The above images are from a lunch a pulled together using leftovers from the night before. I used pork tenderloins that I breaded and sauteed for my protein. For my leftover salad, I roughly chopped up the pork tenderloins and sliced some red grapes in half. Layering a plate with a bed of organic baby red and green lettuce, I then scooped up the pork and grapes and laid them over the lettuce. I dusted the top with crumpled aged Irish cheddar. Then, I drizzled a bit of poppyseed dressing over the entire salad. To top it off, I threw a dash of salt and freshly ground pepper on top. Yum!
I'm late with this week's menu. Sorry! However, Sunday and Monday's menu went as planned.
sunday | slow roasted pork made into tacos with beans and rice
monday | pot roast with roasted red potatoes and steamed broccoli
Sunday was very busy for our family. We had a soccer tournament, cheer exhibition and an evening mass so to keep it simple and make my life easy, I pulled out my favorite crockpot Sunday morning with a craving for tacos. I love to roast a whole pork tenderloin in the crockpot. I dump almost a whole jar of salsa verde over top the pork, slip the lid on and walk away. That simple!
The pork tenderloin simmered all day and smelled magnificent when I returned home. At this point the pork is almost ready to be scooped up into corn tacos. First, I use two forks to pull the pork into shreds. The natural juices that formed from roasting all day are absorbed back into the pork.Then I prepare my sides and heat up some corn tortillas in the oven. I slide them right onto the rack in a 350 degree oven for 3 to 4 minutes. To keep the tortillas warm, I layer a cloth napkin on a plate and fold them up.
To make it fun for the kiddos, I line up a variety of bowls with different fixin's. Here's what I usually have... shredded lettuce, diced yellow and red tomatoes, chopped onion & cilantro, homemade salsa, homemade guacamole, sour cream, queso fresco, shredded cheddar. For sides, I serve beans (black beans with diced tomatillos or traditional refried beans) with rice (brown rice - seasoned with cumin, garlic, cilantro, onion and a little stock instead of water to give it more taste). And... I've been cheating and using these organic brown rice bowls from Costco that are microwavable. They are easy to spice up. Love them!
Okay... here's the plan for the rest of the week.
tuesday | naan pizzas with a mixed green salad | create your own pizza with your favorite toppings
wednesday | Chip's Birthday! | shrimp and grits with a mixed green salad
When we visited NOLA last July, Chip fell in love with the Shrimp & Grits so I am going to surprise him with a version of my own. Wish me luck! And I'm going to make something sweet and yummy for dessert. He doesn't love cake so much so I'm still searching for the best dessert recipe. Ideas???
thursday | grilled salmon served over red and green cabbage slaw
friday | grilled cilantro and lime chicken breasts with roasted potatoes and steamed veggies
saturday | out to dinner | catching the washington spirit vs north carolina soccer game
Have an awesome week cooking for yourself or your family. Cheers! xo
Comments