Easy Sunday Roast - Paleo, Keto, Low Carb

It's that time of year, even here in Southern California, where a big bowl of hearty and tender roast and root vegetables just hits the spot. I usually make mine in the slow cooker so I can set it and forget it. Doing it this way makes it easy so you can make it any day of the week and come home to a wonderful meal.  But there's something about Sundays and pot roasts that just seem to fit cozily together, so I often make these on the weekend with enough left over to have during the week, too. I like to use the leftover roast to make sandwiches (using my zero net carb Keto Collagen Bread), or tacos usually using jicama tortillas or something grain and gluten free for the shells.

The roast makes its own juices which is flavored perfectly by the veggies and a few simple herbs and seasonings. I recommend using the best quality beef that is available to you (grass-fed, humanely raised, hormone and antibiotic free, local if possible, etc.). This way the beef, as well as the fat and juices are better for you.

Easy Sunday Roast
serves 6-8 with leftovers for round-two meals

3-4 lb grass-fed beef chuck roast
3-4 large organic carrots, cut into small chunks
1 large bunch of organic celery, diced
1/2 organic white or yellow onion, chopped
4 stems fresh organic thyme*
3-4 stems fresh organic oregano*
2 teaspoons organic onion powder
2 teaspoons organic garlic powder
2 teaspoons Himalayan pink salt

Place everything in a slow cooker set to low, cover and cook for 8 hours or until roast is fall apart tender. Finish with flaky sea salt to taste and a garnish of fresh oregano.

You do not need to add any water or anything to your slow cooker as the roast will develop its own juices. However, if desired, you may wish to add a small amount of good quality oil, ghee or butter, if your roast is extra lean.

*To make it easier to remove the stems from the thyme and oregano, you may tie them together in a bunch using kitchen twine, then place in the slow cooker. When it's done you can easily remove and discard what's left of the bunch.

Easy Two Ingredient Slow Cooker Carnitas

Easy Two Ingredient Slow Cooker Carnitas over Sweet Potato

It really, seriously doesn't get any easier than this one. Put these two things in your slow cooker, let it go all day and dinner is ready when you get home from work: 1) pork shoulder/pork butt roast, 2) your favorite taco seasoning packet. I use Simply Organic "Spicy Taco" Seasoning Mix - it's fabulously full of flavor, not too spicy in my opinion, gluten free and organic. You can most likely find it at your local market or use the link I provided to order from Amazon.

IF you wanted to get really fancy, you could add some fresh or canned organic diced tomatoes, onions and/or green chiles (or maybe a can of Ro-Tel) but it's totally not necessary. Like really, really only if you want to go the extra mile here.

No matter what though, these shredded pork carnitas are amazing. You can use them in tacos, taco salads, over eggs, on a sweet potato, put it on a pizza - the possibilities are endless. And did I tell you how easy they are to make?! Just two ingredients, throw 'em in the slow cooker and you're done.

Easy Two-Ingredient Slow Cooker Carnitas
serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1 - 2 lb all natural pork shoulder or pork butt roast
1 - 1.1 oz packet taco seasoning mix (I use Simply Organic "Spicy Taco")
(Optional: fresh or canned diced tomatoes, onions and/or green chiles)

Place in a slow cooker set to low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Use two forks to shred, mix with all the juices and serve.

Taco Salad: Easy Two Ingredient Slow Cooker Carnitas over Salad

Tacos: Easy Two Ingredient Slow Cooker Carnitas over Almond Flour Tortilla

What's your favorite way to enjoy carnitas?

Easy Lean Shredded Pork Tacos

Shredded pork tacos often involve cooking a fatty, large pork shoulder or butt roast, which can be intimidating and difficult to maneuver. For an easy and lean version, try using a lean pork tenderloin. Seasoned with a packet of your favorite taco seasoning and cooked in your slow cooker yields flavorful and beautiful tacos with little effort. I also used low carb tortillas making this even healthier.

Easy Lean Shredded Pork Tacos

Serves 3-4, 2 tacos per person

Special Equipment:  Slow Cooker

Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 3 1/2 hours on low

1 pound lean pork tenderloin

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 packet taco seasoning mix, divided

1/2 cup chicken broth

8 low carb tortillas, regular size (I used La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Original Tortillas)

Optional garnishes: chopped cilantro, chopped onion, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream/Greek yogurt

Heat a large cast iron or regular skillet on stove over high heat.

Remove pork tenderloin from wrapper and rub with olive oil first,  then rub half of taco seasoning packet to coat well and set aside. Reserve remaining half of taco seasoning.

unwrap pork tenderloin and rub olive oil all over to coat

use half of taco seasoning packet and rub all over to coat

In slow cooker set to low, add chicken broth and remaining half of taco seasoning and stir till well mixed. Set aside.

With tongs, carefully place coated tenderloin in hot skillet, sear for approximately 45 seconds - 1 minute per side.

carefully place coated tenderloin in hot skillet

quickly sear on each side, this is a little too brown

Using tongs, remove from skillet and place whole seared tenderloin in mixture inside slow cooker set to low and place lid.

Cook for approximately 3 1/2 hours, until tenderloin easily shreds with a fork. Be careful not to leave cooking too much longer since most of the liquid will be absorbed by this time. You may add additional chicken broth if needed to keep moist.

Using two forks, shred pork tenderloin and mix well.

shred with two forks

Turn slow cooker to warm until ready to serve.

Warm low carb (or your favorite) tortillas, top with shredded pork and your favorite garnishes like: cilantro, onions, cheese, sour cream.  And depending on your mood - pop the top on an ice cold Pacifico beer and enjoy with lots of fresh squeezed lime.

so yummy

Beer Chili Spaghetti

Beer Chili Spaghetti

I was very excited when Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! invited me to guest post on his blog. I'm a fan of Laz's creative and inspiring dishes and admire him for his mission to eat sustainably, organically, and seasonally.

My recipe for Beer Chili Spaghetti is a family favorite for its rich, meaty, chili-inspired sauce and hearty whole wheat noodles. Topped with extra-sharp cheddar cheese and chopped red onions, it's a nice way to warm up on a cold winter day.

Beer Chili Spaghetti

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce package whole wheat spaghetti

2 pounds lean ground beef (I use natural grass fed beef)

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 3/4 teaspoons paprika

1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper (a little less if you like no heat)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground oregano (the kind that is finely ground like a powder)

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 cup chili powder

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1 12-ounce beer (I used a dark regional beer from Shiner, Texas but your favorite beer works just as well)

Garnish:

diced red onion

shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

chopped fresh parsley if desired

In a large pot over medium heat add the olive oil and then brown the ground beef breaking it up and crumbling as you go. If you’re not using lean ground beef, skip adding the olive oil. While the beef is browning, cook the spaghetti noodles in heavily salted water and according to package directions.

Next add the rest of the ingredients. The beer will fizz for a few seconds and then reside:

Stir well, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Meanwhile drain the spaghetti and toss with a small amount of olive oil to keep moist.

When ready to serve, top spaghetti with meat sauce, then cheddar cheese and red onion.

Beer Chili Spaghetti

For the holidays, I used Shiner's special edition Cheer Beer but you can use any beer you like.

Shiner's Cheer Beer

I hope you'll go pay Lazaro Cooks! a visit and check out all the great stuff he has going on over there.

Slow Cooker Carnitas (Shredded Pork)

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Cooking carnitas in the crock pot or slow cooker has got to be the easiest way ever. This method would be perfect over the holidays, especially if you have a house full of guests.

Since you're making them in a slow cooker, it's "set it and forget it" and you can literally leave the finished carnitas warming in the slow cooker all day and evening allowing your guests to eat at will and you won't have to lift a finger. Oh, and these make excellent breakfast tacos, too!

Plan to coat your pork roast in the dry rub the day before you plan to cook, and then allow at least 10-11 hours of cooking time on the low setting of your slow cooker.


So let's say you wanted to have these ready for Christmas Eve day, here's a sample timeline:

• Evening of Dec. 22nd - coat roast in dry rub
• Evening of Dec. 23rd - place roast in slow cooker
• Morning of Dec. 24th - shred pork, add potatoes and green chiles and cook another hour or so, turn slow cooker to 'warm setting' and leave all day and evening for everyone to eat when desired

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Serves 10 (serving size 2 tacos)

Dry Rub:

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon ground mustard

3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper

Ingredients:

4-5 pound boneless pork shoulder roast

1 cup chicken broth

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, including juices

2-3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 4-ounce can whole green chiles

2 pounds small white potatoes

20 small tortillas

Garnish:

chopped fresh cilantro

diced red onion

shredded cheddar cheese

sour cream

Mix all dry rub ingredients together then rub on all sides of the pork roast. Wrap roast in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours.

After roast has been refrigerated in dry rub for recommended time, place chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and garlic in slow cooker and then place roast on top. Place cover on slow cooker and turn setting to 'low'. Allow to cook for about 10 hours or overnight.

Carefully remove excess fat from exterior of roast and discard.  Using two forks, shred the roast and stir.

Quarter potatoes and add. I don't recommend using Yukon Golds for this dish as they won't hold up. These small white potatoes were perfect.

Hand shred the green chiles and add, then stir.

Cover and allow to continue to cook on low setting for approximately an hour or so until potatoes are tender. Taste and salt if needed. Turn to 'warm setting' and leave covered for guests to eat when desired. Be sure to have garnish items ready in the refrigerator for guests to access easily.

the potatoes cooked in the broth are absolutely delicious
on the taco or by themselves

Slow Cooker Carnitas

To make breakfast tacos, just add scrambled eggs.

Chicken Noodle Soup - Mmm Mmm Good

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is so simple, yet so fantastic. When my husband came home from a recent business trip feeling under the weather, his first request was for me to make him some chicken noodle soup. Aside from the soothing benefits of the hot, salty broth - this time I made sure to include the curative properties of garlic (anti-bacterial and anti-viral), thyme (remedy for coughing), and ginger (soothes an upset stomach).

I like to make this in a slow cooker but you could also make it in a large pot on the stove top.

Serves 6

Special equipment: 5 Quart Slow Cooker/Crock Pot

Ingredients:

2 to 2 1/2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken breasts, salted on both sides

64 ounces chicken broth

5 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 to 2 inches of young ginger root, minced (See Cook's note)

6 stems of thyme, leaves only

4 stalks celery, including leaves, chopped

1 white onion, chopped

6 ounces egg pappardelle pasta (or any egg noodles) (I used Trader Joe's Egg Pappardelle Pasta)

kosher salt to taste

fresh cracked pepper to taste

Set slow cooker to low and add salted chicken, chicken broth, garlic, ginger, and thyme. Cover and allow to cook on low for 4 hours.

Remove chicken and set aside to allow it to cool enough to handle. Meanwhile turn slow cooker to high and add celery, onion, and pasta. Cover and cook for another 30 - 45 minutes until pasta is done.

After chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove skin and discard. Then pull breast meat from the bone and tear into bite size pieces. Add chicken back to slow cooker, stir, add salt and pepper to taste and serve with a warm French baguette.

Cook's note: If you can't find young ginger, use about half the amount of regular ginger root. Young ginger is refreshing and has the "bite" of ginger without the bitterness.

young ginger root

PS, I'm happy to report my husband's completely back to normal and feeling great. Perhaps it was my chicken soup, perhaps not ;-) Either way, I'm glad he's better and the soup was yummy.

Chicken Tortilla Soup...chile today and hot tamale :-)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

It was kind of chilly and overcast here yesterday, so I was definitely feeling the fall soup vibe. And with Hatch chile season upon us, I'm always looking for dishes to sneak them into.


Although I live in Southern California now, I was born and raised mostly in Texas. Along with "southern-fried everything", Tex-Mex food is a staple where I'm from, so I'd like to share a Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe that I hope you'll enjoy. 

There are so many ways to make this soup, but I've found making the chicken in the slow cooker yields the most tender and juicy results.

cooking away in the slow cooker aka "crock pot"

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (see Cook's note)

3 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped in large chunks

1 medium to large red onion, diced

4-6 large cloves of garlic, minced

2-3 Tablespoons diced roasted hot Hatch chiles (or use one to two 4-ounce cans of diced mild green chiles)

3 limes, divided

3 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 cobs of fresh corn

1 avocado, cubed (wait till right before serving to cut avocado to avoid browning)

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

creme fraiche or sour cream for garnish

tortilla chips, crushed for garnish

Place chicken, chicken stock, water, tomatoes, onion, garlic, chiles, juice of 2 limes, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper to slow cooker set to low.  Close lid and allow to cook for 6-8 hours until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.

When fully cooked, take chicken from slow cooker and remove bone and skin from chicken breast meat. Cut breast meat into bite-size pieces and return to slow cooker.

Cut raw corn from cobs and add to slow cooker. No need to cook any longer, the corn will be juicy and crunchy and warmed from the soup. Mix and taste for seasoning. Add additional salt or pepper if desired.

Cut 1 lime into wedges. Spoon soup into bowls and top with avocado, fresh cilantro, dollop of cream, and tortilla chips. Serve with wedge of lime.

To easily cut corn from cob: stand corn on flat end in large shallow dish,
hold top end of corn with corn on the cob holder, cut from cob

fresh corn cut from the cob

I got this loaf of cheddar jalapeno bread at the bakery and
couldn't resist eating some with my soup...yum

Cook's note: You could use boneless, skinless chicken breasts but for this dish I really prefer the bone-in, skin-on breasts as it imparts so much more flavor.