February, 2012 | Crafty Dad

Crafty Dad Cooking :: Pork Roast

Posted on February 12, 2012 Written by Mike 2 Comments

Trying to stay on my high-protein, low-carb diet, pork roast is one of my very favorite foods.

I have it for breakfast (mixed salad greens + pork roast + 1/2 a tomato + a hard-boiled egg) in a salad. Add some Italian dressing and I’m good to go. (As long as I have a cup of coffee to go along with it!)

I take it to work and either re-heat it in the microwave or eat it cold. Matters not to me. It’s easy to pack in my lunch bag and makes for a tasty lunch-time treat.

The rest of my family likes it too. They may have a slice or chunk of it along with a baked potato or some cheesy potatoes. I might have it along with some steamed green beans or California-blend veggies.

Here’s the super-simple recipe:

Add a center-cut, boneless pork roast to your slow cooker. Chunk up two onions. Add to cooker. Sprinkle all with 4-5 shakes of Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute. Add a big pinch of freshly-ground pepper. Add one cup of water to the cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours or until meat thermometer reads at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit (as recommended by the USDA).

Filed Under: Cooking, crock pot, Food, recipes

We Are All Accountable…to Ourselves.

Posted on February 11, 2012 Written by Mike Leave a Comment

I am responsible for:

my thoughts
my attitude
my performance at work
my relationship with my wife and kids
the food I put in my mouth
the words that come out of my mouth
my children’s education
the exercise that I get (or don’t get)
the kind of kids my kids hang out with
the upbringing of my children
the friends I choose
my success or failure

Filed Under: Life Management, Something to think about

Oriental Salad (with Ramen Noodles) is Our Current Favorite Food

Posted on February 11, 2012 Written by Mike Leave a Comment

We’re not big fans of fancy food. You know, the foods that seem to take hours to prepare and only about fifteen minutes to eat? We’re just not into that.

Simple foods. That’s our mantra. And we found something that fits perfectly.

There are a ton of Oriental Salad recipes floating around the web. I typed “Oriental Salad” into Google and I got this:

Yep: 9.7 million hits.

I decided to check out the number one result over at Cooks.com. With a bit of tweaking, it is a keeper.

There seems to be a bit of confusion in the recipe. It calls for 2 packages of cole slaw mix (one pound total). Actually…one bag of coleslaw at my local supermarket is one pound. So, in case you see the recipe and wonder, that’s the deal.

The recipe calls for two (2) packages of Ramen Noodle soup in either the Oriental or beef flavor. We used beef flavor last week. And (ahem) this weekend we used CHICKEN flavor. The beef flavor does give the salad a richer, darker flavor. But if you prefer a lighter version, go with the chicken flavor. It is excellent.

Last week’s version included the chopped green onions. This week: we left out the onions but added some sweet red pepper. (Which I got a fantastic deal on. Our local supermarket had the biggest, reddest sweet peppers on sale for TWO for a DOLLAR. Un-real. I bought four of them and should have bought the whole lot.)

Now…here’s the secret ingredient that is NOT included in the recipe: Soy sauce. Oh. My. Gosh. That is the ultimate topper for this already great-tasting salad. Not everyone is going to like the super-saltiness of the soy, so…add a few shots of it to individual bowls of salad. Don’t over-power the the salad by adding soy sauce to the entire recipe, okay?

Here’s the recipe. Seriously: you gotta try this.

Oriental Salad (w/ Ramen Noodles)

Chinese, Side, Soy sauce, Cole slaw, Ramen noodles, Salty

Cooks in About 10-15 minutes Serves 4-8

Ingredients

One package (16 oz) cole slaw mix with carrots
Two packages of Ramen Noodle soup (Oriental, Beef or Chicken Flavor)
Chopped green onions (optional)
Chopped sweet red pepper (optional)
Seasoning packets from Ramen Noodle soup
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. salad (vegetable) oil (scant)
1/2 c. sugar (scant)

Directions

Make the salad dressing:
Whisk oil, vinegar, sugar and seasoning packet contents in a small bowl.
Make the salad:
In a large bowl, add the cole slaw mix, green onions and/or sweet red peppers.
Break up the Ramen noodles into bite-sized chuncks over the cole slaw.
Slowly pour the salad dressing over the salad. Using a rubber spatula or spoon, thoroughly mix the dressing into the salad.
You can enjoy the salad immediately, or place salad in air-tight container and refrigerate.

Print Recipe | Print Ingredients Only

Leave a comment, or send me an email and let me know how you like this.