Simple Sesame Pulled-Pork Sandwiches

Sesame Pulled-Pork Sandwiches
(Makes 6)
Adapted from the Columbus Dispatch

Ingredients

1 bottle (12 ounces) beer (we used a triple ale)
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 T sesame oil
2 T soy sauce
1.5 t mustard powder
1 t cayenne
1/2 tsp. ground anise seed
3 pounds pork tenderloin cut into 2-inch chunks
3 t hot sauce
salt and black pepper
Buns
Sesame seeds for garnish and flavor (optional)
Coleslaw (optional)


Directions
In a large saucepan, whisk together the beer, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, soy sauce, and mustard powder. Add star anise and pork. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cover; cook until very tender, about 50-60 minutes.
Use 2 forks to shred or pull apart the pork into bite-sized pieces. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide the pork among the buns, top with coleslaw if you wish.

I wouldn't recommend a light beer for this recipe. The beer we used was a triple ale (very hoppy). It worked perfectly. I think an IPA or even Guiness would work well too.

I made the really poor mistake of taking the pork out of the sauce, and discarding the sauce. DO NOT DO THIS! Keep the pork in the sauce in which it cooks, and shred it in the sauce. These sandwiches were really tasty, but would have been even better had I followed directions!

Not only were these sandwiches tasty, but they were fairly easy. I love a recipe that allows me to clean up while it's cooking. The house smelled amazing throughout the cooking process too.

Estimated Nutrition Facts
(Serving Size: 1 sandwich, including a 100% whole wheat bun)

Ahem.....a good source of vitamins A, and C, and an excellent source of iron and fiber. Just ignore the sodium and cholesterol. I mean, I'm sure the nutrition facts are much better than store-brand or restaurant pulled pork!

QUESTION: Are you a fan of pulled pork? What type of beer do you typically use to cook with, when a recipe calls for beer?

Also, thank you for all of your responses to my last post about what I like to call "The Dr. Oz Effect". It was fun to read them all (maybe Dr. Oz himself will read them and make some changes to his show. HA! And lose millions of dollars a year? I don't think so).

Drool Worthy Avocado Chicken

How was everyone's Memorial Day? Ours was spent planting our garden (and getting some sun, vitamin D, and bug bites)! I'll be posting about it on Thursday. I'm starting to think we may have more produce than we can handle, but it never hurts giving some away, right? We could have our own farmer's market in our backyard!

My mom brought this fantastic chicken dish over for dinner the other night. She has been making this dish since I was young because she got it out of the Columbus Dispatch in 1980. Apparently the Dispatch has a recipe contest every year (how come I didn't know that?!) and this was the winner in 1980.

"Drool Worthy" Avocado Chicken

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts -boneless

2 T cornstarch

1 t ground cumin

1 tsp garlic salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 T water

1/3 c cornmeal

3 T vegetable oil

1 firm ripe avocado, peeled,sliced

1 1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 c sour cream

1/4 c sliced green onions, tops only

1/4 c chopped red pepper

Directions

1) On a hard surface, with meat mallet or similar flattening utensil, pound chicken to 1/4 inch thickness.

2) In shallow dish, mix together cornstarch, cumin, and garlic salt. Add chicken, 1 piece at a time, dredging to coat.

3) In small bowl mix egg and water. In another small bowl place cornmeal. Dip chicken, first in egg and then in cornmeal, turning to coat.

4) In large fry pan, place oil and heat to medium temperature; add chicken and cook 2 minutes on each side. Remove chicken to shallow baking pan; place avocado slices over chicken and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in 350* oven about 15 minutes or until fork can be inserted in chicken with ease and cheese melts.

5) Top chicken with sour cream, dividing equally; sprinkle with green onion and red pepper. Garnish with cherry tomatoes and parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Score: 9.5 out of 10!

Nutrition Facts
(For One Serving)

SOURCE: CalorieCount.com

Healthier Modifications

- Use reduced fat or fat free cheese (reduced fat cheese will melt better than fat free)

- Use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream

- Use egg beaters instead of an egg (this isn't necessarily healthier, but it will decrease the calories and fat just a bit)

Coming Up

I won't hear about my job until later this week (keep your fingers crossed!). I will be telling you all about it at the end of the week, regardless of if I even get the job. Until then I will be seducing you with more sweet treats...... Tomorrow; DARK CHOCOLATE SORBET!

Thanks for reading, and have a good Monday...I mean...TUESDAY! Feels like Monday, right?!

"An Eating Epidemic"

Before I start today's post I want to direct those who didn't read it to yesterday's post if you'd like a new recipe for pesto (made with spinach)! It was simple, cheap, and QUITE healthy (compared to traditional pesto).

A couple weeks ago the Columbus Dispatch published an article titled, "An Eating Epidemic", which discussed some of the many reasons why America is so darn obese and unhealthy. Here are some shocking points I pulled from the article:

- 30 years ago the Average American consumed ~2169 calories per day (Source: USDA). By 2008 that number had reached 2674 calories per day, which is an increase of about 23 percent!

- Everywhere we turn there is food. Literally. Think about it; candy at your local bank, vending machines located in just about all offices everywhere (with maybe one or two healthier choices), food at every pharmacy, gas station, and even home goods shops, food on TV, fast food or other restaurants within walking distance of just about any home, and food available to you at the click of a computer button or dial of a phone number.

- Car seats now come with food trays and one or two cup holders. Is this really necessary?? I can see it being important for long trips, but for the everyday errands? I think not.

- According to the journal of Health Affairs children snack almost three times a day on non-nutrient dense foods such as chips and candy. This is on top of their three square meals.

- American's concept of serving size is completely skewed. Restaurant serving sizes have increased significantly, and plate sizes have increased from ten wide inches 60 years ago, to about 12 or 13 inches wide currently. Research has shown that a larger plate size can cause a person to eat 20 percent more calories in one sitting.

- On the world market you can purchase 19,000 calories worth of sugar for $1. It's no wonder our food is full of sugar!

- Children ages 8-12 view an average of 21 food commercials a day, according to a study done by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Have you seen commercials for foods that are geared towards children? They are powerful, and rarely are they advertising healthy foods.

- When people around us gain wait, so do we. When a person's spouse becomes obese, that person has a 37% increased chance of becoming obese themselves.

Want to hear something positive for a change? The CEO of SONY attended the National Association of Theatre Owner's annual convention in March, and do you know what his message was? He urged attendees to provide healthy food options at the movie theater, such as fruit cups, veggies and dip, yogurt, and granola bars. AWESOME idea! (Source: ADA Times)

Giveaway Update

Don't drink sugar, drink WATER! Check out this fantastic campaign and giveaway that is trying to advocate drinking more water, and less soda, etc. This is a step in the right direction. I love it.

Coming Up

Tomorrow I will post some of your comments, and my responses, regarding my last two posts about "Our Toxic Food Environment". Until then, stay healthy, enjoy life, and have a great day!