Thursday, March 31, 2011

Pork Meatballs

Who would have thought little balls of meat could be so yummy?  :)  I love how quick and easy it is to make and eat meatballs.  These were so good for dinner, but even better as a tasty little snack.  



Pork Meatballs
2 lbs. ground pork
1/2 T. sea salt
1 T. caraway seeds
1 T. black pepper
2 T. dried parsley
1 T. dijon mustard
Mix all ingredients together.  Form into meatballs.  (Mine are kinda big because I was in a hurry).  Bake at 400º for 15 minutes.  Enjoy!




This is my slightly altered version of the original recipe from The Clothes Make The Girl.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Caribbean Jerk Steak

This is a really easy and very tasty recipe to spice up your steak life.  :)  I got the recipe from Cosmopolitan Primal Girl.  We made it for the first time and had some friends over to test it out.  They seemed to like it as much as we did.  I will warn you, though, it is a bit spicy.  I am a huge fan of spicy food and thought it was the perfect amount of spice.  The husband of the couple we invited over thought it was so spicy that it may have burned a hole through the plate.  Hee hee.  The leftovers are perfect for breakfast, over a salad, or even as a snack.  


Caribbean Jerk Steak
1 lb. flank steak
1/2 T. of: onion powder, garlic powder, allspice, coriander
1 T. thyme
1 t. of: nutmeg, cinnamon, chipotle chili powder, cayenne pepper
3 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. olive oil
1 T. tamari sauce
fresh ground pepper
Combine all ingredients, except steak, in a bowl and mix.  Rub onto steak and marinate in a sealed bag in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.  Bring steak out of fridge for 30 minutes before grilling.  Grill on high heat for 2-3 minutes per side (depending on thickness and how rare you want it).  Remove from grill and tent foil over the meat and let it rest for 5 minutes.  Slice into thin pieces and serve.



Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Pork Tenderloin with Bacon-Onion Sauce

I got to try this meal last week and thought it was so good that I asked for the recipe right away.  I made it this week and was just as happy with it!  The tenderloin is so juicy and so easy to make.  The sauce is a very tasty companion to the loin.  This got a thumbs up from everyone in my family.  Yay!  :)


Pork Tenderloin
2-3 lbs. tenderloin
salt/pepper to taste
Sprinkle salt and pepper on tenderloin.  Sear meat 4 minutes per side in large skillet.  Bake at 400º for 30-35 minutes.


Bacon-Onion Sauce
6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. diced onion
1 T. minced shallots
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. red wine
1 c. chicken broth
1 T. grass-fed butter
In large skillet, brown bacon until crispy.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Use bacon fat to cook onion.  Saute for 2 minutes.  Add shallots and garlic, cook for 1 minute.  Add red wine, bring to boil.  Add chicken broth and cook until liquid is reduced by 1/3.  Remove from heat.  Stir in butter and bacon.  Serve over cut up pork tenderloin.  


Friday, March 4, 2011

Spaghetti Squash

Everyone is always talking about how great spaghetti squash is and I just had to give it another try.  I tried making it way back when I first started testing out all of the new veggies I now eat.  This one did not make the cut back then.  One of the coaches at the gym was eating some and it smelled so good, so I made it the next day.  I loved it!  I made a homemade spaghetti sauce that a friend had shared with me years ago and some ground beef to mix in with the squash.  Delicious.  :)



Spaghetti Squash Directions
Cut squash in half, lengthwise.  Scoop out seeds and discard (or roast like pumpkin seeds).  Place rind side up in baking dish.  Bake at 375º for 30 minutes.  (Or keep squash whole, pierce with fork several times.  Place whole squash in baking dish.  Bake at 375º for 1 hour. )  When squash is tender, remove from oven.  Separate strands with fork.

Spaghetti Sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. olive oil
28 oz. diced tomatoes
1 t. dried basil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy)
Saute garlic in olive oil until golden brown.  Add rest of ingredients, heat over medium heat until heated through.  Serve and enjoy!