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

    

Sweet Celeriac Root Hash

Happy Sunday people. Today was an interesting and informational day for many reasons:

1. (I thought) I bought a rutabaga for today's recipe, and it turned out to be celeriac root (see recipe below) - such an interesting vegetable that I've never had before!
2. I stepped in a huge pile of dog sh*t on the street at the very end of my 5+ mile walk with Chris, and we discovered that it isn't that easy to clean a poop sneaker when you live in a city.
3. I practiced my qigong in the shower tonight which was awesome - I must warn you that it can be very dangerous when your feet are slippery while harvesting your qi ;)
4. The nutrients in a 1oz. shot of wheatgrass are equivalent to those in 2.5 cups of green vegetables... I still haven't tried it yet, but I think this will be my next experiment. 

I have been loving all of the winter root vegetables, so I tried to get creative this morning. I created this sweet and savory breakfast hash and threw a dollop of it on top of a spinach and mushroom frittata. The final picture didn't come out too beautifully, but it tasted fantastic. The recipe below will serve two people, and you can make a really delicious mash with the leftover half of the celeriac root. It is an awesome potato substitute with way more flavor and great nutrients.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 celeriac root, peeled & shredded
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled & shredded
- 1 small apple, peeled & diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- Olive oil

- sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat

2. Add diced onions and cook for about 5 minutes until soft

3. Add shredded celeriac, sweet potato, and apple (use a cheese grater or food processor for these)

4. Season with a little sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder
5. Cook for 15-20 minutes until it fully cooks through and gets a little crisp like hash browns. I stirred it quite a bit at first but then let it sit for a few minutes at a time so the bottom would brown.
6. Serve on top of your favorite frittata or topped with poached eggs.

   

  

Applesauce & Pumpkin Crock Pot Chicken

Hurricane Sandy has been causing quite the stir today. My office is closed again tomorrow, and the power outages are up over a million. The pouring rain has finally made it up to Boston, and the wind is howling like crazy between the apartment buildings on my street. I still haven't bought bottled water, batteries, or any other emergency supplies, so fingers crossed that it doesn't get too bad here!

While I worked from home (and checked weather.com every five minutes) today, I created a new crock pot recipe with some leftovers in my fridge. I think I officially have the first applesauce + pumpkin crock pot chicken recipe (paleo or otherwise) on the web.  This is one of those recipes that reminds me how flavorful the simplest ingredients can be. There is absolutely no sweetener of any kind in this recipe, and it is sweet as can be. The combination of the apples, pumpkin, cinnamon, and garlic give it such a great flavor. I am thinking of making some fall-inspired lettuce wrap tacos with the leftovers if I can make it to the store this week when the rain finally stops. Stay tuned!

Ingredients:
- 3-4 lbs. chicken (I used boneless, skinless chicken breast + rib meat)
- 1 cup leftover applesauce (recipe can be found here)
- 1 cup leftover pumpkin (used canned organic pumpkin from Trader Joes)
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, & cinnamon
- 1 cup apple juice (from the applesauce)
- 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic

Instructions:
1. Put the applesauce and pumpkin on the bottom of the crock pot and mix to blend the two
2. Rinse the chicken, and lay it on top of the applesauce/pumpkin mixture
3. Generously season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon
4. Flip the chicken with tongs and season the other side 
5. Mix the chopped garlic into the apple juice, and pour on top of the chicken (note - this apple juice is the thick/cinnamon-y liquid that was excess when I made the applesauce. You could always just use an extra cup of applesauce if you don't have the liquid reserved.)
6. Cook on low for 6 hours
7. Take the chicken out of the crock pot, shred the meat, and put it back in the crock pot with all of the juicy goodness
8. Enjoy a scoop of this with a dollop of applesauce - the perfect hurricane meal!

  

Easy Organic Applesauce

If you want a quick and easy side dish or dessert, I highly recommend making some applesauce with your freshly picked apples from the orchard or the farmer's market. It couldn't be easier, and the smell and taste are to die for. This applesauce is one of my many contributions to tomorrow's Halloween Paleo Potluck Meetup that I'm hosting. Between the eight pounds of applesauce, two sweet potato pies (still in progress), and 4 dozen pumpkin-style "Ali-Bars", I am wiped. 

I should also mention that I completed my hardest WOD to date this morning which consisted of:

- 1 mile run

- 20 Bar-facing burpees

- 20 Deadlifts

- 20 Burpee lateral jumps

- 20 Power cleans

- 20 Burpees

- 20 Empty barbell thrusters

- 400m sprint

Somehow between the crossfit and the cooking, I also managed to stop by the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival (great vendors, but insanely over-crowded/chaotic), go grocery shopping at Trader Joes and Whole Foods, get crafts supplies at Michaels, and attempt to find a Halloween costume at Target. I ended up with some fabric that I will attempt to use to create my own costume tomorrow. We will see if I still have the crafty costume skills I learned in my sorority days. 

Let's hope the potluck is a success tomorrow! Pictures to follow :)

Ingredients:

- 8 pounds organic apples

- 2 Tbsp. organic cinnamon

- 1 cup water

Instructions:

1. Wash apples, and chop them into slices or chunks keeping the skin on

2. Put apples in a large pot and add the water and cinnamon

3. Bring the pot to a boil

4. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 45 minutes (stirring every 15 minutes)

5. Ladle out any excess liquid (you can always add it back later) to avoid making your applesauce too watery

6. Using an immersion blender, partially blend the sauce so the skin blends but leaving some chunks/texture based on your preference

7. Enjoy the amazing smell of fall in your house!

   

  

Apple Cinnamon Autumn Meatloaf

Paleo on-the-go can be easier at times than others. While in Stamford last week, I took a lot of heat from my coworkers about ordering the same lunch from the same restaurant three days in a row. I talked about this salad enough over the course of the week to convince some colleagues, friends, and family all to check it out. Tabouli Grill is a cute little Mediterranean restaurant in Stamford with great service and fresh, delicious food. They have had this Moroccan salad on special for the past few weeks full of seasonal ingredients. It has spiced butternut squash, beets, red peppers, avocado, sliced carrots, almonds, hard-boiled egg, and grilled chicken. I substituted the pomegranate dressing (which did sound amazing) for some olive oil and balsamic, and it was a perfect paleo meal. I highly recommend trying out the restaurant if you are in CT, and if not, whip this up yourself when you're craving a hearty salad. 

Now that I am home and back in the kitchen, I have decided to create some new fall-inspired recipes. I have always loved a good meatloaf, so I tried to get a bit creative this one. I added apples, cinnamon, and raisins for a new twist, and I loved it! I bought super jumbo raisins by mistake (no idea this was even an option), and for the record, I would recommend your typical average-sized raisins. Bigger is not always better.

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
- 1/4 onion, chopped (I got carried away and used a whole onion and can still taste it 2 days later...)

- 1 apple, chopped

- 1/4 cup raisins (optional)

- 1/2 cup almond flour

- 1 egg

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp pepper

- 1 tsp. cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl (you are going to need to use your hands for this one)

3. Put mixture into greased loaf pan (can use coconut oil, spray, other fat of choice, or silicone loaf pan)

4. Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top

5. Bake for about 40 minutes or until cooked through and set

6. Let sit for at least 10-15 minutes before serving 

7. Delicious with a side of sweet potatoes or squash and your favorite green vegetable!

  

  

Turkey Burgers w/ Roasted Beets & Carrot Mash

Writing this blog has been incredible for me for so many reasons. I am finally able to share my love of eating, cooking, feeding others, and health and wellness with such a wide audience. I am thrilled that in only two weeks, I have had around 1,500 hits from 10 countries around the world! I have reconnected with some old friends and classmates and had the opportunity to meet some fantastic new people as well. I have already provided guidance to people transitioning into a paleo lifestyle, and I taught my first cooking class. I can't wait for all of the adventures to come as this continues!

One of my Pi Phi sisters from Vandy sent me a message last night saying that she is in Boston for work and has been enjoying the blog. She has been doing Crossfit for almost a year and knows about the whole paleo movement. I was so excited to hear Kat was in town, and I invited her over for dinner so we could catch up. It was great chatting and learning how many things we have in common five years after graduation. I tried a slightly new variation on turkey burgers and made two brand new sides. If you can believe it, this was my absolute first attempt at carrots and beets. Kat was very brave and was my taste-tester... I hope she left happy!

Apple Cinnamon Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:
- 1 package all natural ground turkey (mine was 1.2 lbs.)
- Olive oil
- 1 apple, chopped
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat
3. Add onions and saute for 5-10 minutes until soft
4. Add apples and cook for another 5 minutes
5. Add all ingredients (including cooked onion/apple mixture) in a mixing bowl
6. Form into patties (I made 5 quarter-pound burgers), and put them on a foil-lined baking sheet
7. Bake for 30 minutes until cooked through 

Roasted Beets

Ingredients:
- Two medium beets, chopped
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Put all ingredients in a large ziploc bag and shake what your mama gave you (Side note - I let a woman squeeze my butt at the Avon walk campsite because she thought it was fake. This is a true story!)
3. Roast for 45 minutes until slightly crispy, and stir/rearrange beets every 15 minutes so they cook evenly

Carrot Mash

Ingredients:
- 1lb. of carrots 
- 1/2 chopped onion
- 1 Tbsp. of chopped garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- 1/2 tsp. Trader Joes "21 seasoning salute" (or random herbs/spices from your cabinet)

Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat
2. Add onions garlic, salt, pepper, and TJ spices, and cook for 7-10 minutes until soft
3. Put carrots in a pot, cover in water, and boil for 6-10 minutes until tender
4. Add drained carrots and onion mixture to the food processor
5. Pulse until smooth and add additional seasoning to taste

Crispy Apple Crisp

No (good) party or cooking class would be complete without a paleo dessert. I know some paleo followers stay away from paleo-ized versions of baked goods, but I personally like to indulge every once in a while. I created this apple crisp recipe, and you will see there is no honey, maple syrup, or sweetener. You can use those if you like, but I found that the sweetness of the baked apples was enough. Next time I will definitely need to make a little homemade paleo ice cream on the side for the full experience.

I did give the leftovers to my gracious hosts, but it is key to note that they could be eaten for breakfast without a single ounce of guilt. Check out the ingredients - you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients:

- 2 lbs. apples (about 6 small apples)

- 1 cup almond flour/meal

- 1/2 cup crushed pecans

- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

- 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. cinnamon 

- 2 tsp vanilla

- 1/3 cup coconut oil

- 1/2 lemon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Chop apples (I left the skin on) and put in a big ziploc bag. Add lemon and 1 tsp. of the cinnamon. 

3. Shake the bag, and when evenly coated, arrange the apples in a pie dish or 9x9 pan

4. In a mixing bowl, mix almond flour, pecans, walnuts, and 1 Tbsp. of cinnamon

5. Add vanilla and coconut oil

6. Use your hands to fully combine the ingredients - you are looking for a somewhat soft/crumbly mixture. If it is too try, you may need to add another dollop of coconut oil

7. Pour topping mixture evenly over the apples

8. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes

9. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes to make your apple crisp nice and crispy

10. Serve plain or with some paleo ice cream

   

   

Fried Eggs Over Sweet Potatooo Apple Hash

Happy Sunday! Today's post is a perfect fall breakfast. I have a big day ahead that will hopefully include a WOD, yoga, the Boston Local Food Festival (http://bostonlocalfoodfestival.com/), the SOWA market (http://www.sowaopenmarket.com/), and cooking a great dinner. My fridge is nearly empty which doesn't happen too often, so I had to use the last of the food I had which included a sweet potato (I swear it only had a little mold on it...), a honey crisp apple, two eggs from Siena Farms, and a clove of garlic. I decided to make sweet potato apple hash with two fried eggs. 

Up until a month ago, I would never even consider trying a runny yolk. My friends and family can attest to the fact that if I think a food is really gross, not only will I not taste it, but I will make some really offensive faces/noises when other people around me are eating it. Side story - about two years ago, I couldn't stop gagging every time Mal (my best friend) ate rice pudding. I thought it was the most vile dessert ever created. She was positive I would like it (favorite food always had been ice cream) and said the only way I was allowed to try it was if I promised not to create some dramatic vomiting scene if I didn't like it. Against my will, I promised, tried the rice pudding, and then had a fairly unhealthy addition to it for almost two years until I became Paleo :) Last month I reminded myself of this story and tried my first runny yolk after have a very long discussion about the wonders of eggs with my walking buddy Chris on a 6 mile walk around Castle Island. Needless to say, I have a new obsession, and I have been trying to master fried and poached eggs.

Sometimes crazy things happen in the kitchen that aren't part of the plan. Like that time I dropped an entire gallon of milk on our kitchen floor when I was 10 and my mom had to clean milk out of the grout for weeks... still so sorry about that Mom! Other times little miracles can happen out of nowhere. This morning as I was flipping my eggs, a corner got stuck, and after some shimmying and a few curse words, I finally flipped them - into a perfect heart! I promise this was not on purpose and will probably never happen again, but I hope you all enjoy the TLC in this breakfast as much as I did!

Enjoy! xoxo

Ingredients:

- 1 small sweet potato, shredded

- 1 apple, chopped (I used a honey crisp from Siena Farm) - reserve a few slices for decoration

- 1 clove garlic, chopped

- Sea salt, pepper, & cinnamon

- Two eggs

- Coconut oil

1. Heat a spoonful of coconut oil in a pan

2. Shred your sweet potato (I used a cheese grater, but you can also use your food processor with the shredding attachment)

3. Add the shredded sweet potato and chopped garlic to the pan with your hot coconut oil (love the sizzle!)

4. Sprinkle some sea salt, pepper, and cinnamon over the potato/garlic mixture

5. Stir every couple of minutes and let the sweet potato dry out and cook for 10-15 min until slightly brown

6. Add in the chopped apple and let cook another 5-10 minutes stirring regularly

7. In a separate pan, add a little coconut oil and crack your two eggs

8. When the whites harden up (3-4 min), flip the eggs. Let cook for 1 more minute and you are ready to eat!