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Showing posts with label wheat-free diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wheat-free diet. Show all posts

Monday, April 22, 2013

Grilled Pork Chops with Lime and Cilantro (Family Favorites)

Did you know that I have created and shared over 650 new recipes since I started this blog? In fact, this coming Saturday will be CEK's 2 year blogging anniversary! Many of the original recipes are no longer on the site, but you can find them in my cookbook available at many online retailers like Amazon, BN.com and IndieBound



The funny thing is that since I created all of these recipes, there are only a handful of them that I've made since. I know you might find that hard to believe that someone can have that much of a variety in their meal planning, but YES my family can attest to the fact that I've made something new almost every day for the last 2 years! They like my experiments and the first thing they do when they come home is look to see what I've made next; though sometimes they just crave a burger and fries or take-out pizza. It's all good. :)

So I decided that I would go back to the early days of CEK and pull out some of my family's favorite recipes from the cookbook, make them again and share the recipe with you each week in a new segment called 'Family Favorites'.  I will also include the Nutritional Information since these were not included in the book. 

For today's post, I decided to share the first recipe I ever published here on the blog for Grilled Pork Chops with Lime and Cilantro. I didn't even photograph it the first time and that's a good thing (my early photo skills were horrific!). I just love this recipe. The brining keeps this lean cut of meat moist and tender, and the lime and cilantro add an extra layer of freshness. Besides, it reminds me that summer is on its way! 



Grilled Pork Chops with Lime and Cilantro
4-4oz Boneless Pork Chops
3/4 Cup Water
2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. Fresh Lime Rind, grated
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix water, sugar, and salt until it dissolves. 
2. Add cilantro, lime zest and juice, garlic powder, and pepper, and whisk together until well blended. 
3. Trim any visible fat from your pork chop; then tenderize the chop using a meat mallet or the bottom of a glass. 
4. Add the pork chops and the marinade to a resealable plastic bag, and refrigerate no more than 2 hours. 
5. Remove the meat from the bag, discard the marinade; then grill the pork chops until the proper internal temperature is reached. (It all depends on the thickness of your chop and how you and your family prefer to eat it). Serves 4. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 214, Carbs 9.1g, Fat 8g, Protein 24.5g, Fiber .8g, Sugar 7g 
*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. This recipe factors in all of the above bringing ingredients. Actuals may be significantly less as all of the marinade gets discarded and is not consumed. 


*Suggested Sides: Brown or White Rice with Baby Carrots in a Honey Lime Butter  


*For all of the main entrees in the cookbook, I also suggest side dishes that I've created that go along well with each recipe to help with your family meal planning.


Enjoy! 

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Avocado Quinoa Salad-Guest Blogger at Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Today, I'm a happy to be helping out my fellow foodie friend and Jersey Girl Brianne from Cupcakes and Kale Chips while she is on maternity leave with her new baby boy Peyton. 



Please visit her page to see my recipe for this Avocado Quinoa Salad along with a quick tip I learned on how to cut grape (or cherry) tomatoes in half more efficiently. 



Curious yet? 
Head on over and be prepared to stay a while!

Brianne is a Chemical Engineer turned stay-at-home mom/wannabe pastry chef/wedding planner with a meticulous, perfectionist nature. Not only does she have a new baby, she also has a toddler, a wheat allergy, and high cholesterol. On her blog, Cupcakes and Kale Chips, you'll find recipes, thoughts, party ideas and mommy moments.  

You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Rosemary Grilled Pork Skewers

Today is Food on a Stick Day (I know, there's a day for everything these days!) and since the weather is starting to warm up a bit, I thought I'd share these Rosemary Grilled Pork Skewers. They're so easy to make, are healthy and loaded with fresh, aromatic flavors like lemon, garlic and rosemary. 

The beauty of making a grilled meat skewer, or kabob if you prefer that term, is that you can add any vegetable you like and it will slightly change the flavor. My standard is to use some sort of mushroom, onion and tomatoes; then I add on others with what I happen to have in the house at that moment. This time I also used some zucchini, but eggplant, yellow squash and peppers would work well too. 


Rosemary Grilled Pork Skewers
1 1/2 lb. Center Cut Pork Loin, trimmed and cubed
1/4 c. Distilled White Vinegar
1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Lemon, zest and juice
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Vegetables for Skewers (I used baby bella mushrooms, zucchini, onion and Roma tomatoes)

Directions:
1. Combine the vinegar, oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk together. 
2. Add the pork to a resealable plastic bag; then add in the vinegar mixture. 
3. Refrigerate for 2 hours, remove pork then assemble skewers by alternating 3-4 pieces of pork and vegetables of your choice per skewer. 
4. Grill 8-10 minutes or until the pork has reached the proper internal temperature. Makes 8 skewers; Serves 4. 

The nutritional information for this recipe takes into account all ingredients, even though most of the marinade is discarded before grilling. Please take that into consideration when calculating your caloric intake. I've given you both sets of data so that you can decide which one you prefer to use. 

*Nutritional Information per Skewer With All of the Marinade: 
Calories 177, Carbs .2g, Fat 10g, Protein 21g, Fiber 0g

*Nutritional Information per Skewer--Pork only; does not include vegetables: 
Calories 119, Carbs 0g, Fat 3.4g, Protein 21g, Fiber 0g
*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy!

Monday, March 18, 2013

Asiago Quinoa with Portobello Mushrooms & Giveaway

Did you know that nearly 18 million people suffer from a wheat allergy, sensitivity or intolerance? In an early report back in the 1980's, they found that allergies can affect any system of the body, including the central nervous system and can cause a diverse range of symptoms. 

According to an article on Foodforthebrain.org, most food allergies develop in reaction to the protein in food and wheat is on the top of the list because it contains a substance called gliadin; which is a type of gluten and irritates the gut wall. Gliadin is a sticky protein that allows pockets of air to form when risen with yeast, which is how bread is made. Eating a lot of wheat products isn't good for anyone and there have been proven connections between wheat allergy, autism and ADHD in children. In fact, just last week, before writing this post, a friend and I were discussing how her son's ADD(Attention Deficit Disorder) is progressively getting worse. I told her about what I had found out regarding the connection to wheat and told her to get a copy of Lauren's book. Since then I also found this very informative article on Wheat-free.org entitled, "Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other developmental disorders possibly affected by gluten". 

Someone with a wheat intolerance or allergy may experience some of the following symptoms:
  • Nasal congestion
  • Asthma, 
  • Eczema or skin rash
  • Diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • Chest pains
  • Heart palpitations
  • Bloating
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal cramps
  • Throat swelling
  • Joint pain
  • Depression
  • And a state of fogginess
  • Anaphylaxis 
  • Decrease in blood pressure
  • Skin turning flushed, very pale or bluish in color

So when my foodie friend and fellow NJ girl, Lauren from Lauren Kelly Nutrition, first told me she was going to be writing a Wheat-Free Diet cookbook, I was thrilled. Many people I know have experienced one or several of these symptoms, yet when they went to their physician, they only tested for Celiac Disease. Though the two are similar and some of the same symptoms may occur, Celiac is an autoimmune disorder where when the person eats gluten, the immune system attacks normal tissue in the intestines; which causes patients to not get the proper absorption of crucial nutrients. Wheat allergy sufferers do not have the same problems with absorbtion. They are only allergic to the protein found in wheat and must only avoid wheat. 

I have many pages flagged in this book with recipes I can't wait to try and it's such a great resource. There are over 300 wheat-free recipes along with so many helpful tips, answers to common questions and important information. There is also a complete section with foods to avoid. I have also created a category here on my blog for recipes I've created which are Gluten Free;  many of which are also Wheat-Free, but check the ingredients first to make sure.

I wanted to tackle something quick and easy for my first recipe and since I've been on a recent quinoa kick (and I can only seem to get my kids to eat it when it's prepared cold in a salad!), I wanted to try her version of Asiago Quinoa with Portobello Mushrooms as a side dish to go with one of our weeknight meals. Well, I'm happy to report EVERYONE in my family LOVED this, including the kids! How could they not with many of our favorite Mediterranean flavors like garlic, mushrooms, oregano, thyme, basil and Asiago cheese. 


Asiago Quinoa with Portobello Mushrooms
 The Everything Wheat-Free Diet Cookbook
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 c. Leeks, white part only, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 c. Portobello Mushrooms, chopped
2 Sprig Fresh Thyme, removed from stem
1 Sprig Fresh Oregano, removed from stem
1 c. Quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
2 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
1/4 c. Asiago Cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. Add the chicken broth to a saucepan and bring to a boil; then add in the quinoa. Bring to a boil then let simmer covered over low heat until the liquid has absorbed. 
2. While the quinoa is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick saute pan and add the leeks, garlic, mushrooms, thyme and oregano. Cook until the mushrooms have softened and are lightly browned; approximately 5 minutes. 
3. Add the quinoa to the mushroom mixture and stir in the basil and cheese. Serves 6. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 168, Carbs 19.5g, Fat 6.5g, Protein 8.7g, Fiber 2.4g
*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate. 


And now for the Giveaway!



Lauren has graciously offered to give one lucky reader a copy of "The Everything Wheat-Free Diet Cookbook". Click on the Rafflecopter link below to enter and tell me which recipe you would make from Lauren's book next! 


  • Cauliflower Pizza Crust
  • Quinoa Pudding
  • Black Bean Quinoa Chili
  • Avocado White Bean Hummus
  • Spicy Olive Chicken
  • Sweet Potato Gratin with Leeks and Onions
  • Double Chocolate Quinoa Muffins
  • Vegetarian Quinoa-Black Bean Cakes
  • Sicilian Eggplant Rolls

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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