Chicago in the Summer

My hubs and I always say that there is no better place to live than Chicago in the summer. It is warm, bug-free (for the most part), and filled with activity. We have been fortunate to do some fun things this summer, including attending a gala for the opening night of Lolapalooza. What a great picture my cousin took of us sitting at the party with the skyline behind us. It was a super fun night and the food was catered by the most popular food trucks in Chicago.  I have to say that I somewhat disappointed in the food. The Mac and Cheese truck was good, but some of the other food items were slightly disappointing.  I noticed right off the bat that the food was pre-cooked so that the trucks could serve the people faster. This is probably why the food was not the best. Oh well, Pat and I decided that starting a food truck is maybe in our future (we have lots and lots of dreams).

Sausage Stuffed Squash

So, my friends came over for dinner the other night and they brought me a basket of lovely foodie things (I am not certain that she is somehow southern with those manners). In the basket was an assortment of homegrown vegetables including gigantic squash and zucchini. Of course, I decided to stuff that squash with some sort of meat. This squash was baked in the oven and stuffed with an assortment of paleo-friendly foods (a little added goat cheese, which is not paleo). The picture does not do it justice. It was delicious. The sausage and veggies were caramelized. As you will see, I don't measure things and tend to throw all fresh things in a skillet at once.

Recipe for Sausage Stuffed Squash (serves two hungry eaters)

One large homegrown zucchini cut in half or two medium grocery store bought zucchini (cut in 4)*
8 ounces of organic breakfast sausage (hot italian or regular italian sausage would work)
1/2 vidalia onion
1 diced small bell pepper
1/2 fresh tomato
Splash of white wine for deglazing the yummy sausage bits (chicken stock is fine too)
10 ounces of frozen spinach (squeezed of all liquid!)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
*if using small squash, the cook time will be decreased.

Preheat oven to 400. Cut each squash in half vertically from the tip to the base. Scrape out the insides of the squash. Put in heavy bottomed pan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. In the meantime, brown sausage in a saute pan and break up (over medium high heat). When browned, add onion, pepper, and tomato. Stir veggies around in the fat of the sausage and mix together. Let brown while occasionally stirring. Deglaze with white wine or chicken stock. When the liquid is absorbed,  add frozen spinach and decrease heat and cover for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper as needed. Put mixture into the squash and place uncovered in the oven for 45 minutes if using large squash and 30 minutes if using medium squash. The squash are ready when they are soft on the outside. Enjoy!

Grilled Blackened Pork Chops

I certainly think that meat and especially grilled meat seems to be the thing I like to eat and cook the most. Above is a picture of a big plate of grilled pork chops. They were amazing and my hubby and I, who are huge carnivores, rolled up our sleeves and chewed the meat off of the bone. Vegans would not like my house very much, I'm afraid. Due to my meat obsession, making the transition to eating Paleo was not that difficult. Now don't get me wrong, I love pasta and bread. However, as I am learning, they are not so good for me. I decided to give the paleo a shot. It should be said that I don't eat meat from any place except Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Only hormone free, humanely treated/killed, and happy animals make their appearance on my plate.

Recipe for Grilled Pork Chops

Four bone-in center cut pork chops (less than one inch thick)*
Blackening seasoning**
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice of lemon or lime

*rub vigorously with spice mixture and let sit for two hours (overnight if possible)
**see recipe below

Rub your chops with a generous amount of rub. Drizzle with olive oil. Set up grill with coals on one side. When the fire is ready (coals should be slightly ashy), place pork chops on hot side of grill. You really want the fat around the edges to get charred. Once nice and charred (3 minutes per side) move chops over to the cooler side of grill and cover. Using an instant read thermometer, pork chops should be cooked to like 140 (it is okay if they are slightly pink). When you touch them, they should have a little give, but not be too hard. Once finished, let sit for 5 minutes and drizzle with lemon or lime.

Blackening Spice (wonderful on all meats)

Years ago, a chef at the Radisson taught me how to make this rub. He could make a mean prime rib. It is really an eye ball kind of thing. He taught me how to make it on a plate. You don't need to know exact measurements, I don't think. This recipe makes a lot. You can store this in the freezer or in a tupperware in your spice drawer.

The base of this rub is paprika. You want half of your plate to be paprika. Then you add equal parts garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, cumin, pepper and salt (on the other side of the plate). You would then add cayenne. This spice is hot and you want to use it carefully. Taste as you go. It should be spicy, salty, and flavorful.

Sunday at the Beach

Yesterday, we went to the South Blvd Beach. It is only 5 minutes from our house. It is so nice to go there, but I never, I repeat, NEVER get into the lake. Lake Michigan is too cold for this southern girl. We came home and I grilled organic Chicken Drummettes from Whole Foods. I put salt and pepper on them and coated them with leftover Chimichurri sauce that we had the night before. They were wonderful. We both ate about eight of them. I served it with a sliced tomato, cucumber, and avocado salad. Perfect paleo dinner.

Recipe for Chimichurri (great with grilled meat).

-Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce that is often served with grilled meat

Good handful of each: fresh parsley, oregano, and mint.
Two cloves of garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive oil (until loose, between 1/4 and 1/2 cup)
Splash of red wine vinegar or juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes

Place herbs, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a blender or food processor. Pulse several times to break things up. Then slowly stream in EVOO until the sauce is loose. Then add a splash of acid. Taste and add salt and pepper as preferred. It is wonderful on vegetables or grilled meats.