Honey Parmesan Pork Roast - November Secret Recipe Club #Recipe

It definitely feels like Fall around here. Days are getting shorter and a comforting homemade meal at the end of the day is just what I am looking for. So, I brought out the Crock-Pots and made this amazing Honey Parmesan Pork Roast from Jessie Weaver's blog. 

Yes, it is November and time to celebrate another great Secret Recipe Club find and blogger.

This month I was assigned to http://www.jessieweaver.net/, where Jessie shares recipes and tips for fellow Moms and wives who feel imperfect. I know, join the club, right? Jessie also happens to be the fabulous lady who had my blog in the swap last month. She has 3 kids, a little younger than my own, and posts lunches, recipe as well as daily life as a busy Mom. 

This recipe stood out to me because it involved a Crock-Pot and I have never tried honey or Parmesan cheese on a pork roast before. I was intrigued, and it ended up making a fabulous dinner paired with mashed potatoes and oven roasted Brussels sprouts.

Oh, and you will love how few ingredients you need to make this one...

Honey, Parmesan, soy sauce, basil and garlic... it is quite a party in the sauce! Usually I don't add cheese to a glaze like this, but it was fabulous. The only deviation I made to Jessie's recipe was to throw in a few frozen basil cubes. I happened to have them on hand and did this in lieu of the dried basil.

I also seared the outside of my pork. But, that is as far as I strayed from her recipe. Really, it is fabulous on it's own... I just have a compulsion to sear the outside of my meat before putting it into the slow cooker. 

Everything gets a mix, then it gets poured over the pork. Now, it could have been even easier if I had used a disposable slow cooker bag, but I never remember to pick them up when we are out shopping. 

I think I love this roast because it is both tender and the gravy is so flavorful. Jessie recommended enjoying it over mashed potatoes... and I have to agree! But then I am always looking for a reason to break out the mashed potatoes. 

So, make this for your own family, enjoy the praises as they lick the plate clean. Go on, give it a try. You can thank me later...

Honey Parmesan Pork Roast
recipe from jessieweaver.net

You will need:

• 3-4 lb. sirloin pork roast
• 1/2 c. honey
• 2/3 c. grated Parmesan Reggiano
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. frozen basil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 c. cold water

Start by mixing up the sauce in a small bowl. Whisk together the honey, cheese, soy sauce, basil, garlic, olive oil and sauce. Sear the pork roast on all sides and then place in the slow cooker. Cover with the sauce and cook on low for 6 hours or until the center of the roast has come to temp.

Remove the roast and cover while making the gravy. Pour the drippings into a measuring cup and skim off any excess oil. Create a corn starch slurry with the cornstarch and water. Add both the drippings and slurry to a large skillet and bring up to a simmer. Whisk the gravy as it begins to thicken and serve over the roast.

Enjoy! 

An InLinkz Link-up

Korean Tacos in the Crock Pot with Homemade Kimchi - March Secret Recipe Club

One of the things I am most proud of in my life is getting the chance to travel. Being a small town girl with parents who never had the opportunity to go to college I had big dreams of seeing the world. Till I was 16 I hadn't been very far past my own little 'burg and hadn't even been outside the US.

Through an exchange program and college internship I feel in love with Asia! It wasn't hard and the food has left a lasting impression on me to this day.

After college I taught English in Japan. That job gave me the opportunity to travel during school breaks. I saw a lot of Japan, but I also wandered through China, Thailand and of course, Korea.

Korea was so warm and friendly with food that I just couldn't get enough of. Now, in Oregon a good Korean restaurant is pretty hard to come by. Buying a bottle of kimchi at the store can be a spendy endeavor and over far too quickly. So this month for my Secret Recipe Club assignment I took a little culinary journey within my own home to create these delicious Korean Tacos and quick Kimchi.

Oh, my! These are sure to get your taste buds dancing.

For March I was assigned to Angela's Kitchen. Now, if you haven't had the pleasure of perusing her lovely site yet, well... you better remedy that quickly! With recipes, menu plans and general food knowledge all at your fingertips, you will need to pin, bookmark and subscribe to really take advantage of all Angela has to offer her readers. She is an expert on cooking dairy free and gluten free as well as a Master Food Preserver. Oh, swoon! I have been trying to find a way to fit those great courses into my own busy schedule.

Okay, am I gushing? I might just have a foodie crush...

This particular recipe spoke to little 'ole me because it utilizes time and a crock pot. Being pregnant and tired, that is about all I have to give at the moment.

I recommend trying both recipes as the kimchi does an amazing job complimenting the beef. I am really the kimchi fan in the family, but I did get my 5-year old to try it as well. My husband went the whole shredded cheese and sour cream route (don't judge!) but we both agreed that the recipe was a keeper. ...Even if we dress our tacos a little differently.

So grab your ingredients, a crock pot and let's start cooking!

Quick Kimchi
Adapted from Angela's Kitchen.

You Will Need:

• 1 head of napa cabbage
• 1 bunch of green onions, sliced
• 1/2 c. carrots, grated
• 1/2 c. daikon radish, grated
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp. ginger, grated
• 4 Tbsp. whey
• 1 Tbsp. sea salt
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1/4 c. Kochakaru (Korean chili pepper powder) or 1/2 tsp. dried chili flakes

Combine all the vegetables, salt and whey in a large bowl. Squeeze all the vegetables until the juices have been released. Squeeze for about 10 minutes. 

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Put the vegetables into 2 quart jars, packing down the vegetables well so the juices cover the vegetables and are at least an inch from the top of the jar. 

Let these set out at room temperature for 3 days and then refrigerate to slow the fermentation process. I used lids on mine, but left them loose so they don't build up any pressure from the fermentation process. The kimchi is ready to be eaten at this point. 

*I call this quick kimchi because some is fermented much longer and remember the aroma coming from dorm room experiments from exchange students making their own under their beds in college.

Korean Tacos in the Crock Pot
from Angela's Kitchen

You Will Need:

• 3 lb. beef roast
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 10 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
• 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 Tbsp. jalapeno, seeded and diced

Place all the ingredients in your crock pot and turn on for 8 - 10 hours.

Fork shred and serve on tortillas with kimchi.

Enjoy!