i found a package of pork ribs in the freezer the other day and instantly had visions of sticky ribs slathered in BBQ sauce, slow cooked until they fall apart.
but BBQ sauce has gluten! and sugar! and sometimes soy! so i was forced to improvise.
the ingredients
(add to taste, i never measure)
pork ribs (we have boneless because my husband prefers them, but you could use bone-in)
chili powder
garlic powder
red pepper (cayenne) flakes or ground cayenne
paprika
salt
pepper
ground mustard
the method
heat oven to 350
mix the spices in a small bowl. be sure to taste them to ensure you have a good mix.
rub spices over both sides of the ribs- coat 'em good!
heat a dutch oven (or other oven-proof pan) on the stove. get it good and hot. you can add some cooking oil here, but its not necessary. the ribs have plenty of fat to keep from sticking.
sear ribs, 2-3 minutes on each side.
pour 1/2 cup of water into dutch oven and cover tightly.
bake in oven for 1-2 hours, until fork tender (i had 1.5lbs and did 1.75 hrs). be sure to look in on them once in awhile to ensure there's still liquid in the pot. if not, add another 1/4-1/2 cup of water.
remove from oven; commence noms!
the notes
this recipe can easily be adapted to the stovetop. once you've seared the meat, add the water, turn the heat to low and simmer for about the same amount of time. alternately, if you want to skip the stovetop part altogether? wrap the seasoned ribs in foil, adding a little water to the packet and closing tightly. bone-in ribs will require more cooking time.
i served this with some ratatouille i made over the summer, and made a side of pasta for my husband.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Thursday, January 13, 2011
paleo recipe: ratatouille
this makes a ton of ratatouille and the recipe could easily be halved. i made this over the summer with tomatoes and squash from my CSA and froze it in half gallon bags. i used fresh tomatoes, but you could easily substitute diced or whole canned tomatoes (no sugar added!!).
i never measure spices when i cook, so add to taste :)
the ingredients
3 medium summer squash
3 medium zucchini
2 medium onions (i love onion, YMMV)
fresh garlic, peeled and chopped, to taste (i used 8 cloves cause i LOVE garlic)
2 green bell pepper
olive oil
tomatoes (i think i used 10 large ones)
chili powder
oregano
rosemary
thyme
paprika
salt, to taste (sea salt grinder is awesome here)
pepper, to taste (ditto, fresh ground)
the method
heat the oil in a skillet and add the onion, summer squash, peppers, zucchini, and garlic. depending on the size of your skillet, you might have to do these in shifts.
saute until just tender and the onions are somewhat translucent.
throw all of the sauteed items in a big pot (trust me here, BIG), and add, tomatoes, spices, salt and pepper. simmer until desired consistency. the veggies make a lot of "broth" as they break down, and i like to reduce the mix until most of the juice is gone.
the notes
you can get creative here with the veggies and the spices. in the past i've added whatever random veggies i had in the fridge that were about to go bad and used more traditional italian-style spices instead of the mediterranean flair i've got here. this is excellent over any kind of meat, spaghetti squash (or pasta, for you grain eaters out there), or just in a bowl by itself. also, consider freezing the extras in freezer bags instead of containers. lay the filled bags on a cookie sheet and allow them to freeze. then you have "stackable" leftovers and more room in your freezer!!
i never measure spices when i cook, so add to taste :)
the ingredients
3 medium summer squash
3 medium zucchini
2 medium onions (i love onion, YMMV)
fresh garlic, peeled and chopped, to taste (i used 8 cloves cause i LOVE garlic)
2 green bell pepper
olive oil
tomatoes (i think i used 10 large ones)
chili powder
oregano
rosemary
thyme
paprika
salt, to taste (sea salt grinder is awesome here)
pepper, to taste (ditto, fresh ground)
the method
heat the oil in a skillet and add the onion, summer squash, peppers, zucchini, and garlic. depending on the size of your skillet, you might have to do these in shifts.
saute until just tender and the onions are somewhat translucent.
throw all of the sauteed items in a big pot (trust me here, BIG), and add, tomatoes, spices, salt and pepper. simmer until desired consistency. the veggies make a lot of "broth" as they break down, and i like to reduce the mix until most of the juice is gone.
the notes
you can get creative here with the veggies and the spices. in the past i've added whatever random veggies i had in the fridge that were about to go bad and used more traditional italian-style spices instead of the mediterranean flair i've got here. this is excellent over any kind of meat, spaghetti squash (or pasta, for you grain eaters out there), or just in a bowl by itself. also, consider freezing the extras in freezer bags instead of containers. lay the filled bags on a cookie sheet and allow them to freeze. then you have "stackable" leftovers and more room in your freezer!!
Monday, January 10, 2011
paleo recipes: "spaghetti" and chicken sausage
my husband and i love us some pasta. but as part of the 30-day challenge, i had to give it up. turns out, giving up grains is slightly easier for me since i also happen to love veggies. the other day, dreaming of tomato sauce, i remembered something i made back in the day (on weight watchers!). of course, WW didn't approve the use of high fat sausage, so i probably subbed it with some sub-par veggie crumbles or something. not this time!
its not a replacement for pasta, but spaghetti squash makes a good base for a variety of things that you used to use grains for. this recipe looks intense, but only had about 20 minutes of hands on time.
the ingredients:
spaghetti squash
EVOO
chicken sausage
tomato sauce (i used Cento brand, all natural, no sugar!)
the method:
preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
using a (big! sharp!) knife, cut the squash in half. if the knife gets stuck, bang the whole thing on the counter a few times until it comes loose again.
coat the squash with EVOO and place on a shallow roasting pan, cut side down.
bake for 40-60 minutes, depending on size of squash.
when you have about 20 minutes of cook time left for the squash:
cut chicken sausage into bite size pieces (this is easier if you freeze the sausage for an hour prior, but its not necessary to do so).
cook the chicken sausage in a skillet until browned. or, if you're me, until the outsides get slightly burned. i like it that way.
heat up your tomato sauce.
(if you're cooking for a non-paleo partner, start water for pasta and chicken for chicken parm)
when the squash is done, shred from end to end with a fork to make "spaghetti".
plate the squash, sausage and pour tomato sauce on top.
commence noms.
the notes:
its probably likely that you bought what looks like a huge squash. fear not! you can cook half at a time and store the uncooked half in the fridge! also, while the Cento sauce was good in a pinch, it lacked the delicious garlic flavor i prefer in a sauce, so next time i'll make my own.
its not a replacement for pasta, but spaghetti squash makes a good base for a variety of things that you used to use grains for. this recipe looks intense, but only had about 20 minutes of hands on time.
the ingredients:
spaghetti squash
EVOO
chicken sausage
tomato sauce (i used Cento brand, all natural, no sugar!)
the method:
preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
using a (big! sharp!) knife, cut the squash in half. if the knife gets stuck, bang the whole thing on the counter a few times until it comes loose again.
coat the squash with EVOO and place on a shallow roasting pan, cut side down.
bake for 40-60 minutes, depending on size of squash.
when you have about 20 minutes of cook time left for the squash:
cut chicken sausage into bite size pieces (this is easier if you freeze the sausage for an hour prior, but its not necessary to do so).
cook the chicken sausage in a skillet until browned. or, if you're me, until the outsides get slightly burned. i like it that way.
heat up your tomato sauce.
(if you're cooking for a non-paleo partner, start water for pasta and chicken for chicken parm)
when the squash is done, shred from end to end with a fork to make "spaghetti".
plate the squash, sausage and pour tomato sauce on top.
commence noms.
the notes:
its probably likely that you bought what looks like a huge squash. fear not! you can cook half at a time and store the uncooked half in the fridge! also, while the Cento sauce was good in a pinch, it lacked the delicious garlic flavor i prefer in a sauce, so next time i'll make my own.
paleo recipes: almond seared chicken and roasted butternut squash
last week i was craving some crispy, breaded chicken. in fact, i spent most of my afternoon lamenting how i couldn't have it and oh my god i was going to miss it and wah wah (sad trumpet). until i realized something:
they make almond flour. i can eat almonds! so after work i happily headed off to Wegmans where i located the almond flour in the organic section, felt raped when i paid 10 dollars for a pound of it, and then set off for home intent on cooking an awesome meal.
i crusted the chicken, seared it up in a pan with oil and hoped for the best. i plated it and fed it to my husband who said "it's not my favorite, but i'd eat it again" (pretty much a ringing endorsement for anything he finds "healthy"), so i guess its a keeper.
the ingredients: (note: i am not much of a measurer, so YMMV)
chicken breasts (about 3/4 lb)
1-2 eggs, beaten
almond flour
extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), or other cooking fat
the method:
rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry.
beat the eggs in a small bowl, and pour some almond flour onto a plate.
coat chicken with egg and press into almond flour to coat (the almond flour will likely cake in spots, don't be too worried about consistent coverage).
heat up your skillet and pour in the EVOO to coat the bottom.
sear chicken on each side for 4 minutes, or until the coating begins to brown.
plate and serve.
the notes:
next time i make this, i'll do a few things differently: pound the chicken breasts a little flatter. prior to searing the chicken, i'd saute some mushrooms and onions to put on top of the finished product and deglaze the pan with an approved broth/stock.
i served this with a side of roasted butternut squash (peel, cube, mix with EVOO, salt, pepper, garlic; oven for 30 mins at 350; stir partway through) and steamed broccoli. for the husband i made up some mashed potatoes (he's not interested in paleo).
as always, this made enough for two dinners, and my lunch for the next day.
they make almond flour. i can eat almonds! so after work i happily headed off to Wegmans where i located the almond flour in the organic section, felt raped when i paid 10 dollars for a pound of it, and then set off for home intent on cooking an awesome meal.
i crusted the chicken, seared it up in a pan with oil and hoped for the best. i plated it and fed it to my husband who said "it's not my favorite, but i'd eat it again" (pretty much a ringing endorsement for anything he finds "healthy"), so i guess its a keeper.
the ingredients: (note: i am not much of a measurer, so YMMV)
chicken breasts (about 3/4 lb)
1-2 eggs, beaten
almond flour
extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), or other cooking fat
the method:
rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry.
beat the eggs in a small bowl, and pour some almond flour onto a plate.
coat chicken with egg and press into almond flour to coat (the almond flour will likely cake in spots, don't be too worried about consistent coverage).
heat up your skillet and pour in the EVOO to coat the bottom.
sear chicken on each side for 4 minutes, or until the coating begins to brown.
plate and serve.
the notes:
next time i make this, i'll do a few things differently: pound the chicken breasts a little flatter. prior to searing the chicken, i'd saute some mushrooms and onions to put on top of the finished product and deglaze the pan with an approved broth/stock.
i served this with a side of roasted butternut squash (peel, cube, mix with EVOO, salt, pepper, garlic; oven for 30 mins at 350; stir partway through) and steamed broccoli. for the husband i made up some mashed potatoes (he's not interested in paleo).
as always, this made enough for two dinners, and my lunch for the next day.
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