Mexican-style pulled pork

This recipe was inspired by Rosie at The Londoner. It combines many of my favorite things: beer, Mexican spices, salsa and a slow-cooker. What's not to love, seriously. I made it while I slept and I've loved having it in the fridge this week to eat for lunch and dinner in tacos, on salads, on nachos, in quesadillas ... you get the idea.

I'm almost positive this recipe would work with any kind of meat -- I would cut the cooking time a bit if you use chicken, but I'm sure a beef roast could easily be substituted.

Mexican-style pulled pork

1.5 lb. pork loin roast
1 Tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. Sriracha sauce
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 c. salsa
1 c. Budweiser
Pinch of salt
Fresh ground pepper

1. Cut the roast into four pieces and put in a slow cooker.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix everything well with your hands.
3. Set the slow-cooker on low and cook for ten hours.

pulled pork burrito

pulled pork "inverted nachos"

One-pot garden veggie pasta

Whoops, I didn't post for four months. It's cool.

So, this time of year is basically heaven for me. I love vegetables. I eat cherry tomatoes like candy, I could live off of roasted zucchini and I add kale to everything I cook. So when everyone's gardens in these parts are exploding and they're trying to get rid of veggies, I am here to accept any and all green stuff. Yum.

This pasta is the perfect way to use up veggies (thanks to Mel's Kitchen for the inspiration). You can add any type of vegetable you want -- I just used the ones I had on hand. Also, it's one of those awesome "one-pot" dishes where you literally only get one pot dirty. Oh, and it's healthy. Winning.

Recipe notes:
--This recipe allows only 10 minutes for vegetables to cook. If you use something that takes more time to cook, like carrots or some other cray thing, steam or boil it before adding to the pasta.
--Mozzarella is the protein in this dish because cheese. Grilled chicken would be out-of-this-world yum, too. Just sayin.

GARDEN VEGETABLE SKILLET PASTA

2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 c. onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 can tomatoes
1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. whole wheat penne pasta
1/2 c. zucchini, chopped
1/2 c. eggplant, chopped
2 c. kale, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
10-15 basil leaves
4-8 oz. fresh mozzarella
fresh Parmesan, for topping

1. In a large pan, heat the oil over low heat. Add the onions and saute until soft before adding the garlic; saute for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add canned tomatoes, water and salt and bring the whole mixture to a boil.
3. Add the pasta and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Add zucchini and eggplant and cook for 8-10 minutes.
5. Add the kale, fresh tomatoes and basil and cook until just warm; about 2 minutes.
6. Divide the mozzarella evenly in four serving bowls. Top with equal servings of the pasta. Finish with Parmesan cheese and let sit a few minutes before serving to melt the cheese.