Originally written: October 9, 2015
We had a family from church over for dinner tonight, and I needed a dairy-free recipe. Panic. I am not a good cook, and I am in no way a creative cook. My staples are lasagna or chicken and white pasta, both of which are covered in dairy and frankly, not very good for me either.
Fruit. I can do fruit, I thought. Brian and the kids had been to Loudonville and brought back a watermelon the size of Texas.
But fruit cannot serve as a main dish, so…
Who you gonna call??? My mom!
The grocery store had pork roasts on sale this week, and I figured Mom would have a good idea for a pork roast. And of course, she did! It was seriously the easiest recipe in the world (and I mean that because I am a dummy in the kitchen). Here’s my new favorite slow-cooker recipe from Haylie Pomroy:
· 2 ½ pounds boneless pork roast
· 1 cup minced pepperoncini peppers
· 1 cup pepperoncini juice
· 1 tsp. black pepper
· ½ tsp. sea salt
· ¼ tsp. dried oregano
· ¼ tsp. dried basil
· 1/8 tsp. dried rosemary
· 1/8 tsp. dry mustard
· 3 cups chopped broccoli, spinach or asparagus
Throw everything in the slow cooker (except the vegetables) for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Serve with steamed vegetables!
Note: I made a few adjustments. I poured a bunch of organic chicken broth in the bottom of the crock pot and only used a little of the pepperoncini juice—trust me, it gives it plenty of bite!
We served it with steamed broccoli and white rice.
About an hour before our guests arrived, I realized I had no dessert. I grabbed my phone and Googled nondairy desserts. This is seriously the easiest dessert to throw together! I didn’t have any dates in the cupboard (I mean, who does?). It made me think of Amelia Bedelia cutting up the calendar! So I substituted Craisins for the nondairy and chocolate chips for another batch. Yummy!
· 3 ripe bananas
· 2 cups rolled oats
· 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped (again, not my thing!)
· 1/3 cup vegetable oil
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix all together and let bowl sit for 15 minutes. Drop onto cookie sheet and let bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until lightly brown. (from allrecipes.com)
Best part of the evening: spending time with new friends.