Almond-Crusted Pork Chops

I grew up with a Mennonite recipe called Oatmeal Crusted Pork Chops and Applesauce. And a dad who always referenced Bobby Brady’s impression of Humphrey Bogart when my mom would make it (*rolls eyes*). But that’s a story for another day.

Here’s a Paleo spin-off of this quintessentially comfort food. Easy to make and easy on the budget too. I usually make them with boneless pork chops just because I don’t like eat around bones but you can use either. Bone-in pork chops are decidedly less expensive.

Almond Crusted Pork Chops

1 cup Almond Meal

1 egg, whisked

1 tsp garlic powder (or garlic salt)

1 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp Italian seasoning

4 Pork Chops (any variety that you prefer)

1 cup frying oil (I used olive oil as that’s all I had on hand)

1. In large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat.
2. Combine almond meal and spices in one plate. Whisk egg in another.
3. Dip pork chops first in egg and then in almond mixture. Place in fry pan and cook until no longer pink in center and golden brown, about 6-8 minutes each side.
4. Serve hot with applesauce on the side (Although, as you can see, I did not serve them with applesauce! LOL)

Mexican Food

I love these spinach enchiladas that can be found at a local Mexican restaurant called The Loop here in town. They use fresh spinach and it doesn't have mushrooms in it (I hate mushrooms), which is rare in a spinach enchilada. Topped with a white wine creamy sauce, I could eat them at least once a week. So I experimented this morning with a grain-free version, since the original ones are wrapped in a corn tortilla.

I don't have a probably with dairy. It doesn't really affect me, personally. But if you're not so keen, there are easy substitutions for the sour cream and cheese. Actually, The Loop's don't have cheese on them. I added that :) So just take it off if that suits you! Green Valley Organic has a lactose free sour cream or use Kite Hill's plain yogurt. That would work just fine.

Spinach Enchiladas

6 tortilla shells (I used Siete Foods Almond Flour Tortillas)
8 oz fresh spinach
1/2 large onion, finely sliced
1 T olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup sour cream
1 t salt
1 T chicken bouillon (or substitute the water for bone broth)
1/4 c water
1 T minced garlic
                                                1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic, and salt, fry until golden brown. Add spinach and saute until wilted. Remove from pan.
2. Add white wine to pan and reduce for 2-3 minutes. Add sour cream, bouillon, and water to wine. Cook until slightly thickened.
3. Heat tortillas until bendable. Fill with 3 T of spinach filling. Roll and place in oven-proof pan
4. Pour white wine sauce on top of enchiladas. Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese and melted and browned.

Top with cilantro, diced tomatoes, more sour cream, and/or salsa. Serve immediately.

A full year

Wow! It's been over a year since I blogged anything. Time to get back at it! I've started an Instagram account to go along with this blog. It can be found HERE at @frugalnfit. I hope you'll join me both here and on Instagram!

On May 15th, 2017, I started my weight loss journey hardcore. I've tried for years to get the motivation to lose weight. Weight that I've carried since hitting puberty. I'd start something, lose around 10-15 lbs and then lose motivation. But this time has felt different. I kind of just woke up one day and decided enough was enough. I was done carrying this weight around anymore! So I cleaned up my diet, going pretty much Paleo. I'm not super strict about it but the three things I've completely eliminated from my diet are processed foods, gluten, and refined sugars. I haven't had any of those things in 103 days. I also joined a gym across the street from my house that I can walk to. And in 103 days, I've lost almost 40 lbs. I've also completely eliminated my migraines and greatly reduced my PCOS symptoms.

And I feel great! I'm so much more active and loving where life has me right now. I'm hiking and enjoying what Colorado has to offer. I've started pickle ball classes with my mom and am trying paddleboarding this week for the first time. I hope to start fencing classes next month. I'd also love to take a kick-boxing class. My resting heart rate is down over 30 bpm and my blood pressure is averaging a good 10 points lower as well (though I've never had problems with high blood pressure).

My overall goal is to lose another 50 lbs. That would put me squarely in the middle of my ideal weight range for my height. Yes, I was almost 100 lbs overweight. That's depressing when you think about it. Especially since I'm just 5'3'' tall. I was straining a size 18W. Now I'm comfortably in a petite 12-14. And if I can do it, so can you. I'm not doing anything miraculous. It's just consistency and determination. I work out 5-6x per week for about an hour. I try to stay under 1400 calories per day. Especially since I'm a librarian who sits at a desk 40 hours a week. I burn nothing ;)

This blog's goal has always been to show how eating right doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. But if I'm honest, I wasn't very good at following through with the healthy eating. Well, that has changed. I'm a firm advocate that what we eat impacts our quality of life in ways we cannot even imagine. No, it's not a cure-all. We still need modern medicine. I'll never be one of those who believes we can cure all cancers just by "living off the land" or some such nonsense. But I do believe certain modern diseases were brought on by our changing diet. By the preservatives we continually add to all of our food. By refining everything. By pumping things full of sugar and sodium. We need to take a close look at what we're putting in our bodies, people. And as a society, we need to stand up and say "enough is enough".

Ok, off my soapbox. Here's a new recipe for you. I designed it myself. And it was fabulous. You could easily modify it to be completely Paleo (omit the mozzarella and substitute zoodles) or Vegan (again, substitute the cheeses and bread with olive oil instead of egg).

Almond Breaded Eggplant Parmesan

1 large eggplant, sliced thinly
1 cup almond meal
1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs, whisked
6 oz fresh sliced mozzarella
1 cup marinara (see recipe below or subsitute any desired)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment or spray lightly with cooking spray (I love Trader Joe's coconut oil spray!)
2. Mix almond meal, parmesan cheese, and spices together
3. Dip sliced eggplant first into egg and then into almond meal mixture, coating both sides evenly. Arrange on baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes, flipping halfway, or until lightly browned on both sides. Top with sliced mozzarella and bake another 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted. Arrange on plate and top with marinara sauce. Serve with pasta (I used Ancient Harvest's gluten free penne) or zoodles.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

2 lbs roma tomatoes, diced
1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes,
2 heaping T tomato paste
2 tsp salt
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried basil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup carrots, peeled and shredded
1 large onion, finely diced
1/2 cup red wine (I used Trader Joe's Shiraz)
2 T olive oil

1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat.
2. Saute onions and garlic in oil till browned and tender. Add red wine and reduce for 3 minutes.
3. Add rest of ingredients to pan. Simmer on low heat for 4 hours or until desired consistency. Add water, 1/2 cup at a time, if sauce becomes too thick.
4. If you like a smoother sauce, you can use an immersion blender to smooth it out. I, however, enjoy a chunkier marinara. You could also add diced eggplant or meat of your choice.

The Everyday

I do a lot of experimenting with new recipes. Pinterest is an all-time favorite of mine. I'm on it multiple times a week. Even when I was in over my head last year, up to my ears in school and work, I always had time for Pinterest. But there are several recipes I come back to time and again. These are the recipes I've perfected over the years or have been family favorites for decades. These are the "comfort food" recipes in my life! I hope they inspire creativity for you! These recipes are easy to make, hard to screw up, and fairly budget conscious. If you try them, let me know what you think! I'm always curious to know what others think of my recipes and opinions! What are some of your favorites?

Paglio e Fieno: This is an old family recipe. My grandmother's cousin runs a restaurant in Connecticut that serves this "family style". The picture above is my gluten free/kinda paleo version of it using zoodles. I do love my spiralizer! I also usually substitute ham for the prosciutto, as it's cheaper. This recipe is similar: Straw and Hay Pasta


Schezuan Green Beans: A grocery blog here in town posted this years ago as one of their favorite family dinners. We've been hooked ever since too! Extremely easy to modify to gluten free and/or Paleo by using gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos. The original recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated, a recipe website that you have to subscribe to to access but someone else has posted it HERE

Halal Chicken and Rice: This is a fairly new favorite that I originally had with my brother, Jeremy, on a trip to NYC. It's a street cart food there and has since grown to be one of my family's all-time favorites (actually, currently my mother is addicted to it. We've had it 3-4 times in the last month). I don't have one single recipe for this. It's pieced together from several different ones with my own tweaks but I've already blogged about it so the recipe can be found HERE.

Swedish Meatballs: My mom has been making these since I was little. They're also easy to recreate gluten free. Just substitute gluten free breadcrumbs (we like Aleia's brand best) and thicken the sauce with tapioca. And while traditionally swedish meatballs are served over egg noodles, I grew up with them over rice. Because, well, my mom is Chinese. What do you expect?! The recipe can be found HERE. 

Oatmeal Pork Chops: Yet another easily made gluten free meal. I couldn't find an exact recipe that is the same that we make but this ONE is similar. We usually pan fry them though, not bake them. Baking would be healthier though :). We just use gluten free oats. Bob's Red Mill oats are a good option. Serve them with applesauce and you've got one great meal! 

Restarting

I'll be honest with you. I have failed on Whole30. I really don't like it. It's restrictive and boring. I know, I know. You were going to say there's hundreds of things I could eat, right?! Yes, but my body wasn't really responding to it. Still too high in sugar, I guess.

So I'll stick with the sugar detox, thank you very much. I started that yesterday, we'll see how it goes! I've liked it in the past.

I made a couple of new recipes today. Do you like the pics? I got a new iPhone 6s and the camera is a noticeable improvement! The chicken piccata is gluten free, dairy free, Paleo, and Whole30. But definitely not flavor-free. Bursting with a light, lemony flavor, it invokes dreams of summer. The spaghetti squash isn't dairy free but could easily be made without the cheese.

Chicken Piccata

Serves 4

• 2-3 chicken breasts, filleted or pounded thin
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch, divided (or cornstarch or rice flour, whatever you'd like)
• 4 T olive oil
• 2 T butter or ghee
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 T capers, drained
• 1 c chicken broth
• 1/4 c white wine
• 4 T fresh parsley, chopped fine
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Lemons, thinly sliced

- Sprinkle several tablespoons of arrowroot on a small plate. Dredge filleted chicken breasts in the starch
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan
- Fry chicken breasts until cooked through and golden brown
- Remove breasts to a paper towel lined plate to drain
- To frying pan, add butter and 2 T more arrowroot starch, to form a roux
- Add white wine and cook for several minutes to burn off the alcohol
- Add lemon juice, capers, and chicken stock to pan and whisk till slightly thickened (you can add more stock if the sauce is too thick)
- Add chicken back to pan and heat to simmering
- Lay lemon slices on top and sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot over pasta or zoodles or the spaghetti squash below!

Bacon and Romano Spaghetti Squash
Serves 4

1 large spaghetti squash

4-6 slices bacon
1/2 cup fresh spinach
1 T olive oil
3 T grated Romano cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

- Cut spaghetti squash in half. Place in baking pan, open side down, with 1 cup of water in bottom
- Bake squash at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until tender but not mushy
- Meanwhile, fry bacon in a frying pan. Drain on a paper towel and chop roughly
- Once squash is cooked, take a fork and scrape out into a bowl
- Add olive oil to fry pan and saute spinach until just wilted.
- Add squash, bacon, cheese, and salt and pepper to the spinach. Toss to coat and serve hot

Sugar withdrawals

Sugar addiction is real, people! And it can produce VERY real symptoms. All day today (and it's only day 2!), I've had a jittery feeling and a terrible headache! Not a migraine, so that's good, but an intense headache all the same. I've also been dreaming about how good a Dr. Pepper would taste right about now. And a Haagen Dazs Bar. Or the rum cakes that I got for gifts for friends from the Cayman Islands last week. They're sitting in my room taunting me! A green apple and almond butter as "dessert" didn't cut it. I need chocolate, folks!

Ok, no more whining. The creators of the Whole30 are big about not whining. It's 30 days, right? I can do anything for 30 days. A quote from their book says "It is not hard. Don't you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. IS. NOT. HARD. You won't get any coddling, and you won't get any sympathy for your 'struggles'". Ok, I'm done.

I spent most of the day in the kitchen prepping all kinds of yummy food. My "Against All Grain" cookbook got a workout. As did her blog :) For lunch I made buffalo chicken tenders, dairy-free ranch dressing, and homemade sweet potato fries. My mom got these sweet potato tater tots from Alexia foods the other day and omg, are they delicious. However, they are NOT Whole30 or Paleo approved. So I resorted to sweet potato fries. They were good too. I also had a cucumber-tomato salad and sauteed zucchini.

Next, I made some vegetable soup to keep in the frig. It's a good snack. I also made homemade ketchup because I needed it for the ribs I was making for dinner. You can find that recipe HERE. And last but not least, I made sticky asian ribs. A recipe I designed myself. I've been craving PF Chang's ribs and decided to try and recreate it. Wow, were they yummy! Took forever though. I marinated them overnight and then they roasted in the oven for 3 hours. But they were totally worth it. My family had them with brown rice and mixed veggies. I reheated some mashed cauliflower. I think you'll love this recipe. And if you don't, lie and say you did :)

Asian Sticky Ribs

For the sauce:

1 cup ketchup (a Paleo recipe can be found HERE)
2 T rice vinegar
2 T sesame oil
2 T coconut aminos (or gluten free soy if not on Whole30)
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sriracha sauce 
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs baby back ribs

Note: I would add 2 T honey if not on Whole30. I think it needed some sweetener.

Directions:
- Mix sauce ingredients together. 
- Baste ribs with 1/2 the sauce and marinate overnight (I know it's hard but these ribs need to be marinated overnight. Just do it)
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. You could also roast them on an outdoor grill over low heat.
-Place ribs on large cookie sheet. Baste ribs with more sauce, cover with tin foil and roast for 3 hours. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Baste every hour or so. 
- Any leftover sauce can be used for dipping. Serve hot and with plenty of moist towelettes! 

Migraines, beware!

Ugh, sometimes my body really irritates me! Lately, I'm back to regularly taking migraine medication. And not the over the counter, Excedrin stuff, but the prescription, heavy-duty, wipes-me-out-for-the-afternoon kind. I just got back from a cruise with a friend of mine and a migraine put me in bed for a whole afternoon one of the days! Not cool, not cool at all! I tried to cut back on the wheat while I was away. Gluten-free bread for sandwiches, tell the waiter "no bread, please" every night when they were passing around those warm, addicting, sourdough rolls. Sigh, life is hard. ;)

So, when I got home, I decided to try and take my health back! I'm going to try something new though. Instead of the 21 day sugar detox (which works quite well every time I've done it), I'm going to do the Whole30. Has anyone ever tried it? It's very similar to the detox, except it adds in more fruits and potatoes. So that's nice. I'm not much of a potato person but it does give a different starch to play around with from time to time. It's not on the menu for this week though. Maybe I'll grab a couple for next week.

Also, I'm modifying a bit and adding in some hard cheeses. I don't have a problem with dairy and the cheeses I'll add will be additive free, organic, and I'll try to stick with mostly raw. I got some raw Gouda today at Sprouts. Yum Yum!

My snack from today: Gouda, ham, and a bit of pear

So there you have it. I've got a BUNCH of new recipes up my sleeve. Look for them soon (like tomorrow. I've got a new ribs recipe marinating in the frig right now)!