Crockpot Pulled Pork

It's been a lovely fall here in Iowa.  The colors of the changing leaves were fantastic, and it hasn't really been cold yet.  It's been cool to chilly at night, and I've never lived anywhere before where there is a true fall season, so it's been wonderful.  Lately, I've been trying to cook some meals in the crockpot while I'm at school to save me from having to cook when I get home (usually tired!).  I had tried this recipe when we lived in Alabama, and loved it, so I brought it out again.  It's so delicious and easy.  Jonathan is obsessed with it!  I served it on homemade rolls from the Amish community 15 minutes down the road.  It got gobbled up so quickly I forgot to take a picture, so here's a link to the original site I got it from.

1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (3-5 lb) pork shoulder or pork butt roast
3/4 cup cider vinegar
4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Your favorite BBQ sauce

Rinse pork under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Trim away excess fat.  Place onions in the bottom of the crockpot.  In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, paprika, salt, and black pepper.  Rub mixture all over the roast, and set roast on top of the onions.

In a medium bowl, mix cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper.  Whisk well to combine, and drizzle 2/3 of the mixture over the roast.  Cover and refrigerate the rest of the mixture.

Cover crockpot and cook roast on low 10-12 hours.  Drizzle remaining vinegar mixture over roast when 30 minutes are left in cooking.  Once cooked, shred meat with two forks and serve with your favorite bbq sauce.

Modified from:  My Baking Addiction

Beef and Spinach Enchiladas

I haven't had much time lately to photograph many of my cooking concoctions (we tend to scarf them down, and then I remember that I wanted to take a picture!), so here's an oldie but a goodie.  This is a recipe that my good friend and dental school classmate, Laura, gave me. It is an easy meal to throw together, and it even tastes great as leftovers.

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef, cooked and drained

2.5 cups chunky salsa, divided

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and all excess moisture squeezed out

4 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

8 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed

12 flour tortillas

8 oz. 2% shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook meat in a saucepan, then drain.  heat in the same saucepan the ground beef, 1 cup salsa, spinach, cumin, salt, and cream cheese until melted.  Spoon 1/3 cup of the filling down the center of each tortilla.  Roll them up and place seam down in a lightly greased 9x13" pan.  Spoon remanning salsa over the enchiladas and place in the oven, uncovered.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until hot.  Add cheese on top and return to oven, just to melt.