Kalua Pork Sliders with Pineapple-Mango Slaw

SOOOOOO GOOOD!!!!  This was so easy to make - and was so delicious!!  I don't really know what else to say except SOOOOO GOOD!!!

OBB Cookbook

Ingredients:

Slaw

2 cups shredded purple cabbage (cut shreds into about 1″ pieces)

1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 rib celery

1/3 cup sliced green onions

3 heaping tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/2 cup diced mango

1/2 cup diced pineapple

Dressing

3 tablespoons mayo

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 tablespoon sugar

1 heaping teaspoon orange zest

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1-2 dozen Hawaiian Rolls

1 Kalua Pork Roast about 3 lbs

optional: bbq sauce

Note:  Since you’re putting the slaw on a small bun, make sure to dice everything relatively small so you get a little of everything in each slider!

Combine all slaw ingredients and gently toss.  Whisk dressing ingredients together.  Add dressing to slaw and toss gently until everything is lightly coated.  Chill for 15 minutes.  Slice Hawaiian rolls in half, top with shredded Kalua Pork and a generous spoonful of slaw.  Top with other half of bun.  (If desired, you can squirt just a wee bit of bbq sauce over the pork.  I don’t like to use a lot because it takes away from the simple smoky flavor of the pork, but if you have a sauce you really love, it’s pretty good in there.)

Yield depends on how full you make them. I would estimate 1 1/2 dozen very generously filled sliders and 2 dozen moderately filled ones.

Caribbean Salad with Sweet Orange Vinaigrette

My hubby is back!!  He did the grocery shopping AND the prep work - ahhh so nice!!  PLUS, this salad was AMAZING!  It made me want to be in the Caribbean on vacation......"Toes in the water"......but anyways - make this, super awesome!!

OBB Cookbook: Serves  4 main dish, or 6-8 sides

Ingredients

1 large bunch Romaine Lettuce
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled.
8 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
1 red bell pepper, diced or sliced
4-5 green onions, sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6-8 tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries
Black or regular sesame seeds
optional: diced fresh pineapple

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 1/2 of a large navel orange)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup canola oil

To prepare dressing, combine orange juice, vinegar, dry mustard, sugar, sesame oil, and salt in the jar of a blender.  Blend until sugar is dissolved.  With blender running on low either remove stopper in blender lid, or crack the corner and slowly drizzle in oil, mixing until just combined.  Store dressing in fridge until ready to use, can prepare a day or two ahead of time.

To prepare salads, divide lettuce between 4 plates, top with grilled chicken, mandarin oranges, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, and dried cherries or cranberries.   Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Caribbean Rubbed Pork Chops with Mango Salsa

 Tropical Sensation Cookbook tonight!!!!  ARUBA....in 10 days!!!!!  WOOT WOOT!!  This meal was SENSATIONAL....hehe.  But for real - it was so good!  These chops had us all craving for more!!  So so so good!!

Um even the serving dishes were themed for this meal!!!  Oh how cute :)

Check out how awesome our menu was for tonight:

Appetizer: Mango Pico de Gallo

Main Entree: Caribbean Rubbed Pork Chops with Mango Salsa

Side Dish: Lime-Cilantro Rice with Pineapple

Dessert: Fresh Mango Sorbet with Pineapple

Ross said last night "um - I don't really like mangoes...." and I told him "well, then don't plan on eating at cookbook since it's in EVERYTHING!" and turns out - so is cilantro!!  (good thing Megan got LOTS of it!)  Ross ended up coming up from slaving in the bathroom (remodel in process) and actually came back for seconds he liked it so much!!  I want this meal again now!!  :)


Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2  teaspoon ground cumin
3/4  teaspoon sugar
3/4  teaspoon ground ginger
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/4  teaspoon ground allspice
1/8  teaspoon ground red pepper
4 (6 oz) bone-in center cut pork chops (about 1/2 in thick)
1/2 cup diced peeled mango
1/2 cup diced plum tomato
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl.  Rub pork chops with spice mixture.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  (Or heat an outdoor bbq grill and lightly brush grates with vegetable oil)  Add pork to pan; grill 3 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 145° (slightly pink.)

Combine mango, tomato, cilantro, red wine vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl; toss gently.  Serve salsa over pork.

Fyi: 1 chop and 1/4 cup salsa chimes in at only 197 calories and 7 grams fat.  Eat up!