Mexican Green Sauce Pulled Pork

I got the inspiration for this recipe from Well Plated Salsa Verde Pulled Pork. This is yet another super cheap and easy recipe that will save you money on groceries and time in the evening. It's also fairly healthy compared to regular pork and is 21 Day Fix friendly when served on a salad with a sprinkling of brown rice and feta cheese. 

Be sure to get the right cut of pork or it won't work - trust me I've tried! You'll want to find a big hunk of pork butt or shoulder at the grocery store (don't worry, pork butt is actually not the pig's butt). If the whole thing won't fit in your slow cooker you can chop it in half and freeze the other half for later. Pork shoulder is incredibly inexpensive so adding this meal to your regular rotation will be good for your budget and your health.

The trick to making pulled pork healthy is to pass on the barbecue sauce and add some healthy sauces and seasonings instead. Barbecue sauce is full of sugar which are just empty calories your body doesn't need. And guess what, sugar gives you body a spike of energy but then you'll crash afterwards so it's not good for your energy levels either.

Instead have the pork with a chipotle yogurt dressing which is just as tasty. Just mix 1/4 cup of yogurt with a teaspoon of chipotle seasoning and a minced clove of garlic. Add a tablespoon of both olive oil and freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice and a tablespoon of minced cilantro if you're feeling fancy.

I know this recipe has sugar in it (gasp!) but the sugar is very minimal over all - you're not drenching the pork in sugar like you would with barbecue sauce, okay? I have added a step to Well Plated's version of this recipe of frying up the pork after taking it out of the slow cooker (you don't need to add oil to the pan, the juices from the slow cooker will boil off). This step is optional but if you like crispy, charred type tastes you'll love it this way. I have my pulled pork on corn tortillas, on a salad, in a burrito - pretty much any way you can think of.

Have the pork with brown rice and veggies is a great way to get a well-balanced meal which will keep you feeling full! 

Green Sauce Pulled Pork       Makes about 12 burritos Ingredients  1 Bottle Mexican Green Sauce (salsa verde) 1 Onion, cut into quarters 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped 1 Tbsp Cumin 1 Tbsp Chili Powder 1 Tbsp Salt 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar 1 Cup Boiling water   2 Lbs Pork Shoulder or butt, small enough to fit in your slow cooker Directions Turn on your slow cooker and pour in the cup of boiling water - this helps it heat up quicker. Cover the pork shoulder in salt and pat dry with paper towel. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours - it's really not rocket science. When the pork is ready it will come apart easily with two forks. Pull it apart. Fry it up in a large pan for about 10 minutes to boil off the excess juices and brown it and get it nice and crispy (this part is optional but it makes it very tasty). Serve on tortillas with cilantro, lime, avocado and yogurt.

You also might like: How I lost 15 Lbs in 60 Days or 11 Ways to Actually Complete a Workout Program

Butternut Squash Vegan Lentil Burgers

The lentil burgers are inspired by one of my favourite healthy vegetarian recipes from Chef Michael Smith. It's also 21 Day Fix friendly and is incredibly cheap! I never have certain ingredients he uses on hand though - for example miso paste isn't something I keep in the fridge so it's not in this recipe. I wanted to make this recipe for vegan Easter dinner so I modified it to make it simpler.

 I suggest using frozen butternut squash (look for it in the frozen veggie section) which makes the prep much easier. It's also a lot cheaper than buying a whole butternut squash in Canada these days. Instead of the butternut squash and potato you can also substitute 2 cups of grated sweet potato or 2 cups of grated carrots. I've tried both and it works great. All of these orange veggies have the same sweet flavour that goes great with the savoury flavour of the sage, lentils and mushrooms.

The mushrooms, peanut butter and black lentils give the burgers a rich hearty taste which is reminiscent of a burger and goes well with typical burger toppings. I love topping mine with aged cheddar, avocado, tomato and lettuce on a whole wheat bun. To chop all the veggies I use my food processor with the grater attachment but you can also use a box grater or chop them with a knife. The food processor makes things a lot quicker. To mix things together you can also use your food processor with the regular blade but don't process the lentils or potato - mix those in afterwards.

For the lentils be sure to choose black, beluga, french or dupuy lentils. You may have to make a special trip to the bulk barn, whole foods or a health food store to find these since they usually aren't in the regular grocery store. Black lentils hold up better and don't fall apart so I like them better in most recipes. To make the lentils just soak them for a few hours in a large bowl covered with water (they will expand in the water) then boil them for 15 minutes like you're making rice. When they are done you'll be able to smash them with a fork. Drain off any excess water and let them cool a bit before using them in the recipe.

If you can't make a trip to the bulk barn the next best lentil type would be canned lentils - you don't have to boil these, just drain and rinse them and they're ready to go in your recipe. The pink lentils you see in the grocery store can be used in a pinch but they are kind of flavourless and don't have the same oomph as the other kinds.

If you think of lentils as coming from India (I thought myself that they were imported) you would be wrong. Lentils actually grow extremely well in Canada. Canada is actually the World's main producer of lentils believe it or not and 80% of lentils come from Canada! So in fact by eating more lentils you're supporting the Canadian economy! I hope with this recipe you'll be able to incorporate more lentils into your diet. Not only are they tasty, cheap and local to Canada but they're also healthy and packed with fibre and protein. If you're still scared of cooking lentils explore Chef Michael Smith's website as there are a lot of short youtube videos on how to cook them - don't worry though it's not rocket science!

Butternut Squash Vegan Lentil Burgers       Makes about 12 patties Ingredients  2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil 1 Onion, Chopped 200 gr Mushrooms, Chopped 4 Cloves Garlic, Diced 2 Cups Black, Beluga, French or Dupuy Lentils, Cooked 1 Cups Cubed Butternut Squash, Cooked (or frozen squash defrosted) 1 Cup grated Potato 1 Cup Breadcrumbs (or almond flour to make it gluten-free) 2 Tbsp Dried Sage 1 Tbsp Chili Powder 1 Tbsp Curry Powder 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter 1/4 Cup Chia Seeds 1/4 Cup Ground Flax Directions Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and fry the onion, mushroom and garlic until golden brown (10-15 minutes). Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Form into patties with 1/3 Cup of the mixture in each patty. Fry over low heat, cook on the BBQ or cook for 20 minutes at 400F in the oven. Serve hot with cilantro and avocado on a whole wheat bun. * The raw patties can be frozen and cooked at a later date.

You also might like: How I lost 15 Lbs in 60 Days or 11 Ways to Actually Complete a Workout Program

Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Stew

If you live in Canada you'll know the price of fresh vegetables has sky-rocketed! I bought a butternut squash for $15 the other day! Then I found diced butternut squash in the frozen vegetable section for $3 per bag! Not only did the frozen squash save me $12 but it also saved me the hassle of peeling and dicing the squash! From now on if I can't source a locally grown butternut squash I'll be buying the frozen variety!  I like the President's Choice brand (from Loblaws) because their frozen vegetables come in handy resealable bags - isn't that kind of genius? Why aren't all frozen vegetable bags resealable!

This stew uses both canned and frozen vegetables to make it extremely convenient and really cheap! Just combine the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and have dinner ready when you get home! I've included protein, fibre, healthy carbs and vegetables packed with Vitamin A to make sure you'll stay full throughout the day without an energy crash. You can serve it on top of brown rice or in a whole-wheat tortilla for more of a burrito experience.

This recipe is 21-Day Fix friendly and gluten-free. To make it easier with the 21 Day Fix containers don't mix the chicken back into the crock pot then portion the chicken into the red container (protein), put the veggies from the crock pot and brown rice in your yellow container. Add in some spinach (green container) to get more greens in!

Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Stew           Makes about 8 hearty servings Ingredients  4 Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless) 2 Cups Vegetable Broth (1 Bouillon cube with 2 Cups of boiling water) 1 Onion, Chopped 3 Cloves Garlic, Diced 1 Cup Frozen Corn 2 Cups Cubed Frozen Butternut Squash 1 Can Black Beans (drained) 1 Can Diced tomatoes (or salsa) 1 Tbsp Chili Powder 1 Tbsp Cumin 1 Tbsp Chipotle Spice 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper 1/2 Cup Chopped Cilantro 2 Cups Brown Rice 4 to 5 Cups Water Directions Combine all ingredients except the cilantro, rice and water in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Cook the Rice according to the directions. After chicken has cooked remove it from the slow cooker and pull it apart on a large cutting board. Add the chicken back into the slow cooker and add the cilatro and combine everything. Serve over brown rice for a meal balanced with healthy carbs, vegetables and protein.

You also might like: How I lost 15 Lbs in 60 Days or 11 Ways to Actually Complete a Workout Program

Vegetarian Award-Winning Lentil Curry Poutine

Curried Lentil Poutine…

Update: This post was featured in Canadian Lentils Recipe Revelations as the Grand Prize winner. Thanks for all the support!

Vegan Curried Risotto with Lentils

Curried Risotto: In an effort to be healthy and incorporate more vegetarian protein into my diet I came up with this recipe using basmati rice, red lentils and broth.

Power Balls (DIY Cliff Bars)

Since starting P90X (and figuring out I was allergic to whey protein powder) I’ve been looking for whey-free ways (ha!)  to get my protein into my diet. Since Clif bars have about 10g of protein per bar I had been eating them obsessively - not the most frugal obsession (they’re cheapest at Costco if you were wondering). I was already lamenting the preservatives and various other unpronounceable ingredients in the bars when a friend informed me of the concern over hexane used to extract the soy protein they used in Clif bars. Serendipitously I stumbled upon an Energy Ball recipe from the Healthy Foodie - a fellow Canadian! I used Vegan protein powder like Vegan Shakeology because it contains a balance of different plant-based proteins.