Shhhhh.....

I know. There are days when you just don’t feel like cooking. It’s a hot day or it’s a busy day or it’s just one of THOSE days. Doesn’t matter what the day is, the point is when a day like that comes around it’s good to have something in your arsenal that takes care of YOU, rather than you taking care of it.

You are looking for a dinner recipe that is your friend.

I have one of those. I’m even willing to share it with you. But there is a catch.

You must never, ever tell ANYONE sitting around your table how embarrassingly easy it was to make. If you do, it will unravel the very foundation that is the Secret Recipe Society. An entire underground network of women will essentially crumble into nothingness, leaving moms and wives with no choice but to frantically run about the kitchen, rummaging through cupboards to find something for dinner.

You don’t want to single-handedly be responsible for such a catastrophe, now do you?

Repeat after me: “I solemnly promise to neither admit nor deny the lack of difficulty in making the recipe below. If approached, I promise to skirt the issue completely, using every known tactic to avoid answering any questions. I also promise to accept, whole-heartedly, any accolades that are expressed from the recipients of this meal. I will only share this recipe with those I fully trust to handle the magnitude of responsibility needed to preserve and protect the Secret Recipe Society.”

You know, now I’m questioning whether I should have put this recipe on a public blog site. And who is that repeatedly knocking on my door?

Uh-oh.

Gluten Free Pulled Pork BBQ

1 can of Coke or Pepsi

1 2-lb pork tenderloin

1 bottle of BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory and Brown Sugar)

Place the tenderloin in a slow cooker. Pour the can of soda it. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Drain the liquid from the slow cooker. Shred the pork and return to the slow cooker. Add BBQ sauce and stir to combine.

Chinese Food (My Way)

My husband pretty much gave up gluten-filled foods when I did. He didn’t have to, but that’s just the kind of man he is. Sacrifical. Truth be told, he’s pretty darn wonderful, but don’t tell him that… he might get a big head.

He’ll still have toast or a burger at a restaurant… but at home, he’s pretty much taken up the gluten free lifestyle. It’s made things immensely easier for me. I equate it to trying to quit smoking when your spouse still smokes… temptation around every corner! But if you go on the journey together…

Tim loves Chinese food. He’s a General Tso’s Chicken or Chicken and Broccoli kind of man. I only love one thing on the Chinese take-out menu… pork fried rice.

OK, that’s not entirely true. I am a sucker for Sweet and Sour Chicken. The only problem is that I feel so incredibly guilty ordering deep fried chicken in a sugar-laden sauce that I just can’t bring myself to do it. But, man, is it good.

Since I’m on a roll with confessions, don’t even ask about Orange Chicken… another no-no that I would dream about, but not order. I love it more than S&S Chicken.

I guess I should have said the only thing I will actually eat at a Chinese take-out place is the pork fried rice.

There. It feels better to have that all straightened out.

I gave up the pork fried rice, though, since Chinese take-out places are notorious for cross contamination. Good thing it’s actually pretty easy to make. The one problem is that I don’t keep things like bean sprouts in my house. (Do you?) Also, everyone in our family, with my mom being the only exception, hates peas with a passion. My kids didn’t even like pureed baby food peas! There was much gagging and spitting in our house when baby peas were introduced.

So I came up with an “everyday fried rice”, made up from things I almost always have sitting around the kitchen. It’s not super exotic or fancy, but by jing, it’s pretty darn tasty! When I have a craving for pork fried rice… or when I just want to change things up at dinner… I go for this recipe.

I hope it helps with your Chinese take-out craving, too!

Everyday Pork Fried Rice

2 boneless pork chops

¾ cup gluten free soy sauce (I use Kikkoman), divided

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped

2 Tbsp ketchup

2 cups water

1 ½ cups sticky rice (I use Nishiki)

3 Tbsp veggie or canola oil, divided

1 small onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

3 eggs

1 Tbsp butter

2 cups frozen sugar snap peas

3 hours before cooking:

In a gallon bag or plastic container with lid, mix together ½ cup soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and ketchup. Add the pork chops and coat thoroughly in the marinade. Marinate for 3 hours in the fridge, flipping the chops every so often.

To make fried rice:

Remove chops from the fridge, wipe off any chunks of garlic or ginger and let rest on a plate on the counter for 10 minutes. Heat a sauté pan to medium heat, add 1 Tbsp of oil and pan sear the chops, cooking until no longer pink. Remove from the pan and let meat rest for 15 minutes. Cut into bite size pieces and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, stir the water and sticky rice together. Cook as directed on the package of rice. Set aside.

Cook sugar snap peas according to the package (microwave is easiest since so much is happening on the stovetop). Set aside.

Scramble the eggs in butter in a small sauté pan. Set aside.

While the rice is cooking, in a large sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté until softened. Once softened, add the bite-size pork pieces to the pan. Heat through. At this point, if things seem a little dry, add another tablespoon of oil. Add the rice, scrambled eggs and sugar snap peas. Toss to combine and heat through. Add the remaining ¼ cup soy sauce, a little at a time, to taste. Toss again to combine and heat through.

Serves 4-6 people.