Pasta with Butternut Sauce, Sausage and Spinach

Recipe adapted from: 
Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

• 11 oz (4 links) Italian sausage
• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 1 lb any fun shaped pasta, I used trulli 
• 1/4 cup shallots, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh shaved Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, sauté sausage over medium heat until browned, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, set aside on a plate.

Reduce heat to medium-low and melt the butter, sauté the shallots and garlic until soft and golden, about 5 - 6 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water (I used about 1 cup) to thin out the sauce to your liking. Add baby spinach and stir in Parmesan cheese and seasoning. 

Toss in cooked pasta and sausage and mix until well coated.

Tips & Notes:

I thought this turned out really good. You can certainly customize this to your preferences, but I really enjoyed that the sauce didn't have cream in it, yet was still super creamy.  I served this with a salad and bread.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Recipe adapted from: Six Sisters Blog

Ingredients:
1 (6 oz) pkg. chicken flavored low sodium stuffing mix
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 tablespoon prepared, Dijon mustard
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces (I steamed mine)
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 cups cooked, chopped ham
6 slices of extra thin Swiss cheese

Preparation: Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Prepare stuffing as directed on package.  Mix soup and mustard in medium bowl; stir in chicken, broccoli and ham. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with cheese slices and stuffing.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.

Notes & Tips:
The original recipe said to boil the chicken but I seasoned mine with garlic salt and pepper and steamed it. You could certainly use leftover chicken if you have it. Really any way you cook the chicken would be just fine. Also, I did not cover it while cooking so that the stuffing could get crispy. I served this with a chopped salad.
 

Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce

Recipe Adapted From:
Healthy Cooking, Aug-Sept. 2011

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup fresh or frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, halved
1/3 cup ruby port wine
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt

PORK CHOPS:
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 bone-in pork loin chops (7 ounces each)
2 teaspoons olive oil

Preparation:

In a small saucepan, saute shallot in oil until tender. Stir in the cherries, wine, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the coriander, mustard, salt and pepper; rub over chops. In a large skillet, cook chops in oil over medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°. Serve with sauce. Yield: 2 servings.

Notes & Tips:
This was really good. It tastes like a special occasion recipe, but it was really easy. My chops took a little longer to cook, but I bought really thick cuts. Also, I did not have any port wine, so I just used cooking sherry. This was the perfect recipe to use some of the bing cherries I froze earlier this summer.

Nutrition Facts:
1 pork chop with 1/3 cup sauce equals 356 calories, 16 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 86 mg cholesterol, 509 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 32 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 1-1/2 fat, 1 fruit.

Quick and Easy Pork Burgers

Recipe Taken From:
www.food.com

Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork (or ground beef if you like)
5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon Season-All salt (or other favorite seasoning, like Lawry's)
0.25 (1 1/4 ounce) package dry onion soup mix (optional)

Preparation:

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Let the mix refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Then press the mixture into patties (I make 4 of them).
4. You have many choices on how to cook these!
5. You could also cook them on the outdoor grill for 5-10 minutes each, or until they are cooked throughly. (you could also do this on a stove top or indoor grill)
8. Serve on a bun, or by itself.

Notes & Tips:
I didn't have any basil today, so I used McCormick's Carribean Seasoning. Also, I didn't have any of the onion soup mix, so I subbed in a little bit of ranch dip mix. I felt like before the burgers were cooked they are super super wet. I would probably cut back on the W-Sauce next time. I served this topped with homemade pineapple slaw.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 325.0
Total Fat 24.1 g
Saturated Fat 8.9 g
Cholesterol 81.7 mg
Sodium 272.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 6.3 g
Dietary Fiber 0.4 g
Sugars 2.9 g
Protein 19.5 g

Applesauce Pork Chops

Recipe Adapted From:
www.sparkpeople.com

Ingredients:
4 Boneless Pork Loin Chops
1 1/2 cups Applesauce
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ginger

Preparation:
Slice the Loin into 7, 4 ounce pieces. Lay in shallow baking dish. Combine applesauce, brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger. Pour on top of pork. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 40 minutes.

Notes & Tips:
Lame, lame, lame...this was so bland and tasted like I just threw applesauce on a baked pork chop...which is sort of all it was, but really not anything I'll make again. It needed something else, either to brown the chops before hand, add some chopped apples, something. If you try this and add something that works, comment and let me know!

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 115.1
Total Fat: 3.8 g
Cholesterol: 34.1 mg
Sodium: 304.2 mg
Total Carbs: 5.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.6 g
Protein: 14.5 g

Photo Courtesy of: All's Fare Food Blog

Warm Fajita Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Cookbook, pg 171

Ingredients:

1 cup lime juice
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke, optional
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into thin strips
1 large onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, cut into strips
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 cups torn romaine
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

Preparation:

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the lime juice, broth, soy sauce, garlic, oil, sugar and seasonings. Set aside 2 tablespoons; cover and refrigerate. Add pork to remaining marinade; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 3 hours, turning occasionally.
Drain pork, discarding marinade. Heat reserved marinade in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, onion and peppers; stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until pork is no longer pink. Drizzle with lemon juice. Remove from the heat.
Arrange lettuce on four individual plates; top with meat mixture and tomatoes. Yield: 4 servings.

Notes & Tips:
I know this seems like alot of ingredients, but the marinade is so good! After the marinading time it's really easy to cook the meat, onions and peppers then make a salad. I suggest serving some cut up tortilla strips with it.

Nutrition Facts:
1 serving equals 280 calories, 11 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 707 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 27 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.

Brown Sugar & Mustard Pork Chops

Recipe Taken From:
Sparkpeople.com

Ingredients:

* 6 boneless pork loin chops
* 1/3 cup yellow mustard
* 1/2 cup brown sugar

Preparation:
Mix mustard and sugar. Pour over pork chops. Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes depending on thickness.

Notes & Tips:
This is the simplest recipe I've ever made. This time I tried mixing regular yellow mustard and spicy Dijon mustard. You'll be surprised how tasty this simple recipe is. I served this with a salad, peas, and a roll.

Nutrition Facts:
* Calories: 228.0
* Total Fat: 7.8 g
* Cholesterol: 51.1 mg
* Sodium: 204.4 mg
* Total Carbs: 18.3 g
* Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
* Protein: 20.7 g

Pork Chops with Cranberry Dijon Sauce

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Healthy Cooking
February/March 2011

Ingredients:
* 1 medium apple, peeled and thinly sliced
* 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
* 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
* 1 tablespoon honey
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/8 teaspoon rubbed sage
* 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* Dash salt
* Dash ground nutmeg
* 4 boneless pork loin chops (4 ounces each)
* 1 tablespoon butter

Preparation:
In a small bowl, combine the first 12 ingredients. In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, brown pork chops in butter. Stir in fruit mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.

Notes & Tips:
I really liked this. Way more than I thought I would. It was really really easy and quick. Tasted like it took a long time. I served this with a salad.

Nutrition Facts:
Serves 4
1 serving equals 229 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 62 mg cholesterol, 283 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 22 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 starch, 1/2 fat.

15 Bean Soup

Recipe taken from:
Back of Hurst 15 Bean Mix Bag

Ingredients:
1 lb. Ham, ham hocks, or smoked sausage
1 c. Onion, chopped
1 15 oz. Can stewed or diced tomatoes
1 tsp Chili powder
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 package Hurst's 15 Bean Soup package with ham seasoning packet

Preparation:
soaking: place beens in a large pot, cover with 2 quarts of water. Allow beans to soak overnight, or at least 8 hours.

1. After soaking, drain water, add 2 quarts of water and meat.

2. Bring beans to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2.5 hours.

3. After simmering, add onion, tomatoes, chili powder, lemon and garlic. Simmer for another 30 minutes.

4. Add contents of ham packet 1 to 2 minutes before cooking is completed. Salt and pepper to taste.

Notes & Tips:
I decided to skip adding the ham packet at the end. I used a little over 1 pound of Ham Hock (more like 1.5 pounds) so I figured it was hammy enough. It tasted great. You can use the quick cook method on the bag if you want, but I don't think it tastes as good. Take the time to soak your beans!

Nutrition Facts:
1 cup
250 calories, 3g fat, 51g carbs, 19g protein

Rosemary Dijon Pork Loin

Recipe Taken From:
Food Network

Ingredients:

* 1 (4-pound) boneless pork loin
* 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped rosemary leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Trim any excess fat from the pork loin, leaving a thin-layer of fat over the top.

Evenly rub the entire pork loin with the Dijon mustard followed by the onion, salt, pepper, and garlic. Make sure to really rub in the spices, and then sprinkle the rosemary evenly all over the top. Place the pork in roasting pan lined with a rack and roast for 20 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F, and continue roasting until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 145 degrees F, about 1 hour more. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and pork and arrange on a platter garnished with rosemary sprigs.

Notes & Tips:
I served this with roasted brussel sprouts. Not bad at all if you like rosemary (which I'm crazy about). I wish there was some kind of sauce that could go with it. Not that the pork is dry, but just that I feel like I should dip it in something.

Nutrition Facts:
Serves 8 4oz servings
Calories 329
Fat 12
Carbohydrates 1.2
Fiber 0.47

Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Recipe Taken from:
Quincy Hillery

Ingredients:

• 8 cups water
• 8 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 package mild Italian sausage
• 1 bag frozen green beans
• 1 package tortellini
  

Preparation:
Bake Italian sausage in 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Boil water with bouillon. When sausage is finished cooking, cut up into bite size pieces, add to boiling water. Add bag of frozen green beans. Boil for 20 minutes. Add tortellini, boil for 9-11 minutes, or according to package directions. Serve with crusty bread.

Notes & Tips:
This is seriously one of the best soups I've ever had. So super easy and tastes great. I love big crusty slices of bread with it.

Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 1/4 + 1/8 cup honey
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 pork loin chops, boneless, trimmed of excess fat, 4 oz each

Preparation:
In a shallow dish, whisk together honey, soy sauce and garlic.
Coat chops in mixture.
Reserve left over honey mixture for basting.
Place chops on greased baking dish and bake at 400 for 20 mins or until completely cooked through. Basting 2 times.

Notes & Tips:
I served this with brown rice and steamed carrots. Very very yummy! I think it would be great marinated overnight too.

Nutrition Facts:
Number of Servings: 6
Calories: 214.5
Total Fat: 6.0 g
Cholesterol: 50.8 mg
Sodium: 544.2 mg
Total Carbs: 19.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g
Protein: 20.9 g

Prosciutto Peach and Sweet Lettuce Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Cooking Light Magazine, August 2010

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 (6.5-ounce) package sweet butter lettuce mix
• 2 large ripe peaches, cut into wedges
• 3 ounces very thin slices prosciutto, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 ounces ricotta salata cheese, divided into 4 equal pieces
• 2 tablespoons dry-roasted sunflower seed kernels
• Small mint leaves (optional)

Preparation:
1. Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Gradually drizzle in olive oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in chopped mint.

2. Combine lettuce mix and peach wedges in a large bowl. Drizzle lettuce mixture with dressing; toss gently to coat. Arrange about 2 cups salad in each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 3/4 ounce prosciutto, 1 piece of ricotta salata, and about 2 teaspoons sunflower seed kernels. Garnish with small mint leaves, if desired.

Notes & Tips:
This is a great salad for summer. Easy to make and no cooking!

Nutritional Information:
Calories:209
Fat:13.5g (sat 3.2g,mono 5.9g,poly 2.2g)
Protein:10.4g
Carbohydrate:14.3g
Fiber:2.1g
Cholesterol:26mg
Iron:1.4mg
Sodium:530mg
Calcium:87mg

Prosciutto and Melon Pasta Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Cooking Light Magazine, August 2010

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked legume-based farfalle pasta (such as Barilla Plus)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup baby arugula
• 3/4 cup diced cantaloupe
• 1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced shallots
• 2 tablespoons torn mint leaves
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 2-inch-long strips
• 1 ounce shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; cool to room temperature.

2. Combine lemon juice and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; process to blend. With processor on, slowly pour olive oil through food chute; process for 15 seconds or until blended.

3. Combine cooled pasta, arugula, cantaloupe, shallots, mint, and prosciutto in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over salad just before serving, and toss gently to coat. Top salad with cheese.

Notes & Tips:
Well this was different, I'm not really sure I liked it. I think the combination of melon and pasta. The textures didn't mix well. I did like the dressing, and I love prosciutto.

Nutritional Information
Serves 4
Calories:357
Fat:12.8g (sat 2.9g,mono 7.5g,poly 1.6g)
Protein:16.8g
Carbohydrate:44.3g
Fiber:4.7g
Cholesterol:13mg
Iron:2.5mg
Sodium:518mg
Calcium:134mg

Glazed Pork with Strawberry Couscous

Recipe Taken From:
Healthy Cooking, Taste of Home Cooking

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
• 1 bone-in pork loin roast (5 pounds)
• 1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam
• 1/4 cup orange juice, divided
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
• 1 package (10 ounces) plain couscous
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, quartered
• 1/4 cup minced fresh mint
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel, rest of orange squeezed

Preparation:
Line the bottom of a large shallow roasting pan with foil; set aside. Combine the marjoram, salt and pepper; rub over roast. Place in pan. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 1 hour.

Combine jam and 1/4 cup orange juice; brush half over pork. Bake 20-30 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160°, basting with remaining jam mixture every 10 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Stir in couscous. Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork; stir in the strawberries, mint, orange peel and squeezed orange juice. Serve with pork. Yield: 10 servings.

Notes & Tips:
I didn't have any marjoram, so I substituted oregano since it's in the same family. Also, I didn't use the mint, but I'm sure it would have tasted great with it. And let me tell you, OH MY GOD, strawberry couscous is incredible! This looks like it takes alot of talent, but it's really simple and tastes wonderful.

Nutrition Facts:
4 ounces cooked meat with 1/2 cup couscous mixture equals 383 calories, 11 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 92 mg cholesterol, 493 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 36 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 2 starch, 1 fat.

Videlia Onion Pork Loin

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Videlia Onion Dressing
• 2lb Pork Tenderloin
• 2 tablespoons honey

Preparation:
Mix dressing with honey. Marinade Pork tenderloin in videlia onion dressing mix overnight. Remove pork from marinade and grill 15 mins. each side. Serve with grilled veggies of your choice.

Notes & Tips:
A very simple and tasty summer grilling recipe. I first tried this with chicken months ago, but while I was eating the chicken I kept thinking it would be great. The marinade tastes great with the pork. It may need a little extra salt depending on your taste.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories 143, Total Fat 3g, Total Carbohydrate 0g, Dietary Fiber 0g, Protein 13g

Bacon Asparagus Pizza

Recipe inspired by:
www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 5 thick slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 unbaked pizza crust
• 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup chopped fresh asparagus
• 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 (11 ounce) log fresh chevre (goat cheese)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:
1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.Place bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for a few minutes to release most of the grease, but do not cook until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain.
3.Spread the pizza crust out on a pizza pan or large baking sheet. Top with mozzarella cheese, bacon pieces, asparagus, and tomatoes. Dot with goat cheese, then season with red pepper flakes and black pepper.
4.Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the crust is golden brown underneath when you lift it up to take a peek. Let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes & Tips:
I was looking for an unusual way to use of some of my leftover fresh asparagus when I stumbled upon this. VERY yummy, if you like "gourmet" pizzas, which I happen to love. I would suggest maybe flash steaming the asparagus if you don't like crisp veggies on your pizza. Also, I added some baby bella mushrooms, which really tasted great with this. I used pre-made pizza crust and pre-made pizza sauce, b/c tonight, I feel rather lazy. Also, I used a mixture of mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, and Gorgonzola, b/c I didn't have enough of any to cover the pizza. The result was pretty tasty.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 429 Total Fat: 25.2g Cholesterol: 75mg

Pong Pong Pork Chops

Recipe Adapted From:
recipes.sparkpeople.com

Ingredients:

• 4 pork loin chops
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp hot mustard
• 2 tsp Splenda
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp Tabasco sauce
• 4 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp powdered ginger

Preparation:
In a non-stick skillet saute' onion and garlic with a small amount of water until onion is translucent and set aside.
Trim all fat from chops and make small cuts through any membrane on the outside to prevent chops from curling.
Brown pork chops on both sides and then return onions and garlic to pan.
Mix the rest of the ingredients to make a sauce, thin with more water if needed.
Add to pan chops, onions and garlic and heat through.
Serve with rice.
Chicken breasts can be used instead of pork.

Notes & Tips:
This was delicious! I think I'm going to try this with chicken too. I loved how spicy and sweet the sauce was, not a light sweet but a thick sweet. I served this with a salad instead of rice. Also I substitute regular mustard for the spicy the recipe calls for and I reduced the amount of peanut butter to 2 tbsp instead of the called for 4, I thought 4 might be too much.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 270.5
Total Fat: 16.3 g
Total Carbs: 7.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.7 g
Protein: 24.3 g

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Recipe Adapted From:
www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

Dry Rub:

• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 (3-4lb) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 1 cup yellow or brown mustard
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 12 hamburger buns

Preparation:
Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for as long as you have time for, as little as 1 hour or up to overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.

Place the quartered onions in the bottom of crock pot. Place pork in a crock pot on top of onions.

To make the barbecue sauce: combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Pour 1/3 of sauce on top of roast, fill crockpot half way up the roast with water. Cook in crockpot for 7-8 hours on low. Scoop out 1/2 of juice and either save or throw out. Pull pork apart with forks. Pour other 2/3 of sauce on top of pulled pork. Cook on low again for 30min-1 hour.

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom 1/2 of the hamburger bun. Serve with slaw if desired.

Notes & Tips:
I also like to add a little "W" sauce and liquid smoke. I used a Pork loin, which was a tad less fat. I think that using a cheaper cut of pork would taste just as good. Also, I served this on the thin buns so that can cut out calories too, just be aware that this is a very saucy recipe so be prepared to eat the sandwich with a fork.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 420, 19g Fat, 29g Carbs, 31g Protein