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. 

Sweet Potato & Bacon Stuffed Portobello w/ Fried Egg

June 22, 2014

This was my very favorite breakfast during the entire Whole 30. I made it once again after Whole 30 with white potatoes (Paul hates sweet potatoes) and we both agreed that it was actually better with sweet potatoes. I love the balance of spicy, sweet, smoky, and salty. You can cut (and even cook!) the potatoes in advance so all you have to do in the morning is heat and assemble. I like to always have cooked bacon on hand--I usually just bake a whole package every week to have on hand for salads and such (Bake on 350 for 20 minutes, flip, 10 minutes longer. Reserve the grease!)

I had never cooked anything in bacon grease before this. I am now obsessed--I can't believe I used to just throw it away. So much flavor, in the trash! I will save my bacon grease forever.

I used white sweet potato for this because it is a little less sweet that orange sweet potato, and it's a little more starchy--but you could definitely use orange if you prefer or if you can't find white.

White Sweet Potato & Bacon Stuffed Portobello w/ Fried Egg

serves 2

3 slices of bacon, cooked--reserve grease (Whole30 complaint! No sugar!)

1 large white sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 eggs, fried or poached

2 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed

Salt & pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, leaving the grease. 

2. Add the potatoes to the pan, arrange in a thin layer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring only once, to create a nice crust. 

3. Meanwhile, drizzle the portobellos with olive oil and place under the broiler (on high) gill side up. Broil for 10 minutes or until they release their water. Drain the liquid and season lightly with salt.

4. Once the potatoes are tender, add the jalapeños, and onions. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the chopped bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

5. On a plate, spoon the potato mixture onto the mushroom and top with an egg.

Enjoy, my friends!

Rochelle