Eggvice Needed

I talked Don into buying me a Big Green Egg.

I am away on business this week and it is at home in the box awaiting assembly, yet I can't stop thinking about it.  I have wanted an Egg for years, but they are expensive and I couldn't justify the cost to Don...until I developed a three-prong argument and presented it to him.  We need an Egg because...

1. We have purchased two very nice and somewhat pricey grills in the past eight years and they just don't hold up.  Most grills only have a one year warranty and seldom function (or look pretty) after a couple of seasons of use.  The Big Green Egg is comprised of ceramic and has a lifetime warranty on the main structure.  They last forever if they are properly maintained and will never rust. 
2. The Egg is small enough to fit on our upstairs deck.  We currently use a large charcoal smoker/grill - which is hard to regulate if you are cooking for a few people - and which has to be kept downstairs because of the space that is consumes.  We built a new deck and now have adequate room for a grill.  The Big Green Egg is the perfect fit.  I am going to position it right beside the kitchen door to provide easy access between these two areas. I will no longer have to run the stairs multiple times to monitor the grill and food being prepared or cooked in the kitchen.
3. The egg can be used to prepare MORE than just meat.  We can use it to cook pizza!  This is probably the main reason that I wanted an Egg.  Everyone who has one talks about how awesome the pizzas are when prepared on the grill.  I can't wait to try this...and cobbler...and thousands of other recipes that I am currently pinning on Pinterest!

The next step, of course, is to help Don assemble and move the Egg this weekend.  It weighs about 150 pounds so this should be fun since he is still an invalid, for the most part.  After it is assembled, I want to try my hand at cooking a brisket.  I have looked at several recipes and so far, I am pretty intimidated by the process.  I learned that I need to back up and figure out how to use the thing before attempting to actually use it.  I found an article on the Egg Website that provided lots of good pointers for getting started.

If you have any Eggvice, I would appreciate it...and a good brisket recipe would also be appreciated.

Mexican Food CAN Be Healthy!

I was craving Mexican food sooo bad this weekend, but I knew better than to go out to have some.  They always serve the all-you-can-eat chips and salsa while you wait and by the time you get your food, you've consumed 1000 plus calories...and that's not counting the beer and margaritas!  So you are MUCH better off making your own Mexican food at home.

I had an 8 pound Boston butt (shoulder roast) in the freezer taking up space so I decided to try my hand at carnitas (pulled, seasoned pork).  I've made tamales (damn good ones), in the past, so I knew this would be easy.  I searched the Web and found several versions that I liked and then tossed them all out and made up my own recipe using what I had on hand.  It goes like this:

Pork Carnitas

1. Preheat your over to 400 degrees.  Spray a large Dutch oven with nonstick spray.  Peel and quarter two (2) medium onions and place in bottom of pot.  Wash and quarter two medium oranges and throw them in the bottom too.
2. Wash your butt and pat it dry (you guys have dirty minds :)...your pork shoulder, that is.  Rub down with Kosher salt and black pepper.  Place in the dutch oven, fat side up, on top of the onions and oranges.
3. Add one bottle of beer of your choice.  I used a Sam Adams porter left over from the Christmas variety case.  Add the following seasonings to the liquid around the butt:
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 T garlic powder
• 2 T lime juice
• 2 T cumin
• 2 T coriander
• 2 T dried oregano
• 2 T dried cilantro
• 1 t cinnamon (trust me, it works in this recipe)
4. Put the cover on the Dutch oven and set the timer for one hour.  After an hour, reduce the over temperature to 200 degrees.  Cook the butt for approximately 2 hours per pound OR until a meat thermometer indicates an internal temp of 205 degrees OR until the meat breaks apart when you poke it with a fork.
5. When you are certain the butt is done, remove it from the Dutch oven with a slotted spoon or tongs (it should be falling apart) and place the meat in a large baking or Pirex dish.  Shred the meat with a fork.    Discard the excess fat (scrape that s**t off!), orange peel, bay leaves, and excess liquid. Turn off the oven, but returned the shredded meat to the "off" oven to allow it to dry out a bit before serving.
6. Serve with Mission Carb Balance tortillas (only 3 net carbs & 3 grams of protein).  I have found that the best way to heat them is to throw them directly on a gas burner (turned to the lowest setting) and flip them with a fork after a few seconds. 

Healthy Sides

My side items for this meal included:

• Homemade quacamole (three mashed avacados, 1/2 chopped red onion, 4 small diced tomatoes, lime juice, garlic sauce, black pepper, and dried cilantro).

• Cilantro slaw (2 bags of pre-shredded coleslaw, 1/2 diced green pepper, 2 T Hellman's Canola Mayo, 3 T of Fage Greek Yogurt, 1/2 cup Splenda, salt, black pepper, ceyenne pepper, and dried cilantro to taste.

• Black beans and fiesta corn (all from cans, that I seasoned to taste).

This meal was far better than anything that I could have ordered at one of our local Mexican restaurants.  The best thing about this meal is that I controlled the fat and carbs during the cooking and eating phases and I wasn't tempted to order or eat anything that I would regret later.  Wait, the best thing is that I have a ton of leftovers waiting for me when I get home today :)

 

Do you have any good Mexican recipes you'd like to share?  Maybe I can help you make a skinny version!  Post below.

Protein Product Recommendations Needed!

I am so worried.  For many years, I have been eating Premier Protein bars and drinking their shakes and I absolutely love them.  They have 30 grams of protein and are low sugar, low in calories, and low in carbs.  Even more importantly, they are yummy!  Well, in Arkansas, you can only buy them in one place, Sam's Club.  This is fine because I am usually in Sam's at least once a week.  However, during the past few months, I have not always been able to find them because they've been out-of-stock.  There can only be two reasons for this: (1) they are popular, or (2) Sam's is not keeping enough of them in stock or re-ordering on a regular schedule.

They do fly off the shelves - I've watched it happen...but I think that the department manager is just not re-ordering.  I had a little talk with him two weeks ago after making three trips to Sam's and finding an empty spot where my bars should have been.  He assured me that they had been ordered.  I finally found them back in stock last week, but he had only ordered two cases (10 boxes each).  I bought two of them (they are around $16 for 14 bars).  Maddie said, "Mommy, why don't you just buy them all?"  Well, I thought about it, but I didn't want to be stingy. 

If they continue to be so scarce, I am going to have to find a replacement or order them online.  The latter is not really an option because shipping is too expensive.  Does anyone have a suggestion for a high protein shake and/or bar?  This is important.  We're talking about the basic components of my breakfasts and lunches here!