Quick Pork Chili

Chili.  Some people get very intense about their recipes and traditions.  Recipes usually take hours to let the elements mingle.  But you don't always have the time or energy for that.  So I gave one of Rachael Ray's recipes a try.  I don't know if it really lives up to her 30-minute claim, but it's pretty tasty for the amount of time and effort that goes in!

Recipe

1 to 1 1/2 lbs ground pork
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
4 shakes hot sauce
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 bottle of beer
1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped (optional)
chopped cilantro (optional)
grated cheese (optional)
salt & pepper

Heat a pot high and brown the meat, seasoning with the chili, cumin, and hot sauce (and salt & pepper, if you want to do that here).  Then add the onion, pepper(s), garlic, celery, etc., and cook 3-5 minutes.  Pour in the beer and scrape up the bottom of the pot, then add your tomatoes (and cilantro).  Bring to a boil, add salt and pepper if you haven't already, and serve (with cheese).

Notes

I made this with a few differences from dear Rachael's prescription.  First, only in typing this up now did I realize that I used teaspoons of seasoning, not tablespoons.  Rookie mistake, but it didn't really taste under-seasoned...  I also used veal instead of pork as a special birthday treat/because Key Foods didn't have ground pork.  She also recommends half each of a red and green bell pepper.  I think not.  I used a whole red one.  If you're simplifying your purchases too, maybe go with green so it stands out more from the tomato?  No big deal, though.  She also didn't include the jalapeno; I added that in, and ignored the celery and cilantro.  Also, Rachael doesn't address over-sensitive smoke detectors, but I preemptively deactivated mine.  Hmm, think that's about it.  Turned out pretty good!

Paleo Steak Marinade

What's more paleo than a raw hunk of cow?  Well, there's nothing wrong with giving it a little (or a massive) jolt of flavor.  There are a bunch of pointers and formulas for marinating meat here.  I've only tried one pretty straightforward one, but it's a good one:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp salt, dissolved in 2 oz water
4 scallions, cut in half
2 big cloves of garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp honey

Mix everything up in a Ziploc bag, add in your hunk of meat.  The recipe recommends skirt steak or any other thin cut.  Make sure your steak is well-coated, and leave in the refrigerator for (at least) an hour.

What happens next is up to you!  Grilling is probably best, but since that's not an option for me, I've done it a few times in the cast-iron skillet.  The key there is to wait (and bear the smoke) for as long as you can - the outside looks well done about when the inside is perfect!  For instance, this:

...was not quite long enough :(  Those mushrooms and onions were awesome, though :)

Crockpot Orange Beef Stew

I earmarked a couple crockpot recipes to try, and this is one of a few from the same post recommending some combinations you can make in a big batch and freeze into a few different bags for convenient use later.  I didn't bother with that part and just cooked this one on its own; other ones worth trying there too...

Recipe

3 lbs beef roast (don't think it matters if it's whole or cubed)
1 sweet potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 onion, roughly chopped (not in original recipe but why not?)
1/2 to 1 bunch of scallions, chopped
1 cup orange juice
1 cup beef or veggie broth
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp flour

Mix it all in the crockpot and cook low for 8 hours or high for 4.

Notes

At first nothing really stood out other than the sweet potatoes, which were soft and mushy, and had a nice citrus tang to them.  It's a nice hearty stew though!  But the best part was when I was scooping leftovers and all that was left in the pot were the dregs of the broth.  Leave room just to slurp spoonfuls of that stuff - tiny bits of beef, sweet potato, and scallion in a rich citrusy broth...

Whole Chicken in a Crockpot

Well well, Commander Roostro, at last we meet face-to-face.  Your days of pro-poultry terrorism are over.  We will soon have captured the rest of the Galline Freedom Front as well.  But first, we have something special prepared for you.  Our... usual... methods are not enough for someone of your prominence.  Do you see?  Ingenious, isn't it?  Ah yes, that is your friend and ally, Agent Onion One!  Or what's left of him.  What's that?  You're ready to talk?  Oh no, Roostro, that chance has passed.  Seal him into the device!  A-hahaha-HAHAHA!

The Recipe

1 large chicken, about 3-4 lbs
1 large onion

Rub
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper

Chop your onion and lay it as a base layer in the crockpot.  Mix the rub spices together (or whatever combination you want) and, yes, rub it all over the chicken.  Top and bottom, into the cavity (remove giblets, if any), in all the crevices, even under the skin if you want.  Put it in your crockpot (note: breast side down, apparently) and cook on high for about 4-5 hours.  If you poke it with a fork and it just falls apart, it's done.

Notes

We salute your sacrifice, Commander Roostro!  This chicken is so delicious.  Anything on the surface has that delicious rub, and most of the meat is moist and tender.  Any parts that dry out a bit, you can spoon over the onion and juices from the bottom of the pot.  Just watch out for bones - those get crumbly too and you probably don't want to swallow too many...  You probably want to pull everything apart and put the meat on a separate plate to serve or eat off of, although it's impossible not to eat most forkfuls as you pull them out!

 

Oh yeah.  Original recipe here.

Pan-Seared Tilapia with Fishy Spinach

New apartment, new grocery stores, new appliances... well, the ingredients of this one are some of my old stand-by's - was hoping to do one of my simple favorites - but stupid Avanti "Elite" oven won't work so we need a new method of preparation.  Using this as a general guide, I decided to see if I couldn't make a few tilapia fillets that had been sitting in my freezer/fridge for (more than) a couple days edible.

Recipe

The Necessities
tilapia fillets
~3 tbsp butter
spinach
salt & pepper

My Supplements
garlic, chopped
jalapeno, chopped
1 anchovy
lemon (wish I had it)

So to start, you melt your butter and add the garlic, jalapeno, lemon, and/or whatever herbs and spices you want infused in everything yet to come.  Sprinkle your fish with salt and pepper and put it in the pan.  Let it sit for about 2 minutes and change either side.  Take it out, (add in and break up your anchovy,) and put in some generous handfuls of spinach.  Stir it around until it's all a bit wilty and the initial seasoning elements are all mixed in.  Scoop the spinach onto your plate and serve the fish over it.  Like so:

Oh man.  This was another improvised stovetop dish where I might not ever go back to the oven.  Maybe (definitely) it was a bit on the salty side, but a lighter touch sprinkling the fillets would do fine there.  Fast and easy too!

Pumpkin & Sausage Pasta

I got a (premature) jump on the fall with this recipe, earmarked a while ago in the old Rachael Ray cookbook (which actually only required me to buy the sausage and Parm):

Recipe

1 lb pasta (e.g., penne, rigatoni, rotini)
1 lb Italian sausage (bulk, or removed from casing)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
4-6 sage leaves, slivered
1 cup dry white wine
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream
sprinkle of cinnamon & nutmeg/allspice
Parmesan cheese
olive oil, salt, pepper

Heat some olive oil in a deep pot or skillet over medium and brown the sausage.  Remove, add a little more oil, and saute the onion and garlic.  Add the wine, bay leaf, and sage; reduce the wine for a few minutes.  Next in goes the broth and pumpkin, stir together, and bring to a bubble.  Return the sausage, reduce heat, and add cream.  Season with a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and simmer five minutes.

Meanwhile, somewhere in there, start cooking the pasta.  Once everything's done, pour the sauce over the pasta and let mingle for a few minutes over low heat.  Serve with Parmesan.

Notes

First of all, Rachael recommends sweet sausage, but I got spicy because I like to live on the edge.  It was strong but delicious.  Also, I reverse-substituted allspice for cinnamon and nutmeg.

I was a little skeptical looking at everything, but it turned out delicious.  The sauce didn't really thicken, but it still worked perfectly in a nice deep bowl of pasta.  With a generous sprinkle of cheese, it's a bowl of gooey delight:

"Firecracker" Chicken

I'm not sure if there's a more official/ethnic name for this dish.  The literal description would probably have something to do with little spicy chicken dumplings.  Anyway, I thought it was worth a try, something a little different.  Sure, there's not really much wrong with just sauteed chicken with no cornstarch/flour and egg coating, but all I actually had to buy was the chicken.

The Recipe

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup cornstarch (possible substitution: flour)
2 eggs, beaten

for sauce
1/3 cup hot sauce
1 cup brown sugar (!)
1 tbsp water
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
sprinkle of salt

rice (optional)

Cut the chicken into 1" pieces.  Season with salt and pepper, toss in a plastic bag with the cornstarch/flour, and dip in the egg.  Cook a couple minutes per side in a well-oiled skillet to brown.  Then put in a layer in a baking dish.  Mix the sauce together and pour over the chicken.  Cook for an hour at 325 degrees, stirring up halfway through to re-coat.

Notes

Due to technical difficulties (i.e., dropped my phone), no picture.  Mine wasn't as gorgeously orange as the original website because of my Chipotle Tabasco sauce, but still pretty good, a distinctive way to do chicken.  A little messy...

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Tenders & Zucchini Chips

Double duty here.  I wanted to try the entree (who wouldn't?), and thought this side would go well.  And yes, that first dish is from Martha Stewart.  Is that really any more embarrassing than Gwyneth Paltrow or Rachael Ray?  Yes, probably :(

The Recipes

chicken tenders
bacon
sage

Put a sage leaf on each chicken tender, then wrap in bacon.  Heat some oil over medium-high and add tenders sage side down.  Cook until the bacon is browned, then flip and do the same on the other side.

1 zucchini, sliced into 1/4" disks
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1 egg white
1/4 tsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and any other spices you want

Mix the bread crumbs, cheese, and seasoning.  Dip the zucchini slices into the egg and then coating.  Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook at 450 degrees, 15 minutes, flipping halfway through - until nicely brown.

Notes

In the case of the bacon-chicken tenders, apparently simplicity does not equate to fool-proofing.  I'd maybe recommend using cheap, thin-sliced bacon, since my Boar's Head seemed to take forever to brown while the chicken was clearly done...  A few near the middle of the skillet came out nicely enough.  The others, though, I just unwrapped and put the bacon back in.  Obviously only the pretty ones made the picture below.

As unexpected as it was, the zucchini chips were really the star here.  I didn't even have parm, but even with a sesame/Asian turn they were delicious.  The zucchini becomes soft, but the crust gives a needed crunch to each bite.  It's more complicated than other veggie chips/sides I've done, but worth it.

Cider Beef Stew

Have you ever had a six-pack of hard cider and not wanted to drink it?  No?  Me neither.  But sometimes you want to mix things up and see what else you can do with that sweet nectar.  In one of those situations/moods, I was looking for some guidance for marinating a buffalo steak in cider, and happened across a list of Woodchuck-sponsored cider recipes.  This is the first one I had a chance to try:

Recipe

1 lb stewing beef
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp allspice
2-3 tbsp oil
1 bottle cider
2 tbsp ketchup
1-2 onions
1-2 potatoes
1-2 carrots
1-2 stalks of celery
mushrooms (optional; I had 'em so in they went)

Place the flour, salt, pepper, and allspice in a plastic bag, then add the beef a few pieces at a time and shake to coat.  Brown the beef in the oil.  Add the cider and ketchup, cover and cook for 1-1 1/2 hours.  Toward the end, chop the onion, potato, carrot and celery - no need to go too fine here - then add and simmer for 30 more minutes.

Notes

After this first test, I'll definitely hit that list of cider recipes again.  I wasn't always 100% sure on the recipe - it didn't seem like enough liquid to stew the meat and then soften all the veggies.  Not everything will be submerged, but even so the potatoes steam to a nice softness while the carrot and celery add some texture.  The end result was a  bit on the sweet side - maybe just from the special summer edition though, and a dryer cider might complement the allspice better in the meat.

In any case, beef stew seems to be a pretty simple concept overall.  It's definitely something I'd improvise with the liquid base and produce I have on hand.  Cider's definitely not a bad option!

Chicken & Chickpea Stew

Hmm, not much to preface this with.  Original recipe here.

Recipe

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 lb thin chicken breast, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp red wine (apple cider) vinegar
1/2 c water
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup spinach
instant grits
more butter, salt & pepper

Heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high, then add the chicken, carrots, garlic, ginger, paprika and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Saute for about 15 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste, then vinegar, water, chickpeas and spinach.  Cook about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare the instant grits, and top with the stew.

Notes

This recipe uses some good ingredients without a whole lot of work...  The instant grits help - and don't laugh, they're actually pretty solid!  Gotta say, though, as delicious as the chicken smelled with my generous servings of garlic, ginger, paprika, and all, some of those flavors seemed to disappear in the finished product.  Maybe it had to do with, I carefully halved most of the main ingredients in the recipe, but when it came time to add the chickpeas, I had a brain fart and dumped in the whole can.  Thus that iteration was a bit dominated by that component.  Still good, though:

Ale-Braised Duck Sausage

Sticking with the colonial cookbook, although this one had a distinctive French theme to it...

Recipe

1 lb duck sausage
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp butter
2 cups dark ale
1 tsp mustard
1/2 cup demi-glace

Cut shallow diagonal slices into the sausage and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes (if pre-cooked).  Meanwhile, cook the onion, shallot and garlic in a skillet with the butter, high heat for a few minutes.  Then add the sausage, then the ale to deglaze, scraping up bits from the pan bottom.  Cook at medium about 10 minutes, until the ale reduces to just coat the pan.  Remove the sausage and keep warm.  Add the demi-glace and mustard and cook about 5 minutes until reduced by half.  Serve over the sausage and whatever other elements you like.

Outcome

To be honest, this did not look promising at first.  I had trouble finding duck sausage, and when I did it was raw, not pre-cooked.  And I have no real idea what demi-glace is - I didn't copy that page of the recipe.  Then the big onion I had on hand was... really gross.  But I winged it - baked the sausage a while longer, used a small (backup) onion, and said forget that French demi-glace nonsense.  I also had some extra broccoli so I tossed that in there.

After all that, I was definitely pleased with how it turned out.  The end result was really rich and flavorful.  The sausage I used had, like, duck, duck liver, other animals, lots of good stuff.  Without the totally-avoidable complications, it's actually a pretty simple meal - all I had to buy was the sausage and shallot (although the beer I had on hand was more of the pale ale variety).  Served over cous cous.  Delicious and looking forward to leftovers!

Swordfish with Sherry-Cream Sorrel

In honor of our nation's 237th birthday (OK, coincidentally), I was leafing through the colonial Philadelphia cookbook and snapping hopefully-legible pictures of the recipe for later use.  First up was swordfish.

The Recipe

swordfish steaks
bay leaves
1/2 c sherry
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded sorrel (or spinach)
butter, salt & pepper

Fish goes in baking dish(es) with a couple bay leaves (for the whole lot) and spots of butter on top.  Cook at 375 for about 10-15 minutes (until a cooked egg white-like film appears on top).  Remove from heat, get rid of bay leaves and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, boil the sherry, then add the cream and simmer for about 5 minutes until it thickens.  Stir in the sorrel and bring to a boil, then serve over the swordfish.

The Outcome

I liked this one because swordfish is a more highly-regarded piece of seafood, but the recipe itself is very simple.  You could just prepare the fish on its own (my one note is, as is endemic to cookbooks, it seemed to underestimate the cooking time).  Indeed, I was skeptical about the sherry-cream spinach element, but it actually came out as a kind of nice, tangy green element to the meal.  I didn't give it enough time to really thicken, but just tried to scoop out the leaves (of spinach, the suggested alternative).  Here's how it came out with a serving of sweet potato fries on the side:

Chicken Milanese

After overlooking the 3-hour cook time for Goop-style brisket, I made her Chicken Milanese my fallback plan for the night:

Recipe

chicken breasts/cutlets
bread crumbs
milk
olive oil

Fold the chicken between parchment paper (leaving plenty of space around...) and pound the crap out of it.  Gwyneth prescribes a pseudo-scientific 1/6" thickness, but I think the key takeaway is to make it as thin as you can before your neighbors complain.  Dip the chicken in milk, dredge through bread crumbs, and pan-fry in about 1/4 cup oil.  If it's thin enough, it should just be a couple minutes per side.

On the Side

Gwyneth lists a couple options to pair some produce with your chicken.  I started with her roasted cherry tomatoes and arugula, but substituted based on what I had on hand (which also happens to be some of my favorites).  I ended up tossing the tomatoes along with chopped sweet potatoes and carrots with some olive oil and spices.  Roasted it at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes - until the tomatoes split and the sweet potato was soft - then stirred in a few handfuls of spinach.

Here's the finished product:

Fried Catfish

For health and practical reasons, I've generally opted more for pan-frying than deep-frying.  Fried catfish is totally worth a shot in my book, though.  I had to range a little farther than Morton Williams across Second, but Food Emporium had the seafood and Kalustyan's (an incredible place) had other key elements like cornmeal and smoked paprika.  The Internet provided these guidelines.  Note that the recipe is as I did it for just one medium-to-large fillet; multiply out as needed.

Recipe

1 catfish fillet
<1/4 cup fine-ground cornmeal
<1/4 cup flour (you need a bit less than the cornmeal)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1 sprinkle cayenne pepper
milk
salt
oil (they recommend peanut; I used vegetable)
hot sauce (optional/to taste)

• Heat about a half-inch of oil in a skillet - until anything you put in it sizzles.
• Soak the fillet in milk.
• Mix the cornmeal, flour and spices.
• Sprinkle the fillets with salt and dredge through the meal mixture.
• Fry maybe up to 5 minutes a side (flip carefully!).
• If you have a big batch, keep the already-fried catfish warm in the oven at 200 degrees until ready to serve.
• Serve.  (With hot sauce, if desired.)

Notes

Once again, you can't take cooking times at their word.  I got an awesome sizzle when I put my fillet in the fryer, but at 3-4 minutes a side the thick part was still a little underdone.  Next time, I wouldn't worry about overcooking until the coating starts to look it.

I made it with a sandwich in mind, but ended up serving it over spinach-pepper jack mashed potatoes instead:

For once, my version actually looked like the pictures!

Quick Coconut Chicken

I LOVE breaded, fried things.  ESPECIALLY breaded, fried chicken.  BUT--unfortunately--breaded, fried things are not good for one and are not allowed Paleo-wise.  The solution?  THIS:

The coconut flakes on the outside can crisp up nicely, giving you that kick of crunchy exterior.  The inherent sweetness of the flakes adds a really interesting component not found in regular breading.  Serve with interesting dips or creamy sauces likes guacamole and it's just...WaBAM.  

Also, it's super easy and super fast.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. chicken tenders

1/2 cup shredded UNSWEETENED coconut flakes

pinch of salt

1 egg

2 tbsp coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat coconut oil over medium heat.  Pat chicken dry, dip into egg mixture and roll in coconut flakes with salt until coated.  Cook a few minutes per side until done.  

NOTES:

I didn't have eggs around, so I just used extra virgin olive oil as the sticky element and it worked fine.  

Shepherd's Pie

I mostly think of shepherd's pie as pub food, but apparently it was a(nother) occasional family dish as well.  In any case, I figured a hearty combo of lamb, potatoes, and some veggies was worth a try.  Courtesy of my Best Meat Recipes cookbook:

The Recipe

Filling
3+ lbs lamb shoulder chops, cut away from bone and into 1 in pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 in slices
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 1/4 c chicken broth
1/4 c red wine
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp thyme, chopped
1 tsp rosemary, chopped
1 c frozen peas, thawed

Topping
2+ lbs russet potatoes, cut into 1-2 in cubes
6 tbsp butter
3/4 c milk
2 egg yolks

salt & pepper

Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 tbsp oil over medium-high and brown the lamb (probably in 2 batches, extra 1 tbsp oil per batch).  Remove lamb to a bowl.

Reduce heat to medium and cook the onion and carrot until (onions are) soft.  Add the garlic, flour, and tomato paste.  A minute later, broth, wine, and Worcestershire, then the thyme and rosemary.  Cover and simmer until the lamb is tender, 25-30 minutes.  Then stir in the peas.

Meanwhile, get the topping going - cover the potatoes in water, sprinkle salt, and bring to a boil.  Once potatoes are tender (15-20 minutes), drain and return the pot to low heat.  Mash in the butter, milk, and egg yolks.  Season with salt and pepper.

Now you combine everything in a large baking dish or (a couple) pie plates.  Pour in the lamb mixture.  Drop gloops of potatoes around the edges, sealing in the filling.  Bake at 400 degrees until the top is golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Notes

This dish went over well.  It was a good bit of work, but fed a decently-sized group, several of whom helped prepare.  We went heavy on the herbs (although maybe not on salt & pepper), and also used Chipotle Tabasco sauce instead of Worcestershire in the spirit of using what was on hand.  I personally was not sure it was much better than the sum of its parts.  I would do it again, though; not sure it's worth the effort in smaller, more personal quantities.

Apple Smothered Pork Chops

Every once in a while (usually when I haven't had a serving of Chipotle carnitas in a while), I feel like whipping up pork chops for dinner.  This recipe comes from a meat cookbook that's provided a couple strong recipes already.  I skipped straight to their version that subs in some apple and cider:

Recipe

4 bone-in pork chops
4 oz bacon (4 slices), chopped
2 tbsp flour
1 3/4 c apple cider
1 onion, halved & sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
2 bay leaves
oil, salt & pepper

1. Sauce: Fry up the bacon, then remove but leave as much of the grease as you can.  Reduce heat to medium low and whisk in the flour.  Cook, whisking frequently, until it's a rich brown (about 5 minutes).  Then whisk in the cider, increase heat, bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat.
2. Chops: Heat a tbsp of oil in a skillet over high heat until smoking.  Sprinkle the pork chops with pepper, then put them in the skillet to brown (about 3 minutes per side).  Set aside.
3. Stew: In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium, add a tbsp oil and the onion, apple, 2 tbsp water and a sprinkle of salt.  Caramelize the onions (about 5 minutes), then stir in the garlic and thyme.  Then put the chops back in, cover with onion mixture, pour in the sauce, and add the bay leaves.  Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until you can stab the pork with a knife easily...
4. Gravy: Remove the pork chops to a serving plate.  Increase heat to medium high and simmer the sauce until it thickens into a gravy (about 5 minutes).
5. Serve: Serve the pork chops over a starch, pour over the gravy, and sprinkle with the bacon.

Notes

This one's a bit more labor-intensive than I'm usually looking for.  I definitely like the combined browning and stewing pork chop approach.  I may not have browned them quote enough (I felt like the times above were underestimations), but you do get some good flavor and keep it tender while not overcooking in the pan.

In the end,  I think this came out very well, with a better balance of sweet and savory than some other apple/cider-based recipes I've tried recently.  Sprinkling bacon on top is almost cheating, although I guess the grease plays a key role earlier on.  The recipe recommends egg noodles for a starch.  Here's the (somewhat crowded) final plate I ended up with: chops and gravy over spinach & goat cheese mashed potatoes.  No recipe for that side; just added the extras to the flakes...

Beef Chili

We made a paleo version of this recently, but it slipped my mind to share the recipe for future reference.  And to take a picture, will add when possible...

Recipe

2 lbs ground beef (recommended 85% lean)
2 onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 in cubes
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chili powder (!)
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 15-oz cans kidney beans, drained & rinsed (optional if going paleo)
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 28-oz can tomato puree
oil, salt & pepper

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large Dutch oven/soup pot, and add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and spices.  When they're starting to brown, increase heat to medium high and add half the beef.  Cook until no more pink is left, then do the same with the other half.  Add the beans and tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer - one hour covered, one hour open.

Notes

We did the paleo version with no beans, mushrooms instead.  It was delicious, but I think it was missing a little grainy, savory element from the beans.  Doing my research, I found that using chili powder (especially that much) isn't cool with some serious schools of chili thought.  But it's a solid one worth returning to.

Cider-Glazed Salmon

Salmon is one of the best ways to fill your seafood quota for a week.  This recipe isn't my favorite, or the easiest, but it's a good change-up if you're looking for a sweeter preparation.

Recipe

4 skinless salmon filets
1/2 c apple cider
1 1/4 tbsp honey
lemons, halved
12 oz baby spinach
1 1/2 tbsp white wine
olive oil, salt, pepper

1. Boil the honey and cider in a skillet and reduce by half.  Put the salmon in a baking dish, pour the cider glaze over, and let sit 10 minutes.
2. Heat a tsp of olive oil in an oven-safe skillet, and put in the salmon, sprinkle with salt & pepper, brush on half the glaze, and cook a few minutes.  You want it a bit caramelized...  Turn and glaze with the rest of the sauce, add the lemon halves, and put it in the oven at 350 degrees.  Cook it there 6-8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, melt a tbsp or two of butter in a skillet (potentially the same one as the first step).  Start to wilt the spinach and sprinkle with salt & pepper, then add the white wine.  Cook until tender.
4. Serve the spinach with the salmon on top and lemon as garnish.

Notes

The recipe uses a few too many dishes and pans for my liking, although three for a full meal (including veggies) isn't too unreasonable.  I found it sweet but lacking a little bit of, I dunno, variety of some kind.  So worthwhile to try, but not the best I've made or had.

Crockpot Jambalaya

A few years back, my go-to dish was old Zatarain's jambalaya out of a box.  So when I happened across this (paleo) jambalaya recipe, I was pretty excited to give it a try from scratch:

Recipe

4 c chicken stock
rice (optional)

Meat
1/2 lb chicken, diced
1 package andouille sausage, sliced
1/2 lb raw shrimp, deveined

Greens
4 peppers (mix of colors), chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 c okra (optional)
2 jalapenos, diced (optional)

Seasoning
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 bay leaves
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
hot sauce (optional)

Start with the stock, chicken, greens, and seasonings all in the crockpot to cook on low for 6 hours.  With 30 minutes to go, put in the andouille, then with 20 minutes, the shrimp.  You can add the rice for 20 minutes too, or cook separately.  Done.

Notes

So the chicken and shrimp amounts are pretty approximate - anything up to or a little over a pound won't overwhelm.  As simple as the instructions are, the toughest part is all the chopping.  The peppers, onion, garlic, etc. are pretty straightforward, but the okra was surprisingly gooey.  And it was my first experience with prepping raw shrimp.  The little legs, shells, veins...  gross.  And honestly, the andouille is really the star of the dish.  It's soupier than other jambalaya's I've had, but more colorful.  And great!  Next time just need to find more eaters.

Crispy Carnitas

This. is. UNBELIEVABLE.

slightly adapted from Mark's Daily Apple:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/crispy-carnitas/#axzz2K3ExGQtN

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder/butt, cut into 5 pieces
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced
water, for braising

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together salt, cumin and chili powder and rub all over meat.
Place the meat in a large, heavy pot with cinnamon stick, bay leaf, garlic and onion (Ideally the pot is large enough so that the meat is in a single layer).
Add enough water to almost, but not entirely, cover the meat.
Put the pot in the oven, uncovered, and braise for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.  Stir the meat just a few times while it cooks.
You'll know the pork is done when it's really tender, slightly browned and most of the liquid is gone.
Shred or break up the meat with forks or your hands into the desired level of shredded-ness or chunkiness.
Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf from the pot.  Return the pot to the oven.
Roast the meat, mixing occasionally, until the meat is as dark and crispy as you like it.  (This process will go even faster if the meat is spread out on a roasting pan or baking sheet with any remaining liquid that was left in the pot.  If time is tight, you can also put the meat under a broiler.)

NOTES:

I cannot even begin to describe how delicious and succulent this is.

We used a bone-in pork butt, which we cut the bone out of and gave to the dog.  So everyone was happy.

We skipped the browning part at the end in favor of 

incredibly moist meat with just the outsides crispy--a fine option--and also cuz we wanted to consume it asap.

As this was the main dish of a Superbowl-themed meal, I served it with nachos (for the non-paleo eaters), homemade guac and sweet potato fries.

MAKE THIS NOW!!!!!!  

Almond-Crusted Cod

I had this recipe earmarked for a bit, and finally got around to it recently.  I've been working through a bag of almonds, and keeping an eye out for cod in the Morton Williams freezer...  Everything else should be sitting around your kitchen.

The Recipe

1 lb cod filet
1/2-3/4 cups almonds, crushed
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp seasoning of choice
salt & pepper

Lay the cod out on a baking sheet.  Mix the butter, almonds, herbs and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and lay evenly on the top of the cod.  Cook for 10-15 minutes at 500.

Notes

I wasn't totally happy with the cooking time from the original recipe.  By 10 minutes the almonds were almost burning but the cod seemed underdone.  So I left it in a little longer.  I don't think you really have to worry about the almonds being overdone, though - you want a nice toasty flavor!

Here's the finished product with orange-tomato broccoli - the secret ingredients for the night were almond and thyme.

"Creamy" Potato Leek Soup

(courtesy of Alex Jamieson of The Great American Detox)

*This is a lovely soup remarkable for it's creamy texture and luscious flavor all achieved WITHOUT cream or dairy of any kind!!!  The secret lies in the Yukon Gold potatoes--a favorite of the famous Sergeant Preston of the Yukon and his Wonder Dog King...

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 leeks, white and light green parts washed and sliced into 1/4'' slices

2 cups chopped yellow onion

1/2 tsp sea salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 lb.), peeled and cubed into 1/2'' cubes

4 cups vegetable stock

2-3 tsp fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a 4 qt. pot over medium heat and add the oil.  

Add the leeks, onion and sea salt and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion begins to turn translucent. 

Add the garlic and stir well.  Cook for 1 minute more.

Add the potatoes and vegetable stock, cover, and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat to simmer.  Cook for 20 minutes.

Remove the soup from heat and use an immersion/stick blender to blend the soup in the pot OR ladle the soup into a blender, 1 cup at a time.  Blend the soup with the fresh rosemary until smooth and free of chunks.  Pour smooth soup into a heat-proof bowl and continue until all the soup has been blended.

Transfer the blended soup back to the original soup pot and warm over low heat until heated through.  Serve hot.   

NOTES:

If once were not concerned with adhering to the Detox plan, once could potentially add some super crispy bacon and bring the soup to a whole other level...

Cod & Fennel Chowder

I'm always on the lookout for good, easy seafood options, and appreciate simple, one-dish recipes.  And there are chilly winter days that are just right for soup.  This recipe fits all those criteria, with paleo options if that's what you're looking for.

Recipe

2 fennel bulbs, fronds & core removed, chopped
1 onion chopped
1 pint cream (coconut creamer for paleo)
1 qt stock
1 - 1 1/2 lb cod, cut into chunks
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 lb bacon, chopped
salt & pepper

Crisp up your bacon in a large soup pot, then remove but leave in that grease.  Next, in goes the fennel and onion until soft.  Then add the creamer and stock.  Once it simmers, add in your cod and cook for about 10 minutes.  Squeeze in the lemon juice, sprinkle in some salt and pepper, and top with the bacon.

Notes

This was not a premeditated dinner.  I actually went to Morton Williams for some red meat, but saw their usually unimpressive seafood cooler had a bunch of cod as the day's special.  So I fired up the mobile Internet, recovered this recipe, and went to work.  Things looked grim, though, when I went to the produce section and there was no fennel.  The only thing that looked like my very vague conception of raw fennel was labeled anise.  Back to the smartphone!  Wikipedia calls fennel and anise "similar-tasting"; I also figured that, if either one is good enough for the anise swallowtail, who am I to discriminate?  Onward!

The grocery store was the trickiest part.  Otherwise, the recipe was pretty simple.  The fennel-onion saute seemed to take a while; not sure if it needed that long since you want it kind of crisp in the chowder.  I also figured the whole thing was (over-)done when the cod chunks started to fall apart.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I love that sweet potato hash, but it was a revelation to me that you can just pop sliced sweet potatoes in the oven and pull them out soft and tasty like 20 minutes later.  Here are two ways to get some nice additional flavors in there:

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

1 sweet potato
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dry mustard

Cut the sweet potato into fries, not more than 1/2 inch wide.  Toss with oil and spices, then put on a baking sheet.  Cook at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Bacon-Wrapped Sweet Potato Fries

1 sweet potato
about 1/2 lb bacon

This time cut the sweet potato into slightly smaller fries; the original recipe I went off of says pinky-finger width.  Then cut the strips of bacon in half both ways.  Wrap each piece of bacon around a fry; if you have extra sweet potato you can put it in the tray to soak up bacon renderings.  Cook about 15 minutes at 425, then broil to crisp up.

Paleo Beef Stew

Paleo Beef Stew

INGREDIENTS:

-1 lb. stewing meat

-2 tbsp paleo cooking fat (olive oil, coconut oil or bacon fat)

-4 cups beef stock

-1 cup onion, chopped

-1 cup celery, chopped

-3 carrots, peeled and chopped

-2 bell peppers

-1 28oz. can diced tomatoes

-1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

-1/2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

-sea salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, combine the onions, celery, carrots and bell peppers, as well as the cooking fat.  Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the beef to the saucepan, followed by the tomatoes, beef stock, rosemary and thyme.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover the saucepan and cook for about one hour, allowing the stew to simmer.  Stir a few times during the cooking process.

Remove the lid and cook uncovered for about 45 minutes.  If the mixture is too thick at the end of the cooking process, you can add a little bit of water or stock.

NOTES:

*THIS IS SO EASY AND HEARTY AND DELICIOUS!!

Also:

*I opted for mushrooms INSTEAD of celery--good choice

*I didn't put bell peppers in...I just wasn't feeling it...

*I don't finely chop my herbs, I like to see and really taste them

*And I probably doubled or even tripled the amount of herbs that I put in...

Avocado Cucumber Soup

My inaugural paleo-month dish was this absolutely DELICIOUS raw, creamy avocado soup with a surprising amount of zest due to--Dan's favorite--CUCUMBER!

*BUT, I must preface the recipe...I had to alter things slighty based on a few...issues...

NOTES:

I couldn't open the jar of coconut oil so I used extra-virgin olive oil.

I am an idiot and couldn't find green onions at the store so I left them out.

I don't like celery so I left that out as well.

And I garnished with blackberries instead of parsley, BECAUSE I CAN.

ALSO, you can definitely add whatever spices you want to jazz it up; chili powder, garlic, etc...

INGREDIENTS: (serves 2-4)

∙ 2 organic green onions

∙ handful of organic Italian parsley

∙ 1 organic cucumber

∙ 2 organic celery stalks

∙ 2 organic avocados

∙ 2 tbsp of organic coconut oil (melted, but not heated, at room temperature)

∙ 2+ cups of water (fluoride free is best)

∙ sea salt

∙ organic black pepper

Directions:

1. Chop green onions and parsley. Set aside.

2. Dice cucumbers and celery. Set aside.

3. Peel avocados and remove seed. Then add to a container for blending.

4. Blend avocados, onions, parsley, cucumber, celery, coconut oil and water.

5. Add spices and blend again. Taste and make adjustments. Add more water if necessary.

6. Pour soup into 2 bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Pan-Fried Sole

After a few disappointing recent spins with Rachel Ray, it was time to turn back to my Gwyneth Paltrow cookbook.  Classy lady that she is, she calls this recipe "sole a la grenobloise."  I'm not a fan of snooty French names, especially for a recipe that doesn't call for anything out of the ordinary.  "Pan-fried sole with lemon-butter-caper sauce" is a bit wordy, though...

The Recipe

4 fillets sole (skinless)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp capers
1 lemon, skin & rind removed and cut into thin circles
salt & pepper

Heat the oil and 2 tbsp butter over medium high in a skillet.  Put the milk in a small, shallow bowl, and the flour in another with some salt and pepper added.  Dip the fish in the milk and dredge lightly through the flour, then place in the skillet.  Cook for a couple minutes each side, until golden brown and cooked through.  Remove to a serving plate.

While the fish is cooking, heat 2 tbsp butter in another skillet, then swirl in the capers.  Remove from heat and add lemon.  Once the fish is done, pour the sauce over and eat.

Outcome

My first attempt was near-disastrous.  Neither nearby grocer had sole, so I ended up with perch.  It had skin that I left on, which curled up the fillets in the pan.  On top of that, I took a slice out of two fingers instead of the old lemon I was working on.  It still turned out to be a pretty solid, tasty meal, even eaten with one hand...  Definitely worth another try, and I'll get a good pic of the real fish, done properly, without worrying about bleeding over my phone.

Update: And here it is, blood-free!