Skillet Breakfast

I've never been much of a breakfast person, my whole life I have pretty much been content with just eating a banana and some yogurt to start my day.  Then I met the boy and everything changed.  This man is SERIOUS about his breakfast, to the extent that he starts asking what I’m making the coming weekend on Wednesday.  The first thing I am greeted with on Saturday morning is not “Good Morning my lovely wife” it’s more like “So um, what’s for breakfast?”  More times than not it’s usually just eggs and toast for him and some sort of omelet or frittata for me.  But one of his favorite things is skillets; deep fried hash browns, sausage, runny eggs and cheese is the sort of thing that is right up is alley.  So when I saw this pop up on my reader the other day I knew it had to be made, and finally I could join in eating it!

I made a couple changes to the original just so I could use what I had on hand, and I encourage you to do the same.  After all, recipes should be the starting point for making things your own.  I can’t wait to try this with some caramelized red onions or chorizo or even bacon.  The possibilities are only as big as your imagination so have fun with it.  Either way when you fry up sweet potatoes in any kind of pork fat the end result is going to be amazing!

Skillet Breakfast

Serves 2 really hungry people

1 tablespoon oil (coconut, grapeseed, etc)

1 lb breakfast sausage
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 eggs
Fresh grated cheddar cheese
Handful of fresh chopped parsley
Hot Sauce (and as you well know, I highly recommend Sriracha)
In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat.  Add the sausage and break into pieces until browned and caramelized.  Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and reserve for later.

Toss the diced sweet potatoes into all that yummy sausage grease and season with salt and pepper, add a little chili powder if you’re feeling adventurous.  Cook until potatoes are fork tender.  Be careful not to burn the potatoes before they become tender, if need be cover the skillet with a lid and allow to steam for about 3 minutes.

Add the sausage back to the pan and combine well.  Make four little wells in the pan for the eggs.  Crack each egg into the wells and season with salt and pepper.  Cover with a lid and cook until the tops of the yolks are just set, about 3 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and top with fresh grated cheddar cheese and fresh chopped parsley.  Give each person 2 eggs, a spoonful of potatoes and sausage and douse the entire thing with hot sauce.  Enjoy!

Fagioli con Salsicce (Beans with Sausage) Soup

This time of year is usually perfect for soups and stews, however lately here in the sunshine state the weather has been more like burgers and salads!  With highs ranging in the upper 70’s and low’s hanging around the mid 50’s I've felt more like barbecuing then soup making.  So for my friends and family in the North, this one is for you!

Depending on what side of the Primal fence you’re on, you may or may not occasionally indulge in legumes.  MDA has offered their opinion on the matter and I too believe an occasional indulgence is just fine.  Plus, in my opinion, they provide a texture and thickness to the soup that you just can’t achieve without them.

This is probably my hands down favorite soup recipe, this one is a close second, but when it comes to something hearty and full of flavor it simply can’t be beat.  Sweet Italian sausage, tender cannelloni beans, fresh rosemary and a ton of garlic make this dish packed with flavor and pure comfort.  Carb lovers can boil up some ditalini pasta and serve alongside with some crusty bread but I prefer mine topped with fresh grated parmesan and a good glug of extra virgin olive oil.

Fagioli con Salsicce (Beans with Sausage) Soup
Serves 4-6

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
4 cups homemade chicken stock
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons sherry (optional)

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy bottomed pot.  Add the sausage and sauté, breaking apart into small pieces until browned.  Remove sausage from the pan and reserve for later. 

Add the last tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and toss in the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Create a little space in the center of the pan and add in the tomato paste, allow to cook for about 3 minutes or until caramelized.  Add in the garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant. 

Return the sausage to the pot and add the chicken stock, tomatoes, sherry (optional), bay leaves and beans to the pot. If you like a thicker soup, add one can of beans to the pot and crush the other with your hands into a paste.  The crushed beans will help make the soup thicker and give it a more creamy texture.  Reduce heat to low, partially cover and allow to cook for 20 – 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and adjust the seasoning with salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Serve in a large bowl topped with fresh parsley, parmesan cheese and a glug of good olive oil.

Meatballs and Tomato Sauce

Hello there strangers!  To say it’s been a while would be an understatement.  These past 2 months have been quite the ride; with extreme highs and devastating lows.  But I can say that it has made my relationship with my new husband more loving and stronger then I knew possible.  Both sides of our families have had to deal with tragedy and sickness as well as a number of our close friends; however our most devastating time came earlier this month when we had to make the decision to lay our 12 year old Boston Terrier Boomer to rest.  He became ill around Thanksgiving and his condition only worsened.  Any pet owner can tell you how hard it is to lose an animal, but those of us without our own children feel like we’ve lost a son or daughter.  I take comfort in knowing his spirit is always with us and I look forward to turning on my computer every morning just so I can see his smiling face.  Rest in peace Boomer boy…

Now on to the food part of the blog, which is why you are all here to begin with right?  I’ve featured meatballs on here before and they prove to be one of my most searched recipes to date.  But dare I say these are even better.  Made with a mix of ground chuck, pork and sweet Italian sausage, they are full of flavor yet still surprisingly light.  I like to throw on a pot of my favorite tomato sauce before I begin making these so that by the time the meatballs are done baking the sauce has simmered long enough to develop its flavor.  I then marry the two and let it simmer, covered, in a heavy pot all afternoon.  The meatballs then become even more tender and the sauce turns into something almost magical.

I brought these to a New Year’s pot luck served with grated parmesan and fresh chopped parsley with a side of rolls for the carb lovers…the idea, mini meatball sliders.  They were an instant hit and no one could believe they were Primal.  And for us non-grain eaters, just pop a toothpick in each one and dive in.  Trust me, they’re amazing!

Meatballs and Tomato Sauce

Makes 3 dozen

To make the sauce
1 28oz can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 onion, peeled and chopped in half
4 tablespoons of butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Add the tomatoes, onion and butter to a large heavy bottomed pot and simmer, covered, for at least 30 minutes.  Discard onion, salt and pepper to taste.  You can also add fresh chopped oregano or basil to finish.

To make the meatballs
1 lb ground chuck
½ lb ground pork
½ lb sweet Italian sausage
3 cloves minced garlic
2 eggs
3 handfuls of pecan meal (around 2 cups)
Fresh chopped parsley and oregano, about 2 tablespoons of each
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

I prefer to make these in my mixer but they can also be done by hand.  Preheat your oven to 350.  Add the meat, garlic, eggs, herbs, and seasoning to a large bowl.  Mix gently and then slowly add one handful of pecan meal to the mix at a time.  The idea here is to only add as much pecan meal as you need to make the mixture hold together.  If using a mixer, when the meat begins to cling to the paddle you’ve added enough.  Be careful not to over mix.  In the end you will end up using anywhere from 1 ½ cup to 2 cups of pecan meal.

Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and place a cooling rack on each.  Lightly spray each of the cooling racks with cooking spray so the meatballs don’t stick.  Form the meatball mixture into uniform 1 inch balls (a cookie scoop is great for this) and place onto the greased cooling racks.  Pop the racks into the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Transfer the meatballs to the pot with the sauce making sure the sauce covers them completely.  Depending on how large or small you make your meatballs you may have some left over.  If that’s the case you can either add another can of crushed tomatoes to the pot or, if you’re like me, freeze them individually on a baking sheet and save them for later.

Serve these on top of shredded zucchini pasta or just eat them alongside a hearty green salad.  Carb lovers can toss them with spaghetti or turn them into sliders or hoagies.  Either way this is sure to be a dish all diets can enjoy.

Zucchini Lasagna

You know that feeling you get when you have too much to do and not enough time to do it? This has been my mantra lately. The boy and I always seem to have a jam packed schedule, and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but lately things seem much more frazzled then normal. We approached the 6 month mark last week, and for those of you who follow this blog know, that means in less then 6 months the boy and I say I do. The flights have been booked, the 4x4 has been reserved and the itinerary is in its final stages of planning. We’re skipping the traditional route of registering for gifts, cause in all honesty, what in the world do you get two 30 something’s that already own more crap then they need? So we opted for this route, a little more original and a lot more fun!

I’ve been cooking, but as the boy so kindly reminded me, not as much as he would like. Between work, planning a wedding, much needed exercise and the attempt of a social life there are just not enough hours in the day. So sometimes, you just have to make time.

And that’s just what I did. Instead of running home after work and stressing about what to make and how fast I can make it, I remembered why I like to cook in the first place. It’s about balance for me, checking out of ‘life’ and doing something creative and cathartic. For me there are few things better then throwing on some really good jazz, strapping on that pink apron and just digging in with my hands to make something from the heart for the ones I love.

This isn’t a 30 minute meal by any means, in fact if you can get it done in an hour and half I would be impressed, but it’s so worth it. Just spending some alone time in the kitchen, regaining your balance and doing something you’re passionate about. Plus the end result is pretty darn amazing!

Zucchini Lasagna
Serves 8

The hardest part of the Primal diet is creating the comfort food dishes you love without the starch or sugar. This recipe uses strips of zucchini in place of noodles and I promise you, very few would ever know the difference. Eggplant could also be used and pasta lovers can use those handy no bake pasta squares or boil up a box of traditional lasagna noodles. This is very versatile recipe so make it your own!

1 lb organic sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 28oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ¼” strips
1 box of frozen spinach, thawed and drained (optional)
1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
1 ½ cups fresh mozzarella, grated
¼ cup fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 4oz log of goat cheese (optional)

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the Italian sausage. Using the back of a wooden spoon, break the sausage up into small pieces. When the sausage is about half way through cooking, add in the onion and garlic. Continue sautéing until the onions are translucent and the sausage is nice and golden brown. Add the tomatoes and any herbs of your choice. My garden is currently overflowing so I added fresh thyme, oregano, basil and Italian parsley (1 tablespoon of each). Lower the heat to a simmer, season to taste with salt and pepper, and pop on the lid. Allow the sauce to cook while you prep your remaining ingredients, about 20 minutes.

Using a mandoline, or a very sharp chef’s knife, remove the ends from each zucchini and cut lengthwise into ¼” strips. Place the strips on a paper towel lined baking sheet to remove any excess moisture.

I listed frozen spinach above but I had a bag of baby spinach nearing the end of its days in my fridge, so I wilted it down with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and fresh nutmeg. Whether you’re using fresh or frozen spinach, make sure that it is drained of any excess moisture. Combine the ricotta cheese and the spinach together in a large bowl and mix well.

Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish, or two 9x9 pans, if you plan to freeze one for later. Spread a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the pan (just enough to coat) then layer the zucchini across the bottom, cutting to size if needed. Spread a layer of the ricotta / spinach mixture on top of the strips then top with more sauce. Sprinkle a hand full of mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce and top with another layer of zucchini. I like to alternate my strips on each layer. If I start with vertical strips on the bottom, my next layer will be horizontal and so on. I like to think it holds together much better. Repeat the process; zucchini strips, ricotta / spinach mixture, sauce, mozzarella two more times. After you’ve topped your last layer with the remaining strips, pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the dish and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Crumble goat cheese over top, garnish with parsley and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in a 375º oven for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, remove the foil and crank your oven to broil to get the top all nice and crispy. Make sure you’re watching cause it will brown in no time, typically around 3-5 minutes.

Serve alongside a nice hearty green salad and carb lovers please…soak up all that juicy goodness with some crusty bread so I can live vicariously through you!

Side Note: Leftovers are even better the next day! Like with most soups, the flavors have time to come together and the whole dish seems to develop a much thicker consistency. Enjoy!!

Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin and Peppers

Last week was exhausting! Each night was spent doing something and it seems like ever since Monday of last week we’ve been running. The boy and I had enough and whisked ourselves away for the weekend to the east coast for a little R&R on Melbourne beach. Sun, surf and ice cold beer were just what the doctor ordered. However as with all vacations, as wonderful as they are there, there was too little exercise and far too much fried food. So I’m back in healthy mode trying to burn off one too many beers and one too many french fries before the next time I have to get in my bathing suit!

This recipe for Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin is fast, delicious and will get you feeling like you’re finally putting something with some sort of nutritional value back into your system. Serve this atop some Cauli-Rice and with a hearty green salad and you can be back on track eating healthful, flavorful meals in no time.

Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin and Peppers
Serves 4

1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat a sliced into 1 inch rounds
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
1 yellow bell pepper sliced into strips
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the pork with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the preheated pan and then add the pork. Try not to put the pieces too close together so that they cook evenly. Let the pork cook untouched for 5 minutes, reduce the heat to medium low and turn the pork rounds over. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of rosemary, bell pepper slices, chopped garlic and balsamic vinegar. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until the peppers are fork tender and the pork is done.

Serve with some Cauli-Rice or if you’re a starch eater some smashed potatoes with a big green salad.

* Left over tip: slice left over pork into thin strips and add with remaining bell peppers to a salad for a quick, healthful lunch.

Meat-Za!

As I mentioned before the boy and I have been transitioning over to a new eating routine*, cutting out the refined sugars and complex carbohydrates and eating more organic meats and produce. The end result has me feeling better then I literally have in years and bonus, I've shaved off 7 unnecessary pounds of fat and 2 inches off my waistline. Not to mention when you’re eating organic / local you can also feel good about doing something better for the planet ;)

My main challenge has been to find meals that are not only healthy and delicious but balanced as well. So that the vegetables are the star of the plate and the protein is more of an accompaniment. Plus it has to be something that Grant will actually eat! What has resulted is some of the most delicious dinners I have had in recent memory. Full of flavor, quick and the best part healthy…it seems like a dream come true.

When my friend posted a picture on her facebook page of this dish I knew immediately what I would be making the following night. The hardest part of this new routine for me has been cutting the carbs. I am easily one of the most carb obsessed people you will ever meet. One look over at the pasta section of this blog and you will see what I mean. And pizza…the sweet tomatoes, melty cheese and crackling crust are the very things I dream of. But dear readers believe it or not there is way to have your pizza and eat it to, even without the carbs!

Meat-Za!
Serves 2 really hungry people or 4 with a big green salad

1lb Italian Sausage (I used a mild chicken Italian Sausage)
1 egg
½ cup tomato sauce
Toppings of your choice, I used:
½ red bell pepper, sliced into strips
½ yellow bell pepper, sliced into stips
1 tomato, diced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Shredded mozzarella cheese

For the crust:
Preheat your oven to 375º. Remove the sausage from their casings and transfer to a small bowl. Add the egg and mix well. Spread the sausage and egg mixture evenly into a large oven safe nonstick skillet and pop into the oven for 20 minutes. When you take the skillet out of the oven you want the sausage to have pulled away from the sides of the pan and the edges to be a little brown.

Now it’s time to add your toppings, spread the tomato sauce evenly across the crust and garnish. I stick to all vegetables since you already have your protein with the crust. Bell peppers, olives, zucchini even broccoli would all be delicious on top. Top with cheese, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and pop back into your 375º oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly.

Slice into wedges and serve along side a big green salad. Contrary to what you are probably thinking, this dish is not at all heavy. If you use a lean chicken sausage instead of pork it will render very little fat and the veggies will be the perfect compliment.

* If you would like to read more about our new eating routine, click here!

Stuffed Pork Chops

Pork chops, kind of like meat loaf, is the dish we all had growing up and the majority of us probably hated. These suckers are tricky; they can dry out in a matter of minutes and if you don’t season them properly they are about as tasty as drywall. First things first, I always go for boneless pork loins rather than chops. Both are relatively inexpensive, I just feel you get more bang for your buck with the pork loins as they have no bone and more meat. Secondly, I always advocate brining these guys whenever possible. I won’t get all Mr. Science and explain how the brine locks in water which in turn results in a moister and more tender piece of meat but trust me any time you are working with a dry meat like pork or turkey you are better off giving it at least a good 15 minute soaking. Toss them in a Ziploc baggie and throw in ¼ cup of salt for each quart of water you add.

The recipe below is pretty good by itself but you can amp this baby up a number of ways and make it so much more sweet or savory. Swap out the rosemary for some fresh sage, or throw in a handful of golden raisins or cranberries with your stuffing mixture…or maybe sauté granny smith apples with the onion…I’m getting hungry just thinking about the possibilities! Either way enjoy and please, feel free to share some of your tips with me in the comment section below.

Stuffed Pork Chops
Serves 4

4 boneless loin chops, about ½ to ¾ inches thick
2 slices sandwich bread, cut into small squares
1 half of an onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
¼ cup low sodium chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Gravy (optional):
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
¼ - ½ cup low sodium chicken stock

In a medium skillet over medium high heat add the butter, olive oil, onion and a dash of salt and sauté until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Throw in the bread and rosemary and a couple good cranks of freshly cracked pepper. Cook until the bread pieces begin to toast and brown in color, about 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Now preheat your broiler and let it get nice and hot. Cut a small slit in the side of each pork loin with a pairing knife. Insert your index finger and open up each loin to create a pocket for the stuffing. Now that your stuffing mixture has cooled pour ¼ cup of chicken stock into the mixture to soften the bread. Take a round tablespoon of stuffing and insert into the pocket of each of the pork loins. Once all the loins are filled with the bread mixture press down on each so they are as flat and even as possible. Salt and pepper each loin on both sides and place in an oven proof skillet. Toss the skillet into your preheated oven and broil for 7-8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately put the pork on a plate to rest and tent with aluminum foil. Now it’s gravy time! All those brown drippings left in that skillet are pure heaven. Transfer the skillet to a burner and put it on medium low heat. Toss in the butter and start scrapping up all those brown bits. Once your butter is nice and foamy add your flour and mix well, cook this mixture (or “roux”) for about 2 minutes. Begin adding your chicken stock a little at a time and whisk like crazy to get all the lumps out. Add as much or as little chicken stock until your reach your desired consistency.

Serve your stuffed chops on a warm plate; doused in gravy along side some fresh lima beans and you will have a meal that makes both your tummy and your family very happy!

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pan Gravy

Well I figured since I haven’t posted anything in over 2 weeks I could at least come back with something good. August and September are always slow months in the kitchen, it’s the busy time of the year for the boy and he is on the road what seems like every other week. And as you know, when I’m home solo I rely on steady diets of canned soup on popcorn. Additionally we were out of town the weekend of the 21st in Melbourne Beach gorging ourselves on fresh fish and eggs benedict to celebrate my 30th birthday. Needless to say I have now been on a strict diet of salads ever since, damn hollandaise sauce…why do you have to be so good!?!

So this past Sunday was the first time I spent an actual entire day at the house in over 3 weeks. Needless to say it was time to cook and not just anything but something amazing!

I’ve never been much of a pork person, well besides bacon, it was never something I regularly craved. Pork chops were always dry and roasts unimaginative in their flavoring. Then I discovered the tenderloin and all was once again right in the world. So moist and juicy and packed with flavor I have a whole new appreciation for the pig. If you’re like me and have had prior lackluster experiences with your pork attempts I beg you to give this a whirl. Seriously I was transformed!

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Pan Gravy
Serves 4 - 6

1 pork tenderloin, about 2 lbs
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup chicken stock (preferably homemade)
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper

Most packages of pork tenderloin actually come with 2 tenderloins per package. Remove both tenderloins from the package and with a sharp knife remove all of the silvery skin from each. If not removed your pork will be tough and not the moist, decadent, fork tender goodness it was meant to be.

In a large freezer bag combine the tenderloins, garlic, rosemary, olive oil, lemon juice and a generous helping of salt and pepper. Remove the excess air from the bag and make sure it’s sealed. Now give your meat a good massage, make sure all of the ingredients get well incorporated and evenly distributed on each of the tenderloins. Pop the bag in the fridge and allow to marinate for at least an hour, if you have the time let it sit overnight and it will be that much more amazing.

Preheat your oven to 425°. Heat a large oven proof stainless steel skillet over medium high heat. Remove the tenderloins from your freezer bag and one at a time, sear off each on all sides until golden brown (about 2 minutes per side). Remove pan from heat and transfer into the preheated oven. Now please make sure your pan is oven proof, meaning 100% stainless steel…no rubber or plastic handles here folks. If you do not have an oven proof skillet, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and cook the tenderloins that way. Cook until a thermometer placed in the center of each tenderloin reads 140°, depending on your oven, about 20 minutes. Yes, I know pork is supposed to reach at least 160°and it will once it’s removed from the oven and left to rest.

Remove pan from oven and transfer the tenderloins to a plate and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place the skillet back on the burner over medium low heat. Now see all those baked on brown bits? That’s flavor folks, and those brown bits are going to make the best pan gravy! You will never buy that stuff in a package or jar again. Add the butter to the pan and with a wooden spoon begin scrapping up all those bits. Once all the bits have been scrapped up and you have a brown buttery sauce sprinkle in the 2 tablespoons of flour. Grab your whisk and make sure all the flour is mixed in with the butter. It’s going to clump and look awful but it’s what you want. Now let the butter and flour mixture sit for about 2 minutes, letting the mixture sit allows all of that powder taste in the flour to cook out. Now grab the chicken stock and slowly add about ¼ cup of the stock to the butter / flour mixture, or ‘roux’ as the French call it, and start whisking like crazy. When the roux begins to combine with the stock add more liquid. Keep whisking and adding the liquid until all of the clumpy flour bits are well combined and the gravy is the consistency you like. Cut the heat to the pan and salt and pepper to taste. Now this is when you can get really fancy and strain the gravy from the pan to remove all the garlic and pan drippings from your gravy but I leave it all in there…nice and rustic!

Remove the foil from the pork and slice each tenderloin into ¼ inch pieces. Arrange the slices over some garlicky smashed potatoes and smother in as much gravy as you can stand! Leave the knives in the drawer cause if you’ve done this right your fork is all you’re going to need, then sit back and get ready to be transformed. Hands down this is the most moist and juicy piece of pork I’ve ever had…the boy likes to call it ‘pork sushi’ :P Enjoy!