I love Pork and so do my kids, hopefully you do too.

  When we first started dating, my husband and I bonded over FOOD.  What can I say, we both really love food! We were both a bit heavier in our younger twenties mostly due to food and MAYBE the many drinks we might have consumed with it but really that's not important.  One thing we definately agreed on was pork...we loved it!  Hell, one year for Halloween I was a pig with the butcher pattern all over me and Damon was a butcher (if you're lucky I may post a picture).  That's how much we like pork!  

  Thankfully our children also enjoy the other white meat just as much.  If they didn't, I would seriously question if they were mine!    The meal my kids will always eat is pork and this is one of our favorites.  It's super easy, even my friend who can't cook was able to prepare this dish for his wife, so anyone can do this!

  I almost always have frozen berries in the freezer so I sometimes substitute with blackberries but really we like the blueberries best.  You could likely use fresh blackberries or blueberries too but I would add a little more than the frozen. 

  Not sure why but I will post the Halloween picture supporting our pork obsession! Yes, it is an actual butcher scene not intended for all audiences.  Did I mention we bonded over Halloween too???  We like to dress up every year.  Maybe, just maybe, around Christmas I'll post the picture from another Halloween...I'll think about it.  If you couldn't get the hint it is a Christmas themed costume.

  Anyway, back to cooking.  I like my pork chops slightly pink in the center.  Cooked not raw, but not overcooked to the point that it is dry, tough and hard as a rock.  If that is how you prefer your pork chops, more power to you but I think you're missing out.  Pork chops do not need to be cooked well done but feel free to cook them longer if needed, but please know that you will lose the juiciness that makes pork so delicious and that would be a tragedy!

Blueberry Balsamic Pork Chops 

Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 thick cut pasture-raised pork chops
• 1 TBSP bacon fat or olive oil (I do a a little of both)
• 1/2 cup of Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries (or blackberries)
• 1/2 tsp of dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp of paprika
• 1/4 tsp of garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp of pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a small saucepan combine balsamic and blueberries and cook over medium to low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom of the pan. Cook until it has reduced by half, about 25 minutes. 
3. Sprinkle and press half of the seasonings on one side of the pork chop. I typically do this while they are still in the brown wrapper but if you want to dirty a plate go for it!  Place them on a plate then press the seasonings into both sides of the chops and you can skip step 6.
4. Add your choice of oil to a large oven-safe pan and place over med/high heat.  Be sure to spread the oil along the bottom of the pan.
5. Once the pan is hot, place the seasoned side pork chop down into the pan. 
6. Sprinkle and press the rest of the seasonings onto the top of the pork chop while cooking.  
7. Cook for 3 minutes then flip the pork chops (with a tong, you don't want to lose juices) and cook for an additional 3 minutes. 
8. Flip the pork chops one more time and place into the oven for 7-10 minutes.
9. Remove pan from oven and cover loosely and let rest in the pan for about 5 minutes. 
10. Serve pork chop over micro greens (pictured), chopped spinach or mixed greens.  Be sure to include some of the juices from the pork pan and then top with a spoonful of the blueberry balsamic mixture.

Kale Krack Salad

Let's get this party started!

  This is one of the easiest and best salads you will ever eat!  I probably make this salad at least once a week.  My husband, Damon, and I seriously don't get sick of this salad...it is that good.  Damon commonly refers to this as his "crack salad". He can pretty much eat a whole batch by himself, which unless your tummy is used to kale on a regular basis I would strongly advise NOT eating it all in one sitting! You may want to, and it might be tempting, but you will thank me later for the warning. 

  The salad has a taste of breadcrumbs which helps satisfy your craving for bread (if you have it).  The lemon dressing and almond meal give the nutty taste of parmesan which solves the cheese portion of it too.  Cheese used to be my biggest vice, not sweets, but cheese!  One year, my co-workers actually gave me a cheese tray for my birthday instead of a cake, that's how much I loved cheese!!  So, for those of you that think you can't do this, remember that the girl that loved cheese and had a huge platter of cheese for her birthday cake can give up cheese, so can you!!  

  Seriously, though this is a great salad to help you ease into this lifestyle.  My kids honestly love it and will eat it, not every week  like Damon but that's probably because they are kids and they get bored very easily.  

  Here are some helpful tips when it comes to removing the stem from the kale.  I would say it is a grip it and rip it approach.  I hold one end of the stem and then with my other hand I grip the leaf and slide my hand across the stem ripping both sides of the leaf off the stem at the same time.  Then you are left with long strips that are easy to stack and slice. Pictures are probably much better instructions...so here you go. 

  Another tip is toasting the almond meal.  It's important to keep an eye on it and not let it burn.  It can happen REALLY quickly if you aren't careful!  Watch it the whole time and stir often. You want it to transform from a cream color to a nice toasty brown color.  I'll include some more pics to make it easier.

   One final thing, I use a salt and pepper grinder.  Typically I do a couple of turns of pepper and a couple of turns of salt but I would estimate it isn't much more then 1/8 to a 1/4 tsp of each. I'll measure better next time...I promise!

  Hopefully you like the salad as much as we do!

Kale "Krack" Salad

Serves: 4-6 

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 bundles of Lacinato Kale (also called dinosaur, Tuscan, Italian or black kale)
• 3/4 cup of almond flour
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions:

1. Wash and wipe the kale down.  You need to clean the leaves. It is the most time consuming part of this salad but it's an important step. I rinse a handful of leaves in cold water and use a paper towel to wipe the inside and outside of each leaf. I told you it sucked but it's worth it. Lots of dirt and grit can get trapped in those leaves!
2. Remove the center stem from the kale, chop into thin long pieces and place in a large bowl. (Removal instructions above)
3. Next, use a garlic press for the garlic cloves (or chop if you don't have a garlic press or you hate cleaning one) and put in a separate small mixing bowl.  Add the lemon juice, olive oil, a little salt and pepper, mix and set aside. 
4.  In a small pan add the almond meal, pine nuts, a little salt and pepper and toast over low to medium heat. You need to watch this and make sure it doesn't burn, it can happen quickly!  Be sure to stir it often. 
5. Pour hot "breadcrumbs" over greens and then top with dressing. Toss gently with tongs. 
6. Serve right away or let it sit for an hour in the fridge or on the counter. This allows the dressing to breakdown the kale a bit more.  This salad holds up well for a couple of days if it will last that long!