Some recipes

[Vian]

I figured I'd just post a few recipes in one thread all together.

 

This is one I just kind of concocted tonight. It turned out really well, and while yes, there are dates used to sweeten the marinade, it is by no means actually SWEET, it just helps balance the spices and prevent any bitterness. 

 

   Â½ yellow onion, coarsely diced

   3-4 garlic cloves

   Â¼ c. dried pitted dates – chopped

   1 tbs. white vinegar

   1 ½ tsp. salt

   1 tsp. chili powder

   1 tsp. paprika

   1 tsp. dried oregano

   1 tsp. dried mustard powder

   Â½ tsp. dried sage

   Â½ tsp. cumin

   Â½ tsp. cayenne

   Â½ tsp. black pepper

 

Blend everything in a food processor and drizzle in olive oil until the mixture becomes a paste and everything is well blended. Apply to chicken and marinate for 4-6 hours. I put it on the grill, but I'm sure whatever cooking method you'd like would be fine.

 

 

Lemon blackened tilapia

 

I kind of came up with this on accident, but it turns out fantastic. I use the frozen tilapia fillets from costco. I thaw them first then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then I put them in a hot pan with some ghee and get them kind of browned on both sides. Then I squeeze some lemon juice across the fillets and let them cook until the lemon juice actually starts to turn black, then flip and let it blacken on the other side. The lemon juice will dissapear and get all concentrated and carmelized on the fish. Even though it looks a little burnt, it doesn't taste like it at all, and it's delicious and lemony!

 

 

[Vian]

I saw a recipe for Tacos Al Pastor on food network, and it looked amazingly tasty, so I went in search of a recipe that could be altered to fit whole30. I found one, the only ingredient that is not whole30 are the chipotle peppers in adobo. I cannot find any without added sugar, but I don't think the recipe suffers from leaving them out.

 

Pork Al Pastor

 

2-4 pounds pork shoulder meat

1/4 of a ripe pineapple, cut into a small dice

1 onion, diced (reserve some for garnish)

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

 

Marinade:

2 dried ancho or pasilla chiles

1 dried guajillo chile

3/4 c. fresh pineapple, diced (canned pineapple does not have the enzymes that will tenderize the pork, so make sure it's fresh!)

1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 tbs. vinegar

5 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. salt (remember this will cover up to 4 pounds of meat!)

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 chipotle pepper in adobo, plus 1 tbs. adobo sauce (optional)

 

Pull off the stems and dump out the seeds of the 3 dried chiles, then soak in hot water for a few hours to reconstitute them. Add them to a blender or food processor with all the other ingredients for the marinade. Add some of the liquid the chiles soaked in if you need more moisture in the marinade.

 

Cut up to 4 pounds of pork shoulder into thin strips. I used 2 pounds and only used half the marinade, I put the rest in the freezer for next time. Put the pork strips into a gallon ziplock bag with the marinade and place in the fridge for up to 1 hour. Don't let it go much past an hour and a half, or your pork will turn to mush, the pineapple has powerful enzymes that tenderize the pork very effectively.

 

Heat a large skillet with some Fat of choice (I used coconut oil, the sweetness does not get in the way here) and add the diced onion and minced garlic to the pan. Sautee until it gets slightly translucent, then add the pork. You may have to work in batches to keep from crowding the pan. I just sauteed the onions and garlic with the first batch, dumped it into a bowl when it was done, then added the rest of the pork without any onions until it was cooked, then mixed it all together. Add the pineapple chunks to the pork and cook on HIGH heat until the pork and pineapple start to caramelize and are cooked through. You want some bits that are turning a little black like you might get on a grill.

 

Serve on a bed of lettuce, with lettuce cups, or with a side of roasted veggies, garnish with diced onions, avocado, tomatoes, etc.