Maple Chipotle Pulled Pork and Beans

Maple Chipotle Pulled Pork and Beans

On a cold, rainy Saturday a few weeks ago I decided a slow cooked day was in order. How better to ignore the torrent of rain outside than to sit back and watch old movies all afternoon while supper languidly bubbles away in the oven for several hours, needing very little attention.

On days like that, my son usually requests one of his two slow cooked favorites, either baked beans or pulled pork. Since pork and beans is a natural combination I decided to try combining the two. Needless to say, the boy was very pleased.

Before preparing the slow cooked meal for the oven, I took the time to make some bread dough, which would also take its time to rise for the better part of the afternoon before sharing some oven time with the pork and beans. This rainy day supper was a slice of comfort food heaven; a thoroughly satisfying meal.

This would make such an ideal pot-luck contribution but be sure to bring along some of that Homemade Bread too.

Maple Chipotle Pulled Pork and Beans

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Maple Chipotle Pulled Pork and Beans - an ultimate comfort food meal combining two slow cooked favorites, pulled pork and baked beans.

Prep time: 1/2 hour
Cook time: 4 hours
Total time: 4 1/2 hours
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry white beans
• 3 pounds pork shoulder or butt
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2tsp salt
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 pound smoked bacon, cut in small pieces
• 1 large white onion chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cups water
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp chipotle powder (more or less to taste)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp dry thyme
• 4 cups pureed canned tomatoes
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 3 large bay leaves

Cooking Directions

1. You will need to pre-soak the beans in water at least overnight. The longer you soak the beans the less time it takes to cook them, although it will still be several hours. I have soaked beans for up to 48 hours in advance.
2. Cut the pork into about 1/2 to 2 inch cubes.
3. Mix together the ginger, pepper, cumin, chili powder and salt to form a rub for the pork. Rub it into the cubed pork.
4. Heat the canola oil in the bottom of a large dutch oven over medium to medium high heat. Add the seasoned pork cubes and brown them well. Remove from the pot and set aside.
5. Add the bacon to the pot and cook until almost crispy. Drain excess fat.
6. Add the onion and minced garlic and cook until softened.
7. Drain the beans from the water they were soaked in and add them to the pot.
8. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pot. If your dutch oven is not large enough you can transfer everything to a large covered roaster.
9. Stir all together well, cover and place in a 325 degree F oven for 3 to 4 hours stirring occasionally.
10. The beans should be fully cooked and tender and the sauce should thicken. I sometimes add a little extra boiling water during the cooking time if the sauce thickens too quickly before the beans are fully cooked. This is not a problem at all and can be done more than once if necessary. 

Maple Roasted Vegetables

Maple Roasted Vegetables

We adore our Roast Potatoes here in the Parsons household but truth be told, whenever they are in the oven they are most likely always sharing space with other roasted vegetables too, especially carrots and parsnips. After a visit to our local farmers market last week, Sunday dinner got this beautifully colorful addition to our Lemon Sage Butter Roasted Turkey.

I only add the maple syrup to these vegetables after they are partially cooked so that the sugar in the syrup does not burn. This allows the veggies to develop a little caramelization before the light glaze of maple syrup finishes them off.

Maple Roasted Vegetables

Maple Roasted Vegetables

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Roasted Autumn vegetables with a light lemon, maple glaze.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: About 60 minutes
Total time: 75 minutes
Yield: Serves 4-6 as a side dish.
Ingredients

• 2 carrots, thickly sliced
• 2 parsnips, thickly sliced
• 1 large red onion, cut in wedges
• 1 lemon
• 1 small butternut squash, cut in chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 6 yellow beets, quartered
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• pinch salt
• pinch black pepper
• 2-3 tbsp pure maple syrup

Cooking Directions

1. Toss all of the ingredients, except the maple syrup together with the olive oil.
2. Roast in a single layer in a 350 degree oven for approximately 1/2 hour.
3. Squeeze the roasted lemon over the rest of the vegetables and add the maple syrup.
4. Toss together well to coat all the vegetables and roast for about another 30 minutes or until all of the vegetables are fork tender.
5. Toss the vegetables several times during the last of the cooking time to glaze the vegetables in the maple syrup.

Crispy Baked Maple Sriracha Wings

Crispy Baked Maple Sriracha Wings

One of my favorite condiments these days is Sriracha sauce, which I discovered that I really liked a few years back but it seems to be everywhere these days. It's a basic Thai hot sauce made from basic ingredients like chili peppers, garlic, sugar and vinegar. It is a little sweet and doesn't use nearly as much vinegar as many Southern hot sauces which is probably why I like it so much.

I love to use it on my eggs at brunch, on steaks or one as one of my new addictions, mixed into ketchup to make a spicy dip for french fries. I also have used it as a substitute hot sauce for Buffalo wings on occasion and honestly liked it much better that the traditional, very vinegary hot sauce version. That thought inspired the thought to use it in a maple glaze to use on some crispy wings. These wings could easily be deep fried if you like but those in the photo actually have been oven baked before being tossed in the sweet, sticky, spicy glaze. Make them for your next game night feast but you'd better make plenty, these are going to go fast.

Crispy Baked Maple Sriracha Glazed Chicken Wings

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Oven baked crispy coated chicken wings that get tossed in a sweet, sticky and spicy maple sriracha glaze when they come out of the oven.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 to 60 minutes
Total time: 60 to 75 minutes
Yield: 2 to 3 lbs chicken wings
Ingredients

• 2 to 3 pounds chicken wings, cut in pieces, wing tips removed
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp Sriracha sauce (or more to taste)
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp water

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Sift together the flour, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ground ginger and salt to form a dredging mixture.
3. Whisk together the water and eggs to make an egg wash.
4. Dip each wing into the flour dredge, then in the egg was and back into the flour dredge again.
5. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and lightly drizzle or spray the tops with a little more olive oil.
6. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 45 to 60 minutes. Flip the wing pieces at half way through the cooking time.
7. When they are crispy and fully cooked toss them into the Maple Sriracha Sauce
8. While the chicken is baking, prepare your sauce by slowly simmering together the maple syrup and Sriracha sauce. The volume of the sauce after it has simmer enough should be reduced to about a half cup.

Maple Chipotle Glazed Roast Chicken

Maple Chipotle Glazed Roast Chicken

A roast chicken dinner is about as homey as good cooking gets. At our house roasted potatoes are a must with a good roast chicken; not making roast potatoes would be a cardinal sin in my son's eyes especially. You can find our very popular version of English style roast potatoes here. We often roast off other root vegetables like carrots and Spouse's favorite parsnip to serve as well but the star of the show is always a perfectly roasted chicken.  

  

I like to brine my poultry before roasting but it's not essential if you are pressed for time. You can read more about my brining technique here. 

This one was particularly good with a sweet and smoky glaze to make for a perfect Sunday roast dinner.

Maple Chipotle Glaze

In a small pot sauté together:

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

Add

1/3 cup low sodium chicken stock

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tsp chipotle powder

Simmer slowly stirring often until the glaze reduces by at least half in volume.

Roast your chicken uncovered in a 350 degree oven. In the last half hour or so of cooking time, brush several layers of the glaze all over the chicken about every 10 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes when it comes out of the oven before carving and serving.

Maple Chomeur (Poor Man's Pudding)

Maple Chomeur is a very popular traditional dessert in Quebec, supposedly dating back to the Depression era and it really is simplicity itself. This is the sort of recipe that draws me in because it transforms a few familiar ingredients into something absolutely delicious. We enjoyed this particular pudding at the end of our last weekend brunch for a warm, sweet, sticky ending to my favorite meal of the week.

To prepare the sauce, in a medium sized pot simmer for 3 or 4 minutes:

1 cup real maple syrup

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup water
3 tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Set aside to cool to lukewarm.

For the cake, begin by greasing a 9x9 inch baking pan very well

In a food processor combine:

1 1/4 cups flour
2 tspbaking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar

Using the pulse button on the food processor cut in

2/3 cup very cold butter, cut in small pieces

Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. ( If you don't own a food processor, you can cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or even a couple of knives.)

To the flour/butter mixture, add

3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend in until the flour is fully incorporated and spread into the well-greased pan. Pour  the prepared maple syrup mixture over the cake batter and bake for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees F. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice-cream. Some lightly toasted walnuts also make a wonderful addition to this dessert.

Maple Apple Bread Pudding

We had a big Sunday Brunch at our house today with my nephew Nate and his pregnant mom who has been craving bread pudding and put in a special request for this one which we served as a post-brunch dessert. There were a couple of no-shows because of the change in daylight savings time. Look what they missed, proving yet again, you snooze, you lose.

Peel and cut into thick slices

4-5 large apples

In a medium skillet melt

¼ cup butter

Add
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup brown sugar

Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly. Add the apples and sauté until the apples are just fork tender but not mushy. Remove the apples from the sauce. Let them drain in a colander or sieve and return all the liquid to to a small saucepan. Add:

3/4 cup maple syrup
Simmer the sauce for several minutes to reduce it to a slightly thickened bubbling consistency. Add

1/3 cup whipping cream

Simmer for an additional couple of minutes. Return the apples to the sauce to warm them and serve over the bread pudding.

Bread Pudding

5 cups bread cubes (Use any good quality bread. I’ve used Brioche here but French, Italian or Belgian bread is good too.)

Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish well. Toss in the bread cubes with

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon
Place the spiced bread cubes into the greased baking dish

Whisk together:

1 cup whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes, pressing down slightly to make sure all the cubes are soaked. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes until the custard is set and no longer liquid in the center. Let the bread pudding stand for about 20 minutes before serving. Serve with the apples and maple caramel sauce.

Crispy Fried Maple Chipotle Sticky Glazed Chicken Wings

Crispy Fried Maple Chipotle Sticky Glazed Chicken Wings

I love any kind of crispy sticky wings and these were a big hit when I served them to some friends last weekend. Sweet, smokey, spicy, crispy, crunchy tender, glazed, juicy delicious-ness!

Maple Chipotle Glaze

1 cup maple syrup
1 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

2 to 3 tsp ground chipotle powder

Simmer together very slowly for 5-10 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool thoroughly. Watch this carefully as it simmers because it can foam up over the pot very easily.

Mix together:

2 cups flour
6 tbsp powdered ginger
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground black pepper

Prepare an egg wash of 2 eggs and 4 tbsp cold water whisked together.

Wash, pat dry, trim the tips and cut into sections,

3 pounds chicken wings

Dip the wing pieces into the egg wash and then toss in the flour mixture. Drop the coated wings into a preheated 350 degree F deep fryer, filled with canola, peanut, or soy oil.

Fry until golden brown, about 15-20 min depending on the size of the wing pieces. While still hot out of the oil toss the wing pieces in a large bowl with some of the maple chipotle glaze. Serve immediately.

Toutons with Maple and Brown Sugar Apples

Toutons with Maple and Brown Sugar Apples

Happy Pancake Day! As in many places here in Newfoundland, we celebrate mardi gras, or fat Tuesday by indulging in pancakes, usually for our supper meal. As children, we wold eat as many as possible to collect the coins my mother cooked inside the pancakes and many an eating contest ensued among 6 kids to see who would have the most pocket money the next day.

As traditional as pancakes are on this day, I can't help but think that other delicious Newfoundland tradition, the touton, would be just as appropriate a feast item for this long celebrated day of indulgence. To that end I offer up this suggestion to elevate your toutons to something special to enjoy with the family today. We served these at our weekend brunch last week to rave reviews.

Learn how to make Toutons here.

Peel and cut into wedges

6 medium sized apples

To a large saute pan add

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Melt butter in a large sauté pan. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon. Simmer until the syrup foams, then add the sliced apples and simmer until the apples are fork tender but not mushy. Spoon over the toutons and serve.

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.

Georgestown Orange and Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast with Maple Cointreau Syrup

I make a number of different kinds of stuffed French toast and this one was the result this morning of some leftover Whole Wheat and Raisin Bread from the fantastic Georgestown Bakery here in St. John's. Add to that a little inventiveness between Spouse and I on a quiet Sunday morning with the kids away at their grandparents for the day.

I decided to try some stuffed french toast using some good English marmalade and Spouse came up with the idea to add a little Cointreau to the maple syrup. All I can say about the final result is... OMG! OMG! OMG!

Definitely one of the most decadent breakfasts I have ever had! This is a "must try" for sure. Definitely a great idea to impress brunch guests too but we were very happy not to have to share ours this morning! ;)

Makes 4

Blend together until smooth:

4 ounces cream cheese

2 tbsp sifted icing sugar

Pinch nutmeg

½ tsp vanilla extract

Cut 4 slices of good crusty raisin bread, twice as thick as a regular slice. Cut a pocket into each slice on one side of the crust, leaving the other sides intact. Carefully spread ¼ of the cream cheese mixture into the pocket of each slice. On the other side of each pocket spread

1 tablespoon of good quality orange marmalade.

(If marmalade is not to your liking try substituting a jam like peach, apricot or even bakeapple.)

Beat together

2 eggs
2 tbsp heavy cream
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract

Dip bread in egg mixture and fry over medium to medium low heat in 3 tbsp butter until golden brown on both sides. Lower heat is better for this recipe to make sure that the slices are heated through without burning the outside.

Maple Cointreau Syrup

Mix together:

5 ounces maple syrup
1 ounce Cointreau liqueur (or other orange liqueur)

Drizzle over the stuffed French toast and serve.