These are easily just as good as what you'd find in any Mexican restaurant but you get to enjoy them at a fraction of the price in the comfort of your own home.

What are Carnitas Anyway?

If you haven't had Carnitas you are probably trying to figure out exactly what "Carnitas" means. It's a spanish word meaning "little meats."  It's a Mexican dish and generally it's made by braising or roasting pork then shredding it and simmering in lard or vegetable oil until crispy.

But here we switch that up and use the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours or use a pressure cooker and cook for 1 hour. And the pork carnitas are broiled it instead of sautéing it in oil to get that same crispy effect. Broiling it takes less time, creates less mess, and requires less oil.

And I go for semi-crispy. I like the ends of the meat to be nice and crispy but I recommend that you don't overdue it. You don't want to dry the meat.

With this simple recipe you end with tempting, crispy little pieces of pork that you won't be able to stop "taste testing."

Throw the finished carnitas into warmed corn or flour tortillas, add some cilantro and diced onion and voila. Such a simple, satisfying dinner that everyone will love!

This is one of those recipes that could pass for any meal of the day - breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's savory, substantially filling, and well rounded with protein, veggies, fruit, and even grains if you opt to serve with whole grain toast or tortillas.

It's an adaptable recipe where you can add other veggies, switch out the protein, or include other fillers such as breakfast potatoes. And if you prefer a make ahead breakfast it does work well for meal prep, just hold the avocado and add that when you're ready to serve it.

As a time saving tip you could skip this homemade version of pico de gallo and use a fresh store-bought option, or simply try it with your favorite salsa.

Want to make the best fajitas ever? Then be sure to serve with my homemade flour tortillas if time allows (prep while the chicken marinates). Easily worth the extra bit of effort!

Easy Homemade Chicken Fajitas

Chicken fajitas are most commonly made with chicken breasts but chicken thighs are the best, and this is my tested and perfected recipe I'm so happy to share with you!

Chicken is soaked in a seasoned, lime and oil based marinade then pan seared in a hot cast iron skillet to achieve a flavorful charred exterior with crisped edges, and juicy, tender interior.

After which fresh multi-color bell peppers, and boldly flavored onions and garlic are sautéed to a perfect tender crisp texture in the same piping hot skillet.

Then to assemble fajitas chicken is sliced, and mounded over flour tortillas along with those flavorful veggies.

It's a restaurant favorite, classic Tex-Mex recipe you'll never want to lose!

This simple avocado salsa is basically guacamole mingled with salsa or pico de gallo. It's a dip that has the flavors of guacamole but more of a texture similar to a chunky salsa.

It's brimming with nutritious ingredients, and you'll love it's lively flavor. Plus who can resit that tempting blend of textures? Among them a soft bite, bits of crispness throughout, plenty creaminess, and with crunchy flakey chips a truly perfect pairing.

It's a fine-chop dunk-able chip dip, or you can use it as a topping over cooked protein such as pan seared salmon, black bean burgers, or grilled chicken. Another option of course is to heavily layer it over your favorite Mexican food - things like taco salad, chicken street tacos, fajitas, or even add a few spoonfuls to a bowlful of tortilla soup.

I think you'll really come to appreciate all the various ways you can enjoy this salsa!

It's perfectly fitting for weeknight dinner meals and always a crowd pleasing appetizer at parties! People will say it's a welcome upgrade to classic salsa, and for you it may become a go-to way to use up those ever so delicious avocados.

Shortcut Korean Beef

Traditional Korean beef bulgogi is incredible of course, but this Korean ground beef bowl recipe is even easier (no marinating or slicing beef), faster, and it's cheaper.

After just one bite I think you'll completely appreciate this dish. Those sweet, salty, and umami flavors over the richness of the well browned beef are simplicity at it's best.

Then when you pair it with fresh veggies and cozy rice and you've got a tempting, piled high bowl of hearty and delicious comfort food the whole family can agree on!

Healthy Tofu Tacos

For a long time tofu has had have a bad name. Not many people seem to care for it, and I used to be one of them. But I'm telling you if you season it right it can actually be really delicious and even something you'll want to make again and again!

In these tofu tacos the tofu is abundantly seasoned with a variety of Mexican spices, soy sauce and lime juice which builds up much more depth and a welcome vibrant flavor.

Believe it or not you may find you like them just as much as the classic ground beef tacos! And these are a healthier alternative to rotate with, plus tofu is about half the price of ground beef and ground turkey.

These tacos come together quickly for a simple weeknight meal, they are perfectly filling, and they make a great leftover lunch the next day if you have any left.

If you haven't given tofu a chance yet I'd say this is an excellent place to start. And as always with tacos, just be sure to pile high all those tasty toppings!

This refreshing Chinese Chicken Salad has such a welcome, satisfying blend of textures paired with well rounded flavor. The dressing has a crave-able rich peanut flavor, the veggies offer the salad so much freshness and a great crunch, and the chicken makes it hearty and filling.

It's fairly easy to make since it includes a shortcut of store-bought, pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. This also makes it a no cooking required dinner salad recipe.

There's just bit of measuring, chopping and tossing. And if you happen to have someone to help one of you can prep the salad while the other person makes the dressing.

It's a nutritious, all in one salad that's great for serving as a main dish entree for lunch or dinner. You'll love all the deliciousness in every bite!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

In this bountiful salad you find it's rich in Tex-Mex flavor and has so much freshness in every bite. There's a beautiful variety of color, flavor and textures, with each ingredient enhancing the dish.

It's layered with nutritious Romaine lettuce, crispy tortilla chips, a zesty citrus marinated chicken, salsa coated beans and veggies, plus rich cheese, sour cream, and avocado.

The chicken is pan seared then the taco salad filling is cooked in that same pan. And it's convenient that you don't need a grill for this recipe and it can be made any day of year no matter the season.

If you happen to have any leftover filling you can use it in tacos, quesadillas or burritos the following day for lunch. There's just so much to love about this delicious Chicken Taco Salad!

Baja Bowl Inspired by Panera

These flavorful bowls, inspired by Panera version, include layer after layer of fresh flavor and a variety of textures. You get some nutty chewiness with the grains, tender softness and sweet flavor from the sweet potatoes, tart tang from the cilantro lime dressing, and a crisp bite from the fresh bell pepper and corn.

Collectively they create one beautifully colorful and deliciously satisfying grain bowl.

After you try this Mexican spin on grain bowls you can try building your own grain bowl from scratch. Wondering how to build a grain bowl? Simply include a base layer of grains, add fresh and/or roasted vegetables, a protein (such as legumes, meat, tofu, eggs) or cheese, fresh greens, and finish with a dressing or sauce of choice.

They make such a filling dinner and are an excellent option for make ahead meal prep for lunch too.

Possible Variations

To build these bowls include the grain and black beans, from there you can add your own substitutions:

• Protein: These can also be made with chicken thighs or chicken breasts in place of the sweet potatoes, I've included instructions in the note of the recipe.
• Cheese: You can add cheese such as feta, cheddar or queso fresco.
• Sauces: They are also delicious with a heaping spoonful of salsa, pico de gallo or a finishing drizzle of Mexican hot sauce.  If you want more creaminess try serving them with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.
• Veggies: You can subsistute some of the vegetables here for others you may have on hand, that's the beauty of a grain bowl. Poblano pepper, zucchini, winter squash, or tomatoes are a great fit.
• Grains: These could also be made with farro or barley. Or you can use all brown rice or all quinoa rather than a blend.

Nutritious Green Juice

This green juice recipe is super versatile and is a mindful way to use up produce that is about to spoil so it's not wasted.

You can even make a double batch so you have a juice for the next day without having to clean the juicer again (that's always the only drawback).

When making green juice I usually always like to include the celery but everything else can be switched up.

Pick a leafy green such as kale, spinach or romaine lettuce, then toss in a cucumber or broccoli stalks, add a tart flavor from lime or lemon (to help mask the intensity of the leafy green), give it a flavor boost with ginger or mint, and sweeten it with a sweet juicy apple or green grapes.

It's fun to try all the different varieties and helpful having the option of using up what you have on hand already.

Possible Variations

You can even add your own additions - things like green chard, collard greens, wheatgrass, parsley, grapefruit, or nutrition boosters such as green tea, spurlina, barely grass powder, or chlorella powder.

And try sweetening with other fruits such as pineapple, pear or a navel orange.

This is just a base recipe to get you started but the possibilities are endless!