Slow Cooker Carnitas

Photo: Recipe Tin Eats

Mexican food that’s great now and later? (It can be frozen). Si, por favor.

Ingredients

• 2 kg / 4 lb pork shoulder (pork butt), skinless, boneless (5lb/2.5kg bone-in)

• 2 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 jalapeno, deseeded, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3/4 cup juice from orange

RUB

• 1 tbsp dried oregano

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

• Rinse and dry the pork shoulder, rub all over with salt and pepper.

• Combine the rub ingredients then rub all over the pork.

• Place the pork in a slow cooker (fat cap up), top with the onion, jalapeño, minced garlic (don't worry about spreading it) and squeeze over the juice of the oranges.

• Slow Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 7 hours.

• Pork should be tender enough to shred. Remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly. Then shred using two forks.

• Optional: Skim off the fat from the juices remaining in the slow cooker and discard.

• If you have a lot more than 2 cups of juice, then reduce it down to about 2 cups. The liquid will be salty, it is the seasoning for the pork. Set liquid aside - don't bother straining onion etc, it's super soft.

TO CRISP:

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large non stick pan or well seasoned skillet over high heat. Spread pork in the pan, drizzle over some juices. Wait until the juices evaporate and the bottom side is golden brown and crusty. Turn and just briefly sear the other side - you don't want to make it brown all over because then it's too crispy, need tender juicy bits.

• Remove pork from skillet. Repeat in batches (takes me 4 batches) - don't crowd the pan.

• Just before serving, drizzle over more juices and serve hot, stuffed in tacos (see notes for sides, other serving suggestions and storage/make ahead).

The recipe is courtesy of Nagi over at Recipe Tin Eats. We’re not trying to claim we came up with it (like we’re that talented)! We’re simply sharing her good work. There are great tips (what to serve alongside your carnitas) and tricks (like what cut of meat to buy), etc. on the original recipe if you’d like to check that out.

Peanut Chicken Protein Bowl

PHOTO: DELISH/JULIA GARTLAND; FOOD STYLING: BARRETT WASHBURNE

Summer weeknight meals made easy.

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2" cubes

• 1 large red onion, finely chopped

• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

• 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped

• Juice of 1 lime

• 2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter

• 1 Tbsp. honey

• 1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce

• 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil

• 4 c. cooked brown rice

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

• 2 c. baby spinach

• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. On a large baking sheet, toss potatoes and onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season chicken with garlic powder, ginger, salt, and pepper. Cook chicken, turning occasionally, until golden and no longer pink, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes, then thinly slice.

3. In a small bowl, whisk garlic, lime juice, peanut butter, honey, and soy sauce until combined. Whisk in sesame oil and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil until smooth.

4. Divide rice among bowls. Top with potato mixture, chicken, avocado, and spinach. Sprinkle with cilantro and sesame seeds. Drizzle with dressing.

Delish always has the best recipes. You can find tips and tricks for this recipe here and more delicious dishes on the website.

One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli

Photo: Unsplash

20 minutes to dinner destiny.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• 6 medium cloves garlic, sliced, divided

• 4 cups small broccoli florets

• ½ cup diced red bell pepper

• ½ teaspoon salt, divided

• ½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided

• 1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (21-30 count)

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat.

2. Add half the garlic and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add broccoli, bell pepper and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

3. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice and adding 1 tablespoon water if the pot is too dry until the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

4. Increase heat to medium-high and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot. Add the remaining garlic and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute.

5. Add shrimp and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until the shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Return the broccoli mixture to the pot along with lemon juice and stir to combine.

7. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice. Or serve with a side salad.

Thanks to Eating Well for this delicious dish that’s in the dinner table rotation.

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings - 2 Ways To Prepare

You spoke, and we heard you - cauliflower wings are the way to go.

We have two fan-favorite recipes that’ll make your mouth water. Your vegan and meat-eating friends alike will look forward to your draft day party.

Cauliflower Wings

(Gluten Free, Vegan and Whole 30 approved)

Ingredients

• 1 cup superfine almond flour

• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (can use any milk)

• 1 tsp onion salt

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• 4 cups cauliflower florets, approx.. 1 medium cauliflower

• ½ cup buffalo sauce (we love Frank’s)

• 1 Tbsp vegan butter (can sub with ghee if not dairy-free for Whole30)

Instructions

1. Cut the cauliflower into pieces. Remove most of the stem and chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.

3. Make the batter: In a large bowl, combine almond flour, almond milk, onion salt, garlic powder and paprika in a bowl and mix until smooth.

4. Add the cauliflower florets to the mixture and toss to coat.

5. Place florets in a single layer on a baking sheet.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, flipping halfway through.

7. Make the buffalo sauce: Meanwhile, mix the hot sauce & melted vegan butter/ghee together in a bowl.

8. Pour the buffalo sauce evenly over the cauliflower & toss to coat.

9. Bake again for an additional 10 minutes or until crispy and just starting to brown

Recipe Notes

Feel free to add other spices you like. You can also use crushed grain-free crackers or crushed pork rinds if you are not plant-based.

Check out the recipe, including the handy dandy serving size adjuster on Life Made Sweeter.

Good old fashioned cauliflower wings

Note: not gluten free because of the all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon pepper

• ¾ cup milk or milk alternative

• 1 head cauliflower

• ¼ cup buffalo sauce or hot sauce

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, add the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and milk, and stir until well-combined.

3. Break the head of cauliflower into florets, about 1½-inches wide. Add the cauliflower florets to the batter, making sure each piece is evenly coated. Arrange the coated cauliflower on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the buffalo sauce, coconut oil, and honey and stir until evenly combined. Brush the buffalo sauce mixture on the cauliflower and bake for another 20 minutes.

5. Enjoy!

This recipe is a favorite of a few of our fans who wrote in so thank you to Tasty.co for your brilliance.

Disclaimer: We’re not trying to claim we came up with these recipes (like we’re that talented)! We’re simply sharing their good work. Check out the original recipes (linked above) for great modifications, tips and tricks, etc.

Healthified Chick-Fil-A Nuggets

Photo: Unsplash

Everyone’s favorite nuggets done right.

For the Paleo Chicken Nuggets:

• 2 chicken breasts

• ½ cup pickle juice

• ½ cup almond flour

• ¼ cup tapioca starch (can also be subbed for arrowroot for a similar outcome)

• 2 tbsp coconut flour

• 2 eggs

• 1 tbsp water

• 2-4 tbsps avocado oil (or one with a similar smoke point)

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp salt

For the Chick-fil-A Inspired Dipping Sauce:

• ½ cup mayo

• 3 tbsp yellow mustard

• ¼ cup barbecue sauce

• ¼ cup honey (omit or sub with date paste for Whole30)

• Small pinch of salt

Directions:

For the Healthy Chick-fil-A Nuggets:

• Cut chicken breast into 1” nuggets and add to a Ziploc bag with the pickle juice. Let marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or up to overnight (If you’re in a pinch, 30 minutes will work too)

• While the chicken is marinating, work on the dipping sauce. Mix together the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, barbecue sauce, and honey. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Store in an airtight jar and refrigerate until using.

• Set up a dredging station for your chicken.

• In a shallow bowl, whisk together the egg and water until frothy.

• In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together the almond flour, tapioca starch, coconut flour, garlic powder, pepper, smoked paprika, and ¼ tsp salt.

• Dip the chicken pieces individually into the beaten eggs.

• Transfer to the flour mixture to coat. Squeeze the nuggets a bit to get the breading to stick, then coat in the flour mixture again.

• Place the coated chicken pieces onto a plate and set aside until all chicken has been coated.

• Heat 2-4 tbsps of oil to a large skillet on medium. It should be enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

• Add the chicken nuggets to the pan in batches to ensure not to crowd the pan.

• Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside and season immediately with a pinch of salt.

• Continue cooking in batches until all chicken is done.

• Serve with the dipping sauce and enjoy!

The recipe is courtesy of Rockin’ Meals. We’re not trying to claim we came up with it (like we’re that talented)! We’re simply sharing her good work. There are great tips (like buying the right flour, adjusting serving sizes) and tricks (like paleo-friendly flour burns faster than regular flour), etc. on the original recipe if you’d like to check that out.

Butternut Squash Soup

Photo: Unsplash

This soup is best served snuggled up under a blanket with a side of football.

Ingredients

• 1 (2.5-3 lb) butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1 ½ inch cubed (buy it already cubed at the grocery store to save time)

• 1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered

• 2 sweet apples, (fuji, gala, honeycrisp), cored & sliced

• 8 garlic cloves

• 3 sprigs thyme

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 1 ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

• ½ cup heavy cream (or coconut cream if you are vegan or whole30)

• Pepitas (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400°F.

2. Place the cubed squash, onions (separate the layers), apple slices, garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle veggies with olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

3. Roast 30-40 minutes until squash is fork tender.

4. Transfer all the roasted veggies (discard the stem from the thyme) along with the cream to your blender. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and secure the lid.

5. Turn the blender on and slowly increase to the highest speed. Blend for 5-6 minutes or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid. Serve immediately.

Thanks to Modern Proper for this recipe.

Easy Fall Off The Bone BBQ Ribs

Photo: Unsplash

These are so easy but no one will have any idea since they taste like you’re a barbecue champion-level chef.

Ingredients

• One rack of pork baby back ribs

• Juice of one lemon

• 1/4 cup dry rub (your own or Jenny’s recipe). If you want to prep them gluten-free, make sure to check the ingredients in your dry rub before using.

• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (your own or Jenny’s recipe) Make sure to check your barbeque sauce if you’re prepping these for a keto/paleo or Whole30 diet.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300° F.

2. Remove excess fat from ribs. Peel the silver skin off the back of the ribs - lift with a sharp knife and grab with a paper towel to remove.

3. Cut ribs apart into individual pieces.

4. Rub ribs all over with lemon juice.

5. Coat ribs with a dry rub. Place meat side down in a large baking pan, & cover tightly with foil, shiny side out.

6. Bake in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.

7. Remove from oven & pour off liquid.

8. Brush bbq sauce over all sides of ribs.

9. Grill: To finish ribs on the grill, remove from the pan and place ribs on the grill (I use a basket over direct but low heat) basting and turning a few times for about 10 minutes.

10. Oven: To finish ribs in the oven, set oven to broil and return ribs to the same middle oven rack, uncovered, basting and broiling about 5 minutes per side, watching so they don’t burn. They will be so tender, so it’s best to turn them using gloved hands. (If foil starts to burn, transfer ribs to a clean sheet of foil for broiling)

This recipe is courtesy of Jenny Can Cook. We scoured a bunch of recipes and this one seemed to be the most straightforward and simple. Enjoy!

PS: Prefer beef ribs? She has a recipe for that too.

Simple Tips For A Quick Meal

Photo: Unsplash

The need for speed isn’t reserved only for Tom Cruise. A true talent is the ability to throw together a dinner (that’s not cereal) that people will actually want to eat.

Here are some of our favorite tips to make your life easier:

• Use frozen fish sticks for fish tacos vs. breading and baking/frying the fish yourself. 

• Double a recipe and freeze the leftovers. The night before, put the frozen portion in the refrigerator so it’s ready to go when you get home after work. You can even order an extra pizza on takeout night, put it in the freezer and then reheat it in your oven later. 

• Use what you have for a “kitchen sink” dinner like stir fry or this thai curry. 

• Wash and prep your veggies, etc when you get home from the store to save prep time on weeknights. 

• Your broiler is your BFF. From English muffin pizzas to quick quesadillas to fast-cooking fish, a thin cut will cook quickly without burning. 

• Keep your pantry stocked with the essentials like beans, rice, pasta and canned tomatoes for quick dinners. (Full list here).  

• Invest in a pressure cooker that can have dinner ready in under 30 minutes or a slow cooker where you can toss everything in before work and it’ll be ready when you get home.