LOW CARB & LOVIN' IT

I have put on a few pounds and really need to get them off so I returned to my good friend low carb.  As I’m sure you know there are different variations of this diet from Atkins to South Beach.  It has always been great for me so I plan to stick with it but the major key with low carb (or maybe another weight management plan) is preparation which means I have to cook more and make sure I prepare snacks and everything I need to be successful.  I prepared a menu for the month and have done pretty good about sticking to it.  The upside to that for you guys is that I am going to be trying out different recipes and updating the blog more frequently.

I have wanted to make carnitas for a while so I found a recipe and tweaked it and my picky eaters loved it.  Also, I wanted to serve them in some sort of taco shell and found this great tip to make a great low carb “taco.”  My husband really enjoyed this.

CARNITAS
Adapted from A Family Feast




Serves: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 6 hours
Total time: 6 hours 20 minutes


Ingredients
·         2½ - 3 pound pork butt, cut into large pieces at least 2x2 inches in size
·         ¼ cup bacon fat
·         ½ orange, skin on, quartered
·         1 lime, skin on, quartered
·         4 medium garlic cloves skinned and left whole, slightly smashed
·         1 jalapeno stemmed and sliced into ½ inch rings, seeds left in
·         1 medium onion, skinned and quartered
·         1 teaspoon Lawry’s
·         ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
·         ½ teaspoon oregano
·         1 teaspoon cumin
·         ½ teaspoon garlic powder
·         ½ teaspoon onion powder
·         1 tablespoon olive oil


Directions:
1.    Preheat slow cooker to the low setting.
2.    Place all ingredients in slow cooker and slow cook for six hours.
3.    Scoop out meat with a hand strainer Dispose of remaining liquids and solids.
4.    Place cooked pork on a foil-lined sheet pan brushed with the olive oil and place under broiler for five minutes. If the bottoms seem too wet, flip the pork and broil the other side for another minute or two. Be sure to really watch the meat. You want the meat to caramelize without burning it or drying it out.
5.    Shred with a fork (or not) and serve with low carb taco shells, salsa, sour cream and shredded cheese.



LOW CARB TACO SHELLS

Adapted from  LowCarb360.com



Serving Size: 1 “Taco Shell”

INGREDIENTS:

·         2 Slices 40 calorie thin sliced provolone cheese
·         Parchment Paper

DIRECTIONS:

1.    Place cheese slices on parchment paper so that they overlap.
2.    Microwave on high for 45 – 50 seconds.

3.    Remove and bend immediately into taco shell shape or immediately place over edge of bowl to make taco shape.

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