Showing posts with label pork chops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pork chops. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Moo Shu Pork

Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo. I heard people all weekend gearing up for the celebration. One of our CrossFit gym's sister locations shares a parking lot with a well known Mexican restaurant, so a fun partner WOD was created, both to entertain the patrons and to encourage us all to celebrate afterwards. This is how it went:

400m partner run with med ball
25 handshake push-ups
25 wall ball tosses
25 sit-up med ball passes
200m partner carry

5 Rounds. 30 minute time limit. 

It was a nasty little workout. Definitely challenging! But in truth, the worst part was the heat. Yesterday was in the mid 90s, which hasn't happened all year! There were only two other girls in my 3:30 class, so we just did a triple team and made it 30 reps. I ended up running with the med ball for most of the rounds because I got carried every time during the partner carry. Out of the three of us, I was the smallest...but not by much, lol. I had two great teammates! In any event, it was a lot of fun, just super hot! Then I trained 4:30 and 5:30 and got to watch some really awesome people workout. I just love my CrossFit family!

Last night's dinner was a quasi mash-up of a dish I love to make (pork chow mien) with a marinade/dressing from another dish I've made. It's funny how you can just alter a few ingredients and the dish is totally different. I love making these kinds of meals because you end up eating a ton of veggies, which I love, and there isn't a lot of effort involved. I really enjoyed it and hope you do too! My Chinese food craving was 100% satisfied. 

Moo Shu Pork





















Marinate Time: 2+ hours
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2+ hours, 50 minutes
Serves: 3

Special Tools:
Storage container with lid (for marinating pork)
Large non-stick sauté pan
Large bowl

Ingredients:
1 tbsp of ghee
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of shallots, minced
1 tbsp of ginger, grated
3 tbsp of coconut aminos
1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil (make sure it's toasted!)
1 tbsp of rice vinegar
1/2 tsp of fish sauce
1 lb of thin cut boneless pork chops
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp of coconut oil + more if needed
1 large carrot, shredded
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
4 oz of shiitaki mushrooms, sliced
3 cups of green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup of red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of scallions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley, to garnish
1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
*Note: Prep your veggies before you start cooking. The cooking part goes by pretty quickly and you won't have time to cut and cook at the same time.

Instructions:
1. Cut your pork into quarter inch thick strips. Mine were still partially frozen, making it super easy to slice. 
2. Place the strips in a container and mix in the first eight ingredients. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for two hours or up to overnight. 
3. Place the large non-stick sauté pan over medium high heat. Once it's hot, add 2 tsp of coconut oil and let it melt completely. 
4. Add in the beaten eggs and let them spread out like a pancake. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes until it's firm enough to flip. Then cook the other side for a minute or two.
5. Add the egg to a large bowl and slice the egg into strips.
6. Add another tsp of coconut oil if needed and allow to melt. Put half of the pork strips into the hot pan with some of the marinade and begin to sauté for 3-5 minutes. Scoop out the pork and add to the bowl with the eggs. Then put the rest of the pork strips into the pan and cook again for another 3-5 minutes. (You don't want to add them all at once, because this causes overcrowding, leading to steaming the pork rather than sautéing)
7. Pour any remaining juice from the marinade into the pan and turn the heat up a little for about 20-30 seconds. 
8. Add the carrots and celery and move around the pan until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove them from the pan and add to the bowl. 
9. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 1 minute and then move the mushrooms to the bowl. 
10. Place the remaining cabbages and scallions to the pan. Saute until they begin to wilt slightly, turning constantly. You might want to put a splash or two of coconut aminos in the pan with these guys, but it's totally optional. But I did. And it was delicious. 
11. Remove from heat and add everything back into the sauté pan, mixing well to combine all the ingredients.
12. Top with sesame seeds and fresh parsley. 

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Paleo Ranch Pork Chops

I have a confession. I totally skipped my workout on Tuesday for the most amazing nap. If you know me, you know I've got a pretty strict daily routine and I haven't missed my 3:30 workout in...well, I can't remember the last time I missed it. Mostly because I have to train the 4:30 and 5:30 classes right after, so 3:30 really is my time to get my WOD in for the day. But my whirlwind weekend up in Atlanta caught up with me on Tuesday and I was literally nodding off at work! My head was pounding and I could barely stare at the computer screen to get any work done. So rather than suffer through a really tough hero WOD (Nukes), I scrambled home and took a much needed power nap. Yesterday, I felt a little drowsy in the afternoon, but I blame this depressing weather we're having. Grey skies ALL DAY! Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the rain, but it definitely effects my mood. Today is looking like more of the same, but I slept well last night, so I'm feeling more pep in my step! 

Have you tried Trader Joe's bone-in french cut pork chops yet? If you haven't, you definitely should. They're really meaty, and I love how it cooks. It makes for a really pretty presentation. Last night I made a ranch seasoned dry rub for the chops that was absolutely delicious. I really think this is probably my favorite way to eat these pork chops now. Make sure you buy the fresh herbs. I think it makes all the difference. Plus it made my house smell wonderful! 

Paleo Ranch Pork Chops













Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Special Tools:
Large saute pan
small bowl

Ingredients:
4 bone-in 1-in thick pork chops
1 heaping tbsp of coconut oil
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper

Instructions:
1. Mix the seasonings in a small bowl
2. Melt the coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, about 2-3 minutes
3. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture liberally on one side of the chops, leaving a little bit for the other side. 
4. When the oil is hot, add the chops to the pan and cook seasoned side down for about 6 minutes until a golden brown crust forms
5. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning mixture on the other side of the chops, flip the chops over, and then cook the other side for another 6 minutes. 
6. I served mine with a sides salad and PaleOMG's Roasted Rosemary Apples and Sweet Potatoes