Spicy Coconut Pork Chops

I'm a coconut lover! I'm convinced you can use coconut to enhance just about any meal! Coconut is wonderful because it can be mild, potent, spicy and sweet! ... A versatile cooking ingredient I just love! It also has wonderful health benefits! It's a great source of energy. As a medium chain fatty acid, it's stored in the liver and ready to use for energy! It boosts metabolism. It's an intestinal healer! And... it helps fight off infections! Hope you enjoy... (my kids sure did)... and whenever they like a Paleo creation of mine, I consider it an utter success!

Recipe:

8 pork chops

2 T coconut oil

1 yellow onion, sliced

1/2 C coconut milk

2 T lime juice

1 tsp. olive oil

Seasoning:

1/2 C unsweetened, shredded coconut

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. red chili flakes

1/4 tsp. turmeric

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub a little olive oil over the pork chops. In a zip lock bag add all the seasonings. In a skillet, heat the coconut oil. Add pork chops to zip lock bag and shake to coat pork chops evenly (it may not look like enough seasoning, but it was just enough). Brown pork chops in coconut oil, and place on a baking dish. Add onions to skillet. Saute until tender, adding lime juice to deglaze pan. Add coconut milk to skillet and pour over pork chops. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with your choice of vegetable side. We enjoyed some steamed broccoli!

Pork Chops and Apricots

Ack, I forgot the rosemary!!! Darn it... My whole goal was to create a pork chop dish combining some savory winter herbs with something sweet like apricots or cranberries. I was out of cranberries, but I had plenty of dried apricots. It turned out great and I didn't even realize I forgot the fresh rosemary until I sat down to write this post! I bet the rosemary would have made it awesome! I bet cranberries would be good, too. Hope you enjoy...

Recipe:

5-6 pork chops, trim the fat (optional).

1 T olive oil

1/2 C white wine

1/2 C pineapple juice

1/2 C dried apricots, minced (I used my mini food processor to get the apricots very finely minced)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

3 T Italian Parsley, fresh chopped

3 T Rosemary, fresh chopped *don't forget! :-)

freshly ground black pepper (be liberal)

pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season pork chops with some salt and pepper and place in a baking dish. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add apricots and fresh herbs (rosemary and parsley). Saute for a few minutes and then add the wine and juice. Bring to a quick low boil and then immediately remove from heat. Pour the sauce over the pork chops and bake for about 30-40 minutes, until done. Yum...

Baked Pork Chops with Rosemary & Dijon

What an excellent dinner to compliment a Back Squat day in the gym. I can feel I have hamstrings with every delicious bite! :-) This really was a pretty easily put-together dinner with great flavor and maximum satisfaction! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 pork chops (about 3/4" thick)

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C apple cider vinegar

2 T organic Dijon mustard

2 T fresh chives, finely chopped

2 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange pork chops in a large baking dish. In a bowl, mix together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, chives and rosemary (and add some salt & pepper if desired). Spoon 1/2 the mixture over the pork chops. Put pork chops in oven and cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn pork chops over and pour remaining mustard mixture over the top. Continue baking for another 15 minutes. Put pork chops on a plate, and spoon the extra juices over the top. Enjoy!

We served this with some baked sweet potatoes (that I seasoned with rosemary & garlic powder), and a simple green salad. Very tasty... can't wait for the leftovers!!!

Pork Meatballs with Mashed Savory Sweet Potatoes

Meatballs are a household favorite, so when meatballs are on the menu the family is pleased! There are so many different ways to cook them, and you really can't go wrong with any variation! I enjoyed tonight's pork version. The cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans gave it a very comforting Fall feeling that paired really well with the savory spices in the sweet potatoes! It was total comfort food at its best and a great way to enjoy these crisp Fall evenings!

Pork Meatball Recipe:

1 lb. ground pork

1 egg

1/2 C applesauce

1/2 C super finely chopped pecans (I used a food processor)

1 T finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg

pinch sea salt

2 T olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Combine pork and all other ingredients, mix well (I love to use my hands for this). Form into about 2 inch balls (which should make roughly 22-24 meatballs). Place in the skillet and brown on all sides. I did this fairly quickly and then placed in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes to finish up. While they were baking, I made the sweet potatoes...

Mashed Herbed Sweet Potatoes:

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 T olive oil

3/4 C coconut milk

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 yellow onion, diced small

1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 T finely chopped fresh mint

1 T grated orange zest

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

pinch sea salt

In a 5 quart pot, boil potatoes for about 10 minutes, until tender. Saute onion and garlic in 1 tsp. olive oil until translucent and tender. Mash potatoes and mix in coconut milk, remaining olive oil, orange zest, salt and pepper (I used an electric mixer to give it a smooth, creamy texture). Fold in sauteed garlic and onion mixture and fresh herbs. Mix well. Serve & enjoy!

Grilled Pork Chops & Baked Acorn Squash

Are you feeling a little Fall in the air? I've noticed the leaves are starting to change color and the evenings are a bit cooler! I can't believe that Summer is ending and Fall is rapidly approaching, but the signs are everywhere! Especially on the driveway in the form of fallen leaves! All we can do is embrace it, and welcome a new season full of different seasonal foods to enjoy! Having said that... how about a quick dinner with minimal thought? A simple dinner that powers a lot of flavor! Maybe a dinner that utilizes a tasty traditional Fall vegetable, the acorn squash! This was a great 'quick fix', hope you enjoy!

Recipe: (embarrassingly simple)... but packs a good flavor punch!

4 Pork chops, boneless

olive oil

sea salt

black pepper

Acorn squash

sea salt

black pepper

1/4 C water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice acorn squash in half, and remove seeds (I left the skin on). Place face down on a baking dish with 1/4 C of water. Bake for about 30 minutes. Turn them over and season with sea salt and pepper. Bake an additional 5 minutes, face up.

Preheat barbecue grill to about medium heat. Rub some olive oil over pork chops and season with some sea salt and black pepper. Grill for about 20 minutes (10 minutes on each side). Time it so they're done around the same time as the acorn squash. I did check the internal temperature of the pork chops to make sure they reached 170 degrees, before taking them off the grill. Serve with a side salad or vegetable of your choice. Simple and tasty... hope you enjoy! :-)

Black Olive & Basil Crusted Pork Chop

I was really in the mood for something "breading-like". My daughter had opened a can of black olives to snack on, which put in motion an idea for the whole dinner! Scott was quick to point out that the picture does not do it much justice... he said it tasted much better than it looks! Anyway... it certainly fulfilled my craving... and made good use of the opened can of black olives!

It was crispy, flavorful, and very satisfying. Hope you enjoy! :-)

Ingredients:

4 pork chops

1/4 C black olives, finely chopped

1/4 C fresh basil, finely chopped

3/4 C almond meal

1 T dried parsley

1 T dried Italian seasoning

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. sea salt (optional)

2 eggs

3 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim pork chops of all visible fat. I pounded pork chops to about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle pork chops with a little sea salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs. In another shallow bowl combine almond meal, parsley, Italian seasoning, olives, basil and salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet (med/hi temp). Dip pork chop in egg and dredge in almond meal mixture. It will be a little thick and clumpy... that's okay. Try to coat all areas as best you can. Add to skillet when oil is HOT. It is really important to make sure the oil is hot before adding the pork chops, so it will really sear the crusted olive/almond meal mixture to the chops. When they are nice and brown, transfer them to a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. That's the perfect amount of time to saute up a veggie side or make a salad! Enjoy! :-)

Wild Mushroom Soup with Ground Pork

SOUP! Yes, soup. So what if it's August!? It's foggy, cold and drizzly! So yes, I think soup is a perfect meal this summer! ... And this was pretty darn tasty.

Great day in the gym, though! Handstand walks? Muscle ups? Cleans? Wow!!!

Ingredients:

about 2 1/2 lbs. ground lean pork

5 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms

5 oz. fresh baby portobello mushrooms

5 oz. fresh cremini mushrooms

1 T olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 T thyme leaves

1 tsp. ground black pepper

2 leeks, chopped (white and light green parts)

2 cups coconut milk

4 C chicken broth (organic, low sodium)

1/2 C fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped

sea salt and black pepper (to taste)

Clean mushrooms and trim stems. I sliced the portobello and cremini mushrooms into about 1/4-inch thick pieces. I left the shiitakes whole.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute garlic and onions. Add leeks. Cook for about 5 minutes. If pan gets dry, add a splash of chicken broth. Add 1/2 the thyme and black pepper. Stir well and then transfer to a stock/soup pot. Brown ground pork and season with more thyme, sea salt and pepper. Add to soup pot. Now add carrots and chicken stock. Cook at a medium temperature until the carrots are tender. Add the coconut milk and fresh chopped Italian parsley. Season with salt and pepper to your liking, serve and ENJOY! :-)

Thai Influenced Pork Chops & Cabbage Stir Fry

This was a pretty good dinner and just enough spice for my liking. Not too fiery... but you could adjust to your own personal 'heat' threshold! Next time I would add some fresh chopped ginger along with the garlic! Yum. I've said this before, but I'll say it again... since we've been eating Paleo, we have been eating like kings & queens! Food has NEVER tasted SO good!

Hope you enjoy! :-)

Thai-"ish" Pork Chops:

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

1 T coconut oil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 C coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute)

1/4 C Lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. red chili flakes

1/2 anaheim pepper, minced

1/4 C fresh chopped parsley

Cabbage Stir Fry:

1 head cabbage of your choice (I used Savoy)

shiitake mushrooms (about 2 handfuls)

2 tsp. coconut oil

1/2 anaheim pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

1/2+ tsp. hot thai chili paste

1 T coconut aminos

1 T water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in skillet. Combine spices (garlic powder, ginger, pepper, and cayenne) and rub on pork chops. When oil is hot, brown pork chops on both sides (about 3-5 minutes). Place in baking dish. In same skillet, add minced garlic and anaheim peppers and saute a bit. Combine aminos, lime juice and chili flakes. Add to garlic/pepper mixture, deglazing pan, and pour over pork chops. Top with some chopped fresh parsley, cover, and bake for about 15 minutes.

While that's cooking. Heat oil in skillet. Saute onion and peppers. Mix chili paste with aminos and water (adjust chili paste to your desired hotness level)! Add to pan along with cabbage. Toss well. Add shiitake mushrooms. Cover and cook on med/low for 10 minutes (should be ready about the time the pork chops are).

Hope you enjoy!

Baby Back Ribs in Paleo BBQ Sauce

Hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July, and more importantly enjoyed the extra long weekend with family and friends! In addition to the 4th festivities, we also celebrated Scott's birthday, where he was able to enjoy his much anticipated, all time favorite, birthday meal... Baby Back Ribs! He found a Paleo BBQ sauce somewhere on the wide world web, which we tried and very much enjoyed! Hope you do, too! :-)

Recipe:

about 3 racks baby back ribs

Season with a little sea salt and pepper

Grill over medium low heat until almost done. Remove from BBQ and cut in pieces, and put in a dutch oven. Pour Paleo BBQ sauce over the ribs and cook on low for about 2-3 more hours.

Paleo BBQ Sauce:

2, 6oz. cans organic tomato paste

2 1/2 C organic beef stock, no added salt

1 medium onion, finely minced

6 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 T dijon mustard

4 T apple cider vinegar

2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. sea salt

4 T chili powder

Dice onions and garlic as fine as possible. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. If you like your sauce a little thinner, add an extra 1/2 C of broth. Heat sauce on the stove on a medium-low setting. Cover and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes... That's it!

We thought it was delicious (albeit, a little on the tangy side). Hope you enjoy! :-)

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Chops With Sage Leaves

I don't know about the rest of you, but CrossFit has worked me this week so far! And I love it!! It's weeks like these when I really appreciate and can put to the test... my Paleo ways!!!

Results . results . results! Are you seeing them???

I felt tonight's dinner was a simple Paleo success. Scott said there is no way anyone will believe this was quick and easy... but I will tell you that is truly was! It also turned out very presentable, too, and I would comfortably serve this meal to guests! :-)

Hope you enjoy!

Recipe:

6-8 pork loin chops, trimmed of all visible fat

16-18 sage leaves (I was fortunate enough to have some growing in my garden!)

1 package Prosciutto, 4-6 oz. (preferably natural prosciutto free of nitrates and antibiotics!)

black pepper

garlic powder

onion powder

olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim pork chops and sprinkle with black pepper, garlic and onion powder. Place sage leave on top of pork chops and wrap prosciutto around pork. Spread a little olive oil over a baking dish. Place pork chops in dish, prosciutto seam side down. Bake for about 25-35 minutes. Pork is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. It turned out so pretty! We served this with some cooked Japanese sweet potatoes, and a garden salad. Very Tasty!

* Paleo challengers... the results are in! Stay tuned for the big announcement!!!

Put the Lime on the Pork Chops & Add Some Coconut

Put the lime in the coconut and eat it all up! I promise this meal won't give you a belly ache and you won't have to call he doctor in the morning! This was the perfect cure for my Monday, which started out a little relentless! Rain in May (weird), CrossFit (doozy), kids school projects (multiple), car repair (bummer)... But a new delicious paleo pork chop recipe is the silver lining in our May rain-clouds! Lime, pineapple, cilantro, and coconut are such fun and fresh flavors! A tasty combination that just might take your mind off any Monday woes you have (for awhile anyway). Come on Tuesday! What have you got? :-)

Ingredients:

4 pork chops, trimmed of all visible fat

3 limes

8 oz. can crushed pineapple (in its own juice)

1/4 C cilantro, chopped

2 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 C Coconut milk (low fat from Trader Joe's)

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

pinch sea salt (optional)

1 T Coconut oil (or olive oil)

1 head cauliflower

6 macadamia nuts, slightly crushed

Avocado slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Trim pork chops and marinate (for at least 30 minutes) in: Juice of 2 limes, just the juice from the can of crushed pineapples, cayenne pepper, ground ginger and salt.

While that's marinating.... Prepare your cauliflower rice and set aside. I use a food processor with the grater attachment. Wash and trim leaves off cauliflower. Cut in big chunks, and grate to a rice-like consistency. Heat, keep warm and set aside.

In a sauce pan, heat 1 tsp. coconut oil (or olive oil). Saute garlic and ginger until it starts to brown. Add coconut milk, crushed pineapple, and the juice of 1 lime. Simmer.

In a large saute pan heat 2 tsp. coconut oil (or olive oil). Brown pork chops (about 4 minutes on each side... until golden brown). Remove to a baking dish. Pour coconut milk mixture over pork chops. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Bake for about 12-15 minutes. Serve over a bed of cauliflower rice. Sprinkle the top with some crushed macadamia nuts. Garnish with fresh cilantro and avocado slices. Hope you enjoy!

*Paleo Challengers! There are only TWO WEEKS left!!! I've heard (and seen) some great feedback in the gym! Start thinking about re-running your benchmark WODs and getting your final photo! :-)

Grilled Pork Chops With Apricot Glaze

Hope you had a great Tuesday! It was fun focusing on the split jerk today! I even managed to squeak out a small PR! Then, a little trip to Lululemons! (A day can NOT get much better than that!) And then...top it off with a nice dinner! But wait... I can't taste it!!! This darn head cold is trying to get the best of me! So I "think" dinner was yummy tonight, and post worthy. Even though I have lost some of my sense of taste, but the family gave me the big "thumbs up"! So... here you go... I hope you enjoy! :-)

Recipe:

8 smallish port loin chops, about 1 inch thick, trimmed of all visible fat

Spice rub:

1 T paprika

1 T garlic powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Apricot glaze:

about 1/2 C 100% apricot preserve (all fruit, no sugar)

2 T brandy

1 T dry mustard

Juice of 1 lemon.

Mix spice ingredients together, and generously rub on both sides of pork chops. Grill pork chops over medium high heat, until well browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Move chops to a baking dish. Heat glaze ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat, and set aside. Brush glaze ingredients, liberally, on both sides of pork chops and bake just until internal temperature reaches 175 degrees (about 8-10 more minutes).

We served this with a side salad and some sauteed spinach. Hope you enjoy this sweet treat! :-)

Simple Spiced Rubbed Pork Chops

I get asked a lot for simple, quick recipes! This is one of my family's favorites! It has minimal ingredients, is very low maintenance, but has such great flavor! Simple and satisfying!

I pan fried these pork chops in my 'trusty' (favorite) cast iron skillet, but I bet they would be great grilled, too. By the way.... if you try out any of my recipes and tweak them, improve them, modify them, etc. I would love to hear about it!

Recipe:

6 smallish pork chops, trimmed of all visible fat (about 1 inch thick)

2 T olive oil

Rub:

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. sea salt (optional)

~mix well!

Rub spiced ingredients into trimmed pork chops. And let sit for 10 minutes. Heat olive oil in skillet at medium-high heat. Brown pork chops for about 5 minutes on each side (internal temperature of 165). That's it! Grab a napkin an enjoy!

I served this with sliced sweet potatoes, and sauteed spinach (I made A LOT of spinach, to accompany the leftover pork chops... LUNCHES!)

Paleo meals truly DO NOT have to be difficult or time consuming to taste great!

Hope you enjoy! :-)