Ingredients

• 1/3 c yellow mustard
• 1 T mayo
• 1 t yellow curry powder
• 1/4 handful of cilantro, chopped
• 1-2 t honey

Method

Mix together and serve as a dipping sauce.

Bratwurst. What does that make you think of? Beer? Can’t have it (unless it’s GF I suppose), move on. Mustard? German potato Salad? Me too! What is German potato salad? It’s a vinegar and mustard based potato salad that’s got some bacon and green onions strewn about. Very tasty stuff. Potatoes are really okey dokey in our book, but if you’re watching your waist line, perhaps try this recipe out.

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh bratwurst
• f.o.c. (fat of choice), we used bacon fat
• 1 lb turnips, peeled and diced
• 1 t brown mustard seeds (optional)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 c dijon mustard
• s & p

Method

Remove the casing from the sausage by slitting your knife along the back side of the sausage. Unwrap the casing and pull out the meat. Place the meat in a saute pan and brown it up. Remove the sausage from the pan and place in your serving dish. Melt down an obscenely large amount of your fat of choice. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the mustard seed (if using), onion and turnip. Cook until everybody’s tender. Add the turnip and onion to the sausage. Pour in the apple cider vinegar and mustard (just eye ball it). Mix around, taste and adjust any seasoning. Serve hot.

I love messy, sticky, “get it all over your face” barbecue. I don’t love super sweet sauces and dry, shredded to a pulp meat. So this recipe contains neither of those things. Instead of the typical pork butt/shoulder, I pulled meat from the mother of all ribs, the spareribs and instead of gloppy, super sweet sauce, I was inspired by a commenter to use coffee as the base of the sauce, for an earthy, mellow and really full-flavored sauce.

Spareribs are more fatty (and I mean that in a good way), have some odd cartilage pieces floating about and can be a little difficult to eat, but the taste is like no other. So instead of taking the good with the bad…let’s just take the good. Mix the tender, moist rib meat together with a marinade that doubles as a barbecue sauce and you’ve got a recipe for a messy, sticky good time.

Ingredients

• ~5 lbs pork spare ribs, untrimmed
• 3/4 c brewed coffee
• 1/4 c molasses
• 1/4 c dijon mustard
• 1/4 c wheat-free soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 T worsterchire sauce
• 1 T hot sauce
• 1/3 c tomato sauce or ketchup

Method

Preheat your oven to 300°F. Position one oven rack in the center of the oven and another below it, with enough space in between to allow for a pan to fit. Lay the ribs on a sheet pan. Whisk together everything but the tomato sauce/ketchup. Reserving 1 cup of marinade, pour the marinade over the pork, massaging and rubbing, making sure to coat both sides. Let the ribs come to room temperature, and bast the marinade every so often, until they do.

Place the ribs meaty side down, bony side up. Cover, as tightly as you can, with aluminum foil. Place them on the middle rack of your oven. Fill a pan (cake, roasting, whatever) with water. Place that on the lower rack. This will create steam and keep the ribs moist.

Let the ribs go, until the meat falls off the bone, about 3-4 hours.

Once the meat is cool enough to handle, pull it.

To make the barbeque sauce…

Pour the reserved marinade into a sauce pot and add the tomato sauce/ketchup. Let it simmer and reduce by about half. Taste and adjust the seasoning however you want…more hot sauce, more molasses, etc.

It was one of those nights where nothing had been planned for dinner and we’re both scratching our heads at 9 p.m. wondering what we’re going to eat (and which one of us was going to pull kitchen duty). I always keep some hard boiled eggs in the fridge and if there isn’t bacon in our fridge, there’s always bacon in our freezer. Thankfully, because bacon is already cut into slices, it takes no time at all to thaw out. So, here you have it– a clean out the fridge salad, that really needs no recipe, so follow the quantities as loosely or as stringently as you’d like…you can do no wrong.

Ingredients

• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped small
• 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 7 slices bacon, crumbled
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3 green onions, choppped

For the Dressing

• 1/3 c bacon drippings
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 1 T honey
• s&p

Method

First and foremost, get the bacon sizzlin’ in a saute pan. I usually use a sheet/cookie tray and pop the bacon in the oven–and that’s fine too, but for this recipe, I’m using the bacon dripping for the base of the dressing, so I figured it was easier to pour the drippings from a saute pan rather than from a cookie sheet. Once the bacon is crisped to your liking, remove it and let is drain on a paper towel lined plate. Turn the heat off the pan and let the bacon drippings cool.

While the bacon is doing its thing, go ahead and prep your lettuce and veggies, and toss them into your serving dish.

For the Dressing

Using a jar with a screw top lid (think jam, pickles, etc.) combine all the ingredients and shake the living day lights out of the jar. This is the least messy, most efficient way to emulsify the ingredients. A note about the dressing: because bacon fat is mostly saturated, it will solidify at room temp and in the fridge. It’s best to drizzle the dressing only on the portion of salad you’re eating…not on the whole thing, unless you plan to eat it all in one sitting.

Store the dressing in the fridge and reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds to get it nice and fluid again.

We wanted to call this, Paleo Italian Sub Mariner–the Rolex of Paleo subs. But alas,  often times we think we’re very funny when others do not. Most Paleo, low-carb sandwiches use the lettuce as the “bread”–that makes no sense since lettuce breaks and tears so easily. So–why not use the meat, the most flexible component of a sandwich as the “bread” and put the lettuce and all the other goodies in the middle? Booyah! Roll these bad boys up in some wax or parchment paper and you’ve got a portable lunch.

Ingredients

• sweet/honey ham
• capicola ham*
• salami
• tomato, sliced thin
• banana peppers
• spinach or other lettuce
• dried oregano
• olive oil
• mayo & mustard

Method

Use the largest coldcut (probably the honey ham) for the outside layer.

Overlap that coldcut about 1.5 inches, making 2 rows of 4 like this:

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(Cutting edge illustration, ya?)

Make sure it’s overlapping, then layer your other meats on top.

Squeeze on the mustard and mayo, but only on one half. This will be the half that is going to be the inside or middle of your roll.

Layer your thinly sliced tomato, the banana peppers and spinach (and any other toppings you choose) over the mayo/mustard.

Other adds that would be yum – olives, red wine vinegar, cucumbers, onions

Roll from the filling side first as tight as you can.

Wrap in parchment or wax paper, like a burrito, and off you go.

*Capicola ham is similar to proscuitto, however capicola is meat from the shoulder of the piggy and proscuitto is meat from the thigh. Boar’s Head sells it as “cappy ham” and it’s usually located around the salami and mortadella.

This salad is great because you can substitute almost all the ingredients I have listed below for something else. Don’t like/can’t find figs, use dried cherries. Don’t like arugula, use spinach or romaine. Can’t find prosciutto? Use bacon or salami.  I have to say prosciutto is pretty easy to find now-a-days. Most grocery stores carry it in their deli case and a little bit goes a long way.

Ingredients

• 5 oz  arugula
• 8 oz prosciutto, sliced thinly
• 1 pint figs, quartered (I used Black Mission)
• 1/2 c pistachios
• 1/2 c olive oil
• 1/4 c red wine vinegar
• 2 T mustard, whole grain or Dijon is best
• s&p

Method

Place the prosciutto slices on a baking sheet and bake at 375ºF until the prosciutto has turned dark red and the fat is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Be sure to flip the prosciutto about half way through the cooking time. The prosciutto won’t actually crisp in the oven, you have to take it out and let it cool off and then it’ll crisp right up–just like bacon. Remove the prosciutto and place on a paper towel lined plate. Toss the figs onto the baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes to intensify the flavor.

In a large salad bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and s&p. Whisk it all together. Add the arugula and the rest of the ingredients. Use some tongs to mix everything together. You can either break the prosciutto crisps into pieces and incorporate them into the salad, or you can place a single chip on the top of the salad (like in the pic) for a “fancy pants” presentation.

Have you ever tasted this super special, amazingly yummy sandwich called The Cuban? It’s a toasted sandwich with honey mustard, pickles, ham, pork loin and swiss. We have been to Miami and tried to source the best Cuban sandwich we could find…and we have also frequented Publix supermarket for its Cuban sub as a meal in a hurry–when we thought whole wheat bread and juice were healthy. Well….here is our version, sans bread and tons of sugar. We wanted to call this “Pork Three Way” since we’ve got a pork tenderloin stuffed with ham and seared in bacon fat…but we’ll just stick with Cuban to be P.C. We served this with sweet potatoes we had previously roasted, scooped out the insides and put in the freezer. Just add some cinnamon and orange zest and nuke in the microwave to re-heat.

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 1/2 lbs.
• 1/2 lb. thinly sliced deli ham
• 1/4 lb. swiss cheese, optional
• 1/2 c. dill pickles, sliced into long strips
• 4 T yellow mustard
• 2 T honey
• S&P

Method

Get your oven to 450ºF. To prepare your pork, watch this video:

Please notice right around the 1:40 mark of the video he shows the front side of the pork. Here you can see, on the left side of the pork, what is called the “silver skin” …it should be removed with your knife. Don’t worry about all the fat, that will cook away, but DO DO DO remove the silver skin. Salt and pepper both sides of the pork.

Mix together the honey and mustard in a small bowl.

This is the easy part, in whatever fashion you’d like, layer the ham, cheese and honey mustard into the pork loin.  When you’ve gotten about half way through, add the pickle slices (going long ways). Make sure to put the pickles long ways so when you slice the meat, you get a little bit in every bite. I suggest putting the pickles in half way through the stuffing process because otherwise it’s likely to cause the pork loin to be over stuffed and not roll up properly. Once you’re finished, roll the pork up. Using about 4 pieces of butcher’s twine, tie the pork together–don’t worry about the ends.

Sear the pork loin over medium high heat (in an oven safe pan) in a bit of fat, until you see a nice brown crust on both sides.  Stick the pan in the oven and cook until the center of the pork loin measures 140ºF– about 25 minutes. Let it rest for around 10 minutes, then slice and serve. You may want to make another batch of honey mustard to serve as a dipping sauce.

Imagine eating a chili dog with slaw, onions and yellow mustard. Now imagine taking off the bun and eating it in a bowl with a fork and you’ve got the idea behind this recipe. Another way to look at it, we’ve taken off the sour cream, avocado and cheese from chili and added hot dog toppings.

Ingredients

Chili Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground meat* (I used ground chicken, but anything would work)
• 1 package hot dogs, chopped (I used sugar-free beef franks from U.S. Wellness Meats)
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes, juice drained, chopped small
• 1 c tomato sauce
• 2 chipolte peppers in adobe sauce, chopped finely
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1 t cumin powder

Slaw Ingredients

• 1 red cabbage, sliced thinly (The cabbage should quite small–weighing about 1 lb., you won’t need more than that)
• 1/2 c mayo
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 3 T pickled jalapenos, finely chopped**
• 5 T pickled jalapeno juice**
• 1 T yellow mustard

Method

In a medium sauce pan, cook the ground meat all the way through and then add the cut up hot dogs. Throw the rest of the ingredients in the pot and let it simmer while you make the slaw.

For the slaw, get out a large bowl and add all the ingredients, except the cabbage, and whisk to combine. Add the cabbage to the slaw base and mix to combine.

To serve, place the chili on the bottom of the bowl, then add some slaw and top with whatever hot dog fixings you like. Yellow mustard is an absolute must!

*If you’re pinching pennies, you can definitely leave out the ground meat and just use hot dogs. Chop the hot dogs rather small so they go further.

**Don’t be afraid of the pickled jalapenos or the juice. It’s not nearly as spicy as fresh jalapeno…but as always, add a little at a time and taste as you go–because you can’t take it away after you’ve added it.

Chicken nuggets. Probably on the list of every kid’s ‘Top 5 Favorite Foods’. I’ve never really understood why. I’m more of a pizza & ice cream kid…I mean woman. But anyway..I’m no expert, but I imagine kids would never notice the switch-a-roo from any pre-made, frozen, or fast-food brand. If you’re rushed for time, I’d suggest flattening out the nugget, so it’s more of a patty–it’ll cook faster. We made a really quick Curry Honey Mustard to go along with.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 t onion powder
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1/4 c + 1/2 c almond flour
• 1/2 c dessicated coconut*
• 1/2 c coconut oil
• S&P
• Curry Honey Mustard dipping sauce

Method

In a bowl combine 1/4 c almond flour, 1/2 c dessicated coconut and some S&P. Mix it around with your hands. In a separate bowl, combine the ground chicken, 1/2 c almond flour, onion & garlic powders, egg yolk and some S&P. Mix it with your hands until everything has been incorporated.

In a saute pan, melt the coconut oil on medium heat.

Take about 2 tablespoons worth of the chicken mixture and roll into the shape of a ball. Drop it into the almond/coconut mixture and roll the chicken ball around with the fingers. Make sure it’s completely coated. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. Place in the saute pan and cook on each side until nice and brown. I did 3 batches for 1 pound of chicken.

*Dessicated coconut is dried, finely shredded, unsweetened meat of the coconut. It’s the perfect size to replicate a bread crumb. If you can’t find it at your natural foods grocery store, you can always order it from Amazon.

I used to be a chicken thigh trimming Nazi! I would lose a ton of the edible parts trying to cut off all that visible fat and other unappetizing looking stuff. BUT–If you just cook the thighs, un-trimmed, it almost all cooks away!

BBQ Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/3 c honey or molasses
• 1/3 c red wine vinegar
• 3 T worcestershire sauce
• 1 (not 1 can) chipolte pepper in adobo*

Method

Place the chicken thighs in a plastic zip top bag. In a blender or food processor, blend up the rest of the ingredients until smooth and pour into the plastic bag. Let marinate in the fridge up to overnight. If you don’t have time to marinate, just skip it and follow the rest of the steps below.

To cook, place chicken thighs in a pre-heated saute pan and sear on each side, about 4 minutes, or until cooked through. Don’t fidget with the chicken, let it get nice and brown and caramel-ly on each side! Brown=Flavor. Remove the thighs and pour the reserved marinade into the same pan. Boil the marinade for 3-5 minutes to thicken it and kill any raw chicken bacteria. Pour the BBQ sauce over the chicken.

Cukes and Onions Ingredients

• 1/2 English cucumber (doesn’t need peeling or seeding, here’s what you’re looking for)
• 1/2 red onion
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1/2 t sugar
• 1/2 handful mint leaves
• S & P

Method

Slice the cucumbers and onions as thinly as possible and place in a bowl. If you don’t have a hand-held mandoline, I would strongly recommend you look into purchasing one of those handy, time-saving and cheap gadgets.

Whisk together the rest of the ingredients and pour over the top of the cucumbers and onions. If you have a jar with a screw top lid you can just add the ingredients and shake the heck out of it. I think this is easier and dirties up fewer dishes!

Let the cukes and onions marinate–unless you like raw red onions. The lemon juice “cooks” the onions. They become softer and the flavor becomes less harsh with time.

{*You can find these is the Latin section at almost any grocery store. They’re not much more than $1 per can. Here’s what your’e looking for.}