of the pork on top of sliced  bun, top with a reserved Mango BBQ sauce. (This is key! The extra sauce makes these sandwiches!)
Recipe adapted form Aarti Party

Key Lime Coconut Cupcakes

I love my hubbs. I especially love that he loves food. If I am willing to make him a special treat, he is always willing to search online and find one he would like. He is also an awesome partner in watching food network! This station is one of our go-to’s, (as well as ESPN, don’t get him wrong!). I love watching Ultimate Showdown’s with him, and this cupcake recipe was featured a while back. It had a white chocolate frosting, but I switched it to Key-Lime buttercream. Seriously, these were MOIST heaven. They had just the right amount of tang from the key limes, and the coconut make them have a perfect, sweet flavor. I would eat one of these a day, if I could! A cupcake a day keeps the doctor away, right?! Or something like that!

Key Lime Coconut Cupcakes

Printable Version 

Cupcakes

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 heaping teaspoons grated key lime zest
1/3 cup key lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 1/3 cups loosely packed sweetened coconut flakes (3.5 ounces)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, key lime zest and juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix buttermilk and coconut milk. In 5 parts total, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk mixture to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold the coconut into the cupcake batter.
Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner 1/2 full with batter. A spring loaded 1/4 cup ice cream scoop works great for this and ensures the cupcakes are all the same size. Bake for 25 minutes (13 minutes for miniature cupcakes) or when a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to a baking rack to cool completely.


Key Lime Buttercream Frosting 

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons Key lime zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (16-oz.) (4 cups) package powdered sugar
1/4 cup Key lime juice
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with Key lime juice, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and 1 Tbsp. milk, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. Beat in up to 1 Tbsp. additional milk for desired consistency.

Makes 24 regular cupcakes or 48 miniature cupcakes
Cupcake recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com
Frosting recipe from myrecipes.com

Coconut Tres Leches Cake

Talk about moist! The last time that I had something like this I was in Mexico, about 8 years ago. This cake is so moist it is almost, I hate to say it, but mushy. Mushy in good way though! Really, this cake was sooo awesome. My best friend Teddy saw this on a friend's blog and was ELATED that I offered to make it for her...and now I am ELATED that I did too!

Coconut Tres Leches Cake
Printable Version

Cake
yellow cake recipe

Milk Syrup
1 can (15 ounces) cream of coconut
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sweetened Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set the baking dish aside. Bake cake according to box or recipe instructions. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until it is lightly golden and is slightly pulling away from the edges, 30-34 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely, 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the milk syrup: in a blender, combine the cream of coconut, evaporated milk, cream, and vanilla and process until smooth.
Pierce the cooled cake all over the top with the tines of a fork or a thin wooden skewer. Using a large spoon or ladle, spoon some of the milk syrup over the cake. Let the syrup soak into the cake, then continue spooning the syrup on top until all syrup is gone. When you have finished, not all of the syrup will be completely absorbed, but it will absorb as it refrigerates. Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours. Slice the cake and serve it sweetened cream and toasted coconut, if desired.

Serves 10-12
Recipe from Melanie

For Sweetened Cream
Pour 1 cup heavy whipping cream into a large (preferably chilled) glass bowl and beat it on high speed until thickened 1 ½ minutes. Stop the machine and add ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Makes 2 cups.

Pesto Pork Panini

I can't even tell you how obsessed I am with pesto right now. My amazing friend, Ali, let me borrow some one night when I was in a crunch before dinner. She suggested making Pesto, tomato, and mozzarella paninis. I kicked it up a notch and this is what I came up with! Since this meal I have also done avocado, sweet bell peppers, thinly sliced turkey, pesto and havarti cheese, and HOLY yum! Give it a shot, you will thank me! (And Ali!)

Pesto Panini

Printable Version

4 slices bread

2 Tbs. pesto (I used Knorr brand Pesto Sauce Mix)

1 1/2 Tbs. mayonaise

1 Tbs. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Pork Panini

1 medium roma tomato

1 pork loin, thinly sliced and sauteed

mozzarella cheese

Turkey Panini

4 slices turkey

1/2 avocado

1 sweet bell pepper

2 slices havarti cheese

Preheat your panini press.

For the pesto, either use pre-made pesto or purchase a Knorr brand Pesto Sauce Mix. I found this near the gravy mixes in the grocery store. Pour package into a small bowl, and add mayo and EVOO. Spread 1 Tbs. of pesto on 2 of the slices of bread.

Divide tomato, pork, and mozzarella evenly between the bread.

Place the sandwiches in the panini press and close the lid. Grill the sandwich until the bread is toasty and the cheese is melted. Slice in half and serve warm.

Serves 2.

Garlic Red Potatoes

• If my hubbs could chow on potatoes every night, he would be in heaven! I am always trying to find new potato recipes (usually to no avail) to change it up a little. We LOVE the Hasselback Potatoes, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, and Grilled Potatoes, and now we have one more recipe to add to the bunch. These are especially great because they have parmesan cheese on them...and if you know my hubb, food+parmesan=HAPPINESS.
  
  
  Garlic Red Potatoes
  Printable Version
  
  2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
  1/4 cup butter, melted
  2 teaspoons minced garlic
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 lemon, juiced
  1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  
  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  Place potatoes in an 8x8 inch baking dish, lined with tin foil to make an easy cleanup.
  In a small bowl combine melted butter, garlic, salt and lemon juice; pour over potatoes and stir to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over potatoes.
  Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes.

  
  

  Serves 3.

  Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

Big, Flat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

• That's right, big, FLAT, chewy cookies. My hubbs LOVES flat cookies...the flatter the better! Not me, I am a thick, doughy cookie fan. Well, that is, until this recipe. These are 100% flat, and 100% delicious. The flavor is amazing, melt in your mouth-deliciousness. There is a little crisp along the edges, but when combined with the middle, you get a chewy, out-of-this-world, FLAT cookie!
• 
  

Big, Flat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Printable Version

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat in vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy, about 1 minutes. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. Drop cookie dough 1/3 cup (yes 1/3 cup) at a time onto the cookie sheet. Cookies should be 3 inches apart.

Bake for 15-17 minutes in preheated oven. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 12 cookies

Recipe from All recipes

Basil Butter

Basil Butter....who would have thought? Okay, so maybe all of you knew about this wonderful topping, but I didn't! I was just browsing on foodnetwork.com looking for a recipe with fresh basil. My cute friend Teddy grows it and I had a ton to use up! I found this recipe from Paula Deen, of course 'butter' is involved, and it was wonderful. You were supposed to top grilled chicken with this basil butter, which we did and loved. However, we then added it to our fresh corn, and O MY GOSH! It was great. I mean awesome. I mean great and awesome and so much more!

Basil Butter

Printable Version

2 Tbs. freshly minced basil leaves

1/4 cup softened butter

1 Tbs. parmesan

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Serve on top of any vegetable or grilled meat.

Serves 2.

Recipe adapted from Paula Deen

Apple Crisp

So perfect! My sister in law, Wendy, gave me this recipe when we first got married and I make it way too much! Now, I have an addiction to the crumbly part of apple crisp...so, the recipe below has double the crisp and half of the apple part. I know, I know, it seems crazy. Not to mention 2 times as bad for you! But, if you want to make a traditional crisp, double the apple mixture and half the crisp mixture, got it?! Or just do it the good way like me, below!:)

Apple Crisp
Printable version

apple mixture
6 cups thinly sliced apples
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup water

crisp mixture
2 cups quick oats
2 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix apples, white sugar, 1/2 Tbs. flour and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples. Spread apple mixture evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish. Pour water evenly over all. In a large bowl, combine oats, 2 cups flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and melted butter together. (This mixture will be crumbly). Crumble evenly over apple mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Recipe adapted from: Wendy

Serves 12-15