Quinoa Rotini with Goat Cheese and Chicken

waiting for TWC to change the modem, i prepared this dish.  it was simple and sort of a one pot meal.  i topped it with manchego cheese.

12 oz quinoa rotini

1 large tomato diced
1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 cup artichokes, diced
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
6 oz fresh goat cheese
Red pepper flakes
Basil
Parsley
1 tbsp butter

2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 1/2 cups chicken broth

Grill or bake the chicken and saute onions and garlic in a pan until opaque.  Throw the chicken, onions, and garlic in, mix the rest of the ingredients in the pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes.  top the dish with some grating cheese.

Paleo Pie Crust with Apples, Blueberries, and Raspberries

this pie is gluten, starch free, an sorta carb free (the berries).

1 Paleo Pie Crust (recipe on my blog)

3 apples, cored, seeded, chopped, and cooked (5 min)
6 oz. Raspberries
12 oz. Blueberries
2 tbsp. xanthan gum
2 tbsp. Stevia®

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350°F for 15 - 20 min.

Make the pie crust.

The finished product.

Paleo Pie Crust

i got cooler this morning and i thought i'd make a pie.  

Paleo Pie Crust

    2 cups blanched almond flour
    ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    2 tablespoons canola oil

    Place flour and salt in food processor and pulse briefly.
    Add oil and pulse until mixture forms a ball.

    Press dough into a 9-inch pie dish
    Bake at 350° for 8-12 minutes

Pumpkin Spice-Rubbed Pork Loin

I made this pork tenderloin last year for thanksgiving but slightly different.  I had the family over for thanksgiving.

Ingredients

    2 tsps pumpkin pie spice
    1/2 tsp mustard powder (I used Dijon mustard)
    1/2 tsp onion powder
    1/2 tsp garlic powder
    1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
    Kosher salt
    1/2 tsp ground black pepper (freshly)
    2 lbs pork loin end roast (boneless)
    1/4 cup olive oil
    2 pears quartered and cored
    1 cup chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, add the pumpkin pie spice, mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, a pinch of salt, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, pears, and a grind or 2 of pepper. Stir and rub on all sides of the pork loin. Let rest at room temperature for up to 2 hours.  (I marinated the ingredients for 16 hours).  Arrange the pears next to the pork, on the rack.  Fill the bottom of the rack with 1 cup of chicken both.

Bake 35 minutes for medium or use a food thermometer until center of the pork reaches 165°F - 170°F.  

Let the meat rest about 5 - 10 minutes before slicing.

Pear Clafouti

mom gave us pears that were growing on her pear tree from Erie, PA.  this is the fruits of our labor :-)
recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (I used Stevia®)

3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used almond flour)
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons pear brandy, such as Poire William
2 to 3 firm but ripe Bartlett pears 

Crème Fraiche

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 10 x 1-1/2 inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar.

Beat the eggs and the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and pear brandy. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the pears. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish. Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

and it's gluten and sugar free!