The Meal Plan:
Sun (L) leftover gumbo (S) Slow cooked pork with polenta
Mon (Yoga) leftover pork
Tues - leftover pork with Gnocchi
Wed (AM Yoga/Ben vet) tuna spagetti
Thurs (Yoga) leftover pork
Fri - pasty
Sat - in town for lunch; poached cod for supper
Lunches - Slow Cooked Tuscan White Bean Soup, crackers, luna bars, yogurt, fruit
Italian Braised Pork with Polenta (Ckng Lght Jan/Feb 2015) gluten free
This is very quick to pull together and tastes great. Though, I just realized we completely forgot to add the vinegar and the Worchester sauce! Whoops! No matter, it still tasted great. The meat was so incredibly tender it just shredded with a touch of the tongs. My polenta was not instant, so I prepared according to package directions. Was out of milk, so I just used water and added a tbsp of butter for flavor along with the parmesan. The Husband and I both agreed serving this dish over polenta was a nice change.
1 tablespoon
olive oil
1
(1 1/2-pound) boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt) (we used 2 lbs of boneless country pork ribs, in 1 lb hunks)
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon
black pepper, divided
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| photo from cookinglight.com |
2 cups
vertically sliced onion
1 cup
sliced yellow bell pepper
10
garlic cloves, minced
2
(14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon
chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon
chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon
balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons
Worcestershire sauce
2 cups
water
1 cup
2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup
instant polenta
1.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat.
Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add pork
to pan; cook 10 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Transfer pork to a
slow cooker. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes
or until tender. Transfer mixture to slow cooker. Add remaining 1/4
teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, tomatoes, rosemary, and thyme. Cover
and cook on LOW for 7 1/2 hours. Add vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes; turn off heat. Shred pork with 2 forks.
2. Combine 2 cups water and milk in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; add polenta, stirring with a whisk. Cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve pork over polenta in shallow bowls.
Slow Cooked Tuscan White Bean Soup (Ckng Lght Mar, 2015) gluten free
A couple of alterations to this recipe: I actually made little meatballs and lightly sauted them before adding to the soup. I used some mild Italian sausage (I think that's what it was, I didn't label my ziploc bag very well), mixed with some pre-cooked brown rice and seasonings. Formed into meatballs and a quick saute before adding to the rest of the soup.
I've also gotten into the habit of pre-cooking beans before adding to the slow cooker. I start the dish as written, but omit the beans. Those I cover in 2" of bottled water (a must if you have hard water), bring to a boil on the stove, cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 2+ hours. Drain and add to slow cooker. Works like a charm! I don't end up with crunchy beans.
1 1/2 cups
chopped onion
1 ounce
Parmesan cheese, shaved (about 1/4 cup)
2. Combine 2 cups water and milk in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; add polenta, stirring with a whisk. Cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve pork over polenta in shallow bowls.
Slow Cooked Tuscan White Bean Soup (Ckng Lght Mar, 2015) gluten free
A couple of alterations to this recipe: I actually made little meatballs and lightly sauted them before adding to the soup. I used some mild Italian sausage (I think that's what it was, I didn't label my ziploc bag very well), mixed with some pre-cooked brown rice and seasonings. Formed into meatballs and a quick saute before adding to the rest of the soup.
I've also gotten into the habit of pre-cooking beans before adding to the slow cooker. I start the dish as written, but omit the beans. Those I cover in 2" of bottled water (a must if you have hard water), bring to a boil on the stove, cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 2+ hours. Drain and add to slow cooker. Works like a charm! I don't end up with crunchy beans.
6 cups
unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
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| photo from cookinglight.com |
1 cup
diced carrot
1 cup
diced celery
5
garlic cloves, chopped
4
fresh thyme sprigs
1
bay leaf
12 ounces
dried Great Northern beans
3 cups
kale, stemmed and chopped
2 tablespoons
unsalted tomato paste
3/8 teaspoon
kosher salt
1 pound
hot Italian sausage links, casings removed
2 tablespoons
fresh lemon juice
1. Place first 8 ingredients in a 6-quart electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Discard thyme and bay leaf.
2. Stir kale, tomato paste, and salt into bean mixture. Shape sausage into 32 meatballs; arrange on top of bean mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH 30 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Stir in juice. Divide soup among 8 bowls; top with cheese.
2. Stir kale, tomato paste, and salt into bean mixture. Shape sausage into 32 meatballs; arrange on top of bean mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH 30 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Stir in juice. Divide soup among 8 bowls; top with cheese.
Tuna Spaghetti - Husband's discovery
We've been trying to increase the Omega3's in our diet, and one of the best ways to do that is through fish. The husband found this a while back: add tuna to spaghetti sauce instead of ground meat. I fully admit, I was a bit dubious. He chose canned tuna (water packed) and I had him saute the tuna to boil off some of the extra fishy-liquid. Then add to sauce, simmer, and serve. Second time round I added some calmata olives for a little extra tang.
Since we had this twice, I would call this a success. I do think using vacuum packed tuna instead of canned would be better. You would avoid the canned liquid and could add directly to the sauce as it's simmering.
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