Crockpot Ropa Vieja with Cuban Style 'Rice'

I'm all about trying new recipes these days. Sticking to being healthy is a whole hell of a lot easier when you aren't eating the same shit everyday...trust me.

Ropa Vieja...I have no idea what this means, but who fucking cares.

• 1.5-2lbs chuck roast
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 
  

Add your peppers and onions into the crockpot. I used frozen peppers because A. I'm cheap and B. It's one less thing I have to chop with my crappy knives. 


Plop your meat on top. 


Cut deep slices into the meat and push your garlic cloves into the slits. 

Add the rest of the ingredients and crank up that crockpot. Cook it for 6-8 hours on low or 5-7 hours on high.

Now sit back and relax. 

OR!!!!

Make some Cuban style goodness. 

• 1 head of cauliflower, stem removed and roughly chopped
• 3 thick sliced of bacon, diced
• 1 (4 oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

First, take your bacon and add it to a pot and cook it down. I figured 3 slices was a typo.....so I used 5. Don't judge me. Or go ahead and judge me, I'll be over here enjoying my extra slices of heaven while not caring. 

While the bacon is cooking away, work on getting your cauliflower all 'ricified'. Yeah I just made that up...

Add you cauliflower and all the spices and tomato sauce to the pot that the bacon is cooking in. Mix thoroughly, lower the heat, cover and let cook for 12-15 minutes. 

Once the meat is all cooked, take some forks and shred that bitch. 

Serve like so...