Imagine it’s a typical weekday evening. You head into the kitchen to start making dinner, feeling somewhere between “gosh they want to eat again” and “yeah, okay I got this”. You glance out the window and across the yard, and you see the neighbor lady in her kitchen, dancing around with wild abandon like it’s her own private rave.
Yeah, that’s me. No, not the one looking out the window. I’m the one over there in “Club Kitchen” - bouncing around, singing into her spatula. Having fun while cooking dinner. Yes, really! (Side note - don’t take me to actual dance club, I’ll definitely embarrass you.)
But dancing like nobody’s watching makes me happy. And it turns something that can sometimes seem a little tedious (yes, even for me) into something enjoyable.
If the number of memes with the “why do they want dinner every night?!” theme is any indication, there are a fair number of people who may not think cooking is enjoyable. Shocking! But since that seems to be the case, let’s think about this. How can we make cooking fun again?
My mother-in-law calls her sister in Florida, and they chat for an hour while she makes dinner.
There was one year that I binged an entire season of The Crown on my iPad while prepping for Thanksgiving.
Maybe you have a friend come over for a couple of hours, and together you cook and catch up and then divide all the food for your fridges and freezers. (I do this - hi, Rachel! - it’s a fantastic way to stock up.)
Or, maybe it’s as simple as having a glass of wine and a little quiet time to yourself while you cook.
Along with sharing recipes and dinner ideas, part of my goal with this newsletter is get people excited about cooking, to get you to actually want to get in the kitchen, to find the fun in it! So think about what makes you happy, and add that in when you’re standing over the stove or chopping a mountain vegetables. If you need ideas, let me know! And of course, you’re always invited to my dance party.
Now, on to this week’s recipe (which I don’t have a great segue for, so we’ll just dive right in) for the Slow Roasted Pork Carnitas below. I wanted to replicate my favorite carnitas tacos from the taqueria down the road, and this is pretty spot on! A pork shoulder (or butt roast) is roasted for 8 hours in a low oven. The marinade is tangy and bright thanks to green enchilada sauce and fresh orange with hints of Mexican inspired spices. And the crispy, savory, melt-in-your-mouth crust that forms on the top is out of this world.
I love putting this roast in the oven on a Saturday morning, smelling the aroma as it wafts through the house all day, and then setting out a taco/nacho/rice bowl situation for dinner. This recipe makes a lot. Which is great for a party - we love a fiesta! But it’s also great when it’s just us, because I can freeze the leftovers in perfect portions for Taco Tuesdays down the road.
These Slow Roasted Pork Carnitas are fairly fast to get in the oven, hands-off for the entire cook time, and then just require a few minutes to shred the meat - during which you can turn the music up and dance like no one is watching.
For now, I’m off to have more fun in the kitchen. You should too! Back here next week!
MONDAY - Thai Style Chicken and Rice
When I was talking about easy, plain, comforting dishes last week and mentioned a Thai chicken and rice dish, I really got a craving for it. So I’m going to try making it myself! It’s actually called Khao Mun Gai, and traditionally it’s made by poaching a whole chicken in an aromatic broth, then serving that chicken with jasmine rice, the broth, sliced cucumbers, and a chile sauce. I’m going to use boneless chicken thighs to make it a little quicker and see how it goes!
TUESDAY - Sausage and Cheese Manicotti
I’m going to do a version of my Overnight Stuffed Shells, which we all love. I’ll use manicotti noodles for this one, and since they are larger and a little easier to stuff, I’ll add some italian sausage to the ricotta filling. I’ll make the whole dish on Monday when I have more time, and Tuesday’s dinner will be done!
WEDNESDAY - Sheet Pan Gnocchi
This one pops up fairly often in our dinner rotation, but it’s so good and easy! My recipe is here, but you can customize it with what your family likes.
THURSDAY - Freezer Casserole
I’m headed out of town to a family wedding in Montana! (Can’t wait to see you guys!) I’ll pull a frozen casserole out and move it to the fridge on Wednesday, and the boys can pop it in the oven. I have a chicken, broccoli, rice or some stuffed peppers they can choose from.
FRIDAY - Friday Night Pick-up
SATURDAY - Dinner at YaYa’s (the in-laws!)
I’m still out - but I know Yaya will take care of the boys while I’m gone. She got a roast for if the weather is blah or burgers for if it’s nice.
SUNDAY - Dinner at Dad’s
Dad is traveling along with me, and I honestly don’t know if we will be home in time to make dinner or what the plan is. Something like soup (again, thank you freezer!) and grilled cheese sandwiches sounds pretty good after a day of travel.
LUNCHES for this week -
The lentil salad from last week was so good I’m going to make some more! I grabbed some beautiful kale at the market this weekend, so I think I’ll thinly slice it along with a half a head of red cabbage I have leftover and toss that in this time.
EXTRAS for this week
I’m finalizing my first pumpkin spice type recipe of the season, since everyone is pushing for fall. Hope to have it ready for next week’s newsletter!
Slow Roasted Pork Carnitas
Makes about 12-14 servings.
· One 6 ½ - 7 pound Pork Butt Roast (bone-in or boneless)
· 1 large Onion, sliced thinly
· One 10-ounce can Green Enchilada Sauce
· 3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
· 1 teaspoon kosher Salt, divided (Morton or other store brand)
· ½ teaspoon ground Cumin
· ¼ teaspoon ground Coriander
· ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
· 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
· 1 medium Orange, zest and juice
Preheat the oven to 250 and arrange a rack in the middle position. Line a large, deep baking dish (such as a 9x13 glass or ceramic baking dish) with foil.
Scatter the sliced onions in an even layer in the baking dish and place the pork roast on top, fat side up. Use the tip of a sharp knife to stab through the top of the roast all over (in about 12-15 places).
In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the enchilada sauce, minced garlic, ½ teaspoon of the salt, the cumin, coriander, pepper, oregano, and orange zest and juice.
Slowly pour the sauce over the top of the roast so that it covers the top, goes in the holes, and drips down the sides.
Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt evenly over the top.
Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and roast for 8 hours. After 8 hours, remove the dish from the oven and let the roast cool for 30 minutes.
Remove the roast from the dish (set the dish aside to save the juices) and put it on a cutting board or large plate. Use a knife to remove the roast from the bone (if bone-in), and cut it into chunks. Then use two forks to shred the carnitas to your desired consistency.
Use a pair of tongs to remove the onions from the juices still in the baking dish and stir them into the shredded meat. Use a large spoon or ladle to get a few spoonfuls of the remaining juices and stir that in as well.
Serve immediately or put in an oven safe dish, cover, and refrigerate for another day. (To re-heat, cover the dish with foil and heat at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour depending on how much you are reheating.)
NOTES on serving – These carnitas are excellent as nachos, tacos, quesadillas, or rice bowls, and they feed a crowd! I love them for a fiesta style party with all the toppings laid out. My favorite toppings include diced onion and cilantro, avocado, salsa, sliced radishes, pickled red onions, and sour cream. If I am just making them for our family, I’ll freeze the leftovers in smaller portions for easy dinners down the road!
Another NOTE – The carnitas can be made in the slow cooker (but you won’t get the amazing crispy bits on the top). Follow all directions as written, placing the onions, roast, and sauce in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.
That’s all for now, thanks for reading! See you back here next week!
(Don’t forget you can see all of the past newsletters and recipes at the archive link below!)
All recipes categorized by type can be found in the index!