because you asked! balsamic bbq pork loin

i'm kind of known around here for my love of pork and my pulled pork bbq sandwiches, but the other day i didn't have time for my pulled pork sandwiches but  really wanted  barbequed pork. so i sifted through some of my mom's old recipes and i found this recipe for balsamic pork roast, it's similar to a roasted balsamic chicken recipe i do all the time.  so with minimal time before heading out of the house on sunday i figured i'd give it a try. it was soooo good the family said it needs to become one of our regular favorite dinners! we have quite a few of those around here. 

                                                         balsamic bbq pork loin

1 (2 pound) boneless pork roast

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup chicken/veg/beef stock (your choice water/beer would work too)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

bbq sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Combine sage, salt, pepper. Rub over roast. heat olive oil in pan, make sure it's nice and hot to get a good sear on the meat. this helps deepen the flavor. place pork roast in pan and sear each side, when done searing meat, remove and put in slow cooker and deglaze pan with liquid, then pour over roast. spread garlic on top of roast and cover.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

 About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.
 

my food journey with anne post 2

the other day i asked anne what she wanted for dinner, her response was i don't know, something easy to eat since my mouth hurts, but maybe not soup or salad. i suggested stir fry with fish and she said that sounds great! i haven't had stir fry in a while.

while driving home i started to think about what i normally do for stir fry and realized this would have to be quite different. no rice, no soy, no carrots, no peppers all things that are common to a good stir fry. what could i do to make this actually seem like stir fry and not just some basic sauteed veggies and fish? the main thing that makes a difference is when you pour the veggies and protein over rice and it absorbs all those wonderful flavors. hmmmm what to do with out rice?

i started to do a little research and then some experimenting and came up with this yummy little dish

green stir fry with cauliflower rice and garlic cashew cod

not your average stir fry, but it was really great. since rice wasn't an option, the cauliflower acts as the filler and it soaks up all the goodness of the stir fry and fish. for the green stir fry i sauteed broccoli, shaved brussel sprouts, shallots, garlic and ginger and the cod was sauteed in garlic, butter, olive oil and topped with  roasted cashews. what really made this dish was the cauliflower rice and it was so easy to make.
since on this journey with anne, the other goal is to make this family friendly too, so for my kids i sauteed some carrots and peppers also and then served theirs with teriyaki chicken. they loved it! my son added a bit of soy sauce to his cauliflower, but all agreed that is was a great substitute for the rice. again another win, win!
the best part it is completely carb free and i was still full for the rest of the night. i often notice when i cut my carbs i tend to get hungry about an hour later. that is just me, not everyone, but that was not the case with this meal.


                                                     cauliflower rice

2 cups cauliflower florets (one large head)
2 tablespoons coconut or extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 shallots
2 minced cloves garlic
Coarse salt
1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

Pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat one tablespoon coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced shallot and minced garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, about six minutes. Add cauliflower and season with coarse salt. Stir in vegetable broth and steam, covered, until broth has evaporated and cauliflower is tender, about six minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover.

my food journey with anne......

if you have been following these last few weeks you know i started a quest of finding healthy, tasty meals for a close friend who is on a VERY restricted diet. she is going through cancer treatments and part of her plan to kick this horrible thing is eating only the best foods for her body.
 trying to plan tasty meals that are small, filling and easy to eat is hard all by itself. so let's face it when you can't have meat, dairy, carbs, fruits and dare i say chocolate!! ;(  there are only soooo many salads you can eat.
i also decided while on this fabulous and challenging food journey with her, i was going to create meals that were not only good for her, but also meals and snacks my family or any family could eat too.
so last nights dinner was parchment baked salmon with brussel sprouts and garlic, light, easy and loaded with protein! that wasn't all that challenging. the real challenge was creating a dessert that didn't contain dairy, sugar, fruits or chocolate that would be tasty for her and  my family would enjoy it also! so this is what came out of my brainstorming.
chia pudding, made with coconut milk, chia seeds, cinnamon and vanilla. it is thick and creamy and kind of like tapioca pudding. i topped hers with coconut sugar, cinnamon and crushed almonds as you can see it looks delicious and it tasted yummy!!!
 so here's a few facts about chia seed: 
        it has five times the calcium of milk, chia seed has double the protein of any other seed or grain. it also contains boron (a trace mineral that helps get the calcium in your bones, a great thing for anne since this awful disease is attacking her bones too)
 it is extremely high in fiber, provides energy, helps induce weight loss,  lowers cholesterol, and provides intestinal regularity, and is easy to digest. do i need to go on? oh, but wait, here's another interesting fact, did i mention, my kids loved it too!!!!! ding, ding, ding!!!! we have a win!!
below is the kids version, they topped it with strawberries, blueberries, crushed almonds and a drizzle of maple syrup. breakfast, lunch, snack, dessert really does it matter when you eat it! something yummy for anytime of the day.
 i have decided i am going to try and bring you on this food journey with me, by posting pics and blogging and sharing some of my new recipes with you as often as i can. bare with me though, between the kids, everyday life, work, and did i mention remodel, packing and moving and let's just throw a wedding out of town in there for good measure i may get behind. i will try and do my best tho. hope you enjoy our little treat as much as we did!

                                                        vanilla chia seed pudding
1 can coconut milk
12 0zs. warm water
1/2 cup chia seeds
1 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Dash of sea salt 

whisk together the coconut milk and water until smooth.  whisk in the remaining ingredients for about a minute or two.  let set for five minutes and whisk again for another minute.  
 cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.  the chia seeds need about eight hours to absorb the liquid.  in the morning whisk again, then enjoy your pudding.
the pudding becomes thicker the longer you leave in refrig. i made mine tuesday and it is really thick and delicious today! feel free to mix in any flavors, like honey, different nuts, fruits. i love that the kids liked it too. what a great after school snack or before practice pick me up.