Weeknight Wonders: Chipotle Pulled Pork with Tangy Mustard Coleslaw

Happy Monday!  I hope you had a lovely Mother's Day weekend.  We did.  On Thursday, we had a cozy dinner with my mom and on Sunday we had a leisurely after-church brunch with Jason's.  Both were lovely!  We got our moms necklaces from Etsy that said "Grandma".  After the baby is born, we can have the baby's name engraved on a separate little charm.  Fun stuff, and I'm so glad they liked them. :)  I was also very surprised to wake up Sunday to find art supplies and flowers waiting for me from Jason.  Fresh brushes, canvas, and an easel... now I can attempt to paint something for our flat. His parents also got me a gorgeous necklace and my brother, Steve, bought me flowers.  I felt very spoiled and very loved.  I really wasn't thinking of this year as my first mother's day, but I guess it really is.

 Sometimes, it's the little, unexpected things that brighten your week. 

And, sometimes, an unexpected ingredient can transform a recipe.  Dr. Pepper is the secret to crock pot pulled pork. I've tried time and time again to cook pork with bbq sauce, and I think it's cause I'm gone for about 9 hours most days, but every stinking time it ends up burned to a crisp.  Even on low.  Dr. Pepper, however, works like a charm. It keeps the pork moist, juicy, and caramelizes during cooking to lend a sweet, rich flavor to the dish.  It really is a bit surprising, but key to this Chipotle Pulled Pork.  This roast takes about 5 minutes of prep time, cooks for 8 hours, and is absolutely delicious.  It makes a great sandwich, although I have made carnitas with the same recipe before. The smoky chipotle pepper really makes this barbecue a whole different animal... It's different from Carolina BBQ or Texas Brisket, but equally delicious.  

I like to serve it with my mom's tangy mustard coleslaw.  I'm not a big fan of coleslaw, but this one is tart, savory, and light, but not sweet, making it the perfect companion for the smoky bbq sandwiches. Enjoy and I hope you had a lovely weekend! 

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weeknight wonders: chipotle shrimp quinoa bowls

Hello there!  Hope you had a great weekend.  We got sushi (mine was cooked), hung out with family and friends, and worked on the nursery.  We are 23 weeks Wednesday!  I can't even believe how fast this pregnancy is going... I feel like our little love will be here before I know it. More on that later though, right now let's talk dinner.  

Health food should taste incredible if at all possible.  I mean, if your going to eat superfoods like kale and quinoa, don't you want it to taste as good as it is for you?  Thankfully this chipotle marinade makes pretty much makes everything taste AMAZING.  Chicken, shrimp, tofu, steak, veggies... you douse it with this stuff and I'll clean my plate every time.   And these clean burrito bowls are chock full of goodness. Quinoa and shrimp are packed with protein. Quinoa, black beans, and corn provide complex carbs.  And, the avocado is a healthy fat that gives the dish that creamy flavor most burrito bowls need dairy for.  And kale is basically a wonder veggie.

It is so nutrient dense, that a small serving goes a long way.  It really doesn't need a side dish or salad to go with it, which makes it a prefect weeknight meal.  It does take a little prep work.  I usually marinade the shrimp the night before, but the whole meal comes together in about 30 minutes.  Perfection.  If seafood isn't your thing, you can sub chicken.  (See the note at the bottom of the recipe.) Enjoy and happy Monday!! 

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thanksgiving sides

Thanksgiving is upon us.  Literally, it's tomorrow!  Do whole months ever just slip away from you? For me, November has been a blur.  We are trying to find a new apartment, my car is in the shop, my social calendar exploded, my kid brother got ENGAGED to the sweetest girl on earth, and I had some adorable photo shoots thrown into the mix.  I really intended to post three or four separate Thanksgiving recipes, but I'm lucky just to get these up prior to the holiday. 

On Turkey day, sides kind of make the meal. The turkey is a given, but the sides allow you togive the meal your own touch.  Are you a green bean casserole kind of a chef or is your touch melt-in-your-mouth mashed potatoes? This year, I wanted to mix things up a bit.  In our family, the turkey, the stuffing, the pumpkin pie are all sacred. Don't even think about changing the recipe, but the vegetables are up for grabs... 

Twice-Baked Chipotle Garlic Sweet Potatoes

These twice baked sweet potatoes have a bit of a kick.  Instead of your average brown sugar crusted sweet potatoes, they are whipped with garlic and chipotle peppers.  AMAZING! And, they are 100% paleo... not that we are paleo on Thanksgiving, but something should be good for you, right?

Tequila-Lime Cranberry Sauce

This boozy dish is not your grandma's cranberry sauce.  Instead of the staple orange cranberry sauce, these cranberries are cooked with tequila, vanilla, and lime juice for a much zestier side. This is something you can make ahead and toss in the fridge too. 

Roasted Acorn Squash with Crispy Parmesan Kale

This recipe combines two of my favorite veggies, acorn squash and kale.  Warm, buttery squash topped with crisp garlicy kale and a touch of parmesan. GLORY!  

Jump for the recipes! And, I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

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