Cinnamon Apple Onion Pork Chops

It is a cozy rainy Sunday in CT today. I was planning on planting the rest of my garden today, but it may need to wait until the rain stops. In the meantime, my carrots are growing (there are over 20 sprouting!). I don't have a solid plan for today because I was planning to celebrate winning the Powerball with my family. It looks like I will have to get back to reality, do some cooking, get some work done, and get ready for another busy week. 

Today's recipe is a sweet and savory pork chop dish. I can't even remember the last time I made pork chops, but I wanted to switch it up. I love sweet onions and fruit in absolutely everything, so this is a great dish. You could also make this type of recipe in the crockpot if you prefer, but I chose to pan sear and then bake in the oven. This is a great meal for a rainy Sunday. Hope you enjoy!

Cinnamon Apple Onion Pork Chops: Serves: 2, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 45 min

Ingredients:
- 2 organic pork chops (I used boneless)
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 sweet onion, sliced
- 1 apple, chopped
- sea salt and pepper
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/3 cup organic vegetable broth (I used Pacific)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Heat coconut oil over medium heat
3. Season pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides
4. Brown the chops in the oil for about 2 minutes on each side
5. Remove chops from the pan and cover with foil
6. Add the onions to the pan with the oil
7. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes
8. Add apples and cook another 5 minutes
9. Add cinnamon and broth, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 3 minutes until reduced
10. Put chops in a baking dish topped with the apple/onion mixture
11. Bake 20-25 minutes until cooked through

    

Goodbye Soup w/ Pork Carnitas

There's no better excuse to cook a great meal than a party for a dear friend. While I'd prefer to be celebrating at a welcome-home party, I had to settle for a going-away feast. My friend/coworker/mum Ryan shipped off for Dubai last week for a 2-year assignment overseas (here we are - that's me stuffed into his armpit). 

He came to Boston for a last hurrah, and we had our friends over for some Mexican-inspired paleo eats. Ryan chose the theme, and we prepared some spiced cantaloupe, veggies & guacamole, and grass-fed beef stuffed sweet peppers for appetizers:

It is important to note that Ryan made the beautiful lettuce "flower" as the veggie centerpiece (I want to make sure I do not receive any credit for this masterpiece).  The main course was lettuce wrap tacos stuffed with crockpot pork carnitas and topped with a strawberry/pineapple/avocado salsa. The meal was wonderful, the company couldn't have been better (thanks Heather and Kenny!), and we had a great time. After a whirlwind of a week full of amazing adventures, I returned home to Boston and was hungry like usual. All I had in the house was about 5 pounds of leftover carnitas in my crockpot and about 8 large sweet peppers. I decided that I needed a little "goodbye soup" for the soul, so I created the following recipe. I ate it all week and even discovered that soup for breakfast is amazing... don't just trust me, try it!

Pork Carnitas Ingredients:
- 2 4-5lb pork loin roasts (can also use pork shoulder or butt)
- 2 large onions, sliced
- Chopped garlic (I must have used at least 10 cloves)
- 1 container of cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups of broth (I used chicken)
- 4 bay leaves
- Sea salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and any other spices you want to add!

Instructions:
1. Lay sliced onions and chopped garlic in the bottom of the crockpot
2. Put your pork on top (I did fat side up)
3. Season very generously with all seasonings
4. Add box of cherry tomatoes and broth
5. Cook on low for 10 hours
6. Shred the pork with kitchen tongs and stir so juices mix - keep warm and serve when hungry!

Ingredients for Goodbye Soup:

- 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil or other paleo fat

- 2 onions, chopped

- 5-10 cloves garlic, chopped (can you tell I love garlic?)

- 8 large sweet peppers, chopped 

- 1 large can (32 oz.?) organic roasted tomatoes with basil

- 4 cups chicken broth

- Sea salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat fat in a large saucepan and add onions and garlic

2. Cook for 5-10 minutes until softened and fragrant and then add chopped peppers

3. Add sea salt and pepper and stir every couple of minutes for about 5-10 minutes until peppers begin to soften

4. Add can of roasted tomatoes and chicken broth

5. Bring pot to boil and then cover, turn to low/medium-low, and cook for 30-45 minutes

6. Take pot off heat, and after it cools slightly (~10 minutes), use immersion blender to blend the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can blend this in batches in your blender or food processor.

7. Serve with a dollop of shredded pork carnitas

8. Rename Goodbye Soup to See-You-Later Soup (way better ring to it...)