It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
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Food and Life

Recipe: Carnitas Salad

March 4, 2011 · Narrative

Carnitas SaladI have been to Chipotle exactly three times.  Each time, I’ve ordered the exact same thing.  Rut much?  But when it’s so very good, why deviate, right?  After the last time that my friend Beth and I went, I decided to get to work on recreating my favorite dish at home.  After all, it really was just a combination of a few different components, packed with fresh ingredients and clean eating to the very last bite.  Why shouldn’t I enjoy it at home?

When you order the salad at Chipotle, you start with the base of lettuce and build from there, deciding on your meat option, which salsa you want, whether you want red beans or black, rice or not, corn or not, guacamole, sour cream and so on down the line.  When I’m ordering, I go with carnitas (pork), black beans, fresh salsa, cilantro lime rice and guacamole.  Although it comes with dressing, I swear you don’t need it.  All the other flavors mingle together to do a happy little dance in your mouth without it.  The salad is filling, utterly satisfying and guilt-free.

As far as a recipe goes, the most important one you need is for the carnitas.  It’s super simple since it just hangs out in your crockpot.  The pork is insanely tender, coming apart with just the touch of your fork after it’s done.

To assemble your dish?  When serving, I put out lettuce leaves in a big bowl, and then separate bowls for the pork, black beans, fresh salsa, guacamole (avocado, cilantro, sea salt and lemon juice, that’s it people), and cilantro lime rice (last weekend, I used my own made up version, but I have since found this copycat version, which I’ll be trying tomorrow night).  This way, everyone could build their Carnitas Salad the way they see fit.  And now with the recipe below, you can too, so hop to it.  It’s so very good, especially when all put together … your only regret will be not having had it sooner.

Project 365
March 4, 2011, Photo #62

Today's MottoWent to a fundraiser tonight at a new (to me) gym, which is, by all accounts, more like a spa resort than a place to go sweat. Loved this poster on the way out.

JoyBonus picture from Thursday night. Jamie taught the kids the art of eating whipped cream from a can. As you can tell by the look of pure joy on Madeline’s face, she was fighting every second of it.

Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)

3 Pounds pork shoulder blade roast, boneless
10 Cloves garlic, cut into thick slices
1 Tablespoon cumin
¾ Teaspoon Adobo
½ Teaspoon oregano
½ Teaspoon thyme
¾ Cup fat-free chicken broth
2 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (remove the pepper from the can and use, do not add sauce from can)
Salt and pepper

Season the pork with salt and pepper and brown on both sides in a skillet on medium heat.  Remove from heat.  Using a knife, make slits all over the pork and stuff with the garlic pieces.  Season the pork with the cumin, Adobo, oregano and thyme.  Put the pork in the crockpot, and add the chicken broth to the bottom of the pot.  Add the chipotle peppers.  Cover and cook on high for 4.5 hours.  Using two forks, shred the pork and combine it with some of the juice at the bottom of the crock pot before serving.

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: black beans, carnitas, Chipotle, Goya, Guacamole, Mexican, salsa

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    March 5, 2011 at 8:32 am

    I have to cook for an upcoming family event and I swear carnitas were on the short list of things to make! This is perfect because it means I can partake in the carnita fun and still feel absolutely awesome about it! That shredded meat looks amazing!

    Reply
  2. Laura says

    March 5, 2011 at 9:31 pm

    love the look on that sweet baby’s face!

    Reply
  3. Ramona says

    March 7, 2011 at 12:50 pm

    Yup, having to hold her down to cram it in her mouth.

    Reply

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It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?

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It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛

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