Jackfruit Carnitas

 Day 43 Plant Based Paleo Journey

I seriously can't get enough of these Jackfruit Carnitas.  I continually tell myself that I will try Jackfruit in another form like a pulled Jackfruit sandwich, tacos, burrito bowl, ooooh a buddha bowl, curry, hmp....even pizza....anything really!!! But it hasn't happened.  I cant get over how crispy and salty I can get these and end up recreating the same dish over and over.  So here she is again but this time I got fancier with it.  

            

I needed some sides with my carnitas and since rice and beans are big Paleo no-nos...instead I introduce some carrot and cauliflower rice along with adobo chile sweet potato mash.  I had previously made the sweet potato mash for another dinner and its texture reminded me soooo much of refried beans that I was determined to incorporate it into a Latin inspired meal.  Adding in the adobo chile really hit the spot!

                                   

Starting from avocado, we have thinly sliced radishes, purple cabbage, pico de gallo, adobo chile sweet potato mash, carrot & cauliflower rice and in the center some pickled red onions

I was making my usual Trader Joe's round and saw a package of "Jicama Wraps" in the refrigerated section.  I was like "oooh, what are these?" and figured that they would likely be some sort of glutenous, grain filled, non-paleo tortilla-like thing that I cannot eat and quite to my surprise, they consist of only one ingredient...JICAMA!  That's it! Get this, for each two-wrap serving, there are just 15 calories, 3 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber.  Crazy

So with Jackfruit, you can buy the whole fruit, find it pre-seasoned in a bag, or in a can.  With this recipe, I decided to use the canned variety.  Make certain it is stored in "brine" and not a sweetened syrup.  I've found this in Fresh Thyme and Trader Joe's in the canned fruit area.  This is the easiest and best tasting option.  Crack the can open, drain the brine and drop it in the hot pan!  Alright, I've rambled enough, let me get to the recipe

CARNITAS:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 14oz. can Native Forest Organic Young Jackfruit, 14 oz in brine, rinsed and drained; shred flesh to resemble pulled pork

• 3 Tbsp. avocado oil

CARNITAS SPICE BLEND:

• 1 Tbsp. Paprika

• 1 Tbsp. granulated Garlic

• 1 Tbsp. granulated Onion

• 1 Tbsp. Turmeric

• 1 Tbsp. Cumin

• 1 Tbsp. Pink Himalayan Salt

• 1 Tbsp. Black Pepper

• 2 tsp. Chili Powder

METHOD:

1. For spice blend, mix all ingredients together.  These measurements yield more than enough for this recipe, I had plenty leftover.

2. For jackfruit, in a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium heat until hot.  Add jackfruit to pan and stir.  Cook, stirring frequently for about 10 min or until jackfruit has dried out.  Add in spice blend to taste, I had plenty leftover.  Continue to cook until jackfruit is super crispy.

ADOBO CHILE SWEET POTATO MASH:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 sweet potatoes

• 1 can Embasa Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, 7 oz

• 1/4c avocado oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Wash sweet potatoes and pierce all around with fork so they don’t explode.  Tightly wrap in aluminum foil.  Bake until tender; around 45 minutes.  

2.  Once the baked sweet potatoes are cool enough to touch, peel off skin.  Roughly chop them and throw them into blender along with avocado oil, 1 chipotle pepper and some adobo sauce.  These are pretty spicy but experiment and do add more if you like it spicy! Add salt and pepper to taste.

CAULIFLOWER CARROT RICE:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 head medium cauliflower

• 1 large carrot, peeled; cut into large pieces

• 1 clove garlic

• 2 Tbsp. avocado oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

1.  Cut cauliflower into chunks and discard the core.  Working in batches, place cauliflower pieces, carrot pieces and garlic into blender or food processor and pulse until it resembles small rice sized pieces.

2.  In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium high heat.  Add rice mixture and cook, stirring frequently for about 8-10 minutes or until rice is hot and turning golden.  Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste.