Slow Cooker Rosemary Pork Loin

Warm days and busy evenings are in store for us as spring starts to take it's rightful place.  So, time to break out the slow cooker and prepare easy, home cooked meals for those time limited days.  

Slow Cooker Rosemary Pork Loin

Ingredients:

• 4-5lb Boneless Pork Loin
• 10 Cloves Garlic
• 7 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
• 2 C. Vegetable Broth
• 1 Large Onion
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Warm olive oil in a sautee pan.
2. With a sharp knife, cut slits into pork loin and slip the garlic into the meat.
3. Generously salt and pepper the pork loin and brown or sear on both sides in pan with oil.
4. While pork is browning, chop onion and place on bottom of slow cooker along with extra garlic if desired.
5. Place browned pork into crock pot along with vegetable broth and rosemary sprigs.
6. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until pork is tender and cooked through.

Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. Wake up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light!  So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! -  Ephesians 5:11-17

Construction Continues

10 Things I Learned While Building a Chicken Coop:


1. A jig is not just a dance anymore.  (jig - A device for guiding a tool or for holding machine work in place. )

Birds Mouth Cut

2. Birds Mouth is a type of cut used inmaking a roof, not just what a bird uses to eat.

3. Air compressors for an air nailer may not get enough current through a long extension cord and can waste a lot of time trying to figure out what is wrong.

4.  What looks square is not always square.

5. Measure twice, cut once.


6. When none of the power tools work, save time and ALWAYS check the circuit breaker first.

7. Desperation is going on the roof in search of a better extension cord.

8. Trusses are easier to buy then cut yourself, but don't tell an engineer that.


9. Time moves faster then a power drill, circular saw or a miter saw ever can.

10. Rome was not built in a day and neither is our chicken coop.  There is always next weekend....

Ratatouille's Ratatouille

One of my favorite things to do is entertain and cook for friends. This has become even more enjoyable since my gluten free needs arose and eating anywhere but home can be a challenge and end in pain despite the best efforts.  A good friend of ours that knows my love of cooking, has been asking about ratatouille for quite some time and when he, his wife and their three kids came to visit this weekend I decided to prepare the dish he had built up in his mind for so long.  I had a feeling that he was not interested in the authentic dish, but rather the colorful pretty one that had been featured in Disney's movie Ratatouille that the family had watched and fell in love with. After some searching, I found a beautiful version created by Smitten Kitchen and with a few slight modifications our Ratatouille's ratatouille was prepared and graciously gobbled down by kids and adults alike (well, some kids).  Though it is not authentic, it is delicious and visually appealing and went wonderfully with the smoked chicken, roasted potatoes and wonderful company we shared.

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it. - Proverbs 15:17

Ratatouille's Ratatouille

as adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

1/2 Onion, Finely Chopped
3-4 Garlic Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 ½ cup Tomato Sauce or Puree

Olive Oil
1 Eggplant
1 Zucchini
1 Yellow Squash
1 Red or Orange Bell Pepper
Italian Seasoning Blend (fresh herbs are best of course)
Salt and Pepper

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

• Spread tomato sauce in the bottom of a round or oval baking dish and add the onion and minced garlic.
• Using a mandolin, slice the egg plant, zucchini, yellow squash and bell pepper in thin medallions.
• Toss the vegetables in a large bowl with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper.
• Layer the vegetables in a pattern, circling the baking dish. 
• Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 40min
• Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle parmesan cheese.
• Enjoy!

Construction Begins

This past weekend began work on our chicken coop.  I have been working on providing a cleaner diet and life for my family for awhile and fresh eggs are the next step on the list.  We are building an 8x12 coop and hope to house 10-12 chickens.  After a year of helping at the neighbors and being paid in fresh eggs, Abby is leading the chicken care and prep work.  Giddy with anticipation of our new feathered friends, Abby has been dancing around the house and spending free time reading all the books on chicken raising she can get her hands on.  The other kids are also excited, but Abby has been blessed with the gift of love for all animals and cannot wait to be able to care for some of God’s creatures in her own yard.

This coming weekend we hope to have walls and a roof and have already ordered the chicks to arrive soon.  Perhaps an omelet or quiche party this summer? 

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31

Gluten Free Chicken Fingers

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. - Romans 14:1-23

Gluten Free Chicken Fingers

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Hazelnut Flour (I imagine almond flour would work as well, though I have never tried it.)
• 1 tsp Granulated Garlic
• 1 Tb Italian Seasoning
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 1 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• 1 Beaten Egg
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil      

Directions:

1. Preheat the olive oil in a skillet. 
2. Combine hazelnut flour, garlic, seasonings and salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside. 
3. Cut chicken into desired size pieces.  Gently tenderize chicken pieces to ¼  to ½ inch thick. 
4. Immerse chicken in egg wash.  Place egg coated chicken into hazelnut mixture and coat thoroughly.  
5. Gently set chicken into the preheated pan with oil, be sure not to over crowd the pan.  Brown chicken on both sides and then place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 or until chicken is cooked through.  

Tangy Tomatillo Salsa

I tend to make fresh Pico de Gallo (Or Simple Summer Salsa) on a near weekly basis.  I have gotten bored with the same old combination and tiring chopping and was not going to make it at all tonight.  The bottle of Chi Chi’s salsa looked mighty fine to me.  However, as I was clearing my counters to start cooking, I found I still had three lonely tomatillos waiting to be called to duty.  How could I let these little green balls, swaddled in their husks down by ignoring them for one more meal?  So, Tangy Tomatillo Salsa was born.  Welcome to the world Tangy Tomatillo Salsa, you are loved by all in this house and I am sure many others to come.

Other things I have learned today:

• Holding a three day old baby can be great therapy.
• No need to apologize for who you are.  If they don’t like you, saying sorry won’t change that.
• Emily likes to turn off all the lights in the house and relax in the living room as a family.  Why?  That is yet to be discovered, but it is very nice to have the hum of electricity silenced for a bit.
• Everybody is busy.  Just too darn busy all the time.  Everybody.  Go make some salsa and relax.

Tangy Tomatillo Salsa

• 3 Tomatillos (With husk removed and sticky outside rinsed clean)
• 2 Red Tomatoes
• ¼ - ½ Red Onion
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Green Pepper
• 1 Handful Chopped Fresh Cilantro
• Juice from one Lime
• Salt to taste

Chop all vegetables in one inch or smaller chunks.  Pulse in food processer until desired texture is reached (I like a bit of chunk in mine).  Place in large bowl and stir in cilantro, lime juice and salt.  Serve with blue corn tortilla chips (or your favorite) and enjoy!  

Shrimp in a Bacon and Tomato Sauce

I did not know what to make for dinner today, so today I played Chopped.  

My basket ingredients were:

Shrimp

Parsley

Canned Tomatoes

Bacon

(Yes, I know I went easy on myself.  I did want my family to eat the food after all.)

And the results:

Shrimp in a Bacon and Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 6-7 Slices of Bacon, diced
• 6 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 1 Stalk of Celery, diced
• 1 Small Shallot, diced
• 1 Small Onion, diced
• ½ Cup White Wine
• 1 28oz Can Crushed or Diced Tomatoes (depending on how chunky you would like the dish)
• Handful of Fresh Parsley, chopped
• Handful of Basil, chopped
• 1 TB Crushed Red Pepper
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 2lbs of uncooked Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Brown Rice Pasta for serving

Directions:

1. Place diced bacon in a large preheated skillet or Dutch oven on medium heat.  Add garlic, celery, shallot and onion once the bacon grease begins to form.  Continue until bacon is cooked.
2. Add white wine and cook on low/med for about 2min.
3. Add tomatoes, crushed peppers and herbs.  Simmer together to let flavors marry.
4. Place the shrimp in the sauce and continue to simmer until the shrimp is cooked.
5. Serve with pasta or rice and enjoy!