Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Happy November, everyone! I can't believe how fast this semester is flying. In a little over 2 months I'll be moving out of Boston and working full time for Johnson & Johnson in New Jersey until July. So crazy how fast this is sneaking up on me! I had an amazing dinner party for Halloween with some girlfriends last night, and it made me even sadder to leave this city. I'm planning to squeeze in all the dinner parties I can before I move, so get excited for a lot more posts to come.

This was the main dish I served for the Halloween party my roommates and I threw yesterday evening. I woke up at 7 to put the pork in the slow cooker before my 8 am class, then took it out at 7 pm right before the party started to shred the meat and add the sauce. I swear by Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce, and since the original restaurant is in my hometown I'm a devoted fan.

Also, I definitely recommend cooking the pork for the full 12 hours because the meat literally melts in your mouth. Considering we fed about 12 girls (and 2 lucky boyfriends) I'd say this is the easiest and most delicious go-to party meal I can think of!

Here are some quick shots of the party:

Some of the girls

Snapshot of the dinner

Feeling a little full...

Dylan and me

Hope everyone else had a great Halloween weekend. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Makes: 12 sandwiches  Prep: 20 minutes  Total: 12 hours, 20 minutes

Ingredients
5-6 lbs pork shoulder
1 large onion
4 tbs red pepper flakes
4 tbs paprika
3 tbs salt
3 tbs pepper
2 19-ounce bottles of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce
Sandwich buns

Directions
Slice the onion through the center to create large rings of onion. Lay in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Prepare BBQ rub by combining red pepper flakes, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pat the rub all over the pork shoulder, covering evenly. Place the pork on top of onion and fill the slow cooker two-thirds of the way with water.
Turn the slow cooker to low and leave on for 10-12 hours.
When the pork is done, remove from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Place pulled pork in a large bowl and add 1 bottle of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce. Mix well.
Dump most of the water and juice out of the cooker, leaving 1/4 cup and onions for flavor. Add the pulled pork back into the slow cooker and keep on low until ready to serve.

How to Make Lobster Rolls with Five Easy Ingredients

I finally did it! After months of dreaming about cooking up this classic New England creation, I finally made my very own lobster rolls. The sense of accomplishment was overwhelming, but the taste far outshone my pride. This was the last dinner Dylan and I cooked together before heading home for the week to prepare for my Argentine adventures. We made the lobster stuffing the night before, so all we had to do was come home after work the next day, grill up the buns, and overflow them with lobster-y goodness.

Meet Judas.

I was so excited to bring home our new lobster friends, but saddened that we would have to end their short crustaceous lives. I decided we would name them after infamous historical figures to make ourselves (meaning me) feel better about boiling them. Thus, Judas and Brutus came to be. I'd like to think Judas and Brutus had a nice little vacation in our freezer before their time came. I made Dylan cook the poor guys, and he lectured me about how if I'm going to eat meat, I should be able to kill it myself. Somehow I don't see myself hunting wild boar anytime soon.

Here are a few photos of how Judas and Brutus made if from pot to plate.

Yum! After a lot of shell cracking, I started to feel less remorse about Judas and Brutus and more excited for these lobster rolls! Once I had all my meat, I simply mixed in some mayo, lemon juice, scallions and paprika and stuck it in the fridge. Serve with some chips and, if you're looking for a drink pairing, an ice cold Landshark. Bon Appétit!

New England Lobster Rolls
Makes: 4 small rolls  Prep: 40 minutes  Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients
1- 2.5 lb lobster (or 2- 1.25 lb lobsters)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 scallions, diced
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
4 New England-style hot dug buns

Directions
In a large pot, boil lobster for approximately 10 minutes until the shell turns bright red and the lobster floats to the top. (If you're using two lobsters, you most likely will need to cook them one at a time.) Remove lobster and place in a bowl of ice water to cool.
When the lobster is cool to the touch, remove and section off into four pieces: two legs (cut at the elbow joint), the tail, and the body. Begin breaking the legs to remove the meat, including the claws and leg joints. Bend the tail backward to crack the shell, and push the meat up through the end. Don't miss the meat in the fins of the tail!
Once you've extracted all your meat, chop it into small pieces. While the meat is still warm, mix in the mayo, scallions, paprika and lemon juice. Season with salt and peppers and refrigerate for no less than 1 and no more than 24 hours.
Before serving, butter the inside of 4 New England-style hot dog buns and toast until golden brown. Fill with lobster stuffing and serve with a side of chips.

Spinach Salad Wrap with Green Apple, Dried Cranberries and Dijon Dressing

It's been difficult to get into the spring mindset due to Boston's dreary weather the past few weeks. Throwing on my clunky rainboats and heavy rain jacket on the way to the grocery store doesn't really get me in the mood for summer salads and barbeques. However, the good news is... the Copley Square Farmers Market opens tomorrow! Even though the forecast is more rain all week, the farmer's market will be my little ray of sunshine. I'm taking the day off work tomorrow to go to a networking breakfast at Fenway Park, then spending all afternoon wandering the local vendors down at Copley. Hopefully the rain will deter fairweather fans and I'll get the good stuff!

My roommates and I are hosting a going away dinner in our apartment on Thursday for my friend Jess, who just graduated and is moving to Texas to do Teach for America. Thursday night dinners became a sort of ritual this year with my girlfriends as a way to stay in touch despite our crazy schedules. (Look back here at my post about our first Thursday night dinner.) I always offer to cook on these nights, and this Thursday we're leaning toward Mexican so I'm hoping to find some nice produce for a few impromptu salsas at the farmers market. Whatever we stuff our faces with, the night is bound to be filled with lots of laughs and tears. It's my first college friend to graduate and move away, so this Thursday dinner will be bittersweet no doubt.

Anyway, enough blubbering. Here's a salad wrap I threw together yesterday for lunch. I'm trying to fill my diet with loads of fruits and veggies to counteract all the baking that's been going on in my apartment. I don't usually love veggie wraps, but this one was so hardy I had to bring the rest into work for lunch today. The Dijon dressing is perfect with the green apple and dried cranberries. I made a bunch of it to use in salads later this week. My trick - when your Dijon mustard is mostly gone, use the remains to make this dressing! Pour your olive oil and seasoning right into the mustard jar, shake it up, and store what you don't use.

Oh, did I mention my birthday is on Wednesday? Maybe I'll find a nice treat for myself at the farmers market for an early celebration. :)

Spinach Salad Wrap with Green Apple, Dried Cranberries and Dijon Dressing
Makes: 1 wrap  Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 whole wheat tortilla wrap
1 egg
1/2 cup spinach
1/2 green apple
1/8 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tbs Gorgonzola cheese
1/8 cup dried cranberries
2 tbs Dijon dressing*

Directions
Start by bringing a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add one egg and boil for ten minutes. Remove from heat, dump out the water from the pot and run cold water over the egg until covered. Let cool.
Lay out whole wheat tortilla on a flat surface and spread a bed of spinach across the middle, leaving room on either side to roll up the wrap at the end. Next, chop the green apple in half and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Half the cherry tomatoes and place apple and tomatoes on top of the spinach.
Crack the hard boiled egg and slice it into small pieces over the wrap. (Optional: For a healthier wrap, remove the egg yolk and add only egg whites.) Sprinkle Gorgonzola and dried cranberries, and add Dijon dressing. Finally, roll up the wrap, pulling the short sides up to close the ends and pull one long side on top of the salad, tucking it in tight before closing the wrap.

*Dijon dressing: Combine 1 part Dijon mustard, 1 part olive oil, sea salt, coarse ground pepper and lemon juice in a small jar. Shake well before serving.

Prosciutto Ciabatta with Fresh Mozzarella and Fig Preserve

I think it's pretty clear that I'm a girl who enjoys food. Ergo, I love brunch. It's a smorgasbord of exciting and taboo food combinations: pancakes with your pasta, salmon with your cereal, and eggs with your ice cream sundae! (Don't even get me started on the All-You-Can-Eat variety.) Brunch incorporates all foods suitable to eat before 5 pm, and it's the perfect solution for someone who doesn't like breakfast.

I tend to opt for the savory brunch dishes but always crave a little bit of the sweet; this sandwich gives you both. A few weekends ago I discovered this fabulous dish while eating brunch at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. I was in the city with my family celebrating my mother's 50th birthday, and it was the perfect last meal before our separate departures.

I ordered their prosciutto sandwich with mozzarella and fig spread and it was heavenly. This meal was possibly the best brunch food I've ever had, and it completely satisfied my craving for savory with a little sweet. Here is my recreation of this sandwich on a garlic ciabatta served with a side of light arugula salad. Bon appetit!

Fresh Mozzarella Prosciutto Ciabatta with Fig Preserve
Serves: 2  Prep: 10 minutes  Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients
1/4 pound prosciutto
1/2 loaf fresh garlic and herb ciabatta
3 ounces fresh mozzarella
2 tbs fig preserve
1 cup arugula
3 tbs lemon juice
3 tbs olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp coarse ground pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 225. Cut the ciabatta loaf horizontally into two roll-sized pieces, then again through the middle so you have two tops and two bottoms. Lay the ciabatta slices face up on a baking sheet and place in the oven until warm, about 5 minutes.
In the meantime, slice the mozzarella into thin cuts. Remove the bread from the oven and spread each slice with half a tablespoon of fig preserve. Lay the prosciutto on the bottom slices, and place the mozzarella on top of the prosciutto. Set in the oven open faced until mozzarella melts, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately with arugula salad.
Arugula salad - Combine lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and coarse ground pepper in a small bowl and whisk until the oil and juice are completely incorporated. Pour over arugula and toss well before serving.