Pork Loin Rib Roast With Honey Orange Marinade

This is what I prepared for Christmas dinner....very easy!!  We joked and called it a pork chop roast. It was very moist in the center.

Recipe from http://southernfood.about.com/

Ingredients:

• 1 pork loin rib roast
• 1 cup orange juice
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey

Preparation:

Wash roast and pat dry.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large food storage bag. Add the pork roast and seal. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350°. Line a roasting pan with foil.
Place the roast on a rack or atop onion slices in the prepared roasting pan. Wrap the tops of the bones with foil to keep them from becoming charred, if desired.
Roast for about 20 minutes per pound, or to 160°. Bring remaining marinade to a boil. Baste the pork with the marinade the last 15 minutes of cooking time.
Serves 6.

Crab Cakes

On Christmas Eve we made crab cakes and grilled shrimp. 
FYI: We found a delicious wild caught (in the Gulf) jumbo shrimp in the frozen section at Walmart.

Crab Cakes
Makes: 7-8 cakes


1 16 oz can Lump Crab meat -found in the fresh fish section
2 T mayo
1 t Dijon Mustard
1/2 T Old Bay Seasoning
1 egg
1/2 T chives (I used Penzeys)
1-2 T finely chopped red, yellow or orange bell pepper (optional)
2 T melted butter, cooled
2 T lemon juice

a sheet pan  - lined with parchment or non-stick foil
Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix everything except crab in large bowl.  Let sit for a few minutes to meld the flavors. 
Dump the crab from the container into a medium bowl.  Pick through the meat to check for bits of shell.
Add the crab to the large bowl.  Form into small patties.

Place onto baking sheet.  Drizzle the butter over the patties.
Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until browned.
Enjoy!!

Homemade Ricotta

Awhile ago I found this recipe for Homemade Ricotta from Chef Anne Burrell.  I just love her!  I had some milk I wanted to use up so I thought that I would try it.
The curds are very small.  I expected something larger like what we got in Sicily.  More like cottage cheese.

 It is not as easy as the recipe states.  I made it twice and got different results.  These photos are from the first batch.  You cook it a lot longer than the recipe says.

In the first batch I threw out a lot of liquid.

The second batch I used more vinegar and did not cook it as long and it didn't drain well through the paper towels. - you NEED cheesecloth for this recipe. But I didn't throw out as much liquid.  My husband said the cheese tasted good.  He liked it.

Ingredients

• 6 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, vinegar and salt. Place the pan over a medium heat and slowly bring the milk mixture to a simmer. Simmer the milk mixture for 1 to 2 minutes, you will see curds begin to form.

Line a mesh strainer with several layers of damp cheesecloth. Gently pour the curds and whey through into the strainer and let drain for 15 minutes. Gather the cheesecloth together and gently squeeze some of the excess liquid from the ricotta. Transfer the ricotta to a serving dish and drizzle with big fat finishing oil.

Cider Braised Pork Chops Primal Way

Cider-Braised Pork Chops

October/November 2008 (from Cook's Country but I paleo/primaled it)

Why this recipe works: Tasters preferred 1-inch blade chops in our recipe for Cider-Braised Pork Chops for their heft, silky meat, and rich taste. It took a little longer for the chops to become tender, but the wait was worth it. Patting the chops dry before adding them to the heated Dutch oven helped them develop a flavorful crust. Apple cider lent a sweet tartness to the braising mixture and sauce, while a bit of fresh thyme provided a heady herbal component. Jarred apple butter added tons of flavor, and its natural pectin gave the sauce a thick, glossy consistency.

Serves 6

Do not use chops thinner than 1 inch. In step 3, a fat separator makes quick work of defatting the sauce.

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in blade-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick
•   Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot
• 1/4 cup apple butter - homemade check out my recipe
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chops in two batches, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate.
• 2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot and cook onion over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, flour, and 2 tablespoons apple butter and cook until onions are coated and mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in cider and thyme, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, and bring to boil. Add browned chops and any accumulated juices to pot, cover, and transfer to oven. Braise until chops are completely tender, about 1½ hours.
• 3. Transfer chops to serving platter. Strain sauce, then use a shallow spoon to skim off fat. Whisk in vinegar, parsley, and remaining apple butter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing sauce at table.
• Make Ahead: Chops and sauce can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days. To serve, heat sauce and chops together over medium heat until chops are warmed through.

Advent Calendars

I came across this today.
Primal Kitchen is making her own treats for an advent calendar.
Today's post is Coconut Manna Walnut Cups - looks very yummy!!

Are you doing an advent calendar?  I bought one...I could not believe I found one at Trader Joe's.

Brownies.....

I love brownies!!  I really miss my old recipe.....it was so delish!  I have tried another primal recipe using almond butter BUT, don't be mad at me, I don't really like almond butter!  The recipe tasted more like the almond butter than the chocolate! 

I found this recipe yesterday and made it last night. Yummy!  My husband ate 2 pieces.  He kept saying how good they are.  That's a big deal to hear that!!

I used almond flour that I ground up!!

Closer...

I followed this to grind your own flour. It's a bit down in the post but Vanessa was correct.  You can make your own flour!  The first time I did it I did not have a coffee grinder.  But I got the Hamilton Beach grinder and it works very well!!  I used my Ninja Master Prep to grind down the nuts.  Then I sifted the fine particles out and put the larger pieces in to the coffee grinder.  This really works well.  I made a bit of a mess and it's a little noisy but you save so much money!!
A BIG THANKS to Vanessa for showing me the way!!

Turkey Soup

Today I made my Gumbo Soup with leftover turkey and the broth from the turkey carcass.   It was delish!!  Everybody should try this recipe.
Yesterday I made a Turkey Rice Soup.

I saved the drippings from the turkey. I refrigerated it.  I got a ton of what I call schmaltz.  I don't know if that is completely correct.  It's the fat that rises to the top of the broth.  I had over a quart of broth which was very flavorful.

Turkey Rice Soup
couple of tablespoons of schmaltz or olive oil
3 large carrots, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
1/2 c wild rice, cooked to package directions
chopped cooked turkey (I probably added a 2 cups or so)
5-6 sliced hard boiled eggs
turkey broth (at least a quart)**

I sauteed the carrots and celery in the schmaltz until it was well cooked. 
Added the broth. Let it simmer awhile.
Add the turkey and rice.  Simmer some more.
Add the eggs and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!!

Both soups are lovely on a chilly day.

**Substitute: chicken broth