slowcooked pork & bean chili

hello, slowcooker sunday! comfort food on a snowy, lazy sunday? sign me up.

and what’s great about this recipe is that you likely won’t need to run to the grocery store for the ingredients. i’m guessing you probably have everything you need right in your kitchen. you can prep the chili for the slowcooker and then smell the lovely slowcooker aroma while you curl up on the sofa with your fave book. now, how’s that for a pretty stellar snow day? :)

the pork:
– heat up 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (evoo) in a large saucepan on high heat
– brown 1/2 white onion (peeled, rough chop) in pan
– add a dash of sea salt
– add 500g lean ground pork to onions
– sprinkle 1 tsp ancho chile spice
– lightly drizzle hot sauce
– season w/ ground black peppercorns
– sauté ground pork until browned, but not fully cooked
– remove from heat & set aside, while prepping other ingredients for the slowcooker

the beans:
– 1 can (approx 500mL) white kidney beans

(tip: best to drain canned beans in a colander under cold running water to remove any starchy residue.)

slowcooked honey pork ribs

and the meat falls right off the bone…

there are heaps of rave reviews out there by slowcooker enthusiasts who sing the praises of slowcooked ribs. after this delish culinary experiment with pork ribs, i’m a believer. :)

many cooks turn to montreal steak spice as a rub for steaks… this time around, i thought this seasoning staple would make for a fantastic culinary experiment with slowcooked pork ribs… hello!

montreal steak spice is a blend of pepper, salt, coriander, dill, mustard seeds, dehydrated garlic and onions, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, paprika and caraway seeds. check out the fantastic specks of colour it adds to the food prep. beauty.

slowcook the ribs:
add the following ingredients into a medium slowcooker and stir to combine well.
simmer on high heat in the slowcooker for approx 5-5.5 hours.

– 1.5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
– drizzle of honey
– dash of sea salt
– 1 rack of meaty pork ribs (split into 2-3 portions)
– sprinkle 2 tsp montreal steak spice (divided) over pork ribs
– add 1/2 cup sparkling water (instead of soda)
– add 2/3 water (divided)
– drizzle of honey

note: recommend not leaving the slowcooker unattended. you will need to stir ingredients occasionally and lift the slowcooker lid slightly to release steam occasionally during the slowcooking process, so it’s best to stay nearby. be sure to follow the safety instructional manual that came with your particular model of slowcooker.

food styling:
– nosh on these slowcooked ribs on their own
– or pair them with brown rice or homemade coleslaw

looking for some healthy snacks for your next gameday or superbowl party? check out these simple recipes to feed a crowd!

smoked paprika pork & spinach empanadas

empanadas are one of my all-time faves.

i guess i’ve been a tad spoiled with all the delicious homemade empanadas over the years — thanks to incredible homecooking by my mom and my aunties! though i didn’t tackle the dough made from scratch or the traditional chicken & potato filling this time around, i was inspired to try making empanadas in my kitchen over the weekend… with my own twist on the dish, of course. :)

and if you’re looking for an inventive way to repurpose fresh pizza dough from the bakery, read on…

prep the filling:
fold together the following ingredients in a large prep bowl until well combined:
– 350g lean ground pork
– 1.5 cups red bell pepper (pitted, diced)
– 1/2 fresh italian parsley (finely chopped)
– dash of sea salt
– season w/ ground black peppercorns
– sprinkle 1 tsp smoked paprika evenly over meat

cook the filling:
– heat up a large saucepan on high heat
– add 1 clove garlic (peeled, diced) and 1/4 cup water to pan
– pour the pork & veggie mixture into the pan
– stirfry for a few min until the meat is no longer pink
– fold in 2 cups fresh organic spinach (chopped) with pork mixture

– preheat oven to 400F

prep the dough:
– sprinkle some whole-wheat flour on a clean, flat surface before rolling out the fresh pizza dough (i bought some fresh from the bakery.)
– using a rolling pin, flatten out the dough into a thin, round pie
– sprinkle some more flour on the dough pie, flip over before applying the rolling pin again
– use a round cookie cutter to cut-out circular pieces of dough for each empanada