Paleo (almost) Eggplant Parmesan

I absolutely love eggplant Parmesan and since I am really the only one in the house sticking to Paleo I figured I could make me some and no one else would want it. I was wrong.....the kids who "hate" eggplant love this stuff. It was fantastic!!! For the serious Paleo foodies out there I did add just a little High Quality Cheese to it. But only a little. I am OK with it every now and then since I am not eating dairy at all, but you cant have Eggplant Parmesan without Parmesan! 

 The Bolognese sauce is not just Paleo, you could make this for anything. And the breading can just be bread crumbs if you are not on the Paleo lifestyle. Either way it rocks. I did not take alot of pics throughout the process like I normally would because I didn't realize I would be posting this, But there are a few.  Here is how I did it.....

Bolognese Sauce

This takes some time, but don't shortcut it, each step is well worth it. Also there are many layers of seasoning in this. Don't worry it will not be too salty. But it is very important to season each layer.

Ingredients

• 1 - 1 1/2 Lb ground grass-fed beef.
• 2 tbsp butter, lard, tallow or duck fat;
• 1/4 cup chopped bacon;
• 1 large onion, finely grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced;
• 3 carrots, finely grated
• 2 celery sticks, diced;
• 2 bay leaf;
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes with no additives
• 6 chopped Roma tomatoes
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 1/2 cup fresh spinach
• sea salt, pepper, Italian seasoning

In large deep pan with lid fry bacon, take out about half way done and chop. 

Add butter to bacon fat. Add bacon bits, grated onions, carrots, garlic and celery. Cook this on medium heat until well browned. Not just a little browned but to where there are browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Add sea salt and pepper during this process.

Add ground meat, sea salt, pepper, and some Italian seasoning and once again over brown.

Add wine and reduce by half

Add chopped tomatoes, canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, simmer until fresh tomatoes are broken down well. About 30 minutes.

Stir well, add spinach, bay leaves, and 2 cups of water. Or just enough to cover. Season again. Cover and let simmer for at least 2 hours or until water is reduced and sauce is very thick and cooked together. 

This makes a very very rich and flavorful sauce. It is important to over brown each step, but not burn. 

Eggplant

• 2 medium eggplants
• salt
• almond flour (or seasoned breadcrumbs if not Paleo)
• garlic powder
• salt
• pepper
• 2 eggs beaten well
• Coconut oil or frying oil of choice if not Paleo

Eggplant is very bitter if you do not let some of the juices out before cooking it. Slice your eggplant and lay it all out on a cookie sheet. Heavily sprinkle with salt and let it sit for about an hour. Then put in a colander and rinse with cold water very well.  lay out on paper towels to dry for a few minutes. 

Heat oil in a pan until hot. Like fried chicken hot, too low of a temperature and the batter will fall off. 

Dip eggplant in a bit of flour, then the beaten eggs, then into flour or bread crumbs again and fry. About 2-3 minutes on each side. until done and crispy.

Almond flour does not stick as well as regular four or breadcrumbs so I just got some of the bits and added them to my Parmesan. 

Eggplant Parmesan

I used a medium but deep casserole dish because I thought this was going to be just for me. hahahaha was I wrong.

Put a bottom layer of eggplant, then cover with Bolognese sauce and sprinkle just a little cheese. I used about 1/4 of the amount I normally would. Then repeat ending with eggplant until you are out, layer like you would lasagna. 

Sprinkle with more almond flour or breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes at 350 uncovered until bubbly and browned. Let the dish rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Yummy!

 

Habanero Pepper Sauce

A few years ago on a cruise to Mexico we went to a beach party on Cozumel where fajitas were on the menu. Off to the side by the salsa, sour cream, green sauce, etc etc was this orange saucy stuff. I asked what it was and the server replied with, " No, you no eat. Caliente!!!" In other words, don't eat it because you are a white lady and it is too hot. Of course that was a challenge and I grabbed a spoonful and topped my beef fajita with it. CALIENTE! It was hot, it was fabulous, and my mouth was burning, however it didn't just taste like habaneros, it actually was very very good and had flavor. This sauce was all over Mexico. It was kind of like ketchup on American tables. I did not get the recipe there, but shortly came home and started researching and made some, my family loved it, our friends loved it and it has somewhat been a staple in my house ever since.

Habanero Peppers in Colorado are SUPER expensive. A pound at the Hispanic store is anywhere from $6.97 - $10.97 depending on the time of year. So when Randy called from Texas the other day and said habaneros were on sale- 3 pounds for $1.50 I politely asked for as many pounds as he was willing to send. I got 3!! And Pablanos, and Anaheims and Serranos etc etc. I am in pepper heaven all for under $10.00. And the first batch of Habanero sauce is now in jars :-)

I quadrupled this recipe and got 7 - 8oz jelly jars out of it.

Ingredients:

• 12 habanero peppers, stems removed  (yes 12)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup distilled vinegar
• 1/4 cup lime juice

Saute the onion and garlic in oil until soft; add the carrots with a small amount of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots

are soft. 

Place the mixture and raw chiles into a blender and puree until smooth. 

Don't cook the peppers, since cooking reduces flavor of the Habaneros. Combine the puree with vinegar and lime juice, then simmer for 5 minutes and seal in sterilized bottles.

I water bathed these for 15 minutes.

Heat index : 9 on a scale of 1-10. A Little Dab will do ya - Trust me!

 

Chicken Teriyaki and Pineapple Meatballs

I keep hearing about these Chicken meatballs from Costco and thought it sounded like a great plan for a healthier dinner. The other day Tisha was saying they were having these and brown rice for dinner, it sounded right up my alley. Since I live 60 miles from Costco and have a Sam's membership anyway, I went and looked at the ingredients list and came up with my own version...minus the junk in the others. In my continuing efforts of " Lifestyle Change" I am starting to replace a lot of beef and pork with chicken and turkey. Now don't get me wrong, I still love me some red meat, but I am cutting back where I can.

I am really tired of the whole "Lifestyle Change" phrase, but that is exactly what it is. It is not a diet, it is not starving, it is not never eating the foods I love. It is simply doing the best I can with what I can live with and still eating yummy food. After all, I didn't get fat because of my dislike of yummy food.

Ingredients:

2 lb ground chicken (I used chicken breast)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (well drained)
1 tsp white sugar
1 TB soy sauce ( I use Hawaiian Soy because the sodium is far less )

1/2 tsp. ground oriental hot mustard (you can omit this, I just love it)

  1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp miso powder
1 tsp ground ginger
salt to your preference if desired (I omitted)

1 bottle Teriyaki Sauce. (I used La Choy Marinade and Sauce because it was the lowest calories and sodium)

Mix all ingredients will into ground chicken except sauce. 

Ground chicken is much more mushy than beef, turkey is the same way. So I seared the meatballs in a very hot skillet for just a few minutes.

Then put them into a mini muffin pan to bake in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes until done. I used a small scoop to get the portion size I wanted. And you see the gloves back there because I have a horrible aversion to touch ground meat with my hands. It is yucky.

While these were baking I sauteed up a few onions, bell peppers and coleslaw mix in a bit of olive oil. Sprinkled with a little Thai Chile Pepper then shoved to the side. I got my wok very hot, added more Thai Chile and threw in some pineapple tidbits and cooked them fast just to get some sear on them. 

After pulling the meatballs out of the oven I simply threw them back into the skillet, poured the jar of sauce over them, and heated for a few minutes. This served all 5 of us 4 meatballs each at 190 calories per serving (not including veggies and brown rice) and made 3 lunches for the boys and Rob. And was quite yummy!

Buffalo Chicken Burgers with Pablano Lime Corn

First of all let me just say that I am a Texas Girl. I am a mountain girl. I am a Texas mountain girl. And I LOVE beef! We raise our own beef (Longhorns because the meat is incredible) but I am also a Texas Mountain Girl trying to lose weight.

During this weight loss endeavor I have truly made a lifestyle change. I have not dieted, but have just changed the way I cook, and the things I eat. I have learned that you can have the items you love, just in moderation and make them healthy as possible. Annnnnnnnnd enters the chicken burger. 

I was skeptical, I will say that first. But WOW was it good. This will be a new staple at my dinner table.

Ingredients:.
1/4 cup light sour cream (Fat free)
1/4 cup reduced fat blue cheese (I don't add this) I use fat free
blue cheese dressing. 

 1Tblsp Blue Cheese crumbles (I didn't use this either)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1/4 cup hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery salt (optional)

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

4 Kaiser rolls, split (Low Cal- Low Fat burger buns, I used Sara Lee 80 calorie whole wheat))
4 leaves green lettuce
1/2 cup diced celery

Directions:
1.      Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the
grate. Stir the sour cream, blue cheese, and Worcestershire sauce
together in a small bowl; set aside.

2.      Mix the ground chicken, 1/4 cup hot sauce, celery salt, poultry
seasoning, paprika, and cayenne pepper together in a mixing bowl until
evenly blended. Form into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.

3.      Cook the chicken burgers on the preheated grill 6 to 7 minutes
until well marked. Make sure grill is very hot or they will stick. Spray the uncooked top of the burger with cooking spray, and flip the burgers over. Brush the cooked side with 1
tablespoon hot sauce, and continue cooking until no longer pink in the
center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes more. An instant-read
thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees
F (74 degrees C).

4.      To assemble the burgers, place a lettuce leaf on each roll bottom.
Top with a burger patty, then spoon on 2 tablespoons of blue cheese
sauce, and 2 tablespoons celery. Place the top of the roll on top to
finish the sandwich.

Pablano Lime Corn

I roasted a Pablano Pepper Stove Top until it was tender inside and charred outside.

Then added 1/2 stick of softened unsalted butter and the juice and pulp of one lime

Got out the Handy Dandy immersion blender and immersed. 

Covered fresh Corn on the Cob

Grill the corn on medium low heat for about 20 minutes turning a few times. Then unwrap and finish grilling for about another 15 minutes. Sprinkle with a little salt and Viola...yummy corn. 

With this meal I also grilled Sweet Potatoes. Because I love them  and they are so much lower in calories and carbs than a regular potato. My general grilled sweet potato is tossed in light maple syrup, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and white pepper. 

 

Simply Yummy Grilled Chicken Recipe

This is by far one of the best chicken recipes I have ever had in my life. It ranks right up there with Tisha's Teriyaki Chicken which is amazing. I found this on Pioneer Woman's blog and made it last week, I doubled the batch and it was Gone quick in this house with everyone asking for more. 

Ingredients

6 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

MARINADE:
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 cup Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Steak Seasoning (I Used A1)
Sauce:
1 cup Honey
8 pieces Thick Cut Bacon, Diced
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce


Preparation Instructions

Slice the chicken breasts into thick strips diagonally. Combine marinade ingredients in a plastic zipper bag. Throw in chicken, seal bag, and marinate in fridge for at least 3 hours.

Make the sauce: Fry the diced bacon in a heavy skillet until slightly crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Pour off and discard grease but do not clean skillet. Set the skillet over medium-low heat and add honey, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Stir to combine and allow to bubble slightly. Stir in bacon, then remove from heat and set aside.

Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Grill chicken on both sides until completely done.

Place into a big heatproof bowl, then pour the sauce over the chicken. Toss to coat.

Sunday Kolaches and Horchata

Being a homegrown Texas girl, I love kolaches. Not only can you not find a decent donut place here in Colorado, but kolaches are about unheard of. Now I know that I am going to get flack about this statement. People from here will say, "But what about the Donut Mill, or Krispy Kreme, or Dunkin Donuts... Yes they are all yummy, but there isn't much better than a yeast raised deep fried and glazed donut. Or cinnamon roll, mmmmmm....I want a fried yummy, gooey, cinnamon roll, not baked, not sprouted...but fried, in lard.  But for now.....back to kolaches. 

I still owe Clinton kolaches for taking me hiking in the Grand Canyon and he just came into town last night so I guess I better get busy.   

 I resorted again to my Homesick Texan cook book. Lisa's recipe is about the closest I have found to the sweet, fluffy kolaches back home. Of course with a few changes noted.

From The Homesick Texan Cookbook 

Kolaches (adapted from recipes found in Texas Monthly and the Houston Chronicle)
Ingredients:
1 package of active dry yeast (I use rapid rise)
1 cup of warm milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups of all-purpose flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup of melted butter
1 teaspoon of salt

Method:
In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm milk, sugar and one cup of flour. Cover and let it rise until doubled in size.
Beat together eggs, 1/2 cup of melted butter (reserve 1/4 cup for brushing on the pastry) and salt.
Add egg mixture to yeast mixture and blend. (I add about 1 Tblsp of honey at this time)

Stir in about two more cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time. The dough should be soft and moist.
Knead dough for about 10 minutes on floured surface. Don't worry, it’s a joy to knead as the dough is smooth and highly malleable.
Put dough in a greased bowl and let rise covered until doubled in size—about an hour.
After dough has risen, punch it down and pull off egg-sized pieces. In your hands, roll pieces into balls and then flatten to about three inches in diameter. Brush with melted butter.
Place flattened pieces on a greased cookie sheet, cover and let rise again for another half-hour.
After second rising, with your finger gently make an indention in the center of the dough (be careful not to flatten it too much) and fill with one tablespoon of fruit filling (recipe to follow) and sprinkle with posypka (recipe to follow).
Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Brush with melted butter when you take them out of the oven and serve warm.

Kolache filling
Ingredients:
1/2 pound of dried fruit such as apricots or prunes.
Sugar to taste
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
Lemon zest

I use homemade jelly or jam for this step. Preferably Wina's apricot jam she sends me from Texas...yummy

 About 1 minute after these came out of the oven Clinton called to claim his pay off for the Grand Canyon. He is on the way to get them while they are still warm. Kolaches never last long around here.

 Dear Wina - I am out of Apricot Jam :-(

Method:
Soak the dried fruit in water for a few hours or overnight.
When fruit is re-hydrated, cook on low for 15 minutes, adding sugar to taste (I find the fruit sweet enough so I don’t add sugar, but you may prefer it sweeter), cinnamon and lemon zest. Mash with a potato masher until you have a puree.

Posypka
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:
Mix all ingredients until crumbly.

This recipe makes about 18 kolaches, depending on how large you make them. And the variations are endless. For additional flavor you can soak the dried fruit in tea such as Earl Grey or you could sprinkle goat cheese on the apricot kolaches before baking. You can also make sausage and jalapeno kolaches by wrapping the three-inch flattened piece of dough around a two-inch piece of sausage and a couple of pickled jalapeno slices.  
When they come out of the oven I brush them with Cowboy Candy juice as well for the sausage kolaches. 

Horchata

Horchata is something that I found a million posts about that people from Texas and Mexico just love love love this. It is even on the Homesick Texan blog, however I had never had it nor heard of it...until yesterday. And let me tell you I am so addicted. This stuff is OMG good. 

What is Horchata?

 Basically it is a rice milk that is infused with cinnamon, honey/sugar, and vanilla. I added a few coffee beans into mine just because I wanted too.  It sits in the fridge overnight, then it goes straight to the food processor and strained, put it over ice and you have the creamiest, yummiest, Mexican type drink I have ever had in my life! And, it is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan. Bonus!

¾ cup rice (I usually use long grain white or brown basmati)

4 cups hot water

1 or 2 cinnamon sticks

½ cup sugar or mild honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups water, milk, or coconut milk (I will add Almond Milk to mine)

Pour the rice in a blender and pulse until it resembles a coarse crumb. Add the 4 cups water and the cinnamon stick(s), and let sit in the refrigerator overnight in half gallon Ball Jar. I added extra of everything to fill the jar. Just because I wanted a full jar.

 Blend the mixture (cinnamon sticks included) for 2-3 minutes until completely pureed. Add the sugar and the vanilla extract, and blend again until completely combined. Check for sweetness.

Strain the mixture with a cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve into a pitcher. Add the two cups water, milk, or coconut - depending on your preference - and stir. Pour in glasses over ice as-is, or add a splash of brandy. Garnish with cinnamon. 

 I will post photos of the finished Horchata tomorrow when it is done. 

The Legend of Cripple Creeks Worst Green Chile

And the legend goes a little like this:

An annual green chile cook off in the small mountain town of Cripple Creek Colorado. Melissa Trenary entered her favorite chile recipe. At the taste test it was dubbed, "Cripple Creeks Worst Chile" She then proceeded to sell like a million gallons of it that night at her bar.

Well, if that was the worst, I would have died tasting the best, because this stuff is the bomb. And to boot, it is super easy. The longer you cook it the better. 

Now in my humble opinion this is best on top of cheese enchiladas, complete with enchilada sauce and sour cream. But it is just as yummy in a bowl with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips..or the next morning as Migas (a post for later), in or on just about anything that you would like to put it in or on.

So on to the "Worst" green chile on the planet. Which by the way, there are never any leftovers of. 

Cripple Creeks Worst Green Chile

4lbs Pork Roast or Pork Stew meat, floured and browned thoroughly

2 cans Rotel (diced tomatoes if you are wimpy)

2 large cans diced green chiles

(We use fresh roasted green chiles, actually I use equivalent of 3 a mixture of Pueblo, Big Jims, and Anaheim's that have been roasted and skinned)

medium onion, diced

garlic

paprika (smoked is best)

cayenne

white pepper

cumin

12 oz bottle of beer

Combine all in large pot add just a little water, about 2 cups, but I use a crockpot. on medium low and cook all day long. 

Enjoy!

Southern Chow Chow (Picalilly)

Chow Chow is another one of those things that here in Colorado people look at me like I am nuts. It is certainly a Southern thing, and even some Southerners look at you like you are crazy.

I love Chow Chow with pinto beans and rice. Growing up, it was in my house some. My dad would use it every now and then mixed with mustard and make a sandwich spread out of it. But at my second house, my best friend Edwina's - her mother/my mother...we share well, always had chow chow. And we ate alot of pinto beans there. I went years without it being married to military, but every time I had pinto beans, rice, and cornbread I always fondly remembered Mama Judy and her Chow Chow.

Last night my friend Clinton called me and said..."Have you found Chow Chow up here?" I said "No, but I guess I could make some." And then came the 8:30 at night trip to Safeway to buy stuff, 2 hours of chopping, and we now have Chow Chow. 

I know at one point Judy made it and she could not remember the recipe. SO I went on the Chow Chow search and found thousands of different recipes. Some hot, some sweet, some savory, some with only green tomatoes, some with only cabbage. Then, I got The Homesick Texan Cookbook. Now if you have never seen Lisa Fain's blog - Homesick Texan and you like or miss Texas food, you are missing out. I have a ton of cookbooks and they collect dust on the shelf most of the time. But this is probably the best cookbook I have  ever bought. So I took her recipe, made a few changes (I wanted that balance of hot and sweet), and voila - Chow Chow.

The Homesick Texan Recipe:

1 pound green tomatoes finely diced (I used tomatillos)
4 cups green cabbage finely shredded and chopped
1/2 large yellow onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
4 jalapenos, diced. (I did not remove seeds)
1/4 cup Kosher Salt, plus more to taste
2 cups white vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 Tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed (I used more dry mustard)
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used a scant 1/4 teaspoon of this)
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

1) Combine all veggies in a large bowl, Sprinkle with Kosher salt, and fill bowl with water to cover vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. (I did overnight)

2) In large pot bring vinegar and all spices to boil. Add strained, but not rinsed vegetables, boil for 10 more minutes.

3) Pack vegetables in jars with juice from pot.

4) I water bathed these for 30 minutes, let them cool and dated the jars when they could be opened.  

Now that was the condensed version of her recipe. I added everything at the end of the line except...
I added a few serrano peppers. I love the flavor of them. And I cut the jalapenos in half.
Also I added 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, and a extra 3 Tablespoons brown sugar.

Also I quadrupled this recipe as I had planned on canning quite a few jars. Mainly so I would have them, but I intend on sending a jar to Edwina and Mama Judy. And of course Clinton will not get his jar until it sits for a few weeks because he will not be able to help himself and he will open it before it is time. :-)

I would suggest to let this sit for AT LEAST 2 weeks, but really 4-6 would be ideal. Alot like Cowboy Candy, the longer it sits the better it gets. 

Chicken Caesar Lettuce Wraps

Quick but yummy and somewhat healthy lunch..minus the kettle chips, but it was a great recovery meal after a really hard workout. I could use a few chips here and there. Right?

 

In a bowl mix:

1 can chicken breast

handful golden raisins

handful of red grapes, quartered

2 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

2 Roma tomatoes chopped

1/2 cup lowfat shredded cheddar

chopped walnuts

pepper

2 T. fat free mayo

2 T. fat free Caesar dressing

Romaine Hearts

Large Leafy Lettuce Leaves

 

 

Because I actually really love crunch I wrapped these in Romain hearts first. About 1 1/2 tablespoons in each.

 

Roll them up then roll them in some leafy lettuce, for these I used tri-colored greens. 

Served with Kettle cooked BBQ chips and some spicy roasted red pepper hummus. It was quite a good lunch and one I will probably repeat tomorrow :-)

Orange Chicken - Meal in a jar

Once again the fabulous meal in a jar caught my eye! I just love them. 

From Creative Canning:

Orange Chicken

Another clone of Panda Express.

2 lbs chicken
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup orange juice
zest of 1 orange
3 pint jars

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and stir fry
Add all other ingredients in pan and bring to a light boil
Pour into jars distributing evenly
Add orange juice to fill line if needed

For pints process 75 minutes at 11 lbs pressure
Quarts would need 90 minutes.

When serving add cornstarch to sauce to thicken.
Serve over rice. 

Now I used fresh ginger (always), so add a bit more than called for in the recipe. And I also mixed boneless skinless breasts and thighs. And added a cup more OJ than the recipe called for. 

Processed at 15 pounds for 150 minutes.

But yummy!

Holy Haluski!!

What is Haluski?

It is fabulous. 

What is it?

It is typically a Polish side dish, what is it for me?

A meal...and a yummy one.

These are the ingredients for plain Haluski to be used as a side:

1 head green cabbage shredded

1 head napa cabbage shredded

1 large onion halved and sliced

1 stick real salted butter

frozen home style egg noodles

salt, pepper, (and I used a little dehydrated green chile powder.)

Put butter, onions, cabbage, and spices into a wok or large frying pan on medium heat. I saute all until the cabbage and onions are a little brown. 

 

In the meantime boil noodles and drain. Lay on paper towels to dry just a bit. 

 

Add noodles to cabbage mixture and toss to heat.

Now I really like green chile pork meatballs with this. And I just throw them right in. 

 

1 pound ground pork

4T dehydrated green chile powder

pepper

salt

dash cayenne pepper

 

Mix well and form into small meatballs and fry in skillet while cabbage is cooking.

I cover them to cook faster. 

Then toss them in - grease and all and toss just to mix (there is not much grease for ground pork)

 

Saute for a few minutes more and serve. It is really good with a dollop of sour cream on it as well.

Sweet and Sour Chicken - Meal in a Jar

I love love love meals in a jar. 

#1) I know what is in them

#2) They are on the shelf and quick for the kids to grab when I am not home

#3) I know what is in them

Creative Canning 

is one of my very favorite blogs and I got this from her. Stole it fair and square. And really only made a few changes. Here is her recipe which I followed to a T with only a few exceptions:

4.5 lbs chicken,boneless, skinless, thighs and breasts cut in bite sized pieces

2 large green peppers chopped

1 large red pepper chopped

2 onions chopped

3 20 oz cans pineapple chunks drained, reserve juice

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cups white vinegar

6 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons catsup

1 tsp ginger

Layer the chicken, onions, peppers and pineapple in quart jars.

Heat the brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, catsup, ginger, and 3 cups of pineapple juice (add water if there is not enough) and bring to a light boil until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour liquid over the solids in the jar to the fill line.

Pressure can for 90 minutes at 11 lbs pressure or according to your elevation.

 

 

I added shredded carrots and mixed boneless thigh meat and boneless breast meat. And of course pressure canned at 15 pounds for 1 hour 50 minutes. 

 

I did 1 1/2 the sauce because I made more than 5 quarts. 

 I plan on letting this sit and come together for a few weeks, but then it is on. A little rice, and it is Chinese for dinner, with no funky stuff in it, no MSG, just good old chicken and veggies. 

 

I will also add just a little cornstarch upon reheating to thicken. 

Yummy!!!