Pork and Apples

This is what my house smells like right now! Grilled pork and perfectly seasoned apples. I used to say I didn't like meat with fruit. I have so gotten over that! Fruit juices have long been used in marinades for meat, since the acid in fruits acts as a natural tenderizer. And the combination of sweet, juicy fruits with rich, savory, tender meats is absolutely to-die-for! And fried pork chops and sugar-laden applesauce has long been a Fall dinner table staple. This recipe yields all the great taste of a classic, but with less calories and no crap. A win-win!

Caveat...I made this tonight for six families. When cooking for that many people, I don't necessarily follow the same steps as when I'm cooking for myself. This is a case in point. To work with 15 pounds of pork, I seasoned them and grilled them outside. I cooked the apples in roasting pans, and then combined the two. Since this is how I cooked it, these are the pictures I have. But the recipe will be written as if I were cooking for one family...most importantly, all cooking is accomplished in one skillet.

Pork and Apples

Season pork with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. You can use pork loin or a nice chop, even pork steaks. Heat large skillet to very hot and then add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add pork, cook until nicely browned (about a minute or two), flip and repeat on other side. Remove meat to a plate.




Add chopped green onions and sliced apples to the pan. Season with salt, pepper, and a bit of cinnamon. Cook for about two minutes, then add pork chops back in. At this point you can do a couple different things...




a) either put lid on skillet, decrease heat, and cook until pork is cooked through.

b) slip skillet (only if oven proof) into a 350 degree oven to finish cooking.

c) you can also add white wine to the pan before slipping the pork back in and finishing the cooking. It depends on how strictly paleo you want to keep things.

This is really quick, really easy, and super delicious. You can even swing this for non paleo company and they won't look askance at it! Enjoy!

SoCal Mojito!

So, all of us fun-loving Paleo peeps are familiar with Robb Wolf's NorCal Margaritas! Yeah, yeah, yeah...we know alcohol isn't paleo. However, we are human. And though we do indulge every now and then, we do attempt to keep it as clean as possible. And though the NorCal margaritas are damn tasty, tequila just is not usually my go-to hard alcohol of choice.

So, a couple weeks ago I had my first mojito and LOVED it! And last night, my friend, Lupita, gifted me with a wonderful mojito making kit at my housewarming party. Never one to let something sit and collect dust, I decided to test my mojito making skills right after I finished cooking tonight.

I started with fresh mint, since at one point I planted some in my garden and now have enough to keep a few continents in mojitos for the entire summer months.



Then, I simply followed the basic mojito recipe, leaving out and/or substituting any non-paleo ingredients. I left the sugar out completely, because I like tart better than sweet any day. And then I used club soda instead of lemon lime soda. The taste was still very refreshing and it will definitely be made again. Maybe in ten minutes.

SoCal Mojitos

Put in bottom of glass: 2 Tablespoons crushed ice, 10 mint leaves, juice of half a lime. Muddle. Muddle, muddle, muddle. The little muddler looks just like the one used for real Mexican hot chocolate. It is TRES cute!

THEN add 2 oz white rum and 1/2 oz of orange liquer and mix. Then strain into another glass filled with ice. Top off with club soda.