Pork

Spring Clean Eats: Day 2, I’m Hungry

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Coffee, mandarin oranges, spinach and chicken The dogs and I headed to the kitchen this morning as per our usual routine. I had every intention of going out for a run after the dogs ate and had their morning constitutional but that changed the minute I saw and heard the wind.

Damn it.

I hate running in wind especially when it’s 40mph gusts.  No thanks.

I put on a pot of coffee and headed off to the office instead.

About half an hour later my stomach was grumbling and ready for breakfast.  This has been one of the many noticeable changes that I have observed since Spring Clean Eats started.  I didn’t used to be hungry in the mornings and the thought of breakfast left me feeling eh. There wasn’t anything that I really wanted and I wasn’t very hungry.  Sometimes I would skip it all together.

The past me never skipped breakfast and I had always looked forward to that big bowl of oatmeal.  When I say things changed since our move here, I mean in a lot of ways.  I’ve changed.  My wants and needs, nutritionally, are drastically different than they were a few years ago.  Funny how that happens.  Just when you think you have something down, your body wants variety.

This morning I loved the fact that I was hungry.  Putting eggs to the side for the day I had some sauteed spinach and 1/2 a chicken breast.  Sauteed up in ghee with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

A side of 2 mandarin oranges and 2 cups of coffee.

I had time for decent lunch today too since my workout was in the late afternoon.

Salad and smoothieI had a small mixed green salad with a few pieces of leftover chicken from this morning, carrots, cucumber, and some sliced almonds.  The dressing was very simple combo of:

  • Olive Oil
  • Whole Grain Mustard
  • Maple Syrup
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic powder

Washed all that down with a smoothie.  This is a pretty basic smoothie and one of our main go-tos.

  • 2C Water
  • 1 Large Handful of Baby Spinach
  • 1.5 Frozen Bananas
  • 1C Frozen Blueberries

Blend until smooth and creamy.  It makes 2 full smoothies.

Exercise:

Boxing class today!  Normally I would have also ran, but I’ll refer you to the beginning of this post.  Stupid wind.  While boxing class was tough today and I got tired, it wasn’t like yesterday’s lack of energy at all.  This was a tired from getting my ass kicked in class (in a good way, of course!).  Yesterday I was tired because I didn’t fuel myself properly.  Big difference! And I would much rather have classes like today!

Curry Pork BowlDinner this evening is one of my favorite dishes to make that uses ground pork!  It’s a curry spiced pork bowl full of veggies.

  • Cabbage
  • Broccoli
  • Red Pepper
  • Green Onions

All make an appearance!  This is a recipe that I’ll be sharing once the 30 day challenge is over.

Today ended up being an awesome day! I forgot to keep track of my water intake but I know that I drank enough because I’m not feeling dehydrated or sluggish.

Now I’m off to relax and watch the Pens game!

Second Year of Pork Pickup

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lardLast Friday evening, Scott and I headed over to Jodar Farms to pick up our pork order.  This is the second year that we have purchased 1/2 a hog from Jodar Farms.

This year we were able to pick up the pork directly from the farm instead of having to drive all the way out to the processor.  This made pick-up a breeze since the farm is much closer and we were able to deal with Aaron Jodar directly.

Now my freezer is stocked with pork and I can’t wait to dig in!  There’s more fat for making lard and we got some other goodies to play around with this year as well.

In addition to all the roasts, chops, and ribs we also received:

  • Skin (which we are giving to friends because I currently do not have a way to fry it up to make rinds)
  • Jowl
  • Trotters (pig’s feet)
  • Heart
  • Liver

The organs are going to the dogs and Scott gets to deal with that task because I hate organ meat.  But the jowl and trotters? Bring it! I’m especially excited to play around with those as I have never had either of them before.

Luckily I have a pork-centric cookbook that I should be able to put to good use this year.

This year, the half hog purchase yielded us 97 pounds of pork products, not including the goodies already mentioned. There are roasts, country ribs, spare ribs, bone-in chops, ground pork and bacon.

This year’s amount does seem a little less than last year and since we love pork so much, next year I think we might just go whole hog.  We would probably need a second stand-up freezer if we did that though but something to consider.

Now we just need to get some beef and we’ll be set for the year!

Do you participate in any meat shares?

Slow Cooker Collards

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CollardsWe eat greens a lot over here at the HQ.  They are one of my favorite side dishes to make!  Greens are pretty budget friendly, full of flavor, and you can make a lot at one time very easily.

Collards are my favorite.  They take on flavor so well and become tender with long slow cooking. Plus they are one of the few cooked veggies that taste better the next day.

I used to make them on the stove in a big stock pot and then one day it occurred to me that using a slow cooker would be even better.

I don’t think I’ll go back to the stove top method again unless I absolutely have to.  The slow cooker is the perfect vessel for collards!

Prepping collards for the slow cooker is simple and doesn’t take much time at all. Can easily be done in the morning before work or early on a Sunday morning to have ready in time for Sunday Supper.  I love having the collards with some ham hock for some extra smokey goodness.

Andrea’s Slow Cooker Collards with Ham Hock

  • 4 Bunches of Collards, rinsed, stemmed, and chopped
  • 1-2 Ham Hocks (depending on how much you want)
  • 1 Large Onion, Sliced
  • 2tsp Kosher Salt
  • 2tsp Black Pepper
  • 2TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Water, enough to fill the slow cooker to the top (about 8C or slightly more)
  • 3tsp Hot Sauce
  • 1TBSP Maple Syrup

In a large crock pot add in the ham hocks, collards, and onion.  Then add in the apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.  Add in water, enough to fill the slow cooker to just about the top.  Give the collards a good stir and set the slow cooker to low.

Cook for about 6-8 hours.

When collards are done, remove the ham hocks and set aside.  Using a colander, strain the collards as much as possible.   Place the collards back into the slow cooker and turn the slow cooker off.  Shred the meat off the ham hocks and add that back in with the collards.  Add in the hot sauce and maple syrup.  Toss until everything is well combined.

Serve up immediately and enjoy!

CollardsThis makes a lot because we love having leftovers.  I’ve been known to eat the leftovers for breakfast the next day.  Also?  Collards on top of a waffle with a little more maple syrup is an amazing breakfast.  Promise.

This can be a hearty side dish or you can make it a main dish by adding in some more veggies (carrots, zucchini?) and some beans.  I think white beans paired with collards is a tasty combo.

Of course you can make this a completely vegetarian side dish by removing the ham hocks.

When straining the collards, you can reserve the broth to use for another time.  Perhaps as a base for some soup?  Or you can freeze the broth in ice cube trays and use them when you want to add a little more flavor to another dish.

Even during the warmer months, a big pile of collards will make just about everyone happy!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Sloppy Joe Bowls

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Sloppy Joe BowlsSloppy Joes made an appearance frequently at our house.  My mom made them frequently but it was always with some sort of mix.

Not the canned Manwich mix because that was a little too fancy for our household.  My mom used some sort of packet seasoning and the addition of tomato sauce.

I wasn’t really a fan of it but I ate it.

I couldn’t even tell you the last time I had a Sloppy Joe or was even interested in eating one.  But last week I craved that tangy and slightly spicy tomato sauce that goes with Sloppy Joes.

So what the heck, I decided to create a Sloppy Joe dish that also has veggies and served it over rice. Filling and perfect for getting snug on the couch and watching a little hockey.

Andrea’s Sloppy Joe Bowls

For The Rice:

  • 1C Long Grain or Jasmine Rice
  • 2C Water

Bring water to a boil and add the rice.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes or until rice has absorbed all the water.  Remove from heat and cover.

For The Sloppy Joes:

  • 1lb Ground Pork (or any ground meat of your choosing)
  • 1-2 Large Carrots, shredded
  • 1 Large Red or Green Pepper, diced
  • 1 Yellow Squash, diced
  • 1/2 Medium Onion, diced
  • 2C Frozen Chopped Greens
  • 2 8oz Cans of Tomato Sauce
  • 1 14.5oz Can of Diced Tomatoes (do not drain)
  • 5TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 4TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1TBSP Cane Sugar
  • 4tsp Ground Chili Powder
  • 3tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • Big Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/2TBSP Olive Oil for cooking

In a large skillet (preferably cast iron if you have it), heat the oil up over medium heat.  Add in the ground pork and cook through.  Remove pork from the skillet and set aside.

Add in the carrot, pepper, squash, and onion.  Cook until everything starts to soften up, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the pork back in along with the frozen greens.  Add the seasonings and gently combine everything.  Add in the tomato sauce along with the diced tomatoes and combine.  Then add in the apple cider vinegar, the Worcestershire sauce, and the sugar.  Stir everything together and allow to simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Once the mixture has thickened up, remove from heat and serve over rice.

Sloppy Joe BowlTangy, slightly sweet, and a little bit of heat brought this dish together.  The addition of veggies provides some heft to the dish. We had it over rice and the next night we had it over cheddar grits.

This could be served over baked potatoes or even stuffed in some taco shells.

You could also sub in lentils if you didn’t want to do a ground meat. About 3-4C of cooked lentils should do the trick.

This makes a good size portion of Sloppy Joes.  Enough for us to each have two meals and then some leftover for freezing.

When was the last time you had a Sloppy Joe?

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Ham Hock Bean Soup

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Bean SoupGrowing up I didn’t really like beans.  The only beans I really willingly ate were green beans.

My mom and dad loved bean soup and they would eat it often for lunch during the winter months.  As a kid, I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept of bean soup.

Who wants to eat a huge bowl of only beans?

The answer now is me! I love beans as an adult and make up big batches of them to have on hand.  Cooking beans in a slow cooker is a breeze and it’s much cheaper to buy dried beans over canned beans.

Since the weather is turning colder, I decided to tackle making some bean soup from scratch starting with cooking up the beans.

I recently saw this recipe from Lori over at Fake Food Free where she used a wheat beer while cooking her beans.  This sparked the idea to use some beer while cooking up the beans for this soup.

Andrea’s Ham Hock Bean Soup

For The Beans

  • 1lb Navy Beans
  • 1 Large Smoked Ham Hock (or 2 if you want more ham)
  • 1/2 Large Onion, cut into chunks
  • 1 Bottle Dark Beer, (I used New Belgium’s 1554)
  • 10C Water
  • 3 Cloves of garlic

The day before you make this soup, soak the beans in water for 24 hours.  Drain, remove any debris and add the beans to the slow cooker.  Add in the ham hock and the remaining ingredients.  Cook on high for about 6-8 hours or until the beans are soft to the bite.

Remove the ham hock and drain the beans.  Be sure to save the liquid from the beans, you’ll need this for the soup (plus you just made awesome ham hock stock).

Once the ham hock cools, shred and set the meat aside.

For The Soup

  • 1/2 Large Onion, chopped
  • 3 Large Carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 4C Navy Beans
  • 4C Ham Hock Stock
  • 4C Chicken Stock
  • Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
  • 2tsp Ground Garlic
  • 1/2tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1TBSP Olive Oil for sauteeing

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat and add in the onions and carrots.  Sautee for about 5-7 minutes until everything starts to soften.  Add in the seasonings and stir.  Add in the stocks, the beans, and the ham. Stir and then add in the Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to a simmer and simmer for about an hour or until the carrots are cooked through.  Stirring occasionally.

Once the soup is ready serve with cornbread or biscuits and enjoy!

Bean SoupThis soup was everything I hoped it would be.  The dark smokey beer paired perfectly with the ham hock.  If you want, you can sub out some of the stock in the soup with another bottle of the beer.

Yes this took all day but it was totally worth it.  You can break this up and cook the beans one day and the soup the next.  Or you can freeze the cooked beans and shredded ham hock so that they are ready when you would like to make this soup.

I think the addition of maybe some greens would be great in this soup and I might do that next time.  Perfect soup for a chilly fall day.

You’ll have more ham hock stock then you’ll need for the soup so keep the leftovers for other uses or freeze to save for later.  And keep that bone so you can make more stock with it later!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

What We’ve Been Eating

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Cordon Bleu OmeletteI don’t make pretty omelettes.  I don’t even pretend that I can make omlettes well and while they might not look amazing they are tasty!

This was a Chicken Cordon Bleu omelette stuffed with shredded roasted chicken, prosciutto slices, and swiss cheese.  It made for a pretty awesome breakfast.

Beer Glazed BratsPork brats simmered in New Belgium’s 1554 along with red peppers and onions in the slow cooker for about 6 hours.  I then put the brats in a skillet to crisp up the skin.  Drained the juices from the slow cooker and reduced by half making a lovely pan sauce.  Add the brats, peppers, and onions back in and dinner was served!

Buckwheat WafflesI love buckwheat and recently found some during my last trip to Whole Foods.  I made some waffles and topped that with some bourbon cranberry applesauce.  This is the recipe for the sauce, just add in about 1/4C bourbon at the end.

Sloppy Joe BowlSloppy Joes with some extra veggies added.  I nixed the bun and served over rice.  Delicious, filling, and you can expect a recipe for it later this week!

 

So what kind of good eats have you been enjoying lately?

Kale Pesto Meatballs

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Kale Pesto MeatballsA little delayed but here is the last version of how I used the Kale Walnut Pesto, in meatballs!

I was trying to think of different ways to use pesto and while I know it’s a common topper/sauce for pasta, there had to be something else to do with it.

And that’s when I realized we haven’t had spaghetti and meatballs in ages and why not put the pesto in the meatballs?

So I did and the dish turned out fabulous!

Andrea’s Kale Pesto Meatballs

  • 1lb Ground Beef
  • 1lb Ground Pork
  • 1C Kale Walnut Pesto
  • 2 thick slices of crusty white bread, cubed
  • 1/4C Red Wine (can use milk or stock instead)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Either grease/line a baking sheet or a long casserole dish.  In a small bowl soak the bread in the wine and let sit for a couple of minutes.  Once the bread is soaked, add it to a large mixing bowl along with the beef, pork, and pesto.  Mix until everything is well combined.

Form into balls and place on the baking sheet or casserole dish.  I made them about tennis ball size.  Place in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until they are fully cooked through.

Serve immediately as a main dish or along with some pasta.

Kale Pesto MeatballsI served this with spaghetti dressed in a really basic tomato sauce.  I added some of the pesto to the sauce (about 1/2C).  When I plated the pasta I also added a little pesto on top for color and extra flavor.  Topped the whole dish with more grated Parmesan cheese.

We had this two nights in a row!  The meatballs are also great for sandwiches or crumbled on top of pizza.

Depending on what size you decide to make the meatballs will determine how many you get.  I did about tennis ball size so that yielded around 6, give or take.  It will also determine cooking time, so if they are smaller they will have a shorter cook time.

It’s a great make-ahead dish and the cooked meatballs freeze really well.

A nice little twist on spaghetti and meatballs for a weeknight dinner.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Happy Fourth!

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Blackberry LemonadeIt’s July!  Hooray!  We’re pretty excited for July over here at the HQ.  It’s a holiday week plus we will be celebrating our anniversary.  Along with some other fantastic goodies sprinkled throughout the month.

If you’re looking for some additional deliciousness to add to your holiday week, then I’ve got just the stuff!

Tart and cool Blackberry Lemonade!  Adds a nice touch of color to the party and is cool and refreshing on a warm day.  Add some limoncello for an extra kick!

Wow your guests and make your own mayo for your coleslaw and potato salads this time around!

Braised Pork RibsDon’t have a smoker? No problem! Whip up some quick Braised Ribs and put them on the grill for a few minutes before serving to add some smokey flavor.

If you need some sauce for those bad boys, Hatch Green Chili BBQ Sauce or some Bourbon BBQ Sauce will go perfectly!

Roasted Tomato Salsa Fresh salsa is always a hit!  And Roasted Tomato Salsa will only take a few minutes and can be made a day ahead!

You can never go wrong with beer!  And Beer Brined Pork Chops would be great grilled to perfection!

Need something sweet at the end?

Figgy Bourbon Refrigerator JamFiggy Bourbon Refrigerator Jam would be perfect drizzled over some fresh scooped local ice cream!

Have a great holiday!  Stay safe, drink beer, and eat great food!

Caramelized Onion Burgers

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Caramelized Onion BurgersScott and I made a vow that we were going to spend more time outside this year and that we were going to spend more time grilling.

I’m pleased to say that when Fort Collins gets a streak of warm weather, we have been grilling like crazy!

I had a craving for a lovely grilled burger but I wanted to dress it up a little bit.  Nothing too fancy but I did want the burger to have a little bit more flavor to it.

I used two kinds of meats and added in some caramelized onions.  The burgers smelled amazing as they cooked and had the exact depth of flavor that I was looking for.

Andrea’s Caramelized Onion Burgers

  • 1lb Ground Beef (fat ratio of your choice)
  • 1lb Ground Pork
  • 1 Medium Onion, sliced thin
  • 1TBSP Dijon Mustard
  • 1/2TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2tsp Ground Sage
  • 1TBSP Olive Oil for sauteeing
  • Pinch of salt and pepper

In a large mixing bowl, place the beef and the pork.  In a medium sized skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add in the onions and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.  Stir and continue to stir occasionally as the onions cook down and start to caramelize.

This will take some time! Around 45 minutes for the onions to caramelize.

Once the onions have caramelized, remove from heat and add in the mustard, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and sage.  Stir and allow mixture to cool, about 5 minutes.

Add onion mixture to the beef and pork mixture and combine well.

Form into hamburger patties.  The size and thickness is up to you.  I made medium sized burgers and ended up with 5 medium size and one on the small side.

Store patties in fridge for at least an hour to allow the flavors to combine.  Remove from fridge at least 1/2 hour prior to cooking.

Heat a grill or skillet over medium heat.  If using a skillet, add in some oil or lard, about 1TBSP.  Place patties on grill/skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on each side.

Because this uses ground pork, you have to cook the burger all the way through.

Remove from heat and top with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

Caramelized Onion Burgers

The burgers turned out great!  The pork along with the caramelized onion mixture kept the patties nice and juicy.  The flavor was subtle, the onions in no way over power the burger.

I topped with some swiss cheese along with some Quick and Dirty Beer Ketchup but feel free to top with your favorite sauces!

Will you be grilling more this summer?

Changing Breakfast Tastes

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Chicken and BiscuitsThe thing that I love most about moving to different regions of the US, is learning about the little differences each region has when it comes to food.

I’ve noticed that the west definitely likes meat with breakfast.  Oh sure you’ll see bacon or breakfast sausage on the menu but that isn’t really what I’m talking about.  What you’ll also see is a variety of other pork options as well.

Pork seems to be top choice, everything from pork chops to tamales.  Pork green chili is always an option at breakfast and every place that serves breakfast has it on the menu.

I have fallen in love with this style of breakfast.  Pork tamale with scrambled eggs smothered in pork green chili is freaking heaven on a plate.

It didn’t take me long to adopt this breakfast style and start incorporating it into our breakfasts here at home.

When I want a hearty breakfast, I really like the idea of adding in some sort of protein that isn’t always sausage or bacon.

Shredded pork tacos make a great breakfast.  At first you might think it a little odd to pair that with coffee and OJ, but trust me when I say that it works.

Last week we had chicken and gravy over biscuits for breakfast and that was a damn good breakfast.

Of course this isn’t something I eat everyday for breakfast. Just on the weekends when we have a little bit more time and freedom to enjoy the morning.

A couple weekends ago I made pork green chili for the first time.  I’m still fiddling with the recipe but am on the right track.  I portioned it out for leftovers.  One big container to have as a meal and one small container to use with weekend breakfasts.

Pork green chili on top of roasted potatoes? I’m pretty sure I know what we’re having for breakfast this weekend. Now if I could just find some tamales.