Spicy Grilled Pork Chops

This marinade was really tasty!  And Ryan got to do most of the work because they were on the grill. 

 Ingredients

• 4 pork rib chops, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 1-3/4 pounds total)
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Sliced mango and/or fresh chile peppers (optional)

Instructions
1. Place chops in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For marinade, in a small bowl, stir together lime juice, chili powder, oil, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, hot pepper sauce, and salt; pour over chops. Seal bag; turn to coat chops. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally. Drain chops, discarding marinade.

2. Place chops on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 11 to 14 minutes or until pork juices run clear (160 degrees F), turning once. If desired, garnish with mango and/or chile peppers. Makes 4 servings.

Recipe courtesy of Diabetic Living Online

Crockpot Coconut Chicken Soup

This was a hit for everyone but Sawyer, and it was so easy to make! We will definitely be repeating this in our home.  I pureed it for Emery, and though it was a bit thin, she ate it right up!

Put the following in a crockpot:

• 3 large or 4 small chicken breasts (mine were frozen) 
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 can of full fat coconut milk
• 1  can of diced tomatoes with juices
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic 
• 2 tablespoons of italian seasoning 
• 1 tablespoon dried basil other spices as you wish

Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Shred chicken with a fork and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Rachel 2288 on www.whole9life.com

Chicken Thai Curry

This was really, really good. Ryan and I love Thai food and coconut, so this was right up our alley. It did great pureed too!

Ingredients
2 cans coconut milk
10 tbsp yellow curry paste
2.5 lbs chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into 1” strips
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
5 cups broccoli florets, cut into 1” florets (20-25 minutes)
3 cups mushrooms, halved (30-35 minutes)
4 cups sweet potatoes, cut into 1” pieces (45-50 minutes)

Process
Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat for 3 minutes. Add the chicken and reduce heat to medium-high. Allow chicken to cook on one side, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes. Use tongs to flip the chicken over and brown other side, 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.

Cook vegetables: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut vegetables. Toss with 2 Tbs coconut oil, 2 garlic cloves, salt, and pepper, Bake on middle racks of oven, 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. If they start to brown but are tender, lower temp to 350 degrees.

Place coconut milk and curry paste in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir until combined, then simmer 5 minutes. Add cooked chicken and vegetables to the skillet. Simmer until heated through, about 5-10 minutes.

Recipe from It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig

Asian Beef and Broccoli

This had great flavor and Ryan and I really liked it.  I could only eat it for a couple days because the ground beef just got to me, but the seasoning was really good!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Ground beef
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• 2 garlic clove
• Broccoli florets, cut into 1” florets (5 cups)
• Carrots, cut into 1” pieces (4 cups)
• Green and Red bell peppers, 1” pieces (4 cups)
• Olive oil or coconut oil
• 2 tsp coconut aminos
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• Baby spinach
• Toasted sesame seeds

Process
Heat a large skillet over medium –high heat for about 3 minutes. Add olive oil. Add the onion and sauté, stirring with a wooden spoon, until crisp-tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Crumble the ground meat into the pan with hands, then break up chunks using spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook 7-10 minutes until pink spots are gone.

Cook vegetables: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut vegetables. Toss with 2 Tbs coconut oil, 2 garlic cloves, salt, and pepper, Bake on middle racks of oven, 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. If they start to brown but are tender, lower temp to 350 degrees.

Add vegetables to meat and a bit more olive oil and season with cinnamon and ginger. Sauté until heated through. Serve on bed of spinach and top with sesame seeds.

Recipe from It Starts With Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig