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

Paleo Asian Naked Potsticker Mini Meatloaves Recipe

I love asian gyoza but I dread tasks that require monotony like folding all those wonton wrappers! I save that for chefs at Japanese restaurants and always order gyoza when I go out for sushi.

 I wanted to make gyoza at home without the wrapper so I came up with this recipe. Instead of wrapping the gyoza just pop about a third of a cup into a muffin tin hole (not sure what else to call the spot where a muffin goes) and bake it! This takes all the monotony out of the process and also turns the recipe into a paleo diet recipe because it excludes the wrapper! These are also perfect for make-ahead meals and meal planning because each meatloaf is a perfect portable meal to take to work or portion for the upcoming week.

I also made this recipe gluten free by using almond flour. If you don't have almond flour on hand you can leave it out or use regular flour. Almond flour can be found at Costco or the Bulk Barn. You could also try skipping the cabbage draining if you wanted to speed things along but the meatloaves were crumbly enough so I would drain the cabbage the best you can.

 I had some chipotle yogurt dip left over from the Best Turkey Burgers Ever so I tried it on these and it actually went perfectly! It's even better than the soy sauce dip that's intended for the gyoza. Next time with this recipe I'm going to try adding grated carrot or sweet potato. If you try adding other veggies let me know how it turns out in the comments!

Paleo Asian Potsticker (Gyoza) Mini Meatloaves Recipe  Makes about 20 hearty servings Ingredients         For the Meatloaves 2 Cups Grated Cabbage 1 Tbsp Salt 1 Chopped Onion 2 Cloves Diced Garlic 1 Pound (500gr) Ground Pork 1 Can Water Chestnuts 1 Cup Diced Cilantro (fresh) 3 Spring Onions 2 Tbsp Minced Ginger 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce 1 Egg 1/3 Cup Almond Flour 1 Tbsp sesame oil For the dipping sauce 6 Tbsp Soy Sauce 3 Tbsp Rice Vinegar 1 Tsp Sesame Oil 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper 1 Tbsp Diced Garlic Directions Grate the cabbage using a box grater or pop into a food processor or Vitamix until finely grated. Transfer to a mesh colander and add the salt. Let the cabbage sit for 15 minutes to drain and then put it in a tea towel and squeeze out as much water as possible (this will help the meatloaves stick together). Combine all of the ingredients for the meatloaves (except the oil) in a large bowl and mix with your hands. Oil a muffin tin using the sesame oil then using an ice cream scoop transfer one scoop to one muffin hole. Bake for 30 minutes at 350F While the meatloaves are baking mix together the ingredients for the dipping sauce and let the flavours infuse while you wait Remove the meatloaves from the oven and serve with salad or sweet potato fries and the dipping sauce.   The meatloaves also go great served with the yogurt sauce from  The Best Turkey Burgers Ever Recipe

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

Best Turkey Burgers EVER

I got the inspiration for these turkey burgers when my mom made meatballs from the Jerusalem Cookbook. She got the cookbook "for my dad" but probably a bit for herself too. They turned out SO GOOD. Who knew turkey and zucchini were made for each other so perfectly? The zucchini makes the turkey more moist and tasty. The burgers are flavoured perfectly with mint and cilantro. 

Ideally I would use fresh mint and cilantro but my mom actually ripped open a packet of mint tea and threw it in the mix and it actually worked great! 

If you can't find any fresh cilantro (sometimes in the winter the city seems to have a mass cilantro shortage - the downside of living in Canada where the climate isn't so favourable to growing herbs in January) you can try dry coriander seed or - better yet - the coriander paste that comes in those weird tubes. 

The Jerusalem Cookbook

The book suggests making the turkey into meatballs or sliders. Instead, I made them into 8 burger patties by using a ladle to portion them so every burger was even (which also means they cook evenly). I also added some almond flour and green pepper. If you don't have any though you can leave it out and it will still work.

For the burgers I top them with avocado, tomato, lettuce, red onion and 3 year old cheddar - it was an amazing combination and made me want to eat more than just one for dinner. I talked myself down though and held off eating the second one until the next day!

This recipe is really something I can eat every day without complaining. I will probably experiment more with adding more veggies to make it even more packed with nutrition. Maybe spinach for more vitamin A?

The best turkey burgers ever!

Each burger is only 136 calories and packed with 12 grams of protein! It's definitely being added to my regular recipe repertoire. Better yet, these burgers are paleo, 21 Day Fix friendly and great on the PiYo diet. These are good if you're trying to lose weight because each burger is pre-portioned so you can't take just "a little more" burger.

Recipe Time Saving Tips: 

1. Food Processor:  To make the prep super easy grate both the zucchini and green pepper with a food processor using the grating attachment. I used my KitchenAid Food Processor which grated an entire zucchini in a  matter of seconds. Then I drained and salted the zucchini and green pepper and let it sit in a  mesh colander  for at least 10 minutes (this will help the burgers stick together). I squeezed out the zucchini a bit but I didn't focus too much on really drying them out. The drier they are the more the burgers will stick together. If you don't mind crumbly burgers though you don't have to drain the zucchini at all.
   
2. Spiralizer: You could also spiralize the zucchini using a  Vegetable Slicer . I've tried this method and it works great too. I just chopped up the zucchini noodles into smaller chunks before mixing it with the turkey.
   




3. Cheese Grater: The lowest tech option - a good ol' fashioned cheese grater like my very favourite one from Ikea here .
   
4. Mini Muffin Tin Burgers: If you don't have time to sear them you can also make them into mini meatloaves. This saves a lot of time and is great for kids that might not eat a whole burger. First spray down your Muffin Tin with cooking spray. Then take an ice cream scoop and portion 1 scoop of the burger mixture into each muffin spot in the muffin tin. Then bake for 20 minutes at 350F. Serve them with potatoes, salad or pasta like meatballs or meatloaves. The recipe will fill one muffin tray (12 servings) to the brim or two muffin trays (24 servings) about halfway full depending on how mini you want your mini meatloaves.

These burgers are great on hamburger buns or just on their own - they're that good!

Best Turkey Burgers Ever Makes 8 Burgers (or 12 mini meatloaves) Ingredients  For Burgers 1 Lb (500gr) Ground Turkey 1 Large Zucchini, grated or spiralized (about 2 cups). Let sit in a colander to drain for at least 10 minutes. 1 Egg (large) 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Mint (or use mint tea) 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Cilantro 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced 1 Tsp Salt 1 Tsp Pepper 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper 6 Tbsp Sunflower Oil (or substitute canola oil)  1/4 Cup Almond Flour 1 Cup Green Pepper, diced 4 Green onions, diced or sliced 1 Tbsp Cumin  For Sauce 1/2 Cup Sour Cream 2/3 Cup Greek Yogurt (look for a brand that doesn't contain whey protein or milk protein... to avoid gas) 1 Tbsp Freshly squeezed lime juice (or the juice of about half of a lime) 1 Glove Garlic, minced 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 Tsp Salt 1 Tbsp Chipotle spice (or try za-tar if you can find it - it's a Lebanese spice mix). Directions Combine the ingredient for the sour cream sauce in a small bowl. Stir well. Refrigerate (you can make this in advance).  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs except the sunflower oil Mix and use a ladle to make even portions. Then shape into burgers. Pour sunflower oil in a large frying pan (I use a cast iron pan that has been heated over medium high heat for about 5 minutes so it becomes non-stick). Sear about 3 burgers at a time about 2 minutes per side until they are browned and transfer to a baking sheet.  Once all the burgers are seared pop in the oven for 7 minutes. Serve hot with the sauce for dipping or serve on hamburger buns with the sauce instead of mayo. These are great with avocado too!

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

Moroccan Stew - My Weight Loss Secret

My favourite healthy food is from my dad’s celiac repertoire Moroccan Stew from Crazy Plates. It’s a great health recipe because it’s full of fibre, the chickpeas add some protein plus the sweet potato contributes some vitamin A! Better yet the peanut butter makes it hearty. I believe this is my first post which I took the pictures with my new 50mm prime lens. It takes much brighter and crisp pictures than my stock zoom lens plus it focuses much quicker! If you’re planning on getting an SLR I would recommend getting the body-only option and buying a 50mm prime separately - much better value for money than the stock zoom that most SLR’s come with!