Green Juice: Mojito style

Juicing is a trend that I think has now become a mainstay in the busy and health-conscious culture of metropolitan cities.  There's a nice convenience to knowing that if I feel like I'm not getting enough servings of veggies, I can just run to the nearest cold-pressed juicery (I think there are at least 4-5 in my neighborhood alone) and drink down my daily servings worth.   I haven't bought into the idea that the average person needs to go through a juice diet to in order to "detoxify" our bodies, but I do think that the occasional, if not daily veggie juice helps me feel like I'm doing something good for my body.

When we first bought our Omega Juicer, we were so excited we juiced pretty much every morning, but nowadays we make green juice only occasionally - when we feel like our fruit and veggie intake could use a boost.   I've posted about making homemade Honey and Vanilla Almond milk with it before, but I've been meaning to put up our green juice recipe.   We usually like to make something that's inspired by the Greenest #3 over at Juice Crafters, and I'll post that sometime in the near future, but this one which is reminiscent of a mojito with the fresh mint and lime, is another version we enjoy.

Apple Frangipane Tartelettes

Fall is almost here...even if it's been almost hundred degree weather out here in Los Angeles.  In either case, I decided to make some apple tartlettes since apples make me think of fall even though they are pretty much available all year around out here. Frangipane is one of my favorite fillings in a tart, and a perfect complement to most fruit, but best of all to the humble apple.  

This recipe, inspired by the Joy of Baking website, does use some sugar, but I tried to keep it very minimal so that Cy can enjoy some too without too much guilt involved.  

Weeknight Quickie: Rosemary Porkchops and Applesauce

This one is a real quickie, both post-wise and cooking-wise.  It's my go-to recipe for porkchops, the one I keep coming back to for flavor and easiness.  Perfect for a delicious weeknight dinner, even when you have the unexpected guest.  The applesauce really makes the dish in my mind.  Once you've had homemade applesauce you will never go back to any store bought kind.  It's so easy to prepare, there's no added sugar, it's just apples and spices and oh so delicious! 

 

Rosemary Porkchops and Applesauce
From Epicurious

Ingredients

Serves 4-8

{pork chops}
2 cups milk
3 teaspoons salt
8 (1/2-inch-thick) pork chops
3 1/2 cups bread crumbs (I used panko)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

{applesauce}
3 lb mixed apples (any kind is fine depending on how tart you want it)
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:

1.  Marinate pork chops: Stir together milk and 2 teaspoons salt in a shallow 3-quart dish, then add pork chops. Marinate, covered and chilled, turning over once, at least 1 hour.

2.  Make applesauce while chops marinate: Peel, core, and coarsely chop apples, then stir together with remaining applesauce ingredients in a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to moderately low and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until apples are falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf and mash apples with a fork. Keep applesauce warm, covered.

3. Preheat oven to 200°F. Stir together bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and remaining teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl.

4. Lift pork chops from milk 1 at a time, letting excess drip off, and dredge in bread crumbs, lightly patting crumbs to help adhere, then transfer to a tray, arranging in 1 layer.

5.  Heat 2-4 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, then sauté pork chops in 2 or 3 batches, without crowding, turning over once, until golden brown and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer as cooked to a platter and keep warm in oven. Serve pork chops with applesauce.

Rhubarb Apple & Coconut Crisp

I've been seeing Rhubarb in the markets lately and I couldn't help but reach for some...their bright color feels like the epitome of springtime, and I've always wanted to try making something with them.  I had to do a little bit of research since I had never tasted rhubarb before, and to be honest, I was a little bit nervous about the fact that many of the recipes seemed to use a lot of sugar in order to try to offset the tartness of the rhubarb.

In the end, I decided to try out a simple Crisp.  Mixing it up with some apples allowed me to use a minimal amount of sweetner, and I tried to increase the nutritional value of the "crisp" portion by using coconut oil and shredded coconuts along with some almond flour.  The result was the perfect sweet/tart combination...It made for a delicious breakfast this morning with a little yogurt on the side ;)

Rhubarb Apple & Coconut Crisp

Ingredients:

Fills 4 small ramekins

Filling:

2-3 large stalks Rhubarb

1 Apple ( I used Fuji for this)

4tbsp Honey

1tsp Cinnamon

pinch of Salt

Crisp:

1cup Almond Meal

3/4cup Wheat flour

1/4tsp grated nutmeg

1/4cup nuts (I used almonds, but any kind will work)

1/4cup coconut oil

1/4cup honey

1tbsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350F.  Chop rhubarb and apple into small pieces.  Mix together with Honey, Cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Separate evenly in 4 small ramekins.

2) Mix together Almond meal, wheat flour, nuts, salt, and nutmeg in a separate bowl.

3) Melt coconut oil (about 10sec in microwave) and mix with the honey and vanilla extract.  Add to the bowl with the flour and mix until clumps form.

4) Sprinkle the crisp over the filling in each of the ramekins and bake in the oven for about 30-40min, or until brown and crispy and bubbling.  Let cool and enjoy :)