PC Day 8: Slow Cookin' to Glory

Last night the Caveman suggested we use my crock pot over night so that we had brunch waiting for us in the morning. GENIUS. We had just bought some pork chops from the grocery store, so it was Slow Cooked Apple & Onion Pork Chops on the menu for the next day.

Recipe:
2 Bone-in pork chops
1/2 of an apple (doesn't matter what kind, quartered)
1 cup of chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 tsp thyme
1.5 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Method:
Throw apple pieces into crock pot. Sear pork chops for one minute on each side in non-stick pan. Place pork chops in crock pot. Combine chicken broth, water and spices into same sauce pan used to brown chops. Throw in onions and bring to a simmer. Pour broth and onions into crock pot. Set on low for 8 hours. Voila!

The next morning for brunch, I served my chops with a side of caramelized brussel sprouts and two sunny-side up eggs. nomnomnom. The Caveman had his eggs scrambled.. *sigh...it's a shame he's never appreciated the goodness of runny, golden yolk perfection. Fried egg should seriously be considered as a condiment. Ketchup, Mustard, Relish, Mayo, and Fried Egg. It's only a matter of time...

Hasta Luego!

PC Day 4: Can't Win'em All

The thing with paleo food is you have to be willing to experiment, otherwise you'll grow bored of merely seasoning the heck out of meat and veggies.

For dinner on Day 4 I decided to reinvent the chicken thigh (and yes, I have a whole freezer bag full of these so I'll be using them quite often). I attempted to make Almond-Crusted Chicken Stuffed with Kale and Ham, a hybrid of two non-paleo recipes I found through foodgawker. 

Recipe:

4 chicken thighs (pounded out)

Stuffing

1/2 a bunch of kale

4 cloves of garlic

3 pieces of ham

1/4 of an onion

1 tsp toasted pine nuts

salt & pepper

Crust

1 cup of almonds

1/2 tsp thyme

salt & pepper

1 egg

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop the ham into small pieces and sautee in pan with olive oil. Add in your chopped up kale and the onions and sautee until slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper and toss in pine nuts near the end. To prepare crust, grind almonds along with the seasonings in blender until fine. Spoon small amount of kale-ham mixture into each chicken thigh. Roll chicken thigh tightly and secure with toothpicks if needed. Dip in egg wash before dipping into the almond mixture. Coat well and place on lined, flat, baking pan. Cook in oven for 25-30 minutes or until done.

I served it with a side of sauteed zucchini and a steamed artichoke drizzled with olive oil and garlic powder (steamed in the microwave!) I'd have to admit the chicken didn't turn out as well as I would have liked. I think next time i'll leave out the pine nuts and use paleo-friendly bacon instead of ham. Oh well! You can't win'em all!

Happy Eating!