Savory BBQ Pulled Pork Cinnamon Roll

What I'm about to share with you may sound weird.  In fact, tons of my facebook fans who saw the sneak peek photo said they would have to see and try it to believe it.  But by the end of this post, I'll have you being a believer.  And once I break it down for you, you'll come to understand that what sounds crazy is actually quite genius!

The savory BBQ Pulled Pork Cinnamon Roll.  It is the love child of two American favorites - BBQ Pulled Pork and Cinnamon Rolls.  It is savory with a touch of sweetness.  Consider that cinnamon and brown sugar, the basic components of a traditional cinnamon roll filling, are easily ingredients in a pork entree glaze or bbq sauce, anyway.  Then, consider that a cinnamon roll, is no more than a bread bun that's rolled up all fancy.  Instead of serving pulled pork on a bun, it's rolled up cinnamon bun style!  And then it's drizzled with extra barbecue sauce.  Because no one likes a naked cinnamon roll and it just looks pretty.  Suddenly, what seems like a freak Frankenstein dish is not that mad but instead makes perfect sense!

Once I tried this dish, my mind started racing and considering all of the other savory cinnamon roll possibilities.  I could stuff it with shredded buffalo chicken and either cheddar or blue cheese with a drizzle of ranch or blue cheese dressing.  Or how about that fantastic Hawaiian Pulled Chicken and jazzed up hawaiian bread dough and then finishing with some of that extra sauce?  Yes...I think I shall be trying to bring some of these recipes to reality someday soon.  This recipe opened up my mind to a whole new world of possibilities!

Give it a try, I think you'll like it!

One Year Ago: Roast Beef with Onion Gravy
Three Years Ago: Corn Casserole and Sweet Potato Souffle

Savory BBQ Pulled Pork Cinnamon Roll

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1/2 cup milk (2%)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 - 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface

For the Filling

• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Leftover BBQ Pulled Pork (suggest 2 recipes of Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)

For Drizzling

• Additional BBQ sauce

Directions

1. Heat the milk and butter in s mall saucepan or in the microwave until the butter melts.  Set aside and allow to cool until the mixture is lukewarm (about 100 degrees).
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together warm water, yeast, sugar, and eggs at low speed until well combined.  Then add the warm milk mixture and 2 cups of flour.  Mix at medium speed until thoroughly blended, about 1 minute.
3. Switch to the dough hook attachment.  Add another 2 cups of flour and continue to knead at medium speed until dough forms a ball and is smooth, about 10 minutes.  If needed, add additional flour by the tablespoon to make the dough come together.  Cover bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and leave in a warm, draft-free spot to rise until doubled in size  (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours).
4. Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.  Generously butter a 9x13 metal baking pan.
5. After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 16 by 12 inch rectangle with the short side facing you.  Brush the melted butter over the surface of the dough.  Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Finally, spread a healthy layer of pulled pork over the surface of the dough leaving a 1-inch strip on one of the short sides.  Tightly roll the dough into a spiral and pinch the free end to seal.
6. Using a piece of string or sharp serrated knife, cut the roll into six equal slices and place them swirl side up in the prepared 9x13 pan.  Cover with a clean, damp dish cloth and allow to rise until puffy and almost doubled (about 1 hour).  Near the end of the second rise time, preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Bake rolls at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.  Drizzle with your favorite barbecue sauce and serve warm.

Source: Adapted from Food Pusher

Cherry BBQ Pulled Pork Grilled Pizza

Happy Friday!  I don't know who noticed but last night I spent an extensive portion of my evening giving my blog a face lift.  After not really doing anything to my site for nearly 300 posts (next one!), I was just getting a little sick of the old look.  I changed my blog template (of course keeping my signature and favorite pink color!), moved some content onto their own pages to make the homepage more streamlined, and added better social media sharing/following features to the bottom of each post and the sidebar (please use them!).  I also moved the "print-friendly" button to a more obvious location.  If you haven't used that feature yet, it's a pretty awesome way to cut out all my witty chatter (*sad face*) and just print the recipe and/or photo if you want.  Yah for being green!  I hope all of these little changes help to make your browsing experience on my website a bit better.  Please comment and let me know how I'm doing!

Today we are continuing Emily and my Seasonal Summer Fruit and Vegetable Extravaganza.  We already shared our Watermelon Slush and BLT Corn Salad Wrap starter so onto the main course!  As it was extremely hot out lately, Emily and I thought we'd put our husbands to work on the grill and with the success of my Grilled Steakhouse Pizza in the past, I thought another grilled pizza would be a great addition to our menu.  Plus, Emily and Scott were grilled pizza virgins.

Overall the taste of this pizza was very Summery.  I do wish that the flavor of the cherries came through more but it could have been the result of using some not-so-flavorful cherries that I picked up at the grocery store.  Darn those pretty and highly-shippable fruits that look deceivingly delicious but yet fall flat on flavor!!  Either way, Scott liked the barbecue because it "wasn't overly sweet" and pizza is pretty much the only way he enjoys goat cheese.  Emily's need for carbs, meat, and cheese was definitely satisfied and she scarfed hers down faster than any of the boys!  In all fairness, she is eating for three now...yes, in case I hadn't mentioned, she's pregnant with twins!  Last but not least, my husband's verdict?  "It was yummy."  Ah, a man of few words ;).

Come back next week to see what desserts were made.  One more week until my Beer Flats giveaway ends.  Check out my review and take the time to enter.  It only takes a few seconds!

One Year Ago: Ultimate Sriracha Burger

Two Years Ago: Homemade Refrigerator Pickles

Cherry BBQ Pulled Pork Grilled Pizza

Photo Credit: Emily H.

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds of your favorite pizza dough, shaped into 4 individual sized balls to be stretched and grilled
• Olive oil for brushing
• ~1 cup cherry barbecue sauce, recipe follows
• ~1.5 cups leftover shredded pulled pork, recipe follows
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Crumbled goat cheese
• Red onion, thinly sliced
• Pineapple chunks
• Cilantro, chopped

For the Cherry Barbecue Sauce

• 1/2 lb cherries, pits removed
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup barbecue sauce

For the Pulled Pork

• 1 can Dr. Pepper
• 5-7 lbs pork butt roast
• 1/4 cup brown mustard
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Prepare the Pulled Pork: Liberally season the pork roast with salt and pepper and place the fat-side-up in a crockpot.  Add the mustard and Dr. Pepper to the crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Shred the meat with two forks, discarding any bones and fat.
2. Prepare the Cherry Barbecue Sauce: Roughly chop the cherries into small pieces.  Add them to a small sauce pan along with the sugar and water.  Cook over medium heat for ~20 minutes, until the liquid is thick and the cherries are soft.
3. Grill the Pizza:  Heat grill to medium-high heat (450F) and generously oil the grate (I use a paper towel wad soaked in oil and held with tongs or a silicone brush
4. Carefully place individually sized stretched dough rounds onto the grill and cover.  Allow to cook until nicely browned on bottom and large bubbles form on the surface (about 3-4 minutes).  Carefully remove the dough from the grill and with the cooked side facing up, top each pizza with cherry barbecue sauce.  Top with pulled pork then follow with cheddar and mozzarella cheese.  Finish with the red onions, pineapple, and goat cheese.  Carefully return the topped pizzas to the grill and cook until the bottom is browned and cheese is melted (about 4-6 minutes).
5. Remove pizza from grill. Garnish with cilantro.  Cut and serve immediately.

Source: A combination of ingredients and ideas from Confections of a Foodie Bride and Our Best Bites

Pork Sandwiches with Cilantro-Jalapeno Slaw

Two words can be used to describe this sandwich - YUM and oooh-spicy!  The first time I had this sandwich was at one of my Dinner Clubs when Emily made them as sliders complete with homemade buns.  As an aside, honestly, I wouldn't see her doing it any other way than homemade, though ;).  It definitely had my taste buds singing and I realized I had actually bookmarked the recipe myself so to the top of the "to make" list it went.  I was also delighted because I could use my CSA cabbage for the slaw.  Win-win!

I made mine with beef though because would you believe it?  The day I went to the grocery store to shop I could not find any pork for sale!  It was completely baffling.  I brought it over to my parent's house to celebrate 4th of July and everyone loved it.  Folks were even eating the slaw as a side dish (but the spiciness of the jalapenos caught many off gaurd...tee hee!).  I'd imagine that it'd taste great made with pork or chicken too.  A perfect summer sandwich!


Pork Sandwiches with Cilantro-Jalapeno Slaw

Yields: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 whole Onion, Peeled And Quartered
• 1 whole Pork Butt (pork Shoulder Roast)
• Salt And Pepper
• 1 can (11 Ounce) Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce
• 2 cans Cola (Dr Pepper, Coke, Etc.)
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 12 whole Good Quality Kaiser Or Deli Rolls
• 12 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 head Cabbage, Sliced Thin
• 1/2 head Purple Cabbage, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Halved Lengthwise And Thinly Sliced
• 1/2 cup Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 2 cups Cilantro Leaves, Barely Chopped

Directions

For the meat*:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Generously salt and pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in the pan.
3. Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (include the sauce.) Pour in both cans of Dr Pepper. Add brown sugar to the juice and stir in.
4. Place lid tightly on pot, then set pot in the oven. Cook for at least six hours, turning roast two or three times during the cooking process. Check meat after six hours; it should be absolutely falling apart (use two forks to test.) If it’s not falling apart, return to the oven for another hour.
5. Remove meat from pot and place on a cutting board or other work surface. Use two forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat. Strain as much of the fat off the top of the cooking liquid as you can and discard it. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid, and keep warm until ready to serve. (You can also refrigerate the meat and liquid separately, then remove hardened fat once it’s cold. Then heat up the liquid on the stovetop and return the meat to the liquid to warm up.)

*Note: I chose to use a crockpot instead of the oven to avoid heating up the house on a hot summer's day.  Plus, you can leave it unattended all day without touching it.  I put mine on low for 8 hours then shredded with two forks.  Yummo!

For the slaw: Combine shredded cabbage and sliced jalapenos in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix milk, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Pour over cabbage. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate two hours.  Before serving, toss in cilantro leaves.

To assemble sandwiches: Butter both halves of Kaiser rolls, then brown them on a griddle or skillet until golden and crisp on the surface. Load up each sandwich with shredded pork, then with the slaw.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Singapore Mei Fun

Remember my 23 Things in 2011 list?  Yeah...totally not on track for completing that right now since April and May were totally non-productive.  Up until that point though I had been very good about making roughly 2 items off the list per month but (as usual) not as good about blogging about them in a timely manner.  The only reason I'm blogging about this particular recipe now is because my facebook fans voted on it to be my next blog post!

Singapore Mei Fun made my list of things I wanted to make this year because it is one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes.  Interestingly enough, I recently learned from an Asian Heritage Month work event that this dish isn't even authentic Sinaporean food.  Oh well.  It's delicious.  And it's easy!  I think the real secret to making a good Singapore Mei Fun (Rice Noodle) dish is the fact that the noodles are "cooked" by soaking them in water instead of boiling like your typical noodle.  A quick stir fry is all it takes to finish it off!

My mom gave me a "recipe" but as with all of our family's "recipes" they are more loose guidelines of what ingredients and generally how to make the dish.  There's not any specifics of how much or how long so that's where my Google research helped.  Thank goodness for Google to help fill in the gaps.  This was just like Mom's!

One Year Ago: Firecracker Shrimp


Singapore Mei Fun (Curry Noodles)

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 8 ounces rice vermicelli (mei fun - check your Asian aisle at the local grocer)
• 2 tablespoons rice cooking wine 
• 2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 4 ounces small shrimp, shelled and deveined 
• 1/2 cup finely shredded scallions 
• 1 small onions, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon yellow curry powder 
• 3/4 cup Chicken Broth 
• 4 ounces other meat such as Chicken, Beef, or Chinese Barbecued Pork, cut into julienne
• 1 egg, scrambled, fried, and cut into julienne (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, soak the rice noodles in enough cold water to cover overnight, or until noodles are limp and softened. Drain in a colander and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
2. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and stir fry the chicken and/or beef until nearly cooked through.  Remove and set aside on a plate.  Add additional 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp, and stir-fry 10 seconds. Add the scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds, or until shrimp have just turned orange but are not cooked through. Transfer the shrimp mixture to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, onions and green pepper, and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the curry powder and stir-fry 10 seconds, or until fragrant. Restir soy sauce mixture and swirl it into the wok. Add the chicken broth, and 1/3 cup cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Add the drained rice noodles and return to a boil, stirring noodles to completely coat in curry mixture (chopsticks work best for this!). Add the meat mixture, and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until shrimp are just cooked through and liquid has been absorbed by the noodles. Add the cooked egg, if desired.  Serve immediately.

Source: Inspired by my Mom and The Wisdom of the Chinese Recipe. Published by Scribner, 1999.  As seen in an Cooking Light message board.

Swedish Meatballs

This was a perfect meal for a cold night.  It's not at all healthy but hey, that's what makes it so delicious and so comforting.  Sweet, spicy, and creamy.  The flavor was wonderful!

I loved Joelen's tip about using a mini-muffin pan to bake the meatballs in a single large batch.  Sadly, I don't own a mini-muffin pan so decided to take my chances on just putting it on a rimmed cookie sheet.  Worked like a charm except that only the bottom (the part touching the pan) had a golden crust to it.  I'd imagine the same would be true even if I had used a muffin pan and they are covered in sauce anyway so who's looking.  This was a huge time saver and convenience so you can bet that I'll be using this method in other meatball applications :).

Now, I only had spaghetti noodles at the time but I think traditionally you'd serve this over more of an egg or broad flat noodle.  Good thing I have my giant 40 box stockpile of free pasta to work through so that next time I can do it right :P.  Yeah...remind me to tell you about that story sometime...

By the way...my 2nd blogiversary is coming up on April 9th!  I'm going to have my FIRST EVER give-away in honor of that so check back later this week for a post on how you can enter to win!

One Year Ago: The Easiest White Bean Chicken Chili


Swedish Meatballs
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Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup half & half or heavy cream
• 2 medium sized dinner rolls, torn into small pieces
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 small onion, grated on large holes of box grater
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 pound ground beef (80-85% lean)

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1 cup caramelized mushrooms (optional)
• 1/2 cup half & half or heavy cream (optional)
• 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon 

Directions:

1. Whisk egg and cream together in medium bowl. Stir in bread and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat pork, onion, nutmeg, allspice, pepper, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder on high speed until smooth and pale, about 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. 
3. Using fork, mash bread mixture until no large dry bread chunks remain; add mixture to mixer bowl and beat on high speed until smooth and homogeneous, about 1 minute, scraping bowl as necessary. 
4. Add beef and mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl as necessary. 
5. Using a small or medium ice cream scoop, form  meatballs with wet hands and set aside; repeat with remaining mixture to form 25 to 30 meatballs.
6. Spray a mini-muffin pan or rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Place individual meatballs into each muffin well or evenly space them on the cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Transfer browned meatballs to paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
7. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add butter. When foaming subsides, add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour is light brown, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in broth. Add brown sugar and caramelized mushrooms and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream (if using) and return to simmer.
8. Add meatballs to sauce and simmer, turning occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Source: As modified by and seen on Joelen's Culinary Adventures from Cook's Illustrated

2010 Recap Part 2: Personal Favorites

Day 2 of the New Year and here I am with another post!  2 posts yesterday and another today, I'm on a roll :).  Woo hoo!  And, since yesterday's posts I realized that I have 1 new blogger and 1 new Google Reader subscriber (or could be the same person for all I know).  Either way, welcome new readers!  And, welcome back to my loyal readers, too!

You know what else has happened since yesterday?  I made a quiche! (and it was so very delicious - recipe and pictures to come.)  Check that one off of the 23 things to make in 2011.  Man, I'm on fire!

Okay so yesterday in Part 1 of my 2010 Recap we reviewed your favorites.  While I agree that those were great picks there are some other gems on this blog that I love and also feel deserve their time in the spotlight, too.  Now, a lot of blogs that I follow break it down by favorite posted each month but as I look at the history I realized some months I literally posted ONE TIME (d'oh!) and I don't know that they're necessarily worthy of a "best of" tag.  What's also sad is the fact that some of the favorite things I made this year I realized I didn't even blog about yet...a true tragedy and disservice to my readers!  (No worries, this just means they'll go in the 2011 Recap!).  So instead, I'll compromise and just go with Top 12 over the whole year.  It's a tough job to narrow them down but someone's got to do it.

January: Baked Sausage Ziti

Photo credit: The Piggly Wiggly



It's a bit labor intensive with its two sauces but for the flavor it is totally worth it and your guests will thank you.  I think my sister and her friends who ate this for their Junior Prom dinner would definitely agree.  Those boys were eating Tums afterward like they were candy...I might be a little heavy handed on my red pepper.  My bad.  By the way, the fresh mozzerella melts so much better than that pre-shredded stuff so definitely don't scrimp there.

February: Grandma B's Chicken a la King

This is Chris' favorite meal of all time so I can't let this blog entry pass without putting it in the best of recap.  His grandma used to make it for him and then his mom and now me (with my slightly tweaked version to help thicken the gravy more).

February Part Deux:  Ham, Cheese, and Green Pepper Pretzel Bites

There's something about bite-sized treats that make them extra irresistable.  I served these with a homemade honey mustard dipping sauce and my family gobbled them right up.  This post is also special because it marked my 100th one!

February Part Trois: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Everytime I make these things it makes people go gaga over them.  Perhaps it is the bite-sized nature of them that we talked about above?  Chris practically begs me to make them and many ladies at the Cincinnati Nest/Bump Cookie Exchange this year felt they were the best of the bunch which was quite flattering.  The best part?  They're eggless.  Cookie dough lovers rejoice and have no fear of samonella!

March: Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Do I really need to explain this one because the title really says it all.  Three classically delicious cookies rolled into one and it has stolen my heart.

April: Berry Buttermilk Cake

I know it doesn't look like much in this picture but this one was so good that I made it two weeks in a row.  And, my co-worker Beth told me she made it about five times.  Bonus: Great way to use up the ubiquitous leftover buttermilk!  (Psst, need more leftover buttermilk recipe ideas?  Checkout my buttermilk tag.)

June: Firecracker Shrimp

Why I only made this once I am not sure.  This was so easy and so delicious!  Can't wait for grilling season to begin again.  Either that or I'm about to invest in a cast iron grill pan...

July: Fajitas

If you need to add a good fajita recipe to your arsenal look no further than this one.  Hasta la vista Don Pablo's (or [insert the name of your favorite local Mexican restaurant here]).

July Part Deux: Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake

A contender for my favorite coffee cake of all time.  (The other one would be one that my Mom used to make called Walnut Wonder Cake...mmm).

October: Who Loves Ya Babyback?

First - whoa did you see that jump from July to October?  I call that the lost quarter of blogging.  Sorry about that...

Back to this recipe.  Not your standard ribs slathered in BBQ sauce nor a dry rub.  It's something even more impressive and delicious.  Better yet, it's easier than I imagined ribs could be.

December: Island Spice Pork (Tender)loin

Add this to your "good enough for compnay" list.  Bursting with flavor like you've been slaving in the kitchen all day but only you'll know how simple it truly is to prepare.

December Part Deux: Linguine with Clam Sauce

Maybe it's just because this is one of the last things of 2010 that I made or it could be the fact that this was so simple to make.  I will for sure be making this lots in the future and sorry Maggiano's but this is yet one more thing that I can now make at home.

Alright so technically we're done reviewing 12 Personal Favorites from 2010.  But, because I love my readers so much I'm throwing in a couple bonuses.  One to represent each of the men in my life.

Chris' Pick - Peanut Butter-Fudge Cheesecake

No big surprise that this is his favorite dish from 2010.  And this is exactly why I chose this recipe for his birthday.  Chris has requested that this be his birthday cake each and every year from here on out.

Toby's Pick - Chicken and Cheddar Dog Treats

OK so Toby didn't *really* pick this recipe but it is the only one that I posted in 2010 that was especially for him and I think this picture is just precious.  Say it with me now...awwww!  This year maybe I'll make him more treats.  Anyone have any good dog-friendly recipes to share?

And that's a wrap.  Over and out!

2010 Recap Part 1: Reader Favorites

Happy 2011!

I thought I'd kick off this (nerd alert: binary!) New Year with a recap of your favorite recipes from 2010.  Because let's face it, I don't just cook and blog for myself.  I do it for you, too!  That's right.  This post is dedicated to all 55 of you that subscribe to me on Google Reader.  All 8 that subscribe via blogger, too.  And, the countless others that follow my blog sans subscription through Google search, my facebook posts, and the like.  Together you checked out my website a whopping 16,635 times!  Whoa!  I'm so honored to have people that *want* to read about my kitchen chronicles and try new recipes with me. 

What I'd love even more is if you began to come out of your shell and start leaving comments on my blog, too.  Let's face it, we all know that my blogging dwindled in the second half of the year and I just couldn't find the motivation to get back on track.  For 2011, I resolve to get back on the blogging band wagon and I need *you* to help hold me accountable.  Cheer me on when you see something you like!  Let me know if you tried something from my blog - successful or not, too!  Together, we can cook great things :).

So now back to Reader Favorite Recipes from 2010.  These recipes are the most popular ones from my website based on number of hits.  Yup, I have this nifty thing called Google Analytics.  It tells me how many people visit my site, what they look at, how long they spend there, and what part of the world they are visiting from.  Neat, huh?  Don't worry my privacy protection fans, it's all aggregated data and so I can't like...internet stalk you or anything :P.

Without further adieu, here are your favorites from 2010.  (And you can see 2009 favorites, here!)

#10: Copy-Cat Chipotle Burrito Bols
(201 pageviews in 2010)

Do you love Chipotle?  Then you'll love these bols. (Yes, not a typo, there's no w.  It's Spanish!)

#9: Spaghetti Meatballs
(213 page views in 2010)


Photo Credit: Amadeo




















You really can't go wrong with this classic Italian dish.  This one comes from Chris' Grandmother who was from Sicily and is one of the few dishes that I will make over and over again.  It freezes well so one batch will provide a good 6 meals for the 2 of us!

#8: Spinach, Sausage, and Cheese Manicotti
(291 page views in 2010)


Photo Credit: Eater's Digest



















I have smart readers that know a good recipe when they see one.  This is another one of those recipes that actually gets repeated in this household.  The method of stuffing the shells *uncooked* is ingenious.  I like to use sausage, spinach, and cheese (as the title of this recipe suggests) but it is adaptable to the filling of your choice.  Bonus: this one freezes well, too!

#7: Grandpa N's Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ Pork Bun)
(337 page views in 2010)

A never-before-seen on the web recipe from my family to yours.  This authentic bun recipe was made countless times by my Grandpa for me.  Since Chinese people tend to not write down recipes, it didn't quite taste exactly as I remembered but is a good starting point.  As I tweak (and document!) this recipe over time I hope to someday get it just as Grandpa used to make.  Stay tuned for future iterations and improvements to this recipe!

#6: Red Lobster's Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
(439 page views in 2010)

This one came straight off of Red Lobster's own website so it's not even a copy-cat - it's the real deal!  Tilapia is one of my favorite types of fish and this preparation is yummy.

#5: Mock Bravo Della Casa Salad
(485 page views in 2010)

Me thinks my readers have a thing for copy-cat restaurants based on Top Reader Picks #10, 6, and 5!  This copy-cat salad is based on my husband's favorite from Bravo! Cucina Italian.  It is the only creamy dressing that he'll eat and he ate this recipe too so I'll take it as a stamp of approval.

By the way, what other copy-cat recipes would you like to see on here?  Now's your chance to leave a comment!

#4: Red Velvet Whoopie Pies (626 page views in 2010)

Each time I see this pictures it practically brings tears to my eyes.  This is by far the most beautiful food photograph that I have ever taken in my life...let alone 2010.  It holds a special place in my heart because it was the first (and only) time that I was accepted to the "food porn" website Food Gawker.  I have no doubt that this recipe made the Top 10 because of the traffic it brought to my site.  That and this recipe is actually quite divine!  Here's to hoping my photography skills continue to improve in 2011.

#3: Lasagna
(662 page views in 2010)

[No food photo.  Sad face.]

This recipe was shared by my Aunt Wah to my mom and I practically grew up on this stuff.  No kitchen should go without a tried and true lasagna recipe.  This one uses cottage cheese instead of ricotta and I find I like the texture better...perhaps because it's what I grew up knowing.  Now to just remember to take a picture of this when I make! 


Garfield would approve.



 #2: Chinese Bakery-Style Cake
(1,278 page views in 2010)

Did you all see the page view count on this one?!  It completely blows all others above out of the water and for good reason, too!  I just wish I had better photography skills to truly capture the magnificence of this cake.  As I said previously, authetic Chinese recipes are hard to come by because the cooks just don't write them down.  I got really lucky and found this one online.  I made some minor modifications and shared it with you.  This is the most commented upon recipe in my blog and I can tell you all love it, too.  What's not to love about the sponge cake layers sandwiching fresh fruit and custard before the entire thing is enveloped in fresh whipped cream.  It looks complicated but it's really not so bad.  And, I gaurentee that it's totally worth it.  If you haven't tried this yet, go.  Now.

Drumroll please....

#1: Chinese Bolo Bao with Nai Wong Filling ("Pineapple" Custard Bun)
(1,590 page views in 2010)

No big surprise here!  The King of 2010 Recipes (mostly due to Google search where it indexes #1!) is the Chinese Bolo Bao with Nai Wong Filling.  This is sort of kind of a Christine's Kitchen Chronicles original because I took 2 existing web recipes to recreate a bun Chris knows and loves.  I have to say that nobody that saw or ate this little beauty was disappointed.  It tasted and looked like it came from a real Chinese bakery.  From its sweet crisp topping to its tender bun leading to a silky custard surprise inside, it is 100% goodness.

There you have it, folks.  Your favorite recipes from 2010.  Be sure to stay tuned to Part 2 of this series - MY favorite recipes from the year!  So far so good on getting back on the blogging wagon, huh? :)

Wishing you a fantastic 2011!

Christine