How many times have you come home wishing dinner was ready?  Using the crock pot is a great way to have an awesome meal waiting for you when you get home.  I’ll have to say that we joke about cooking meals in the crock pot.  I have about a 50% chance of having a meal turn out great or not so great.  Luckily, even when it has turned not so great it was still edible.  My biggest problem was either the meat was too dry or not flavorful enough.

I came across this Asian Pork crockpot recipe while browsing “Holly Would If She Could” blog.  Right away I knew I had to try it. The recipe had two of my favorite ingredients: pork and soy sauce.  The recipe itself was pretty easy.  I followed her suggestions for alternative ingredients.  I used peanut butter instead of almond butter.  I used tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.  I was skeptical at the amount of liquid in the crockpot, but decided to follow the instructions.  Good thing too, because it turned out perfect.  I would not change a thing.  The pork came out very juicy and perfectly seasoned.

For a side dish, I pan seared asparagus with olive oil, lemon juice, fresh garlic and salt and pepper.  After cutting about an inch off the bottom of each stalk, I put them in the pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil.  Sprinkle salt and pepper, add the minced garlic and squeeze half of a lemon.  Place the other half of the lemon face down in the pan while the asparagus cooks.  I like my asparagus crispy, so I keep an eye on it until it turns bright green.  If you like yours tender, then leave it in the pan longer.  Just remember that asparagus will continue to cook for a few minutes after it has been removed from the heat.

Was your favorite way to prepare pork?

Is asparagus allowed in your house?

How often do you use your crockpot?