After a very long hiatus, my friends and I finally got together for another great paleo ethnic night. This time so decided on a French cuisine. I had just finished and long and taxing day at work and was absolutely starving.. must have been the lack of carbs to the brain but I TOTALLY forgot to take pictures of anything. Sorry guys!
I also want to make a note about dairy. Up until recently I was very careful to stay away from all dairy except about a tablespoon in my coffee or tea sometimes. I was never really into cheese and had some problems digesting certain types. I've become a little more lenient lately, although I am careful as to where the cheese, or butter actually, comes from. With my Dad living on the farm, raising, milking and making his own dairy products I really see no harm in consuming a high quality cheese or butter. Unless of course you really have an intolerance for it, stay away in that case. That being said, I still don't seek it out or add it to anything on my own. Use you're own discretion with dairy.
In other news, Sweaty Sundays was taken to the mountains yesterday in the form of snowshoeing. I originally had thought I would do a little WOD up in the snow but after 3 hours of trudging around in 4 feet of snow I couldn't bring myself to climb a tree or do a single burpee. So.. until next week.. go snowshoeing! It's a really fun way to get in some cardio and see some amazing wintery scenery.
Oh and more news, the beautiful and talented Sarah Henderson from the gym and simple life blog and I have decided to team up for what we are calling "Recipe Remix." Every Wednesday we will pick an ingredient, rack our brains, and both come up with a fresh new recipe. We will be posting our creations along with pictures. So come check it out. This weeks ingredient is very.. messy, versatile and delicious.
Tiffany made most of the meal and it was stupidly delicious.. like seriously! It really pays to have friends that hunt and are just awesome. We made a yummy duck that my Dad gave me from his last butchering on the farm. Here's the recipes:
Venison and Bighorn Sheep Carpaccio
this meat is nearly impossible to purchase so use good cuts of beef or bison as a sub
400g meat (she obviously used venison and sheep)
20 black olives
salt
fleur de sel (salt)
extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice
100g shaved parmesan cheese (omit if you don't do dairy)
Place meat in freezer for 30 minutes to make it easier to cut. Now slice meat into thin slices with a very sharp knife and arrange on a platter. Slice olives. Just before serving, drizzle meat with olive oil, lemon juice and scatter black olives and fleur de sel on top. Serve cold.
Leeks with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
this was such a surprisingly flavourful dish, I highly recommend trying it out
3 leeks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (replace with olive oil if you don't do dairy)
1/2 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Prepare leeks. Trim roots if overly long, but leave enough to keep bases intact. Slice off most of the green tops. Slice leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse under running water, gently fanning layers to wash out any trapped grit. Leeks like to grow in sandy soil, so you need to clean them carefully.
Heat a sauté or frying pan large enough to hold leeks in a single layer over a medium flame. Add oil and butter and swirl together. Arrange leeks in pan, cut side down, and sauté, turning occasionally with tongs and spatula, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Handle leeks gently when turning to keep as intact as possible.
Add stock, water and 1 tablespoon parsley to pan. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cover pan, cooking leeks until tender, about 10 minutes. Arrange leeks on a serving platter, cut side up. Add lemon juice and mustard to pan, whisking to combine. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper [use a light hand with the salt and taste before seasoning—your stock will provide some salt]. Pour vinaigrette over leeks and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Serve immediately.
Mediterranean Green Bean Salad
yes, I know green beans are considered legumes and are aren't recommended on paleo but.. this was amazing
Handful of green beans
1 cup of yellow zucchini, chopped
1 purple pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 english cucumber, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 clove crushed garlic
pinch salt
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Trim green beans and boil for 2-3 minutes. Strain and put in ice bath
to stop cooking. Strain again and chop into 1 inch pieces. Add to
bowl with other chopped ingredients. Add olive oil, red wine vinegar
and garlic. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before
serving, mixing once at the 1 hour mark. Eat immediately as the
zucchini will soften.
NOTE: Any colour pepper can be used instead of purple/yellow
Provence Herbed Basa on Endives
Tiff had made this when she was in Mexico and wanted to try it out on us, it was very well received
1 Basa filet, cleaned and dried
garlic, chopped
white onion, chopped (I used white)
finely chopped prosciutto
chopped green olives
Herbs de Provence
paprika
bacon (or pork fat)
olive oilsalt/pepper to taste
cleaned endive leaves
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Combine all ingredients well and rub onto filet. Drizzle with olive oil then dot with bacon. Salt/pepper to taste. Bake uncovered in glass pan for 20 min or until flakey. Let cool slightly then cut into small strips and stuff into endives leaves.
Can be used to top any firm white fish or used as a stuffing in a whole fish.
I had my lovely friend Meighan over for brunch this Sunday. Meighan and I have been friends for quite a few years and are finally living in the same city again since Vancouver years ago and it's such a treat! I'm starting to notice my lack of female friends and influences in my life, and I miss it! Not that I don't love my guy friends to death but sometimes you gotta paint your nails, watch a chick flick and talk about boys!
Anyways, I've been filling Meighan in with my paleo and crossfit endeavours and she likes the sound of primal eating so I decided to cook her a yummy paleo brunch. Here's some recipes, including an amazing post crossfit steak dinner...
Savoury Beefy Breakfast Crepes
this is my first attempt at making a paleo crepe, I might try to change it up a bit next time to make it less eggy
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup mushrooms, diced
1/4 cup peppers (green or red, or both), diced
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp Bragg’s Amino Liquids
ground black pepper
diced green onion for garnish
In a large saucepan use the water to sauté the mushrooms, peppers and onion until onions are slightly translucent.
Add ground beef, salt, chili and garlic powder, Bragg's and pepper stirring and breaking up meat pieces until throughly cooked.
Set aside and make your crepes!
Add ground beef, salt, chili and garlic powder, Bragg's and pepper stirring and breaking up meat pieces until throughly cooked.
Set aside and make your crepes!
Crepes:
2 eggs
1/4 cup water or almond milk (regular milk if you do dairy)
1/2 tsp dried parsley
pinch of salt
Whisk all ingredients together, pour about 1/4 cup of the mixture into a pan already at medium heat and oiled. Pick up and swirl pan around slowly to spread the crepe thin. Cook until bubbles form. Transfer to plate, add filling and fold together. Yum!
Zucchini Muffins
get your sweet tooth fix while still eating your veggies!
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (do not pack down when measuring)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (do not pack down when measuring)
Combine coconut flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. In a seperate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and honey, then add to dry ingredients and mix together well. Stir in grated zucchini just until combined with the batter. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes. Let cool and serve!
Last night after crossfit, I decided to utilize the groceries I had just bought and make a yummy steak dinner. I've made some good cauliflower mash before but I wanted to play about with some sweet potato as well.. and so here's a new recipe.
Garlicy Sweet-Cauli Mash
this is really good post workout since the sweet potato adds denser carbs
1 cup sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cup cauliflower, cut up
2 tbsp coconut milk (or whole milk if you do dairy)
1 tbsp coconut oil (or butter)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup dill, finely chopped
Steam sweet potato and cauliflower until cooked then transfer to food processor. Add coconut milk, oil, garlic powder, salt and ground pepper. Pulse mixture until desired consistency. I left it on low instead and I found it ended up too pureed for me. This could also be done with a good old fashioned potato masher. Once you've got everything all mashed up, stir in dill, serve and sprinkle with green onion.
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| Grilled sirloin, topped with garlic sauteed mushrooms and onion. Side of sweet-cauli mash and grilled zucchini! |
I had somewhat of an epiphany/revelation this morning while experiencing some serious sunday winter grumpies. I always have the best of intentions to stay as "good" as possible on the weekends but I've found the lack of usually weekday structure leaves me in somewhat of a slump of lazy. So my epiphany? Create structure! And thus I'm starting SWEATY SUNDAYS!
I will post a blog every Sunday of a Crossfit style workout using things around my house and just my body weight. Feel free to be inspired and hop on the sweaty train! Oh and just in case you were wondering... deadlifting your couch doesn't really work...
warm up:
21-15-9
coffee table dips
squats
pushups
wod: for time
50 situps
50 high knee tuck and squats
50 situps
50 walking lunge
50 situps
50 burpees
50 situps
It was a tough one! Man... I absolutely HATE burpees! My time for the workout was 20:56
I have a few awesome recipes to post this week so stay tuned crossfit and paleo-ers!
I've become a little obsessed with meatballs. They are just so easy to make, store, and grab as a snack. I've made them a few times in the past month or so and this is my favorite spice combination so far. It was for a tapas and pyjamas ladies night with some of my besties.
Jerked Meatballs
jamaica meets meatballs
1 lb lean ground beef (preferably grass fed)
1/2 cup onion, diced fine
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 tbsp italian seasoning
1 tablespoon spicy jerk sauce (check the ingredients to keep as pure as possible)
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
Ready for the easiest prep ever? Mix everything together very well. Use your hands to roll into desired size balls, place on greased cookie sheet (use one with sides to catch the drippings). Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes depending on the size. So good!
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| Served with prosciutto and peppered turkey breast slices. |
Meatza... again!
check my original Meatza post for the "crust" ingredients HERE
My toppings this time:
garlic stuffed olives
mushrooms
red and green pepper
spinach
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| nom nom! |
Coach K's Coconut Crusted Salmon Salad
another great creation
ground salmon
coconut oil garlic
coconut flakes
spicy seasoning (chilli flakes, cayenne, etc)
olive oil
green onions, chopped
lettuce
avocado
lemon juice, fresh squeezed
almonds or walnuts (optional)
Press ground salmon into cakes or pieces. Preheat pan with coconut oil and garlic and place salmon cakes/pieces in. Onto the cooking fish, sprinkle coconut and your choice of hot seasoning. After about 1 minute, flip and sprinkle same on other side, cook this side for about a minute as well. Now add olive oil and chopped green onions to the salmon. Flip one last time to crust second side. Remove from heat and place on a bed of lettuce and avocado. Drizzle with olive oil and top with fresh squeezed lemon. Optionally top with slivered almonds or crushed walnuts.
I don't know about you guys but.. I find that since I've made a commitment to eat real and good food I have been an absolute slave to my kitchen and the grocery stores. I'm constantly chopping, cooking, cleaning and going out to replenish my staple ingredients.
I have recently started grilling up 4 chicken breasts instead of 1 at a time and throwing them in a sealed container in the fridge for future meals and there is always either a big bowl of salad or sauteed veggies in the fridge for quick eats. I still find that there are those evenings when it comes to dinner time and I have nothing defrosted or chopped and I feel like banging my head on the freezer door.
Whole9 has collected some really great tips from some of my favourite paleo cooks and bloggers out there and conveniently posted them for me to share with you! Take the time and read through them, I know I had a few foodie revelations myself while reading them. Here it is...
The Primal Life website has launched and with it, I have been getting a flood of new hits. Much appreciated!
I thought I'd take a quick step back to the basics for those people who might be just getting into the concept of eating a paleo diet. It's also important for those who already eat this way to remember the basics, if not to help yourself; then to help others.
I think Robb Wolf does an excellent job with his "Quick Start" guide and shopping list. Find it HERE.
He also puts together a great "Food Matrix" that I recommend checking out HERE.
Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint and writer of Mark's Daily Apple blog, puts primal living into very simple and easy to understand terms in this video.
And when all else fails.. refer to the primal food pyramid!
With the combination of being away for the holidays then catching a nasty flu, I've been a little M.I.A. on the recipe front. I swear my (probably misjudged) attendance at last nights crossfit class beat the flu right out of my body though because I woke up feeling great! So here's a recipe update...
Easiest Stuffed Mushroom Caps
you can substitute or add any other veggies for the spinach in the filler, so explore!
12 large mushrooms
1 egg
3 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup red onion, diced small
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper
I had never made stuffed mushrooms before so I really just did what I thought made sense. First, wash mushrooms well and trim bottom ends off stems. Next, remove the stems for the caps and dice them up smallish (stems, not the caps.)
In an oiled pan, sautee onion and garlic until nearly translucent, add spinach and diced stems. Continue to cook until everything is cooked well through, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Let the filling cool slightly, beat the egg and add to cooled filling. Spoon into mushroom caps and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes depending on the mushroom size.
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| before baking |
Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup
the only thing I ate when I was sick
1 medium butternut squash
4 stalks celery
2 carrots
1/2 red onion
3 cloves garlic
3 cups chicken or veggie stock
1/3 cup coconut milk
3 tbsps yellow curry paste
salt and pepper
My secret to any and every soup I make comes from a tip my gourmet chef sister gave me years back: dice the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook in 1 1/2 tbsp oil for about 20 minutes on low to medium heat. This is the base to awesomely flavourful soups, every time.
While thats going, cook the squash, I chose the lazy way and pierce the thing and microwaved it whole for 6-8 minutes. It doesn't need to be completely cooked, just soft enough to peel and dice up.
Once the celery mixture is cooked, add your diced squash, curry paste and coconut milk and continue to cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently to avoid any burning. Add stock and allow to simmer, adding salt and pepper to taste. I left mine simmering for about 45 minutes. Next, transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until consistently smooth. Enjoy!
Coach Kevin's Spinach Meat Pie
basic, easy, and feeds two. Delicious!
1 lb ground venison or ground turkey
1 clove garlic
spinach
1 large tomato
cilantro
oregano
olive oil
Fry ground meat on stovetop in olive oil and a garlic clove.
Lay out a bed of spinach on baking sheet. Spread cooked ground meat on spinach bed. Slice one fresh tomato and layer.
Chop and add fresh cilantro and fresh oregano. Douse with olive oil.
Bake on 350 for 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.
A great addition is to add fresh chopped jalepeno peppers, black olives, and a cured meat such as prosciutto or bacon prior to baking.
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| before cooking |
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| after cooking |
Coach Kevin's Paleo Crunch
straight from Kevin's kitchen
2 cups almonds
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
4-6 tbsp coconut oil
1/4-1/2 cup honey (the thicker the better)
1 cup unbleached and unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
All ingredients should be raw, in purest form as possible. There is some great local honey to be found at Choices. I found all of these ingredients at Choices Market.
Put wanuts and almonds in blender seperately and blend till fine. Place on baking sheet and put in oven at 300 to roast for about 15 minutes. You will have to turn and mix constantly so the nuts dont burn but this is the key step to give that roasted flavour.
On stovetop warm up honey and coconut oil in saucepan just until they melt together.
Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. If mixture is dry add more honey..
Place mix on coockie sheet and press out firmly till its about 1/2 inch thick. You really have to pack it well. Put in fridge for one hour. Keeping it cool and serving it cool limits the amount it crumbles. Remove, cut into squares and enjoy!
I have expermented with this recipe a few different ways. The key is to get the mix to stick together with the proper amount of honey, and not too much coconut oil. Extra blended almonds will also help. I have also tried to bake the mix afterwards by adding two eggs but its very finicky to find a balance of not burnt, and cooked enough. I have made it four times and the above recipe has worked best for me.
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