Are you watching Ninja Warrior? You should be. It’s the best show since Most Extreme Elimination Challenge.
(I’m talking to you, B & Rachel. And also to everyone else. But especially B & Rachel.)
Are you watching Ninja Warrior? You should be. It’s the best show since Most Extreme Elimination Challenge.
(I’m talking to you, B & Rachel. And also to everyone else. But especially B & Rachel.)
I wasn’t quite sure how to serve Cooking Light’s Southwestern Pork and Sweet Potatoes, so I paired it with my old friend rice and some green beans. Next time I’ll be sure to cook the sweet potatoes for the prescribed amount of time. I overcooked them this time, and they turned out a bit mushy.
Even so, the dish was excellent. And this is from someone who doesn’t dig on swine.
Southwestern Pork and Sweet Potatoes
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves
1 small onion, peeled and quartered (about 7 ounces)
1 pickled jalapeño pepper, stemmed
Cooking spray
2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed
1 (12-ounce) dark Mexican beer (such as Dos Equis Ambar)
1 (4-inch) cinnamon stick
3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 1 pound)
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)Place first 6 ingredients in a food processor; process 1 minute or until a thick paste forms.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove pork from pan.
Add chile mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Stir in beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add pork and cinnamon; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours or until pork is tender.
Remove pork from pan; shred into large pieces with 2 forks. Stir shredded pork and sweet potato into pan; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Discard cinnamon stick. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
I had planned to try to lose weight this year. (I plan to try to lose weight every year. And I do lose weight, roughly once every 7 years.) My plan is usually this: Move More, Eat Less. That plan works — when I actually follow it. I find that it can be a difficult plan to follow. I figured that was because I’m lazy and I love food. But Kristy Sammis would probably tell me that it’s tough to stick to because the mantra is too vague; it doesn’t meet the “SMART” guidelines. (The what-now? It means “Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.” More about that here.)
Kristy’s Good Health-a-thon isn’t about losing weight. It’s about improving your health. But for me, losing weight is going to be an important part of improving my health.
So here’s how I’m planning to be SMART about my health in 2008. (Gee, that sounded cheesy.)
The beauty of the Good Health-a-thon is that the goal is whatever will make a healthier you.
Stressed out? Vow to do yoga three times a week.
Tired? Take the go-to-bed-earlier pledge.
Constipated? Promise yourself more fiber in 2008!
Let me know if you’re going to join the Health-a-thon. We can encourage each other! You can call me at 7:03 to make sure I’m out of bed, and I’ll ask you if you’ve taken your Metamucil yet. It’ll be great!