Menu for Sunday, October 2, 2011

Okay, here we go. Today I'm dragging out the crockpot and making some carnitas. It's so easy it's ridiculous. If you don't have a slow cooker, you can cook this on the back burner in a stock pot or stew pot at very low heat for about 2 hours. But the slow cooker works best for this recipe. And you can turn it on and forget it for about 6 hours, which is my kind of cooking.

A word about avocados... If you don't know how to pick them at the market, here's a couple of hints. Look for darker color. If they're bright olive green, they probably aren't read. Then grab one. Press gently with your thumb. If it feels slightly soft, not mushy, it's ready. If it give really easily, don't buy it. It's going to have brown spots. If it's hard as a rock, you can go ahead and buy it, but be prepared not to use it for several days. So, if you decide to make this recipe on, say, Thursday instead of Sunday, go ahead and buy the hard avocado and it'll probably be just right by then.

So, here we go with week 2:

Sunday's Menu

Breakfast:  Scrambled eggs, toast, juice
Lunch: We usually breakfast late and snack before an early dinner (cheese, fruit, raw veggies, PBJ, whatever)
Dinner: Carnitas, with corn tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce and cheese

Carnitas

2-3 lb pork loin roast
1/2 onion, sliced into rings
1 T cumin
1 T garlic powder
1 T salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano, rubbed
2 tsp onion powder
3/4 C chicken broth

Place the onion slices on the bottom of the slow cooker. Mix the spices together and rub into the roast. Place the roast on top of the onion rings. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pot (don't pour it over the roast). Cook for about 6 hours on low. If cooking on stovetop, cook 2-3 hours or until the roast is tender and shreds with a fork.

Shred and serve with heated tortillas, chopped tomato, onion, shredded cheese, sour cream and guacamole (recipe below).

Guacamole

2 avocados
1/2 large tomato, chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
Juice of 1/2 small lime
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Slice the avocado in half lengthwise, pull out the pit, then scoop the flesh out of the peel. Using a knife or fork, chop the avocado into small chunks (or mash if you prefer). Add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. The lime juice will keep the avocado from turning brown (oxidizing). To store leftover guac, place plastic wrap down on the surface of the guac, carefully removing all air bubbles. Contact with air will make the dip turn brown on the surface. If it does turn brown, it's still okay, just mix it in.