The Mayans Were Wrong: 2013 and Ground Pork

Let me first say welcome to 2013!  We didn't die in a fiery inferno, tsunami, polar shift, or (my personal theory) zombie apocalypse.  That means I have no excuse for my lack of a December post, but I am still going to blame the Mayans.  It's their fault.  Sorry.

The new year marks R & E's official two year anniversary of living primal.  It's weird to see that number up there, because it seems so much longer than that, and in a good way.  Our bodies feel great, and even though we are getting close to the *gulp* triple decade mark, we are able to run/hike/climb/adventure faster, longer, and more enjoyably than ever before.  Of course we have our slips from time to time (holiday cookies), but overall it is no longer a chore to live the primal lifestyle; it's just want feels right.

I also cannot believe how far the primal (or paleo) community has come in just those two short years.  When we started, we relied heavily on Mark for most of our exercises, recipes, and advice.  Now there are hundreds of websites out there, and some of my own family members have started to join our ranks as well!  Needless to say, life is good, and the recipes are still being created, even if I have been a huge slacker getting them up.

In fact, I currently have about 20 recipes I want to post, it's just the control freak in me that won't let me simply throw them up.  I want them to be perfect for you, so many are still in the final tweak stage.  But, in light of new resolutions and habits, if you ever want more than what's posted here, feel free to ask!  I don't mind sharing :)

Now, to the point.  Ground pork.  It's delicious, and versatile.  I don't know why I spent the last 27 years of my life not even knowing it existed.  Ground pork is basically the same as ground beef (duh) but, for lack of a better work, is lighter.  Seriously, it is.  It almost melts in your mouth, which makes it ideal for things like chili.  I recommend you cook with ground pork yourself to see what your favorite way of eating it is, but here are two of my favorites.

First up is a great comfort food.  It takes some patience, but honestly isn't too time consuming once you get the hang of it.  Plus, nothing smells better than this baking in the oven.

Butternut Squash Stuffed with Apple Pork

• 1 large butternut squash (about 2 lbs)
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 lb ground pork (or beef)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced 
• 1 McIntosh apple, peeled and diced
• 1 stalk leek, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup + of shredded cheddar cheese
•  salt and pepper to taste

Cut squash in half the "hot dog" or long way and scrape out the seeds.  Place face down in a pyrex dish with 1/2 inch of water and cook for about 40 minutes on 425.

While squash is in oven, cook the bacon in a pan until crispy, set aside.  Leave the bacon fat in the pan and add all remaining ingredients except apples and balsamic to the pan and cook over medium heat.  Continue stirring until almost no pink left.  Add apples and balsamic and stir one more minute, then remove from heat.

 

 

 Remove the squash from the oven, when you can handle it scrape out some of the flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch of squash.  Add scraped flesh to bowl with meat.  Crumble your bacon and add that to the bowl too.

  Mix well and then stuff your squash halves with the mixture, topping with shredded cheese.  Place back in oven, this time at 350.

Cook for about 20 minutes, until cheese is light brown.  Let cool for at least 5 minutes before digging in!

  **modified from http://fastpaleo.com

The next is a modification of an earlier chili post.  To be honest, I wasn't even going to share it I think it's the "same recipe"... but my mother has assured me that it isn't, and so here it is.  There are no pictures because this was a last minute addition.  You can thank Denise for it being here at all! :)

Pork (or not) Chili

(crock pot needed)

• 2 lbs ground pork
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pepper, chopped
• 2 cups chopped kale
• 1 can (4 oz ) Trader Joe's fire roasted green chiles
• 1 can (14.5 oz) Trader Joe's fire roasted diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 tbsp flour or arrowroot powder (mix with cooked pork)
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper to taste

Heat pan on medium with a little olive oil, add the meat, cooking for about 5 minutes until most of the pink is gone.  Do not drain the fat.  Add arrowroot powder, all seasonings plus the can of green chiles.  Cook until almost no pink remains.

In crock pot mix remaining ingredients and add meat from pan.  Combine all and cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 on low.

And of course, enjoy! 

**this has been an R&E original**