Category: Lunch

EZ Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

EZ Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Posted on by Lisa P

Pork Carnitas

The original version of this recipe received 733 reviews with an average 4.5 star rating on allrecipes.com.

My version of these yummy slow cooker carnitas is spicier and has a stronger Indian flavor.  You will also need to start it one day ahead but I promise you it is worth it!  You can either start it the night before and eat it the following night, or start it in the morning and eat it the following day.  Either way it needs to sit in the frig for 8-10 hours before cooking.

Here we go! Continue reading “EZ Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas” →

Yoatmelon Breakfast smoothie

Posted on by Lisa P

1/2 cup grapes
1 thick wedge honeydew melon without rind or seeds
1/2 stalk of celery
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Chia seeds
1/4 cup quick cooking oats uncooked
Small wedge lime without peel
1/2 tray of ice cubes

Put everything in a vita mix or very strong blender in the order listed. Start on low and then increase speed to high. Blend for one minute. Pour into your favorite tall glass and enjoy.

Crunchy Cucumber Salad for 2

Posted on by Lisa P

This cucumber salad is made with miniature English cucumbers. They’re not expensive and you don’t have to peel them. This makes a great little side salad, and it’s crunchy enough to hold up til tomorrow so you can have the leftovers lunch.

3 miniature cucumbers or similar amount of pickling cucumbers
1 small shallot or piece of sweet onion
1/2 medium tomato (or more to your liking)
oil and vinegar
Italian seasoning blend

  1. Prep your space:  Get out a medium cutting board, a knife, and a small bowl. If your garbage can is not nearby, have a little plastic bag open next to your work space for scraps.  Grab your steel and give your knife a quick sharpening.
  2. Wash the cucumbers since you’ll be leaving the skin on. Wash the tomato too if you haven’t already.
  3. Cut the ends of the cukes off, and then slice them at a diagonal, very thinly.  About an eighth of an inch or less.  Toss them into the bowl.
  4. Peel the shallot and cut off the hard end. If using onion obviously you can skip that part.  Slice as thinly as possible.  A very sharp knife makes all the difference here.  Scrape the pieces up with your knife and bang them in the bowl as well.
  5. Cut the tomato into smallish wedges.  Into the bowl they go.
  6. Shake some Italian seasoning onto the vegetables.  This is where you have to judge for yourself how much seasoning you like.  If you’re not sure, start with 1/4 tsp, mix it in, and look at it.  That’s about as much as I use, but you might like more or less.  It’s OK to guess, the world won’t end if you add a little too much.
  7. I use olive oil and white wine vinegar, but you could use regular oil and apple cider vinegar.  It’s a different flavor in the end, but we’re not talking gourmet here, we’re just trying to get dinner on the table.  About a tablespoon of vinegar and a teaspoon or so of oil should do it.  Mix it up, taste one, and add more if you like.
  8. Put the bowl (with spoon) into the frig to sit while you make the rest of your meal.  Maybe you could stir it once or twice if you remember.

This is my favorite summer go-to salad.  Hope you enjoy it!

Step 2:
Miniature English Cucumbers

Step 6:
Crunchy Cucumber Salad

Yield: 2 Cups
Prep time: 10 minutes
Calories: Hardly any

What Does “Cooking Healthy” Mean?

Posted on by Lisa P

Prepare a Healthy LunchWho do you know who’s NOT busy these days?

One of the first things we sacrifice when life gets too busy is our health.  We push off doctors appointments, we postpone the morning walk, we work late and skip the gym, we stop at Subway on the way home and convince ourselves we’re eating healthy.

Eating a yogurt for lunch at your desk is not healthy.  I actually know people who keep a stash of peanut butter crackers (yup, the packaged kind you get from the wholesale grocery store) in their desk drawer because they usually don’t have time for lunch.

Eating this way will hurt you.  It will sap your energy and rob you of the nutrition your body needs to stay healthy.

Cooking Healthy is about quickly and (almost) effortlessly preparing your own food so that you can …

  • know exactly what you are putting into your body
  • be prepared with something good to eat when you run out of time
  • spend less time in the kitchen
  • have more energy
  • lose weight
  • feel happier about yourself
  • save money on food bills

Cooking healthy is not only about cooking.  By planning ahead, using time-saving techniques, and focusing on preparation, the cooking part becomes nearly effortless.  In some cases there’s no actual cooking involved.

So come on in and look around.  I’m here to help you, so please ask questions.   I hope you’ll also feel free to comment on what you read here.  I’d love to hear your story, your thoughts, and your ideas for how to make things work better for you specifically.

Thanks for coming!

Lisa