Salsa pulled pork

So twice a week I go to the gym in the evening, so one of these days is a leftover dinner and the other is something made in the crock pot. The crock pot is your friend. If you don't have one, get one..now! If you work late, are in school late, or just like the idea of your food being done when you come home, the crock pot is the way to go! Like I said, I use mine at least once a week.A lot of people think that any meat cooked in the crock pot will have that "taste" that comes with it, well that's not true if you cook it right.

I made this to go into tacos, you could also use it for enchiladas, nachos, burritos, and one roast made enough for our dinner and a quart freezer bag for later. 

1 3-4 pound pork shoulder roast (boneless)

1 jar of chipotle salsa

1 can diced green chilis

1/2 yellow onion

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 lime, juiced

1 handful of chopped fresh oregano 

Slice the onions and put half the rings on the bottom and save the other half to put on top of the meat. Put just enough water in the crockpot to cover the bottom.

Brown the meat on all sides in a pan on the stove with a little of oil. Place into the crock pot.

Pour the lime juice and about a cup of the salsa on top of the meat ( you can add more if you'd like), then the chilis, oregano, and the rest of the onion slices. Put the lid on the crock pot and turn on high for 4-5 hours. If your going to be gone longer than that you can turn it on low for 8. Once the meat is able to shred turn the crockpot down to low, take the fat off the meat, then shred it up with a fork. Let it continue to cook on low for another 30 min. 

Oven roasted broccoli

 This is a super simple, way delicious, and nutritious side dish for any meal. My daughter gobbles this up like candy :). It crisps up on the outside but is soft at the same time. All you need is...

1-2 heads of broccoli

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup parm cheese (grated works best)

garlic powder

onion powder

salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 375

*if you have something else in the oven at say 350, you can just put the broccoli in at that temp, no need to be fussy about how high the oven is with this dish*

Trim the broccoli and put it in a bowl. Pour over the olive oil and toss the broccoli to coat. Then add in the spices and cheese. Add however much garlic and onion you like, if you want it to have a little kick add in some red pepper flakes. Mix it all up so the broccoli is evenly coated. Spread it out in a single layer onto a cookie sheet-to make clean up easy, line the cookie sheet with tinfoil. Bake for 20-30 min depending on how crispy you like it.

Spaghetti squash w/home made Alfredo sauce served with grilled chicken and roasted broccoli

Alfredo sauce

Alfredo sauce

If you serve this sauce over spaghetti squash its a great low carb healthy indulgence. Its rich, creamy, and of course easy to make. 

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup of unsalted butter

1 cup grated parm cheese

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

2-3 cloves chipped garlic

salt & pepper

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the cream and simmer on low for 5 min. Add in the garlic and cheese, stirring so they don't stick to the bottom. Stir in the parsley and serve!