Island Pork Tenderloin

Island Pork Tenderloin

 For spice rub:
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins (2 ¼ - 2 ½ lbs total) trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil 

For Glaze:
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp Tabasco (or hot sauce)

Stir the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl and rub all over the pork. Heat oil in ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over medium high heat. Brown pork, turning occasionally, about 4-5 minutes total. 

Remove from heat, but leave pork in skillet. Stir together brown sugar, garlic and Tabasco in a small bowl. Pat the mixture on top of the pork. Place skillet in the oven at 350. Roast until thermometer inserted diagonally into the center of each tenderloin registers 140 degrees, about 20 minutes. Let pork stand in skillet, loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes.

OR if you are like Nate and I and want to throw it in the crock pot and leave it at that here is what we did and it was fabulous:

Stir the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl and rub all over the pork. Place in crock pot. Stir the glaze ingredients together and pour over pork. Leave on low for 5-6 hours (we did 6 but could have done a touch less) and then shred and serve over rice (preferably jasmine rice because it is the bomb diggity.)

This was seriously the most amazing thing ever! Don't leave anything out, no matter how weird it sounds!! It was slightly sweet but not too sweet and not at all hot so don't worry about trimming down on the hot sauce.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Chili

I made this last Sunday and it was SOOOO good! Makes a lot and reheats great. I added 1 can corn, 1 can red kidney beans, and 1 can great northern beans. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Verde

Recipe type: Entree

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 4 hours 30 mins

Total time: 4 hours 45 mins

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 1/2 bell peppers, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans tomato sauce
• 1 large onion, chopped coarse
• 1 7-oz can green chiles, minced
• 3/4 cup beef broth (I used chicken)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp ground cumin (I used 1 t)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp salt, to taste
• 2 jalepenos, chopped fine (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare your ingredients.
2. Combine all ingredients in a crock pot.
3. Cook on high for 4 1/2 hours.
4. With 30 minutes left, shred chicken, then stir. (if you have a kitchenaid, throw chicken in there and let it do the shredding)
5. Serve with taco and burrito fixings. Is also delicious plain! (we just ate it as chili)

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Weight Watchers Recipe

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 lb. uncooked lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic clove, minced

28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes

15 oz. canned tomato sauce

1 t. table salt

1 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. dried basil

1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 c. part-skim ricotta cheese

1 1/2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheeses, divided

6 item dry lasagna, no-cook

1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5-7 minutes.   Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 c. of mozzarella cheese.

Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5-quart slow cooker.  Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with half of ricotta mixture.  Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting 4-6 hours.  Remove cover; turn off heat and season to taste, if desired.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 c. of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese, sprinkle over beef mixture.  Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes. 


**This is an excellent recipe!!!  I used a 14oz can of diced tomatoes and 1 27oz. can of spaghetti sauce instead of the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce.  I cooked it on low for 9 hours and it turned out great.