Veggie Pork Soup

Nothing warms me up in winter like a delicious soup. And with busy evenings full of cross country skiing, girl scouts, and swimming nothing beats walking in the door and having a hot meal ready to eat. My idea for this soup came from a recipe I saw for sage pork chops. The seasonings go well with the ground pork and vegetables and taste even better the next day. Make extra for packed lunches; my girls ate it all week!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 cup cabbage, chopped
• 1 cup roasted winter squash or sweet potato, cubed
• 4-6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 1/2 tsp sage
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Fry ground pork until cooked through.
3. Add the meat and all remaining ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Serve hot.

Alaskan Sourdough Pork

In local slang, a Cheechako is someone new to Alaska while a Sourdough is an Alaskan old-timer. This tangy and spicy barbecued pork is delicious enough to satisfy even the most crusty of old sourdoughs. Pre-paleo, my family loved the yummy barbecued meats grilled up at Sourdough Mining Company, a replica of an old mill house filled with gold mining memorabilia. Since it's impossible for me to eat there without indulging in their corn fritters and honey butter, we have steered clear from there for quite a while. This dinner was my successful attempt at serving the girls a Sourdough worthy meal!

Serves 4-6

Pulled Pork Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 1/2 pound pork loin roast
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 slices bacon
• 2 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper 

BBQ Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 cup liquid, reserved from the cooked pork
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 T fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1/4 - 1 T sambal olek (or another paleo-friendly hot sauce)
• 1 T spicy brown mustard
• 1 T rice vinegar
• 1 T frozen pineapple juice concentrate (100% juice)

Directions:

1. Place chopped onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Add the roast. Cut slits on the roast and embed a garlic clove in each one.
3. Pour chicken broth over the roast.
4. Cover with slices of bacon and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook meat on low for 6-8 hours, or until meat is cooked through and tender.
6. Strain pork, reserving liquid and set aside.
7. In a sauce pan, add all ingredients for the BBQ sauce.
8. Simmer for 20 minutes, until sauce thickens.
9. Stir pulled pork into the sauce and serve immediately.

For a complete sourdough dinner, serve with paleo coleslaw and sweet potato fries.

Paleo Coleslaw: Chop cabbage and carrots or use a pre-packaged coleslaw mix. Whisk together a dressing made with olive oil, rice vinegar, and spicy brown mustard.

Sweet Potato Fries: Peel 2 sweet potatoes and cut into fry size pieces. Soak in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Drizzle with olive oil and spicy spice mixture (I like using berbere, an Ethiopian spice mix). Spread onto a cookie sheet and cook for 30-45 minutes at 400 degrees.

Beef Enchilada Stew

It's Labor Day. Woo hoo... time to put away the white pants and pull out the slow cooker! OK. That's a lie. I don't own white pants AND I use my slow cooker year-round. But now that it's September and cool weather is upon us (at least in Alaska), I feel much more obliged to make slow cooking part of my weekly routine. Even on a holiday when I'm not coming home from a busy day at work and wanting dinner ready to go, there's something comforting and cozy about a slow cooked meal.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 1/2 pounds stew meat, cubed
• 3 slices bacon
• 1/2 to 1 T cajun seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can (28 ounces) El Pato enchilada sauce

Directions:

1. Add 1/2 T coconut oil and meat to the slow cooker.
2. Cover with slices of bacon and sprinkle with seasoning.
3. Cook meat on low for 4-6 hours, or until meat is cooked through and tender.
4. Heat remaining oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
5. Add garlic and fry until frangrant.
6. Add onion and fry until it turns golden brown.
7. Add enchilada sauce and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes.
8. Stir in contents of slow cooker, including the liquid. Cook 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
9. Serve over roasted or stir-fried vegetables.

Massaman Beef Curry

Just when I thought I couldn't make a better curry...

In one of my earliest posts, I shared how to make a perfect Thai Coconut Curry, but I think I've actually out-curried myself. On this day, I tossed some meat and veggies into the slow cooker in the morning without really knowing what I was going to make for dinner. Coming home to a house filled with smells of a gingery-stew was lovely, but I just wasn't in the mood to eat it as-is. In 15-minutes, I whipped that "plain" stew into the best Massaman curry I've ever had!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds stew meat, cubed
• 1 onion, cut into eighths
• 2-3 carrots, cut into large chunks
• 1-2 turnips, cut into large chunks
• 1-2 inch piece of ginger, sliced
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 tsp Berbere spice or cayenne (optional)
• 1 T coconut oil
• 2-4 T Massaman curry paste 
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tsp coconut aminos (or wheat-free tamari) 
• 1/4 cup cashews (optional)

Directions:

1. Add meat, onion, carrots, turnips, ginger, and beef broth to slow cooker. Sprinkle with Berbere spice or cayenne, if using.
2. Cook stew on low for 4-6 hours, or until meat is cooked through and tender.
3. Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. The paste will become fragrant and may begin popping and sizzling.
5. Add about 1/3 can of coconut milk and mix well with the curry paste and oil. Fry for 5-10 minutes or until an oily sheen appears the coconut milks begins to separate.
6. Add the remaining 2/3 can of coconut milk along with the coconut aminos.
7. Add contents of slow cooker into the curry sauce, including the liquid. Cook 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
8. Taste and adjust. Too mild? Add more curry paste. Too bland? Add more coconut aminos. Too thick? Add a little water. Continue adjusting until you reach that taste of ultimate yumminess.
9. Serve immediately.

Note: The store bought Massaman curry paste tends to be much  more mild than the other pastes I buy. I usually have to double the amount of paste to get the level of flavor I like. I don't generally use fish sauce or lime juice in Massaman curry, but you can certainly add those ingredients instead of the coconut aminos if you like.

Pork Roast

I'm not going to pretend that this recipe is so different from my Oxtail Stew. But a busy work schedule combined with lots of fresh snow in the mountains has my slow-cooker working overtime! When I arrive home from work tired and chilled, the smell of slow-cooked roast meets me at the door and instantly perks me up. Roasts are warming and filling and make fantastic leftovers for packed school lunches!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 1/2 pounds pork (I used a shoulder roast)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 turnip, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 rutabaga, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 parsnip, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• salt, pepper, and cayenne (for a little kick)

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the pork on all sides. Place it in the slow cooker.
3. Season the pork with salt and pepper, and cayenne, if using.
4. Fry the garlic until fragrant.
5. Add vegetables to the pan and fry for 3-5 minutes until they begin to brown.
6. Add just enough chicken broth so you can easily scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
7. Pour chicken broth into the slow cooker.
8. Add vegetable mixture to the slow cooker. Do not stir.
9. Top the slow cooked contents with chopped bacon.
10. Secure the lid and cook for 7-8 hours on Low.

Oxtail Stew

I have been intrigued by ox tail for ages. I've passed it by many times in our local Asian grocery store and this week, my curiosity finally prompted me to toss a package in my basket. The girls giggled when I explained that this funny cut of meat really was the tail of a cow; followed shortly by wrinkled up noses when they realized they would soon be eating said tail. I was excited to try something new, but also perplexed with the "now what" question. I searched for recipes online and nothing quite tickled my fancy. As I sat at my computer, chilled by the sudden drop in temperatures and cool breeze blowing through the cracked window, I knew my only choice was to prepare the oxtail in a good, old-fashioned, slow-cooked stew. I relied on memories of beef stew from my childhood and began sifting through our recent CSA produce. The result was delicious! The girls were a little "grossed out" at having to discard the fat around the meat, but other than that they practically licked the bones clean.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 4 oxtail pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 turnips, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 large cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• salt, pepper, and cayenne (for a little kick)

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the oxtails on all sides. Place them in the slow cooker.
3. Season the oxtails with salt and pepper, and cayenne, if using.
4. Fry the garlic until fragrant.
5. Add vegetables to the pan and fry for 3-5 minutes until they begin to brown.
6. Add just enough beef broth so you can easily scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
7. Pour beef broth into the slow cooker.
8. Add vegetable mixture to the slow cooker. Do not stir.
9. Top the slow cooked contents with chopped bacon.
10. Secure the lid and cook for 4-5 hours on High.

Osso Bucco

Twice in the past week and a half I've made Osso Bucco. Traditionally made with lamb, I use beef. Osso Bucco is simply the thigh cut cross-wise, and since it has the bone left in it should be no surprise that the translation is simply, "bone with a hole." Its a cheaper cut, with lots of connective tissues, so it needs longer cooking. A few hours in the oven, or perfect for the slow cooker. And it comes with a bonus - Marrow! I have made this recipe with all the ingredients, and also lacking several... (and once I was out of thyme so I used tarragon - loved it.) Change it up as needed... and enjoy!

Slow Cooked Osso Bucco

4-6 pieces of osso bucco

few Tablespoons olive oil or oil of choice

2 onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 carrots, sliced thick or diced

2 sticks celery, cut same as carrots

1/2 cup (or more) good dry wine

1 1/2 cups beef stock

2-3 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes (optional, but you want enough liquid to just cover the meat so use more broth or wine if needed)

1 teaspoon dried thyme (or tarragon, not both)

a few bay leaves

Get slow cooker ready.

Brown osso bucco on each side in oil, lay in slow cooker.

Saute garlic, onions, carrots, celery until onions are nicely browned and put on top of meat in slow cooker.

Mix wine, broth, tomato paste, spices, and canned tomatoes (if using) well and pour over meat.

Liquid should come JUST to the top of the meat... or cover barely.

Cook on low for at least 5 and up to 8 hours. Check once or twice during cooking if you're around and stir or spoon liquid over the meat.

Serve with salad, any paleo-friendly veggies, or just plain... So Delicious! I even got all 3 of my girls to eat the marrow.