Chocolate, Coconut Energy Bites

This recipe came to me via my mother.

These naturally sweetened Chocolate Coconut Energy Bites are a great snack to help you power through the afternoon. Full of good for you foods like chia seeds and flaxseed meal, they’re a healthier and delicious option.

Ingredients

1 Cup oats
1/2 Cup toasted unsweetened coconut
1/4 Cup cocoa powder
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 Cup flaxseed meal
1/3 Cup raw honey
1/2 Cup coconut butter, softened  *
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together oats, coconut, cocoa powder, chia seeds and flaxseed meal.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together honey, softened coconut butter, vanilla extract and melted coconut oil. Pour over the oat mixture and mix well to completely combine. If the mixture feels too dry, add a bit more honey. The mixture will be too soft to roll into balls.
3. Refrigerate the mixture for 15-20 minutes and then roll into 24 balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. The mixture may be a bit crumbly so pressing them into balls might work better than rolling. I found that rolling them would cause them to crumble but pressing and forming them worked well. They will harden up and keep their shape when refrigerated.

Notes

Store in the refrigerator for 7-10 days or freeze.

* How to make Coconut Butter

FROM

What the fork food blog

Pork Chop Casserole

This Recipe comes from;
Mennonite Girls Can Cook

4-6 bone in loin Pork Chops or any Pork Chop
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Cups thinly sliced onion
2 cups rice
4 cups chicken broth
4-5 peeled, cored and chopped apples
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pan heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter and saute the pork chops on both sides until nicely browned.
Set the sauteed chops aside.
In the same saucepan saute the rice and onions until the rice is golden and onions are soft.
Add the chicken broth and the apples and 1 tablespoon cinnamon and heat till almost boiling.
Transfer this mixture to prepared large casserole dish.
Place the pork chops on top of the rice mixture.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Melt the 2 tablespoons butter and add the brown sugar and cinnamon to the melted butter.
Uncover the casserole and brush the pork chops with the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon mixture.
Cook for 20 minutes longer or until rice is cooked to tender.

Pumpkin Smoothie

 

INGREDIENTS

1 can (15 oz. size) pumpkin pie filling
3 cups whole milk (more if needed)
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (up to 1 cup)
A few dashes of ground cinnamon
4 cinnamon graham crackers, crushed

DIRECTIONS

Well ahead of time, place pumpkin pie filling into a freezer-safe container.  Freeze for a few hours or until frozen solid.

To make the smoothie, add milk, and yogurt to the blender,  Drop in the frozen pumpkin pie filling and blend until the frozen filling is completely pulverized.  Add more milk or yogurt to get the consistency you like.

Pour into individual glasses and sprinkle the tops with graham crackers crumbs.  Serve immediately!

Another great recipe from The Pioneer Woman

NOTE 
Are you lactose intolerant? Use all the same ingredients but sub unsweetened almond milk for the milk and a large-ish banana for the yogurt. It tastes similar and probably has fewer calories!

St. Louis Style Pork Steaks

         

Having been partially raised in St. Louis, Missouri I grew up on pork steaks. St. Louis pork steaks are "steaks" that are cut from a pork butt. One recipe calls for the meat to be seared over a hot charcoal fire and then braised in a mixture of beer and barbecue sauce. How can you possibly go wrong with that?  ~~Shelly

These are really simple, but the results are spectacular. I use a basic salt and pepper seasoning with a little garlic. I'd urge those of you that are barbecue masters to resist the urge to over-complicate things by adding a bunch of extra ingredients.

Start with steaks from Harter House.

Ingredients

4 large Pork steaks

3 Tbs Kosher salt

1 1/2 Tbs Black pepper, ground fresh

2 tsp Granulated garlic (not "powdered")

16 oz Beer (I used Bud Light)

18 oz Your favorite barbecue sauce (I used KC Masterpiece)

Note: You’ll also need two 9×13 disposable aluminum roaster pans.

Method

Combine the salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl and mix well.

Season both sides of each steak liberally with the seasoning, then place them in zip-top bags and refrigerate at least three hours, or overnight.

Start your grill and prepare for direct cooking over high heat (450-500º). Sear the steaks on each side.

While the steaks are searing, combine the beer and barbecue sauce in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

 Put the steaks in a single layer into the disposable aluminum pans and cover them with the beer mixture, putting half of the beer and barbecue sauce mixture into each pan.

Cover the pans tightly with foil.

Move your coals to one side of the grill for indirect cooking. Put the pans on the side of the grill opposite the coals and cook, indirect, for 90 minutes.

Note: Add charcoal as needed to keep the temperature at about 350º throughout the rest of the cooking time.

Remove the steaks from the pans and quickly sear them over direct heat (about 2 minutes per side). Remove to a platter and let rest for about five minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Makes about 6 servings

YUM

This recipes comes from

Patio Daddio

Roasted Potatoes & Spicy Chorizo

A simple skillet meal and it’s so easy to add extra stuff to it.

Some extra veggies you want to use up.

Add some scrambled eggs and you’ve got a wake-up-your-taste-buds egg, potato and chorizo breakfast.

Or add some spinach leaves … toss those in during the final stir so they just wilt a little bit before serving to get some extra greens on your plate.

Or how about sliced zucchini or squash … sauté those a little bit along with the onions and bell peppers and follow the recipe as written.

Baby carrots would be a great addition … roast those alongside the potatoes before adding to the skillet.

Ingredients

• 1 pound baby new potatoes, quartered (substitute with chopped sweet potatoes )
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 8 ounces uncooked Harter House pork chorizo
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion
• 1 cup diced bell peppers
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 425º F
2. In a medium bowl, add potatoes with olive oil, oregano, and garlic powder. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread out potatoes on a baking sheet. Place in center oven and roast about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden and tender.
4. While potatoes are roasting, cook chorizo in a stovetop skillet over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through. Remove meat from skillet and temporarily set aside.
5. Next add onions and peppers to the hot skillet with a little more olive oil if needed. Season with a little salt and pepper if desired. Sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
6. Finally, return cooked chorizo to the hot skillet. Add in the roasted potatoes. Stir everything together until warmed through. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy.

From:

http://www.paleonewbie.com/roasted-potatoes-spicy-chorizo-skillet-meal/

Oven Baked Mostaccioli

A couple of years ago, I hosted a wedding in my backyard for my son Casey and his lovely bride, Cierra.
For the reception I served this pasta dish.  It got rave reviews.   And I was super happy with how it turned out.  I used a variety of pasta sauces.  And we even had Best Choice Mostaccioli noodles at the store. This recipe is loaded with cheese, but that's not what makes it so special.  It's the Italian Sausage.  I also served garlic bread sticks and an iceberg and green leaf salad with very thin sliced red onions, sliced pimentos, and an Italian Salad dressing.    I promise you won't be disappointed.

1 pound Harter House (made in house) bulk sweet Italian sausage 
1 medium green bell pepper
1 large chopped onion
5 cups meatless spaghetti sauce
1 - 16 ounce package mostaccioli noodles  (or penne pasta noodles)
4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Oven Temp: 350°
Cooking Time: 30 to 45 minutes
Pan Type: baking pan
Preheat Oven.

Cook mostaccioli according to package directions for firm pasta.
Brown the sausage, onions and green pepper until meat is no longer pink inside.
Stir often to break up the sausage.
Drain well.
Add sauce, bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Put small amount of sauce in bottom of pan.
Next, layer one half of the mostaccioli pasta over the sauce and 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese.
Cover with 2 cups of sauce.
Repeat layers and top with parmesan cheese.
Bake for allotted time.
Serve this oven baked mostaccioli recipe with your favorite garlic bread.
Serves: 9 – 12