by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Favorite Recipes, Meats, Paleo, TOP Five
I’m always trying to find new and different flavors to combine with pork chops, other than the traditional apple. So, I reached for my ever trustworthy and inspirational book, “The Flavor Bible“. It had all of these ingredients listed in the “affinities” section. And I actually did get the thumbs up from my hyper-critical-foodie-son to add it to my blog. Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 4 Pork loin chops
- 3 organic peaches or 1 bag frozen peaches (thawed), chopped into 1/2″ chunks
- 12 fresh sage leaves, fried
- 12 leaves, small slices
- 2 tbsp of butter (if Paleo and avoiding dairy, use olive oil)
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Drizzle of balsamic reduction (recipe here)
- salt and pepper to taste
In an iron skillet, on high heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter. Salt pork chops. Add the pork chops and cook 5 minutes on each side until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees. Remove pork chops and let rest. Add in 1 tbsp butter, balsamic vinegar and reduce down, cooking about a minute. Add in the chopped peaches, and sliced sage, stir around to cover and cook until semi-soft, approximately 3 minutes. Remove peaches and place on top of pork chops. Drizzle balsamic reduction over peaches and pork. Add salt and pepper to the dish and place 3 fried sage leaves. Serves 4.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Appetizers, Meats, Paleo
Here is a great light Thai inspired dish that I have made numerous times! And falls into the Paleo category. I have been trying to find other alternative recipes to red meat (beef), and honestly after watching “CowSpiracy” I have been avoiding red meat about 95% of the time. That movie was such an eye-opener! Surprisingly, Leonardo DiCaprio was the executive producer. Anyway, hope you enjoy this simple light recipe, it was inspired by a recipe I found in Women’s Health Magazine back in 2012.
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp organic canola oil
- ½ red onion, diced
- 3 small shallots, diced
- 1 piece of lemongrass (4″ long) minced
- 1 Thai or Serrano chili, stemmed and thinly sliced
- 1 lb of 99% fat-free ground turkey
- 2 tbsp of sriracha (optional for a bit more “kick”)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1 head of organic butter lettuce
Directions:
- In a bowl, whisk lime juice, lemon juice, fish sauce, and honey.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, shallots, lemongrass, and chili. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add turkey to skillet and Siracha. Season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently and making sure turkey does not stay in large chunks. Cook until meat and vegetables are cooked through, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add dressing to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add mint and season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon turkey mixture onto lettuce leaves and serve.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Favorite Recipes, Meats, Paleo, Sauces
I love to have bone/meat broth on hand at all times. Especially, when my husband makes his Italian Risotto. This broth is truly the key to the most hearty, deep and rich risotto. We also use the broth occasionally to flavor pasta, rice, or even broccoli. It’s also great for sauces! The little Italian ladies in the country-side of northern Italy would make this for my husband, when he came down with a cold so it has some amazing health benefits: containing minerals, healthy fats, collagen, amino acids, and more.
Ingredients:
- 3 beef bones (soup bones)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large chopped onion (or 2 medium)
- 8 chopped carrots
- 8 chopped celery stalks
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp of salt (more if desired)
- 1 whole fryer chicken
- 1 ½ lb. beef (I used top round steaks)
Begin by roasting your soup bones. I like to set my oven to 375ºF and bake my bones and meat for about 30 minutes, or until they begin to brown. In a 20 quart stock pot add in olive oil and chopped onions, cook for 2 minutes, then add in the carrots and celery. Stir to coat with oil and cook for 5 minutes. Add in salt and bay leaves. Add in 12 cups of water (preferably filtered). Scrape the roasted bones into the pot along with any juices. Add in the chicken and beef. Add more water if necessary to cover bones, meats and vegetables. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Skim off any scum. Reduce heat to a very low simmer and cook with lid slightly ajar, skimming foam and excess fat occasionally, for at least 8 but up to 24 hours on the stovetop. The longer you simmer it, the better your broth will be. Add more water if necessary to ensure bones and vegetables are fully submerged. Once the broth has cooled down, you’re ready to strain it and store it! Strain it through a fine sieve. Your broth will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator, or a few months in the freezer.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Meats, Restaurants
I love lamb and especially a crown roast. They are like lamb popsicles. A crown roast can be created by taking two 7-rib racks of lamb and tying them together (or ask your butcher to prepare for you). It’s a great easy meat to serve a small group of people (5-6 adults). It goes nicely with rosemary & garlic or parsley & mint. I like to marinate the lamb for at least 6 hours before cooking. I have made this roast several times, pairing it with Flageolet beans, seared greens and garlic mashed potatoes, as well as with (see below) roasted rosemary new potatoes with Chive Creme Fraiche sauce.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
- 12 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 crown roasts of lamb, consisting of 14 chops
- ¾ cup Olive oil
PREPARATION
Mix chopped rosemary, minced garlic, salt and black pepper in small bowl. Add in the olive oil to the mix. Place crown roasts of lamb, spaced apart, in a large plastic bag and add half of the mixture. Making sure all section of the lamb are covered. Store in refrigerator to marinate for 6 hours. Preheat oven to 450°F. Remove lamb and brush with remaining era/olive oil mixture. Cover bones loosely with sheet of foil. Roast lamb until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 125°F to 130°F for rare, about 20 minutes (or 130°F to 135°F for medium-rare, about 30 minutes; or 135°F to 140°F for medium, about 35 minutes).
Transfer lamb to platter; let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Remove foil and string. Cut lamb between ribs into chops and serve.
This one I served with roasted rosemary new potatoes. I made a chive-Crème fraîche sauce for the potatoes which ended up going pairing really well the lamb.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Meats, Sandwiches, TOP Five
So I finally purchased my first Panini press, and it has transformed my world of sandwiches! My son returned from his month away at camp and asked me to make him lunch… so out came the press that we have both wanted forever, The Brevile Panini Duo! This creation of came together with the help of the balsamic reduction I made for my Buffalo burger.
Ingredients:
- 2 pieces of white sandwich bread
- 8 thin slices of Bresaola
- 4 slices of manchego cheese
- 4 slices of gouda
- ½ cup of baby arugula
- 1 tsp. balsamic reduction + ⅓ cup for dipping
- 1 fried egg
Directions:
Be sure to butter your bread on the outside so it gets a nice crispy and moist exterior. Place the cheese closest to the bread one type on either side, and layer the arugula and bresaola on top of the cheese. Drizzle the 1 tsp. of the balsamic reduction. Merge the 2 halves and place on the panini press. Close the lid and slide the setting to toast. Meanwhile fry one egg in a non-stick skillet. Cook so whites are fully cooked, but the yolk is still runny.
Remove the melted sandwich after 4 minutes and cut in half. Place egg on top, and serve with the side of balsamic reduction.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Meats, Sauces, TOP Five
Buffalo Burger with Balsamic reduction and fried egg
I can honestly say I think my son should be a food critic. My 16 year old, came up with this masterpiece and it’s probably one of THE best burgers I have ever tasted. It has the peppery taste from the Arugula, the sweet from the balsamic reduction, the fruity and nutty taste of parmesan, and then… there’s the fried egg! Seriously?
Make Balsamic reduction – Cook 1 cup of good quality balsamic vinegar + 1 tbsp sugar on medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to simmer (low heat with small bubbles along the edges) and let simmer for about 10 minutes until vinegar has reduced down. Stir occasionally. It should be able to stick to a spoon, with it’s thick consistency. Let reduction cool and serve. Save the remaining sauce in a Tupperware and store in refrigerator. If reduction hardens after being in refrigerator for too long just place container in a bowl filled with warm water to soften it up.
INGREDIENTS (per serving)
- 6-8 oz ground buffalo meat
- ½ tsp Worcestershire
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6-8 leaves of arugula
- 6-8 slices of parmesan
- 1 fried egg
- 1 brioche bun
- 1 tbsp of softened butter
DIRECTIONS
Turn on your grill or grill pan on high. Make the buffalo patty by gently working in the Worcestershire, salt and pepper to the buffalo meat. (Do not compress, or smack the buffalo patty). Make the center of the patty thinner than the edges, and place on the grill. Cook the buffalo until the internal temperature is 130 degrees. Remove and let sit. Meanwhile, add your egg to an small non-stick skillet and cover. Flip over without breaking the yolk, and be sure to not overcook, as you want the egg yolk still runny. Remove from heat. Add the butter to all side of the brioche bun and grill for 10 seconds on each side. Assemble the burger onto the bun, adding the patty, the egg, arugula, parmesan cheese, and finally drizzle on the balsamic reduction onto the burger and the top half of the bun. My husband actually had a dish of the reduction to dip in the burger into. Enjoy!
