Dijon Mustard 'Breaded' Pork Chops

The co-op we get our meat from has AMAZING pork chops. Thick cut, bone-in, and SO flavorful. This has to be one of my favorite ways of preparing them...

4 pork chops

1 heaping tbsp prepared stone ground mustard

1 egg

almond flour

1. Heat oil of choice in a large skillet over medium-low heat.

2. On a plate, whisk together egg and mustard.

3. Place a nice pile of almond flour and a second plate.

4. Dip chop in egg/mustard mixture then dredge in flour.

5. Cook 10 minutes per side until golden and pork is done.

One of the keys to making these just right is to be gentle when flipping the pork. If you are not cautious, your 'breading' will easily fall off. Also, you do not want to use high heat. The breading will get done long before the meat is cooked through (this goes for all almond flour breaded meat).

If you really like mustard add some mustard powder to the almond flour. It'll boost the flavor up a notch.

Rory loved these and I have to give a shout out to ROBO for mentioning the fact that he made breaded pork chops for his wife. It was great inspiration! And as always, I look forward to your feedback on comments.

Garlic Pulled Beef

So I really wanted to make the garlic pulled pork recipe that was on Mark's Daily Apple the other week but didn't have all the right things. Here's my variation to accommodate what I had in my kitchen...

1 Beef Eye Round Roast

3 tablespoons minced garlic

4 tbsp lime juice

1 diced onion

seasoned salt

1/2 tsp cumin

2-4 cups water

I put my roast in a crock pot. Then seasoned it with the salt and cumin. I spread the garlic over the top of it. Into the pot I put the onion, lime juice and water. I cooked it on high for 4 hours then cut it across the grain into 3 big chunks. Next I took 2 big forks and shredded it. Any liquid in the crock pot just sort of mixed in with the meat. We ate it on romaine lettuce cups and I will definitely be making this again. In fact, I just ordered 4 more of these roasts from my co-op.

How to Marinate Meat Plus 10 Amazing Marinades

I was perusing Mark's Daily Apply for some inspiration and came across this post from last October. I think it is a real gem.

Meat Lover's guide to Marinating Meat (plus 10 Primal Marinades)

Zucchini Cakes

3 Zucchini

1 cup almond flour

3 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

oil of your choice

1. Grate zucchini. Choose a medium grate... too large and they won't hold together as well... too small and you miss out on the texture.

2. Combine zucchini, almond flour, eggs, and seasoning. Mix well.

3. Form into ~ 12 patties.

4. Cook in oil roughly 7-10 minutes per side until golden.

In the past I usually make these with parmesan cheese thrown in the mix, but with our dairy free month well under way, I left it out. I must say, it is good either way. The cheese free version can take on a myriad of flavors... Dip it in salsa for a tex-mex night or try a mustard/mayo mix for grilling out.

Coconut Banana Pudding

1 can coconut milk

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp agave nectar

1 small ripe banana

1/2 cup shredded coconut

cinnamon

1. Do not shake coconut milk can. Open and scoop out the cream leaving behind the coconut water.

2. In a microwavable safe bowl, combine the coconut cream, egg yolks, and agave.

3. Microwave for 3-4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until slightly thickened.

4. Slice banana and place in the bottom of serving bowl.

5. Pour pudding/custard over bananas.

6. Toast coconut (I toast mine by placing it in a clean skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently until nice and golden).

7. Garnish pudding with toasted coconut and a dash of cinnamon.

You can either serve this warm or let it set in the refrigerator for a few hours. I would imagine this would be splendid poured into an almond flour pie crust.

This was a dessert I threw together in a matter of minutes and Rory was very happy with the results.

Ancestral Health Symposium

OPT posted this on his blog yesterday. Depending on the when and where and how much, I want to go! I wonder if I could get pharmacy CE credits for it...

Ancestral Health Symposium

Super Easy Roast and Walnut Stuffed Zucchini

Making a roast in a slow cooker is pretty fail-safe. The other day I made both a bison roast and an beef roast. In the cooker I added the roasts (still frozen...I love this about slow cooking!) 1/2 jar of artichoke bruschetta sauce, 1 diced green pepper and 6 cups of water. 10 hours later... delicious!!!

I served my roasts with walnut stuffed zucchini. I know it sounds a little weird, but I promise it is very good!

2 zucchini cut in half length wise

1/2 c chopped walnuts

1/2 c almond flour

1/2 beaten egg

3 dried apricots, finely chopped

1/4 onion, diced

1 tsp minced garlic

dash of poultry seasoning

pinch of salt

1. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeded part of the zucchini.

2. In a bowl combine the remaining ingredients, including the zucchini innards.

3. Fill each zucchini boat with filling.

4. Bake in a 350 oven for 45-60 minutes

Coconut Chicken

I was inspired by depaul's use of coconut oil while making almond chicken...

Follow the steps for making almond chicken excepts substitute the following...

Instead of plain almond flour, use a 2:1 ratio of unsweetened shredded coconut and almond flour (I added a little more almond flour than that to help it hold together a little more). Add a little sea salt if desired.

Dip the chicken in coconut milk instead of egg.

"Bread" the chicken twice. Dip in milk... coat in flour... dip back in milk and then back in flour.

Fry chicken in coconut oil, preferably unrefined.

We've been on a coconut kick as of late and it works perfectly with Rory's desire to be dairy free this month. I made a couple variations of coconut milk ice cream that were pretty good as well. Stay tuned for some of those recipes. I can't wait to sit on my back deck on my new patio furniture (thanks Kelly!) eating a bowl of ice cream this summer.

On a side note it looks like we will be vacationing in Calgary at the end of July this summer. If anyone has any suggestions for activities in that area, let me know!