The Most Perfect Roasted Chicken

Roasted Chicken with Grilled Asparagus

Here is a recipe for the most delicious roasted chicken. I butterflied it and that made the cooking time much easier. It also made a super crispy skin on the outside. Feel free to use any rub you want. Just make sure that you leave it on all day or over night. I recommend blackening seasoning, adobo seasoning, or italian seasoning. If rubs are not your thing, chop up garlic, thyme, rosemary and place it under the skin. Delicious.

Butterflied Chicken (serves 4)

1 free range chicken
3 TBLS of any rub you choose
Salt/Pepper
Bacon Drippings/butter (optional, but awesome!)
Olive Oil

To butterfly your chicken, get out your chicken shears. Place the chicken on a cutting board. With the scissors, cut on either side of the back bone. Cut the sides one at a time, staying close to the bone itself. Once removed, keep the bone in the freezer for stock. Turn your chicken over and press down on the bird. Use a little force here. You want to hear some bones crack. Press down on the bird until it is laying flat on the cutting board. Cover both sides of the bird with rub, salt/pepper and some olive oil. Put on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit all day or over night.

Before cooking, I rubbed some bacon fat under the skin. Simply lift up the skin and rub the fat underneath it. Use butter if you want. I always have bacon fat on hand. It really made it tasty.

Preheat your oven to 475. Cook the bird on foiled line cookie sheet for 30 minutes on 475. Make sure you have a window open or fan on. Then turn the temp down to 350 and cook until the juices run clear. Use your meat thermometer. Take the bird out at 150. It will continue to cook. Serve with whatever side you desire.

To serve, simply pull the legs and wings off. If you like white meat, cut the meat from the breast. This chicken was delicious. I mean, really delish!

Easy Sauce for Lamb

Yogurt and Dill sauce

This is an easy sauce for lamb. My sister and I made this to go with lamb burgers. It is greek and yummy. Use full fat dairy because it is better for you than low fat and is obviously tastier.

6 ounces greek yogurt, like Fage
2 TBLS of fresh dill chopped
Salt/Pepper
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
EVOO for finishing

Chop your ingredients and fold them into the yogurt. Add salt and pepper and taste. Zest your lemon and stir. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the yogurt. Stir. Add EVOO for taste. Done. It is fantastic on sausages too. It makes a lovely veggie dip. Serve with pitas if you eat gluten.

Crockpot Short Ribs

Short Ribs in the Crockpot

This is a method for cooking lots of pieces of meat. Pork shoulder, beef short ribs, lamb shanks, and pot roasts. This is incredibly versatile and is easy because it is in the crock pot.

Always remember to salt and pepper the meat first. Let it come to room temp before searing. Always sear on all sides for extra flavor. Remember to use all kinds of vegetables and some sort of liquid for the meat. Crockpots don't need much liquid. *It is important to mention that short ribs take two days. Cook them on Sunday and cool them in the crockpot and then remove them and eat them on monday. They have a ton of fat that needs to be taken off the top.

In this recipe, I used coffee and red wine. Coffee is a great thing for meat. Don't be scared. Here is what I did. Remember you can this method for all slow cooking meats.

Short Ribs in the Crockpot

Bone-in Short ribs (buy enough for dinner and leftovers)
Salt/pepper
Olive Oil
1 onion
2 carrots
2 ribs of celery
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 sprigs of thyme or rosemary chopped
1/2 cup of wine or coffee for deglazing
1/2 cup of stock

Chop up vegetables like carrots, onions, mushrooms, celery, garlic and herbs etc. Place them in the bottom of the crock pot. Salt/pepper the short ribs. Sear in olive oil on all sides. Really make sure they brown. Remove the short ribs and place on top of the vegetables. In the pan you seared the meat in, pour 1/2 cup of liquid in the pan. Scrape up browned bits. Pour 1/2 more of liquid in the pan. Stir around. Pour the liquid into the crock pot. Put foil on top of crockpot and cover. There is more than enough liquid and steam in the crock pot. Cook for 4 hours on high or low for 7 hours. Take bowl out of crockpot and refrigerate over night. The next day, remove the meat from the congealed fat and set aside. There will be a large layer of fat. Using a spoon, remove it. The sauce underneath will be delicious. Remove the sauce using a spatula from the crockpot and place in a pot. Simmer the meat and the sauce in a covered pot on low. Don't rush this process. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a roasted vegetable.

You can do this method with the meats listed above. The two day process is only necessary with the short ribs because of the amount of fat they contain. IF USING BONELESS SHORT RIBS, THE TWO DAY PROCESS IS NOT NECESSARY!

Lamb Roast

I love Lamb and I love roasts. When it gets cold here, I love to braise. Here is a lamb roast I made recently. The sauce was a little weird, so I am changing what I did for the recipe presented here. I love Lamb anyway it is cooked.

Roasted Leg of Lamb 

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Tomatoes and Olives (6-8 Servings)

1 Leg of Lamb (around 3-4 pounds)
2 cans of tomatoes
1/4 cup of stock or wine
1 TBL of EVOO
6 cloves garlic (finely diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
1/4 cup of pitted kalamata olives (left whole)
2 TBL of oregano leaves (chopped)
Salt/pepper

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 350. You will need a shallow roasting pan for this recipe. Generously salt and pepper the lamb. Pour EVOO in the roasting pan. Sear the lamb in olive oil until browned on all sides. Remove and put on plate. Deglaze with wine or stock. Let evaporate. Add onions to pan and saute until translucent. Add tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and oregano. Simmer. Add lamb and juices on the plate back into the pan. Add olives. Put in oven at 350 for one hour. Check with a meat thermometer at 45 minutes. Lamb should not be overcooked. This is a lean piece of meat and will dry out. Internal temp should be 125-130.

When the lamb is finished, remove and set aside. Reduce the tomato mixture while the lamb rests. Serve with roasted asparagus or green beans. Enjoy.

San Diego for Thanksgiving

Ocean Beach

Boy oh boy, do I love San Diego, CA. I always knew that I would love Southern Cali (So-Cal), but I had no idea how wonderful it truly was. I am moving like yesterday.... We toured the entire city and ended up hiking in three days. We were exhausted, but it was worth it. We visited the missions, which were beautiful. I am not so keen on forcing Christianity on Native Americans, but the missions were really breathtaking.

Mission de San Diego

We met up with my husband's best friend from childhood and did some touring of the lovely craft breweries. I missed my sister the whole time. She and Steve would have loved them. This is the beer offerings from the Ballast Point Brewery. So much fun. We got a private tour and some t-shirts. We also didn't have to pay for beer since our friend knows the manager there.

Beer Board at Ballast Point, San Diego

Overall, it was a lovely trip. The weather was 78 and sunny. We are absolutely in love with this place.

View from Point Lomo, San Diego, CA

Chicken and Hominy Stew

Chicken and Hominy Stew

I am a huge fan of rotisserie chicken. I work from home on Mondays so it is my cooking day also. I made this soup last week, which was really tasty. I used a leftover rotisserie chicken, which had about 1/2 left.  I pulled the meat off of the carcass and used the carcass for stock. I added green tomatillos, onions, celery, peppers, tomatoes, and hominy. I have never cooked with hominy, which is simply puffed corn. It is the main ingredient in Posole, which is a mexican specialty. I really enjoyed the texture of the hominy. I didn't have cilantro, but that would have been great. In the soup, I used dried mexican oregano. Here is a quick soup that is sure to make you happy.

Chicken and Hominy Stew (Serves a bunch)*

*You will need to make stock ahead of time (boxed is fine too). For chicken stock, simmer the carcass in water for 1 hour. I wrapped mine in cheese cloth, which made clean-up a snap because you just throw the wrapped chicken away. Simply wrap cheese cloth around the carcass. Tie it and then simmer the wrapped chicken in water. Add salt/pepper to the water. That is it. Simple stock.

1/2 of rotisserie chicken pulled off the bone
4-6 cups of stock (depending on how thick you like your soup)
1 onion
2 ribs of celery
2 carrots
1 bell pepper
1 28 ounce can hominy (found in mexican section at supermarket)
1 can green tomatillos (Whole paycheck didn't have fresh)
1 can whole tomatoes
1 tbl of paprika
1/2 tbl of cumin
1/2 tsp of mexican oregano
salt and pepper to taste
EVOO for sauteing vegetables

For garnish (optional, but delish)

Avocado
Sour cream
Cilantro
Cheese
Hot sauce
Lime wedge

1) Make your stock...let simmer for 60 minutes (eliminate this step, if using bouillon or boxed stock)
2) Chop carrot, celery, onion, and pepper
3) Saute veggies in 2 tbls of EVOO (add salt and pepper)
4) Add cumin, paprika, and mexican oregano. Move them around on the bottom of pan to wake them up
5) Pour in one can of tomatoes and one can of canned tomatillos (they are whole. You may need to squeeze them with your tongs or break them up with a wooden spoon)
6) Add DRAINED hominy
7) Add stock and stir (taste for seasoning)
8) Let simmer for 30 minutes before adding chicken
9) Simmer for 10 minutes more
10) Taste and garnish with whatever you like

Enjoy this easy Mexican inspired soup...

The WOW-Factor

Fresh herbs

Carrots, parsnips, celery, onion, and mushrooms make a great base for soups and sauces

We eat with our eyes first; Mango and avocado drizzled with EVOO and dusted with mexican spices

I have lots of things that I do to impart flavor to my food.  For example, I season my food every time I add a new ingredient. I drizzle my food with olive oil to finish. I scatter chopped herbs on top for wow factor. Lemon wedges are my friend. They add brightness and acidity to food.

Here are some things that you can do at home to make your food taste awesome.

1) Cooking with Herbs

I always cook with fresh herbs. I use them for most of what I do. Use herbs for pestos, herb vinaigrettes, herb sauces for steak and chicken, as well as for a garnish for soups and sauces. They make food taste fresh. Feel free to crust salmon with herbs or sprinkle herbs into soups as they cook. In a blender, puree garlic, parsley, basil, and mint with olive oil for a quick accompaniment to steak. Use them, they are much better than dried herbs.

2) Starting with a Good Foundation

Carrots, celery and onion are super important. They are a great foundation for most everything. I chop them fine for tomato sauce. I leave the pieces big for soups and stews. I keep the veggies frozen for stocks. In french cooking, they are called the Mirepoix. This is a fancy word that refers to using carrots, celery and onion as a base for soups, stocks, and sauces. They are your best friend. Other cultures have  similar things. Cajuns have the Holy Trinity (celery, onion, and bell pepper). Latin cooking has a Sofrito, which is celery, onion, and bell pepper. Regardless, keep these veggies in your fridge. They will come in handy and are truly instrumental in making your food pop.

3) Cooking with Color

Don't be afraid to make beautiful colorful plates. We eat with our eyes first. I like to serve mango and avocado together on a plate. I like to sprinkle a mexican spice blend I bought in mexico on top. It is red and looks gorgeous. Paprika and chili powder would work just fine. Add parsley at the end to finish a dish. Serve lemon or lime wedges with meats. It makes a plate pop. Sprinkle paprika on deviled eggs or potato salad. I think the Caprese salad (mozzarella, tomato and basil) is so popular because it is beautiful. It is the colors of Italy and really interesting to look at. One of my fave salads is a colorful Mexican salad with chopped Jicama, tomatoes, peppers, corn, black beans, and avocado. Sprinkle with salt/pepper, olive oil and lime juice. Stir. To finish, sprinkle paprika and cilantro. LOTS OF COLOR!

Cheers!

Eating Locally

1/4 of an Illinois raised pig

So this may seem a bit morbid, but I bought a 1/4 of a pig from a small family owned farm. The pig came butchered and wrapped. This is the first time I have ever done anything like this. Since beginning a low carb and high protein diet, I have been eating more meat than ever. I wanted to see if this would end up saving me money. I think it did. Next time I do this, I will know what to tell them I want. I was a little bit unsure about what cuts I wanted. I ended up getting lots of sausage, center cut pork chops, two pork shoulder roasts, spare ribs, and pork tenderloin. My bacon and ham have not come yet, as they require 30 days to cure. This is one way in which I am attempting to eat locally and support small businesses. Look into this option in your area. I don't why I didn't do this when I lived down south...tons of farm land there.

Pot Roast Deliciousness

Pot Roast with Crispy Smashed Potatoes

I have been sooo busy lately that my blogging has taken a back seat. This is not to say that I have not been cooking up a storm though. Here is a pot roast I made last night. I used to eat pot roast when I was a kid. It is not my favorite meal. When I make mine, I like to cook it so it slices not falls apart. This is super easy and required maybe 15 minutes of prep and three hours of cooking. Here is what I did last night.

Pot Roast with Crispy Smashed Potatoes (Serves 6)

3 pound beef chuck roast (ask what is the best for pot roast. Fat is key here)
1 onion chopped
2 ribs of celery sliced
1 handful of baby carrots halved
1/4 tomato paste
EVOO
1 tsp Italian seasoning or a bouquet garni (tied up herbs)
Salt and Pepper
2 cups of stock (veggie, beef or chicken)
1 cup of wine for deglazing (beer or coffee would be good too)
Bacon fat (optional)*

*I had a pan with some leftover bacon grease from breakfast. Why waste this delicious stuff? I heated up the bacon grease and poured it into my dutch oven. I used it to sear the roast. I also did not want to waste the fond (which is the brown bits on the bottom) so I poured 1 cup of some wine in the bacon skillet and picked up what browned bits I could with a fork or if using non-stick, a wooden spoon. Set aside for later.

Salt and Pepper your roast (liberally). Heat up your dutch oven like super hot. Sear the pot roast in the bacon grease about 5 minutes on each side. If you don't have bacon grease (which if you are southern, you should ALWAYS have), add several TBLS of olive oil to sear the pot roast in. Remove the pot roast and turn off your heat. Add in your tomato paste and stir around. There is fat in the pan and the tomato paste will sizzle. Just move it around and let it cook a little. At this point, you will deglaze with the wine that you poured into the skillet with the bacon grease drippings (if you don't have this, add 1 cup of wine directly into the dutch oven!). Turn your heat back on. Add your vegetables and saute briefly for several minutes. Season the veggies with herbs. Place your roast on top of the veggies. Pour in two cups of  stock and COVER. Cook at 300 for two hours. You want to braise your meat, which means slow cooking it in liquid. Don't cover your meat though. It should go half way up. You may need to nestle it down in the veggies. You can also put some of the veggies on top of the meat. Remember to cover it with a lid.

You will uncover the roast for the last hour of cooking. It is ready when it is fork tender. Three hours should do it for this size of roast. Remove the roast and cover. Set it aside and work on your potatoes and sauce. Save this sauce. You will be reducing it shortly.

Smashed Potatoes

During the last hour, put some red potatoes in the oven. They will take about one hour to cook at 300. Take them out of the oven when they are fork tender. Using a coffee cup, press down on the potato. Don't press too hard. You don't want to break them. Each potato should be cracked (not broken) so that the insides are seen, but that the potato is still intact. Salt and pepper them. Cook them in 2 tbls of oil either in a castiron skillet or on your griddle. You want to crisp them on the outside and have them creamy on the inside. Cook them on medium heat maybe 15-20 minutes after they are smashed. Flip them occasionally.


Sauce for Pot Roast 

While the potatoes are crisping up, begin working on your sauce. Once the meat is out of the pot, get out an immersion or stick blender and begin to blend the sauce. There are carrots, onions, and celery in that yummy sauce. Blend until smooth. Reduce by half (around 20 minutes). To reduce, just crank the heat and let it boil. The sauce should be thick and luxurious.

Serve with potatoes and some sort of veggies (asparagus or green beans would be good). Slice the meat and pour some sauce over it. It is divine!

Scallop Chowder

Scallop Chowder with Proscuitto

Chowder season is here! I love braises, stews, and chowders in the fall. Here is a chowder I made several months ago. It sort of took on a life of its own after awhile and was a great way to use leftover stuff. This is a no-flour chowder. It is soupier than other cream based chowders.


Scallop Chowder (serves 4)


You will need:

1 sweet potato cubed
1 baking potato cubed
1 leek (rinsed very very well) sliced
2 carrots chopped
1/2 cup of wine
2 cups of veggie stock
2 cups of clam juice (Cento is a good brand for this)
3 slices of bacon chopped
1 pound of bay scallops
1/2 cup of heavy cream
Salt/pepper
Proscuitto for garnish (this is optional. I just needed to use it before it went bad)
Chives or parsley for garnish would have been wonderful

So this requires two pots. The original recipe from Epicurious required three pots. That is ridiculous. I modified it and used two pots.

Do this recipe on medium heat:

1) Chop your bacon and saute it in a heavy bottomed dutch oven. Remove when cooked
2) While bacon is cooking, clean your leek. Cut the big green part off and the bottom off. Cut length wise and rinse with cold water. Make sure to rinse all of the sand that gets in there. Pull apart the layers and wash them out.
3) Chop your leek and carrot and saute in bacon fat. Add some EVOO if necessary. Salt and pepper every layer!
4) While the leek and carrot saute, peel and chop your potatoes
5) Deglaze the leek and carrot with wine. Let evaporate
6) Add in your potatoes. Begin to cook the potatoes
7) Add you clam juice and veggie stock. You will want to cook until potatoes are tender. The soup should be brought to a boil at this point and then turned down. Let it simmer for 15 minutes.
8) In the mean time, salt and pepper your scallops. Make sure they are dry so that they sear. Cook them on your griddle or in a big skillet with some EVOO. They are small and don't require that much cooking. You will add them in the soup later at the end.
9) When scallops are cooked and the potatoes are cooked, turn up the heat and let the soup thicken slightly
10) Turn down the heat and add the cream. At this point, get out your immersion blender and give it a good blend. This how I was able to make it semi thick without flour. Blend well.
11) Add in your scallops. Turn heat back on low and cook for 1-2 minutes.
12) You are done...

Serve this with a salad or bread if you eat bread. Garnish with leftover bacon (I added proscuitto AND bacon to mine). Taste for proper seasoning. Garnish with parsley or chive if you have that.

Enjoy!

Making Homemade Stock

Crockpot Stock

In an attempt to cook like a pro, I make my own stock. I talk about making it all the time. Here is an easy way to do it.

I keep chicken carcasses, beef/lamb/pork bones in the freezer in ziploc bags.  I also keep turnip, carrot, celery, asparagus, herbs, mushrooms stems, and onion tops/ends in the freezer. In the picture, you see frozen scallions, celery bottoms, frozen carrot chips, turnips, radishes, parsnips, asparagus and even the skins of onions. It is okay to include skins. When I am prepping, I push all the veggie waste to the side and put it in a baggie. I also freeze herbs before they go bad. All of the extra stuff is strained out anyway. Using your crockpot makes this simple. If you would like simply lamb or beef stock, start saving your bones. You would use the exact same method for beef stock. In addition, for vegetable stock, omit the bones. Cook the same way, but you would need to add some mushrooms to increase the beefiness of the stock.

Homemade Stock

1) Get your crockpot out (you will need a 6 quart)
2) Put several bones (I used beef bones from steaks) and a chicken carcass in the pot
3) Put frozen (or fresh if you don't have frozen) vegetables in there (onion, carrot, celery, garlic and thyme are a must). Add your other veggies too like root vegetables, herbs, and scallions.
4) Add a good bit of each: pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes
5) Cover with water
6) Cook all day. It will make a delicious broth after about 8 hours
7) Turn off crockpot
8) Get a large bowl and put a strainer on top of it
9) Carefully pour stock into the strainer
10) Press on the vegetables and carcasses in the strainer. This extracts big time flavor
11) Put the strained stock in freezer bags or tupperware or mason jars
12) Freeze what you don't want. Pull out the bags to thaw the night before you need them

This seriously makes the best soup! Add whatever you want in there. Before giving up gluten, I would make my husband a simple soup of homemade chicken broth, tomatoes, and frozen tortellini. Sprinkle with basil and parmesan cheese...presto, dinner is made.

Your food tastes better when using homemade stock. It can be eaten on its own too. In the paleo community, bone broth is quite popular. It is an amazing source of calcium. This method produces results that are far superior to stock in the box. It is like reusing already enjoyed food. You would be shocked at the amount of celery tips, asparagus tips, onion layers and the stalky part of herbs that get thrown away. This stock was from 100% recycled material! Delish and a money saver....

Tips for Busy Home Cooks

I work and commute every day. My commute is absolutely dreadful but I like a home-cooked meal at night when I finally get home. This means that I have to plan my meals ahead of time and prep throughout the week. For example, this morning, I chopped up two bell peppers, one onion and two stalks of celery. I pulled the ground beef out of the freezer. I put the vegetables in a baggie. Any extra 15 minutes I have, I am using them wisely.

Tips That Keep Meals on the Table

1) Plan your meals ahead of time. (During the week, I cook M, T, W, Th)
2) Go shopping for everything on the weekend
3) Freeze whatever meat you buy ahead of time. Thaw the day before. I learned this the hard way.
4) Keep a well-stocked cabinet and freezer: This will change your life!

Here are some examples: Keep canned tomatoes, tomato paste, pastas (for non paleo followers) beef/chicken stock, potatoes, onions, peppers, carrots, and celery (these keep well in the frig for a while). Frozen peas, corn, spinach are also helpful. Keep frozen chicken, ground meat, kielbasas, sausages, fish etc in the freezer. You can thaw these out the morning of and have a quick supper at night.

5) Brown meat the night before for the next morning (if using crockpot)
6) Learn what cooks fast for 15-20 minute suppers
7) Boneless skinless chicken thighs and fish are super easy quick night supper
8) I also keep frozen potatoes, mashed potatoes (for hubs), frozen squash etc for a quick side dish
9) Buy a cast iron griddle! I throw everything on there at once and dinner is ready as soon as the protein is cooked
10) Make casseroles ahead of time that the hubs can put in the oven before you are home
11) Rices of all different types are great for a quick side dish.
12) Stirfry your protein. Add in vegetables. It is quick. Pour some stock in there and cover for 5 minutes.
13) Ground beef is my friend. My hubs loves tacos. I can make the meat when I have time and reheat when I get home. Always keep taco shells on hand too.
14) Keep lots of spices to make anything you want during the week

This is about it folks. Make your life easier and makes it so you avoid ordering pizza.

Braised Lamb Shank

Red Wine Braised Lamb Shank

OMG. I made these lamb shanks the other night and they were superb. We both picked ours up and ate from the bone. Makes me feel very primal! This is a super easy method that is good for pot roast, short ribs, or any sort of lamb roast. I like shanks because they are affordable and super tender when cooked for hours.

Lamb Shanks (Serves two)

2 lamb shanks
1 onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
4 garlic cloves chopped
1/4 cup of tomato paste
1 cup of red wine
2 cups of chicken or beef stock
1 bundle of thyme, tied with butcher string
EVOO
salt/pepper

Salt and pepper your shanks. Pour some EVOO in the bottom of a heavy bottomed dutch oven. Sear the shanks until browned (maybe like 3-4 minutes per side). Once seared, remove the shanks from the pot and set aside. Add vegetables and saute. Season with salt and pepper. You want to brown them a bit. This imparts flavor. When browned, mix in tomato paste and move it around on the bottom on the hot pan. Cook the tomato paste slightly. Add your garlic in. Deglaze with wine. Stir and let it reduce by half. Then add you stock. Mix around and add back in your lamb shanks. Throw your thyme bundle in. COVER! Put it a 325 oven for 1.5 to 2  hours. Make sure to turn the shanks over after 45 minutes. They are ready when the meat is tender and has pulled away from the bone. When ready, remove and cover with foil. You are going to start reducing your yummy liquid. Taste your liquid for saltiness. Add more if necessary. Turn up the heat and reduce! Reduce that yummy liquid for a good bit, maybe 15 minutes. It should be super thick. Serve the shanks with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, mashed parsnips or rice. Polenta would be amazing too. Pour the sauce over the shank. Cork a bottle of vino tinto and you are good to go.

Enjoy!

A Rough Guide to Soups and Stews

Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

So, it is officially fall here in Chicago. I have been making soups already. They are sort of the perfect fall and winter meal. I like to use what I have in my fridge. The pot lasts through the week, which means leftovers for work. I wanted to discuss how I approach soups and stews. They are really easy actually once you have a method.

Truly you need like five things: meat, vegetables, olive oil or other fat, some sort of liquid (chicken stock, wine, water, tomato juice etc.), and seasonings (herbs, chili peppers, salt/pepper, garlic). Soups can use any sort of meat. I like to add vegetables, like onions, carrots, potatoes, butternut squash, tomatoes, celery, peas, greens, mushrooms, and peppers. Obviously, I don't add them at the same time...Canned stuff works well too, like beans, tomatoes, corn etc. Then you add liquid and cook for long periods of time.

For example, start with any protein, like chicken, beef, pork or even ground meat. Put oil in the pot and brown your meat. When browned, remove and set aside. Put whatever veggies you want in the pot the same pot. Add more fat if you need to. They need to saute too. Once vegetables are sauteed, remove them and set aside. Deglaze with some sort of liquid. Scrape up any bits on the bottom. Add your meat back in and season with salt and pepper. Add canned tomatoes and stock until the meat is covered. Cook on low for several hours. Remember that your vegetables will break down at some point. I sometimes like to add my vegetables later in the process (maybe after hour one). I hate soggy veggies. This is about it.

Time saving tip: buy a rotisserie chicken for the soup. Keep the carcass for stock.


Tip number 2: start soups with carrots, celery, onion and garlic. They are good with everything.


Tip 3: Keep a good spice drawer. Some of my faves: chili powder, paprika, cumin, ginger, fennel, italian herbs, onion powder, black pepper, curry 


Tip 4: Use stock for the liquids of your soups. Chicken stock is good in everything. 


Tip 5: Keep your bones. I like to add beef or lamb or pork bones into soups. I keep them in the freezer. They impart tons of flavor for your soups. Remove them before serving.

Soups are perfect for cheaper pieces of meat, like pork shoulder and beef stew, which you can buy in a roast and cut yourself. Ground beef, turkey and chicken also work well. Keep canned tomatoes and tomato paste on hand in your cabinet. Also rice and pasta work well here. I don't make those at my house, but you could add them if you want. Sometimes I will make my hubs some pasta and pour the soup over it. Here are some other ideas:

Pork shoulder soup with white beans, tomatilla salsa, onions, peppers, and garlic (chicken stock)
Beef stew with butternut squash (beef stock as the liquid)
Ground beef (or turkey) chili with beer, beans and tomatoes (use your tomato paste here)
Ground chicken soup with potatoes, carrots, and celery (cook pasta on the side)
Rotisserie chicken soup with beans and vegetables (chicken stock as liquid)
Beef stew with sweet potatoes, onions, and carrots
Pork shoulder soup with tomatoes, beans, and corn
Ground beef soup with canned tomatoes, corn, and green beans
Taco soup: ground beef, corn, beans, green chilis, tomatoes and chili powder
Posole: Pork shoulder soup with hominy and green salsa (garnish with cilantro)
Chicken noodle soup with mexican spices, like cumin, chili powder, and paprika
Split pea soup with ham
Curried chicken soup with chicken breast, vegetables, coconut milk and curry paste
Beef stew with mushrooms

Truly, the possibilities are endless...


Happy Soup Cooking!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Chicken with bacon and goat cheese

I am a chicken breast hater. I understand that it is probably the most popular meat in the United States. It is very boring to me and often over cooked. This is a yummy chicken recipe mostly because it involves two of my favorite things...bacon and goat cheese. I made this the other night. I had some extra jarred tomato sauce that I added cream to. That is sort of optional. It would be good without the sauce. Here is what I did.

Chicken with Bacon and Goat Cheese


2 Chicken Breasts
2 pieces of bacon
1/2 tsp of italian herbs
2 ounces of goat cheese
1 cup tomato sauce
1/8 cup of heavy cream
Salt/pepper
Olive oil (your preference of how much you use)


1) Make a slit in the side of the chicken
2) Put your finger in there to make a hole for the goat cheese
3) Put one ounce of cheese in each breast
4) Salt and pepper the chicken
5) Season chicken with herbs
6) Wrap the chicken breast with one slice of bacon (you could use two if you like)
7) Pour olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan
8) Brown chicken on both sides
9) Transfer to 350 preheated oven
10) Cook until done
11) For tomato sauce, heat up sauce and add cream. Pour it on the plate and place chicken on top

Enjoy!

The Perfect Paleo Breakfast (or for any one who likes eggs!)

Check out this super easy (I mean super duper easy) egg recipe. Mark Bittman, who is pretty much a big deal in the cooking world, talked about cooking simple yet elegant egg dishes. Buy his book, How to Cook Everything. It is a great addition to your cookbooks. He uses ramekins, but I don't have any of those. I improvised by using muffin tins.

Egg Cups (Serving size: 1-2 eggs per person)

Using your muffin tins, spray or butter each tin you intend on using. Put a piece of cooked bacon or proscuitto in the muffin tin. You can add a tomato slice if you like. Spinach would work well too. Crack your egg, being careful not to break the yolk. Add salt and pepper to the egg. Drizzle a little bit of cream or put a tiny pat of butter on top. I added hot sauce, of course. Sprinkle with cheese. Whatever you want. Get creative. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. I cooked mine for 15 minutes and the whites were slightly undercooked. My hubs likes his whites cooked, so his eggs were in the oven for 18 minutes.

At this point, you are done. This is the easiest egg dish I have made in a while. Serve with fruit or a salad, if eating this for dinner. Enjoy!

Curried Chicken and Vegetables

Curried Chicken with Vegetables and Peanuts

I came home from a wonderful weekend in Fayetteville, AR visiting friends. I was hungry and knew that I was going to cook something for dinner. I had the hubs pick up some chicken, asparagus, and cauliflower. I had coconut milk, curry paste, and fish sauce at home. This is another reason to keep a stocked cabinet! I whipped this together in under an hour. There are short cuts that can be made, which I will point out as I go. The hubs ate his with rice. I ate mine as is. This made a ton, which is wonderful for a family. We have three tupperwares of leftovers for the week. Yippee! Here is what I did.

Curried Chicken and Vegetables (Makes 5 servings)

1 pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 can full fat coconut milk
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 yellow pepper
1 small Zucchini
1/2 bunch of asparagus
1.5 TBLS of Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste
2 TBLS of Thai Kitchen Fish Sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
Coconut Oil or EVOO for sauteing vegetables
Salt and Pepper to taste

*Caveat: I sauteed the vegetables individually starting with the cauliflower then the peppers and then the zucchini. I did not saute the asparagus, but threw it into the pot at the last minute. This is totally unnecessary and will save you time if you omit this step.

1) Cut up vegetables into bite sized pieces
2) Using 2-3 TBLS of fat (whatever you like), saute your vegetables. Season them with salt and pepper
3) After 3-4 minutes, remove the vegetables
4) Season chicken on both sides. Begin to brown
5) Remove chicken and set it aside. It only needs to be browned. It will cook in the curry.
6) Once chicken is removed, deglaze with 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Scrape up browned bits
7) Add curry paste to the chicken stock
8) Add coconut milk. Stir
9) While the coconut milk is bubbling, cut chicken into bite sized pieces
10) Add chicken to coconut milk mixture. Cover the pot and let gently simmer for 10 minutes
11) Add vegetables into the mix. Let cook 5 more minutes. Add Fish sauce to the mixture. Stir
12) Serve into bowls and garnish with chopped peanuts

*This sauce was so good. I commented that I wanted something to sop it up like rice or bread. You can make this vegetarian very easily. Simply use vegetable stock instead of chicken and add one can of drained garbanzo beans.

Enjoy!

It's Octoberfest Y'all

Ok, ok, I have sort of started to embrace my Midwestern life....well, maybe a Polish or German life really. I now love many things that are foreign to my upbringing. Merck's cheese spread, cheese curds, bratwurst, any sort of encased meat and italian beef (the list goes on) are sadly some of my favorite things to eat now. My obsession with bratwurst rivals my obsession with wine and with beef. I will say though that nothing satisfies more than a grilled brat. So the other night, I made this super easy 4-ingredient dinner. My husband had three servings of this. He loves any sort of grilled brat. Add sauerkraut, mustard, onion, and Giardinara and he is one happy man.

Try this recipe now. Feel free to use turkey sausage if you prefer, but those don't really make much of a rotation at my house. If using turkey, you may need to add some additional fat so they don't dry out on the grill.

Jarred sauerkraut and beer

Quickly grilled onions to add to the sauerkraut mixture

Grilled sausages on top of sauerkraut, onion and beer mixture. Be sure to nestle them down into the sauerkraut.

Grilled Sausage and sauerkraut. Serve with hot mustard and pickled hot vegetables.

Grilled Sauerkraut and Bratwurst (Potentially serves 6, but for us, 3 servings)*


6 Fresh Bratwurst
1 Onion (sliced)
1 28 ounce jar of sauerkraut
1 lager beer


*This can be made in the oven instead of the grill. Simply saute onion and sear sausages in a pan. Then pour sauerkraut in a oven safe casserole dish. Place browned sausages and onion on top of sauerkraut, pour beer in and bake for 30-60 minutes at 350.


1) Preheat grill. Make a medium sized fire with coals on one side
2) While you are waiting on the fire, quickly saute one onion in a little bit of EVOO. 
3) Place onions in a grill safe casserole dish. You can use a skillet too, but only copper, stainless steel or cast-iron. 
4) Cover with sauerkraut. Set aside until ready to go on the grill 
5) When the coals are ashy, place the sausages on the hotter pot of the grill
6) Monitor the sausages. Turn them when they begin the brown. Make sure they don't burn
7) When browned, simply place casserole dish on the hotter part of the grill. Add sausages on top of the sauerkraut and pour beer in. 
8) Make sure you sort of bury the sausages in the sauerkraut and beer mixture
9) Cover the grill
10) You may want to check to make sure that the mixture is simmering not boiling 
11) Cook for 30 minutes on a covered grill
12) Serve with mustard and Giardinara. YUMMERS!

Fall in a Bowl!

I love the fall (except that for us, it means that winter is just around the corner and Chicago winters are tough). Fall reminds me of butternut squash, apples, braised meats, soups, pumpkins and fallen leaves. I made a recipe that was inspired by Emeril. I don't often like him but I have had to get creative and think out of the box since giving up carbs. My husband and I went on an adventure to Wisconsin this weekend. We bought brats from a meat market in Lake Geneva, had lunch in Lake Zurich with our friends, and hiked in Eagle, Wisconsin before returning home. This is the supper I made when we got home. It was a one pot meal with tons of flavor.

Apple Brandy Chicken with Cabbage (serves 4)

6 organic Chicken thighs with skin and bone
3 slices thick cut bacon or 6 slices thin bacon diced
2 granny smith apples diced
1 bulb of fennel sliced
1 head cabbage sliced
1 large onion sliced
1 cup no sugar added apple juice
1/3 cup Brandy or apple brandy
1/2 cup chicken stock
Salt and Pepper
1 TBL of fennel seed (optional, but delicious)

1) Get out your biggest dutch oven. Mine is a 7 quart red beauty that I got for my birthday from Pat
2) Dice your bacon and put it in the pot
3) Brown the bacon. While this is happening, start your prep
4) Slice your fennel first in half vertically. De-core (like an apple) and thinly slice
5) Slice your cabbage first in half (vertically) De-core and then thinly slice
6) Slice your onion and dice your apple after it is de-cored too
7) Remove cooked bacon to a plate and remove all but 2 TBL of bacon fat. Fat=flavor!
8) Salt and pepper your chicken thighs on both sides. (make sure that you are working with medium hi heat)
9) Place chicken SKIN-SIDE DOWN in the pot. It will be crowded, but give it some time
10) Let them cook for 5 minutes or so. Take a peak and see if there is a crust
11) Flip chicken (the first side should be beautifully browned)
12) Remove chicken and begin cooking your vegetables. I poured out some of the chicken fat before adding the vegetables. It is your choice. 
13) Fennel and onion go in the pot first (saute maybe 5 minutes)
14) Remember to season every layer as you go. Lightly salt and pepper the fennel and onion
15) Add 1/2 of your cabbage. Begin to saute the cabbage
16) After 5 minutes, add the rest of your cabbage
17) Add your fennel seed. Season with salt and pepper. Remember to do this with every layer of food
18) Once the second batch of cabbage is wilted slightly, add your brandy. Stir the brandy and it will help to deglaze your pan...i.e. pick up yummy bacon and chicken bits from the bottom. Let it evaporate
19) Place chicken on top of cabbage mixture
20) Scatter apples around the chicken (I don't like mine mushy. Add them earlier if you want)
21) Carefully pour one cup of apple juice and some chicken stock around the chicken and cabbage
22) Put a top on and let it cook on low heat for 45 minutes to an hour
23) Serve in bowls with juice
24) Garnish with fennel fronds (the green tops you cut off the fennel) and some diced raw apple
25) This was YUMMERS as my hubs says. It was not too sweet. The brandy and the apply juice produced a slightly sweet rich sauce.

*There is a caveat. I like crispy chicken skin. I removed the chicken from the pot at the last minute and crisped the skin on my cast-iron griddle. This is unnecessary, but I liked the effect.

Thick cut bacon rendering in the pan

Chicken browned in the bacon drippings

Sauteed fennel and onion. The brown on the bottom of this pan is called the FOND. It is flavorful and the brandy helps to pick up those yummy brown bits. 

Arrange your chicken on top of the cabbage mixture. Scatter apples around the chicken at this point

Finished product. Raw apple and fennel fronds are great garnishes for this meal. 

Spice Rubbed Flank Steak=Yum

Um, yeah. We eat a lot of beef in my house. Like a lot. My husband loves flank and skirt steak, which is fine with me since they are cheaper and leaner than ribeyes and strips. They are perfect for a busy home cook and a week night dinner. Of course, I cooked it too rare and had to throw the hubs' steak back on the grill. Sigh, he has not acquired my taste for rare meat. A rub, like I have discussed before, truly works wonderfully on a flank or skirt steak. This was a grass fed flank steak from Whole Paycheck that I had frozen in my freezer. I thawed it out on Tuesday and rubbed it with a rub on Wednesday before work. Wednesday night....steak dinner. Here is what I did.

Grass-Fed Flank Steak (feeds 4)


1 pound of flank steak
1-2 TBL of EVOO
1 TBL of rub (I used my blackening seasoning which includes salt/pepper)

1) In the morning, take out steak and pierce it with a fork all over. Rub it with the spice mixture and a good splash of olive oil. Rub the mixture into the meat. Put it in a baggie or wrap it back up in the butcher paper
2) When you come home, take it out on the counter to get ready for the grill (at least 30 min)
3) Set up medium sized grill with coals on one side
4) It is ready when the coals are glowing but slightly ashy. Put meat on hot part of grill (over coals)
5) Cook for a total of 12 minutes for medium rare
6) Flip after 5-6 minutes
7) Let rest 5 minutes
8) ALWAYS ALWAYS slice flank, skirt, tri-tip, and brisket AGAINST the grain. Look at the grains in the meat. Cut the opposite direction of the grain

Spice rubbed steak after 12 hours 

After spending 10 minutes on the grill. It is easy to see the grain running horizontally

Sliced and ready to eat, but too rare for the hubs

Thank goodness we are both carnivores in my family. I love steak, like a ton. Cheers!

The Wonderful World of Vegetables

Cast-iron Cooked Vegetables

Caramelized broccoli, peppers, and onions

I love my griddle. Seriously. It is the best kitchen gadget I have. Get one now. It caramelizes meats and veggies perfectly. At my house, we eat a lot of vegetables and I cook some sort of veg every single night. My hubs is sort of ambivalent about vegetables and always always leaves them for last on his plate.  I love thinking of new ways to cook them, but sometimes the simplest approach is the best. A little olive oil, salt, pepper and bam....delish vegetables. My trusty cast iron griddle makes it super easy for me to make them taste good. Veggies have lots of natural sugars in them. With the help of the super hot griddle and some oil, they turn crunchy and have little tasty brown bits on them. The brown bits equal flavor.

Always preheat the griddle (medium heat) before using it. It must be hot. Before putting the veggies on the griddle, toss them with salt/pepper and 1-2 TBL of EVOO in a big bowl. Make sure they are seasoned and evenly coated with oil. Then simply place chopped vegetables on the griddle. Make sure the cast iron griddle is on medium heat. Turn your veggies several times throughout the cooking process. To see if they are ready, pull a veggie off and cut it open. Cook it to desired doneness, anywhere from 10 minutes for green beans and peppers to longer periods like 20 minutes for broccoli.

THE ART OF ROASTING

*If you don't have a griddle, use a super hot 450 oven. Put the cookie sheet or sheet tray in the oven as it preheats. Then when you put the veggies on the tray, they immediately start to cook and caramelize. There is nothing worse on earth than soggy steamed vegetables. Gross.

You can cook almost any vegetable by roasting them (or using your cast iron griddle). Cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, brussel sprouts, asparagus, bok choy, peppers, onions, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, mushrooms etc. For some vegetables, cast iron will not be appropriate. Beets, acorn squash, potatoes, butternut squash have longer cooking time and are ideal for oven roasting. When roasting, try not to crowd the cookie sheet.

Paprika dusted butternut squash ready for the oven

Become comfortable with this cooking method, your food will taste better as a result. In addition, never overcook your veggies. They should be al dente (to the tooth) and have some bite to them. If you need help learning how to do this, cut a veggie open after 5-10 minutes and taste it. Then assess if they need longer. Check again after 5 more minutes. The end result should be perfectly cooked and delicious. Sometimes it is trial and error before you are comfortable roasting vegetables. Think about the veggie itself. If it is long and skinny like green beans or asparagus, it will have a shorter cooking time like 10 minutes. Cauliflower and broccoli take a longer amount of time. The butternut squash in this picture required around 50 minutes of roasting. I dusted hot spanish paprika on the squash with salt, pepper and oil before going into the oven.

Perfectly roasted brussel sprouts and mushrooms

The brussel sprouts required a two step cooking process. I cooked the mushrooms first. I cut them into quarters and sauteed them in 1 tbl of oil until water was released and they were tender. I then put them aside and added them to the roasted brussel sprouts toward the end of cooking. Always halve brussel sprouts and allow around 20-25 minutes to roast. Coat with oil, add salt, pepper and put them on your preheated cookie sheet. They are delicious and make a frequent appearance at my house in the fall and winter.

Vegetables are truly a wonderful thing. Roasting them brings out their natural sugars and really makes them an enjoyable part of the meal versus just a side dish that people eat because they have to.

Super Delicious but Sadly not Gluten-Free Chicken Pot-Pie!

Chicken Pot-Pie before cooking

Golden Brown Deliciousness: Pot-Pie after cooking

So I made this pot-pie last year (obviously before changing my diet) in the winter time. It is the perfect winter food because it is rich and satisfying and warms your cold bones. I took some store-bought help and bought puff pastry. It is easy to use and makes this recipe far less time consuming. I also used a rotisserie chicken (super time-saving tip for busy home cooks). WARNING: This is not a recipe if you are dieting or gluten free or short on time.

Chicken Pot-Pie (Serves 6)

1 Rotisserie Chicken (chicken pulled off the carcass. You need around 4 cups of chicken)
1 Onion diced
2 Carrots diced
1 10-ounce container of mushrooms sliced
1 Cup of Frozen Peas
1 box store bought frozen puff pastry* (must be thawed the night before)
1/2 stick of butter
3 TBLS of flour
4 cups of Chicken Broth (kept HOT or at least warm)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 sprigs of thyme, picked of leaves and chopped
3 TBLS of EVOO
Salt/Pepper

*Before starting this recipe, remember to thaw out your puff pastry the night before. Also you will need to clean the chicken off of the rotisserie chicken. Chop the chicken. Freeze the carcass for stock if you want.

1) Chop carrots and onion into a small dice; pick thyme leaves and chop

2) Slice Mushrooms

3) Heat up 2 TBL of EVOO in a big heavy bottomed dutch oven (medium heat). Saute mushrooms until soft. Don't be alarmed when the mushrooms soak up all the fat. Just wait and don't add more fat. They release moisture as they cook. Season them to taste when they are finished cooking.

4) When mushrooms are cooked, remove them and set aside. Add the 1/2 stick of butter and 1 TBL of EVOO to the pan and begin cooking the onion and carrot. Saute until soft. Season with salt/pepper.

5) Turn your burner heat down to medium-low. Add the 3 TBLS of flour to the onion, carrot and butter mixture. Whisk constantly. Essentially, you are making a roux* (a roux is a mixture of flour and fat that acts as a thickening agent. They are used frequently in soups, sauces, gravys and in cajun cooking like jambalayas and gumbos).

*It should get thick and become paste-like. Remember to stir the whole time. If it is too thick and not all of the flour is mixed in, just add more fat like EVOO. When you have a paste, add the warm chicken stock to the mixture. Whisk the broth and roux together. Let it simmer for several minutes on low heat until the stock is thickened. If too thick, add more broth, but only in 1/2 cup increments stirring the whole time (There really is no exact science to cooking. Baking is a different story, but using store-bought pastry hardly counts as baking). Turn off the burner. Then add the chicken, peas, mushrooms, thyme and heavy cream. Stir until well mixed. Taste (always taste as you go) and season accordingly. Set aside while you deal with the puff pastry.

6) Flour your counter and unfold the puff pastry, which usually comes folded into a square. Simply and carefully unfold it like you would a piece of paper that is folded it up. It comes in a box and is really easy to use. Lay it flat on the counter. You can roll it with a pin if you want. Honestly, I don't own a rolling pin. I just unfolded it and made sure that there were no visible seams. If a seam existed, I pulled the dough to cover it. It was super easy.

7) Spray or grease your casserole dish

8) Pour chicken mixture in the casserole dish

9) Put pastry dough on top of the chicken mixture. Cut off excess

10) I made designs with the extra (this is optional)

11) Crimp the sides of the dough like making a pie (see picture for what it should look like)

12) Make 3 or 4 slits in the dough to allow steam to release. Season the pastry with salt and pepper

13) Place on a big cookie sheet in case the pot-pie overflows

14) Bake for 45 minutes to one hour at 350 or until the crust is golden

Enjoy this recipe. I remember how yummy it was.

Easy Egg Bake

Egg Bake before cooking

I like to take ideas from cook books and make them my own. I tweak them for my needs and what I have in the kitchen. This recipe is super versatile and was really tasty. It is perfectly appropriate for my diet and any low-carb peeps out there. My husband enjoyed it and he certainly has not given up any carbs. Whatever you do, get creative. Use leftover vegetables, like peppers, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini and potato. You can also use WHATEVER meat you have on hand. I used bacon because it is the most delicious meat on the entire planet. Sausage, ground beef, or leftover bratwursts would also be super delish. Feel free to make this as big or as little as you want. Remember, if making this casserole bigger, you will need more vegetables, more meat, more seasonings, and more eggs etc. Cooking time may need to be extended too if the casserole is super big!

Easy Egg Bake (Serves 2)

3 large organic eggs (splash of milk for eggs)
1/4 cup shredded or sliced cheese (I sliced cheddar from a block)
1 handful of cherry tomatoes
1 handful of leftover zucchini
2 slices of thick cut nitrite/nitrate free bacon (use more slices, if thin)
Salt/pepper as needed
1 TBL Bacon grease from rendered bacon for cooking veggies
Splash of hot sauce (optional)

1) Chop bacon
2) Cook it in small skillet until the fat is rendered out and the bacon is crispy. Remove bacon and set aside
3) Drain all but 1 TBL of the bacon fat (I keep my bacon fat in a jar for other uses)
4) Saute vegetables in the bacon fat
5) Meanwhile, mix your eggs very well (add a splash of cream or 1/2 and 1/2) and season with salt/pepper
6) Pour eggs into a greased small baking dish (I used a small Le Creuset gratin dish suitable for two people)*
7) Pour vegetables and meat into the eggs. Move around so all of the veggies and meat are evenly spread out
8) Add cheese on top. Add salt and pepper and a splash or two of hot sauce
9) Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. The eggs will have set when ready. If you have doubts, cut into it slightly and take a peak. No big deal if your casserole has a cut in it!
10) Enjoy with fruit for a nice healthy breakfast

* You could also use muffin tins. Make sure that you grease or spray the tins before adding the egg mixture. Fill them up as you would cupcakes...about 3/4 of the way full.

Casserole after cooking. The cheese is melted and the eggs are set!

This egg bake would make a nice week night dinner as well. Serve with a salad and you are done. Enjoy!

Really Good Pork Tenderloin

Grilled Mustard Pork Tenderloin

I went to a baby shower for my awesome Zumba teacher yesterday. I decided to bring pork tenderloin sandwiches because who does not like pork tenderloin sandwiches? I remember going to parties in the South and there always being a tray of pork tenderloin with a basket of rolls and Jezebel sauce. I wanted to put my own spin on these sandwiches and update them a little. I rubbed mine in mustard and let sit for one day. I grilled them, sliced them, and served them with three different sauces. Remember, buns are certainly optional. My hubs was my official taste tester and he voted the Teriyaki reduction as being the best. Here is what I did.

Pork Tenderloin with Three Sauces (Serves 4) 


1 Pork Tenderloin (I used 3 loins because it was for a party)
1/4 cup of dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper
EVOO
Dinner rolls (optional)

For Sauces:

Mayonnaise
Chipotle in Adobo Peppers
Sour Cream
Mustard
Teriyaki
Orange Marmelade or Apricot Preserves
Salt/Pepper
EVOO

For Pork: 


1) Season both sides of pork tenderloin with salt/pepper
2) In a plastic baggie, mix mustard and olive oil (maybe like 2-3 Tbls of EVOO)
3) Add pork to the baggie
4) Make sure the pork is coated and then place in the refrigerator
5) Let sit 12-24 hours
6) When it is time to cook the meat, start your grill. I made a small fire because I didn't have much charcoal and did not want to make a huge fire that would burn my pork.
7) Place pork on hot side of grill when coals are ashy. If the fire is too big and the meat is smoking, cover the grill and it will calm it down a bit
8) Flip the pork when one side is browned (maybe like 4 minutes per side)
9) When both sides are browned and caramelized, put the cover on the grill so they will cook slowly
10) If cooking the pork ahead of time and reheating, pull the pork when the internal temp registers 140
11) If cooking and eating immediately, pull the pork at 155. It will continue to cook off of the grill

This pork was so good. They were smoky and tender. Maybe the best tenderloin I have ever made. The mustard tenderizes the meat. Try this recipe now. Seriously.

I made three different sauces. Sauces are simple, but fancy. They do add something to your food and make your friends and family think you worked really hard!

Chipotle Mayo


Mix one cup of store bought good quality mayonnaise with two (or 3) finely chopped chipotle peppers. Chipotle peppers come in a can and are simply pickled jalapenos. They are quite spicy so be careful. Mix together, taste and then season with salt/pepper. Simple and yummy. Serve this sauce with sandwiches or fish tacos!

Mustard Sour Cream Spread


Mix one cup of full fat sour cream (reduced fat is okay) with 1/4 cup dijon mustard and 1/4 stone ground mustard. Mix well. Taste and add salt/pepper as needed. This sauce is wonderful for beef or prime rib.

Teriyaki Reduction


This sauce is simple, but absolutely delicious. I didn't eat too much of it because there was gluten in the teriyaki sauce that I bought. Did you know that soy sauce has gluten in it? Use Tamari for gluten free soy. Anyway, I poured about 10 ounces of teriyaki sauce in a sauce pan and let it reduce, reduce, and reduce. It was thick and super salty. To decrease the saltiness, I stirred in 1 TBL of mustard, 1 TBL of orange marmalade (apricot preserves would have been awesome too!) and 1 TBL of EVOO. I stirred vigorously and it came out perfect. Use this sauce as a glaze for pork tenderloin, ribs, or chicken. 

*Remember that when glazing meats, only glaze them in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. There is a lot of sugar in this glaze, so it will burn VERY easily. Only glaze at the end. The same is true for BBQ chicken or ribs.

Cheers!

Pan-Fried Pork Chops

So, I am a Southerner. We love fried food. I never actually eat it, but the thought of chicken-fried steak or buttermilk fried chicken certainly makes me think about when I lived in Arkansas and my mom would make chicken fried steak once a year. We would have cream gravy and mashed potatoes. Yumm-o. Since giving up carbs, I have wanted to see if I could make Southern staples without using flour or gluten. Enter Almond Flour. Now, granted this is not the same taste at using flour, but my husband and I liked these pork chops just the same. 

Pan Fried Pork Chops (Serves 2)

2  1-inch pork chops (whatever cut you like. I think mine were center cut)

1  Cup Almond Flour (Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour)

1  Egg

1  Splash of cream or whole milk

1  Splash hot sauce

1/4 Tsp of dried herbs

Salt and Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1) Dry pork chops with paper towel

2) Lightly pound with a mallet to tenderize 

3) Salt and Pepper the chops; Set aside

4) Get out two bowls; one for almond meal and one for egg/milk

5) Whisk one egg in one bowl. Add hot sauce, salt/pepper

6) Pour one cup of almond flour in the second bowl for dredging

7) Put one chop in the egg. Coat both sides. Let the excess drip off

8) Then place the eggy chop in the flour. Press down and then flip, making sure that the flour is on both sides
9) Do the same thing to the other chop. Set aside for up to 15 minutes
10) Using medium heat, heat the oil in a heavy bottom skillet. Only use enough to coat the bottom
11) To test the readiness of the oil, sprinkle a tiny bit of flour into the oil. If is bubbles, it's ready
12) Place chops in the oil and cook until brown on one side (3-4 min). Remember, the chops should bubble in the oil. If they are not bubbling, the heat is too low. Additionally, don't put those chops on high heat. They will burn. Flip when browned. Cook until both sides are browned and the meat is cooked.
13) Use your meat thermometer to test the doneness of the meat. Pork should be pulled at 155-160.
14) Serve with a lemon wedge and whatever side you desire.

These were wonderful. I liked the crunchiness of the crust. In retrospect, I wish I had soaked the chops in buttermilk all day to ensure tenderness or perhaps a brine of equal parts sugar and salt in a bowl of water would have been a good idea. They were fine just the way that they were.  Cheers!