Honey Barbecue Pulled Beef Sandwiches with Creamy Dijon Coleslaw

Honey Barbecue Pulled Beef Sandwiches with Creamy Dijon Coleslaw

I love low effort recipes like this one, especially on the weekend when you may not have a lot of time to cook. This recipe takes a minimum of advance preparation before going into a low oven to slowly braise to tender perfection all afternoon while you're busy with other things.

I don't add the honey and vinegar to the barbecue sauce while the beef braises because I like to preserve the flavor of the beef without penetrating it with sweetness. The spiced tomato, onion and garlic sauce is perfect for braising the beef before the sweet and tangy elements are added to the sauce after the roast is cooked. This way, the pure flavor of the beef and the sweet, tangy flavor of the sauce remain distinct but compliment each other amazingly.

Don't be afraid to double up on this recipe to feed a large group or to take along to a pot luck supper; it's been very popular when I have shared it at a couple of gatherings recently. I do like to toast the burger buns or crusty bread slices but it isn't completely necessary if you want to include them on the buffet table along with the beef and coleslaw so that people can construct their own sandwiches.

Honey Barbecue Pulled Beef Sandwiches with Creamy Dijon Coleslaw

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Honey Barbecue Pulled Beef Sandwiches with Creamy Dijon Coleslaw - tender beef, slow braised in an easy, smoky homemade barbecue sauce then served on toasted buns or crusty bread with delicious Creamy Dijon Coleslaw. The perfect way to feed a crowd on game day and a real pot luck favorite too.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Total time: 3 1/2 hours
Yield: Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

• 3 - 4 pound blade, chuck or cross rib beef roast
• salt and pepper to season the roast
• 1 1/2 cups plain tomato sauce
• 1 medium red onion very finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1/2 to 1 tsp chipotle powder (to taste depending on spice level you prefer)
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• Creamy Dijon Cole Slaw
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 large grated carrot
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp sugar (or 2 tbsp honey)
• salt and pepper to season

Cooking Directions

1. Season the beef roast with salt and pepper. heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in a cast iron or heavy bottom skillet and then brown it on all sides.
2. Transfer the roast to a covered roasting an or dutch oven.
3. Stir together the tomato sauce, garlic, onions and all of the spices, salt and pepper.
4. Pour over the roast, cover and cook in a 325 degree F oven for about 3 hours or a little longer for a larger roast, until the meat is tender and falling apart. I like to turn the roast in the sauce half way through the cooking time.
5. When cooked, remove the meat, cover with aluminum foil and transfer the sauce in the pan to a small saucepan.
6. Add the honey and vinegar and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes or until it thickens to a barbecue sauce consistency.
7. Using a fork (or just your fingers if the roast has cooled down sufficiently) pull the beef apart in small finger with pieces, removing any excess fat as you go.
8. Pour the hot sauce over the beef.
9. Serve on toasted burger buns or artisan crusty bread. I love to serve it with some Creamy Dijon Cole Slaw.
10. To make the slaw, stir together the mayo, Dijon mustard, vinegar, sugar (or honey), salt and pepper.
11. Toss together well with the cabbage and carrot. 

Rosemary Dijon Grilled Pork Chops or Chicken

Rosemary Dijon Grilled Pork Chops or Chicken

Well, it may be a raining, drizzly miserable day right now in St. John's but we did manage to get some sun earlier in the week to have our first meal of the season off the back yard grill. We enjoyed these delicious pork chops which use a very simple marinade suitable for either chicken or pork. The Dijon and fragrant rosemary go very well together and I think are very complimentary to the pork chops. The touch of honey is meant to balance the tart mustard but it also helps create great grill marks and add caramelized flavor to the chops as well. It is a quick marinade and really doesn't need much more than 20 or 30 minutes before grilling.

Makes enough marinade for 4 to 6, 3/4 inch thick pork loin chops.

Marinade

• 3 tbsp whole grain Dijon Mustard
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 clove finely minced garlic

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together and pour over the pork chops in a glass dish or Ziploc bag. Turn the chops occasionally in the marinade.

Marinate for 20-30 minutes, covered at room temperature. You don't want cold chops to hit a hot grill or they are more likely to dry out.

Grill on a medium high temperature grill until fully cooked. I like the brush any remaining marinade over the pork chops as they grill. The internal temperature of the cooked pork chops should be 150 to 160 degrees F on a meat thermometer. (or 165-175 degrees F for chicken pieces)

Rosemary Dijon Grilled Pork Chops or Chicken

Honey Dijon Pasta Salad

Honey Dijon Pasta Salad

Leftovers from the weekly Sunday roast dinner often provide sliced roast beef, ham or turkey to serve for lunch or even a quick dinner on a busy Monday at our house. Mondays are sometimes a bit of a food free for all around here. With the scattered timing all the after school and early evening activities the kids are involved in a sit down hot meal is not always possible. That's when a quickly put together pasta salad is most appreciated as fuel-to-go.

I did manage to make some delicious oven fried BBQ spice chicken on this occasion. Fried chicken and pasta salad often remind me of picnic food. With the weather as cold as it has been this week, reminders of summer picnics are pretty welcome too.

Honey Dijon Pasta Salad

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Easy Honey Dijon Pasta Salad - a great lunch item, side dish, pot luck addition or picnic take along recipe.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked pasta, (i.e. fusilli, penne, rotini...)
• 1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
• 1/2 cup deseeded cucumber, diced small
• 3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
• !/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
• HONEY DIJON SALAD DRESSING
• 1 lemon, juice and finely grated zest
• 2 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to season

Cooking Directions

1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing.
2. Pour over the other ingredients and toss together well.
3. Chill well.
4. Keeps a couple of days in the fridge. 

Dijon Brown Sugar Glazed Chicken Wings

Dijon Brown Sugar Glazed Chicken Wings

I love this flavor combination on fantastic baked ham or roast pork loin but when one reader asked if I'd ever tried it on chicken the answer was no. My immediate thought though, was that it would make a delicious glaze for chicken wings. With several teenagers on hand for Wing Night, I tried these out to some willing taste testers and the reviews were great. I think the brown sugar adds a greater depth of flavor than honey does with dijon and I think I'll be trying it on bone-in chicken breasts soon too.

Dijon Brown Sugar Glazed Wings

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Baked chicken wings with a super easy sticky brown sugar and dijon glaze. Great, easy game day food.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50-60 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour
Yield: 3 lbs wings
Ingredients

• 3 - 4 lbs chicken wings, cut in pieces, tips removed
• salt and pepper to season
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp water

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Season the wing pieces with salt and pepper and bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for about 35 minutes, turning once during the cooking time.
3. Combine the dijon mustard, brown sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a slow simmer until the brown sugar is completely dissolved.
4. Brush the glaze onto the partially cooked wings about every ten minutes, turning them each time.
5. Repeat the glazing 3 to 4 times so that the wings are well coated and sticky.
6. Serve immediately.

NEW VIDEO RECIPE: Dijon Chicken Linguine with Crimini Mushrooms and Toasted Almonds

Dijon Chicken Linguine with Crimini Mushrooms and Toasted Almonds

Our video recipe collaboration with CBC Newfoundland and Labrador adds a new entry today with one of the most popular chicken recipes that we've ever had on Rock Recipes. To date it has had very near 600 THOUSAND hits on the website, along with numerous testimonials and rave reviews on our social media outlets. Many people have tried it over the past few years and it is one of those recipes we very often hear that people make over and over again.

The recipe is quite simple and based upon a restaurant dish I had many years ago. While the recipe can quite rightly be considered a "quick and easy" meal, it is also one I have served many times to guests at dinner, whether they are last minute friends dropping over or guests at well planned dinner parties. It really is versatile enough to be served casually or at a dressed up dinner. Fresh pasta, whether you make your own or buy it packaged, is sort of a must here but I won't tell if dry pasta is all you have on hand. If you want a recipe for homemade pasta click here to find it in our recipe for Chicken Parmesan Lasagna.

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE RECIPE

For Iphone, Ipad and other mobile users if the video does not appear below, please CLICK HERE.

Brown Sugar Pecan Glazed Pork Loin

Brown Sugar Pecan Glazed Pork Loin

We purchased a beautiful pork loin roast for dinner the other night and when thinking of a new way to prepare it, Spouse suggested maybe some kind of pecan crust. My mind immediately went to the thought: Have we done that on Rock Recipes yet? Thinking no and that it would be a good idea to try as a new recipe, I couldn't get rid of another thought, that pecans would be fantastic in one of our most popular roast pork recipes, a very simple brown sugar and Dijon mustard glazed roast.

Giving in to the compulsion to try it, I was not disappointed in the least! The pecans toasted up beautifully in the time that the pork took to cook to juicy perfection and were an absolutely delectable addition to the simple glaze. We served it with some cornbread stuffing and baked cauliflower for a terrific Fall meal.

Here's a link to the stuffing recipe: Apple Pecan Cornbread Stuffing

Brown Sugar Pecan Glazed Pork Loin

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Such an easy recipe to create a sweet, savory and crunchy glaze on a juicy pork loin roast.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: About 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on actual size of the roast
Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes, approximately.
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients

• 3 1/2 pound pork loin roast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup roughly chopped unroasted pecans

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Trim the fat from the roast, leaving only a quarter inch of fat on top at the most.
3. Season the pork loin with salt and pepper and open roast on a rack in a 425 degree F oven for 1/2 hour.
4. Combine the brown sugar and dijon mustard into a paste and fold the chopped pecans into it.
5. Remove the roast from the oven after 30 minutes and reduce the heat to 375 degrees F.
6. Spread the prepared paste evenly over the top of the roast and return to the oven.
7. Baste the roast about every 15 minutes, scooping up the glaze and nuts that fall off back over the top of the roast.
8. Continue to roast until the internal temperature of the roast hits between 145 to 160 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
9. NOTE: This roast was cooked to 160 degrees which is about right for well done. The US Dept of Agriculture revised the safe cooking temperature of pork loin to 145 degrees a couple of years ago but at that temperature the meat will still be a little pink which is perfectly fine but many people will not prefer it pink.
10. Let the roast rest for 10 minutes after you take it out of the oven before carving and serving.

Honey Dijon Chicken Salad with Brie and Walnuts

Honey Dijon Chicken Salad with Brie and Walnuts

One of my favorite ways to turn a great healthy salad into a full and satisfying workday dinner, especially during grilling season is to add something tasty off the grill to an interesting mix of salad ingredients for a delicious mix of tastes and textures. This one was particularly good when we added Honey dijon chicken to a terrific salad that included ripe fruit, creamy brie and crunchy toasted walnuts; a fantastic mix and one I'll definitely be making again.

Mix together:

• 3 tbsp dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• pinch salt
• pinch pepper

Brush this marinade on

• 4 boneless chicken breasts

Let marinate in the fridge for a 1/2 hour.

Honey-Dijon Glaze

• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup chicken stock

Simmer together in a small saucepan before thickening with a slurry of 1 rounded teaspoon of corn starch dissolved in 3 or 4 tbsp water. Simmer for only about a minute after adding the thickening. Stirring constantly.

Grill the chicken until fully cooked, brushing it with the glaze in the last few minutes of cooking time. Serve remaining glaze over the chicken. Slice the cooked chicken and serve it n a salad composed of

• Baby salad greens
• Red onion
• Brie Cheese
• Sliced pears
• Sliced oranges
• Lightly toasted walnuts

Sundried Tomato and Seafood Linguine

Sundried Tomato and Seafood Linguine

For the other three recipe ideas for a romantic dinner for two click here.

Treat your sweetheart to this delicious seafood dinner. This easy to prepare pasta dish is very fast to cook as well and can easily be ready in about 20 minutes. That makes it a great choice for a dinner party or even a dinner for two where kitchen time is kept to a minimum.

Serves 4

• 1 pound package fresh linguine, cooked
• 2 dozen shrimp
• 2 dozen scallops
• 1 cup diced red pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped, oil packed, sun dried tomatoes
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Season the shrimp and scallops with salt and pepper and quickly saute them for a few minutes until almost completely cooked. Remove the seafood from the pan and set aside while you prepare the sauce.

Add to the pan:

• 2 cloves minced garlic Saute for only about 30 seconds to soften the garlic then add
• 4 oz white wine

Simmer until volume is reduced by half. Then add:

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon (or a fresh herb of your choice, basil, dill, or oregano are all good choices)
• Salt and pepper to season

Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat a metal spoon. Return seafood to to the sauce, add the red pepper and  chopped sundried tomato and simmer for an additional 2 minutes. Serve over cooked linguine. Sprinkle with chopped crisp cooked bacon when serving (optional).

Sundried Tomato and Seafood Linguine

Cranberry Walnut Spinach Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing

For the other three recipe ideas for a romantic dinner for two click here.

Sometimes the simplest salads are the best; the quality ingredients just speak for themselves and are complimented by each other in a great combination of taste and texture. That is exactly what this seemingly plain salad offers, especially as an appetizer course because it is light and flavorful, uses just basic ingredients and is brought together by an easy homemade maple dijon dressing.

Salad

Baby spinach

sliced red onion

toasted walnuts
dried cranberries

Maple Dijon Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

juice of one small lemon or 1/2 large lemon

2 tbsp dijon mustard

4 tbsp maple syrup

pinch salt and pepper

Shake all the ingredients together in a mason jar or pulse it a few times in a blender before serving on your salad.

Salmon in Sour Cream Pastry with Tarragon Dijon cream Sauce

This salmon is one of my favorite dinner party entrees because it can be prepared ahead of time and just popped into the oven for about a half hour or so before serving. I often make it the day before if I am particularly busy on the day I have guests. Such was the case yesterday when I had the grandparents and Nanny Moo invited for supper before heading off to Olivia's annual dance recital in the early evening. With an Orange-Raspberry Chocolate Buttercream Torte for dessert, it was a very well received meal by all.

The salmon can also be prepared in individual servings if you prefer.

Serves 4
1 ½ pound boneless skinless salmon fillet

Pastry:

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups very cold butter
1 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream

Cut butter into the flour and salt with a food processor or pastry blender until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Small pieces of butter should still be visible in the mix. Stir in the sour cream to form a dough. Form dough into two rectangles, wrap in plastic and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. You can freeze one to use at another time.

Roll one dough rectangle out to a thickness of about 1/8 inch and trim to 2 inches longer than the length of the salmon fillet and 2 inches wider than the fillet.
Place salmon on the pastry. You should trim off the tail section of the fillet and place it on the thinnest part of the fillet to get a uniform thickness along the length of the salmon.
Season the salmon with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Sprinkle the salmon with dill or tarragon. Fold the dough over the salmon and pinch the edges together to seal. Brush the top of the pastry with an egg wash of one beaten egg and 1 tbsp water. Chill for at least ½ hour before baking in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about a half hour to 40 minutes depending upon the thickness of the salmon until the pastry is a uniform golden brown.
Serve with Tarragon-Dijon Cream Sauce.

Tarragon-Dijon Cream Sauce
In a small saucepan heat
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
Cook for a minute or 2 until the garlic is translucent. Add
3 oz white wine
Simmer until volume is reduced by half. Then add:
2 cups whipping cream
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon
Salt and pepper to season.
Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat a metal spoon.