Barbocoa-Style Beef Tacos {Crockpot Recipe}

I'm a big fan of new recipes.  I see so many recipes floating around on FB on a daily bases, but most times I don't have a good way to save them!  I really want to try this recipe, and maybe you have seen it floating around the Facebook world!  I tried to pin it, and the link didn't work....so I'm blogging the recipe so I can pin it for later!

 

(Pic Source)

I haven't tried this, so I have no idea if it tastes good!

3-4 lb Beef Chuck Roast
4 chipotles in adobo sauce - chopped
5 cloves garlic - chipped
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
3 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 C. beef broth
1/4 C. Apple cider vinegar
1/4 C. fresh lime juice
3 Bay leaves
Salt
Pepper

Cut the roast into approximately six to eight large chunks.  Season well with salt and pepper on all sides.
Heat Oil in a large skillet and sear the beef chunks on all sides until browned.  Transfer to slow cooker.
In a medium brown combines chipped chipotles, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, beef broth, vinegar, lime juice, and additional salt and pepper (to taste).  Mix well, the pour over beef in the slow cooker and add bay leaves.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat shreds easily.

Remove bay leaves.  Removes and shred beef.  Return beef to slow cooker to marinate for at least 10 more minutes, or until ready to serve.

I will personally be serving this over lettuce wraps.  Probably with some salsa, homemade quacamole, chopped red onions, and cilantro.  Or I might serve it over cauliflower rice for "taco bowls".  But you could easily make this into a traditional taco meal with flour tortillas and all the non-paleo fixin's!

Now I just need to figure out how to make this isn't a freezer meal for when I have surgery.....  Thoughts?  Leave me a comment!

Paleo Teriyaki Chicken {Crock Pot Recipe}

I am a SUCKER for a good crockpot recipe.  Throw everything in a pan, turn it on, go to work, and come home to a hot meal...?  Yes Please!  What makes it even better is if you use a crockpot bag.  Throw everything in a bag, tie it in a knot, and put it in the crockpot.  When you are done, you pull the bag out, open it up, pour it into a bowl, and throw the bag out!  The crockpot will be left with a little moisture In it that you can just wipe out!  Voila! 

You could probably turn this into a crock pot freezer meal easy enough.  Throw everything into a Ziplock bag and freeze it for later!  Which is a great idea if you are giving freezer meals to a new mom or someone who just had surgery!

Ok, here we go...

You will need:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic,
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce if you aren't paleo, or tamari if you are just avoiding gluten and not soy!)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 T. chopped fresh ginger
1/8 tsp black pepper
To Thicken:
1/4 cup cold water
3 TBLS Arrow Root powder (or cornstarch if you can have corn!)

Place chicken in the bottom of you crock put in a single layer.
Mix together the remaining ingredients, except the water & Arrow Root Powder.
Pour mixture over the chicken & Cook on High for 4 hours.  (I actually did mine for 5, and my chicken was over cooked.  If you have made this into a freezer meal, and it is frozen still, I would cook on low for 8-10 hours!) Or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.  Overcooked chicken is not so good...

When the chicken is done, remove the chicken, leaving all the "juices" in the crockpot.  Shred the chicken with a fork. 

Pour the "juices" into a medium sauce pan. 
In a separate bowl, measure out your arrowroot powder.  Slowly mix in 1/4 cup cold water, whisking as you pour.
Turn heat to medium high and bring liquid to a simmer.  Slowly pour in arrow root mixture, whisking as your pour (you don't want lumpy sauce!).  Continue to simmer until your teriyaki sauce thickens.

Side note:  I own this wonderful thing called an instapot.  It is a crockpot, pressure cooker, rice cooker, soup cooker, "sauter", yogurt maker, and more, all in one.  It's great.  So I took out my chicken, then poured the liquid out of the bag right into my pot, and turned it on "sauté" to bring it to a simmer.  So for me, this was a 1 pot dinner!  Clean up was still a breeze!

When sauce has thickened, pour over shredded chicken & mix together.  Serve with lettuce wraps!  Or, if you are one of those people that eats rice, this would be GREAT over rice.

Optional:  I added some red pepper flakes to my teriyaki sauce to give it a little kick!