In Her Chucks

I think I speak for us all when I say, TGIF!  It seems like the week just flew by, but after being away last weekend for our family reunion, I am definitely looking forward to some downtime this weekend.  Naps, snuggles and a pedicure are all on the agenda.  And of course some more delicious clean eats.  I have decided to try a clean eating dessert recipe this weekend, too.  It is not on the “plan” but it’s still clean, so I figure it’s a good compromise.  I can’t wait to share it with you :)

In the meantime, here is a look at what I was munching on today…

Breakfast:

Strawberry Porridge:  1/2 cup cooked teff, heated, 1/2 cup cooked oats, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 cup sliced strawberries and 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

Snack #1:

1 pluot

10 raw almonds

Lunch:

Italian Sandwich:  Ezekiel Burger Bun, split, topped with 1 marzano tomato, sliced, 3 leaves of basil and 3 oz mozzarella, broiled in the toaster oven until cheese was melted

1 ear corn, boiled

Snack #2:

1 cup navy beans, 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes, heated and tossed with 1 tsp red wine vinegar and 1/2 tsp olive oil

Dinner:

1 serving Five-Spice Pork with Sweet and Sour Broccoli (see recipe below)

Highlights:  The highlight of the day was definitely lunch.  The sandwich reminded me of a Manchego Melt, a favorite lunch item of mine that I indulge in when I go to visit LA.  Next time I am going to throw some artichokes on there to make it more official :)  I can see this quickly becoming a household favorite!

Lowlights:  Not the biggest fan of the musical fruit in snack #2.  I can work with pinto beans and black beans.  But navy beans?  No thanks.  Although, on the bright side, they did leave me full…

Five-Spice Pork with Sweet & Sour Broccoli

Ingredients

1/4 cup sliced raw unsalted almonds, finely chopped

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

3/4 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed

1/2 cup brown long grain rice, rinsed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

8 oz Romanesco squash, sliced

1 tbsp raw honey

1 tbsp tamari

1 head broccoli, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces

Preparation:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.  Spread almonds in a cutting board.  Rub Dijon and five-spice powder on all sides of pork.  Press pork unto almonds, coating all sides.  Heat a large ovenproof skillet on medium-high.  Add pork, immediately remove from heat and transfer to oven.  Bake, turning halfway, until an instant thermometer registers at 145 degrees F when inserted in the center of pork, about 25 minutes.  Transfer to a large plate and tend with foil.

3.  Meanwhile, cook rice according to package.

4.  In a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add garlic, ginger, bell pepper and squash.  Cook, stirring until garlic and ginger are fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in honey and tamari and bring to a boil.  Add broccoli and 1/3 cup water.  Cover, bring to simmer and cook for 5 minutes, adding additional water as needed.  Remove from heat.

5.  Slice pork against the grain into 20 equal slices.  Serve with broccoli mixture and rice.

Recipe slightly adapted from Clean Eating

Dinner was delicious!  I was unsure of the pairing of Dijon mustard with the five-spice but it worked…well :)  The veggies turned out awesome, too.  They had all the taste of sweet and sour without the yucky, gooey, “who knows what is in that?” sauce (nightmares of late night Panda Express runs from college come to mind…).  I think I have just found my new favorite way to make broccoli!  Good thing I usually have an abundance of it in my CSA box :)

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!  See ya tomorrow…