Mango Bar-B-Q Pulled Pork with Apple-Lime Coleslaw

I've mentioned before that I love watching Food Network shows. Rarely do I actually do one of the recipes I've seen on tv, using the shows more as inspiration instead. Recently a lady named Aarti Sequeira won the Next FoodNetwork Star. Her show, Aarti Party has an Indian flare to all the recipes. So far most of her dishes have really inspired me. When I saw her making this the other day, I just knew I had to try it though! It was supposed to be pulled pork sandwiches on brioche bread, but I had these homemade wheat tortillas left over from the other night so I figured turning the sandwiches into wraps/tacos would be a terrific idea. I added cheese on the girls portions and called them pork quesadillas, a dish they love. The apple-lime slaw that went with these pulled pork wraps was perfect. By the way, this would make a great crockpot meal.
-Amanda

Mango Bar-B-Q Pulled Pork
(Original recipe here)

1 boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt) about 3 lbs, excess fat removed

Rub:

• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp paprika (I didn't have any, so I used chili powder)
• 2 tsp kosher salt

BBQ Sauce

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 onion finely minced (I used a yellow sweet onion)
• 2 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 serrano pepper (I ended up using chili flakes since my serrano pepper didn't make it home from the grocery store!)
• kosher salt to taste
• 2 cups of mango puree (I bought frozen mango, thawed it and pureed in my blender)
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

Brioche rolls or wheat tortillas

Rub: Combine the rub ingredients, in a small bowl and massage it into the pork shoulder until well coated. Set aside while you make BBQ sauce. You could do this a day ahead and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
BBQ sauce: In a large saucepan, warm the oil, over low heat, until hot and shimmering. Add the cumin and fennel; they should splutter upon contact - be careful! Once the spluttering subsides, add the onions, ginger and serrano and a little salt, to taste. Saute until they soften but don't let them get any color. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Simmer about 5 minutes. Taste and season.
Add the pork shoulder to the saucepan, coating it with the sauce. Cover, and gently simmer until the pork falls apart easily, stirring and turning often, about 3 hours.
Remove the pork from the saucepan and shred it using 2 forks. Return it to the sauce and stir to coat with the sauce. Put a generous spoonful of the pork inside a brioche bun, top with a few slices of pickle and serve.

 Apple-Lime-Slaw
 (Original recipe here)

The orignal recipe makes 4-6 servings, I reduced it down to make just enough for our wraps this evening, and I didn't add the peanuts since I wasn't using it as a side, but as a topping.

drizzle of honey
1/2 lime, juiced
smidge of ground cumin
smidge of curry powder
1/2 tsp olive oil
salt & pepper
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1 small apple sliced into thin matchsticks

Whisk the honey, lime juice and spices together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in enough extra-virgin olive oil to emulsify the dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Combine the cabbage and apples a bowl. Add the dressing and toss well. Serve.

I made Maddie and Izzie's into quesadilla's so it was easier for them to hold.

Indian Vegetable Bhaji

Last time I went to the grocery store, I bought a Tandoori Seasoning packet for chicken. Sometimes I like pre-packaged seasoning packets (as long as they are all spices and not just preservatives and salt.) It is an excellent way to try a new flavor profile without investing in a bunch of spices that you don't use on a regular basis. For the Tandoori Chicken, I mixed the spice packet with yogurt, lemon juice and minced onion. I marinated the chicken for an hour or so and then broiled in the oven. I think real tandoori chicken is cooked in a special clay pot, but this was yummy. Looking for a side dish and not wanting to rely on the standby rice, I came across this dish on allrecipes.com and realized I had all of the ingredients (sort of)! This vegetable side dish is very delicious and will definately be repeated in the future!

Indian Vegetable Bhaji

4 large potatoes, finely chopped <- I didn't have any potatoes in my house so I used sliced canned potatoes, these are good to keep on hand for when you are in a pinch!
1 cup cauliflower florets <- I had to use frozen, can't wait to try this out with fresh!
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh green peas <- Again with the frozen, but probably will keep this ingredient frozen.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped <- I used half a large onion, which was plenty for me!
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon black mustard seed <- I didn't have black, but I did have yellow, so I used that.
2 whole bay leaves
4 green chile peppers, chopped <- Growing in the garden, so I used super fresh!
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root <- I keep ginger root in the freezer and use a grater to grate off some whenever I need it.
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
cilantro leaves for garnish (optional) <- I did not use any
Directions:

1. Place the potatoes, cauliflower florets, carrot, and peas into a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on High until the vegetables are very hot and starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap, and drain the vegetables in a colander.
2. Place the vegetable oil in a large skillet, and heat over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion until it turns golden, about 10 minutes, and stir in the cumin seed, black mustard seed, and bay leaves. Cook and stir until the seeds begin to sputter, about 30 seconds, and then add the green chiles, garlic, and ginger. Cook and stir until the garlic begins to brown, about 1 minute.
3. Stir in the ground cumin, curry powder, and chili powder, and then add the partially cooked potatoes, cauliflower, carrot, and peas. Cook and stir until the vegetables are tender and coated with spices, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves.

Weight Watchers: I figured it to be about 3 pts per serving, using the canned potatoes.
-Amanda