Guava BBQ Kahlua Pork Quesadillas

A couple of weeks ago I kind of went on and on about a certain eatery in Hawaii that served this guava bbq kahlua pork quesadilla. I may or may not have mentioned that I loved it so much I just shoveled it into my face and got the insanely awesome guava bbq sauce all over my bathing suit.

At the time I was actually posting a recipe for Slow Cooker Kahlua Pork. 

I couldn't help but talk about our Hawaii quesadilla experience then because the basis for the quesadilla was kahlua pork. When we decided we wanted to recreate the Guava BBQ Kahlua Pork Quesadilla, we knew we had to start with the Kahlua Pork before we could move on to the quesadilla.

Well friends, with the Slow Cooker Kahlua Pork we took care of that part.

Yum and Yum.

That meant that I could move on to the Guava BBQ part of the Guava BBQ Kahlua Pork Quesadilla.

This sweet, slightly smokey, and just spicy enough guava bbq sauce is delightful. This recipe was years in the making people. Right when we got back from Hawaii I actually tried to find a recipe for guava bbq sauce.

That was a big fat no go. I couldn't find one.

At least not right away.

Then after a lot of searching, some mixing, and a little pinching of that and pinching of this, I finally concocted a recipe that was quesadilla worthy. Well, pretty much lick off the spoon, my fingers, and right off my face good.

Now that I have both the Kahlua Pork and the Guava BBQ Sauce you know what that means?

Okay, so you totally know what it means. I have been talking about it non stop this whole post. I am being more than transparent about my love for that once-ate-that-one-time-I-went-to-Hawaii quesadilla.

Now I don't have to go back to Hawaii to have my favorite quesadilla. Don't get me wrong, there are a million other reasons to go back to Hawaii, it just doesn't need to be the quesadilla.

Guys I am so excited.

You should be too. This quesadilla is like super grand.

Now that I have brought the Guava BBQ Kahlua Pork Quesadilla back into my life I feel like I need to pass on that love.

And...You're Welcome!

Enjoy Peeps. Don't worry about the napkins. You won't want to waste some of the sauce on some stinkin' napkin.

Guava BBQ Kahlua Pork Quesadillas

Ingredients:

Kahlua Pork recipe (can use left overs from original dinner)

guava barbecue-
1 cup cold water
1 cup guava paste
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons minced onion
1 Tablespoon ginger paste
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
salt and pepper

monterey jack cheese, shredded
cheddar cheese, shredded
tortillas
butter

Use left overs of this Kahlua Pork recipe.

Prepare Guava BBQ Sauce by putting all of the ingredients but the salt and pepper into a sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer on medium high heat. Whisk the mixture frequently. Once it is at a simmer, add in salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce the heat to medium low. Let it low simmer for 10-15 minutes. If the mixture gets too thick, add small amounts of water to thin out.

Cool the barbecue sauce.

To assemble the quesadillas, start with 1 tortilla. Spoon 2-3 spoonfuls of sauce on the tortilla and spread it around. Sprinkle with cheddar and monterey jack cheese. Add a layer of Kahlua pork. Sprinkle with a little more cheese. Drizzle with a bit more bbq sauce. Top with the other tortilla.

Melt  a tablespoon of butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the quesadilla in the melted butter. 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side. The tortilla should be golden on each side and the cheese should be melted.

Serve immediately. Serve with a side of Guava BBQ Sauce.

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linking up:
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The Idea Room, Whipperberry

Asian Lettuce Wraps {Slow Cooker Saturday}

 

Since we have moved from a suburb by a big city to a small town that is the big city, I find myself missing a few things. Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things I love. Maybe I should list a couple of those so I don't seem all Negative Nelly.

Things I love about living in a small town:

-really friendly neighbors

-no traffic

-safety

-family oriented

Now that I have been positive for a minute, I will spill the beans about what I don't love about living in a small town:

-not close to a lot of attractions

-less access to more stores

-absence of my favorite restaurants

On that last point, I would like to tell you how much I have missed one restaurant in particular. I have missed PF Changs like you wouldn't believe. Okay so I have missed there and Panera. Insert cry face and boo-hooing here. 

I have missed three things from PF Chang's the most. 1. Mongolian Beef; 2. Cheesecake; 3. Lettuce Wraps.

Since I live 3 hours plus away, I figured I should probably just accept the fact that I might need to find some homemade alternatives.

So accept I did.

Recipe I did.

Cook I did.

Love I did.

This Asian Lettuce Wrap recipe is amazing. The whole family loved it. That is huge people! Huge. One of the Little Men is more than a little picky. Even he ate this filling. Don't ask about the lettuce though. I don't want to talk about it.

The fact that he would eat the filling though tells you how yummy this filling for the lettuce wraps is.

People it gets better. The filling for these Asian Lettuce Wraps is made in the slow cooker. You know how I love using my slow cooker. Slow Cooker Saturday came to the rescue.

This is a recipe that comes together quickly. The recipe also is a quick slow cooker recipe. Meaning it isn't an all day slow cooker recipe.

So easy. So yummy. 

So, go ahead and make yourself some. 

Slow Cooker Asian Lettuce Wraps

Print Recipe

1 lb ground pork

1 red bell pepper, cored and finely diced

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

4 oz sliced water chestnuts, chopped

3 green onions, sliced

1 head iceberg lettuce

Cook the pork in a saute pan until no longer pink. Drain off fat. Put the cooked pork into the slow cooker. Stir in the bell pepper, onion, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Do not be tempted to cook it on high, there is no need. Cooking it on high will just dry it out.

After 2 hours, stir in the water chestnuts and green onions. Let the mixture cook for another 5-10 minutes. 

Serve over lettuce leaves.

Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Kahlua Pork (Slow Cooker Saturday)

It has been three and a half years since The Hubs and I went to Hawaii. We both dream of that tropical trip daily. That time we spent in Hawaii really was magical. We had never been to Hawaii before. When people told us it was paradise and we would love it, they were not exaggerating.

We felt the kiss of paradise the minute we set foot out of the airport. The fact that we were 5 hours off our internal clock didn't matter. We felt instantly rejuvenated. Paradise I tell you. Glorious paradise. Pretty much every minute of the trip from that point until we got back on the plane to head home was like that.

In addition to the magical sand and surf, the food was insane. AHHH. Insane, people! Of course the highlight of many a meal was Kahlua Pork. Our very favorite meal was a Kahlua Pork Quesadilla with Guava BBQ Sauce (be looking for that recipe very soon). Seriously, it was sauce all over your face, fingers, and bathing suit good. I will elaborate more on our divine quesadilla experience when I share the recipe with you.

Today, we are talking about the Kahlua Pork. In order for us to copy cat the quesadilla we loved so much, we had to start with a killer Kahlua Pork recipe.

Well, wam bam thank ya ma'am. We have it.

How do you make a killer Kahlua Pork. Well you have to cook it slow, aka for a long, long time. Now I don't have a pit, or a spit or anything like that. Ya know what I do have though, I have a pretty nice little slow cooker.

After the pork and the slow cooker hang out for, oh you know, like 18 hours, you have a Kahlua Pork that will blow your mind and your taste buds.

We have made this Kahlua Pork like lots and lots of times. The Hubs might dream of it fort nightly. We typically pair it with Coconut Rice and sometimes some Coleslaw.

The ingredients themselves are few and simple. Pork. Salt. Liquid Smoke. That hardest part is having to sit in your house smelling all the yumminess to come but knowing you have quite a bit to wait.

The recipe also makes plenty for left overs or to use in another recipe...oh I don't know like Kahlua Pork Quesidillas with Guava BBQ  Sauce.

Thanks for letting me reminisce about Hawaii for a bit on this Slow Cooker Saturday. Don't have a trip to Hawaii planned anytime soon? Ya, me neither. Put on a bathing suit, roll out a beach towel, play some island music, and dish yourself up a plate of Kahlua Pork. I know it isn't the same, but at least you get to eat something yummy.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Kahlua Pork

6-7 lb pork butt roast
3 Tablespoons coarse sea salt
3 Tablespoons hickory liquid smoke

Puncture the pork roast all over with a large fork. Combine the sea salt and liquid smoke in a bowl. Rub the mixture all over the meat. Place the roast in slow cooker. Cook on low for 18-20 hours. Half way through cooking time, turn the pork over. Cover and cook the remaining time.

Remove pork from liquid. Remove excess fat. Shred the pork and set aside. Strain the fat from the liquid and set the liquid aside. Add the pork back into the now empty slow cooker. Add in a small amount of the reserved liquid as needed to moisten the pork.

Serve with Coconut Rice and Coleslaw.

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Thirty Handmade Days, Whipperberry, The Idea Room,
The 36th Avenue

Spicy Peanut and Pork Noodles

Right after Thanksgiving this year a funny thing happened.

Okay, so maybe not funny like HAHAHA gut bust funny, more like weird and unexplained funny.

Shortly after Thanksgiving I lost all and any desire to cook. To be honest, I also lost most desire to eat.

Nothing sounded good...EVER. The thought of cooking had similar effects to doing a downward dog position in yoga when you just want to curse your hamstrings for not being flexible enough. AND then you remember that this is yoga and you are supposed to be zen instead of cursing.

Basically food wasn't so much enjoyable. Then I started getting stomach aches every time I ate. Ack.

Don't worry, I still ate. I just didn't enjoy it. Good news is that I didn't pack on any holiday pounds.

I have no clue what was going on. I was sick off and on. I was experiencing higher than normal stress. AND just to clarify, I am absolutely NOT pregnant. Who knows. All I do know, is it really effected how I fed my family.

Since I never wanted food or to cook, there was a serious lack of meal planning. There was a lot of breakfast for dinner, plain pasta, quesadillas, sandwiches, and take out. Basically if it was easy, that is what I made.

It was really sad. My Little Men didn't seem to mind, but I felt really bad.

About a week ago, I was making a basic list for the grocery store. You know things like milk, eggs, bread, etc. Out of nowhere I suddenly had the desire to make something. I gathered my to try recipe pile. I picked a recipe. I bought the needed ingredients.

I went home, and I made dinner. I actually made dinner and I enjoyed making it.

What I made was this delicious Spicy Peanut and Pork Noodles.

These noodles were SO good. For the first time in a long time I actually enjoyed dinner. I even ate them for leftovers the next day. The whole family loved these noodles. They are a little less peanut buttery than THESE NOODLES that we also love. They also have the lovely addition of ground pork. While the title of the recipe says spicy, they are just spicy enough. None of my boys had any problem eating them.

The recipe comes together really quickly. It is also really filling, which really helps me out with a houseful of boys.

I can guarantee this is going into our normal rotation. A normal rotation which I am trying to get back into effect.

Fingers crossed for the return of my appetite, normal meals, and LOTS more of these Spicy Peanut and Pork Noodles.

Spicy Peanut and Pork Noodles
peanut blossom

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1 Tablespoon vegetable/canola oil
1 lb ground pork
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
4 green onions, green and white parts, sliced and divided
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ginger paste (or ground ginger)
2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 lb linguine noodles

Start water boiling too cook the pasta in. Cook pasta while preparing the rest.

Whisk the chicken stock, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Cook the ground pork until no longer pink. Add in the pepper flakes, half of the green onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir to combine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Add in the sauce made earlier and the peanut butter. Combine completely. Once the sauce bubbles and starts to thicken turn the heat down.

Drain the noodles. Add the meat and sauce to the drained noodles. Toss to coat.

Serve topped with the extra green onions.

SO GOOD!
Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Saturday: Sweet Hawiian Boneless Ribs

 

Nothing says Summer like some ribs. 

I have this problem though. I really, really, don't care to eat meat off of bones.

Alas, the very term RIBS implies that there will be meat on said bones.

So it seemed that the quintessential Summer BBQ meal and I would always be at an impasse.

Forever. 

FOR...EV...ER

FOR...EV...ER

...name the movie (also a Summer must)...  

Okay so I am being a little over dramatic.

I can have ribs. It is true.

Glory be, there are boneless ribs. The next best thing to boneless chicken wings.

All the yumminess. All the sauce. All the messiness. NONE of the me having to gnaw meat off of bones.

The good news doesn't stop there.

Not only can I enjoy yummy ribs, but I also don't have to work that hard to make them. 

Simply throw them in a slow cooker. 

This is the second time I have cooked ribs in a slow cooker. No you did not miss that recipe on the blog. There was a very good reason you didn't see it...I wasn't a huge fan (most likely because they were on the bone). 

This recipe I loved. LOVED, I tell you. 

I made a few minor tweaks.

They were a hit. Even Bean devoured the meat. Seriously his itty bitty hands were double fisting the meat in. It was awesome to behold.

So today for Slow Cooker Saturday, I am sharing this yummy just-in-time-for-Summer ribs recipe

Happy eating!

Sweet Hawaiian Boneless Ribs (Slow Cooker) 
adapted from Chef in Training

Print Here

2 lbs boneless pork ribs
2/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons honey
6 Tablespoon pineapple juice
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder

Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray.

Arrange the ribs evenly in the bottom of the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, combine all the rest of the ingredients and mix until everything is combined and the honey and brown sugar is dissolved.

Pour over the meat and cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

When the ribs are done, remove 2 cups of the sauce and put it in a small sauce pan. Heat to boiling and cook down slightly. This will take about 10-15 minutes.

Place the ribs on a cooking sheet. Baste liberally with the slightly reduced sauce. Broil the meat for 5-7 minutes, checking often, until the sauce is sticky and the edges of the ribs are almost crisp.

Serve warm.

Have a great and glorious weekend!

Linking Here:
Thirty Handmade Days

Slow Cooker Saturday: Sweet Pork Baked Taquitos

"S-A-,
T-U-R,
D-A-Y
NIGHT..."

Sing along with me...

Okay kidding. You don't have to sing, unless you really want to, then you can. You can make me feel better for once gain quoting a movie...although really who can't quote at least a little bit from So I Married an Axe Murderer.

So many gems all from the same movie.

I won't digress and quote them all.

I will get right to why you all come around on Saturdays...

The Slow Cooker recipe. Slow Cooker Saturday is here.

Well, I am assuming that is why you come around on Saturday.

I guess you could come for my random and sometime unrecognizable movie or song quotes.

You could be stopping by for a dose of my witty repartee...I can be a hoot sometimes. At least I crack myself up.

Yeah, I am gonna take a chance and say you are here for the recipe.
 

Definitely the recipe.

Today's recipe is so dang yummy. SO yummy.

Wait, is it yummy?

Why yes, yes it is.

I got two thumbs up from the boys. Hubby couldn't stop sneaking bites of the meat, which was heavenly so I can't blame him.

The ingredients are basic, simple and few. Just how I like it.

The result is delicious, yummy, delectable...

Redundant much?

I just am trying to tell you guys how great this is.

So, it was yummy.

You throw the meat in the slow cooker in the am. Shred it when it is done. Wrap it up in a tortilla and sprinkle some cheese on top. Then bake it until golden and crispy.

Serve with ranch or sour cream.

Kind of perfect.

And I only say kind of because it could only be perfect if it was calorie free and I could eat five without the repercussions of more junk in the trunk.

Enjoy everyone. Happy Saturday. I hope you are all enjoying your slow cookers as much as I have.

Sweet Pork Baked Taquitos (Slow Cooker)
recipe via Sugar n' Spice Gals


Printable Recipe

3-4 pound pork roast
1 cup salsa
1 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
1 cup coca cola
black pepper
12-16 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
ranch or sour cream, for dipping

Put the pork roast in a slow cooker and season the top with black pepper.

In a small bowl, mix salsa, brown sugar, and cola. Whisk until well combined.

Pour mixture over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (or high for 4).

Once cooked, remove pork from slow cooker and shred. Place the pork back in the sauce and cook for another 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

With slotted spoon, scoop out 1/4 cup sized portions of meat onto each tortilla. Roll up tight and place on a greased cookie sheet seam side down.

Sprinkle the tops with the shredded cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.

Serve with a side of ranch or sour cream.

Pork Carnitas

When I was a teenager, I had this horrid little habit of conforming. Not in the nasty little middle school and high school norms. I mean, I did keep my language clean, I didn't dress too revealing (who am I kidding I dressed like a 30 year-old substitute teacher...a cute teacher...but still), and I was not a mean girl.

However, I was a teenager and I was still programmed to conform.

So how did I conform?

Several ways, for example...

Heaven forbid I admit to knowing what or even listening to country music.
"Garth Brooks. Nope never heard of him. Nope I did not scream my head off at his concert. Nope that was not one of three times that I cursed (Friends in Low Places people)."

I would never choose to stay home and read a book instead of cruising around the town with kids my own age. When I said no to going out it was always because, uh...my parents are lame and are making me...uh...clean all the bathrooms...

Eww chocolate, that stuff will make your skin break out. I don't like the taste of chocolate.

Pork. Gross who eats that. I mean yuck. I don't eat most meat. It will make me fat. Chicken only please.

Yup, I was like tofu. A bland little sponge of a thing. Soaking up several mass accepted teenage norms.

Man am I glad I am not a teenager anymore.

I mean, don't get me wrong I am still a little bit tofu, but that is best left for another day...

But I can happily say that I do not conform the way I did when I was a teenager.

Good thing too, otherwise I would have never made myself this to.die.for pork carnitas...aka heaven on a tortilla.

This slow cooking carnitas had my house smelling like a favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant all day. The process of first cooking it in the slow cooker ensures that it is tender fall apart glorious. Then thanks to glazing and some broiling it is caramelized and just slightly crispy on the outside.

It is not a heavy meat dish. The carnitas pairs perfectly with crisp lettuce, fresh salsa, and a little bit of sour cream.

I am not going to lie, I at this meat right off the pan. I had made my mouth wait all day to try it, so I kind of had to deliver as soon as I could.

I have said many times that I am not a leftover kind of gal. I like enjoying the meal when it is made, but it takes something extra special for me to want to enjoy once it is a leftover. Poor leftovers, I am so mean.

So when I tell you that I happily ate this as leftovers the next day, you know that is saying something.

If you are a fan of pork. Make this.
If you are a fan of Mexican food. Make this.
If you are a fan of fall apart, melt in your mouth meat. Make this.
If you like food. Make this.

Make this! Make this! Make this!

PS...that was me chanting for you.

Pork carnitas...so yummy!

Pork Carnitas
My Kitchen Escapades

Print Recipe

4 pound boneless pork butt or shoulder, fat trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 onion, peeled and halved
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 cups water
1 medium orange, juiced and keep the spent halves

First, adjust the rack in your oven to the lower middle and preheat to 300 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large Dutch oven (or any kind of large pot that can go from stove top to oven) including the spent orange halves and the juice from those halves.

Bring the mixture to a simmer. Once it simmers, cover the pot with the lid and transfer to the oven. Cook until meat falls a part at the touch of a fork. This will be about 2 hours.

Remove the pot from the oven and turn on your oven's broiler.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the pot and place on a foil lined cookie sheet. Take everything out of the pot but the liquid. Place the pot with the liquid in it, over high heat and bring to a boil. Let boil until liquid reduces, thickens and looks like syrup. About 20 minutes.

While the liquid is reducing, separate each piece of pork into three equal bite-sized pieces. Then when the liquid is syrupy, add the meat to the pot and lightly mix making sure that each piece is coated in the syrup. Add salt and pepper here if necessary.

Remove the meat from the pan and once again place it on the foil lined tray. Spread it out so there is only one layer of meat. Put it in the oven and broil until the edges are browned a little crispy. Anywhere from 5-8 minutes. Then with spatula, flip each piece of meat. Repeat and broil the other side.

Serve on a warm tortilla with your favorite toppings.

Thanks for stopping by! Thanks for letting me confess my horrid teenage habit of conforming.

Did you conform as a teenager? Were you tofu like me? I would love to know!