Kalua Pork

I spent an entire summer on the island of Oahu in my early twenties.  Let me just say, after experiencing the beauty, the food, and the warm people of Hawaii, you will want to be Hawaiian!  Kalua pork was one of my favorite dishes to eat with friends.  It's traditionally cooked in a pit in the ground, but since I'm not a huge fan of altering my yard that much, this recipe gets a friendly substitution of the slow cooker.  I also love that this version has only three ingredients!  Don't be surprised when this processed free dish has you doing the hula.

4 to 6 lbs. pork roast (pork loin, shoulder, etc.)

1 Tbsp. liquid smoke

2 - 3 tsp. salt (Hawaiian or smoked if you can get it)

Score the roast and place it in the slow cooker.  Rub it with the salt and pour in the liquid smoke.  Cook on low 8 to 10 hours.  When it's done, pull it out of the slow cooker and shred it.  Add it back into the slow cooker with all the juices and stir it all together.  Now it's ready to serve. 

This is so versatile.  Serve with brown rice, make into kalua pork sliders with some homemade BBQ sauce, add it to salads, use it for pork tacos... the possibilities are endless.  This will make a good amount, so play with this tasty treat while you plan a trip to the islands!

Green Curry Chicken

This recipe has got to be one of the most requested by my husband ever!  I have to admit that I love it too, but it feels amazing when someone else loves a dish you make.  You feel kind of like a little gourmet chef in your own home.  This dinner offers the delicious flavors of Thai food, and I have to say, it tastes just like a dish that we used to order from a favorite restaurant of ours.  Who knew it could be so delicious, easy, and processed free! 

3 chicken breasts cut into small thin strips

1 to 3 Tbsp. green curry paste (less = mild, more = spicy)

1 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 can coconut milk

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 can bamboo shoots

3/4 cup frozen peas

In a large pan, brown the chicken in a little bit of coconut oil.  Make sure to season with salt and pepper.  Once it's cooked, make a space in the middle to sauté the curry paste mixture.  Add the curry paste, fish sauce, coconut milk, and chicken broth.  Stir until the sauce has combined then add the bamboo shoots.  Allow the sauce and chicken to simmer for 15 minutes to concentrate the flavors and thicken.  In the last few minutes, add the frozen peas to warm them through.  Serve with brown rice.

You may want left overs because this tastes just as good if not better the next day.  Feel free to add some cooked potatoes and garnish with shaved cucumber.  Now all I need to do is finish the dinner with some coconut ice cream with chopped peanuts and we have a complete date night at home!

*Note: If you are trying to go grain free, this is delicious on it's own or over quinoa instead of rice.

Fruit and Nut Bar

This is my new favorite grab and go item.  It's Kit's Organic fruit and nut bar by Clif.  The chocolate almond coconut flavor and the fact that there is no refined sugar is what gets me!  Every item is organic and just listen to the ingredient line up: dates, unsweetened chocolate, coconut, coconut oil and sea salt.  That's it!  I love that it's easy to throw in my purse and walk out the door, and better yet, my kids really like them and think they are getting a real treat.  Give these a try - they might just be a new favorite of yours too.