Nothing says summer more than barbecue and coleslaw. I’m not willing to give up BBQ and coleslaw completely for my “new healthy lifestyle” so here’s some easy fixes to old favorites.
- Most pulled pork recipes start with a shoulder roast. The problem is that shoulder roasts are terribly fatty. Since we’re doing slow cooking which will pretty much make -any- cut come out tender I recommend going with a pork loin instead.
- Using whole grain buns will add a little bit of fiber to your meal.
- Most coleslaws use a heavy mayo-based dressing. So they take the heathy and tasty cabbage and DROWN it in mayo. This recipe is a nice light-er alternative. It favors lemon juice and red pepper flakes over a thick mayo sauce.
- As an added bonus there’s a lot of vegetables in the slaw!
Sometimes weeknight meals are just a matter of thinking ahead.
Make the slaw either in the morning or the night before. It will only get better the more you let it sit in the dressing.
Usually I kick off the pork in the crockpot on low before I head off for work in the morning. When I (or my fiancee) get home I’ll drain the crockpot, shred the pork and put it back in the pot with the barbecue sauce. Normally I’ll use Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce.. I looked for “Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sensuous Slathering Sauce” (which won the EatingWell Taste Test: Barbecue Sauce) but was unable to locate it. Maybe you’ll have more luck.
Crockpot Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
pork loin, about 4 pounds
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups water
1 bottle (16 ounces) barbecue sauce, or 2 cups homemade sauce
Preparation:
Place half of the thinly sliced onions in bottom of slow cooker; add pork and water, along with remaining onion slices. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or 4 to 5 hours on HIGH heat setting. Drain liquid from slow cooker; chop the meat coarsely and discard excess fat. Put the pork back in the slow cooker. Add barbecue sauce and chopped onion. Cover and cook on LOW until barbecue is warm. Stir occasionally. Serve on whole wheat buns.
Serves 8 to 10 or two with LOTS of leftovers.
Pair with:
Firecracker Cole Slaw
From The Natural Health Circus
Combine in large bowl:
4-5 cups sliced cabbage
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup chopped bell pepper (green, red, yellow, orange or combo of any colors)
1/2-1 seeded chopped cucumber
For dressing combine:
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbs honey
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and allow to marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
