That means that for the first time in a long time, I’m going to be buying groceries for four people instead of three. Now, that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but with grocery prices continuing to climb, it really, really is.

One thing I’ve been working on is prepping meal components for people to use for breakfasts and lunches. My younger kiddo loves most Asian cuisines, so it’s easy to make a big pot of rice and a bunch of vegetables and proteins for her to customize her lunches. (It also makes my lunchtime decision making much easier.)

For this recipe, I adapted the younger sprog’s favorite Chinese protein, char siu pork. This marinade can be used on pork (chops, belly, or tenderloin) or on chicken thighs. I like to grill the pork or chicken, but you could pan sear it or roast it in the oven just as easily. We put it over rice or in ramen. I’ve even put it on a salad and on sandwiches! However you use it, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Char Siu Marinade for Pork or Chicken

Ingredients

4 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 to 4 green onions, finely sliced
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup honey or agave syrup
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
¼ cup ketchup
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 ½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Directions

Combine everything in a bowl or a large, zippered bag. (I always use a zippered bag for marinating. It makes cleanup easy, and as I use compostable bags, I don’t feel as bad as I would if I were to use a plastic bag.) Marinate your meat of choice for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking. You can grill your meats, sear them in a skillet over medium heat, or roast them in a 425° oven until done. I try to find chicken thighs or pork chops on sale, but if I’m going all fancy, I use pork belly that I’ve cubed.

The post Healthy Waists, Healthy Wallets: “Char Siu” Marinade first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

I always find the first few weeks of school to be difficult – it’s hard to get out of our summer routines and into the school groove. This year is going to be that much more fun, as our house is doing all online learning.

To make life easier for myself, I rely heavily on my slow cooker during the first few weeks of school. It’s so much easier to throw a few ingredients in the pot in the morning and forget about it until it’s time for dinner. The only problem I’ve had in the past is that the slow cooker recipes I had were all for hearty stews and stick-to-your-ribs meals, and in Texas, it’s too hot for that. So I’ve come up with some ideas for hot weather slow cooker meals that your family will (hopefully!) love.

Cuban-Inspired Pulled Pork

I love the bright, citrusy flavors of this dish, and pork and slow cookers are a match made in heaven!

Ingredients

• 1 pork shoulder, 3 to 5 pounds, trimmed of excess fat (I like to leave the bone in for extra flavor
• Juice of 2 oranges
• Juice of 5 limes
• 6 to 8 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 1 small to medium white or yellow onion, peeled, cut in half and then into half rings
• ½ bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano or marjoram
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place pork shoulder in a 6-quart slow cooker. Combine all the rest of the ingredients and pour over the pork. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve over rice with black beans and a side salad with lots of avocado in a citrus vinaigrette. The leftovers make great tacos, burritos, lettuce wraps, or quesadillas.

Mediterranean Chicken and Potatoes

I love using bone-in chicken thighs in the slow cooker. They’re full of flavor and don’t dry out like chicken breasts do.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
• 2 pounds yellow or red potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• Juice of 3 lemons
• ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth or water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Zest of 1 lemon

Directions

You can, if you want, brown the chicken in a skillet or sauté pan before placing in the slow cooker. Yes, you will get a deeper flavor from the browning, but that goes against the spirit of the whole slow cooker idea. I don’t.

Place the potatoes, onions, and half the smashed garlic cloves in the slow cooker and season with half the oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Lay the chicken thighs in next and top with the rest of the garlic and herbs. Add the lemon juice and white wine (or broth/water). Season with salt and pepper and the lemon zest. Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. I love this over orzo pasta with a salad and good crusty bread to sop up the juices!

Slow Cooker Salmon

For those of you who are leery of cooking fish, the slow cooker can help! It’s hard to dry a fish out in a slow cooker, and the prep work is so easy.

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 pounds salmon filet, skin on
• 1 lemon, slice into rounds
• 1 large shallot, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 1 cup white wine, vegetable or fish broth, or water
• 1 bunch fresh dill, divided use
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Line the slow cooker either with a slow cooker bag or with a large piece of parchment paper. Put in a layer of lemon rounds, a layer of shallots, and 2 springs of the fresh dill. You don’t need to chop the dill up. Place the salmon on top and pour in the liquid. Place the remaining lemon rounds, shallots, and another sprig or two of the fresh dill on top of the salmon. Season with salt and pepper and cook on low for two hours. Chop up any remaining dill and sprinkle it over the salmon before serving. I serve this with a cucumber and sweet onion salad. Simply soak cucumbers and sweet onions in cider vinegar with a little salt in the fridge for about an hour before serving. Light and delicious!

The post Back to School Slow Cooker Recipes to Beat the Heat first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

While I’m not a huge fan of the Texas heat, I do love that we can grill practically year-round. My basic Weber grill (purchased for $75 back in 2011) keeps us eating delicious and healthy foods almost all the time!

To celebrate my grill’s birthday, I’m sharing some of our favorite recipes for you to incorporate into your grilling repertoire.

Grilled Boneless Leg of Lamb

Everyone in my family loves lamb, and this is their favorite preparation. And there are always leftovers for sandwiches and salads the next day!

Ingredients

1 4-to-5-pound boneless leg of lamb

Juice and zest of 2 lemons

4 to 6 garlic cloves, smashed

1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence (this is a magical herb mix, full of rosemary, tarragon, savory, thyme, marjoram, and lavender)

A scant tablespoon Kosher salt and lots of freshly ground pepper

½ cup olive oil (doesn’t have to be the fancy stuff; I use just regular olive oil, not the extra-virgin stuff, for marinades)

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a large zipper bag and marinate for a minimum of 6 hours. Turn the bag every so often so the marinade reaches into all the nooks and crannies of the lamb.

Prepare your grill. If you’re using gas, turn preheat to medium. If you’re using charcoal, as is proper, make a bed of good, hot coals for direct heat grilling.

Remove the lamb from the marinade (discard this), and grill, fat side up, for about 8 minutes. Do not close the lid as you will get flare ups. Turn the lamb over and grill for another 6 to 8 minutes, moving as necessary to avoid huge flare ups. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and allow to rest, loosely covered with foil, for about 20 minutes before carving. We serve this with grilled pita, hummus, tzatziki, and a tomato-onion relish (tomatoes and onions marinated in white wine vinegar with oregano and dried mint). There are always leftovers for sandwiches and salads the next day!

Lemongrass Pork Skewers with Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

Lemongrass is a tough stalk that vaguely resembles a tough green onion. It’s a great thing to use as a skewer, as it will impart a lovely citrus flavor to the meat!

Ingredients

For the pork skewers:

2 pounds pork

1 tablespoon fish sauce (available in most groceries in the Asian section)

1 tablespoon sriracha (or more, depending on your taste)

Pinch sugar

Pinch finely ground white pepper

Pinch Kosher salt

2 scallions, minced

8 stalks lemongrass, the tough outer leaves peeled away

For the nuoc cham:

Juice of 3 limes

1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons fish sauce

2 Thai chiles (you can substitute a Serrano chile), thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (think Goodfellas here)

Directions

For the pork skewers:

Combine all the ingredients except the lemongrass in a large bowl and mush together to combine. Mold the pork mixture on the lemongrass stalks, 2 per person. Allow to sit while you make the nuoc cham and prepare the grill.

For the nuoc cham:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and let the flavors meld. You can add more acid, sugar, fish sauce, or chiles to taste. This will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

To grill:

If you’re using a gas grill, preheat it to medium. If you’re using charcoal, prepare a good bed of coals for direct grilling. Grill the skewers for about 4 minutes on all four sides. Serve with the nuac cham for dipping.

Lee’s Grilled Corn

I don’t mess around with soaking the husks or whatever. Just shuck the corn and toss it on the grill. It will turn out fine!

Ingredients

1 ear of corn per person, shucked and annoying silk removed (I make my children do this, heh heh heh)

1 stick butter

1 tablespoon olive oil (not the great stuff)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon hot sauce (I use Cholula or Tapatio for this)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Directions

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high or prepare a charcoal grill for indirect grilling. I usually throw the ears of corn on the sides of the grill, surrounding whatever meat I’m grilling.

While the grill is warming up, melt together the butter and oil. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, hot sauce, and cumin and stir.

Throw the ears on the grill. Turn every minute or so, basting with the butter, until all sides have a nice bit of char. Give the ears a final baste and serve.

With continuing concerns about the coronavirus, having a cookout is a great way to get together outside while keeping your distance. So fire up those grills and get cooking!

The post Get Grilling! first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.