Author: Brent Schrader

Puerco De Salsa Y Pimiento

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OK–this isn’t a brand-spanking new recipe. It’s a variation of our Desayuno de Cinco de Mayo. But, it was so yummy, I couldn’t resist sharing.

Last night before bed, Brent and I laid out our plans for today. Dorks? Yes, and no. 😉 Today is a busy day. Brent has work, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Meanwhile, I need to get laundry done, return a couple of blouses that I bought in a rush and don’t fit right, write up (or, at least, draft) a whole bunch of these blog posts because we’ve been slacking lately, and pack us up for our visit his parents for the first time in their new home (we’ll leave immediately after he gets off work and stay overnight with them so we can celebrate Fathers’ Day and visit a farm near them tomorrow). Plus, I have plans to meet with one of my gal pals for a few hours this afternoon. Oh, and of course, there’s the daily stuff of cleaning dishes, giving our dog plenty of outside play time, and maybe–just maybe–if there’s time, I’ll mow the lawn.

So, last night, we agreed, we needed a hearty breakfast this morning and we were kind of tired of eggs. (Have I ever mentioned that we eat eggs almost daily? Yep, and we recently learned that too much of any one food product can actually cause your body to become allergic to it. Can you believe that?! So we really ought to mix things up more often, even if it’s only for our tastebuds’ sanity.) OK, what did we have other than eggs…?

First, we checked the fridge: Leftovers? Not really… there’s that awesome baked chicken we made the other night (recipe to come soon!) but I really want to save that for lunches. Besides, indian flavors just didn’t sound appealing. One banana… that’s not very hearty, and certainly not enough for two of us. Half an avocado… Some leftover coconut milk… “well, we could make coffee smoothies with that and the banana? But we just did that this morning.” “Yea, let’s having something more substantial.” Three bell peppers–one red, one yellow, and one orange. That could be promising. Three lemons and a partial lime… Onions… plenty of those. Salsa, mustard, coconut amines and a variety of other condiments. Hmmm.

Then, we checked the freezer: Ground beef… a whole leg of lamb… pork chops… chicken thighs… pork tenderloin slices (from his mom, “for sandwiches”). We have a winner! Brent’s idea: Cut the pork slices into strips and cook that up with the onion, one bell pepper, and some salsa. Top it off with the avocado. “It’ll be somewhat like that Cinco De Mayo breakfast.”
So, without adieu, here is! 

Puerco De Salsa Y Pimiento (Salsa and Bell Pepper Pork)

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 4 “sandwich slices” of pork tenderloin (I should have weighed it, but my guess is that, in total, we had about 3/4 lb of pork tenderloin.)
  • 12-13 oz salsa (Nearly a full 16-oz jar; we like, and happen to have in the fridge, Nature’s Promise Chipotle Organic Salsa, but any salsa you prefer should do just fine.)
  • salt, pepper, and ancho chili powder to taste
  • approx.  1 tablespoon of bacon fat (or olive oil, coconut oil, or ghee)
  • 1/2 avocado (or a full one, if you prefer)
Method

  1. Slice the bell pepper and onion. 
  2. Slice the pork tenderloin into strips, then cut each strip in half (or in thirds), so the pieces are not overwhelming.
  3. Sauté the bell pepper and onion in the bacon fat over medium heat.
  4. Once the onion is translucent, remove the bell pepper and onion from the pan and set aside.
  5. Use the same pan to cook up the pork. While it’s cooking (this should only take a couple minutes, depending on the size of your pieces, so keep a close eye on it), sprinkle a little salt, pepper and ancho chili powder over the pork.
  6. Once the pork is cooked, toss the bell pepper and onions back into the pan.
  7. Immediately add the salsa.
  8. Mix it all around and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.
  9. Serve in bowls with avocado sliced or in chunks on top.
  10. Eat up!

The heat from the ancho chili was subtle. The creamy and cool avocado served as a nice foil for the smokey goodness of the chipotle salsa. Plus there’s a great underlying flavor of bacon throughout — courtesy of the yummy bacon fat and pork. 😉
We hope you enjoy this variation. We thought it was delicious! 

Baked Lemon & Rosemary Rainbow Trout

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Last night, we wanted to have fish and the plan was to grill it. The plan was to pick a couple fillets up at the grocery store, let the coals heat up while we each did a quick workout, and then grill those babies. Oh, and given how hot and humid it was, we wanted a side dish that would keep things cool–like a fresh salad (check it out Brent’s creation: Fresh Rainbow Pepper Salad).

Well, we forgot to buy coals (just a couple nights ago, we forgot to put the grill and coals back into the shed after dinner… and then it rained…). We were too tired to go back to the store–Isn’t it disappointing how the weeks shortened by holidays can sometimes feel like the longest ones?–so we decided to bake our trout. Oh, yes, we bought rainbow trout. I forgot to mention that detail, but you already knew that from reading the title of this post. 🙂

So, anyways, we looked for some basic recipes, took the ideas and came up with this little number. It was quite yummy. We hope you like it as much as we did!

Baked Lemon & Rosemary Rainbow Trout


Ingredients

  • 2 Rainbow Trout (approx. 1.5 lbs each), cleaned
  • Half of a lemon, sliced in rounds as thinly as possible
  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (just enough to brush both sides of each fish)

Method

  1. Rinse the fish and pat dry.
  2. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
  3. Line a large baking pan with tin foil and then place a baking rack inside (so that it rests on top of the foil). The foil isn’t required, but it will make clean up a LOT easier. 🙂
  4. Open up each fish so the flesh is exposed.
  5. Sprinkle the flesh of both fish with salt and pepper.
  6. Lay out the slices of lemon on one side of the each fish’s flesh.
  7. Lay one spring of rosemary inside each fish and then close both by folding one flap of flesh and skin down over the other.
  8. Brush the outside of both fish with olive oil until well coated (this will help prevent the skin from sticking to the baking rack).
  9. Lay the fish side by side on the baking rack in the pan.
  10. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the flesh of the fish is milky, white and somewhat flakey. (FYI: We learned last night that Trout doesn’t flake quite as much as Salmon, so we don’t think flakiness is the best guide for knowing when the fish is done.)
  11. Plate each trout over a generous helping of Fresh Rainbow Pepper Salad (or by itself with the salad on the side or even over any kind of greens/salad you like), and enjoy.

The fish was perfect. A little milky and soft in texture, with a fresh tang of lemon and the slightest hint of savory rosemary.

Oh, and we were so eager to eat, we completely forgot to take “before” and “during” pictures. So, all I have is this [hopefully] appetizing “after” picture.

Yes, by “after” I meant, “after eating,” haha. Sorry!

P.S. You may have already realized, “Ha! Their dinner was full of rainbows.” And you have even wondered, “Did they intent to do that?” Answer: No. But, indeed, I realized soon after we started eating and I began formulating these posts in my head that yes, there’s an odd appropriateness or simple weirdness, depending on your perspective. Take it as you will. We had a rough (albeit short) week, and maybe fate or karma or whatever decided we simply needed a few rainbows to cheer us up last night. 🙂

Fresh Rainbow Pepper Salad

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delicious easy pepper salad

This salad is a very quick and delicious side salad (as long as you have a mandoline) that is refreshing but still filling. That, and the color is a nice contrast on a plate that can be otherwise bland.

We threw this together to go alongside some baked trout, and it was a nice balance.  Feel free to add some other spices in to mix and match your favorite entrees.

Ingredients
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 large orange bell pepper
2-3 stalks of celery
1/4 of a red onion
3/4 tablespoon coconut vinegar
3/4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp minced garlic

Method

sliced peppers and celery and onion

Slice the peppers, celery stalks, and the onion thinly using a mandoline.  After this, I used a knife to quarter the slices so that the salad would be manageable with a fork.

mixed bowl of peppers and red onion and celery

Mix the sliced items and the rest of your ingredients in a large bowl.  I used a slightly larger tupperware bowl so I could just put on the lid and shake vigorously–mixing is lame.

dressing for pepper salad

Mix your olive oil, coconut vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl to create your dressing.

tossed pepper salad

Allow the salad to rest for at least 15 minutes. (The longer it can rest, the better the flavors will blend.) 

final easy pepper salad paleo

Serve and enjoy!

Grilled Brussels Sprouts

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Lesson 1: The veggie grilling pan we bought a few weeks ago may have been the best purchase of the year.
Lesson 2: Homemade rosemary & garlic infused olive oil is rockin’ on brussels sprouts.
Lesson 3: Grilling brussels sprouts are super easy and deliciously smokey!


Grilled Rosemary-Garlic Brussles Sprouts

Ingredients:

  • Brussles Sprouts
  • Rosemary-Garlic Infused Olive Oil (preferably, homemade)
  • Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Method:

  1. Prep your brussels sprouts by chopping off the ends. (If you leave them on, like we did by accident, you will end up with an unpleasant, bitter taste in your mouth.)
  2. In a bowl, toss the brussles sprouts with the rosemary-garlic infused olive oil. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper if you like, but don’t go crazy because you’ll want to taste the sublet goodness of the olive oil.
  3. Spread the brussle sprouts out on your vegetable grilling pan.
  4. Grill over medium flame for about 10 minutes, stirring, tossing and/or turning frequently. Some leaves will char, that’s ok. If you don’t like the taste of them, just don’t eat those. 😉

We hope you like this quick and easy side-dish recipe. Try it next time you plan to grill up some big steaks or are simply in the mood for smokey and savory greens!

A Book of Beards

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No, this post isn’t about Paleo.

It’s not even about food. >gasp!<

…This post is about a friend of mine who needs our support.

I found out last night that my former hair dresser, Mike Cummings, was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer in 2011. (He’s my former hair dresser only because I had to move states over a year ago for a new job.) Why should you, the few who read my blog, care about Mike and his illness?

Well, if you have ever known or do know someone with cancer, I don’t have to explain it. If you haven’t been close to someone who’s had cancer, look around you: lots of people are suffering from it and other diseases daily. I lost one of my sisters to cancer. It sucks. As someone who’s been through the pain of watching a loved one suffer, I understand what Mike’s family and friends are going through.

What’s amazing to me is that one of Mike’s dear friends is doing something truly significant and beautiful to help him. Justin James Muir is publishing, “A Book of Beards.” This book has 86 stunning beard portraits and 18 written contributions; and its proceeds will all go to two wonderful causes.

The first cause is Mike. All proceeds from the first press of the book will go directly to Mike to help alleviate the stress of the medical bills.

All proceeds from additional pressings will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help continue their efforts and support their cause. In 1997, Justin’s twin brother was diagnosed with Leukemia. Thankfully, his brother is cancer free now. But so many others still suffer.

I am hoping that you can find it in your heart to help Mike and others like him fighting cancer. Buy the book. Or, if you can’t spare the cash to buy it right now, help me spread the word about it. More information about “A Book of Beards,” go to http://bookofbeards.com/.

Best in Health,

Heather