Pork Tenderloin in the crock pot

Put 2 lbs pork tenderloin the crock pot.

Mis together:
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbl. yellow mustard
2-3 tbl maple syrup
2 tbl olive oil
2 tbl dried onions
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Pour mixture over tenderloin.
Cook on low for 6 hours.

Crispy Spring Rolls

Anh Dien Nguyen taught our family how to make these delicious spring rolls.

3 lbs. ground pork
2 cans water chestnuts
1 pkg. bean threads, soak until soft and drain.  Set aside.
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 onions
2 carrots
1 tsp, fish sauce (opt)
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 pkg. spring roll wrappers (you find these in the freezer section of Asian markets)
Vegetable oil for frying

Saute ground pork and stir to cook very loosely.
With food processor, chop onions, carrots, and water chestnuts and add to cooked pork.
Cut softened bean threads into very small pieces with a scissors and add to pork mixture.
Add salt, pepper, fish sauce, garlic powder.
Mix all.

At this point, you can put mixture in a container and refrigerate overnight or freeze until ready to roll.

When ready to make spring rolls, put pork mixture in frying pan and warm up on top of stove.  While mixture is heating, thaw spring roll wrappers directed on package (about 30 minutes),

Cut thawed spring roll wrappers in 4 squares. Keep them from drying out by putting them under damp towels while rolling.

Put small amount of pork mixture on a skin and roll like an envelope.  Put them into plastic baggies as you make them.  You can freeze them at this point to fry another day.

Or, you can fry them in very hot oil until light brown.  Take them out of oil and put them directly on paper towels to drain excess oil.

You can put fryed rolls in freezer.  When ready to use, take them out and put them on a rack over a baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven 350 until hot and crispy.
Serve with Sweet and Sour Sauce.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. vinegar
1 c. water
2 Tbl. brown sugar
2 Tbl. tomato paste
2 Tbl. BBQ sauce (any brand)
2 Tbl. corn starch
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Cook until thick

Best BLT Salad

From Andie Evans
Time: 25 minutes

For the salad:

• 1 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• Crouons
• For the bacon:
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed in a bag with a mallet
• 6 strips center-cut bacon
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the lettuce, onion and tomatoes in a large bowl; set aside.

Meanwhile, cut the bread into crouton-size cubes. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and toast, tossing, until golden, about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Make the bacon: Mix the brown sugar, paprika, lemon zest and crushed pepper in a small bowl. Add the bacon and press to coat on both sides. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; place the thyme sprigs on the parchment paper, then lay a strip of bacon on top of each sprig. Bake until the bacon is caramelized and crisp, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet. Cut the bacon into bite-size bits using scissors; add to the bowl with the lettuce. Discard the thyme.

Make the dressing: Whisk the mayonnaise, syrup, mustard and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add the dressing to the salad and toss. (This is enough dressing for the whole salad, but you can use less if you want a less wet salad.) Sprinkle the croutons on top and eat.

Roast Pork with Pear and Cranberry Pan Sauce

From Andie Evans

2 lbs. pork loin
2 Tbsp. orange zest, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
3 pears, quartered
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine zest, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Remove pork loin from packaging and pat dry with paper towels. Press the seasoning mix onto all sides of the meat.

Place the loin into a roasting pan with pears, onions and carrots and roast until internal temperature is between 150-160 degrees. (It takes about an hour in my oven, but don't rely on time. Take its temperature.)

Remove pork loin from pan. Let it sit for 5 minutes under aluminum foil or a big metal bowl before slicing.

Put the pan drippings, broth and the vegetables into a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Add more broth, if necessary, to achieve desired consistency. Stir in the dried cranberries and spoon sauce over medallion slices of pork to serve.

Apple Butter Pork Chops

From Dana Schrader

Makes 2 servings

Olive Oil Spray

2 (3- to 4-ounce) trimmed, boneless pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Sea salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp apple butter, preferably a natural one, divided

Preheat the broiler. Line a small baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil and lightly mist the foil with spray.

Lightly mist the chops all over with spray, and then season them with the garlic, salt, andepper. Place them side by side on the prepared baking sheet, not touching. Transfer e sheet to the top oven rack and broil the chops about 3 minutes. Flip them and brush 1 tablespoon of the apple butter evenly over the top of each chop. Continue broiling until the apple butter caramelizes (turns brown in spots) and the pork just barely has a hint of pink inside, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.