Pork Chops with a Golden Raisin Sauce

I had a bunch of leftover cauliflower rice from last night. So... I wanted a dish that was saucy! The cauliflower is perfect for sopping up extra juices! This fit the bill perfectly and had a nice sweetness to it that was a real treat! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I'm so pleased to have leftovers for lunch! Hope you enjoy! :-)

Ingredients:

5 pork chops, about 1/2 inch thick and trimmed of all visible fat

pepper and sea salt (optional)

2 T olive oil

1/4 C yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 C chicken broth, low sodium

1/2 C white wine

2 T dijon mustard

1 tsp horseradish

2 T agave nectar

2 T parsley (dried flakes, or fresh minced)

1/2 C golden raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a skillet, heat olive oil to medium heat. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over trimmed pork chops, and brown on both sides, then place in baking dish and put in oven. In same pan with same oil, saute onions and garlic. Add chicken broth, wine, parsley, mustard, horseradish, agave nectar, and golden raisins. Cook on medium heat until liquid reduces in half. Remove pork chops from oven and pour mixture over pork chops. Put back in oven for about 30 more minutes.

I served this with some steamed asparagus on a bed of cauliflower rice.

I love how the golden raisins plump up so juicy! Mmmmmm, tasty. :-)

*We are gong to start another Paleo/Zone Challenge!!!... Looking at a start date of March 1st ! It will still a 3 month challenge, very similar to our last, but with a few minor changes. Just in time for summer! Details are coming soon! Post thoughts, interests, or requests to comments!

Chicken Cordon Paleo Bleu

Monday after the Superbowl!?! Great crossfit WOD (check), great paleo meal (check), and lots of water (check)! ... Let the week begin!

This dish actually turned out really well. I wish I had made more! They would have made great lunches. I really didn't miss the Swiss cheese at all. I tried to make up for it with a garlic, red bell pepper and parsley mixture! Hope you like it! :-)

Recipe:

3 medium-large, skinless, boneless chicken breasts

ham slices, about 6 thin slices (less that 1 oz. each)

3 cloves garlic

1/4 red bell pepper

1 T fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 C almond meal

2 T dried parsley flakes

1 tsp black pepper

pinch Celtic grey sea salt (optional)

paprika

3 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pound chicken breast pretty thin. In a mini food processor, blend garlic, parsley, and about 1/8 C red bell peppers. You could also just finely mince them and mix them together well. Sprinkle chicken breasts with a little black pepper and salt. Then spread the minced mixture over the top. Finally place ham slices on top and put some thinly julienned red pepper slices over the breast. Roll chicken breast up as tightly as possible and secure with tooth pics.

Now dredge rolled chicken breasts in almond meal (mixed with parsley flakes, black pepper, and grey salt). Sprinkle with a little paprika. Heat olive oil to medium heat and brown chicken on all sides. When chicken in browned evenly, place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

I served this on a bed of cauliflower rice along with some sautéed zucchini. Don't forget to remove the tooth pics before dining!!!

Hope you enjoy this Paleo friendly version of Cordon Bleu!!

New York Strips!

Hey, you just completed the "Filthy Fifty", what are you going to do now???

How about... Eat a steak!

I picked up a couple steaks to grill after our 4 o'clock CrossFit torture session and headed home! However we were totally rained out, so Scott pan seared the steaks instead. And... Scott made some tasty sauteed red chard to go with it. Hmmmmm. What did I do? Oh yea... I made a salad and drank a glass of wine! DID I MENTION we did the Filthy Fifty???

Recipe:

2 New York strips about 1 1/4 inch thick

pepper, grey salt and olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees! Heat cast iron pan with olive oil to medium high heat. Season steaks with salt, pepper and a tad of olive oil. Sear steaks for 1 minute and 20 seconds on each side. Put entire pan in oven for 4 more minutes. THAT's it!!!

Scott sauteed the red chard in 1 T olive oil with 3 cloves garlic.

This was a simple, quick, and yet totally decadent and rewarding dinner!

Thanks for the night off, Scott! :-)

Enjoy!

Pistachio Chicken with Coconut Chili Ginger Sauce

I am so sore from yesterday and today's WOD's. WOW... what a great couple of days! I wish I could say this meal was a magic cure for the muscles, but I think we just have to endure! I will say that this was a delicious dinner, and that it should take your mind off your unpleasantries for a little while!

I hope you enjoy... we did! :-)

Ingredients:

3 chicken breast, cut in half and pounded

1/2 C Dry roasted, unsalted pistachios, ground in food processor

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 tsp. black pepper

2 T olive oil

Sauce:

1/4 red onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T olive oil

1/2 C white wine

1/2 C chicken broth, low sodium

2 tsp. ground ginger

2 T Lemon grass herb blend

1 tsp. chili pepper spice blend

2 T Italian parsley, chopped

1 C coconut milk (I used low fat)

fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grind pistachio's with garlic powder, parsley, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Coat chicken breasts with the pistachio mixture. Brown chicken, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to baking dish.

In a sauce pan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil. When onion is translucent, add lemon grass and chili paste. Stir in white wine. Reduce slightly, and add chicken broth, and ground ginger. Reduce a little more, and add coconut milk and parsley. Season with fresh ground pepper.

Poor over chicken breasts and bake for about 15 minutes, until bubbly and chicken is done.

I served this with some sauteed spinach and steamed zucchini. It was very satisfying, flavorful and paleo! Hope you like it!

Paleo Shepherd's Pie

I've been wanting to try this recipe for quite some time. It's a recipe from our friend, Paleo Steve, and it's just wonderful, tasty comfort food! It was a recipe from his September '09 blog post. (I've included his site on my list of links). Comfort was just what I needed after today's "fractured crippler" WOD. This was a killer Monday, and a hearty, comforting shepherd's pie is a great way to kick off a paleo-strong week! Thanks for the recipe, Steve! It's another great one!

Yum! :-)

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. Ground turkey or ground beef
4 Parsnips - pealed and grated
1 Zucchini - sliced
1/2 C mushrooms - sliced
1/2 C Red Onion, chopped
1/2 C Cilantro, chopped
1 stalk Celery, sliced
1 Slice Bacon
8 egg whites
1 Tbl Olive Oil
1 tsp. Onion powder
1 tsp. Celery Salt or celtic grey salt
1 T Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 450F.
Peal and grate the parsnips. Add onion powder, pepper, olive oil and set aside.
Slowly cook the bacon slice, remove bacon strip and leave bacon fat in the pan.
Pan fry the onions, ground turkey, with Italian Seasoning, do not over cook. We're gonna cook it some more.
Add zucchini, mushrooms, and celery and saute in the bacon fat. Combine with meat ingredients and mix thoroughly. Let cool down a couple minutes.

Mix 4 egg whites with the cilantro and mix into the meat & veggies. Take the other 4 egg whites and mix with parsnips.
Spray the bottom of a baking pan with olive oil. Add the meat and veggies, then cover with the parsnip mixture.
(Don't smooth the tops of the parsnips too much, it browns better if you don't).
Bake for 25 minutes or until top start to brown, and dish bubbles. Sprinkle with the chopped bacon.

Steve divided this into 4, 5 block portions... I divided it into 6, 3 block servings. Either way... It's Paleo-zoned well!

Hope you enjoy! It's delish....

"Coconut Bliss" to the Rescue

I've mentioned the "Coconut Bliss" bars in the past, but did you know they have several varieties of pint size frozen desserts? I can not begin to tell you how wonderful this stuff is! What a great alternative for ice cream! When you have that stubborn "sweet tooth" or just really need to tickle the taste buds, I highly recommend trying some Coconut Bliss! You can find it at Whole Foods and at New Leaf Markets. It's dairy free, soy free, gluten free, sugar free, low glycemic, and all organic & fair trade ingredients! I mean these folks thought of everything! Did I mention it tastes great? Tonight I had their Cherry Amaretto (only 1/4 C) and I promise you it left me blissfully satisfied! Totally Paleo ingredients, and conscientiously made! ...I love it!

Zone blocks: 2F, 0P, 1C (in 1/4 C).

Check out their web site for more information and available flavors:

http://www.coconutbliss.com/

Enjoy! :-)

Oh Omelet, How I love thee !

This morning, after I dropped the kids off at school, and before I went to work... I made myself an omelet! Why don't I do this more often? What a heavenly way to start out the day! It felt like such a treat, when it was actually so simple and quick! And then when I got to work ... blue sky! The sun came out and everything! I even rolled my windows down in the car and put on my sunglasses! What a great day!

Recipe:

1/2 C "egg beaters"

1/2 sausage (pre-cooked and cut up into pieces)

mushrooms, chopped (approx. 2 T)

fresh spinach, chopped (approx. 2 T)

roasted red peppers (approx. 1 T, sliced thin)

ground black pepper

pinch celtic grey sea salt (optional)

olive oil cooking spray

I just sprayed my omelet pan with some olive oil cooking spray. Then heat to medium temperature. Add egg beaters. As eggs start to firm, add sausage and other ingredients.

Fold in half and serve! I sprinkled the black pepper and salt on top.

Approximated zone blocks: 3P, 2F, negligible Carbs

I did enjoy this with a cup of blueberries! Are blueberries back? I saw them in the store this week at a great price! I just love blueberries!

I hope YOU enjoy an omelet soon! It does a body (and the mood) GOOD! :-)

Seared Salmon with a Mushroom Wine Sauce

Salmon.... it's the BEST! Of course you know it's high in protein, good fats, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins calcium and magnesium! But, did you know it is also a great source of Vitamin D? It's one of the few food sources that can actually claim that! So... with all this rain, cloudy and stormy weather, and lack of sun, a nice Salmon, Paleo meal, is not just totally tasty... it is something we all could really use about now!!! Tonight was a little bit of sunshine right on the dinner plate! Hope you enjoy! :-)

1 ~9oz Salmon fillet

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 C mushrooms, chopped

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 C shallots, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 C white wine

1/2 C chicken broth (low sodium)

1 T cold water

2 tsp arrowroot powder

ground black pepper

garlic powder

Heat oil in a skillet on med-hi heat. Season salmon fillets with pepper and garlic powder. Sear fish for about 3-5 minutes on each side, cover and keep on low temperature.

Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, saute onions, mushrooms, garlic, and parsley in a tsp of olive oil. When onions are tender, add chicken broth, wine. Combine arrowroot powder and water together. Whisk into the broth-wine mixture. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Pour sauce over salmon. Serves two! Approximate Zone blocks: 3F, 3P, 1/2C

I served with steamed broccoli and a side salad to balance blocks!

Paleo Curried Pork Chops with Oranges

Oranges have been my "sweet-tooth" savior lately! They are in season and delicious! I decided to try a recipe combining some of my favorite things! Pork chops, oranges, and curry (shhhhh... don't tell Scott there was curry in this dish)! I really hope you give this a try... It ranks as one of my favorites! :-)

Recipe:

4 pork chops, trimmed of all visible fat and pounded slightly

1 T olive oil

1/2 Cup Chicken broth (low sodium)

1-2 tsp. orange zest

2 T agave nectar

black pepper

garlic powder

1/2 tsp. curry powder

1 large orange, peeled, and each slice cut in half

2 tsp arrowroot powder

1 T cold water

2 T fresh parsley or chives, chopped

16 oz spinach greens

2 cloves garlic, minced

Trim pork chops, and season with garlic powder and black pepper. In a skillet, with olive oil, over medium heat, brown pork chops on both sides. When pork chops are nicely browned, transfer them to a baking dish. In the same skillet, quickly deglaze the pan with chicken broth. Add orange zest and curry powder. Pour sauce over pork chops, cover with foil, and bake for about 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

About 5 minutes before pork chops are done, saute spinach in olive oil and garlic.

When pork chops are done, remove them to a plate. Pour the remaining liquid from the baking dish, back into a skillet. Mix arrowroot powder with cold water and slowly whisk into the skillet to make a sauce. Bring to a low boil, when mixture starts to thicken, add oranges. Reduce heat and add parsley. Place pork chops on a bed of sauteed spinach and pour orange sauce over the top!

Scott (who, you may have figured out by now) is NOT a curry fan, said he would definitely want this meal again! ~Hope you enjoy!

Approximate zone blocks: 3.5F, 4P, 3.5 C

Paleo Cioppino

I'm still in comfort mode! So, soup was the golden ticket tonight! I tried something a little different... a Paleo variation of the Italian classic, Cioppino (or the poor man's fish stew, as my husband calls it). I bought a package of Trader Joe's frozen "seafood blend", which contained shrimp, calamari, and bay scallops. If I had some, I would have added some pieces of fish, too!

Recipe:

16 oz bag frozen Seafood Blend from Trader Joe's

1 med. onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 C carrots, chopped

1 T olive oil

2 C low sodium chicken broth

1 C red wine

15.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, no added salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 T dried parsley flakes

1-2 tsp. (splash) hot sauce

Pinch celtic sea salt (optional)

4 T fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

2 T fresh chives, chopped ... for garnish!

In olive oil, saute onions, garlic, celery, and bell pepper. Add to soup pot. Add chicken broth, wine, tomatoes and carrots. Heat to a low boil. Add seasonings (black pepper, parsley, salt, and hot sauce). Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Add bag of seafood, Italian parsley, and cook for another 10 minutes, on medium heat. Spoon desired serving into a bowl and garnish with fresh chives!

This was total comfort food... and warms the core! Hope you enjoy.

Makes about 6 servings. Zone blocks: 1F, 2P, 2C

We served a side salad with almond slivers and avocado slices to add a little fat!