Pork Chops w/Fig Orange Sauce

I really don't think there is any meat that goes quite as well with fruit as pork does.  I happened to come across dried organic figs (with no added sugar or oil!)  at the grocery store the other day and I knew they'd be perfect with orange over a thick cut juicy pork chop.  I was right...

Pork Chops with Fig/Orange Sauce

3 tbsp. coconut oil

4 thick cut bone-in pork chops (1 inch), room temperature

1/2 c. onion, small dice

7 ounces dried figs

1/2 c. fresh squeezed orange juice

1 c. vegetable stock

2 tbsp. kerrygold butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Chop the figs into small pieces and put in a bowl with the orange juice.  Allow the figs to macerate.  Usually about 1 hour depending on how soft the figs are.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over high medium high heat.  The point of this step is to sear each side of the chop.  You don't want it to burn but you need it hot enough to produces a deep golden sear.  

Generously salt and pepper both sides of the pork and then add to the now almost scorching pan.  Sear for 3 minutes per side and then immediately place each chop onto a rimmed sheet pan.  Place in oven.

Allow to cook for about 20 minutes or until the center is soft firm.  The benefit to having your pork chop at room temperature before cooking will ensure even cooking through out the whole chop.  Plus, if you know where you get your pork from, as you should, you don't need to worry about any bacterial issues.  Promise.

About 10 minutes into the cooking drain all but 1 tbsp. of remaining fat and oil in the sauté pan.  Return pan to medium heat and the add the onions.  Cook until translucent.  Then add the figs, cooking an additional 3-5 minutes.  Add the stock and allow it to reduce by 1/2.  Then add the OJ and again allow it to reduce by 1/2. To finish the sauce, whisk in the kerrygold butter.  When it starts to thicken, remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste. 

Enjoy!

Oh!  I served mine over a cabbage, kale and chive sauté.  Perfection.  

Honey Mustard Pork

My last order of pork chops from a local pork producer were beautiful.  They were thick cut and fatty, which makes them easy to bake without getting overdone.  The best thing about pork is that it can be accompanied by a variety of sauces and still taste great.  One such sauce is honey mustard.  Especially honey mustard that is roasted on to create more of a crust, so to speak, on the outside of the pork chop.  Give this recipe a try soon.  You won't be disappointed.  I promise.

Honey Mustard Pork Chops

4 center cut pork chops, 2" thick

1/4 c. honey

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  When I cook pork, unless it is ground, I always have it at room temperature, especially a thick cut chop.  This allows it to cook more evenly so you don't have edges that are done and centers that are not.

In a bowl, combine honey, mustard and olive oil.  Pat pork chops dry using a paper towel and then generously coat each side of the chop with honey mustard.

Place a cooling rack inside of a sheet pan and then put the pork chops, spaced evenly, on the cooling rack.

Place in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.  Turn the pork and cook an additional 10-15 minutes until done.  You can check with a thermometer if you are not sure.  The temperature should read 145 degrees.  I usually pull the pork out when the temperature is at 135-140, allow it rest for about 5-10 minutes, then check the temperature again.  Allowing it to rest will finish the cooking and seal in the juices.

Herb Pesto/Summer Vegetable Salad

What do you do when you have a lot, and I mean, a lot of herbs?  Make an herb pesto to go with a cold summer salad of course.  This combination was perfect with the mild cucumber and sweet tomato. Yeah, I have an abundance of those too.  Another subtle flavor in my summer herb pesto is lemon olive oil.  It definitely is worth it, so seek one out.  If you live in the Des Moines area, go visit AllSpice and pick up a bottle of their Eureka Lemon Olive Oil.

Herb Pesto

4 cloves garlic, blanched

4 c. mixed herbs (2 c. basil, 1/2 c. Italian parsley, 1/4 c. thyme, 1/4 c. oregano, 1/4 c. chive and 1/4 c. mint)

1/4 c. lemon olive oil

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. pine nuts

salt and pepper to taste

Put the garlic, herbs and pine nuts in a food processor.  Pulse until the pine nuts are broken down to small crumb size, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Mix the lemon olive oil and olive oil together and then slowly drizzle into processor while blade is moving.  Continue to scrape down sides and mix until the pesto is creamy.

Fold with your favorite summer vegetables.

You can freeze this as well.  Put in a jar and lightly cold with olive oil, leaving about 1/2" space at the top to allow for expanding in the freezer.

Summer flavors all year around are a plus in my book!

Seared Albacore Tuna/Smokey Tomatillo Sauce

Even though we aren't on the coast, we are fortunate enough to have a couple of places that get good quality fish once in awhile.  Albacore happened to be the catch of the day and I couldn't pass it up.

Tomatillos were also calling my name and I knew a smokey tomatillo sauce would go perfectly with the tuna.

If you have a problem with raw fish, this might not be for you.  You absolutely cannot eat tuna well done.  It has to be rare or medium rare.  The tuna will get too dry and you will loose the delicate flavor.

Seared Tuna w/Smokey Tomatillo Sauce

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced

1/2 lb. tomatillos, quartered

2 -4 tsp. cumin

1-2 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

6 tuna steaks

In a saute pan over medium heat, add the oil and onion.  Cook the onion until it starts to caramelize, about 7-10 minutes.  Add the tomatillos and continue cooking until they are soft and tender.  Remove the onions and tomatillos and place in a blenders.  Increase the heat to medium high and add an additional 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Add the cumin and coriander, stirring frequently, until fragrant.  Return the onion mixture back to the pan and stir well.  Put the mixture back in the blender and mix until a smooth sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add additional cumin if you prefer.

When the sauce is finish, heat a grill pan (or grill) over high heat.  Coat the grill with coconut oil.  When the grill is to temperature, add the tuna steaks and cook about 3-5 minutes, or until you see about 1/4 inch of cooked tuna,  Turn the steak over and sear an additional 3-5 minutes so it is evenly cooked on the other side.

Serve immediately with a dollop of the tomatillo sauce and fresh squeezed lime.

Grilled Chicken Salad/Herb Dressing

My garden greens are plentiful this year.  I also decided to put all of my herbs in my garden because the last couple of years they haven't grown overly well in pots.  Well, let's just say they runneth over.  My oregano, basil, parsley and chives are huge!  Honestly, I can't keep up.  Anybody need some herbs and lettuce greens?

You really can't go wrong with some grilled vegetables and chicken and this dressing made it that much better.  

Enjoy!  

I'm serious about the herbs.  Call me.

1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded to even thickness

1 lb. asparagus

4 Roma tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

2 c. mixed lettuce greens

2 c. mixed herbs, minced (Tonight I used chives, basil, Italian parsley, oregano and thyme)

2-3 tbsp. champagne vinegar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Coat chicken, asparagus and tomatoes with 2 tbsp. olive oil.  Generously salt and pepper the chicken breasts.  Preheat grill.  Grill chicken over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.  While chicken is grilling, clean lettuce greens and set aside.  Mix remaining olive oil, vinegar, salt and mustard until cohesive.  Fold in herbs and then salt and pepper to taste.  You can add more vinegar if necessary.  Set aside.  Set one side of grill to higher heat. After chicken has cooked for about 10 minutes, turn to finish cooking.  Add asparagus and tomatoes to grill with the high heat, turning as necessary.  Cook chicken an additional 5-10 minutes or until done.  Remove chicken from grill and allow to set for about 10 minutes to lock in the juices.  Remove tomatoes about the same time as chicken and then asparagus a few minutes later, or until done.

Slice chicken and then serve over greens with asparagus and tomatoes and then top with herb dressing and freshly ground pepper.  (Make sure dressing hasn't started to separate before serving.)

5 Course Paleo Dinner for Four

One of the many positive aspects of the CrossFit gym I attend, CrossFit Primal, is the charitable functions they have. This past February they held an awards banquet called the "Woddy Awards".  It was a fun night.  Dressing up, dinner and dancing.  They also held a silent auction to benefit a local charity so I decided to donate a 5 course paleo dinner.  The winners and I were finally able to get a date that worked for everyone and this is what I served:

Amuse Bouche

Scallop and Shrimp Tequila Citrus Ceviche

4 sea scallops, rinsed, cleaned and sliced into strips

4 jumbo shrimp, deveined, shelled and sliced in 1/2 inch thin pieces

2 limes, juiced

zest of 1 lime

1/2 orange,  juiced, using half of the juice

zest of 1 orange

2 tbsp. quality tequila 

salt to taste

Mix the citrus juices, zest, and tequila together.  Fold into the scallops and shrimp.  Refrigerate, stirring once in a while, until the scallops turn opaque and the shrimp is pink, at least six hours.  Salt to taste.  Drain most of the liquid and serve with a leaf of cilantro.

 Second Course

Raw Vegetable Salad/Cilantro Dressing

1/2 lb. asparagus,  4 carrots and one jicama, cut into thin strips using a peeler

1/2 c. cilantro, minced

1/2 c. olive oil

3-4 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. honey

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and then, using an immersion blender, mix until the dressing is thick.  Fold into vegetables.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Third Course

Gazpacho/Avocado Crema

10-12 Roma tomatoes, seeded

1 red bell pepper, seeded

1 green bell pepper, seeded

1 small cucumber

1/4 red onion

1/2 jalapeño

juice of one lime

1 avocado

1/2 coconut milk, canned

Cut all of the vegetables into similar sizes.  In a vitamix or food processor, place onions, peppers, cucumber and tomatoes.  Use attachment, turn onto low and push down vegetables as they start to blend while gradually increasing speed.  Mix until blended to desired consistency.  Add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

For the crema, mix the avocado and coconut milk with an immersion blender until smooth, but not overly thick.  Serve a dollop in the center of the gazpacho.

Fourth Course

Chicken/Chipotle Butter Sauce and Roasted Mixed Peppers

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 chicken breasts, pounded to same thickness 

1 c. white wine

1 chipotle in adobo, minced

4 tbsp. butter

salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. variety of mixed peppers and tomatillos (cut into fourths), roasted (Coat each pepper and tomatillo in oil and the grill until charred slightly on each side)

Heat large saute pan over medium high heat until butter oil mix starts to brown.  Add chicken, cooking until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes and then turn.  Finish cooking and set in a warm oven while you make the sauce.

Increase the heat in the pan to high and add the wine and allow it to reduce by half.  Add the chipotle and cook for a few minutes, then slowly whisk in the butter so it mixes into the wine and becomes cohesive.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Remove the chicken from oven and return it to the pan, as well as any accumulated juices.  Turn chicken a few times to coat in sauce.  Remove and slice into slices.

While the chicken is cooking, slice the peppers and remove the seeds.  Then return to a small saute pan and cook over medium until they are heated again.

Place pepper mixtures on plate, then add chicken slices, and top with a couple of spoonfuls of the butter sauce.

Dessert

Raspberry Pot de Creme

5 ounces dark chocolate, at least 60%.  

6 tbsp. Chambord

3 egg yolks

1/2 c. raw honey

3/4 c. coconut milk

Melt the chocolate with the Chamord in a bowl over a pan of almost boiling water.  One the chocolate starts to melt, stir consistently until it is all melted and then remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a food processor add the egg yolks and honey, mixing well.  Scrape down sides and pulse again a time or two.  While the processor is going, slowly add the chocolate, scraping down sides about half way through and finish adding remaining chocolate.  Slowly add coconut milk until the mixture is blended well.

Pour into serving size dishes (or one large dish, right Yoder?) and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and continue to refrigerate until they are set, at least four hours.  Remove about 15 minutes prior to serving, taking off plastic.  Serve with a dollop of coconut whip cream.

Pork Meatballs/Sweet and Spicy Mango Sauce

I know I haven't posted in a week, but I went out of town to attend my nieces wedding.  I also made her wedding cake...definitely not paleo but it was pretty!  I will say it wasn't my best work due to a few unexpected fondant issues (dry climate, ugh!) and changes, but it tasted damn good.  

And I totally regretted all the crap I ate the past five days when I WOD'ed this morning.  Ah well...that's way vacation is for, right?

Before I left I made this delicious, quick dinner.  The sweet and spicy sauce went perfectly with ground pork.  It would probably be really good with ground chicken too.  Heck, I think this sauce would work with about anything but beef.

1 lb. ground pork

3 cloves garlic, pressed

2 tsp. ground coriander, cardamom and cinnamon

2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Using hands, mix pork, garlic, spices and salt together until well blended.  Form into meatballs and place on sheet pan.  Cook 10-15 minutes until done

2 mangoes, cut into dice

1 tsp. red chili flake, or more depending on desired spice level

1/2 c. vegetable stock

1/2 c. raw honey

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

While pork is cooking, place all ingredients but the salt in small saucepan.  Heat over medium high, stirring often, until reduced by half.  Use immersion blender to blend sauce smooth.  Salt to taste.  Serve over meatballs.

Chicken/Lemon Basil Sauce/Spaghetti Squash

Something I do to make lunch time a little easier is grill a few chicken breasts to last me the week.  With the weather warming up and longer days, it takes quite a bit of effort to bring myself indoors when I can be out gardening, mowing the lawn, or, my favorite, laying in the hammock reading a book.

Recipes are a lot more fun if you have a well stocked fridge and you can make it up as you go.  And that is just what I did.

I had cooked a spaghetti squash the day before this recipe, meaning to use it that night, but ended up doing something else.  I also had picked up a big bunch of fresh basil as mine are still in the baby plant stage awaiting transplantation into my garden.

I changed this recipe so it could serve four and here's what I came up with...

1 lb. chicken breasts, grilled and diced

1 spaghetti squash, cooked

3 tbsp. coconut oil

1 c. white wine

1 c. chicken stock

1 lemon, zested and juiced

4 tbsp. ghee

1 c. basil, chiffonade

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until warm, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove the chicken, set aside and then add the wine and reduce by half.  Add the stock and lemon juice, cooking until reduce by half again.  Add the ghee, whisking as the ghee incorporates into the liquid.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Reduce the heat to medium and put the chicken back in the pan along with the basil and squash.  Using tongs, mix and stir, cooking an additional 3-5 minutes so all the ingredients are heated through.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Coconut Syrup

One of my favorite syrups of all time is a buttermilk based, buttery sugary concoction with a bit of coconut extract.  I adapted it quite a bit for the 21 Day Sugar Detox I did, but since it was Sunday morning I thought I would try to treat myself a bit.  Maybe it was the insane amount of jealousy I was experiencing knowing a few friends were enjoying a to die for breakfast from Snooze in Denver.  Go there, you must.  

Anyway, I try to stay away from overly sweet items for breakfast, because for some reason they seem to set the tone of my day.  But again, I was so envious I thought I'd try to make something a little reminiscent of my favorite dish there, the OMG French Toast.  (So not even CLOSE to paleo, but so incredibly worth the cheat!)

It was perfect!  The balance of sweet, savory and tart was spot on if I do say so myself!

The pancake recipe is here.  Of course, I omitted the blueberry and just used fresh raspberries as a filling in between each pancake.

Coconut Syrup

1/2 c. almond milk

1 c. coconut butter

1/3-1/2 c. raw honey to taste

pinch of salt

Gently heat the milk and coconut butter over medium heat in a small sauce pan.  Whisk until the coconut butter is incorporated into the milk.  Add the honey, again whisking until it is mixed well and starts to thicken.  Finish with a pinch of salt and mix again.  Will keep for about one week.  Reheat slowly over medium heat.

Grilled Mahi Mahi Caesar Salad

Warmer weather, for the time being at least, means a lot more greens in this house.  I really don't think that you can end an 80 degree day better than with a great salad for dinner.  Relaxing on the patio is essential too.

Here's another ode to St. Lucia.  This was one of my favorite meals, so much so that I went to the restaurant twice just to have it.  BEST MAHI MAHI EVER.

One of my local loves is Allspice, a quaint little spice shop in the East Village.  I get in trouble in that store.  It's dangerous for someone like me because I feel just like a kid going into a candy store.

They had some new vinegars at my last visit and I was super excited to see a Mango White Balsamic.  And before you think that there is no way you would use a fruity vinegar for Caesar dressing, think again my friends.  It was a perfect balance of sweet and savory.

If you live in Des Moines, go there.  Soon.  You won't regret it.  Well, maybe your bank balance will.

1 lb. mahi mahi, cut into even size strips

2-3 tbsp. olive oil

Malden sea salt and freshly ground pepper

3 heads romaine, shredded by hand or lettuce knife into bite size pieces

1/2 c. excellent quality olive oil

1/4-1/3 c. mango white balsamic vinegar

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1-2 cloves garlic, minced*

2 anchovy fillets, minced

Prepare grill by preheating.  Coat fish in olive oil and generously salt and pepper.  Grill over medium high heat until done, about 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your fillet.  Set aside while you prepare the vinaigrette.

Put all the dressing ingredients in a bowl big enough to use an immersion blender.  (I'm telling you, this is essential for a perfect creamy dressing!)  Using low setting on blender, mix until thick and foamy.  It won't take long.  Adjust oil and/or vinegar as needed.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the mahi mahi into bite sizes pieces and place on top of romaine.  Pour dressing over the top, lightly pepper and add a quick few shavings of Parmesan if you allow dairy in your diet.

*A side note on garlic.  I find that if I remove the peel and lightly blanch it in boiling water, that you get a smoother taste and that it doesn't overpower what you are eating.  I use this method anytime garlic is not being cooked in a recipe.

St. Lucian Jerk Chicken

One of my many treasures brought back from the lovely island of St. Lucia was a super size bag of jerk seasoning from the Castries market.  I love good jerk, and this really is as authentic as you can get.  I scoured each stand to make sure I was getting some that was fresh and local.  First up, jerk chicken.  

It's  a toss up between pork and chicken as my fave for jerk so I knew I couldn't go wrong with chicken legs.  

I would have grilled the night I made this, but it was raining...again.  Freaking rain and cold.  But hey, yesterday it hit 61 so we MIGHT be on to summer already.  Iowa doesn't do spring anymore.

3 lbs. chicken legs

Juice and zest of 2 limes

1/4 c. olive oil

2 tbsp. jerk seasoning

2 tsp. salt

Mix the lime juice, zest, olive oil, jerk and salt together well.  Add the chicken legs rub with the seasoning so they are coated well and the put in a container to marinate.  Marinate at least 4 hours or overnight preferably.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, oven rack in the middle.  Place the chicken and marinate in a 9 x 13 pan.  Cook for about 20 minutes, then turn pieces over and brush marinade from the bottom of the pan over each piece.  Bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until they are done.

Finish with a squeeze of lime.

Portabella Pizza

One thing I really miss with paleo is pizza.  We have a gas station here that makes out of this world taco pizza.  But I try my hardest to not order pizza because I'll eat half of it just by myself?  Don't believe me?  You bet I would.

 Anyway, I had a craving for some so I thought I could one up a traditional pizza.  And since I happen to love portabella mushrooms I knew they would satisfy my craving.

Portabella Pizzas

1 28 ounce can of tomatoes

1 tsp. fennel

1 tbsp. dried oregano, basil, and thyme

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tbsp. tomato paste

4 large portabella caps, gills removed

1 lb. ground pork

1 tsp. dried thyme, rosemary and coriander

1/2-1 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 c. Italian parsley, minced

In a small saucepan combine the first six ingredients.  Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomato paste, once again mixing well.  Cook until the sauce thickens to the consistency of pizza sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste.

For the sausage, mix the pork, spices and oil together.  Crumble and fry in a medium pan and set aside until you are ready to assemble the pizzas.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange portabellas on a sheet pan and then top with sauce, sausage, parsley and more sauce.  Bake 5-10 minutes or until mushrooms are done.

Pesto Crusted Salmon

Pesto is wonderful and can be adapted so easy.  You can use basil, which is traditional, or you can change the greens by using arugula, spinach, watercress...anything that your little heart desires.  But why stop there?  Mix up the nuts too.  You know what you like, so try it a different way sometime.  Traditional pesto is finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and it MUST be real parmesan, but I omitted it this time because I was in the midst of the 21 day sugar detox.  It was still good, but if you can get quality parmesan, grate it with a fine mircoplane and fold about 1/2 cup in the mixture after you have processed it.

4 c. basil

1/2 c. pine nuts

4 cloves garlic

1/2 c. olive oil

1 salmon fillet

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a sheet pan by placing a wire rack in it.  This allows the salmon to cook evenly.  I also oil the rack before placing the salmon on it to keep the skin from sticking.

In a processor, add the basil, pine nuts and garlic.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Add the oil in a slow steady stream and continue to mix until the pesto looks creamy.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Salt and pepper the salmon flesh and then coat the salmon, flesh side up, evenly with the pesto.  Bake 35-45 minutes or until the pesto is dark and the salmon is done to your desired preference.  (I prefer mine medium, but I also buy quality salmon.)

Corned Beef/Roasted Cabbage Salad/Butter Braised Potatoes/Pancetta Vinaigrette

It wouldn't be St. Patrick's Day if you neglected to have a traditional English meal for dinner.  But hey, it's food...it's paleo...and it's good the day after too!

This year I wanted it to be exceptional...as I am not an overly big fan of corned beef.  But if you start with a good cut of brisket, the right spices, cook it slow and low you can't go wrong.

Plus, the sides with this menu make it swoon worthy.  Seriously, pancetta is like butter.  It makes everything better.

Corned Beef

1 4lb. brisket

2 tbsp. course sea salt

2 tbsp. whole mustard seed

1 clove garlic, minced

2 bay leaves, chopped

1 tsp. allspice

2 tbsp. olive oil

Mix the spices together.  Add the oil and mix well.  Coat the brisket in the spice mixture and allow to marinate up to 3 days.  

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Place the brisket on a rack inside of a cast iron dutch oven.  I have one similar to this.

Cover and set it oven, cooking 2-2 1/2 hours until firmly tender.  What I mean is that it should be moist and tender but still firm enough that it doesn't full apart.  That just makes it easier to slice the next day for a Reuben!

Butter Braised Potatoes

I did use Kerrygold, so that is something Irish, right?

1/3 c. butter

1/4 c. olive oil

5 large red potatoes, scrubbed and cut in slices and then halved.

Preheat oil and butter in large sauté pan over medium high heat.  Add the potatoes, stirring to coat with butter mixture and then place a lid on them.  Turn the potatoes every few minutes.  When the butter mixture is starting to get foamy, and most of the potatoes are golden brown, reduce heat to medium and remove the lid.  Cook another 5-10 minutes until they start to get a dark golden color.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Cabbage Salad

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 rutabaga, large dice

5 carrots, sliced into 1 inch pieces

1 head cabbage, slice about1/4 inch

1/2 c. water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat the carrots and rutabaga in 2 tbsp. olive oil and place on sheet pan.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and place cabbage rounds on top of root vegetables.  Coat evenly with 1/2 c. water and return to oven.  Cook an additional 10-15 minutes until cabbage is tender.  Allow to slightly cool and then mix in a large bowl.

Pancetta Vinaigrette

6 ounces pancetta, diced

1/4 c. olive oil

4 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp. stone ground mustard

Pepper to taste

In a fry pan over medium high heat, add the pancetta and cook until golden brown.  While the pancetta is cooking, whisk together oil, vinegar and mustard.  When the pancetta is done, slowly whisk in the vinegar mixture.  There will be pancetta fat but that is okay!  Add more vinegar if you need to.  Pepper to taste.  You shouldn't need salt because pancetta tends to be pretty salty.

Enjoy!

Toasted Coconut Pancakes w/Coconut Syrup

Since being on the sugar detox I have had to come up with new ways of enjoying pancakes.  My favorite syrup is buttermilk, but that won't do on this detox.  And since I have a new love for coconut butter, I thought I could make it into a syrup.  It was perfect...and I didn't even miss all of the sugar that is in real syrup.

Coconut Pancakes

3 eggs

1/3 c. toasted coconut

2 tbsp. coconut flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. coconut oil

3 tbsp. coconut milk

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Mix all of the dry ingredients together and then add the wet, whisking well.   Pour 1/4 c. batter onto pan  coated in coconut oil over medium-high heat.  Cook until edges are set and then turn.

Coconut Syrup

3 tbsp. coconut better

3 tbsp. coconut milk

1/2 tsp. almond extract

Heat all ingredients together over medium heat and whisk well.  Add more coconut milk if necessary to get the right consistency.

Top pancakes with syrup and toasted coconut!

Curried Beef

Curry.  I love curry.  My family isn't overly thrilled when I fix it, so it is rare in our house.  But I still manage to squeeze it on the menu a few times a year.  Really, I just don't understand how one can not enjoy it.  Obviously something is wrong them.

6 tbsp. coconut oil

1/2 onion, sliced

1 head broccoli, chopped

1/2 butternut, large dice

1 lb. beef, cut into thin strips, salt and pepper generously

2 tbsp. madras curry

1 c. coconut milk

salt and pepper

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in large saute pan over medium high heat.  Add the onion, cooking until translucent, above 3-5 minutes.  Add the squash, stirring to coat with the oil.  Add 1/2 c. water, reduce heat to medium and cover.  Cook about 10 minutes then add broccoli, adding another 1/4 c. water.  Cook about 5 minutes, and then remove from pan and set aside.

Add 1 tbsp. oil to pan over high heat.  Add 1/2 of the meat, searing quickly on both sides (maximum 4 minutes) then remove from pan.  Add another tbsp. oil, allow pan to get back to right temperature, and add remaining meat, searing and then removing it from the pan.

Add remaining 2 tbsp. oil to pan over medium heat.  Once it is melted, add the curry and whisk until the curry becomes fragrant and the curry starts to darken, 30 seconds-1 minute.  Add the coconut milk, whisking well and allow the mixture to start to thicken.  Add the veggies and the meat, coating well.  Cook on medium low an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!