Homemade Chorizo

July 14, 2014

Mmmmm, I loveeeeeeee chorizo. Like, love love love it. While on Whole 30, it's hard to find some good, compliant chorizo. Even off Whole 30, most chorizos that are available are made with the gross parts of the animal--like ears, tongues...eyelids. Woof. I don't know about you, but I really like to know what's going into my food, and really like there to not be any gross parts. I'll totally continue making this chorizo while not doing Whole 30--it's stupid easy, and really tasty.

Next time, I'll double the sauce and freeze it so I can just dump it into some ground pork (or chicken, or turkey) as needed. The sauce is the most time consuming (time consuming does not mean difficult!) but I think it will definitely freeze well.

Homemade Chorizo

What you'll need:

1lb ground pork (you can substitute chicken, turkey, or beef) 

3 dried guajillo chilies (I found these in the Mexican spice section) 

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 

1/4 of an onion, diced 

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon cumin 

1/2 teaspoon paprika 

1/2 teaspoon oregano 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1 teaspoon salt 

Here's what to do:

1. In a dry skillet on high heat toast the chiles on each side. Once they start to puff, fill skillet with water (enough to cover the chiles) and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and cover with lid for 30 minutes. 

2. When chills are moist, drain the water and put the chiles in a blender with the diced onion, garlic, and vinegar. Puree until a smooth paste (like ketchup!)--you can add more vinegar if needed. 

3. Add the chile puree to the ground pork (I only used half of the puree, I froze the rest for another batch!) and add the spices.

The chorizo is so versatile! I used it in scrambled eggs, on salads, and in tacos. 

Steak with Chimichurri & Sweet Potato Fries

July 8, 2014

We started our second round of Whole 30 today. Well, I guess we started yesterday but last night I accidentally tripped and my face landed in two scoops of ice cream with a waffle bowl, soooooooooo I had to start over today. I'm pretty sure this round is going to be way way way way way way more challenging than the first round. I'm not as motivated this round. And, since I already completed it once I feel like I've got nothing to prove. BUT, i need to prove that I can complete it twice. Power through, Rochelle, power through. This is one of my go-to summer meals, and it's a perfect Whole 30 meal because I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

Chimichurri is a refreshing herb sauce that goes wonderfully with chicken, seafood, and shrimp, and steak. It is one of my go-to sauces for steak, Whole30 or not. Sooooo good.  This pineapple sauce is inspired by a local restaurant. Naturally, I wouldn't think to pair sweet potato fries with a sweet sauce, but this is an excellent flavor combination with just the right amount of spice. Both of these sauces are super bright flavors, perfect for summer. 

Grilled Steak with Chimichurri and Sweet Potato Fries with Pineapple Red-Chili Sauce 

serves 2 

Steak & Chimichurri 
2 steaks, your favorite cut 
1 cup fresh parsley 
1/2 cup olive oil 
1/3 cup red wine vinegar 
1/4 cup cilantro 
2 garlic cloves 
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 
1/2 teaspoon cumin 
1/2 teaspoon salt 

1. Season steaks with salt and pepper and grill to your liking. 
2. In a food processor, combine remaining ingredients and process until finely chopped. 
3. Serve sauce over steak. 

Sweet Potato Fries w/ Pineapple Sauce 
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries 
2 tablespoons coconut oil 
1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 cup fresh pineapple 
1 red chili 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a sheet tray, toss sweet potatoes with coconut oil, paprika, and salt. Lay flat and spread out and bake for 20 minutes. Stir, and bake for an addition 10 minutes until crisp. 
2. Add pineapple and red chili to food processor and process until smooth.