Ooey Gooey Queso cauliflower with Lime Guacamole Pork Chop!

If you’ve been following me you know I just LOVE Epicure meal solutions and seasonings! 

They make clean eating a snap! 

Plus you can think outside the box so to speak and use items anyway you want to explore! 

Tonight I used the Ooey Gooey Queso dip to make a sauce for our roasted cauliflower side! I used half the suggested amount of milk and stirred it up and poured over chopped cauliflower florets in the large steamer. Added handful of bacon bits and chives and tossed to cover the cauliflower evenly. Sprinkled 1/2 cup shredded cheese over the top and baked in oven on 400F for 45 minutes until the cauliflower was tender and the cheese browned up on the edges.

I created a marinade for our pork chops using the Guacamole seasoning, lime juice and a wee bit avocado oil. 

Popped it all in a ziplock baggie and let the pork chops sit in fridge for a couple hours before grilling them on BBQ! 

So delicious! 

What’s your favourite Epicure meal solution? 

Bon Appetite 

Margaret 

Like, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life  

Paleo Inspired Pad Thai

We were in the mood for some Pad Thai ~ so playing with our old favorite and how to make it Paleo Inspired this week ... I have to say the stepson had two helpings so that was a sign that it turned out tasty. Myself I had to add some extra 'hot chilies' to mine at the table mostly because I am fighting a cold this week and think my taste buds were just shrouded by that so I needed the extra heat to clear my sinuses so I could actually taste the creamy delight that this actually was!

 Pad Thai Pork in the Crockpot

 Serves 6

What You Need

• 1 lb. boneless pork loin
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup prepared grain free Teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes - more of less to taste depending on how spicy you like
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 4 tablespoon nut butter (peanut, almonds, cashew)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion

What You Do

• Place pork, Teriyaki sauce garlic, and red pepper flakes in crockpot.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• Stir nut butter into the liquid until evenly distributed.
• Shred meat with two forks right in the sauce of the crockpot.
• Add sliced peppers, and return meat to crockpot.
• Cook approximately 30 minutes until peppers are slightly cooked, but still crisp.
• Just before serving, stir in green onion and cilantro.
• Can be served over spaghetti squash pad thai below, or with rice, in lettuce wraps, or on top of salad.

 Nutritional Breakdown 

So if you are fixing it would be 1 red for pork, 1/2 green for peppers/onions and 1 tsp for peanut butter ... for those who like the calories and other tidbits this is the breakdown from over at Calorie Count

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai 

serves 4

 What You Need

• 4  cups of Cooked Spaghetti Squash
• 1/2 cup Shredded Carrots
• 1/4 cup Green Onions
• 2 Garlic Cloves ~ minsed
• 1 tablespoon Minced Ginger
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup  Bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons of prepared grain free Teriyaki Sauce
• 1 tablespoon of nut butter
•  Cilantro and Almonds or Peanuts (optional for garnish)

What You Do

• Melt coconut oil in a pan and saute onions, garlic, ginger and carrots for about 2 minutes.
• Add egg scramble until cooked through. Then remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.
• Mix together teriyaki sauce and peanut butter ingredients in a small bowl.
• Warm spaghetti squash in the pan over low heat and stir in the peanut sauce. Then add in the onion/carrot mixture and bean sprouts.
• Serve your “noodles” on a plate with pulled pork from above over top or as a 'solo lunch dish' or omit the egg add tofu to it to make it 'vegan'.
•  Top with cilantro and nuts.

 Nutritional Breakdown  

So if you are fixing it would be 2 green for squash, carrots, onions and 2 tsp for peanut butter and coconut oil and 1/2 blue if you top with the nuts I personally would not count the egg cause its such a small amount mixed in ... for those who like the calories and other tidbits this is the breakdown from over at Calorie Count

Over all this was six thumbs up around the dinner table last night ~ I found mine so filling I did not even finish so have leftovers to have with my lunch today!

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much!

Totallyawake4-life

 

Spicy Maple Pulled Pork

My boys love a good pulled pork sandwich for dinner ~ me I love the SMELL of pulled pork cooking in the crockpot and am happy to eat it all one its own! In the past we've always used a recipe that was full of ketchup (so lots of sugar) and than you added even MORE brown sugar and than it had gluten free soy sauce (so lots of sodium) so while it was so very TASTY as someone who has glucose intolerance it was not really a 'regular choice' we could have on the menu despite the boys love for it. So I have been playing with our recipe to try to make it 'cleaner' and think we've found one that got consistent thumbs up around the table last night.

Spicy Maple Pulled Pork 

Spicy Maple Pulled Pork

What You Need:

For the Pork

• 1 Pound of Pork Tenderloin (chicken breasts work too)
• 1 sweet onion finely chopped (tiny enough it 'disappears' when cooked especially if you have teenagers who will pick out onion if they find it but do not mind the flavor)
• 1/2 cup of organic low sodium chicken stock or for more control over sodium use homemade stock
• Seasoning - so you can create your own season combinations if you have a preference such as 1 teaspoon of each of the following ground black pepper, ground mustard, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pinch of cayenne pepper etc. Or take the guess work out ~ we used the Epicure Pulled Pork seasoning blend and a 'half package' is plenty unless you are doubling the recipe so you have lots of leftovers!

For the Sauce 

• 12 ounce can of Tomato Paste - ideally a low sodium
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup Pure Maple Sugar

What You Do:

• In a large crockpot, place finely chopped onions and chicken stock in the crockpot.
• Measure out half the Epicure seasoning or mix together your seasonings in a small bowl and rub on the pork gently massaging in the flavor.
• Place the pork, fat side down, into the crockpot on top of the onions. Sprinkle in any leftover seasoning on top.
• Cook on the low setting for 8-10 hours. I like to 'baste' any meat that is above the stock level every few hours to keep it all moist
• In the last 1/2 hour before wanting to serve pull the pork apart using a fork directly in the crockpot with the 'juices' from cooking as your sauce. It should shred nicely.

Spicy Maple Pulled Pork

For the Sauce

• We like our sauce 'mixed right in' to our pulled pork so we add it directly to the crockpot however if you prefer it served over the top of your pulled pork so you can control how much or if any it can also be made in a separate sauce pan. 
• Add 12 oz can of Tomato paste - ideally low sodium, both vinegar and maple sugar and stir to create your 'Pulled Pork sauce' directly in the crock pot. In a saucepan you will want to bring it to a low boil long enough to reduce some of the liquid and thicken it up. Takes about 10-15 minutes.

Spicy Maple Pulled Pork

Serve on a bun with your favorite side or if you are like me serve sans bun with a side of your favorite balsamic drizzled veggies and if your my spouse serve with a side of Hot Sauce from Hell Devil's Revenge sauce for an additional kick in the pants! 

If you are 21 Day Fixing a Red container of the pulled pork with sauce added equates to 1 red for the pork, 1/4 green and an orange for the sauce. Plus whatever sides you choose.

Have an amazing day!
Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Totallyawake4-life