real food cook

i dry rubbed these amazing chops with the following: (per pound of pork)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp thyme

1 ground bay leaf

pinch of allspice

mix this all together, rub it onto the surface of the chops.  put them in a covered bowl and allow at least three or four hours, turning it a few times.

before cooking, wipe off the marinade with paper towels and dry the meat thoroughly.

now, preheat the oven to 325 degrees

heat some fat (your choice, i like coconut oil) in an ovenproof casserole (you will put this into the oven in a few minutes)

brown them on both sides (don’t crowd the pan!)

when the chops are all browned cover and heat the casserole until the meat is sizzling then transfer to the lower rack of your preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes.

turn and baste the chops with butter once or twice during the cooking

now the best part, remove the chops from the casserole to a heated plate once they are cooked.  pour off all but about 2 Tb of the fat and add dry vermouth, reduce it down scraping the bits off the bottom.  pour over the chops and enjoy!

you decided to give up gluten for the month of january?  think you could do it?

check it out at www.glutenfreejan.com

When you’re ready to sign up just send a message to [email protected] with your first name, last initial, and town or city where you’re currently living.

Grain is a biohazard!

i didn’t quite get it all done these past two weeks.  i exercised several days, ate right 99% of the time and generally was pleased with the way things were going… until it wasn’t.  i got some sort of digestive/intestinal/lower abdominal/severely painful/couldn’t move easily/am i “blocked”?/must live in bed/need to rest/a lot/thing.

but, i am feeling much better now, for now? …  are you excited for the presents or the PRESENCE?

you are you, and that’s good!

got this from the fabulous site of nell stephenson, check her out if you haven’t already!  her recipes for Christmas celebrations look amazing, and i am excited to make her “stuffing”.  what do you think?

nell writes:

If you’re really jonesing for an eggnog, following is a recipe for one which you can make with coconut milk (just a reminder NOT to use canned- as it often contains guar gum, derived from a bean, and thus, not Paleo!).  I’ve found this online, and, to make an example out of how you can convert a non-Paleo recipe to one that is, I’ve made some changes in red:

8 egg yolks

4 cups coconut milk or cream

8 tablespoons dark rum Easy enough to omit- or use natural rum extract flavoring

6 tablespoons white sugar Skip this, or use a bit of honey- as per The Paleo Diet- ok to use on rare occasions…

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

Coconut Eggnog Directions

Into a large saucepan, pour the coconut milk/ cream and add the white sugar.

Heat BUT DO NOT BOIL over a medium heat.

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the vanilla essence.

Into the bowl, pour approximately half the coconut milk & sugar mixture.

Whisk briskly.

Add the remainder of the coconut milk & sugar mixture.

Pour the combined mixture back into your large saucepan.

Wash out the large bowl because you’ll need it again in a few minutes.

Cook over a low heat BUT DO NOT BOIL, ensuring that you continuously stir.

Continue stirring until the eggnog thickens slightly – enough to be able to coat the back of a spoon.

Pour & strain the eggnog back into the (washed, rinsed & dried) large bowl.

Allow the eggnog to sit and cool until it becomes room temperature.

Stir in the dark rum.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.

Just prior to serving, combine the ground nutmeg & ground cinnamon on a small dish, and sprinkle a little of the mixture on top of each served glassful of your delicious coconut eggnog!

Enjoy the holiday shopping, warm beverage in hand, with the knowledge that you’ve not strayed off your Paleo track, and as a result, you’ve avoided adding a few hundred empty sugar calories to boot!

rfc says:  we will be enjoying this on Christmas eve, you can be sure!