Category Archives: Pork

Beef, Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

A Twist on an old favorite comfort food

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This has been one of those months when too many things kept me from the kitchen to do anything more than reheat something or, for a few days when I had a stomach bug, just have soup. So not much posted for the month, but I did make this fabulous meatloaf yesterday and wanted to share the recipe with you.

You’ll also notice in the photo that I have a serving of cauli-rice and sweet potato on the side. I put a little of the pan juices from the meatloaf over the top for flavoring and moisture. The cauli-rice is a new product from Green Giant Foods, one of several cauliflower dishes they’ve put on the market. Look for a post in a few days with my product review on them. I can say that this was very tasty although I think a little extra seasoning kicks the flavor up a notch.

Most people don’t integrate the pasta sauce into the meatloaf, but put it over the top. I mixed mine in and it makes a delicious and moist meatloaf. Keeping it to low carb, I didn’t put any bread crumbs in it. This means it is more delicate than your regular meatloaf, but it will hold together.

Italian Style Meatloaf

1 pound lean Ground Beef (15% fat)
1 pound Ground Sausage
1 cup Pasta Sauce – (I used Pumpkin Pasta Sauce)
1 cup Onions, chopped
3 mini Sweet Peppers, chopped
2 Green Onions, finely sliced
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 large Egg
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F.)

In a large bowl, mix the ground beef and the sausage together. Add the onions, peppers, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese and mix together. Add the pasta sauce and stir in completely.

Place meat mixture in an oven safe pan, skillet, or large glass pan. Shape the meat into a loaf about 4 inches in depth and 6 inches wide. It should not touch the sides of the pan so that it will cook and brown around all exposed sides.

Meatloaf just out of the oven. I love my copper-clad square pan for making this and stews. It easily goes from stove to oven.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the meat loaf is browned and the internal temperature is about 155 degrees. Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes before cutting. The meatloaf will cook a little more while sitting and will set up.

Use a sturdy pancake turner to cut and serve the slices. Makes about 8 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 341 Fat: 22.8 g Net Carbs: 3.8 g Protein: 28.7 g

Note: This meatloaf can be stored in a container and frozen for up to three months, so if you have leftovers, that’s an option. It also makes a delicious sandwich filling.

Main Dish, Pork

Apples, Onions and Pork equals delicious

Pork chops cook quickly when fried and combine wonderfully with other flavors. One of my favorite recipes when I was a child was pork chops with apples and corn. Well, corn is a tough one to do on low carb and even apples push it a bit, but this recipe combines apples with onions for a really fantastic flavor that is still under 7 net carbs per serving.  My secret ingredient? Irish Whiskey. It brings a subtle flavor to the meal.

Whiskey Pork Chops with Apples

2 Pork Chops, about 3/4 inch thick (4 oz. each)
Seasoning Salt
Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil
2 teaspoons Unsalted Butter
1/3 large Onion, sliced
1 Scallion, sliced
3/4 Apple, cored and sliced
1/4 cup Irish Whiskey plus water to make 1/3 cup

Wash the pork chops and pat dry with a towel. Trim off any large pieces of fat. Sprinkle with seasoning salt and pepper to your preference on each side. Heat a cast iron or copper clad pan over high heat, lower to medium high. Add the olive oil and swirl around the pan. Put in the pork chops and cook for about five minutes on one side so you get a good sear, then turn the chops over and cook another five minutes. Set aside on a warm plate. (Put the plate on the turned off burner next to where you’re cooking to get it warm or put it in a low temperature oven.)

Add butter to the pan to melt, then swirl it around the pan. Add the onions, scallions, and apples. Saute until the onions begin to caramelize, around eight minutes. Stir in the whiskey and water, then add the pork chops back to the pan.

Cook until the pork chops are tender, around another fifteen minutes. About half-way through, turn the chops over and pile the apple mixture on top. Cover with a lid and finish cooking until the pork chop is done.

Serve with mashed cauliflower and a salad to complete the meal.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 378 Fat: 15.8 g Net Carbs: 6.8 g Protein: 32.2 g

Breakfast & Brunch, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Joy of Spring Cheese Pie

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I am pretty sure those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are beginning to get antsy for Spring to arrive. This is especially true as I look out my window watching snow come down after three days of almost balmy, sunny weather.  Yep, typical for Reno.  Lure those plants to begin to bud, then freeze them. So I needed something cheerful and comforting to brighten my day.

This wonderful sausage, leeks, asparagus and cheese pie is just the ticket to remind you of the wonderful tastes of the season.  I love cheese pies.  They’re easy to make and the possibilities are endless.  With St. David’s Day just past and St. Patrick’s Day just ahead, this particular pie celebrates the lovely sharp cheddar cheeses from Wales and Ireland.  You can use American cheddar, but it’s not quite the same, so check your market for one of the imports.  It’s worth it.

A note about the spices, they are changeable.  The ones in the recipe are the ones that I particularly like, but if you want to substitute in others, feel free. And, if you don’t want to eat meat, you can leave it our and it still tastes great!

Sausage, Asparagus & Leek Cheese Pie

1/2 lb Ground Country Sausage
1 Leek
1/2 lb Asparagus Spears
1 tablespoon Butter
4 large Eggs
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
3/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground Sage
1/4 teaspoon dried Basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried Parsley, crushed
1/8 teaspoon dried Celeraic
1/8 teaspoon ground Thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
12 oz. Irish or Welsh Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

This may be made crustless or in a pie crust.

Preheat oven to 365 degrees (F.) If making it without a crust, spray a deep dish pie plate with baking spray and set aside. If using a crust, prepare and pre-bake for about 10 minutes to partially cook it before adding the mixture so you won’t have a soggy bottom.

Cut or break the asparagus into one inch pieces. Clean the leek and slice into thin rings. Use the leek as far up the green tops until they get tough. Heat a skillet, add the butter and stir it around until it starts to melt, then add the leeks and sauté until they are just tender. Remove to a bowl. Add the sausage, breaking it into little pieces and stir until lightly browned. Mix the sausage, leeks, and asparagus together and spread evenly over the bottom of the pie plate.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk, add the cream, ricotta cheese, and seasonings and mix until completely combined. Stir in the cheddar cheese and pour over the sausage mixture in the pie plate.

Put the pie in the center of the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes until it is golden brown and a knife or toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then serve with a salad.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Crustless Pie:
Nutrition information per serving (6 servings):
Calories: 47602 Fat: 37.6 g Net Carbs: 4.3 g Protein: 29.7 g

Nutrition information per serving (8 servings):
Calories: 357.2 Fat: 28.2 g Net Carbs: 3.2 g Protein: 22.2 g

Main Dish, Pork, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Savory Pork Stew for St. Patrick’s Day

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Hard to believe that we’re almost to the end of February with only a week left in the month. I’m already thinking ahead to spring, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter. We’ve had enough rain and snow in northern Nevada this winter that I think the spring should be spectacular this year. I’ve started to get a jump on recipes for the season and one I tried this past weekend is a variation of an Irish Stew.

Mostly a true Irish Stew, if there is one, would use lamb in it. While lamb is okay. it’s not my first choice for meat. To be honest, I prefer pork over lamb or beef, so I was happy to find this recipe from one of my favorite online people, Chef John, that uses pork and Brussels sprouts, which he calls baby cabbages. I don’t think that’s exactly accurate, but I do like sprouts so it’s fine with me. I expect, you could cut cabbage into quarters, cook them in water for a few minutes, then pop them into the stew for the last five minutes and they would work quite well. I only made a couple of minor changes to Chef John’s stew. Check out his recipe and video here.

This stew is delicious, very savory, easy to make, and best of all, low in carbs. I find the pork is more tender than beef and is, I’m sorry little piggies, a favorite taste of mine. You could still make the stew with beef or chicken, if you prefer.

I cheated a little and bought my fresh carrots already cut into slices. It worked well.

Savory Pork Irish Stew

3 pounds boneless Pork Shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
Salt and ground Black Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Butter
1 cup Onions, chopped
2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all purpose Flour*
1 Bay Leaf
8 ounces Dark Beer, like Guinness
2 cups Chicken Broth
3 Carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 stalks Celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh Parsley
3 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
12 Brussels Sprouts, halved

*low carb flours don’t work well as a thickener

Season the pork with salt and pepper. In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil. Add pork cubes in batches, cooking and stirring until they are lightly browned on all sides. Remove to a bowl and do the next batch until they are all done. Set aside.

To the pan, add butter, then add the onions and cook the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for about thirty seconds. Add flour; cook and stir until it is mixed in completely. Add beer to the pot, then add the cornstarch mixture and a bay leaf. Cook and stir until the mixture thickens.

Add pork, carrots, celery, and chicken broth to the pan and bring to a simmer. Stir in parsley and balsamic vinegar. Lower the heat to medium low and continue to simmer until the pork is tender, about two hours.

Heat a pot of water to a boil, then add the halved Brussels sprouts and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the sprouts, then add to the stew and cook until the sprouts are fork-tender, around 5 more minutes.
Serve with Irish Soda Bread or a cauliflower/turnip mash to complete the meal.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories 623 Fat: 44.3 g Net Carbs: 8 g Protein: 42.1 g

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Italian Inspired Recipes, Pork, Poultry, Recipes

White Pizza for a change of pace

Every once in a while, a body wants a packed-with-goodness pizza. That’s not always easy to do when you’re watching your carbohydrates. But it’s not impossible. You can use a couple of substitutes for the pizza crust that are pretty good, like chicken, portobello mushrooms, sliced eggplant, low carb tortillas, and this one I used for this recipe, a cauliflower pizza. Now, if you don’t like cauliflower, then choose one of the other options and just follow the toppings part of the recipe.

I made a vegetable-packed white sauce pizza. In this case the white sauce is simply an Alfredo pasta sauce. I used Classico because it is pretty low in carbs, but there are others that are also good for it. Check the jar and if it is around 3 net carbs per 1/4 cup, you’re in the ballpark. The taste of this is really great and the vegetables can be pretty flexible to what you like on it. Want it completely vegetarian, leave off the chicken and bacon, but it will have cheese. I’ve listed the carb counts for the crust separate from the toppings and the total combined as well. The crust is good for any pizza you’d like to make.

White Sauce Vegetable and Chicken Pizza

For the Pizza Cauliflower Crust
2 1/2 cups Cauliflower, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 Egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon Ground Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil

For the Toppings:
1/2 cup Brussels sprouts, sliced or shredded
1/2 cup Mushrooms, pieces or slices
1/2 cup Kale, chopped or torn
1/2 cup Spinach, chopped or torn
3 tablespoons Bell Peppers, chopped
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1 1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, shredded
1 cup Alfredo sauce (Classico)
1 cup Chicken Breast, cooked and sliced or shredded
2 slices Thick Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F.)

Crust:

Put your raw cauliflower in the food processor and pulse until it resembles rice or couscous. Or you can grate it by hand with a food grater. Put the grated cauliflower on a clean towel (flour sack towers are great for this), fold the towel over the cauliflower and squeeze to get as much water as possible out of the vegetable.

Put the dried cauliflower in a bowl and add the parmesan cheese, oregano, garlic powder, and dried basil. Mix in the egg, a dash of salt, and stir until completely blended. You can form it into ball at this point.

Put a sheet of parchment paper over a round stone or on a baking sheet. I used a baking pan lined with foil and it also works. Spray the foil with baking spray before you put the cauliflower in it. Shape the cauliflower dough into round pizza or a rectangle. Press it firmly together.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the crust is a golden brown. Pull it out and let it rest about five minutes, then add your toppings.

Vegetable Pizza

Prepare all the vegetables while the crust is cooking. Only the chicken and bacon are pre-cooked, although you can parboil the Brussels sprouts if you cut them in slices so that they aren’t too crunchy. Put them in a pan of boiling water for three minutes, then rinse in cold water and drain. OR put them in a bowl in the microwave for three minutes then drain.

Before the final cheese is spread and the pizza cooked.
Before the final cheese is spread and the pizza cooked.

Spread half of the Mozzarella cheese over the crust, then spread the Alfredo sauce over the top of that. Distribute the chicken and vegetables evenly over the crust and top with the bacon pieces. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella over the top and bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Cut and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving (crust and toppings):
Calories: 418 Fat: 26.2 g Net Carbs: 9.7 g Protein: 36.4 g

Nutrition Information per serving (crust only):
Calories: 92.5 Fat: 5.1 g Net Carbs: 2.5 g Protein: 8.1 g

Nutrition Information per serving (toppings only):
Calories: 325.8 Fat: 21.1 g Net Carbs: 7.2 g Protein: 28.3 g