Berry Crumb Cake

This is another recipe from The Pioneer Woman. I have made this using just blueberries (like the original recipe), as well as mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries). Both ways are scrumptuous!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 stick Butter, softened
• 1 Tablespoon (additional) Butter
• 3/4 cups Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 cups Whole Milk
• 2 cups Fresh Blueberries (or a combo of berries)

  FOR THE TOPPING:

• 3/4 sticks Butter, softened
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, and a salt in a medium bowl. Stir and set aside.

Cream 1/2 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter with cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl. Add egg and mix until combined. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until totally incorporated. Do not overbeat. Stir in blueberries until evenly distributed.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with butter. Pour in batter.

In a separate large bowl, combine topping ingredients and cut together using a fork or a pastry cutter. Sprinkle over the top of the cake.

Bake cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown (mine took 42 minutes).

Original Recipe: The Pioneer Woman

Pulled Pork Tacos with Sweet Chili Slaw & Avocado Cream

I just made these last night, and they were wonderful! The sweet chili slaw added a nice zing to the taco, and the avocado cream was a good twist on the usual guacamole topping we do. These will now be in our regular dinner rotation.

I made a few minor adjustments to the original recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5-2 lbs. pork tenderloin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces low sodium chicken broth
• Tortillas, for serving
• Cheese for topping (I had jack cheese on hand)

SWEET CHILI SLAW:

• 2 cups sliced green cabbage
• 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1/2 lime, juiced

AVOCADO CREAM: 

• 1 ripe avocado, chopped
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons greek yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Pat the pork tenderloin dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mix on the pork til it's totally covered. 

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Make sure the skillet is really hot before adding the pork (should immediately sizzle). Sear the pork on all sides just until it is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the pork and place it in the crockpot. 

Pour the chicken broth into the hot pan and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate the seared pork deliciousness into the broth. Then pour over the pork in the crockpot. Cook for 6-8 hours on Low (Mine was super tender and done at 6 hours).

After the pork is done, remove the top and pull the pork apart with two forks. Toss it well with the broth and then cover it and let it cook for another 15 minutes or so. Taste the pork and season it additionally if desired.

To make the slaw, add the cabbage to a medium bowl. Toss it with the sweet chili sauce and the lime juice, adding in a pinch of salt. You can make this a few hours ahead of time and keep it in the fridge if desired.

To make the avocado cream, add the avocado, lime juice, and greek yogurt to a medium bowl and blend with a fork until creamy.

Assemble the tacos by adding some pork to each tortilla and covering it with a drizzle of the avocado cream. Add the slaw on top and sprinkle on a bit of cheese.

Original Recipe: How Sweet It Is