Roasted Pork Tenderlion with Apple and Onion Compote & Sweet Potato Mash

I got the idea for this dish from McCoy's in Kansas City  (and I had a bunch of apples to use up) . . . McCoy's had a special a little while back, that was a pork chop with a red grape sauce, and served it with the most delicious sweet potato mash ever!

 Roasted Pork Tenderlion with Apple and Onion Compote & Sweet Potato Mash

1 pork tenterlion
olive oil + seasoning

2-3 large sweet potatoes
1 cup vegetable / chicken stock
2-4 tbs ghee
1 large onion
2 apples
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbs red wine vinager


First for this recipe, get yourself a pork tenderloin and rub it down with some olive oil, and spices.  I use salt, pepper and a little garlic. Then roast that piggy in the oven at 400 for about 25 min. :-)

While that is cooking get your peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in some boiling water, and cook them until the are soft. then drain them, and add about a half a cup of chicken or vegetable stock.  (I used homemade veggie stock) . . . then add in about 2 tbs of ghee (I make my own) and MASH!  Season with salt and pepper, I think i added a dash of cinnamon as well.

Now for the onions and apples.  Heat a large sized skillet to medium, and add either olive oil or ghee.  Add your thinly sliced green (or red) apples and onions.  Let them brown a little, and release some of their liquids. Then add, 2 tbs red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup of white wine, and 1/2 of your veggie or chicken stock you used earlier with your potatoes.  Let this simmer for a little while until it's reduced some.

After the pork has rested, slice it up, and serve it with a good portion of the apple and onion compote on top.  Then add your sweet potato mash, and whatever other side you want.  I opted for sauteed green beans. :-)  Enjoy!

Cashew Crusted Chicken Tenders

I really enjoyed this recipe, it made me feel like I was a kid eating chicken fingers, and it's pretty easy and versatile.  I used cashews, but you could use any nut.  I think I'll try pecans next time.  I pared it with some sweet potato fries, and that yummy honey mustard sauce. You could also easily throw it on a salad to mix it up. :-)

Cashew Crusted Chicken Tenders 

1 cup crushed cashews
6-8 Organic Free Range Chicken Tenders (thanks trader joes!)
2 large eggs
2-4 tbs olive oil (or spray olive oil)




Preheat oven to 375. Meanwhile, place your cashews in a food processor, grind until the nuts are fine and the largest pieces are no bigger than a sunflower seed. Pour nuts into a shallow bowl, and add your seasoning, salt and pepper and whatever else floats your boat. Then crack the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk together, you can add some water to make the mixture go further if needed.  Salt and pepper your chicken tenders and then soak them in the egg mixture and then dredge them in the nuts.  Repeat untill all the tenders have been dredged. Then place them on a baking pan with an oiled silpat sheet (if you have one).  Spray or drizzle olive oil on the top of the chicken and bake in the oven for 30-40 min.  Enjoy!

NOTE : cashews and nuts can be expensive, for this recipe opt for bags of "pieces" of nuts instead of whole. 
They cost less, and some of the grinding has already been done!

Bacon, Avacado and Tomato Salad

Any salad that starts with "Bacon" is a good thing in my book. :-)

This salad came out of my kitchen last week, and I liked it so much that, I made it 3 more times throughout the week.  I will say though, be prepared, you might want to eat two in one sitting. (or have a snack with it) It's a high fat, but kinda low calorie meal, so I think it's fine to eat two. :-)

Bacon, Avocado & Tomato Salad 

(This makes one salad)

1 Avocado
3 strips of nitrate free bacon   *plus more for snacking . . . ;-)
3 tbs chopped red onion
1/3 cup diced cherry tomatoes    I used these and they were fab.
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

First cook your bacon, and if you've never learned how to do this properly, watch this video.  It changed my life. :) Also, be prepared, to cook bacon properly it takes about 15 min.  Thus the need for a few extra slices on hand for snacking ;-)

While your bacon is cooking, dice your tomatoes, and onions, and put them in a bowl.  Drizzle the olive oil over them, season with salt and pepper and mix together. Set Aside.

Once your bacon is done. Half, pit and slice your avocado and fan it on the plate. Pour the tomato mixture over the avocado, and tear up the bacon on top. Then sprinkle your chopped basil over the top.  YUMMY!

Cilantro Lime Marinated Chicken Thighs

Sometimes I think there are two kinds of people in this world, those who don't care for cilantro, and those who LOVE cilantro.  I am the later of the two. :-) For me salsa is just not salsa and guacamole unless there is that fresh kick of cilantro.  :-)  So here is a recipe in homage to one of my favorite fresh herbs, and because it was hella on sale at Hen House last week, and I needed to find ways to use it up. ;-) 

Cilantro Lime Marinated Chicken Thighs

 

6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup of fresh cilantro
1 lime
1/2 cup of olive oil
2-4 cloves of garlic (me - I add 4 - but I LOVE garlic too)
salt and pepper to taste

Add all your marinade ingredients into a food processor. Blend until smooth, and pour over your chicken thighs in either a bag or baking dish.  Cover an refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.  When you are ready to grill, heat your grill pan on medium high heat, and spray with some olive oil.  Grill chicken on each side, about 5-8 min. or until done and the juices run clear.

This recipe is great on it's own, with a side veggie, with guacamole on top, or chop it up and add it to a bored salad to mix it up!

Grilled Flank Steak with Honey Balsamic Reduction

MMMMMMMMMM ...... flank steak, one of my favorite things.  Super easy to make, and super tasty. I made this dinner for myself and a dear friend last week, and that friend (who is not following paleo) loved it.  So this recipe is delicious, paleo or not. :-)

I served the steak with sweet potato fries, and some fresh strawberries for "desert" - very yummy and satisfying dinner.

 

Sorry but my iphone just can't do it justice, someday I'll bust out my fancy camera. 

 promise ;-)

Grilled Flank Steak with Honey Balsamic Reduction

 

 1 flank steak - seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes - generously.  

Reduction

1 cup of balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup of honey (you can add more if you want it to be sweeter)

First, put your balsamic vinager and honey is a small saucepan.  Turn on heat to meduim and wisk often.  Bring the sauce to a low boil, and contiun to wisk and let the sauce redume to about half or more.  When the sauce is done, it will be sweet and the consistacy of cough syrup. Keep the sauce warm while you make the steak.

Heat your grill pan on medium high heat.  I also spray with some olive oil to help out the steak.   Once the pan is hot and your meat is seasoned.  Grill on each side for 3-5 min. - try not to move it around or else the meat will not sear well.

Slice your meat "against the grain" and pour that yummy reduction over it. I also, served mine with sweet potato fries. I just cut a whole sweet potatoes in to matchstick slices, and tosed with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper in a Ziploc bag.  I then roasted them in the oven on 400 for about 20-30 min. 

Also I did not make my own katsup, so that is plain ole' hunts - for shame! ;-) Someday I'll try making more of my sauces, for now, that's just too much time for me.

Paleo Salad & Honey Dijon Dressing

Hello Everyone, and by everyone, I mean the small handful of my friends that might check this blog, because they are so board at their desk job - this actually sounds interesting. . . ;-) 

I'm starting this blog to document my efforts to cook more fresh whole foods and it will also focus mostly on paleo eating. Yes, I've drank the Crossfit Kool-Aid, and I freaking love it! :-) So stop by and check out some healthy recipes, and some terrible photos of my cooking from my iphone!  :-) (I promise though the recipes should be pretty good.)

I warned you - terrible ;-)

A little background now, I feel I should give some more insight for the reason behind this blog. Like I said earlier, I started doing Crossfit last November, and so far I've lost quite a few inches and 5 lbs. (and I'm on my way to doing a pull up! miracles of miracles!) At the beginning of May, our gym started a 60 day Paleo challenge, prizes go out to the highest percent of change (gain or loss).  Well, me knowing that I needed to overhaul my diet, and having no idea how to, I jumped at this challenge. I found this to be the best way to start, and with so much support it's made it a lot easier!  So here goes nothing for 60 days, and beyond!

First recipe up to bat is a variation of a salad dressing I found on this site.  I love Health Bent, such a great blog and full of fun recipes. I love me some honey mustard salad dressing - so I made a tart version, biased on the health bent version, that only uses a little local honey.

 

Creamy Paleo Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

1/2 cup of dijon mustard

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1/4 cup of honey

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pepper

Mix these all together in a dressing emulsifier like mine, or use an plane ole' mason jar - works just as well. Then pour it all over your favorite Salad.  Mine is usually: romaine, spinach, red peppers, red onion, avocado and grilled chicken.

NOTE : You can also use less of the lemon juice and honey if you want, I only used about 2-3 tbs. of the honey. So I would suggest starting with 2 tbs of each first and then taste as you go you can always add more later.