Peaches ... and a Low Carb Peachy Pork Steak Recipe

Peaches
Do you like peaches?
They are "sweet, juicy and fragrant, peaches are one of the most beautiful fruit around. Around the size of a tennis ball, they are covered with a velvety down, and most commonly have a red-blushed yellow skin and golden yellow flesh, apart from white peaches, which have a pink-blushed cream skin and pinky white flesh. It's possible to find flattish, disc-shaped varieties of peach, but the most common type is spherical, with a little peak (known as a 'beak') at one end. Just like nectarines, they come in either clingstone or freestone varieties - the name indicates how easily the stone is freed from the flesh. 

Availability:

Peaches can be available year round, but depending where you live the season for fresh fruits can be from May through to September. 

Choose the best:

A ripe peach will have a fragrant aroma, and will be yellow around the stem. It should feel firm but will yield slightly when it's gently squeezed. Avoid any peaches that feel hard, or that have bruising or mould. Slightly under ripe peaches will soften if stored at room temperature, but won't get much sweeter.

Prepare it:
Following the line of the dimple, cut around the fruit with a sharp knife, then twist each half apart. Slice or chop as required. If there is too much fuzzy bloom on the skin for your taste, you can rub it off under cold water. Tough skin can be peeled off with your fingers, or drop the peach into boiling water for around 15 or more seconds then plunge immediately into cold water. The skin should then come away easily.
If you are not going to eat cut peaches straight away, brush the cut sides with lemon juice or acidulated water to prevent them going brown. 

Store it: 

Slightly under ripe peaches can be ripened at room temperature for a day or two. They should then be kept in the fridge in a perforated bag, where they'll keep for a couple of days. 

Cook it:
Eat raw, as they are, or slice and add to fruit salads, pavlovas or trifles. Use to make tarts, or serve with vanilla ice cream or cream. Poach (10 minutes for whole; 4-5 for halves). Halve and roast (15-20 minutes). 

Alternatives:

Try nectarine."

Out shopping earlier this week, my local store had some peaches. They are lovely to eat on their own, or how about this winning combination … pork and peaches!

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 thin-cut boneless pork loin steaks

black pepper to season

2 peaches washed, de-stoned and cut into wedges

1 red onion peeled and cut into wedges

2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

14g fresh basil, washed and torn

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Heat the oil in a large-lidded flameproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Season the pork on both sides with black pepper, then add to the casserole dish and cook for 3 minutes on each side until browned. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

2. Add the peaches to the casserole dish along with the onion, vinegar and 1 tablespoon of cold water. Season with freshly ground black pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Return the pork to the casserole dish. Put the lid on and transfer to the oven. Roast for 8 minutes until the pork is cooked through with no pink remaining and the peaches are just tender.

4. Sprinkle the basil over the casserole and serve with vegetables of your choice, how about mashed swede/rutabaga, see here

Nutrition Per Serving:

Fat 23.4g Protein 7.9g Carbs 8.3g

From an original idea here

A variety of articles and recipe ideas are within this blog, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan