We almost always use this meat the first night in tacos. All you need is standard taco fixings and you have a simple recipe. I love to take this to new moms or have it when we host large groups, but even when we are just cooking for our little family we never waste any because it reheats well and you can stretch it into multiple meals. Put it on Hawaiian rolls and make bbq sliders, use it on top of nachos, taco salads, baked potatoes. I’m telling you, it’s that good!   

• Pork Shoulder Roast, Boneless, 3-4.5lbs
• Jar Salsa, any heat depending on how spicy you want.
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed

Cook in Crockpot on low, 8 hours. Shred with fork and return to crockpot.

Another favorite recipe we pass between friends, the New York Times Cooking Chicken Shawarma. A little more labor intensive than your crockpot, but 5-star reviews from every person I know.

Home chef disclaimer: Don’t be afraid of chicken thighs. They are amazing and moist, and most importantly affordable and really hard to mess up. I serve this with pita bread and love to eat off of it the rest of the week. Make gyros at home, turn it into a big greek salad day two, put it in a tortilla for a wrap, or just reheat it over some rice.

This oven baked chicken is a weekly staple in our home, especially in the winter months when we can’t fire up our grill.  It is flavorful enough to stand alone but works great turned into salads, added to pasta, just about anything you can think of. The secret to moist oven baked chicken, like she says, brining! It works miracles so don’t skip a step.

We started a money saving health challenge early in our marriage. We try to do meatless Mondays, and it’s opened our eyes to so many great recipes. These roasted veggie pitas with avocado dip are easily our favorite vegetarian meal we’ve discovered

The one problem with this recipe is that the avocado dip browns as leftovers. The taste is fine, but it’s inspired me to find new ways to use the roasted veggies as the days go on. We love the veggies on top of nachos, rice, salads, even topped with a dollop of greek yogurt. Change up the veggies you roast, adapt the spice level, whatever you want to do to make this recipe fresh because you will want to make it every week!

We’ve adapted this recipe as we’ve gone. Being in a landlocked state, we have to work pretty hard to make frozen shrimp comparable to something you’d get fresh off the Coast. Since I’ve yet to win the lottery to afford my house on the beach, we make this and pretend our toes are in the sand.

• 1 cup olive oil
• 4 tsp dried parsley (or fresh if your fancy!)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce of any kind
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 pounds large shrimp (heads removed, deveined with tails on)

Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add in shrimp and let marinate in the fridge for 2 hours, stirring occasionally so all the shrimp get marinated. Preheat grill to medium-low and cook on skewers or in a grill basket. Cook 5 minutes per side.  Serve with fresh fruit and corn on the cob for an easy summer dinner, then add to pasta, salads, or eat it cold straight from the fridge with cocktail sauce for quick leftovers! Delicious and perfect for Summer!