I finally made these. I really like this girls blog, she is a kick ass baker and her posts are fun to read. These have been taunting me on Pinterest for like evAH. When Kiah and I started making these  we realized quickly how bad at shaping pretzels we are and what a terrible job it would be. We slowly got better by the last batch. Not a 10 in the looks department but the taste is what counts and these are good. I also made the cheese sauce to go with it and it was a hit, they were all gone by the end of the day.

It was a perfect weather weekend and we took advantage and spent Friday in La Jolla. The Sea lions were showing off and even a squirrel got in on the action. Then we hit one of our favorite restaurants WhiskNLadle for lunch.

If you are a Costco fan then you know the latest coupons have a deal on pork loin, we picked a couple up for lazy day cooking AKA slow cooker days. I made Kalua pork  on Saturday but the meat was too lean and the outcome was flavorful but dry. Now I had a load of dry pulled pork that no one wanted to eat so I got creative. I went through the fridge to see what I could come up with. Success is what I had, pulled pork is no longer only for sandwiches.

Ingredients

2 cups of shredded pork

1/2 red onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs diced green chills

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese.

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

Cooking spray

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil until translucent.

Add chilis, pork and spices, stir until heated through.

Cut tortillas in half. Add a little pork mixture, top with cheese and roll up flautas. Place on greased/foil lined baking sheet and repeat until all the mixture is gone. This made about 10 flautas.

Spray the flautas with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes or until brown and crispy. Serve with guac, sour cream and a favorite hot sauce.

Somewhere in my youth I decided I didn’t like brussel sprouts. My mom tells me that I liked them as a young child, I believe there is proof in a photo circa 1979. I don’t know what happened but I have turned my nose up at them for years, until recently. Maybe my taste buds changed or maybe I wasn’t having them prepared at their finest but I can’t get enough of them now. Just ask Shane, I am pretty sure is really tired of roasted brussel sprouts. So being the amazing wife that I am, I decided to try cooking them a  different way, with bacon. If you don’t like bacon then you don’t like life, and you may as well stop reading because you are a unhappy soul.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, cored and shredded

Salt and pepper, to taste

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons grease, crumble and set aside.

In the same skillet, add olive oil or butter in with reserved bacon grease over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until translucent. Add Brussels sprouts to the pan, and season with  salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until sprouts are wilted and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in crumbled bacon just before serving.

I love browsing and buying spices, that was my favorite part of making this dish, that was also the most time consuming.

As pretty as the final product looks, all nice and whole and in it’s natural state, next time I will do things differently.

Once you cut the cauliflower apart, the inside is naked from all the tandoori goodness. It seems to me it would be better to cut off the florets first then toss them in the marinade, call me crazy but that sounds like a better plan.

The mint chutney is the highlight, it’s amazing. I ended up pouring it on my salmon and my couscous. I may even go out and get some naan bread tomorrow just so I can dip in the leftovers.

This recipe comes from this blog, I found it through Pinterest. I used all ground spices except for the nutmeg, I grated that myself. I liked the idea of grinding my own spices until I started feeling lousy, so I took the easier route.

Tandoori Spice Blend
2 tsp. chili (or cayenne)
1 Tbsp. cardamom (ground, or seeds)
4 Tbsp. cumin seeds
2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
½ whole nutmeg, grated
2 tsp. whole cloves
2-3 sticks cinnamon
2 Tbsp. ground turmeric
2 Tbsp. paprika

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients except for turmeric and paprika in a spice mill, mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Grind until powdered. Add turmeric and paprika. Store in a glass jar away from light and heat. Will keep for up to six months.Tandoori Marinade

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 Tbsp. tandoori spice blend
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. sea salt
½ cup  greek yogurt

Directions:
1. In a mortar and pestle (or food processor) smash garlic and ginger into a paste. Add the tandoori spice, lemon and salt and mix until uniform. Fold in the yogurt.
2. Place the whole of cauliflower in a large bowl and spread the marinade all over, making sure to coat the bottom as well. Place in the fridge to marinate for minimum 1 hour, maximum 12.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F. On a lined baking sheet, place cauliflower and roast until tender (45-60 minutes depending on the size of the cauliflower). Garnish with cilantro leaves, lots of lemon juice and a generous drizzle of high-quality olive oil. Serve immediately with mint chutney.

Mint Chutney
Ingredients:
2 cups loosely packed mint leaves
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 shallot, minced
½ red chili, minced (optional)
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup yogurt
1 Tbsp. cold-pressed olive oil
a couple pinches sea salt
1 tsp. honey

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a chunky pesto-type of sauce results. Season to taste.  Store leftovers in the fridge. Keeps for 5 days.