This Garlic and Herb-Crusted Pork Loin, inspired by Emeril Lagasse, goes great with my Pomegranate Raspberry Chipotle Sauce and Glaze. Christmas Eve is a perfect time to serve this dish because the red and green colors are so gorgeous and festive. I have also used the sauce to go with beef tenderloin on Christmas Day and it is absolutely delicious. The advantage of serving it with the pork loin is the whiteness of the pork makes a great backdrop to the red sauce.
Chipotle peppers have become my secret weapon in cooking. This pomegranate raspberry chipotle sauce and glaze is not only delicious it is absolutely gorgeous, nutrient dense and easy. The chipotle peppers give it a “kick” that melds perfectly with the fruity flavors.
I found a similar recipe years ago from Emeril Lagasse that used only raspberries and it was amazing! This time I’m using about half the fresh raspberries and instead using fresh pomegranate seeds and pomegranate juice. Instead of the recommended 3/4 cup of sugar I only used 1/4 cup of honey in the recipe. The sweetness comes from the addition of pomegranate juice that is reduced down until it is just the right balance of sweetness and spice.
Trying to follow the Paleo diet as closely as possible is definitely worthwhile. But going strict Paleo is not easy in the beginning and it can be confusing and frustrating. If you are responsible for feeding a family and they are not as motivated for change it is truly challenging. Rather than getting discouraged and giving up or having a mutiny on your hands it is important to find ways to optimize your diet while keeping everyone onboard as much as possible.
I always appreciate blog posts that have hints and tips for staying focused and not getting overwhelmed when making radical changes. In that vein I would like to discuss a product that has been a big help for our family. Applegate Farms Uncured Hot Dogs*.
Applegate Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog
Now I know what you are thinking – there is NO WAY a hotdog is healthful.
The Paleo diet (as in “way of eating”) is based on the premise that we humans are genetically adapted to the diet of our ancestors. There is a heavy reliance on the explanation that Darwinian Evolution is at the root of this. It is frequently presented that we have EVOLVED to eat this way.
Is the Paleo Diet only for people who believe in Darwinian Evolution?
Now, I consider myself an intelligent person. For what it’s worth, I do have a couple of degrees from great universities. I like to examine facts and evidence and use logic in making decisions. But guess what? While I acknowledge adaptations and mutations, I am not a believer in Darwinian Evolution and I am not alone. There are many other people like me. The point of this post is NOT to debate evolution or change anyone’s mind (please, let’s not go there). But I would like to explore why it is that I am a devotee of a diet and lifestyle that appears so rooted in something I do not embrace.
Why the Paleo Diet Makes Sense Even Without Evolution
Instead of relying so heavily upon human evolutionary theory, the Paleo diet makes sense for other reasons. I believe the argument “cavemen did this so you should too” is illogical. Sure, I like the fun, iconic caveman as much as the next person. There’s no reason we can’t have fun with this, right? But I believe as Matt LaLonde, a biochemist with a Ph.D from Harvard and a strong interest in Paleo nutrition, stated in episode #68 of Robb Wolf‘s podcast, that looking at what our ancestors ate is instructional at best. It can point us in the right direction but does not rise to the level of a convincing argument.
I have been eating a paleo diet since early February 2011 but was only recently diagnosed with celiac disease. So even though the paleo diet is gluten-free by nature, because it eliminates grains, I was not concerned about the seemingly miniscule amount of gluten I was ingesting every week at church worship services via communion bread. However, after learning a ton about gluten intolerance and celiac disease I know even a small amount of gluten can set off an immune reaction. Once I was diagnosed, I knew I needed to take the avoidance of gluten more seriously.
For a person with celiac disease, ingesting even a small amount of gluten is problematic. Even a crumb is enough to set off a reaction. The reaction may be immediate or it may take time to manifest itself but either way damage is being done to your system. I was sensitizing myself every single week with the matzo cracker in communion. We do not have a priest who hands out individual “bread” or “hosts”. At our congregation we have trays that are passed around that contain a matzo cracker. Church members break off a piece as the tray is passed. My temporary solution was to break off a piece and then disposed of it later. The idea of just waving off the tray as it was offered seemed awkward, like there was some other reason I was not willing to partake other than a health issue. And it bothered my conscience that I was just going through the motions and not really partaking fully in the communion. What to do?
For years I ate boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cutting off any extra fat with the precision of a skilled surgeon. Fat was the enemy, you see, and the idea of eating organ meats was just anathema. But those days are long gone now that I have been enlightened to the health benefits of eating more than just low fat cuts of animal flesh. Organ meats, including chicken livers, are really high in nutrition. Liver is full of vitamins A and B12, Folate, Pantothenic Acid (B5), iron and selenium – all things our bodies need to function well.*
In spite of this earth-shattering information, my husband, G, has threatened to become a vegan if I try to serve him chicken livers. Now THAT’S quite a threat! But if he were to allow himself to try this recipe for Chicken Liver Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette he would find there’s no need to go to the dark side. The inspiration came from my recent perusal of a Nigella Lawson cookbook. G seemed very interested in said cookbook but I dare say it was Nigella he fancied and not the chicken livers. Nigella’s recipe calls for maple syrup and sherry vinegar but she references a time when raspberry vinegar was all the rage for similar salade tiède on restaurant menus. Since I had some raspberry balsamic vinegar on hand I decided to give it a try and it turned out delicious.
Over the last several days, in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday, I have done a trial run of brining and roasting a turkey. In the first post, Holiday Turkey Brine, I provided a recipe for a brine that makes enough for a twenty pound turkey. The second installment was Holiday Turkey Brine: Part Two – Brining the Turkey. Today I want to show exactly how I prepared and roasted this brined turkey.
My bird was on the smaller side – a mere 13-14 pounds. Here’s a general guide for how much you will need:
12-15 lb turkey for 10-12 people
15-18 lb turkey for 14-16 people
18-22 lb turkey for 20-22 people
In a perfect world we would all have an organic heritage turkey that we hand fed and raised in our backyards and slaughtered ourselves. Just joking there. But seriously, it is nice to have a fresh turkey that has not been injected with lots of antibiotics and gluten-containing saline solutions. When I purchased what I thought was a “fresh” turkey I did not understand the meaning of “Kosher”. Turns out it means, among other things, the poultry has been soaked in unsalted water for half an hour and then packed in salt for about an hour. This means it has been partially brined. I ended up letting this kosher bird brine for about 18 hours but it probably could have gone for less time and been fine. That’s one of the nice things about brining, it is not an exact science.
In my previous post, Holiday Turkey Brine, I provided a recipe for a turkey brine mixture that can also be turned into a gift. Today I am sharing the process I use for brining the turkey.
Instructions For Brining a Turkey (up to 20 pounds):
Recently, my boys and I took a trip to Williams-Sonoma to purchase a pan for the Paleo Pecan Pie Tart. While perusing the store, trying not to buy more than was absolutely necessary – a difficult task, I might add- I happened upon a large jar of Turkey Brine. Just last Fall I purchased a honey-brined turkey breast from a local grocery store and was surprised at the difference the process made in the taste. So when I saw the Williams-Sonoma turkey brine I was all set to buy it, until…..I looked at the price. It was $18 for what is mostly sea salt!
Texas has a robust pecan industry and, not surprisingly, pecan pie is very popular there. Not far from my hometown is the famous Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas. They have been using Texas pecans since 1896 in their fruitcakes, pecan cakes and pecan pies that ship all over the world. When I was growing up there, pecan trees, which are native to Texas, were in my front yard. I still remember the little old man coming over and using a “pecan picker upper” to harvest some from under our trees. A few days later he would show up at our doorstep with a homemade pecan pie just for us! It was his way of saying thanks and the gesture was much appreciated.
Unfortunately, celiac disease or gluten intolerance means having to avoid gluten in a pecan pie even if it comes from a famous bakery, a nice neighbor or a well-meaning host at a party. If you want a standard pecan pie there are about a zillion recipes in cookbooks and online. But almost every one of them will have a wheat flour crust or, minimally, will be chock full of sugar, sugar and more sugar. “Low carb” recipes often have tons of artificial ingredients that make me think “why bother?” This recipe is different. It is not only gluten-free but also takes into account my desire to stay as close to paleo as possible. So gone is the corn syrup, brown sugar and processed white sugar. The filling is sweetened only by dates, applesauce, pure maple syrup and a little molasses. Oh and there’s a bit of rum too. But that’s optional. Sort of.
This Garlic and Herb-Crusted Pork Loin, inspired by Emeril Lagasse, goes great with my Pomegranate Raspberry Chipotle Sauce and Glaze. Christmas Eve is a perfect time to serve this dish because the red and green colors are so gorgeous and festive. I have also used the sauce to go with beef tenderloin on Christmas Day and it is absolutely delicious. The advantage of serving it with the pork loin is the whiteness of the pork makes a great backdrop to the red sauce.
