Another No-Grainer: Funky Flax Microwave Sandwich Buns

 Funky Flax Microwave Sandwich Buns
Delicious, no grain, no sugar, and speedy!

Probably the thing I miss the most are burger buns and sandwiches. And it's not that I never eat wheat or grains, (like I can really ever turn down a great piece of cake...) it's just that I generally try to limit my intake to keep my symptoms at bay. Even gluten free items usually have rice in them, and some of the other store-bought alternatives taste awful. Shockingly bad. When I do choose to eat grain, or a wheat product, it has to be worth it; consequently, many of my lunches and dinners are breadless.  Even when on busy days, a sandwich would be the most convenient thing to take to work to eat on the go, I end up going without, and tuna salad wrapped in a lettuce leaf gets old fast.

If I'm going to indulge in grain, it's going to be a piece of really good, fresh artisan bread or a roll, a great cookie or cake, or a homemade biscuit. Not that grain-free highly processed yuk from the supermarket. In the meantime, I've been fooling around with a recipe my friend Betty sent me that her husband calls "Funky Flax Muffins". These are fast, easy and you can literally make them while you are packing lunches or chatting on the phone. Bonus: they're damn tasty.

These really are very good -- kind of nutty tasting, and hold up to a good juicy burger, or a mayo based salad. Good buttered and toasted, too. There are quite a few kinds of microwave  flax-based breads floating around the web, but this one uses ingredients you can actually find easily in any supermarket. Nothing odd or spendy. Betty's version makes one big muffin, but its over 200 calories, and nearly a meal and a half if you are watching calories, especially if you add a sandwich filling or butter. My recipe makes two, at just over 100 calories each. ( Ran the recipe through Livestrong; your calculation may differ). I like them split and toasted, but, if toasting isn't an option, make them early in the day, or the night before, split each in half and leave it out for a while to dry out a bit.

Slice carefully when completely cool.

Funky Flax Microwave Sandwich Buns

Makes 2

Note: you'll need a couple of burger-bun sized ramekins or one of those Nordicware Eggs n Muffin Microwave breakfast sandwich makers to actually get these to the right size. Alternatively, just place 2 equal sized mounds on a piece of parchment paper and spread them out to bun size. If you are strict with a Primal / Paleo eating, plan, you may want to omit the cheese and add a seasoning salt, if you are not eating dairy products.

1/4 cup flax meal
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2-3 grinds of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water

1. Mix the flax meal, the garlic powder, the pepper, the baking powder, the  cheese if using, and the salt in a small bowl with a fork. Beat in the egg and the water. Let the mixture stand for 3-4 minutes until it thickens.

2. Place even portions in each of two microwave safe ramekins, or a microwave-sandwich maker, opened up, or, just make two round blobs, slightly smaller than the diameter of a burger on a piece of parchment paper. Microwave on high for about 60 to 90 seconds until the rolls are dry and puffed.

I knew I could find more than one use for my microwave egg pan!
Especially since I don't really like microwaved eggs...

3. Let cool for a couple of minutes, and then remove from the pans or paper. Slice each one in half after it has completely cooled. Toasting lightly before serving is recommended.

Piccolo Italian-style Pulled Pork

I don’t know why, but so many delicious pork recipes call for a whole pork shoulder or pork butt. Both cuts are from the leg, not from what you or I refer to as butt. But regardless, those cuts are usually 5 to 7 pounds of meat, and while I like to freeze extra for days I’m too busy to cook (read that as lazy), that’s enough to feed an army and we’re a household of 2, or 2.5 if you count the dog.

This is called piccolo, because, well, you’re not cooking a whole pork butt or shoulder. No less delicious, and if you have a small household, you won’t have to eat it every day for a week. In our house this is 6 servings. We like to eat. This gives us one dinner and one night of leftovers with another two portions for the freezer.

Italian Piccolo Pulled Pork

6-8 servings

3-½ lbs boneless pork sirloin cut in 6 pieces

1 navel orange, preferably organic, sliced thin

1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin

2 Tblsp fennel seed

4 sprigs fresh rosemary, pulled from stem, rough chopped

6 cloves of garlic, smashed and rough chopped

2-3 bay leaves

Kosher salt, about a tablespoon

Coarse ground black pepper, about ½ to ¾ tsp

1-½ cups dry white wine

Brown gravy mix* for 1 cup of gravy

1 cup of white wine or chicken stock

Salt as needed

Place the pork in a big plastic zipper bag or a non- reactive bowl. Add everything except the gravy mix, and the last 1-1/2 cups of wine or stock, and toss well. Place in the refrigerator to marinate at least 6 hours or overnight.

About 4 hours before you plan to serve it, preheat your oven to 300°F. Place the pork and any accumulated juices in a Dutch oven or a casserole that can go on the stove and in the oven with a tight fitting lid, and place the covered pan into the oven. You don’t need to wait for the oven to reach temperature. Rearrange the meat every hour or so, keeping some orange pieces on top. It should be falling apart tender in about 3.5 hours.

Remove the pork from the oven. Remove the bay leaves from the meat discard. Mash the oranges into the meat and shred the meat with a fork or spoon. You can chill the pork at this point and continue a day or two later with the recipe just before serving.

Pour the white wine into the pork. Prepare the brown gravy according to package directions and add to the meat and juices in the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Place into the oven for ½ hour or until serving time.

* I use Simply Organic® since it doesn’t have anything “weird” in it. If you prefer, use 1 cup of jarred prepared, or your own, home-frozen or leftover. Chicken gravy works fine too, or 2T of flour slurry mixed into 1 cup cold water, simmered and add a spoon of beef or chicken base to it.

Makes a great pork sandwich, on a hard roll with provolone cheese and braised broccoli raab, or serve atop a mound of soft polenta, with a braised green on the side.