I love having the whole family get together. Our youngest and his wife live in Boulder, CO, so we are lucky to get all together twice a year. The only hard part is planning meals for all of us. In our relatively small family we have a gluten sensitivity, a potato allergy and a vegetarian. Even finding a restaurant to cover all that can be a challenge.
As I brainstormed for a vegetarian option for a party, I came across jackfruit. How could a “fruit” taste like pulled pork? The reviews were impressive, so I decided to give it a try. Canned jackfruit may not be easy to find in your regular grocery store, but Trader Joe’s carries it.
I served the Jackfruit “Pulled Pork” at a Sunday afternoon gathering of friends and family. I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce, but next time I’ll try to find a healthier barbecue sauce, as the first ingredient in Sweet Baby Ray’s is high fructose corn syrup. The verdict was positive, so I will definitely try it again. My mother thought it tasted like actual pork. The vegetarians in the group were probably the most enthusiastic. The look and texture is amazingly similar to pulled pork. The cole slaw topping really adds to the flavor, so by all means serve it with your sandwiches.
Jackfruit "Pulled Pork"
Ingredients
- 3 20 oz. cans Green Jackfruit in brine
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
Instructions
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Drain and rinse canned jackfruit. Saute onion, green pepper, garlic and olive oil in a large frying pan until soft. Add drained jackfruit and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker, top with barbecue sauce, and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Shred the jackfruit, then serve on buns with a little cole slaw for garnish.
Give it a try and let me know what you think! Comment below, or continue the discussion over on FACEBOOK
Gluten-free Banana Oatmeal Cookies is one of our favorite family cookie recipes, and originally comes from one of my mom’s sisters. I know, this isn’t a recipe blog, but I do believe healthy treats are a part of overall wellness, and this recipe is great for using up those over-ripe bananas. With a few small tweaks, it becomes a fairly healthy treat. I recommend Namaste Foods Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend. It’s great for substituting in recipes for regular wheat flour. You can find it here: 
You can also use regular flour, if gluten isn’t a problem.
