Cuban sammie

Hmmmmm, I love Cuban sandwiches and since seeing the "Tony O's Cubans" at Target Field I haven't been able to get them out of my mind. I found an easy way to make them, totally GF!

 I  love the flavor and texture of pulled pork...but didn't want to take the time to make it myself (in this instance)...because I wanted the sammy right away. I find this product at Lunds, and it says gluten-free right on the package! Yay! Most of the pre-packaged shredded or pulled meats all have sauce...which I did not want. This was a super find!

Ingredients (for MY version:):
pulled pork
deli turkey (or ham)
pickles (I used Claussen sandwich slices)
deli or spicy mustard
mayo
GF bread (I use Udi's)
Muenster or Swiss cheese
butter

Directions:
Butter the outside of two slices of bread (for grilling). Slather the inside of one with mustard and the other with mayo. Stack the other ingredients on the inside and grill to perfection!

 

You're welcome.

Breaded Pork Cutlets and Oven Roasted Root Veggies

The last few weeks have been a major adjustment for me. When I found out I had Celiac Disease I was so relieved to know what was causing me to feel sick, but overwhelmed by the huge lifestyle change I needed to undergo. I admit I haven't been cooking much, or baking at all. Things I love to do. At first it was much easier just to buy pre-packaged foods that were labelled gluten-free than to try to make entire meals myself. I miss cooking and baking, and I miss healthy foods that taste good! I needed to get back into the kitchen. I have been cleaning out my pantry of all gluten containing foods, and replacing everything with items I can eat! I now have all the main staples for cooking and baking and have started to get back in the kitchen. I've missed it!

Ingredients:
Thinly sliced pork cutlets, 1 to 2 pounds
1 cup Glutino GF bread crumbs (or any other breading)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. season salt (I use Tastefully Simple)
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. garlic seasoning (I use TS Garlic Garlic)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 cup assortment of root veggies (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc)
2 Tbsp. EVOO, divided

Directions:
In a shallow dish, lightly beat one egg. In another shallow dish mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and 1 tsp. season salt and 1 tsp. garlic seasoning.

Drag the pork cutlets through the egg wash and through the breadcrumb mix. Lay into a heated skillet with 1 Tbsp. EVOO. Repeat with remaining cutlets. Let them get brown and crispy before turning.

Wash, peel and cut the root veggies to desired size. Toss with 1 Tbsp. EVOO and 1 Tbsp. of garlic seasoning and 1 Tbsp. of season salt. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast in a 450 degree oven for 35 minutes (may be longer or shorter time depending on the size of the veggies). Potatoes should be soft and cooked through, carrots and parsnips will appear dry and withered.

Restaurant Review: Bar La Grassa

Luke and I received a very generous gift from our friend Courtney - a gc for Bar La Grassa in Minneapolis. We loved it. The food was incredible. I highly recommend giving this place a try.

Here is a link to their web page:
http://www.barlagrassa.com/
and they have their menu on the site. The food is sooooo good.

Pardon the quality of the photos....I forgot my camera and so we snapped these with Luke's iPhone:)

Luke and I each had a glass of wine, I had Pinot Grigio and Luke had a Chianti. We started with the caprese salad, the cheese was to die for.

 For our entree, we shared the Pork Tenderloin and the grilled asparagus.

 We finished our meal with the caramel crispelles. Words cannot describe this. Too yummy.

Glazed pork tenderloin with pineapple slaw

I love pork tenderloin and am always looking for new ways to prepare it, this recipe had GREAT flavor - but the cooking time was grossly miscalculated. Unless Real Simple intend the pork to be rare, which I would highly doubt, as that is gross. The pineapple slaw was a great flavor compliment to the meat, the recipe calls for jicama, which I couldn't find at Super Target before making this meal, so I left it out. The pineapple and crunchy peppers with lime and cilantro really taste so fresh and light, it's a great summer meal. I served this with fried polenta, which was a good side for this meal.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. EVOO
Pork tenderloin (about 1 1/2 pounds)
S/P
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. chipotle seasoning
1 small jicama, peeled and cut into thin strips or chunks
1/2 small pineapple, peeled and cored and cut into small chunks or strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips or chunks
1 cup fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1 Tbsp. of EVOO in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper and cook in the oil, turning occasionally, until browned.

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, honey and chipotle seasoning. Brush the pork with half of it, transfer the skillet to the oven, and roast, turning once until the pork is cooked through. (Here the recipe indicates it should take 10 to 12 minutes - mine took closer to 30 minutes to reach 165 degrees). Brush with the remaining glaze and let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the jicama, pineapple, bell pepper, cilantro and lime juice. Serve with the pork.

Teriyaki Pork Chops with Pineapple and Peppers

I originally got this recipe from Rachael Ray, but I've modified it a little. I love pineapple and this recipe really has a great, unique flavor. 

Ingredients:
1 cup of gluten-free chicken broth
EVOO
4 boneless pork chops
S/P
1 large can of pineapple rings, quartered
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 orange pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
juice of 2 limes
few dashes of tabasco or spicy sauce
3 Tbsp. honey

Directions:
Heat some EVOO in a large saute pan, season the pork chops with S/P and add to the skillet. Cook until done. Transfer to a plate. Add a little more EVOO to the skillet, add the pineapple and bell peppers and cook until crisp-tender and the pineapple is browning at the edges, 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer the peppers and pineapple to the pork plate. Lower the heat under the skillet to medium high heat and add 1 cup chicken stock, teriyaki sauce, lime juice, tabasco, and honey. Cook until reduced by about half. Add the pork and peppers and pineapple back to the pan to reheat through. Simmer for 5 minutes.

I served it with couscous with scallions (for GF I'd recommend quinoa or rice)

Bacon-wrapped delight

It is still raining....in MN...in January. Needless to say, I'm not going to brave the icy roads, so I'm staying in and cooking instead. Tonight I made a bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin and roasted vegetables. De-wait for it - lightful!




















I had a one-pound pork tenderloin that I seasoned with some random spices and then rubbed with deli mustard. Then I wrapped it in thick, center-cut bacon and roasted it for 45 minutes at 350 degrees in a stoneware roasting pan. Yum-o. I used my Cuisinart with the slicing blade to prepare the veggies, I had potatoes, carrots and parsnips....I tossed them in EVOO and seasoned with salt and pepper. I roasted them on a stoneware pan, also at 350 degrees. They only needed about 30 minutes, as they were sliced nice and thin. So good! The double pork entree earned thumbs up from Lulu and Luke as well!