Taco Tuesday - Aloha Belly Pork Tacos & Mexican Rice

Lani, one of my grad school besties, started a food blog called Aloha Belly this year. How cute is the name? A darling nod to her Hawaiian roots. I love the glimpses she gives into her kitchen - lots of fresh ingredients, and meals you'll feel good about eating. Recently, she posted a recipe for pork carnitas, and as soon as I saw it I knew we needed it for Taco Tuesday. 

The pork is simmered all day in a slow cooker, and comes out terrifically tender. We topped with avocado, queso fresco, cilantro and hot sauce. The pork was mildly flavored, which was perfect for using it as leftovers (I made rice bowls the next night, and also used the pork in quesadillas and on a salad for lunch). The recipe calls for a three pound pork shoulder, so unless you're having company, you'll probably have leftovers ;) Find the recipe here (and check out Lani's other fabulous recipes!). I served the pork tacos with some homemade Mexican rice (my own recipe I whipped up after consulting a few Pinterest recipes and also trying to incorporate our CSA veggies for the week). It was super easy to make the rice because the pork was making itself in the slow cooker. Goodness, I love our slow cooker. 

Mande's Mexican Rice

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 cup rice (white or brown)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili pepper (I used chipotle chili pepper which gave the rice some smokiness)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


Directions
Sautee garlic, onion and bell pepper in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add rice, tomatoes, chicken broth and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes if using white rice (I used brown rice and cooked for about half an hour). Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melty. Serve with your favorite tacos!