Super Easy Mushroom Pork Chops- without the cans! (low sodium, gluten free)

Super Easy Mushroom Pork Chops - without the cans (gluten free, low sodium)

Pork chops in mushroom sauce is a simple comfort food. While my husband and I grew up in different countries, both of our moms made the same basic recipe. Our version is just as easy as the Old Staple* but uses fresh, whole-food ingredients. The method is essentially the same: assemble everything in a pan and bake it. The result is fork- tender pork chops with a fresh tasting mushroom sauce that you can pour over mashed potatoes. Yum!

For four to six servings:

2-3 lb package of old fashioned pork chops, such as Niman Ranch or direct from a farmer
1/4 lb mushrooms, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup water
2 tbsp tapioca flour or corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper 

Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a large Pyrex baking dish with either coconut oil or a light spray of avocado oil.

Chop the mushrooms and celery. Put half of the mushrooms into the baking dish and place the pork chops on top. Top with the celery and the rest of the mushrooms. In a small bowl, mix the water, tapicoa flour (or starch,) salt and pepper. Gently pour the mixture over the pork chops, being careful not to wash off the mushrooms and celery.

Cover the dish with its lid, foil, or a silicone topper. (I prefer a silicone topper. I bought one at our hospital's gift shop and have also seen them at the hardware store.) Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Move the cover to let steam escape and bake for another ten minutes or so to thicken the sauce.


*There is a time-honoured recipe that has been passed down like an heirloom for years: pour a can of mushroom soup over your chops and bake them. We gave up cans of creamed soup years ago because of the excess sodium, monosodium glutamate, and, well, the cans themselves. 

Pork Roast with Yorkshire Pudding and Savoury Apple Gravy (low sodium)

Pork Roast with Yorkshire Pudding and Savoury Apple Gravy (low sodium)

Leftovers? Yes. Boring? No. Would you believe that these are planned leftovers? Crock pot pork roasts are so simple, and if you leave the whole crock in the fridge it is easy to heat back up without drying out.

The roast itself was prepared by placing it in the crock pot, and turning it on "high" for the afternoon (or on "low" for the whole day) after spreading the following sauce over top, and sprinkling with a pinch of salt:

2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried minced onion

For the Yorkshire Pudding, follow the recipe for Popovers. What is the difference between a popover and Yorkshire pudding? It is really quite arbitrary. To us, when we fix a double batch, it comes down to which ones are served as brunch and which ones are served with an entree.

Savoury Apple Gravy is a perfect complement to this meal that takes just a few minutes to whip up on the stove.

Any liquid left in the pot can be used to make a hearty soup for the third day: chop up any roast that is left and add a few more carrots along with any leftover apple gravy, mashed potatoes, fresh green onions and a few cups of water. Heat the crock pot on "high" for the afternoon or on "low" for the whole day.


I shared this recipe with Motivation Mondays: Healthy Fall Recipes.


www.stealthymom.com

Meatball Soup (gluten free)

Meatball Soup

Inspired by a traditional Italian soup, a bowl of Meatball Soup can be a meal in itself. Big bites of vegetables and beans and tiny little meatballs in a rich vegetable broth are simple yet satisfying, warming you up on a chilly day.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped green onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup chopped yellow carrots
8 cups water
1 tbsp parsley
1 cup cooked pinto beans

1 pound local ground pork or turkey*
1 tbsp parsley
1/4 tsp black pepper

salt to taste

Pork, Cabbage and Potato Bake (gluten free)

Pork, Cabbage and PotatoBake (gluten free)

This is really, really easy. Take a couple minutes for chopping and assembly, pop the casserole dish into the oven and dinner will be ready in an hour. In a single dish you will have bites of pork sausage, baked cabbage, and a side of mashed potatoes. Yum!

A few posts ago, I shared almost the same recipe, but with grassfed beef. It is crazy how differently the two versions taste, considering how similarly they are prepared.

2-4 medium potatoes, peeled (if necessary) and sliced
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
1 pound good quality ground pork*
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 oz plain, unsalted tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray a pyrex dish (approximately 12" x 12") with olive oil.

Wash and slice the potatoes and cabbage. Mix the pepper into the ground pork. Mix the tomato sauce, water, and salt together.

Place the potatoes into the bottom of the pan. Layer a third of the cabbage on top of the potatoes. Place half of the pork over the cabbage layer, breaking off bits like little meatballs. Top with a third of the cabbage, the rest of the pork, and the rest of the cabbage. Gently but firmly pack everything down. Pour the tomato sauce over the top.

Bake for an hour.


*The trick is to use lean pork from a small farm, not the typical grocery store variety. It will be leaner and not have grease to pour off.



I shared this recipe with the Hearth and Soul Hop, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday and Healthy 2Day Wednesday and Simple Lives Thursday.

www.stealthymom.com

Pork and Apple Cornbread Casserole (gluten free)

Pork and Apple Cornbread Casserole (gluten free)

I love one-dish wonder meals. This one combines homemade cornbread with fresh apples and pork to bake all at once. If only there was a way to share the aroma... It is fun to see the boys eat this. G-man slowly and meticulously reconstructs every bite on his fork to be a miniature version of the casserole. The Cadet, whom we sometimes call "Baby Carnivore," eats the meat first, then the cornbread, and the apples last. Whatever works.

(A point of pride, there are no factory farm or GMO ingredients. We're getting there!)

Not Wurst

Not Wurst on a Homemade Bun

Leaves are starting to fall, the high school's marching band is practicing, and the evening air is crisp. It must be Bratwurst season. I was tempted to start this blog with an ingredients list from a popular brand of store-bought Brats. Why spoil all the fun? You know what's in 'em; I know what's in 'em.  Instead, let me share a quick and easy way to make them yourself!

A true wurst (sausage) has a casing. That is a lot of work, and I'd have to peel it right off again for the kids. This is Not Wurst: a homemade brat without the casing, using ground pork from a small, local farm. Factory farm pork from the grocery store might not work.

For a dozen small Not Wurst:

2 pounds ground pork
1 tsp garlic powder (or more!!!)
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground pepper

optional: 1/2 tsp nutmeg

salt. 1 tsp will yield 200mg apiece of sodium, 100mg each for 'lite' salt. I skip it altogether to leave "room" for mustard and ketchup.

Thaw the ground pork, and work in the seasonings. Divide into a dozen balls. Chill for an hour if you have time. Roll the meatballs into a sausage shape.

Grill just like you would a regular Bratwurst. For the first turning, a metal spatula is useful to avoid breakage.

Ta Da!!!


I shared this post with Foodie Friends Friday at Walking on Sunshine,  Fight Back Friday,  the Ultimate Recipe Swap,  Foodie Friday, Monday Mania, Make Your Own Monday, Fat Tuesday, Full Plate Thursday,  Simple Lives Thursday,  Real Food Wednesday and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.



www.stealthymom.com

Slow BBQ Pork Roast (gluten free)

Slow BBQ Pork Roast with Yukon Golds, Zucchini and Mini Bell Peppers

Today I played around with the kids. We went to the store, hung out at the library, and put together jigsaw puzzles. When a sudden rain hit I didn't even retrieve the laundry from the line. What's an extra rinse, right? It was just not a "domestic" kind of day. It was too hot for the oven and too wet for the grill. Still, "What's for supper?" had a great answer. With about five minutes' prep in the morning, a sweet, tender pork roast cooked slowly all day in the crock pot. Perfect!


Humanely Raised Pork Roast*
8 oz unsalted tomato sauce, canned or homemade
2 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp brown sugar (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder
(1/2 tsp salt, optional)

Place the roast into the crock pot. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour the sauce over the top of the roast. Turn the crock pot on high for four hours or low to cook all day Add an hour if the roast starts off frozen. Dinner's ready!


* Typical grocery store pork comes from hogs raised indoors in tiny confinements. Animal welfare issues aside, it just does not taste as good as pork purchased from a farmer who raises them the old fashioned way.

I shared this recipe with Monday Mania and Foodie Friends Friday.

www.stealthymom.com

Bacon, Beans and Taters Bake (reduced sodium, gluten free)

Bacon.* Beans. Taters. Simple, solid food. If your family likes bacon, this one-dish wonder will be a hit!  Everything is layered into a casserole dish so that the flavours percolate downward.

 Bacon, Beans and Taters Bake

Sweet and Sour Meat Balls (low sodium, gluten free)

Sweet and Sour Meat Balls (low sodium)

"Meat balls.... I wanna make MEAT BALLS. Meat balls in sauce like at the Chinese food store!" G-man is a big fan of the mom and pop asian eatery down the street. We all are, but we visit less often since sodium has become an issue. The Cadet, a baby carnivore who must have been a T-rex in a former life, overheard G-man's begging and joined in.

For four to six servings: