Tuesday's Dinner Right on Schedule, but...Guess What? Another Change in the menu! - And notes for future reference....IF I remember...3 meals in one post...

Last night was pork chops because I didn't have to prep anything.  Four pork chops seared on the stove and then finished in the oven covered in onions - cause that's what the recipe said to do.  They came out extremely dry.  Maybe the chops weren't thick enough, but the recipe didn't mention anything about thickness in the ingredient list :(

When I obtained the porkchops from the fridge, I also retrieved a bag of my steam green beans and 2 microwave sweet potatoes.  I poke a hole on the back of the bag of beans and set it aside since the potatoes take longer to cook.  don't turn the potatoes on yet because I know the chops have to cook for a bit in the oven and I don't want the potatoes to be cold when we sit down to eat.

Once again, I remembered to pre-heat the oven  to 425 :)  I also remembered to obtain  a cookie sheet and aluminum.  I placed the cookie sheet topped with the foil next to my cooking pan for easy transfer when the time comes.

The players:
4 boneless pork chops at 4-6 oz each
1 onion, sliced (pre-sliced from store)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/4 tsp ground sage

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil



The original recipe called for 2 tbsp of coconut oil, but neither BGS or I are a fan of the coconut flavor for savory dishes.

Mix all the dry spices together and coat both sides of the chops.  Melt the butter and mix it with the olive oil.  Once the oils are hot enough, add the pork chops
and brown on both sides  Lay the pork chops in a row on top of the foil and top with the chopped onion.  Pull the foil up around the chops and onions and close tightly.

I placed the chops in the preheated oven and set the timer for 30 minutes.

I walked the short distance to the microwave with the sweet potatoes and turned the it on for 14 minutes.

While I wait for the potatoes to cook, I clean the pan and set it in the rack to dry in an effort to prep for what I thought would be tomorrow night's meal.

*Beep* Pull out the taters and throw in the green beans for 4.5 minutes *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* Dinner!

Like I said earlier, the chops came out dry and slightly tough even though they were covered in onions.
I added some applesauce to my plate to help with the dryness while BGS used A1.

Once I finished eating dinner, I set to the task of prepping for the rest of the week....

After dinner I used the same pan in which I cooked the pork to cook the chicken for what I thought would be Wednesday's dinner.

I used almost the same spice mix I have used every other time I make this GF Chicken-Broccoli Casserole.  The only hiccup was that I am completely out of poultry seasoning, but that's ok, I have all the ingredients, so I made my own version :)  There were some additions to this "homemade" poultry seasoning, because I couldn't locate the dried marjoram.  I was pretty sure Herbes de Provence had everything I needed, so I reached for the bottle and compared it to my empty poultry seasoning bottle and sure enough, I was right!  SCORE! The chicken mix is poultry seasoning, garlic powder, smoked paprika. salt and pepper, usually, so all I had to do was add the garlic powder and paprika and it worked well.

I combine the spices in this ratio 2 tsp herbes de provence, 1 tsp, smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper.   Coat each side of the 6 chicken breasts with the mixture.   I added 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter to the pan again and turn on the heat.  Once the pan is hot, add 3 of the chicken breasts and cook 3-4 minutes each side.  Once the first three are cooked, pull them out and put them on a plate.  Make sure there is enough oil in the pan before placing the remaining 3 breasts in the pan to cook. Again, cook the breasts 3-4 minutes each side and pull them out to cool.

After the chicken was cooled enough to touch, I chopped it into bite-sized chunks.  As I put the cooked and cooled broccoli into the fridge, I checked the date for the pork roast I purchased over the weekend.  To my disappointment, it had to be cooked today, Wednesday.

I woke up this morning and started putting the pork shoulder together.  I chopped the onion (boy do I miss my goggles), and placed in the bottom of the crock that I had already lined with one of my slow-cooker liners.  Read down a few more lines and instantly realize what I should  have prepped last night: the barbecue sauce for the pork.  It needs to simmer for 30 minutes.  *facepalm*

So all the prep work I did Tuesday night for the chicken should really have been done for the pork, because the pork actually needed WAY more prep than the chicken.   If I had bothered to read the recipe Tuesday night, I would not have sat down to watch tv, but actually stayed in the kitchen and prepped for today.

Note to self: read all new recipes at the beginning of the week.  If I had done that, I would have actually cooked the bbq sauce Sunday when I made the biscuits..

Time to switch gears!

Pull out a small 2-qt pot and grab the ingredients from the pantry and spice cupboard.

Players for the sauce:
1 1/2 cups of beef stock
2 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
6 oz. can of tomato paste
1/4 cup of raw honey
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tbs dijon mustard
2 tsp smokey paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne

I pour the beef stock into the pot and then add the pressed garlic cloves to the pot.  Bring the stock to a simmer and let it simmer for 5 minutes.  Once the 5 minutes have elapsed, I added the remaining ingredients and reduced the power to a bare simmer for 30 minutes.  It quickly started to sputter and splat, so I quickly grabbed my wire mesh splatter protector thingy and put it on top of the pot.  By this point it's noon-ish, so I make my lunch and wait for the *BEEP*

Once it beeps I turn the heat off and let it cool before adding 1 cup of the emergency bbq sauce to the top of the pork shoulder.  Once that's done, I set the timer for 7 hours and clean up a bit.

Time to sit and start writing.  

Halfway through the time and it smells WONDERFUL!

Time to shovel a little more before the next impending storm tonight.  1.5 hr later.  House smells FANTASTIC! And I'm genuinely starving!

Oh  crud....what's the appropriate veggie for bbq that I might actually have in the house??  I hope it's green beans, because that's all I have to spare.

Next step was to remove the roast from the crock and set it aside....that process sent bbq sauce splattering across the kitchen - OOPS :)  Then scoop out the onions and set them aside.  Once you have retrieved all the onions floating in the tasty bbq drippings, you strain the liquid - I used my Oxo gravy separator - and shred the pork.... *SUMMON BGS for shredding*  While I wait for him, I pour the onion-less juice back into the crock.

 I think I might have chosen the wrong roast, or maybe BGS did it wrong, because he said it wasn't shredding easily.  He did his best though.  Once he shredded it , we put the pork back the crock, top it with the onions and turn the crock back on set to low for 30 minutes.  While the shredded pork was simmering in the juice, I heated two sweet potatoes and green beans in the microwave.

He tried the GF buns on Monday - even though I told him not to touch them - and said he didn't like them.  I had planned on making more - this time with GF Bisquick, but the 1.5 hours of snow shoveling shot those plans to kingdom come.

The bbq  was beyond tasty and moist and I was just too hungry to pause to take pictures.  Sorry.  Maybe I will take some with the leftovers.

Maple-Walnut Chicken: doing well so far, but it IS only Monday

Another late post with no pictures.  Sorry about that.  Maple-Walnut Chicken with Steamed Green beans.

The players: olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and fresh thyme.

BGS walks downstairs and gives me a glare "It's too much sugar.  I told you that already.    It isn't too much sugar.  "What's that green stuff?". "Fresh thyme.  I told you I don't like that.  Just eat it.  hrmpf.
Turns out I added WAY too much thyme :(

And now to finish the grocery list and menu plan for the week.  And try some other paleo recipe sites.

I was rather enjoying not having to search for recipes or think about what to eat every week, but I'm getting a little bored and stifled repeating what feels like the same recipe every 3-4 weeks.

Oh and I can't forget to set the Overnight oatmeal.

I got the idea from Alton Brown's episode "Oat Cuisine" but the figs didn't really peak my interest, but the great Google helped me find a wonderfully amazing overnight oatmeal recipe that has apples as the main recipe but she also lists multiple variations.  I haven't tried them yet, because well, because I like apples just so darn much.  The cherry and pumpkin do look mighty tasty, though.  I have a firm stance against pumpkin outside of the fall season, but I just might have to make an exception for the oatmeal.

Ok, back to MY oatmeal.

I use my small 2-qt slow-cooker so that the oatmeal doesn't burn - again.  It did burn the first time I made it in my 5-qt.   That's why we bought the 3-qt from Cuisinart.

I often think about setting it up before I am ready to turn it on, so I measure the liquids and pour them into a Rubbermaid jug so they are ready to go when I'm ready to turn my breakfast on for cooking.  Into the jug I add 1 1/2 cups almond milk, 1 1/2 cups filtered tap water, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and my recent addition is 2 tablespoons of Pom Wonderful Blueberry-Pomegranate Juice.  I don't notice the taste, but I just know those anti-oxidants are working their magic :)

I first spray the crock with cooking spray so that I can obtain my tasty goodness in the morning.  Next step is to measure 1 cup of Bob's Steel-Cut oats into the crock.  I then top the oats with 2 tbsp of flax meal, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of salt, and approximately 1/4 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg, and 2 tbsp of apple sauce.  (I know the recipe says butter, but I have always made it with applesauce and it comes out fine - in fact, I often substitute applesauce in my baked good when I know it is a suitable substitute).  
After the apple sauce is in, I chop 2 apples, usually gala or fuji,  into approximately 1/2 inch pieces and tumble them on top.

The last step is to pour on the liquid, stir the mix and put the lid on.  I was setting the timer for 7 hours on low, but every so often...ok...more often than not, I would wake up the warm setting was already active and the oatmeal was starting to burn,  so I bought a simple light timer and set it  for 7 hours.  Problem solved!

Crockpot Cranberry,Chicken, Quinoa, and Green Beans - almost a "dump dinner"

        My camera battery is dead :(  I started charging it after last week's post and it still isn't charged.  *sigh*  Looks like it's time to get a new battery.  So you will have to settle for my description of the prep (really wasn't much) and the ingredients. Sorry :(

The players: 1 box of Ancient Harvest Quinoa, 6 chicken breasts(2 lbs), 1 pound of (12 oz fresh, 4 oz frozen) green beans, 1 15-oz can of whole berry cranberry sauce, 1/4 cup of  Vogue Cuisine GF Onion Soup Base, 1/4 tsp of Smoked Paprika, and 1/4 tsp of freshly ground black pepper.

Oh and since the recipe suggested using either pork or chicken, I decided to prep and make dinner for tonight and prep dinner for another night.   The recipe site actually wrote the recipes for prepping and freezing.  I just didn't feel like prepping it last night, so I made one today and prepped one for another night.  I prepped the second one with 2 lbs of pork tenderloin (instead of chicken breasts) in the freezer.

At the advice of the recipe author, I label the freezer bag first.  (Good thing they said that as the first instruction, because labeling the filled bag would be pretty dang tough)  What was my label?   "Cranberry, Green bean, pork tenderloin 2-18-15," of course.  I place the green beans in the bag first, then the onion soup mix, then the cranberry sauce, and the pork tenderloins last.  That way the meat will go in the crock pot first.  I will need to get a bag of green beans (fresh or frozen) before I make the tenderloin meal.  I only had 1 12-oz bag of fresh beans today, so I added in approximately 4 oz of frozen green beans to today's chicken dinner, resulting in 4 oz less in the bag of frozen green beans intended for the pork meal.

Speaking of which...things that drive me a little nuts- when a recipe calls for ingredients in amounts that don't match the amounts sold in stores. Spices, flour, sugar, oils, and flavorings of any kind are the only things that are ok to not match ;)  *shrug*

 Darnit!  I forgot to get all the air out of the pork dinner bag....be right back.  Ok.  now we wait 4 hours.  The recipe said 4-6 hours for chicken.  I set the timer for 5 hours, but I had to get myself some lunch before I sat back down....so we wait...

*more hold music.  different station this time, I promise*  While we wait,  I work on my other endeavor at Red's Stitch Niche

*BEEEEP*  BEEEEEP  *BEEEEP* Hrmmm - doesn't smell like much....it should smell awesome.  Time to see how I did or what I need to tweak for next time......

*hold music*

Ok, so apparently I put the quinoa on the wrong layer.  silly me.  it needed water to cook...i put it on top of the green beans...so they were the top layer. next time i will put the quinoa between the chicken and the cranberry sauce.

Pretty darn good, except for the crunchy quinoa.  "Tastes like Thanksgiving dinner," says BGS.   SCORE!!  For for those us lucky enough to live near a Capriotti's, it tastes a bit like a Bobbie®.  Double Score!

The chicken had little flavor and was a tiny bit dry.  So I think the next I make this meal the layers will be chicken on the bottom, 1/4 cup unsalted broth, soup mix, then quinoa, then cranberry sauce, then green beans.

I apologize in advance if Capriotti's is copyrighted or registered by the subshop and I didn't note it here.  I searched the website and couldn't find out anything.  If someone knows the proper notation, please let me know and I will correct this post.

(Almost Overnight) Ginger Honey Apple Pork Tenderloin

First, I apologize for the lack of prep photos.  I completely forgot :(

Tomorrow night's dinner is going to be Honey Ginger Apple Pork Tenderloin.

Knowing that I have to leave tomorrow morning -  usually before I finish my first cup of coffee..mmmm coffee....wait....where was I?  Oh right, leave early and not return until noon-ish..... I prepped everything  tonight.  Including putting a slow cooker liner in the crock and putting the lid on.

As  many of you know I do my best to not alter a recipe or substitute ingredients until after I have made the dish once or twice.  That said....
Notes on the pork - the original recipe found on PaleoOMG's site called for pork roast.  My dad did my shopping for me this week, thanks dad :)  Out of habit I wrote pork tenderloin on my list....not roast.  So guess what he purchased....a tenderloin. I hope it turns out just as well.....

The players: 2 lb porkloin
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 apples, cored and sliced
2/3 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon raw honey
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 bay leaf

I grated the ginger, smashed the garlic, measured out the spices, and opened the pork.  I put the pork in  baggie number one, the honey in a small container 1 (with cooking spray),  measured and poured the low-sodium chicken stock in container 2, measured and placed the spices and put them in baggie 2, grated the ginger (baggie 3), smashed the garlic (baggie 4), sliced the apple and put it in baggie 5(with lemon juice), and saved myself some time by buying pre-sliced onion (THANK YOU, GROCERY STORE!!)  Stash the pork, the apple, the chicken stock, the ginger, and the garlic in the fridge and head off to bed.
. . . *insert sleepy music here*...

*Yawn* While my favorite Keurig ®pod  is brewing, I grab my oatmeal, creamer, and my mise en place (ingredients) out of the fridge (except the honey, since honey and refrigerators do not make for easy pouring).  Heat oatmeal here.

First, layer the onions on the bottom of the lined crock, then pour the chicken stock on top of the onions.  Toss the loin, ok maybe not toss...place the loin on top of the onions. add cream to coffee here Top the loin with the lemon-tossed apple slices, then empty the ginger baggie, the garlic baggie, and the spice baggie on top of the the apples.  Put the lid on and start the crock.  I set it for 9 hours and sat down to gobble up breakfast and coffee before dashing out the door.  ........*insert nice hold music here*....

Come back 4 hours later...walk up to the kitchen and almost fall over from the amazing smell coming from the crock pot.  It's BEYOND tempting to lift the lid, but I resist temptation.  I don't want any moisture to escape.  Now I just have to wait.  *sigh*  Had to warn BGS against opening the lid, also - just because I know he has a tendency to do exactly that...routinely....

*more hold music while I work on my passion of digitizing.  You can follow that passion here - Red's Stitch Niche*

Smelled fantastic, but I think I must have executed the recipe wrong(besides using the wrong cut of pork)...even though I followed the steps exactly, because it came out tasting like none of the flavors....and dry.

Note: when I pulled up the lid, I noticed that all the spices were sitting on top of the apples

I plan on trying the recipe again next week with the right cut of pork.  And maybe this time I will remember to buy and prep a vegetable and starch to go alongside the meal :)

Notes on the website from another person who also ended up with a dry roast - the author said to add more water next time.  Author said to make sure the liquid of choice comes up slightly higher than halfway up the roast.  I will try that and let you know.