Simple Supper Friday: Mustard Apple Pulled Pork
Mustard apple pulled pork topped with caraway kraut.
I’ve really had a thing for mustard lately, specifically Dijon. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve been using Dijon nearly every chance I get. I think it’s safe to say I’m definitely in a mustard phase. It adds such a nice flavor and when something seems like it’s missing from a recipe, Dijon seems to take care of that. It’s easy to find good quality Dijon mustard that doesn’t have any sugar or junk ingredients in it either. Sorry, Grey Poupon won’t cut it.
On another note, I’m going to a healthy fats demo at Whole Foods this weekend. Remember my friend, Ashley at Craving4more? Well, you may recall that she hosted the sauerkraut tasting I went to last weekend, and invited me to the fats presentation this weekend. I believe the healthy fats she’s including are coconut oil, ghee, avocado and grass-fed tallow (house-made from the Whole Foods meat dept). I imagine it’ll be pretty great.
I’m not really sure what else I’ll be doing this weekend, other than grocery shopping and working Sunday morning, but I like not having much of an agenda. What I really need to be doing is reading/studying for my exercise science class, but I’m still waiting for my book to arrive in the mail. Hopefully, it’ll get here soon because that class moves fast and the material is complex, so I don’t want to get too behind!
What are your plans for the weekend? Anything fun?
Ingredients:
- 2 lb pork shoulder roast
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed ghee
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pink lady apple, chopped
- 1.5 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Firefly Kitchens Caraway Kraut for serving, optional
Directions:
- Melt ghee in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and celery and stir. Allow to cook a few minutes, until slightly softened. Then, add to the slow cooker.
- Season the roast with sea salt and pepper. Then, in the same pan, add the pork shoulder roast. Add a little more ghee if necessary. Brown the roast about 2-3 minutes each side and then place inside the slow cooker. Add the chopped apple as well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, mustard, parsley, marjoram and thyme. Add a dash of sea salt and pepper, if desired. Pour on top of the roast and place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Let cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5. Once done, cut string off of pork roast, if need be, and shred with two forks.
- Serve with caraway sauerkraut on top, if desired.
Simple Supper Friday: Chicken Chana Masala
Chicken chana masala.
I’m so excited! I now only have one more week of regular classes, then finals. Woo hoo! On the downside, three of my four finals are comprehensive exams. Not fun, but I’ll survive and am not focusing on the downside. Another fun thing? I’ve started receiving big packages in the mail. Specifically, wedding shower gifts. It’s super exciting! I’m having a wedding shower back in Michigan at the end of the month, but some people are sending their gifts directly to me, so I don’t have to have things shipped back or checked on the plane. It’s much appreciated, but obviously, I’ll do whatever I need to do.
On that note, I’m going to have to start making room, especially in the kitchen, for our new things. I love getting rid of stuff, especially when it’s being replaced with something nicer. All in all, this whole process is really exciting, and I’m so grateful that we’re doing a small, private ceremony and a celebratory party back home. With my family helping arrange the party in Michigan, and things in line out here, there really isn’t any stress. Jesse and I are very blessed.
Meanwhile, this is a chana masala-inspired dish. As a former vegetarian, I used to love chana masala when I’d go out for Indian. Since I avoid chickpeas (and other legumes), which are used in chana masala, I substituted chicken instead, which seemed to work well. I wanted a touch of creaminess to mellow out the spices in the dish, so I also added some coconut milk, which isn’t typically used in chana masala. I am a sucker for coconut milk in dishes and besides, I thought it made the dish taste better.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed ghee
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 14.5 oz can unsalted diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- Dash of cayenne
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Unsweetened coconut flakes for garnish, optional
Directions:
- Melt the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute a couple minutes. Then, add the chicken pieces. Continue to cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the spices and sea salt, and stir. Then, add the tomatoes and coconut milk. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes. Add a bit more coconut milk, if needed.
- Serve over steamed greens or cauliflower rice and garnish with unsweetened coconut flakes, if desired. Fresh cilantro would also serve as a lovely garnish.
Yields: 3 servings
Simple Supper Friday: Turkey Cabbage Stew with Multicolored Carrots
Turkey cabbage stew with roasted multicolored carrots.
Another week of school down (hooray!), and I must say, this week went by extremely fast. I’m okay with that too. As much as I’m trying to enjoy the process, I’m really ready for this term to be over. Being busy definitely helps the time fly by though. Full-time school, part-time fitness coaching, part-time freelance writing, blogging, treat making at the food cart, working on a project with Jason Seib, and life. I may even be taking on another project, which will be determined later today. I might be burning the candle at both ends a tad, but it’s awesome to be a busy little bee. I’m learning so much, especially about myself, and I feel ready for the next big thing.
Meanwhile, the sun is shining bright today and it’s a high of 60 degrees. I’ve already had a chance to enjoy the sunshine a little bit, but I’m hoping to get outside later for a walk. I have tons to do, but 60 and sunny is a great excuse to take a break.
Happy Friday all!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground turkey thighs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp fat of choice (I used grass-fed tallow)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 head cabbage, chopped
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2-4 Tbsp chicken broth
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
Directions:
- While your carrots are roasting (see instructions below), get started on the stew. In a large pan over medium heat, melt your fat of choice. Add the garlic and saute about 20-30 seconds, or until fragrant. Next, add the ground turkey and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Be sure to break up the ground meat a bit with a spatula.
- After several minutes, when the meat is nearly done browning, add the cabbage, cardamom, chili powder, broth and coconut milk. Mix well and continue to simmer over medium-low heat for several minutes. Adjust seasonings and liquid as needed.
- Once done, serve into bowls and top with roasted carrots.
For the roasted carrots:
- 1 bunch multicolored carrots (about 5-7 carrots), chopped into 1/2″ pieces
- 1 Tbsp fat of choice, melted (I used a combo of grass-fed tallow and ghee)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 375. On a baking sheet, toss carrots with fat of choice, and season with sea salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender and slightly browned.
- Serve atop of turkey and cabbage mixture.
Yields: 3-4 servings
Simple Supper Friday: Indian-Style Turkey Stew
Indian-style turkey stew, served over steamed kale.
I don’t know about all of you, but it’s been one heck of a week for me. I honestly felt like I didn’t have enough time in the day to get everything done, and was tempted to give life a call and say that I wasn’t going to show up. It’s funny, because my yoga teacher said this exact same thing yesterday morning, and mentioned that she was tempted to call in and find a sub, because she wanted a break from life. But, she didn’t…she showed up anyway and shared her honesty. She remembered the bigger picture, and the notion that when we show up on the days we feel like throwing in the towel, we often have the richest experiences.
Everything she said was so reminiscent of my week. I was drowning in assignments, studying, writing, work and projects, and wanted so badly to stop everything. I wanted a reprieve. Instead, I moved forward and did the best that I could, knowing that giving up was not an option. What good w0uld it do, and how would it benefit me? I have goals and aspirations, but challenges and struggles are always going to present themselves. It’s part of the process, and how I face these challenges is reminiscent of my character. This journey is not meant to be easy, and this week especially, I needed that reminder from my teacher to embrace it.
What do you do when you are burnt out, under a lot of pressure and feel like giving life a timeout (that worked on Saved by the Bell, but doesn’t work in real life, unfortunately)?
Meanwhile, here’s a quick and tasty recipe for your Friday. It features garam masala, a warm spice blend that I sadly forget about more often than not. Thankfully, my dear friend, Macala has reminded me about it’s loveliness on numerous recent occasions. It’s one of her favorites to add to ground meat, and I can definitely understand why. I even thought of her when using it in this recipe. Miss Macala, I appreciate you, in more ways than one!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground turkey thighs
- 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 14.5 oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1-2 Tbsp grass-fed ghee or butter
- Steamed greens of choice for serving (I used kale)
- Cilantro for garnish, optional
Directions:
- Melt the coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for a couple minutes. Next, add the ground turkey and break up the meat with a spatula.
- Season to taste with sea salt and pepper, and allow meat to brown for several minutes.
- Next, add the spices, diced tomatoes and coconut milk, and mix well. Continue to cook for a few minutes over medium-low heat, until mixture thickens up a bit. Then, mix in the ghee.
- Serve over steamed greens of choice (I recommend kale) and garnish with cilantro, if using.
Yields: 3-4 servings
Yes, that is bright, vibrant green grass in my backyard. You’d almost think it was spring.
Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder
Shredded pork shoulder, served atop of sauteed cabbage.
Some of you already know this by now, but I don’t care for pork. I’m just not fond of the taste, unless it’s bacon. You may recall though, that on New Year’s Eve, I ordered a shredded pork dish for dinner. I mainly ordered it because it was the least complicated thing for me to paleoize, but also thought I might like it since I love shredded meat, specifically chicken and beef. Well, I did like it … a lot! Since then, I’ve been thinking about trying out a shredded pork recipe myself. This past weekend, it finally happened.
It was a spur of the moment decision and completely unplanned. I really value moments like that. Anyway, I was in Food Front Co-op in NW Portland after work on Sunday, and spotted one small and lonely pork shoulder roast. At that moment, I decided it was time, and threw it in my basket. For the recipe, I flew by the seat of my pants and used what I had on hand.
The recipe turned out phenomenal. It tasted so good, that I didn’t want the last bite to come. To compensate, I very slowly savored every last morsel. I usually do well with eating slowly, but I especially did well this time.
If you’re not much of a pork person, like me, this recipe may surprise you. I can’t wait to make it again.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb pork shoulder roast
- 2 tsp grass-fed ghee
- 3/4 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 4 large carrots, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 head cabbage, chopped (use more if serving more than 2 people)
- Avocado slices, optional
Directions:
- Combine spices, sea salt and pepper, and coat all sides of the roast. If you have extra spice mixture leftover, set it aside. You will use it later. If you use it all, that’s fine too.
- Melt 1 tsp of ghee (or fat of choice) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork shoulder, and brown a couple minutes on each side. Once all sides are browned, remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tsp of ghee (add more if needed) over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes, until softened. Once done, pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
- Add carrots to the slow cooker and place the roast on top of the veggies. Add the chicken broth, lime juice and any remaining spice mixture.
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 8-10.
- Once done, turn the slow cooker off or to warm. Then, remove the pork roast and cut off the twine. Shred meat with two forks and add back to the slow cooker. Give everything a stir.
- In a pan over medium heat, melt a little fat of choice. Add the chopped cabbage and season with sea salt and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes, or until softened.
- Serve the shredded pork mixture over the cabbage and serve with avocado slices, if desired.
Yields: 3-4 servings
Baked Delicata Squash Fries
Baked delicata squash fries.
Sometimes I have moments where I’ll be sitting on the sofa, dilly dallying or working on my computer, and then suddenly get the urge to get up and make something in the kitchen…like pronto! Seriously, it’ll just happen out of the blue. I actually like when this happens though because it feels spur of the moment, fun and usually results in something delicious. Does this happen to anyone else?
These squash fries are the result of one of those moments. It’s a simple recipe and maybe something you’ve made or tried before, but for me it was new. Sure, I roast veggies and squash all the time, but this was my first attempt at squash fries…at least I think it was.
Anyway, make these and do your best to save some for your husband, wife, significant other, roomie, kids, etc. If you want though, you can keep them all to yourself and I won’t blame you one bit. I resisted eating the whole batch and saved some for Jesse. Could I have downed the whole batch? Yes, easily. But I felt like Jesse deserved to taste these cinnamon-y bites, especially because he loves delicata squash so much. I guess I’m a pretty nice person.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium delicata squash, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (remove seeds from center after cutting)
- 2 Tbsp melted grass-fed ghee (coconut oil works too)
- Himalayan sea salt to taste
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
Cut like so.
Spread on baking sheet and toss with oil and spices. I know, that one on the back is a bit thick, but I didn’t want to cut myself trying to get it thinner. It’s fine, but really, I need a mandolin slicer.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place squash rounds on a baking sheet and pour melted ghee over top. Sprinkle on the cinnamon, chili powder and sea salt, and toss together.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring a couple times to prevent burning.
- Serve right away, as the fries get kinda soggy after sitting out for a while.
Cinnamon, spice and everything nice.
Soft and slightly crisp.
Best Breakfast Sandwich…Ever!
I just made the absolute best breakfast sandwich. No joke, everything about it was pure bliss and thinking about it makes my mouth water for more. For you former Egg McMuffin lovers out there (or current Egg McMuffin lovers), give these a shot instead. Your body will thank you.
I got the idea in my head last night after making some biscuits to go with dinner, and could not wait for breakfast this morning! These biscuits are so versatile, flavorful and easy. I only made a half batch, but next time will definitely make the full recipe (as shown below). These can easily be frozen as well.
Ingredients:
- 2-1/2 C almond flour
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 C melted ghee, butter or coconut oil (I used ghee)
- 1/4 C honey
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl.
- Add the eggs, melted ghee and honey. Mix well until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Drop large tablespoons of batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a greased baking sheet.
- Run a wet hand or spoon over each biscuit to smooth out and flatten a bit.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. Yields about 12 biscuits.
For the sandwich, I toasted a halved biscuit, put a smear of ghee on each half and topped it with a fried egg and avocado slices. Of course, you can also top it with a sausage patty, nitrate-free bacon, tomato, etc. I ate my sandwich with two Applegate Naturals chicken apple sausages and an orange. It was a delightful breakfast and will serve as great fuel for my workout in a couple hours at Recreate Fitness.
