Halibut with Cabbage, Bacon and Potatoes

My husband loves cabbage but I don't. I know it's a really healthful vegetable, so I try to find new ways to make it more appealing. This worked. It so worked. Baby potatoes brown and crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. Sweet, tender, moist fish. Cabbage braised in wine and herbs. Bacon, bacon everywhere. Serves 2-3.

1/2 to 3/4 lb halibut cut into 4 oz filets
EVOO
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1/2 small head Savoy cabbage, cored and sliced
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme or about 2 tsp dried leaves
1/2 c white wine
1/2 c chicken stock

2-3 slices bacon: 2 if lean, 3 if fatty

2-ish lbs small red potatoes, larger ones cut in half
1/2 tsp thyme leaves

Optional: few sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400*F

>>Everything is baked in the oven, in separate dishes at first and then combined in the end. Easy prep, easy clean-up.

Combine the cabbage, herbs, wine and stock in a medium-sized glass baking dish, like 11x7. Sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes.

Trim all the excess fat off the bacon and put it in a toaster-oven sized broiler pan (so everything will fit in the oven). Use a rack if you have one to keep the bacon out of the rendered grease. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until it's quite brown and crispy. Alternatively, you can cook it on the stovetop. Either way, once it's cooked, drain on paper towels and chop into large bite-sized pieces.

Wash the potatoes, cut the larger ones in half so they all cook evenly, toss with EVOO in a shallow roasting pan and sprinkle a bit of salt and the thyme on them.

Bake for 20 minutes, use a spatula to move and turn them over, and cut all the pieces, whether they were halved or whole, in half again. Some will be quarters and some will be halves. This way the inside surface gets brown and the potatoes will start to puff up a little, and this also helps make them creamier ;-). Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Last step. Combine the cooked cabbage with sauce, potatoes and bacon in a larger baking dish. Lightly coat the fish with EVOO, salt & pepper. Bake for 12 minutes or until the fish is cooked all the way through but still tender and moist.

When serving, spoon the reduced wine/stock sauce over the fish so it gets a little bit of acid. You can add the bit of parsley for color but I really didn't think it needed any more flavor.

Papaya Salsa or Salad

Oh this is so good! Papayas are one of my favorite tropical fruits. I made this to go with "jerked chicken" patties. I'm still working on the jerk seasonings, but the salsa is divine! Makes enough for a salad for 2, or salsa topping for 4.

1 large, fully ripe papaya, peeled, seeds removed and diced
1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed, minced
1/4 c red onion, very finely diced (brunoise)
1/2 red or orange bell pepper, diced the same size as the papaya
1/4 c orange juice (I used 1 navel orange)
Kosher salt
Optional: 1-2 TB chopped cilantro or parsley

If you've never worked with papaya before:
Cut both ends off. Stand it up on the cutting board and using a small, sharp paring knife, cut off the peel, including the pale flesh just under the skin. That has a firmer texture and is less sweet.  Now cut the papaya in half lengthwise and use a cereal spoon to scoop out all the seeds and the bits of white membrane. Cut each half in quarters lengthwise  - you'll have a total of 8 strips - and then dice crosswise.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and add a couple of pinches of kosher salt. You can add the cilantro or parsley but this is really personal preference. I could do without it myself. Ignore the lime in the photo, that's for the jerk chicken patty.

Let it sit for 10 minutes. The salt will draw out some moisture from the papaya and pepper, which then blends with the orange juice and how good does that taste? Good enough that we ate the entire bowl between the two of us and there is none left for the other patties!

Chicken 'Noodle' Soup

Back in their heyday, Victoria and I used to go to Brothers Deli in Burlingame, CA, for what we (and a lot of other people!) thought was the best chicken noodle matzo ball soup on the Peninsula. I still remember how they'd ladle up a bowl of soup and then add a matzo ball the size of a baseball.

Nowadays, I make my own. I'll be the first to admit that spaghetti squash is not pasta, but it's good; just different. I'm also working on a grain-free matzo ball recipe. In the meantime, this is a fast, easy, really good soup. Great for using up leftover chicken, great for the sniffles, and great for cold winter nights. Serves 3; double or triple quantities as needed.

EVOO
1/2 yellow onion, small dice (1 c)
1/2 c carrot, peeled and small dice
1/2 c celery, small dice

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
5 c homemade chicken stock
If you are using grocery store stock, you definitely want to add extra and cook it down to get enough flavor. Stock makes all the difference.
2 c cooked, shredded spaghetti squash, cooking directions here
2 TB flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 chicken breast, cooked, cooled and shredded into bite size pieces

Heat about 2 TB EVOO over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add the mirepoix, season with salt & pepper, and saute about 5 minutes to coat the veg with fat and the onion begins to soften. Add the chicken stock, 1.5 TB of the parsley and spaghetti squash, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a fast simmer and cook, partially covered, for 10 minutes, then cover and cook another 10 minutes.

This will cook the veg and allow the strands of squash to take on all the flavor of the stock, and also cook down the stock and concentrate the flavors more.

Add the last bit of parsley and the cooked chicken for the last 2 minutes of cooking, just enough to heat it through without overcooking the meat.

Note: You can still use regular pasta for your non-Paleo & GARD eaters.
Add the chicken stock, and then divide the soup evenly between 2 pots. Follow the recipe above for squash people. For pasta people, add a few handfuls of broken linguine to their pot, cover and fast simmer for 20 minutes. Both will be done at the same time.

The Best! Oven Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

I promise you, this is not an empty boast. As long as you don't change or omit anything, you are going to love these potatoes! I got the idea to play around with oven roasted potato recipes when I saw a Food Network star pour a melted stick of butter over her potatoes. Of course they were delicious; everything's better with a stick of butter or half a pound of cheese, and I can pour butter with the best of them ;-). The challenge I gave myself was to make the best, most unbelievable, GARD/Paleo-approved, finger-licking good potatoes ever, even better without butter or cheese.

I think I did it. I'm not even sure what the secret is, because you really taste the chewy, caramelized bits of pancetta, creamy potatoes and sweet peppers, and you don't really taste the aglione, but when you don't use plenty of the rosemary/sage/juniper berry combo, or just use rosemary & sage, it doesn't taste as good. There's something about the aglione that changes the dish that I can't put my finger on. The juniper berries? Maybe. It's a beautiful mystery.

Make lots of these. You could cut the recipe in half, but the leftovers re-heat beautifully. Serves 4-5

3 lb Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut in 3/4" cubes
12 oz yellow onion, 1" dice
8 oz red bell pepper, 1" dice
8 oz green bell pepper, 1" dice
4 medium cloves garlic, chopped (remember, the aglione has garlic, too, so don't change this quantity)
EVOO
3-4 TB aglione
Few pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
garlic powder & onion powder
mild paprika
8 oz pancetta, excess fat trimmed away and cut in small dice

>Do not substitute bacon for pancetta! The smoky flavor of the bacon will overwhelm everything else. I'm sure it would be good, but it won't taste anything like this dish.

>Do not add any salt. There's salt in the aglione and also in the pancetta, more than enough.

>Do not add more garlic, as there's some in the aglione.

>Any potato will do; just remember that Yukon Golds have a higher moisture content and won't brown as nicely.

Preheat oven to 425*F
Put 2 racks in the middle part of the oven, but with good air flow between them.

Cut up all your peppers and veg; weigh the peppers, as looks are deceiving. I ended up using 2 red peppers to 1 green to get an equal weight.

You can see my cuts aren't all mathematically precise, but this gives you an idea of their size.

Cut the pancetta in very small dice and set it aside. It won't go in the oven till halfway through the cooking time.

Combine the potatoes, peppers, onions and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Use enough olive oil to generously coat all the veg without having extra sitting in the bottom of the bowl, probably 1/4 c or so, and stir well with a big spoon. I don't use my hands because too much of the herbs and spices end up on my hands, and I want it all on the food.

Now add the aglione, red pepper (go easy on this! maybe 4 pinches total), a light dusting of garlic powder, a light dusting of onion powder, and a heavier dusting of paprika. Stir to mix well, then dust again with onion and garlic powder and paprika, to make sure everything is evenly coated.

Spread out on 2 half sheet pans. You want to make sure everything is in one layer so it all browns and cooks evenly. Roast for 10 minutes, then use a metal spatula to scrape up and stir everything around to get an even browning and so nothing burns.

Divide the pancetta and mix half with the veg on each sheet pan, tossing well to coat with oil. Return to the oven and roast another 10 minutes, then stir and scrape and toss again, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until everything is brown and tender.

You'll have roasted everything for a total of 30 minutes. Remember if your pans are dark, they won't need to roast as long, and you might even want to lower the oven temp to 400*.

That's it. Easy peasy. I really hope you will try this and let me know what you think.

- - - - -

P.S. I thought the leftovers would make a great frittata, but you know what? The flavors are too subtle, they get lost in the egg. It's a good frittata, and a good use of leftovers, but I honestly think the potatoes are much better just re-heated on their own.

P.P.S. Many thanks to Jennifer Boose for resizing the pictures for me. I can cook a potato but am hopeless with computers.

Curried Lamb Pot Pie Casserole

Technically this probably doesn't qualify as a pot pie anymore, now that the pastry crust has been replaced with mashed cauliflower. It's probably just a casserole. *Sigh.* There's just nothing like tender, flaky pastry.

However, if you wanted to, you could put half the filling in a couple of ramekins topped with cauliflower for your GARD-Paleo family members. For your non-GARD eaters, put the rest of the filling in 2 ramekins topped with pastry crusts, brush with a little egg wash, a little flaked sea salt & black pepper, and bake at 425* for 45-50 minutes. Then we could still call this a pot pie. Yes? Either way, this serves about 4, and it tastes really, really, really good!

And, I'll also be the first to admit that lamb or mutton is expensive. That's why I use ground lamb instead of the traditional lamb shoulder, which costs even more. I think you could substitute ground beef for the lamb; it won't taste the same, but I bet it would still be pretty darned good. Definitely healthy and filling!

EVOO

1 lb pasture-raised ground lamb

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 rounded TB potato flour or tapioca flour

4-5 TB white wine

1 generous c butternut squash, peeled & cut in 1/2 to 3/4" dice

1 medium carrot, peeled & chopped about the same size as the squash

2 c kale, washed and finely chopped

1 tsp mild curry powder

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 c homemade chicken stock

1/2 c whole, unsweetened coconut milk

Double the recipe for mashed cauliflower (use 2 heads of cauliflower)

Here's a picture of the veggies so you can get an idea of the quantities and cut sizes. Click on the picture for a closer look.

Heat 1.5 TB EVOO over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Brown the lamb, seasoning with salt & pepper, breaking it up into small pieces with the flat site of a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the onion and cook, stirring, till softened and translucent, about 5+ minutes. 

Ground lamb is kind of fatty, and I'm not fond of the taste, so I spoon off all the rendered fat and add in another TB of olive oil at this point. 

Add the curry powder and continue to cook and stir. You might think this isn't enough curry, but the flavor continues to build during the simmering time. 

Add the potato flour and cook for a few minutes, stirring, till it's all absorbed. 

Add the wine (I just splashed some in, the measurement is an approximation) and cook to evaporate. 

Add the kale, carrots and squash, stirring and cooking for a few minutes. 

Add the stock and coconut milk, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, partially cover and cook about 30 minutes till the vegetables are soft and cooked through. Taste for salt & pepper. 

While the veg are cooking, make the cauliflower mash.

Pour into a 1.5 qt oven-proof casserole dish. Use a gravy ladle to spoon off any excess sauce: you don't want it all runny. Top with the mashed cauliflower and put under the broiler for a few minutes to reheat the mash and give it a little crisp and color. 

If you made this earlier in the day, reheat at 350*F for about 30 minutes or so, until it's heated through and the cauliflower is a little browned around the edges. It makes excellent leftovers, if you have any.

Mashed Cauliflower

This is surprisingly good: the secret is to let it sit for 15 minutes or so, to give the flavors time to develop, and then gently re-heat just before serving. Serves 2-3

1 head cauliflower, washed, shaken dry, and cut into florets
3 TB or so of heated, unsweetened whole coconut milk (I use Native Forest)
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Paprika
Garlic powder

Using a small paring knife, begin and the base and cut the florets off. Discard the trunk or save for another use.

Steam the florets about 15 minutes (do not boil, the cauliflower will absorb too much water!), until cooked through and very soft. Puree in a food processor using the metal blade. Add 2 TB of the coconut milk, pulse, and add more milk as needed to make a nice consistency, like mashed potatoes. Add salt, pepper, and a few shakes each of paprika and garlic powder. Resist the temptation to go overboard! Remember to blend everything thoroughly and let the flavors develop about 15 minutes, then taste again and correct seasonings.

Gently re-heat just before serving. This is great as a substitute for mashed potatoes, a vehicle for gravy, and as a topping for casseroles. It's delicious the next day as leftovers, too.

Braised Spareribs and Potatoes

Here's another slightly altered Biba Caggiano recipe that is so rustic, you'll feel like you should be herding sheep in the Italian Alps. This will definitely stick to your ribs! Serves 3-4

3 lbs pork spareribs, all excess fat removed
2-3 TB EVOO
1/2 c finely chopped yellow onion
2 lb Idaho potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
3 TB finely minced fresh rosemary
2-3 TB finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1/2 c white wine
2 oz Cognac, divided (I use Decourtet, it's delicious and costs less than most)
2-3 c homemade chicken stock
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat 2 TB EVOO in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the spareribs on both sides, adding the 3rd TB of olive oil if needed.

Remove the meat to a plate and add the onions. Stir and cook till soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the herbs and cook another minute. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add just 1 oz of the Cognac. Add the potatoes and cook them in the herbs and wine, stirring and tossing so they really absorb the flavors, about 5 minutes. Add the meat back into the pot.

Add enough stock to come up about halfway around the meat.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, partially cover, and cook about 1.5 hrs till the meat is nice and tender. Now taste for salt & pepper; you'll definitely need to add salt. Do you notice how all the flavors are there but it still seems a little bland? That's because now you need to add the last 1 oz of Cognac to wake up the sauce. Serve portions in soup plates with plenty of potato and cooking sauce.

Last but not least, a 'pastore' to get you in the mood. (Actually, he makes me want to travel more than cook, but it's the best I can do right now ;-).)

Aglione Roasted Chicken Breast

If you like rosemary roasted chicken, you'll like this unbelievably fast, easy dish. I never even knew about combining juniper berries(!) with rosemary and sage until Biba Caggiano talked about it, and now I want it on everything. This isn't really a recipe, just a roasting method, but please. Try it. For me. It's also good if you don't have the lemon or wine needed for the other recipe. If you do have them, try making that recipe, omit the garlic and fresh rosemary, and use aglione instead!! YUM!

I think any kind of greens or crunchy salad would be wonderful with this dish, but we had some leftover acorn squash that needed to be finished off. Serves 2, increase quantities as needed for more people.

2 pasture-raised chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
2 TB aglione
Freshly ground black pepper
EVOO

Optional gravy
1 rounded TB potato flour
1 c homemade chicken stock
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375*F

Rinse and pat dry the breasts. Trim off all visible fat while leaving as much skin on as possible.

Option 1: Run your finger between the skin and meat across the top of the breast and gently stuff 1 TB aglione mixed with pepper under the skin of each one. Rub the entire breast with EVOO. I should have taken a picture of this one, but I'm still getting back into the swing of blogging and taking lots of pictures as I cook.

Option 2: Rub the entire breast with EVOO and top each with 1 TB aglione and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake on a half sheet or uncovered roasting pan for 35-40 min until cooked through. Lightly tent with foil halfway through cooking so the herbs don't burn if you put them on top of the skin.

Remove to cutting board, cover lightly, and rest for 10 minutes so the juices redistribute. Make the gravy now if you're going to have one. Heat 2 TB EVOO in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the potato flour and whisking add in the heated chicken stock. Cook and stir till thickened; add salt & pepper to taste.

Cut the chicken off the bone, slice and serve with gravy. Oh, and mashed potatoes, if you like.

Aglione (fresh Italian seasoning blend)

Biba Caggiano, Italian chef, author and restaurateur, talks about how this is fresh seasoning blend used in the Emiglia-Romagna region of Italy, and provided this recipe in Biba's Taste of Italy. So far I've used it for roast chicken and roasted breakfast potatoes and I am in love with it! The juniper berries, which she says are optional and I say are essential, add a unique and subtle oomph.

Make up a good-sized batch as it lasts a long time in the refrigerator. Omit any ground black or crushed red pepper, so you have options when using it. I write the ingredients on the label, as well as the date I made it, so I don't have to go looking for the recipe when it's time to make more.

3 rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped, stems discarded

10 large sage leaves

1 medium-large clove garlic

1 tsp kosher salt (if you use table salt, cut this in half)

1 rounded tsp juniper berries (I bought mine at Williams-Sonoma. Keep them refrigerated so they last longer)

Finely mince everything together using a sharp chef's knife. You can double or triple the quantity as needed. Put in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.

Kale Chips

Everyone's got a recipe for these. The only reason I'm putting it up is because, well, I haven't been experimenting lately. I've spent almost the entire summer outside and I have nothing here to show for it. Bear with me - winter is just around the corner and I'll be back in the kitchen ;-).

And I have another admission. I eat while I read. Pretty much nonstop. And now that I can't put down an entire bag of caramels, red ropes, or potato chips, these are my replacement munchies. They aren't potatoes, or concentrated butter and sugar, but they are really tasty, crispy, crunchy, and a heckuva lot cheaper than buying a bag of them at Whole Foods!!

1 bunch kale (mine weighed 1.5# including the stems)
EVOO or coconut oil
Himalayan sea salt, or fleur de sel, or kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350*F

Fill the kitchen sink with about 2" of cold water. Immerse the leaves in the water and swish them around to get all the grit, sand and bugs off. In late summer, kale around here tends to get these tiny little red bugs, and while I don't mind sharing my kale with them, I don't want to eat them.

Strip and discard the stems. Use a salad spinner to remove excess water from the leaves, working in batches. Then put the leaves on a kitchen towel and roll and scrunch the leaves to get the rest of the water off - kind of like mashing a sleeping bag into a stuffsack.

Tear the leaves into larger bite-size pieces; if the leaf wants to fold over on itself, tear it down the middle so it can't - you want one layer of leaves only on your baking sheet. Toss the leaves with about 1-1.5 TB oil, massaging the leaves to coat them with oil and make sure it's evenly distributed.

Use a sheet of parchment paper on your baking sheet to keep the kale from sticking and help it crisp up nicely. Lay the pieces out and sprinkle with a little bit of salt. Bake for 10-11 minutes, removing while the leaves are crisp and still have color. A few will be brown, it can't be helped. Bake a couple of sheets at a time to save time; you'll have about 5 sheets total to bake.

Remove immediately and use the parchment paper to pour them into a bowl.

Avocado and Shrimp Salad

I was rootling around on the Internet looking for an avocado-shrimp recipe and not only did this one sound the best, I found the exact same recipe on several sites: it looks like Taste of Home.com first posted it in 2007. (Just wanting to give proper credit here. :-) )

The original recipe calls for cooked medium size shrimps, coarsely chopped. I used bay shrimps because I didn't have a lot of extra time and I hate cleaning shrimps. Just be sure you buy a brand like this one: wild caught, not farmed, that does NOT have "natural flavors" in the ingredients. That is nothing but glutamic acid, which causes seizures & migraines just like MSG, monosodium glutamate. The only ingredient should be shrimp!

Next, if you're using cooked, frozen shrimps, thaw them out completely in a strainer over a bowl, then dump on a clean dry dish towel and gently squeeze to make sure you get all excess water out. The dressing is not thick to begin with, so extra water will make it runny and bland-tasting.

The original recipe also calls for seasoned salt. Any brand I've seen includes either MSG or "natural flavor",  so I used kosher salt and Old Bay Seasoning. Perfect!! I also cut back the capers, it was a little too briny for my taste. If at all possible, let the shrimp salad chill for an hour to let all the flavors, especially the Old Bay,  fully develop before combining with the avocado for serving.

Ok, I will finally shut up and give you the recipe! Serves 4 if on avocado halves, or 3-4 if mixed together on lettuce.

1/2 lb cooked/thawed bay shrimps, or cooked medium shrimps, peeled and de-veined & coarsely chopped
1/2 c celery, finely diced
1/4 c yellow onion, finely diced
3 TB + 1/2 tsp GARD-Paleo mayonnaise
1 TB capers, drained
1 TB fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1.5 tsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 healthy pinches Old Bay Seasoning

6 grinds black pepper

1 or 2 medium ripe avocados, halved and pitted right before you're ready to serve

Optional: Bibb, butter or red leaf lettuce, washed & spun dry

In a medium size glass mixing bowl,  thoroughly combine everything except the avocados.  Click on the picture for a closer look at the onion and celery sizes:

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.  Taste again and correct seasonings.

Halve and pit the avocados. You can either spoon the shrimp salad into the avocado half (prettier presentation but messier eating), in which case you'll need two avocados, one half per person:

or scoop out and dice the avocado, gently tossing with the shrimp mixture, and mound on lettuce. We like it better this way, and one avocado is plenty:

Chile Verde con Cerdo (Green Chili with Pork)

Guy Fieri made this on his FN show (the one where he actually cooks) several years ago, and dang is it good! I made a few small changes here and there using what I've learned from Rick Bayless. This chile is proof you can have lots of flavor without burning the taste buds off your tongue with hot peppers, LOL. If you want it hotter, substitute the jalapeno with serrano peppers. It also freezes well and is crock pot friendly. Serves 6.

2 lb pasture raised pork shoulder (also known as pork butt) all fat trimmed off, cut in 1" cubes
3 TB EVOO or coconut oil
2 large Anaheim chiles, diced
2 medium white onions, chopped
5 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (seeds removed for milder heat; substitute 1 or 2 serrano peppers for more heat)
1/2 lb (about 5) tomatillos, husks removed and stickiness rinsed off skins
1/4 c white wine, aged in aluminum barrel
3 TB apple cider vinegar
1/2 c homemade chicken stock
1 TB dried oregano
1 TB ground cumin
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425*

Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (I use the one from our toaster oven, it's just the right size) and roast the tomatillos, turning a couple of times to brown the skins and soften them. I didn't watch the clock, it probably took about 20 minutes; they were ready before the pork was finished browning.

While you're roasting the tomatillos, heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and saute the onions, chiles, peppers and garlic until softened and translucent but not brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Raise the heat to med-high, add a little more oil if you need it, and brown the pork in the Dutch oven, working in batches so you don't overcrowd (that will cause the pieces to braise and turn grey instead of get brown and crispy). Put all the pork, the onion-pepper mixture and the roasted tomatillos back in the pot. Add the wine and vinegar, using the flat edge of a wooden spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Don't worry, you won't taste the vinegar at all; it just helps tenderize the meat. Add the chicken stock, oregano, cumin, and about 1.5 tsp ea salt & pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover and simmer for 2-3 hrs (or in a crock pot on low for 6 hrs) until the pork is falling-apart tender. Taste for salt & pepper.

Braised Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Do you remember that ancient comfort food recipe for pork chops baked with rice and Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, meat so tender it would fall apart on your fork? Jimmy Bannos, Jr., chef at The Purple Pig in Chicago, put a healthy, modern spin on it, and I spun it some more.  Yes, there's a lot of gravy in the picture, orange from all the carrots. You can never have too much gravy. Serves 4-6

Braised Pork Chops
2 TB EVOO or coconut oil
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
6 boneless range fed pork chops, all fat trimmed off, dried with paper towels and seasoned on both sides with salt & pepper
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 large celery ribs, roughly chopped
3 large or 4 medium carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
5 large cloves garlic, peeled & smashed
2 c chicken stock, preferably roasted for deeper flavor
5 6" sprigs thyme
5 California bay leaves (6 if the smaller Turkish ones)
2 c whole organic coconut milk

Mashed Potatoes
2+ lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & 3/4" diced
1/3 c whole coconut milk, scalded
2+ TB EVOO
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Gravy
2 TB EVOO or coconut oil
2-3 TB potato flour
2 TB white wine (aged in aluminum barrels, not oak)

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Brown the pork chops about 3 minutes on each side, working in batches to avoid overcrowding or lowering the temperature too much. Remove to a plate.

Add the onion, celery, carrots & garlic to the pot, stirring occasionally until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaves and coconut milk; bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Add the pork chops back in, cover and braise on Low until the chops are falling-apart-tender, about 2 hrs.

During the last half hour of the pork chop cooking time, boil the potatoes in well-salted water till tender, 15-20 min. Drain, mash, and add enough coconut milk & EVOO to suit you (lumpy mashed = less, smooth & creamy = more). Salt & pepper to taste & keep warm.

Back to the chops & gravy:  remove the chops to a platter & over with foil. Remove & discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Ladle 3 cups of the braising liquid and as many of the vegetables as you can into a blender and puree.

In a medium saucier or saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the oil and potato flour. When it's nice and bubbling, whisk in the pureed vegetable sauce one ladle full at a time, continually whisking until the gravy is thickened. Ladle in more of the braising liquid in the Dutch oven if you need to thin it out. Whisk in the white wine and then add salt & pepper to taste. Make a bed of the mashed potatoes, top with the chops and drown in gravy.

Beet, Apple and Cabbage Salad

Is it a salad or a slaw? Whatever it is, we like it enough to go into our regular meal rotation! I got this recipe from Australian Vogue Living, only changing a couple of small things. In the picture below we had it with roast pork with figs and Marsala  The dressing is a variation of the basic salad dressing. Serves 2-3

1/4 small red cabbage, cored & thinly sliced
1/4 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored & thinly sliced crosswise (the shorter direction)
1 medium red beet, raw, shredded on a grater
2 big handfuls mache (lamb's lettuce), well washed & spun dry
1/4 c walnuts, roughly chopped

Dressing
1/2 c EVOO
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
2 TB Original Dijon mustard
2-3 tsp raw honey

Put all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss to combine. In another small bowl, whisk together the honey and vinegar, then  add the mustard, then stream in the EVOO whisking the whole time. Taste and add more honey if necessary. The mache is a sweeter lettuce, so you want a little bite to the dressing.

Just before serving, toss the salad with just enough dressing to coat, or serve it on the side. You will have plenty of leftover dressing.

Roast Pork with Fresh Figs and Marsala Wine

I love this fresh (to me) take on fruit and wine with pork, especially since prunes and port wine reductions  have been done to death. The fresh figs and Marsala are truly delicious with pork, and I think it would be wonderful with chicken, too. I got the idea for this from Australian Vogue Living, along with a recipe for shredded beet, apple and cabbage salad. Serves 4

1.5 lb grass-fed pork tenderloin, silverskin and visible fat removed
EVOO
Kosher or sea salt
2 tsp fennel seeds

Sauce
1 c chicken stock
1/2 c + 1 TB Marsala wine (or other slightly sweet, red, nitrate/nitrate-free wine)
5 ripe organic figs, 4 in 1/2" dice, 1 sliced and set aside for garnish
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
1-2 TB arrowroot powder

Preheat oven to 400*F

Dry the pork with paper towels, rub both sides with EVOO, about 2 tsp salt, and fennel seeds. Roast about 20-25 min, till the very center is about 138-140*F. Remove from oven, put in a serving dish & lightly tent with foil to rest. While it's roasting and resting, make the sauce.

Bring the stock and 1/2 c wine to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the diced figs, reduce to simmer and cook about 20 minutes until the figs are nice and soft and the liquid has reduced by about 1/3. Pour in all the accumulated pan juices in the serving dish from the resting pork. Add salt & pepper to taste. Now add 2 tsp of Marsala: stir and taste to see if you want to add a little more. Adding this last splash of wine is what "wakes up" the sauce, as the wine will have mellowed a lot during the cooking process. Once you have adjusted all your flavors, add 1 TB of arrowroot and stir to thicken and add gloss. If you want it thicker, add only 1 extra tsp at a time, stirring continuously

Slice the pork, spoon the sauce over the meat and garnish with the uncooked figs.

Curried Chicken Salad

I love this chicken salad in the summertime. Use leftover cooked chicken breast or gently poach a couple of breasts with bay leaf, fresh thyme and a few peppercorns. Serves 2

8 oz chicken breasts, cooked, cooled & cut crosswise into 4 equal pieces, then shredded
1/3 c organic red grapes, halved
1/3 c toasted cashews
Salad greens

Dressing
1/2 c + 2 TB coconut milk yogurt (here is Paleo Plan's recipe* which I used)
2 TB Dijon mustard
2-3 tsp mild curry powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, mix together all the dressing ingredients. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add the chicken and grapes and stir gently to combine. Add the cashews right before serving so they don't get soft. Serve over lettuce or on large 1/4" thick diagonal slices of English cucumber.

*Inner Eco's coconut water probiotic kefir is available at most Whole Foods Markets

Modified from a recipe submitted by Something Natural on FoodNetwork.com. 

Cold Cucumber Soup

This is a great soup for a hot summer day, tart, crunchy and refreshing. Ina Garten tops her original recipe (which I had to change quite a bit) with shrimp, but it is also perfect with salmon cakes over salad. This is quick and easy to make IF you can find pre-made coconut milk yogurt. If you have to make the yogurt yourself, allow an extra 24 hrs prep time. Also please remember that coconut milk has far fewer natural sugars than cow's milk, so you do not need to add any lemon juice or vinegar, and you might even want to add a little raw honey, warmed up first so it dissolves well. Serves 4

1-1/4 c coconut milk yogurt (here is Paleo Plan's recipe*, which I used)
4 oz whole organic coconut milk
1 English cucumber, unpeeled, seeded & chopped
1/4 c chopped red onion
3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TB fresh dill, minced
Optional: 1+ TB raw honey, warmed up

Dump the cucumber, red onion, scallion, salt & pepper in a food processor and pulse until it's fairly well chopped. Add the coconut milk and pulse until coarsely pureed, but it still has texture.

Put into a large mixing bowl, stir in the yogurt and dill, and taste for salt & pepper.

Note: It will be less sweet than a yogurt made with cow's milk, and the tartness will vary depending on the probiotics. Likewise, whole coconut milk has a lot less natural sugar than light cream from cow's milk. So if you like, add 1 or 2 TB of raw honey to taste.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours before serving.

*Inner Eco's coconut water probiotic kefir is at most Whole Foods Markets

"Breaded" Pork Chops with Salad, Pickled Red Onions and Hazelnuts

I took Anne Burrell's idea for pork Milanese, used my own recipe for breading (which came out oh so good!! and is very similar to my Chicken Delicioso but I like this even better), and topped it with salad, GARD-style pickled red onions, and toasted hazelnuts. I am sure you will love this! Serves 4

4 pork chops, butterflied and pounded thin
Kosher salt
Coconut oil
2 large pasture-raised eggs, beaten with 1 TB water

Breading
2 c "Italian bread crumbs"
6 ea 6" sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped, stems discarded
6 ea 6" sprigs thyme, leaves stripped, stems discarded (use 2 extra sprigs if the stems aren't dense with leaves)
3 large handfuls flat-leaf parsley
1 pinch red pepper flakes
zest of 2 lemons
6 medium cloves garlic

Mixed salad greens, escarole, or mache (lamb's lettuce) for 4
Pickled red onions
3 TB EVOO
1.5 tsp Dijon mustard
2 handfuls hazelnuts, roughly chopped and toasted

Make the breading first: put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the herbs are finely minced.
Put half into a pie plate or other breading dish and set the other half aside to spoon onto the tops of the chops.

Put the beaten egg and water in another pie plate or dish. Thoroughly dry the pork chops with paper towels and lightly season with kosher salt. Heat 1/4" coconut oil in a large saute pan just above medium heat.

> Temperature is important. Too hot, and the nuts/seeds in the breading will burn, too cool and it will just soak up the oil and be mushy. Make sure the oil is rippling with heat before you add the pork!

One chop at a time, dip both sides in the egg mixture, then in the breading. This breading is moister than usual and tends to clump: spoon the breading on top and gently press in with the back of the spoon, turn and do the same thing. Add more breading to the dish as needed. Cook the chops 2 at a time, or however many you can fit in the pan without crowding, about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second side, turning when golden brown. Do not overcook the chops! They are very thin and won't take much time at all.

As the chops are cooked, remove to a wire rack over a sheet pan to drain and keep crisp.

Mix the EVOO and 2 TB of the pickled red onion juice with the mustard; blend with a fork to make a quick dressing for the lettuce. Just toss with your fingers, you'll use less dressing and coat the leaves more evenly.

Top each chop with dressed salad, pickled red onion, and toasted hazelnuts.

Oh yum yum yummy!!

Vichyssoise

This Ina Garten recipe needed little adjustment. We couldn't taste the zucchini, but it is a great way to use them up, and is optional anyway. Although you can serve it cold or hot, it's much better cold and makes a good take-to-work lunch. Serves 6

4 TB EVOO or coconut oil
3 c leeks, white & light green parts thinly sliced and rinsed in a bowl of cold water to get all the dirt out
**If you dislike leeks, you can substitute yellow onions, or shallots
5 c small white potatoes, unpeeled, eyes cut out, and chopped (maybe 10-12? potatoes)
3 c zucchini, chopped
>1 qt vegetable or chicken stock
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
3-4 TB whole coconut milk
4 TB chives, chopped
Drizzle of EVOO

Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the leeks or onions and saute about 5-6 minutes until soft. Add the potatoes, zucchini, 3/4 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper. Add just enough stock to not quite cover the vegetables: the zucchini has a very high water content which will cook out, thinning the soup.

Note: if you don't have, or don't want to use, zucchini, use 4 c leeks and 5 c potatoes. Add enough stock to cover.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat & simmer for 30 minutes until the potatoes & leeks are very soft.

Process through a food mill with the medium disk. You can use a food processor or immersion blender, but the food mill will remove all the zucchini seeds and any larger bits of potato/zucchini skin. Add the coconut milk and taste for salt & pepper. Serve hot or chill in the refrigerator before serving, topping each bowl with fresh chives and a little drizzle of EVOO.

Pickled Red Onions

Keep these on hand to top hamburgers, "breaded" pork chops, barbeque; to brighten up green salads; anywhere you want to add a little sweet and sour crunch. They'll last very well in a pint mason jar in your refrigerator for at least 4 weeks, probably longer. Makes about 2 cups.

1 large red onion, sliced paper thin
1 TB kosher salt
1/2 c red wine vinegar
3-4 drops Original Tabasco
1.5 TB raw honey
1/4 c hot water
1/4 c cold water

In a medium glass bowl, melt the honey and dissolve the salt in the hot water, stirring with a whisk to help dissolve it faster. Add the vinegar, Tabasco and cold water and stir to combine. Add the onions, turn to coat and press them down into the vinegar mixture with a pair of tongs, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hr, although they're much better if you can marinate them overnight. Use the tongs to turn the onions a few times and press them down as they're chilling to help them break down faster.

Strawberry Tarts with French Pastry Cream

I got the idea for these from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris strawberry tart recipe; it took a couple of tries, and now it's perfected! I'm sure it would be delicious with any berry (mmmm, blackberries!). You could also skip the tart shell and just serve it in dessert bowls.

I will warn you, though: the pastry cream takes a good 20+ min of cooking and stirring over low heat. There's no shortcut: bring it to a boil and you'll end up with soup, so maybe listen to a good audio book, or TV show, or catch up on the phone with a friend while you patiently stir. Serves 4

Tart Shells
2.5 c finely ground, blanched almond flour (Bob's Red Mill isn't blanched & is too coarse ~ I use JK Gourmet or Honeyville, which is less expensive)
3/4 tsp sea salt
3 TB coconut oil, melted
1 tsp raw honey
1 extra-large pasture-raised egg, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375*

Pulse the flour and salt in a food processor to mix, then add the oil, honey and egg, and pulse until everything is mixed together and forms a ball. Press the dough into 4 individual tart pans with removable sides. Prick holes all across the bottom with a fork so it doesn't puff up (since we aren't blind-baking, it may do that a little anyway; just tap the bottoms back down lightly with a fork and continue baking.) Bake for 10 minutes until a light golden color and cool on a rack to room temperature while you make the filling.

Pastry Cream
5* extra-large pasture-raised egg yolks, room temperature
*Use 6 yolks if they are medium or barely large eggs
2/3 c raw honey
3 TB tapioca flour or tapioca starch (different names for the same thing) 
1.5 c whole (full fat) coconut milk
1/2 tsp good quality vanilla extract
1 to 1.5 tsp Cognac

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and honey together on medium high for 6-7 minutes, until it's very thick and light-colored. Reduce to the lowest speed (Stir) and add the tapioca flour.

Scald the coconut milk by warming in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until steam rises and bubbles form around the edges. Don't allow it to boil, or the custard won't thicken. (I thought it wouldn't matter since it's the molecular structure of proteins in cow's milk that breaks down at a boil, but guess what? It has the same effect with coconut milk.)

Temper the egg/honey mixture: put the pan of hot milk on a hot pad next to the mixer set on Stir, and slowly ladle in half the milk, then slowly pour in the rest of the milk. If you add it in too quickly, you'll have scrambled eggs poached in milk.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, get your movie/book/phone ready, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for about 20-25 min. At first it will look like there's kind of a layer of more foamy milk on top; that will eventually go away as you cook and stir. Don't let it come to a boil, just slowly cook and stir until it thickens to the consistency of pudding, and equals about 1-3/4 c. You can pour it into a measuring cup to check and then pour it back into the pan; it won't hurt it. 

Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and Cognac, taste and add a little more if you like. Pour the custard through a sieve into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap laid directly on the custard so a skin doesn't form, and chill.

Strawberry Topping
Fresh strawberries (about 2 cups), hulled and if large, halved
3 TB pistachio nuts
1/4 c  unsweetened apricot jelly or jam + 1 tsp water

Warm the jelly in a small saucepan with the water and if it's jam, put through a sieve with the back of a spoon. Spoon the custard into the tart shells and arrange the berries on top. Brush the tops of the tarts with the jelly (you'll have some left over jelly) and dot with pistachios. Eat as much as you like: you've earned it!

Cottage Pie

This was a lot tougher to re-work than I expected. Normally I put seeded, diced tomato for freshness and lots of Worcestershire in the beef and gravy to give it a deep umami flavor, but since they're both high in glutamic acid (anchovies in the Worcestershire) and not allowed on the GARD, it was a challenge to be sure. Diced red pepper and a hint of cumin and Tabasco did the trick. You can't actually taste the cumin or cayenne, but the flavor intensity builds as you eat more, so be cautious when you're tasting and adjusting the seasonings. Serves 4

3 TB EVOO
1 lb lean pasture raised ground beef
1 small yellow onion, small dice
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c (about 1/2 medium) red bell pepper, small dice
1-1/4 c roasted stock,beef, lamb or chicken
2 TB potato flour
1/4 tsp ground cumin
3-4 shakes Tabasco
3 medium* Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
1/4 c whole coconut milk
Mild paprika

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onion in the EVOO until soft. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon into small pieces. Add the garlic, salt & pepper and brown the beef, cooking until all the liquid is gone and the meat has started to caramelize. Since we can't use tomato paste or anchovy to add umami, we have to make up for it by caramelizing the meat (and by using a stock from roasted bones).

>While the meat is browning, boil the potatoes in a medium pot of salted water about 10-15 min until very soft when checked with a fork. Drain and mash with enough coconut milk to make them very soft and smooth. Taste for salt. Cover and set aside.
*3 medium potatoes is plenty. It always looks like you won't have enough, but if you make any more, your ratio of potatoes to meat will be waaaay off. Please trust me on this :-).

Now preheat your oven to Broil.

When the meat has browned, stir in the red pepper. Sprinkle the potato flour over the meat and cook for just a minute.

Add the stock 1/3 at a time, stirring and cooking until it's thickened before adding more. The gravy should be very thick but not gluey. Pour into a small casserole dish.

Drop spoonfuls of mashed potato on top of the beef mixture until it's completely covered. We like the tops of the potatoes to brown, so the rougher the texture, the better the results. Sprinkle with paprika and put under the broiler about 5-8 minutes until the top of the potatoes have a light crust and the tips are browned.