Tag: paleo

Chile Dusted Summer Fruit

Categories Recipes1 Comment on Chile Dusted Summer Fruit

This week’s recipe is not so much a recipe as a suggestion. After a tiring but great vacation, I just couldn’t bring myself to focus on the menu for last week – or on making something interesting and/or tasty enough to share with you guys. I made a bunch of thrown-together meals that were really simple and light- nothing terribly inspiring or particularly out of the box.

I still have a wicked fruit craving going on (it’s all I’ve wanted to eat the past 3 weeks) and am happy to say I’ve finally started branching out from the standard fruit in a bowl with nothing on it except for salt on melons. It turns out there *is* enough fruit existing in the summer that I *can* do something different and I won’t miss out. A good lesson to learn in one’s 30s.

This week, I experimented with chili powder + salt on a little mixed fruit salad and it was fan-freakin-tastic. And dead easy. Just sprinkle the spices and go. For a cup of fruit, I used 1/2 – 1 tsp. of chili powder and a liberal sprinkle (or two) of kosher salt.

Also fantastic: aged balsamic vinegar & cracked black pepper on fresh strawberries, mint on any fruit, cucumbers mixed in your fruit bowl, the possibility of basil making an appearance, and lime juice on pretty much all fruits.

The tomato harvest had better hurry up, lest I eat nothing but sweet fruit this season.

 

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Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of June 16 – 20

Categories Paleo On A Budget5 Comments on Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of June 16 – 20

Paleo-On-A-Budget-Header

A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

—

The CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program I have joined runs through October, so I will be doing things a little differently with the vegetable portion of my meal planning for the next few months. My veggie-only share averages out to $25 a week, which will come off the top of my budget allotment and will comprise the bulk of my non-smoothie-related vegetable purchases. To see what I’ve been up to with my CSA shares, check out the posts labeled ‘What To Do With A Box Of Vegetables‘.

—

Last Week (Week of June 9-13)

The Plan vs. Reality

Monday

  • The Plan – Quick-pick meat from the grocery + CSA veggies
  • Reality – I grabbed some bbq spice rubbed chicken breasts and the hubbs wanted something light, so I whipped up a chipotle/scallion/lettuce/arugula/cucumber/radish salad. Yum.

Tuesday

  • The Plan – Meatball subs with braised rapini
  • Reality – The rapini was on the salty side, but the dinner was a success. I had no roll, and it was still satisfying. The hubbs absolutely loved the meatballs.

Wednesday

  • The Plan – CSA day, so something quick – quick-pick meat from the grocery + asparagus salad
  • Reality – I grabbed a nice big sirloin steak from the grocery and we had that along with a mostly-raw salad of thin sliced asparagus, spring onion, balsamic vinegar and asiago cheese.

Thursday

  • The Plan – Chicken with chipotle BBQ sauce and braised turnips & radishes
  • Reality – Yum!

Friday

  • The Plan – Quick pick meat from the grocery + whatever looks most appealing in the crisper
  • Reality – a great plan.

Lunches

  • The Plan – Salads & leftovers
  • Reality – ALL THE SALADS – yum.

Extras

  • The Plan – Nothing planned but fresh fruit for dessert
  • Reality – And nothing made

 

This Week: June 16 – 20

This week is another vacation week, so I won’t be cooking for dinner (or shopping for groceries). We will pick this back up next week.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

  • Monday: Travel day – I do hope to grab some healthy snack options so I don’t eat craziness on the road
  • Tuesday: I’m hoping for pulled pork
  • Wednesday: Hopefully something delicious but not crazy
  • Thursday: Hopefully something delicious but not crazy
  • Friday: Hopefully something delicious but not crazy
  • Lunch: Hopefully something delicious but not crazy
  • Extras: I’m sure there will be

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, WF = Whole Foods, O = Optional if budget allows

Shopping List

None to speak of this week, though I intend to grab simple snacks – things like plain nuts, maybe some sort of fruit bowl, possibly a jerky, and I may make paleo banana/nut butter “muffins”

Total TJ: $0000
Total WF: $0000

Total For The Week: n/a

Pantry/items repurposed from last week: n/a. 

Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Sauce (paleo)

Categories Recipes2 Comments on Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Sauce (paleo)

This sauce started out as a request from my brother, who asked me to recreate the pizza sauce from his favorite pizza joint in the town he and his wife just moved from. “It tastes kinda like the Chipotle sauce from Tabasco,” he said. And that’s about all I had to go on.

So I took to the kitchen and came up with a sauce that works well both as a BBQ sauce and a pizza sauce. And it’s good. Smoky, sticky, a little sweet, a little earthy, with a shot of tart – fantastic with chicken thighs and braised turnips/radishes and really good on a pizza. Hopefully this does the trick.

Paleo (check your labels and swap the brown sugar for maple syrup), and gluten-free (watch your labels)

For the record, I was going for "artfully messy plate" here, not "dropped schmutz all over the plate" :)
For the record, I was going for “artfully messy plate” here, not “dropped schmutz all over the plate” 🙂

Sweet & Smoky Chipotle Sauce

1/2 c. minced onion or shallot
1 clove minced garlic
2 tsp. ghee
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 chipotle in adobo, chopped
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos (if you’re not paleo or gluten-free, you can use soy sauce)
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar (the cheapie stuff is fine)
2 Tbsp. ketchup (check your labels!)
1 Tbsp. molasses
2 tsp. brown sugar (swap for maple syrup if paleo)
Kosher salt

In a small saucepan, heat the ghee over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic, hit with a big pinch of salt, and sautee until translucent.

Add the tomato paste and chipotle and sautee 30 seconds to a minute, mixing vigorously the whole time to combine evenly.

Add the coconut aminos and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer 1-2 minutes. Add the ketchup and molasses and stir to combine. Taste. Add the brown sugar/maple syrup if needed.

Let cool. Blend to break up the onion pieces if desired.

Makes about half a cup of sauce – enough for chicken + a pizza if needed. 

Paleo Pork Picadillo

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Picadillo is a Cuban dish that can be made a million different ways, but generally includes ground meat (generally beef), some sort of sweet something (raisins or dried apricots or both), tomatoes, and olives. To me, the combination is magical. The brine of the olives gets under my skin, leaving me craving more for days to come. Luckily, the other half of this household is olive-adverse, so more for me.

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole30-compliant

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Paleo Pork Picadillo

2c. chopped butternut squash
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 tsp. dried oregano, divided
1 lb. ground pork
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 bell pepper (any color)
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. capers
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
Hand full of golden raisins (or more, if you’re a raisin lover)
1/2 cup olives (or more, if you’re an olive lover)
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive juice
Kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 400. Dice the butternut squash and spread out on a cookie sheet. Toss with 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, 1 tsp. oregano and a few pinches salt. Bake 20-35 minutes, or until tender. You’ll want to turn the squash a few times during cooking to avoid burning.

Heat the other Tbsp. coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the pork and cook until browned, breaking up as you go along. Hit with a big sprinkle of salt.

While the pork is working, dice the onion, garlic and pepper. Add to the pan and sautee until the onion is translucent.

Add the second tsp. oregano, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon and capers plus another big pinch of salt. Sautee 1-2 minutes to let the spices bloom.

Add the diced tomatoes, raisins, olives, vinegar, and olive juice. Bring to a boil. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Drop the heat to a simmer and let go 5-10 minutes.

Serve the picadillo over the butternut squash.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch. 

 

Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of June 9-13

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Paleo-On-A-Budget-Header

A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

—

My CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share started this past week and runs through October, so I will be doing things a little differently with the vegetable portion of my meal planning for the next few months. My share averages out to $25 a week, which will come off the top of my budget allotment and will comprise the bulk of my non-smoothie-related vegetable purchases. More on the CSA later.

Last Week (Week of June 2-6)

The Plan vs. Reality

Monday

  • The Plan – “Noodle” salad with caramelized chicken and chili oil
  • Reality – I ended up making this on Friday, and it was pretty good. I served with just-wilted broccoli slaw and crunchy radishes and cucumber.

Tuesday

  • The Plan – Slow cooker Mexican beef with a side
  • Reality – Mexican beef has become one of my staple meals and it’s fantastic. I served with a great cauliflower mash.

Wednesday

  • The Plan – Leftover beef with some sort of side
  • Reality – I served tonight’s leftovers with snow peas stir-fried in sesame oil and a bed of lettuce. Kind of an East-meets-West sort of feel. I thought it worked, the hubbs was confused.

Thursday

  • The Plan – Leftover beef with some sort of side
  • Reality – I served leftover beef with baked artichokes and drawn butter. Decadent and yum.

Friday

  • The Plan – Paleo Pork Picadillo with butternut squash
  • Reality – Y-U-M. Recipe coming soon!

Lunches

  • The Plan – Apple dill chicken salad
  • Reality – Well, that didn’t happen. The dill was on its last leg, and my CSA box came, so I ended up making a lot of salads.

Extras

  • The Plan – Avocado + Dill Egg salad
  • Reality – Sooooooo good.

 

This Week: June 9-13

I have leftover CSA veggies this week and $75 to spend on groceries.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

  • Monday: Meatball “subs” with rapini
  • Tuesday: BBQ chicken with hot/sweet braised turnips & radishes
  • Wednesday: Steaks with shaved asparagus salad
  • Thursday: Meat + CSA veg
  • Friday: Meat + CSA veg
  • Lunch: CSA veg
  • Extras: None planned, though I’ve been craving fruit + nut butter for a week now

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, WF = Whole Foods, O = Optional if budget allows

Shopping List

Worcestershire sauce – $3 est – did not buy
Lawry’s Seasoning salt – $2 est – bought but forgot to keep the receipt
Chili powder – $2 est – did not buy
tea – $3 est – did not buy
sugar – $2 est – did not buy
Nut butter – $5 est – ($6.99 @ TJs)
Fruit – $5 est – (26 ounces of peaches – $3.49 @ TJs)
Nuts for snacks – $6 est – ($5.99 @ TJs)

1/2 lb. ground pork – $3 est – ($3.53 @ WF)
1/2 lb. ground beef – $3 est – ($5.64 @ WF)
1/2 lb. ground veal – $3 est – did not buy
Pecorino – $3 est – (pecorino/romano cheese blend $2.79 @ TJs)
Romano – $3 est – see above
Onion (2) – $2 est – ($1.58 @ TJs)
Tomato sauce – $1 est – ($1.49 @ TJs)
Basil – $3 est – ($2.69 @ TJs)
Mozzarella – $3 est – ($3.29 @ TJs)
Garlic – $1 est – ($1.29 @ TJs)
Steaks – $8 est – ($14.55 @ WF)
Meat – $8 est – (BBQ chicken breast – $4.75 @ WF)
Meat – $8 est – (pork sausage patties – $3.55 @ WF)

$77 est, minus smoothie supplies

2 bags kale – $5 est – ($4.58 @ TJs)
1 bag spinach – $2 est – ($1.99 @ TJs)
3 apples – $3 est – (I got 4 – $3.16 @ TJs)
3 avocados – $4 est – ($4.47 @ TJs)
5 limes – $5 est – (1 lb. bag – $2.49 @ TJs)
Coconut water – $4 est – ($3.69 @ TJs)
Orange juice – $3 est – ($2.99 @ TJs)
Cilantro – $2 est – ($1.79 @ TJs)

$26 est for smoothies

$103 estimated total

Extras: I forgot to add the chicken thighs for the planned BBQ chicken night – those were $6.26 @ WF. I also bought celery for smoothies ($2.29 @ TJs) and a fruit leather bar for me ($0.99 @ TJs).

Total TJ: $58.04
Total WF: $38.53

Total For The Week: $96.57; $21.57 over budget. Oops. I completely dropped the ball this week and forgot that I only had $75 to spend. On the plus side, next week is another vacation week so I won’t be spending my grocery allotment on anything but road snacks.

Pantry/items repurposed from last week: fats, spices, CSA veggies. 

Avocado + Dill Egg Salad (Paleo)

Categories Recipes1 Comment on Avocado + Dill Egg Salad (Paleo)

This, my friends, is a revelation. I’ve been crushing hard on avocados for months now, and adding them to eggs for a quickie egg salad snack was like a freaking thunderbolt out of the sky. Ridiculously delicious.

I ate inhaled this snack? lunch? heavenlygoodness? in a matter of seconds with nary a thought as to a proper serving vessel. But, if you’re not so inclined, some form of paleo cracker would do nicely – or mash up finer and stuff into egg whites for extra-delicious deviled eggs. Or just eat plain.

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole30-compliant.

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Avocado + Dill Egg Salad

1/2 avocado
2 hard boiled eggs
1 Tbsp. fresh dill
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Dusseldorf style mustard (or your favorite mustard)
big pinch kosher salt

Peel your eggs and chop or run through an egg slicer twice to get a nice fine dice. Add to a small bowl, along with the avocado, vinegar, mustard and salt. Chop the dill fine and add. Mash everything together with a fork or other mashing apparatus until you like the consistency. Enjoy.

Serves 1 – I suppose this can serve 2 if you’re not a glutton, but for me there is a zero point zero chance I’m sharing something this delicious. Or leaving any in the bowl.  

Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of June 2 – 6

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Paleo-On-A-Budget-Header

A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

Last Week (Week of May 26 – 30)

The Plan vs. Reality

Monday

  • The Plan – Road snacks on the drive back from vacation. Hopefully nothing too terrible.
  • Reality – We did pretty well here. I had unsalted mixed nuts and some fairly healthy jerky to snack on, and the choices we got from gas stations and travel plazas along the way were actually not that bad – a cheese cube & cured meat cup for the hubbs and fresh cut fruit for me. Go, good gas stations.

Tuesday

  • The Plan – ?????
  • Reality – We stopped for a bite on the way to grocery shopping.

Wednesday

  • The Plan – Something from the grocery store – menu planning on the fly
  • Reality – I picked up some pre-marinated adobo chicken from Trader Joe’s and broccolini. Dinner was decent.

Thursday

  • The Plan – Something from the grocery store – menu planning on the fly
  • Reality – I picked up pork chops, leeks and peas and made a nice little simple dinner with them.

Friday

  • The Plan – Something from the grocery store – menu planning on the fly
  • Reality – I bought my favorite standby – burgers and sweet potato fries – but we ended up going out before grocery shopping for next week.

Lunches

  • The Plan – Something from the grocery store – menu planning on the fly
  • Reality – I grabbed my favorite Cruciferous Crunch mix from TJ’s, plus pre-cooked chicken and strawberries and had variations of that all week. Yum.

Extras

  • The Plan – Strawberries
  • Reality – My nightly snack was balsamic and black pepper strawberries a few nights and man, were they good.

 

This Week: June 2 – 6

Whoo hoo – we get a “normal” week again. Back to the big meat for 3 nights + 2 extra nights formula.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

  • Monday: “Noodle” salad with caramelized chicken and chili oil
  • Tuesday: Shredded beef with some sort of side
  • Wednesday: Shredded beef with some sort of side
  • Thursday: Shredded beef with some sort of side
  • Friday: Picadillo with Spanish yellow butternut squash or cauli rice
  • Lunch: Apple dill chicken salad
  • Extras: None planned

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, WF = Whole Foods, O = Optional if budget allows

This week, I have my full budget for groceries.

Shopping List

2 bags kale – $5 est – ($2.29 x 2 @ TJ)
1 bag spinach – $2 est – ($1.99 @ TJ)
Cilantro – $2 est – ($1.79 @ TJ)
Scallions – $1 est – ($1.29 @ TJ)
Celery – $2 est – Did not buy. I remembered having extras at the house.
Cucumber – $1 est – ($2.49 @ TJ)
Zucchini or other noodle – $2 est  – (subbed for broccoli slaw: $1.99 @ TJ)
Butternut Squash or Cauliflower – $3 est – (butternut squash: $2.29 @ TJ)
3 sides – $9 est  – (Side 1: Artichokes $2.99 @ TJ), (Side 2: Sugar snap peas $2.99 @ TJ), (Side 3: Cauliflower mash $2.49 @ TJ)
5 apples – $4 est – (2 lb. bag: $2.99 @ TJ)
Apple – $1 est – (I swear I bought this, but I’m not seeing it on the receipt)
5 limes – $3 est – The great lime shortage of ’14 has hit Trader Joe’s. Not a lime in sight this week.
Onions (2) – $2 est – ($1.58 @ TJ)
Red pepper – $1 est – ($1.19 @ TJ)
Ginger – $2 est – ($1.39 @ TJ)
3 avocados – $3 est – ($4.47 @ TJ)
Green olives – $2 est – ($2.29 @ TJ)
1 coconut water – $4 est – ($3.69 @ TJ)
Coconut Milk – $1 est – ($0.99 @ TJ)
Tomato Paste – $1 est – ($0.89 @ TJ)
2 cans diced tomatoes – $2 est – ($1.69 x2 @ TJ)
Capers – $2 est – ($2.69 @ TJ)
Chicken  – $7 est – ($4.89 @ WF)
Big Chuck Roast – $30 est – ($21.31 @ WF)
Ground Meat – $7 est – (ground pork: $7.99 @ WF)
Coffee – $10 est – ($5.38 @ WF)

$99 estimated total (minus coffee)

Extras: I had hoped for some fruit, but nothing was looking great this week. Bummer.

Total TJ: $50.44
Total WF: $39.57

Total For The Week: $90.01; $9.99 under budget. Whoo hoo! I ended up having enough in the budget to buy my coffee, plus kick a little toward my hubby’s beer allowance for the week. Score.

Pantry/items repurposed from last week: fats, spices, celery for the smoothies. 

Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of May 26 – 30

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Paleo-On-A-Budget-Header

A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

Last Week (Week of May 19 – 23)

The Plan vs. Reality

This week we were on vacation. We brought our Vitamix with every intention of making breakfast smoothies … and then didn’t make it to the grocery store. So, that didn’t happen and our amount spent on actual groceries was $0.

 

This Week: May 26 – 30

After coming back from vacation, orderly and budget-regimented grocery shopping was the last thing on our minds. I didn’t plan a menu for this week and we spent under our budgeted allowance. How much under, I can’t remember.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

  • Monday: Road junk driving back from vacation
  • Tuesday: Ate out before grocery shopping
  • Wednesday: Adobo chicken with broccolini
  • Thursday: Pork chops with peas and leeks
  • Friday: Burgers with sweet potato fries
  • Lunch: Cruciferous crunch and chicken
  • Extras: Strawberries

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, WF = Whole Foods, O = Optional if budget allows

We’ll see this feature again next week.

Shopping List – 1 week of smoothies

No real grocery store plan for this week. I picked up smoothie supplies and staples for quick and easy meals.

I spent under my budget allotment, but no idea how far under since I forgot to save the receipt.

Vietnamese Pork Bowl

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This simple bowl takes humble leftover pulled pork and quickly transforms it into a sticky/sweet/tangy Vietnamese-inspired dinner bowl that’s simple to prepare and on the table lightning-fast. This dish isn’t strictly paleo as written – the Ketjap Manis features both sugar and soy sauce – which is easily remedied by using coconut aminos + an additional dash of honey. The sugar can also be omitted in the pickle if needed. This dish is, however, delicious.

Paleo with substitutions, Gluten-free with label policing

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Vietnamese Pork Bowl

1 medium carrot
2-3 radishes or 1-2 inches daikon
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Liberal pinch salt
Liberal pinch sugar (omit for paleo)
Leftover pulled pork (or fresh pork; whatever you have)
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. Red Boat fish sauce
Small shallot
2 large cloves garlic
2 big pinches Kosher salt
Few grinds black pepper
2 tsp. ketjap manis (swap for coconut aminos + a dash of honey for paleo)
1 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. sriracha (check your labels!)
1-2 jalapenos
Hand full cilantro
Extra lime juice
Broccoli slaw

First, make a quick pickle. Dice the carrot and radish and place in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, sugar and a liberal pinch of salt to a boil. Pour over the carrot & radish and let sit half an hour (or up to overnight) to pickle.

Now go about your business.

The pork portion of this recipe can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 8+ hours, depending upon what type of meat you use and whether you want to marinate it or not. I used leftover pulled pork and did not marinate. If you are using fresh, marinating might be nice, but it is optional. Either way, make your sauce.

In a separate small bowl, combine the sesame oil, fish sauce, shallot (minced), garlic (minced), salt (2 big pinches), pepper, ketjap manis (or substitution), honey, lime juice and sriracha. Stir to combine. Marinate your pork or not.

Bring a large pan up to temperature over medium-high heat. Add the pork. If coming straight from the fridge, some pork fat is a great addition here. Heat through. Pour the sauce over top and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until the sauce gets sticky and reduces a bit.

While the pork is working, add broccoli slaw to a bowl (a couple hand fulls per bowl is perfect). Top with the pork when ready. Add the quick pickled veggies (drain first). Dice the jalapeno and cilantro and add to the top. Squeeze some extra lime as a topper and maybe a drizzle of sriracha if you’re feeling saucy. Enjoy.

Serves 2-4, depending upon how much pickle you have, how much pork you use and how much broccoli slaw you serve. I used 10-12 ounces pork, and 1/3 of a bag of broccoli slaw per serving and had enough for two for dinner with leftover broccoli slaw. 

 

‘Summer Is Almost Here’ Strawberry Mint Salsa

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As this hard won Spring starts its slow inexorable crawl toward Summer’s temperature indulgences, I’m happy to see fresh red pops of color starting to populate the produce section. This season’s first strawberries – check. Early tomatoes – check. Salsa craving in high gear – check.

This salsa is bright, refreshing, and was perfect perched on top of a simple salad loaded with cruciferous greens and simple pulled pork (omit, of course, if serving vegetarians or vegans). A winner in my book.

Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, paleo and Whole30 compliant

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‘Summer Is Almost Here’ Strawberry Mint Salsa

2 large strawberries
Half a shallot
3 leaves fresh mint
Juice of 1 lime
2 big pinches salt

Dice the strawberries and add to a small bowl. Mince the shallot (you’re looking for about 2 Tablespoons) and add to the bowl. Roll your mint leaves up into a little tube and chiffonade (cut into ribbons). Add to the salsa bowl. Sprinkle with 2 big pinches of salt and top with lime juice. Toss well to combine.

Serve with sliced cherry tomatoes, pulled pork and a glug of grapeseed oil over a bed of Cruciferous Crunch (kale + brussels + red cabbage + green cabbage salad mix sold at Trader Joe’s) for a tasty and healthy lunch.

Serves 1 for lunch. Can be easily scaled up and served in a myriad of ways – I’m thinking it would be especially nice over a light protein (chicken or fish) and would make a fine dip for plantain chips in place of standard red fruit salsa.