Category: Salad

Detox Salad Bowl with Lemony Dill Sunflower Seed Dressing

Published on by Alissa3 Comments

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I’ve lost my mojo and I just feel lost. I even feel lost in the kitchen. Of all places, that was a place I felt I could always turn to and whip something up full of desire and love and enjoyment. But not lately.

I went three weeks without going to the grocery store. THREE WEEKS. We were down to just a dozen eggs and frozen green beans…. worst omelette ever!

I couldn’t bring myself to go to the store. Even if I had gone, I would have just stared blankly at the isles and probably came home with another dozen eggs. It was the weirdest feeling to open my refrigerator and not have anything fresh in it…and then to not want to immediately drive my sorry little butt to the store or market and stock up on something…ANYTHING!

Roasted Parsnip, Cauliflower, and Fennel Soup / Big Eats Tiny Kitchen

And then a friend asked me a magical question….She asked me to cook with her. Zing. Cook. With. Someone. That was it! I needed a cooking partner! Someone to inspire me!

Her idea was to pick a delicious recipe in one of our old food magazines and to cook it with her in her AMAAAAZING kitchen. So I slowly started reopening and rereading my old dust-collecting magazines. And then slowly but surely, I started getting ideas. I felt my cooking desire was like the Grinch’s heart slooooowly expanding and growing. It just kept growing and growing and growing until I found myself at the farmers market on Saturday buying fennel, golden beets, radishes, arugula, kale….frothing at the mouth at all the herbs!  it was like a veggie frenzy!

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Who knows how all of these vegetables will fit together but I’m feeling mighty salady and detoxy right now. It was great to finally NOT eat eggs for every meal. I whipped up a quick Detox Salad Bowl of fresh spring vegetables and devoured it. Now I’m dreaming and dreaming of the new salads that I can create with my rag tag bunch of vegetables. Maybe I can get out of this funk one recipe at a time.

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Detox Salad Bowl with Lemon-Dill Sunflower Seed Dressing (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Paleo Friendly)

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of greens (spring greens, spinach, kale, arugula, chard, etc)
  • 2 medium carrots, shredded
  • 1 cucumber, sliced thin
  • 1/4 head of red cabbage, sliced thin
  • 1/2 fennel bulb, sliced thin
  • 1 avocado
  • Lemony Dill Sunflower Seed Dressing (recipe below)
    • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
    • 1/2 cup warm water
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
    • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients except avocado into a single large bowl or into separate serving bowls. Slice avocado and distribute evenly among bowls.
  2. In a separate small bowl, combine sunflower seeds and warm water for 10 minutes. Pour soaked sunflower seeds, soaking water, cider vinegar, lemon juice, and dill in the bowl of a food processor or high speed blender. Blend well for about 3 minutes. Makes about 1 cup.
  3. Pour Lemon-Dill Sunflower Seed dressing over salad and enjoy. Place leftover dressing in the refrigerator.

Beet, Fennel, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

Published on by AlissaLeave a comment

Beet, Fennel, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad / Big Eats Tiny Kitchen

Hi. It’s spring…nearly summer. And do you know what that means? VEGGIES! Fresh amazing veggies. They are sprouting up everywhere in my garden. Beets and carrots and spinach and kale and cilantro and cucumbers and tomatoes! I can’t wait.

This weekend I enjoyed renewing my Saturday ritual of going to the Farmer’s Market bright and early and drooling over the produce and transplants that the local farmers had brought.  It makes salad making an adventure. Not your boring ol’ iceberg here…no spring rocket, and baby leaf kale, and beautiful sorel! Throw in some herbs, roasted beets, and avocado…yaaaaa, NOW you have heaven.

Beet, Fennel, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad / Big Eats Tiny Kitchen

Beet, Fennel, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad / Big Eats Tiny Kitchen

Beet, Fennel, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad

Inspired by Pinch of Yum and my Blood Orange and Avocado Salad

Salad Ingredients

  • 1 large beet
  • 1 fennel bulb
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 cups of raw kale, washed, destemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (or spring lettuce mix)
  • 1 grapefruit, peeled and cut into sections
  • 1 cucumber, cut into thin slices
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 cup of crumbled feta

Dressing Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (or lemon juice or lime juice)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice (reserved from cutting up grapefruit for salad)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or with nonstick spray. Wash the beet thoroughly and scrub the outside very well. Remove the top and bottom of the beet. Cut in half and continue to cut up the beet until you obtain even 1-inch cubes. Place into a large bowl and drizzle with about 1/2-tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper. Place beet cubes onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
  2. Wash the fennel bulb thoroughly. Remove the bottom root portion. Slice longways into even 1/4-inch width slices. Place in a clean bowl and drizzle with 1/2-tablesppon of olive and salt and pepper. Place the fennel slices onto the second prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.
  3. When the fennel and beets are done roasting, remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Set aside. Can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and kept refrigerated.
  4. Wash kale and massage with hands in a large bowl. Gently toss in the grapefruit pieces, cucumber, cilantro, and dill.
  5. Combine dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until combined. Just before ready to serve, pour dressing ingredients over the kale, grapefruit, and cucumber. Add roasted beets and fennel and toss all ingredients together gently so as not to stain everything red.
  6. When you are ready to serve the salad, add the avocados and gently combine everything because the avocados will melt and mush quickly into the salad. Top with any additional herbs, walnuts, and feta.

Lime Cilantro Brussels Sprout Slaw

Published on by Alissa1 Comment

Lime Cilantro Brussels Sprout Slaw / Big Eats Tiny Kitchen

We are all getting antsy around here. Am I right? I hate getting taunted with a few days of warm weather, then blasted with too many days of cold. It’s a terrible tease. Tulips are peaking out of the ground. Trees are beginning to bud. Patio weather one day and then fire-place/wool socks/snuggy weather the next. Ugh.

Does anyone else feel a little bipolar weather insanity coming on?  My body and cravings are in a constant state of flux… Sun!!!!! Give me fresh veggies! Give me fresh fruit! More spring greens!!!!

OOOOoooooh wait…clouds? Snow? Blaaaah. Carb me up it’s cold! Where’s the chili? Where’s the chowder? Salad, really???? Why is it not covered in cheese? Helloooo! I like my cupcake handles, thank you very much! Gotta keep some padding on this bod against the polar vortex!

Wait. But NO! Let’s think positive. Let’s all send out SPRING THOUGHTS. (Don’t roll your eyes! I’m trying to quit being so crabby….I said trying, people).

Lime Cilantro Brussels Sprout Slaw / Big Eats Tiny Kitchen

Lime Cilantro Brussels Sprout Slaw / Big Eats Tiny Kitchen

Wish for camping. Wish for tulips. Wish for gardening. Wish for the smell of grills. Wish for the sound of neighbors chatting with each other. Wish that your lawn will mow itself (get a goat). Wish that those cupcake handles will magically disappear once bathing suite season rears its ugly head (or maybe swimming t-shirts will come back in style).

Lime Cilantro Brussels Sprout Slaw / Big Eats Tiny Kitchen

As you send out your good vibes into the world, here is my positive food vibe. I used one of my fave winter veggies, brussels sprouts, to make a springy slaw! Lime and cilantro pump this puppy up another notch. Red cabbage makes this a total beauty to serve.  Oh ya, give me a badge! Healthy and Hawt!

Personally, I love this slaw on my fish tacos. Mmmmmm….recipe to come later. So put down the carbs and chili for just a few minutes and try to get a positive spring mind.

Maybe if we all think positive, spring will finally move in for good. But summer will stay asleep for a loooong time.

Lime Cilantro Brussels Sprout Slaw / Big Eats Tiny Kitchen

Lime Cilantro Brussels Sprout Slaw

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb medium-sized brussels sprouts, ends trimmed
  • 1/2 head small red cabbage
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 green onion, white and green parts sliced
  • juice of 1 large lime (about 2 to 3 tablespoons)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Remove any brown or spotted out leaves of the sprouts. The sprouts can be shredded several different methods: shredded in a food processor (using the slicing blade), sliced as thin as possible using a good knife, or using a mandolin slicer. Place in a large bowl.
  2. Shred half of a head of small red cabbage or slice as thin as possible. Add the shredded cabbage, cilantro, and green onions to the large bowl.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, salt, and olive oil together. Pour dressing over shredded veggies. Toss and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to distribute the dressing. Eat up!

Miso Harissa Roasted Butternut Squash and Beets with Kale

Published on by Alissa2 Comments

Miso-Harissa Roasted butternut squash and beets

I spent last week in the great city of Omaha for a new project at work. There is something amazing about being able to get out of the office and work with my hands, learn new things, meet new people, and wear my favorite boots…steal-toed boots. Ya, that’s right. Grrrrr!

Miso-Harissa Roasted butternut squash and beets

My biggest problem of being on the road is trying to eat well. Seriously, you put big plates of food, and booze, and fries in front of my face and I will inhale them! You’d think that I was a ranch hand or a growing teen boy from Nebraska. I tried to order grilled salmon and salads whenever I could, but…. oh fries…and ketchup…and breweries!

Miso-Harissa Roasted butternut squash and beets

Needless to say, my body and belly are thankful to be home, eating more wholesome foods and detoxing. To help with the wholesomeness, I roasted a butternut squash and beets with a miso-harissa dressing. Toss the roasted veggies with some fresh kale and extra dressing, and that, my friends, is a bowl-full of healing greens!

Miso-Harissa Roasted butternut squash and beets

Miso Harissa Roasted Butternut Squash and Beets with Kale (adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

Ingredients

  • 1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 3 medium-sized beets, scrubbed, stems removed, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons white miso paste
  • 1 Tablespoon harissa paste
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 bunch of kale, washed and destemmed

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a shallow roasting pan and set aside.
  2. Whisk together olive oil, miso paste, harissa paste, lemon juice, cumin, and honey in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, combine the cubed butternut squash and the cubed beets with 1/3 cup of the miso-harissa mixture. Once the cubed vegetables are well coated, spread evenly on the roasting pan in a single layer. Roast the vegetables for 30 to 40 minutes at 400 F, stirring halfway through. Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven.
  3. Chop the washed and destemmed kale into 1-inch pieces. Place the kale into a large bowl and stir the remaining miso-harissa mixture into the kale until it is well coated. Add the warm roasted vegetables to the kale.

Kale Salad with Roasted Corn and Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

Published on by Alissa2 Comments

Kale Salad with Roasted Corn and Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Fall is rolling in so wonderfully. But I still have some end of summer garden goodies to go through. This salad is a culmination of everything that the end of summer has to offer….corn, cucumber, tomatoes, kale, cilantro! It’s all here and ready to punch your taste buds and use up any great garden overflow.

This your last chance. Get it in before pumpkins take us all over! I may be a little late for some of you. Ya, I see your Pinterest pages devoted to pumpkin everything…. yes, I too am salivating. But I have to slip this one last salad in here before we all turn orange and spiced and everything nice.

Kale Salad with Roasted Corn and Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

If you are a part of the lucky few to still have sweet corn, I have a super easy peasy way to roast it…do it on your gas burner on your stove. Have electric oven? Never fear…stick those shucked ears into the oven under a broiler. Ooooh! But keep an eye on them or else you’ll end up with popcorn in your oven.

Kale Salad with Roasted Corn and Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Kale Salad with Roasted Corn and Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

This salad is also brightened up with one of my favorite herbs, cilantro. The Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette is based on this amazing recipe from Closet Cooking.  You can use this vinaigrette on anything…shrimp, delicate squash, kale, maybe even pumpkin, but also your finger…anything. So give all of those lingering veggies a home and place them in a bountiful bowlful of love. And please, resist the urge to dump pumpkin in here…for just a few more days!

Kale Salad with Roasted Corn and Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

Kale Salad Ingredients

  • 1 bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves cut into 1-inch strips
  • 1 medium tomato, or 2 small heirloom tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cucumber, chopped
  • 2 ears of sweet corn, shucked
  • 1/2 red onion, cut into thin slivers
  • 1/2 cup of cilantro leaves

Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and stems
  • juice of 2 large limes (about 1/4 cup)
  • zest of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash and remove the stems from the kale. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Place into a bowl and gently massage the kale (yes, massage it), until the bright green leaves start to turn dark green. I promise, it will taste better. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and set aside.
  2. Place shucked ears of corn either directly onto a gas burner on your stove (as shown on the picture), or onto a hot grill, or under a broiler.  Watch carefully, and turn every few minutes until all sides are sufficiently charred and roasted to your liking. Cut kernels from the cob. To do this, rest the ear firmly in a bowl or on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut from stem to tip. Make sure to not cut into the cob.
  3. Toss the roasted corn kernels, diced tomatoes, cucumber, and onion into the bowl of kale.
  4. Place all ingredients for the dressing into a bowl of a food processor and blend well. Drizzle the dressing on top of the kale salad. You will likely only need part of the dressing. Toss until all of the salad is covered. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Mix the salad again just before serving. You may need to top it off with reserved dressing. Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.

Strawberry and Cucumber Ribbon Salad

Published on by Alissa3 Comments

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My husband pulled the trigger this week. Four years of waffling on my end.  But he just woke up one morning this week and decided it was time. He jumped in and started pulling up the 85 layers of laminate and tile and fiber board that covered our kitchen floors. Good thing he stopped just before hitting the asbestos tile. What a man!

He sent me pictures of the destruction while I was at work. Needless to say I was shocked. And then kind of excited. But then it hit me…

“Wait… You JUST did this???? Are you kidding??? No stove? No fridge? No floor?  Is that asbestos? Are you dying? Is that a respirator? Are you drinking water???? Don’t eat the floor! Don’t die on me.”

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I guess this means I’m GETTING A FLOOR!

What do you eat when you don’t have a kitchen and your garden is going gangbusters with cucumbers? Cucumber salad!

Let’s get fancy….cucumber ribbon salad! Oooooh gurrrrl!  Ya, I did it. I used a vegetable peeler for something besides collecting dust in my kitchen utensil crap drawer. Boom!

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I also threw some fresh strawberries, basil, mint, and feta into the mix. Personally, I think the fresh herbs and feta really bring this dish together. I also drizzled a little bit of good balsamic vinegar on top. This has been my go to lunch of choice this week. Summer in a bowl!

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This also is a perfect picnic salad! Because I’m basically picnicking every meal until our kitchen floor installation is complete.

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Strawberry and Cucumber Ribbon Salad

Makes 4 side salads or 2 large salads

Ingredients

  • 2 medium cucumbers
  • 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
  • 2 to 3 Tablespoons crumbled feta
  • 2 to 3 Tablespoons fresh mint and/or basil, slivered
  • 1 to 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  1. Using a vegetable peeler or or mandolin slicer, cut the cucumber lengthwise into long thin ribbons. Stop before you get to the seeds.
  2. Place cucumber ribbons in a bowl with sliced strawberries, crumbled feta, basil, and mint. Drizzle with good balsamic vinegar when ready to serve.

Steak with Grilled Zucchini and Herb Salad

Published on by AlissaLeave a comment

So I am incredibly proud right now. I have to admit something to you.  I painted my kitchen!

Wait wait wait…Before I gloat, it should be known that I am the worlds worst at picking out paint colors. I have a near panic attack in the paint aisle with ALL OF THOSE STUPID COLORS. Names like “pony tail”, “mushroom mist”, “crisp dawn”, “twilight foxtail”….what?  Who comes up with these names for Pete’s sake!

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I swear I am partially color blind (is that a thing?). Or maybe I’m just terrible with colors. My wardrobe proves it. And I can’t decide on things. I have had paint swatches on a wall for months and months before. I have left painter’s tape in the hallway for nearly a year because I couldn’t pick a stupid paint color! Ugh. And when I do pick one, finally, I hate it. It either resembles a cardboard box, or a hospital, or baby blue boys room, or a 1980s doctor’s office. Seriously…I suck at this.  Well until yesterday!

I stand before you…well, I type before you today as a new woman! A woman who PICKED THE PERFECT GRAY PAINT! ya…GRAY. That is a bitch of a color, can I say. It’s either a purple gray, or a blue-gray, or a brown gray….blah! I just want gray.  And I did it…first try. Well…ok, with the help of my hubby. But honestly, we went in the paint store in the morning and looked at the colors.  We pointed at a color. Paint dude mixed it up. We went home and we completely repainted the kitchen cabinets in a day! A day! I have a new kitchen now…white walls instead of blue. Gray lower cabinets and the cutest farm hutch that I repainted in a bright turquoise. Totally urban farmhouse. I just have to redo the floors. Once it is all put back together I will post picks! High five to me and my man.

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But in the mean time, here is a simple farm salad that is easy peasy to throw together (even when your kitchen is in shambles from remod stuff). Fresh greens from the garden mixed with those fresh herbs that are so bountiful right now.  Top it with grilled steak and a fresh vinaigrette. Dinner in under 20 minutes. That includes the time to go pick your fresh veggies, if you are so lucky to have a garden. And even if you don’t have a back yard, you can easily grow these herbs and a salad mix in containers.  Try it!

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Steak with Grilled Zucchini and Herb Salad  (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup olive oil plus 1 tablespoon
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 1 lb hanger or skirt steak
  • 4 cups of arugula or fresh salad mix
  • 2 cups (packed) assorted fresh herb leaves (such as basil, mint, chives, parsley, cilantro)
  • salt, pepper, and smoked paprika or Piment D’Espelette to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine white wine vinegar and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil until well combined. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Brush zucchini with remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning often, until tender and charred in spots, 5 minutes on each side (watch carefully to not burn). Set aside and allow to cool.
  3. Next season steak with salt and fresh cracked pepper on both sides. Grill 5–7 minutes per side for hanger steak (medium-rare) or, for skirt steak (which is thinner), about only 2 minutes per side. Let rest for about 5 minutes.  Then thinly slice against the grain.
  4. Toss arugula (or fresh salad mix), herbs, grilled zucchini, steak, and reserved vinaigrette in a medium bowl. Season with smoked paprika (or if you are lucky enough to have piment d’espelette), salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Blood Orange and Avocado Salad

Published on by Alissa6 Comments

I like simple things….

t-shirt and jeans…

a warm day in the middle of a cold spell…

a hug after a long day…

and winter citrus! 

Winter citrus is an anomaly to me: bright and flavorful fruits that are at their peak when everything else is dormant.  I can’t seem to get enough grapefruit, Meyer lemons, clementines, oranges, and especially blood oranges!  Have you had a blood orange? Eating them is like a secret escape to my own tropical island. Where’s my mai tai? Where’s my pool?  Where’s my hammock????

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The salad I made is adapted from Alice Water’s amazing avocado and grapefruit salad from her-must have cookbook The Art of Simple Food.  A girlfriend of mine had this cookbook and I poured over it every time I was at her house. And then I received a copy for my birthday!!!  The recipes are so simple and so flavorful.

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I swapped blood oranges in for the grapefruit and served it over a bed of mixed greens. Using blood oranges makes me feel like I just bedazzled my salad.  I whipped this up for a quick lunch and took it to work, eating with some leftover salmon. It totally made feel like I was on vacation in the tropics and not sitting inside an office cage in the middle of winter peering out a tiny jail-sized window. Womp womp.

Hrmmm….note to self…get a hammock for my office….and more winter citrus!

Blood Orange and Avocado Salad (adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters)

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

  • 4 to 6 cups of mixed salad greens, washed and dried
  • 2 Blood oranges
  • 1 Avocado
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Divide the salad greens evenly among four plates.
  2. With a sharp knife, peel the rind from the blood oranges down to the flesh. Slice in thin rounds. Divide the orange slices evenly among four plates.
  3. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Sprinkle the inside lightly with salt. Inside the skin, slice the avocados in 1/4-inch slices. Carefully scoop from skin and divide the avocado slices evenly among the four plates.
  4. In a small lidded jar, add vinegar and olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper. Shake well. Drizzle the vinaigrette lightly over each salad. Store leftover vinaigrette in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Slow Cooker Carnitas (Pulled Pork)

Published on by Alissa7 Comments

Is it just me or is there a juice frenzy going on?  I feel like everywhere I look and read online, everyone has caught the “juicing” bug.   Get the tiger juice master…juice your veggies…green juice…orange juice…juice your juice.

Not me….I personally like to CHEW my food.  Isn’t that what these chompers called teeth are for? chewing? masticating? gnawing?

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So if you are into chewing your food, then you will totally be into these carnitas (mexican-style pulled pork).  But it is the good kind of chewing. I’m not talking about chewing through leather, my friends. I’m talking about chewing tender and juicy fall-apart pork. USE THOSE BEAUTIFUL TEETH!

Want to please a crowd? Serve pulled pork. You’ll be a hero. They’ll write legends about you.  And even better…make it in your handy dandy crockpot.  Win win.  Throw in the roast in the morning…come home to drool-worthy smells.  It’s so versatile.  You can make tacos or taco salad bowls or bbq pulled pork or sliders or add it to chili or even mix it into scrambled eggs for breakfast. 

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Even if you don’t need to feed a crowd, slow cooking a 4 to 5 lb pork roast will give you dinner options for the full week. Or call me and I’ll be over pronto for dinner. I’ll be your best friend. F-o-r-e-v-e-r!  Hear the crowd roar!  

You may be asking, “But carnitas typically have crisp edges!?!” “How do you get that in a slow cooker?” Oh honey… Easy Peasy!  Just before serving, finish the shredded pork roast under a broiler or high temp oven to get the crisp edges that we love so much.  Ya. This is a little trick that Cook’s Illustrated uses. Those people are geniuses!

You can even freeze the leftovers in small portions for later use.  Quick lunch or quick dinner options right at your awesome finger tips! You will never lose.  See…you are a hero!

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Slow Cooker Carnitas (Pulled Pork) 

Recipe adapted from Gimme Some Oven and Bon Appetit.

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Ingredients:

  • 4 to 5 lbs boneless pork roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 1 Tablespoon chipotle powder (or 1 chipotle in adobo sauce)
  • 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 cup of chicken broth (low sodium)

Instructions

  1. Toss pork in bowl of slow cooker with spices (chipotle powder through black pepper) to coat. Place onion pieces on top of cubed pork. Pour lime juice and chicken broth on top. Cover slow cooker.  Cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours, or until meat is very tender and falling apart.
  2. Now for the crispy edges. Once the pork is cooked, preheat your broiler to high heat.  Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Set aside.
  3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork from the slow cooker to a cutting board.   RESERVE THAT BROTH!!!! Use a fork or fingers to shred the pork into bite-sized pieces. Transfer the shredded pork to the prepared baking sheets, spreading it out evenly in a single layer.
  4. Broil one sheet at a time for about 5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin crisping up. Remove the sheet from the oven and use tongs to carefully toss the pork. Ladle some of the reserved broth (about 1/4 of a cup) over the pork. Return to the oven and broil an additional 5 minutes to finish the crisping processes.  Pull from oven. Repeat this process with the second pan.
  5. Transfer crisp carnitas to a platter and ladle more reserved juice on top.  For taco bowls, serve with avocado slices, cilantro sprigs, fresh lettuce, jalapeños, fresh salsa, and sliced red bell peppers, if desired.

Kale Salad with Cranberries, Pecans, and Roasted Apples

Published on by Alissa4 Comments

I’m drowning. Drowning in recipes and ideas and drooling over too many food photos. I can’t decide what to make for Thanksgiving. I want to make tooooo much.

How about sweet potatoes…..or sweet potato casserole, or sweet potato and chard gratin, or sweet potatoes with bourbon glaze. No…I’ll make a gluten free apple pie, or an apple crisp….or baked apples….or Ack…wait… look at these chocolate-caramel tartlettes.

OK…something green….. like green beans, green beans with miso and almonds, or roasted brussel sprouts, or….. *SNAP* And then my brain just…shuts….down. Stops.

And then I end up thinking…well, hell…I guess I’ll just make a salad.

But this just isn’t any salad, people. It’s a celebration. A Kale Party!  Ya…I know no one thinks of a party when you say “YAY KALE”. Except me. And well, maybe my friend Kathryn.

This kale party in a bowl salad is adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. Another winning recipe from this amazing compilation from Deb.  She uses cherries where I used cranberries that I had on hand. I also added roasted apples and toasted pecans for autumnal festiveness. Dig in….

Kale Salad with Cranberries, Pecans, and Roasted Apples

Serves 6 to 8

Kale Salad Ingredients

  • 1 bunch of kale, washed and dried, stalks removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries (or cherries)
  • 1/4 cup raw pecans, chopped
  • 1 medium apple, cored and sliced thin

Honey Dijon Dressing Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Place apple slices on half of a roasting pan. On the other side of the pan, place the chopped pecans. Roast for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and stir. Place back in oven for an additional 5 minutes, keeping an eye on the pecans to make sure that they don’t burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
  2. Meanwhile, place torn kale leaves in a medium to large serving bowl. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and gently massage the kale until it begins to break down a bit.  Add the dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and roasted apples. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. For the honey dijon dressing,  add the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and honey to a small mason jar with a lid. Shake the jar vigorously.  Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad.  Toss everything together to coat everything in dressing.  Although you can eat the salad immediately, I let mine rest for at least 20 minutes, allowing the leaves to become even more tender.  This salad is great for make ahead events!