Juicy Caribbean Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot

I like to have a few meals in the freezer to have on days when I work a couple of shifts or when we have had a very busy afternoon and I don’t really feel like spending a lot of effort in making dinner. I find the easiest way to do that is to make a pulled pork dish in the crock pot, and then divvy it up into individual servings to freeze.

When I want to serve it I usually just pop it into a small saucepan, still frozen, and cover with a lid... heat on MEDIUM, stirring occasionally till it is heated through.  Then serve it with whatever side dishes you like... cooked leftover veggies, rice, or even on toast.

There are so many different spices and herbs that can be used with the pork.  I have made it with tomato sauce in BBQ style, with apples and raisins, with chili peppers and vegetables, and with balsamic vinegar and onions.   This time around I used canned Mandarin oranges and garlic, and call it Caribbean Pulled Pork.  Lovely.

That first evening I served it with avocado on Romaine lettuce leaves that we could wrap and eat with our fingers, alongside some creamy coleslaw.  Since then I have enjoyed the leftovers with Cauliflower Rice, over cooked and mashed sweet potatoes, and with carrots and pea; The Captain likes it served over a toasted and split roll, like Sloppy Joes, or over rice.  Your choice. It’s all good.

I will give you the N.I. for the ingredients I used, but if that is not important to you, don’t fuss over it. Just put your pork in the slow cooker with the oranges and garlic, and cook. Then shred with 2 forks after it is done.  Easy, and delicious!  And if you are eating strictly Paleo, then use fresh oranges instead of the canned.

Juicy Caribbean Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot
Makes 35 servings of 2 ounces (after cooking weight) each

• 4-3/4 lb. lean pork loin roast, all fat trimmed off 
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 Tbs cumin
• 1 cup canned Mandarin oranges with juice
• Dashes of salt and pepper

1. Lightly coat the interior of the slow cooker with a non-stick spray for easy cleanup.
2. Pierce the outside of the pork roast with a knife in 8 different places around the outside, making a half inch gash each time.
3. Push a piece of garlic into each gash.
4. Lightly coat a large non-stick skillet over MEDIUM heat and put the pork roast in the pan.
5. Turning frequently, cook the pork roast just a couple of minutes till all outside edges are browned.
6. Place the pork roast in the bottom of the crock pot and sprinkle the cumin over it.
7. Puree the Mandarin oranges in your blender or with an immersion blender and pour over the pork and garlic.
8. Cover with the slow cooker lid and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
9. After cooking remove all but 1 cup of the liquid.
10. Shred the pork by pulling it apart with 2 forks, and incorporate the remaining liquid as you do so. Add back liquid as desired to make it the consistency you like.  I ended up adding back most of the liquid.
11. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

Per 2 ounce serving. (You may want 1-1/2 to 2 servings at a sitting.)
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 92; Protein 13g; Carbohydrate 1g; Fat 3g; Fibre 0g.

The sides of the slow cooker get pretty messy during cooking so that light coating of non-stick spray really makes a difference in the clean up process.

Messy but fun and informal lettuce wraps… the avocado is a nice garnish.

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Tangy Orange Cranberry Sauce

For some reason, I cannot imagine a roast turkey dinner, without cranberry sauce.  When I was a kid I would only eat cranberry jelly; no lumpy berries for me!  But since I discovered fresh cranberries a few years ago, I have come to love the tart taste and meaty texture of the whole berry.

In the past, I have made cranberry sauce a couple of different ways.  And at Christmas this past year, I tried a lovely Cranberry-Apple Sauce… a bit different and really good.  I wanted to use less sugar and the apples helped sweeten the sauce considerably.

But for Easter this year, I wanted something a little more unusual.. .but again without too much sugar.

We have been really enjoying the small navel oranges that are available here lately. They are very sweet and very juicy and flavor-full so I decided to make an Orange Cranberry Sauce to go with our Easter turkey.

Now I did already know that cranberries and oranges go together. In the past I have shaved some orange zest into my cranberry sauce as it cooks… and I love the dried cranberries lightly flavored with orange that I was able to purchase from Trader Joes.

So the addition of a whole orange to my cranberry sauce was not a huge stretch… and it turned out so well and is so tasty, I wonder why I never thought of it before.
I started cooking the cranberries in some water and added my spices and a bit of sugar, then whizzed up a whole orange in the food processor.  When it was broken down into small bits, I added it to the berries, which were just starting to pop, and let it all simmer for about 10 minutes.

The Captain wandered into the kitchen, wondering what I was making cause he could smell a lovely citrus scent wafting out the doors onto on the balcony…

Next time you want to surprise your dinner guests with something a bit different, try this lovely Orange Cranberry Sauce. I think it will be really nice with some roast pork too.

Orange Cranberry Sauce
Makes 2 cups

• 1 bag fresh cranberries, 12 oz.
• 1 small whole orange, cut into chunks and seeded
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 cup white sugar

1. Mix cranberries with water, spices and sugar in a medium sauce pan and set over Medium-High heat.
2. Put chunks of orange into a food processor and whizz till pieces are quite small.
3. Add the orange to the saucepan.
4. Allow mixture to boil lightly  for about 10 minutes.  The berries will pop as they cook.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool.  The mixture will become quite thick as it cools.
6. Store in refrigerator till needed. Leftovers can be frozen.

Per 1/4 cup serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 51; Protein 0g; Carbohydrate 13g; Fat 0g; Fibre 2g.

Bubbling away on the stove, steam rising and spices smelling lovely!

The Captain's dinner plate. 

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Are you a cranberry sauce fan or do you prefer cranberry jelly?

Store bought or home made?

Artichoke Hearts and Oranges Salad

I do recall that this recipe came from a post several years ago on the Weight Watchers community forums, but I do not know who put it there.  I am sorry not to give credit where it is due.  The idea is definitely not my own, and I did make some changes...  I used canned mandarin segments instead of cutting up a fresh orange so I didn't have any orange zest to put in it, and I subbed ground fennel for the fennel seeds.  I also used red wine vinegar in place of sherry vinegar.

I know that this is something that appeals to me much more than it does to The Captain... canned artichoke hearts are not his favorite vegetable.   But I couldn't resist the recipe and made up only half of it so that he wouldn't have to eat leftovers!

It is very good.  And quite pretty, too.  Here is the original recipe, as I found it in my file.  And, by the way, The Captain really liked it.

Artichoke Hearts and Oranges Salad
Makes 6 servings

• 2 - 14oz cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 2 medium oranges, peeled and cut into segments
• 1 Tbs sherry vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 61; Protein 2g; Carbohydrate 11g; Fat 2g; Fibre 4g.


Note:
Artichoke hearts and oranges are both considered zero point foods by Weight Watchers, and the only ingredient that does have a P+ value in this recipe is the olive oil.  However, when using ingredients combined into a recipe, WW takes all of the nutrients into consideration when calculating P+ values, so I have done the same here.

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Sunshine Salad

The sun was shining so brilliantly this morning, I was inspired to come up with something orange-flavored and colorful for our lunch today.  I call it Sunshine Salad. 

Sunshine Salad
Makes 2 servings

• 1 cup garbanzo beans
• 1 navel orange, peeled and sliced
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 Tbs chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of cucumber, sliced thinly and slivered

Dressing

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp mustard
• 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• heavy dashes of salt, cinnamon, and cumin 

1. Mix all salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a separate, small bowl.  Then pour over the salad ingredients and stir to blend.
3. Refrigerate for about an hour.
4. Divide into 2 bowls to serve.

Most of the salad ingredients are zero point veggies and fruit.  The beans must be counted, of course, along with the dressing ingredients.

Per serving, without zero point vegetables and fruit.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.
Calories 159; Protein 6g; Carbohydrate 21g; Fat 6g; Fibre 4g

If you put all the ingredients into the Recipe Builder on the Weight Watcher web site, it will take all of the ingredients into the equation to calculate the P+ values, so I have done that as well.

Per serving, all ingredients.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 231; Protein 7g; Carbohydrate 39g; Fat 6g; Fibre 8g

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Sassy Salsa and Sumptuous Salmon

I never turn down the opportunity to enjoy a feast of wild Pacific salmon.  It is not only very good for us, it is delicious.  I love the texture of just cooked fillets.  My very favorite variety is Sockeye.  The rich red color and the flavor is far superior to the rest.

We have had this orange cranberry salsa on grilled salmon fillets a couple of times now and really enjoy it.  It makes a festive plate and citrus always pairs well with fresh seafood.

The original recipe came from Thrifty Foods but I changed it a bit.  It calls for cilantro or mint, neither of which I particularly like.  Here is my version, to accompany salmon fillets grilled on your barbecue.  It also goes nicely with grilled prawns.

If you would rather not use the barbecue, bake the salmon in your oven.  You could easily multiply this recipe a few times to go with a whole baked fish, as well.  Lovely.



Orange Cranberry Salsa
Makes 2 servings

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 medium orange, peel and pith removed, flesh cut into small cubes
• 1 Tbsp. orange juice
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 3 or 4 drops Tabasco sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place the first 7 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add salt to taste and toss to combine.
3. Cover and refrigerate the salsa until needed.
4. Grill or bake salmon fillets.
5. Plate the salmon, top with salsa and serve.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.  This doesn't include the salmon.
Calories 86; Protein 0g; Carbohydrate 17g; Fat 2g; Fibre 2g

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