Apple Sauce and Date Pork Roast

I am not a big fan of pork to be honest with you.  There is something about the sweetness of the meat that I don't really like.  Other than bacon, I definitely prefer beef or chicken.  A few months ago we ordered a side of pork from Spragg's Meat Shop and it came with a variety of pork cuts.  After a few months of trying different pork recipes, including brining pork chops, the last cut left in our freezer was a picnic roast.  I had no idea what it was! I knew that low and slow would likely lead to the best result.  I did not think I was capable enough to cook it in the oven; I am not too sure about the right temperature and how to get a crispy outside but moist inside.  I decided my best bet was to cook it in my Crock pot.  After pulling it out of the pantry, dusting it off, I managed to cook something decent. It is not pretty to look at, but it is pretty tasty. 

If you want a great bone-in pork chop, visit The District in Calgary.  Their food is locally grown and purchased from farms all across Alberta.

Apple Sauce and Date Pork Roast

3 lbs. Picnic Roast (or pork shoulder)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup organic apple sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup dijon mustard
1/8 cup unpasteurized honey
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
8-10 dates, diced

Combine all the sauce ingredients in your slow cooker.  Stir until mixed well.  Place the picnic roast with the fatty side up.  Take some of the sauce and coat the top of the roast with it.  Set your slow cooker to 6-8 hours (preferably a lower temperature).  When it is fully cooked, the meat should shred off the bone. 

Kale and Apple Salad

It has been almost a month since I posted a recipe - must be the post-Christmas lull...

Here is a recipe for a delicious salad that includes kale.  I've always sauteed or baked my kale. On New Year's Eve, one of my mom's friend's brought a kale salad with blue cheese and I sat there investigating every single ingredient.  It was so good!  I asked her a few questions and pondered how I could make it better.  Here is the result of my pondering:

Kale and Apple Salad

Dressing

1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup lemon juice
1-2 tsp. honey

Whisk together and set aside.

Salad Ingredients

1 bunch of kale (washed, center ribs and stems removed, leaves thinly sliced crosswise)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 apple pear diced (or granny smith)
1/4 cup dried cranberries or blueberries
1/4 toasted almond
1/4 crumbled goat cheese

Place the sliced kale in a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt.  Gently massage the salt into the kale until it turns a darker green and is softened. In a small bowl, place the diced apple and the dressing, tossing to coat.  This will stop the apple from turning brown.  Add the apple dressing mixture, cranberries, and almonds to the kale.  Toss the salad together.  Crumble the goat cheese on top.

*This salad will keep in the fridge for about 5 days.  It actually tastes better after a day or two!