I know. I just got here, and I'm already moving.
Now I own my domain!
Please visit me at http://paleomama.com for future yumminess and eat real food!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Moroccan Spiced Lamb
A few notes to start.
Costco has boneless leg of lamb for a really good price. It takes a little butchering to remove the silver skin (which just ends up tough and chewy if you don't remove it, but isn't too hard to take off). To remove the silver skin, take a small knife and slide between the silver skin and meat and then angle the blade upwards and slide along the meat. If you get a 5 lb lamb leg, remove the silver skin and then cut it in half and freeze half to use later.
This recipe is really spicy. Just a warning for those who aren't a fan of spice.
Cut about 2 1/2 lbs of lamb into chunks. Put in a gallon ziploc.
Add to the ziploc:
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs cumin
2 tsp turmeric *
1 1/2 tsp corriander *
(* can sub in 1 tbs curry powder if you want it less potent)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
Shake to combine and let rest for 5 minutes or so.
Put a large skillet on medium high heat and add 3-4 tbs coconut oil. Once it is hot, brown the lamb chunks.
Add 2 diced medium onions and 3-4 cloves of minced garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Take 8 oz of pitted dates (1 cup) and cut into thirds. Add to lamb mixture along with 2 cups of chicken broth (get the natural kind or make it yourself). Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes until dates plump and lamb is tender.
To finish, toast about a half a cup of pine nuts and toss on top. (Optional)
I serve with:
1 large butternut squash that I peeled, removed the seeds, cubed and boiled. Then I drained the water and smashed it like potatoes and sprinkled a little cinnamon.
Costco has boneless leg of lamb for a really good price. It takes a little butchering to remove the silver skin (which just ends up tough and chewy if you don't remove it, but isn't too hard to take off). To remove the silver skin, take a small knife and slide between the silver skin and meat and then angle the blade upwards and slide along the meat. If you get a 5 lb lamb leg, remove the silver skin and then cut it in half and freeze half to use later.
This recipe is really spicy. Just a warning for those who aren't a fan of spice.
Cut about 2 1/2 lbs of lamb into chunks. Put in a gallon ziploc.
Add to the ziploc:
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs cumin
2 tsp turmeric *
1 1/2 tsp corriander *
(* can sub in 1 tbs curry powder if you want it less potent)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
Shake to combine and let rest for 5 minutes or so.
Put a large skillet on medium high heat and add 3-4 tbs coconut oil. Once it is hot, brown the lamb chunks.
Add 2 diced medium onions and 3-4 cloves of minced garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Take 8 oz of pitted dates (1 cup) and cut into thirds. Add to lamb mixture along with 2 cups of chicken broth (get the natural kind or make it yourself). Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes until dates plump and lamb is tender.
To finish, toast about a half a cup of pine nuts and toss on top. (Optional)
I serve with:
1 large butternut squash that I peeled, removed the seeds, cubed and boiled. Then I drained the water and smashed it like potatoes and sprinkled a little cinnamon.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
My Infamous Paleo Chili
I make a huge pot of chili and eat it for a few days (or freeze some in quart ziplocs to thaw out as fast food. Chili is my favorite. It's a great comfort food and this one is popular with the guys as it is very meaty.
2 lbs lean ground beef (I look for 90/10)
1 large steak cut into chunks (or stew meat, whatever you prefer)
1 large can crushed tomatoes (look for the one where the only ingredient is tomatoes)
1 can diced tomatoes and chilis (again, look for natural here)
1 small can tomatillo salsa (in the Mexican food aisle, look for natural ingredients in this...I think the brand starts with an E)
large onion diced
1/8 cup almond flour (this is optional for thickening, omit if you have a nut allergy)
about 2 cups of beef broth
3 cloves garlic minced or about
2 tsp garlic powder1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbs ground cumin
3-4 tbs chili powder
olive oil
Put about 2 tbs olive oil in a pan and get it screaming hot. Sear the chunks of steak in batches (don't crowd or it won't brown). It doesn't have to be cooked at this point, just brown and pull it out. Add a little more oil if needed and add diced onion to kind of brown a bit. Add the beef stock and let it cook until it is reduced by half (this gives a really meaty base). Add in ground beef and almond flour. Stir until it browns a bit. Add garlic, spices, tomatoes, and steak chunks. Simmer on low heat for a couple of hours. It gets better the longer it cooks.
I serve with diced red onion on top. It's good without it too.
2 lbs lean ground beef (I look for 90/10)
1 large steak cut into chunks (or stew meat, whatever you prefer)
1 large can crushed tomatoes (look for the one where the only ingredient is tomatoes)
1 can diced tomatoes and chilis (again, look for natural here)
1 small can tomatillo salsa (in the Mexican food aisle, look for natural ingredients in this...I think the brand starts with an E)
large onion diced
1/8 cup almond flour (this is optional for thickening, omit if you have a nut allergy)
about 2 cups of beef broth
3 cloves garlic minced or about
2 tsp garlic powder1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbs ground cumin
3-4 tbs chili powder
olive oil
Put about 2 tbs olive oil in a pan and get it screaming hot. Sear the chunks of steak in batches (don't crowd or it won't brown). It doesn't have to be cooked at this point, just brown and pull it out. Add a little more oil if needed and add diced onion to kind of brown a bit. Add the beef stock and let it cook until it is reduced by half (this gives a really meaty base). Add in ground beef and almond flour. Stir until it browns a bit. Add garlic, spices, tomatoes, and steak chunks. Simmer on low heat for a couple of hours. It gets better the longer it cooks.
I serve with diced red onion on top. It's good without it too.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Chicken in Avocado Green Chile Sauce with Spicy Butternut Squash
2 chicken breasts
put in pan with water and cover on med high heat for 15 minutes. Pull chicken out and shred. Set aside.
Sauce:
2 cloves garlic minced
dice half an ancho chile
4-5 diced tomatillos
cilantro to taste
Put in saucepan with 1 tbs canola oil and heat over medium heat until tomatillos start to break down. Once sauce is cooked, add in: 1-2 ripe avocados mashed with 1 tbs lime juice
Mix chicken into sauce
I served with:
Butternut squash, peeled seeded and diced that I boiled and smashed with a little olive oil and the other half of the ancho chile. If you want the squash sweeter (which I may do next time), roast the squash in the oven at 350 with a little oil on it instead of boiling to bring out the natural sugars to caramelize a little.
put in pan with water and cover on med high heat for 15 minutes. Pull chicken out and shred. Set aside.
Sauce:
2 cloves garlic minced
dice half an ancho chile
4-5 diced tomatillos
cilantro to taste
Put in saucepan with 1 tbs canola oil and heat over medium heat until tomatillos start to break down. Once sauce is cooked, add in: 1-2 ripe avocados mashed with 1 tbs lime juice
Mix chicken into sauce
I served with:
Butternut squash, peeled seeded and diced that I boiled and smashed with a little olive oil and the other half of the ancho chile. If you want the squash sweeter (which I may do next time), roast the squash in the oven at 350 with a little oil on it instead of boiling to bring out the natural sugars to caramelize a little.
Spicy garlicy chicken "spaghetti"
First split a spaghetti squash with a machete. I'm not kidding, these puppies are tough. Scoop out seeds. Put foil on a baking sheet and place squash flat side down on the sheet. Put in oven at 375 for 45-minutes to an hour or until the outside looks a bit brown and you see brown oozing goodness coming out from the squash. Trust me, the caramelized goodness of the baked version is so worth it.
Or, if you have no patience, put the halves flat side down in a microwave-safe dish with about an inch of water and microwave until inside is soft and stringy. Oh, and poke some holes in the round side of the squash before you microwave it.
In either case, when the squash is cooked, use a big spoon to scoop the stringy deliciousness into a bowl or onto plates. Season with a little salt and pepper.
For the chicken:
2-3 large chicken breasts cut into palm-sized pieces
4 cloves garlic minced (I like garlic, what can I say)
2 small or 1 medium onion, diced
1 cup red wine
1 12 oz can crushed tomatoes (find a brand where the ingredients are: tomatoes)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tbs Italian seasoning
2 tbs olive oil
Put olive oil in a pan and heat up over medium high heat. Brown chicken pieces on both sides. Remove. Add garlic and onion and cook until translucent. Add spices. Add wine to scrape up brown bits. Add can tomatoes. Put chicken back in. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer in sauce for about 20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve over squash.
Or, if you have no patience, put the halves flat side down in a microwave-safe dish with about an inch of water and microwave until inside is soft and stringy. Oh, and poke some holes in the round side of the squash before you microwave it.
In either case, when the squash is cooked, use a big spoon to scoop the stringy deliciousness into a bowl or onto plates. Season with a little salt and pepper.
For the chicken:
2-3 large chicken breasts cut into palm-sized pieces
4 cloves garlic minced (I like garlic, what can I say)
2 small or 1 medium onion, diced
1 cup red wine
1 12 oz can crushed tomatoes (find a brand where the ingredients are: tomatoes)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tbs Italian seasoning
2 tbs olive oil
Put olive oil in a pan and heat up over medium high heat. Brown chicken pieces on both sides. Remove. Add garlic and onion and cook until translucent. Add spices. Add wine to scrape up brown bits. Add can tomatoes. Put chicken back in. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer in sauce for about 20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve over squash.
Purpose of This Blog
I am starting this blog by popular request of my friends and fellow Crossfitters. As I started eating along the guidelines of the paleo diet, I started coming up with my own recipes and ideas. I wanted to make sure that this was a sustainable lifestyle change. In order for me to stick with it I knew it had to be: delicious, easy, and not too expensive.
I am sharing my recipes and thoughts on this deliciously healthy way of eating like our hunter-gatherer ancestors. I hope you'll join me on this culinary adventure!
I am sharing my recipes and thoughts on this deliciously healthy way of eating like our hunter-gatherer ancestors. I hope you'll join me on this culinary adventure!
Why Paleo?
I started Crossfit when I was about 5 months pregnant. Through my pregnancy, I gained quite a bit of weight (I refused to look at the scale so that I wouldn’t become depressed). After my son was born, I lost a bit, but seemed to hang onto weight as well. I was doing Crossfit three times a week, but I still felt like the fat kid in gym class. My eating habits were erratic. I would forget to eat meals and then be starving by the time the next one came along, so I’d eat whatever was quick. Measuring and weighing everything for Zone didn’t really seem like a viable option, especially as my son became more mobile and I was constantly keeping up with him.
Once my son really started getting into solid foods, and decided everything on my plate was yummy, I wanted to start him off right. So many “kids” foods are full of sugar and junk, and I wanted to shape his palate to want healthy options. Plus, I wanted to look good naked again.
I started before the actual paleo challenge by cutting out processed carbs. Holy crap. I was like a drug addict going through withdrawal. I had headaches and stomach aches and felt like junk for about two weeks. During the second week, I also cut out dairy so I’d be ready for the challenge.
Since I was committed to the challenge, I took the Before photo for the bulletin board and displayed my humiliation for all. That has seriously been the biggest motivation. I really want to show improvement in the after shot.
I really enjoy cooking, so the paleo challenge has been not only an eating challenge, but a cooking challenge for me as well. I wanted to make things interesting and tasty, so that I would want to continue and not get bored. I experimented with recipes and making substitutions to familiar dishes to make them paleo-friendly. I have really enjoyed the group aspect of the challenge and being able to share recipes with other Crossfitters to help keep each other motivated. My strawberry version of the raw fruit pie Courtney introduced us to has become a family favorite!
There have been times when I have had cravings (I REALLY want a beer tonight) or (dang, why can’t chocolate be paleo). But I’ve kept myself motivated by thinking about that before picture (shudder). However, forbidden foods have kind of become like porn…fun to watch on the Food Network, but in reality seem pretty dirty and disgusting. My willpower is pretty strong. I have made 3 cakes this month and the hardest part has been remembering to not accidentally lick my fingers.
Honestly, the looking good naked thing has been my primary goal. I never thought about how it would affect my Crossfit performance. Since I am usually the last one done in the 9 am fire-breathers class, I figured I had no where to go but up. During the past two weeks, I have actually felt pretty good about my times and I even kicked my own butt on the benchmark Cindy by beating my previous 11 rounds with 14 rounds and 5 pull ups! I’ve been adding on more weight to my bars and pushing myself harder, and it has felt pretty good. I may not be breaking records yet, but to me, it’s been a big leap.
So back to the looking good naked. Have I lost weight? Yes. During the challenge, I have lost about 16 pounds. (I have been banned from using the scale as my neurosis was driving my husband insane.) As for looking good, I am my harshest critic and know I have a long way to go. Right now, I’ll take your word for it and continue to push myself. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
Once my son really started getting into solid foods, and decided everything on my plate was yummy, I wanted to start him off right. So many “kids” foods are full of sugar and junk, and I wanted to shape his palate to want healthy options. Plus, I wanted to look good naked again.
I started before the actual paleo challenge by cutting out processed carbs. Holy crap. I was like a drug addict going through withdrawal. I had headaches and stomach aches and felt like junk for about two weeks. During the second week, I also cut out dairy so I’d be ready for the challenge.
Since I was committed to the challenge, I took the Before photo for the bulletin board and displayed my humiliation for all. That has seriously been the biggest motivation. I really want to show improvement in the after shot.
I really enjoy cooking, so the paleo challenge has been not only an eating challenge, but a cooking challenge for me as well. I wanted to make things interesting and tasty, so that I would want to continue and not get bored. I experimented with recipes and making substitutions to familiar dishes to make them paleo-friendly. I have really enjoyed the group aspect of the challenge and being able to share recipes with other Crossfitters to help keep each other motivated. My strawberry version of the raw fruit pie Courtney introduced us to has become a family favorite!
There have been times when I have had cravings (I REALLY want a beer tonight) or (dang, why can’t chocolate be paleo). But I’ve kept myself motivated by thinking about that before picture (shudder). However, forbidden foods have kind of become like porn…fun to watch on the Food Network, but in reality seem pretty dirty and disgusting. My willpower is pretty strong. I have made 3 cakes this month and the hardest part has been remembering to not accidentally lick my fingers.
Honestly, the looking good naked thing has been my primary goal. I never thought about how it would affect my Crossfit performance. Since I am usually the last one done in the 9 am fire-breathers class, I figured I had no where to go but up. During the past two weeks, I have actually felt pretty good about my times and I even kicked my own butt on the benchmark Cindy by beating my previous 11 rounds with 14 rounds and 5 pull ups! I’ve been adding on more weight to my bars and pushing myself harder, and it has felt pretty good. I may not be breaking records yet, but to me, it’s been a big leap.
So back to the looking good naked. Have I lost weight? Yes. During the challenge, I have lost about 16 pounds. (I have been banned from using the scale as my neurosis was driving my husband insane.) As for looking good, I am my harshest critic and know I have a long way to go. Right now, I’ll take your word for it and continue to push myself. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
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