Not necessarily planning to get the blog going again, but since my return from Italy to say I've been craving pastries with my coffee would be an understatement. So, I finally decided to make a batch of lemon pecan scones, that I originally blogged about back in March of 2013. I made some tweaks based on what I said in that post and I think the scones came out perfect. Here's the updated recipe:
Paleo Lemon Pecan Mini-Scones
2 c blanched almond flour (I used Honeyville)
1/4 t kosher salt
1 t baking soda
1/2 c chopped pecans
1 egg
2 T honey
lemon zest from 1 medium lemon
1/2 T lemon juice
Combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl, mix well, then add the chopped pecans and mix to distribute. In a smaller bowl, combine egg, honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk well to incorporate the honey. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and knead the dough until everything is mixed well.
Split the dough into 2 smaller balls and flatten on a piece of wax paper until about 1/2" thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut each round of dough into 8 wedges. Put the wedges on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Move to a rack to cool.
These are so quick and easy to whip up and freeze well so I recommend making a double batch. :)
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Chilled Cucumber-Greek Yogurt Soup
Today was my favorite kind of Sunday, started with a leisurely trip to my farmers market. In addition to a ton of other great produce (and of course the requisite bacon and eggs for breakfasts), I picked up a pile of cucumbers so that I could make a chilled cucumber soup I had at this year's Zoofari. The soup was made by one of my favorite DC restaurants where RJ Cooper is chef and owner, Rogue 24 and they just happened to be passing out recipe cards, win!
I modified the recipe a bit to make it more paleo friendly, but I should caution you that it's technically neither paleo nor primal due to Greek yogurt and a small amount of sugar respectively. If you don't mind the yogurt, you could probably sub honey in for the sugar in a slightly smaller quantity. Personally, I'm not gonna' stress about a small amount of refined sugar once in a blue moon, especially since with this recipe it comes out to significantly less than a tsp per serving. With that said, here's what you need:
8 English cucumbers or some equivalent (I used a mix of 2 varieties), peeled,seeded & roughly chopped
1 sweet onion, diced
1 T fresh dill (or 1 t dry)
1 7 oz container full fat Greek yogurt
4 T rice vinegar, split
2 T champagne vinegar, split
2 T sugar
1 T salt, salt & white pepper to taste
Chop the cucumber and onion and put in a bowl, toss with half of the vinegars, the sugar, and salt. Place in a colander over a bowl and let macerate for 2 hours.
Using a blender, add the cucumber-onion mix, pulse the machine to start to break down vegetables. Add the yogurt, remaining vinegars, and dill. Puree to emulsify completely. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper (I used some of the liquid that had drained through the colander in place of salt - taste it and use sparingly at first as it is very salty).
Strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve and cool in the refrigerator before serving. The resulting soup is incredibly refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day with the coolness from the cucumber and the zippy acidity from the vinegars.
I modified the recipe a bit to make it more paleo friendly, but I should caution you that it's technically neither paleo nor primal due to Greek yogurt and a small amount of sugar respectively. If you don't mind the yogurt, you could probably sub honey in for the sugar in a slightly smaller quantity. Personally, I'm not gonna' stress about a small amount of refined sugar once in a blue moon, especially since with this recipe it comes out to significantly less than a tsp per serving. With that said, here's what you need:
8 English cucumbers or some equivalent (I used a mix of 2 varieties), peeled,seeded & roughly chopped
1 sweet onion, diced
1 T fresh dill (or 1 t dry)
1 7 oz container full fat Greek yogurt
4 T rice vinegar, split
2 T champagne vinegar, split
2 T sugar
1 T salt, salt & white pepper to taste
Chop the cucumber and onion and put in a bowl, toss with half of the vinegars, the sugar, and salt. Place in a colander over a bowl and let macerate for 2 hours.
Using a blender, add the cucumber-onion mix, pulse the machine to start to break down vegetables. Add the yogurt, remaining vinegars, and dill. Puree to emulsify completely. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper (I used some of the liquid that had drained through the colander in place of salt - taste it and use sparingly at first as it is very salty).
Strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve and cool in the refrigerator before serving. The resulting soup is incredibly refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day with the coolness from the cucumber and the zippy acidity from the vinegars.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Asparagus with Butter & "Soy"
I have been eating asparagus like it's going out of style. Oh wait, that should probably read "like it's going out of season" (heh). You recall that dinner I made for my friend's 40th birthday? That night I made asparagus 2 ways, the Asparagus with Butter & Soy from (you'll be shocked) Cooking In the Moment and with my own creation, Asparagus with Fresh Maryland Lump Crab and Hollandaise:
Aside: I used the Hollandaise recipe from the Primal Blueprint Healthy Sauces cookbook, which has you use a blender to create the emulsion - genius!
In any event, when I made the soy & butter dish originally, I did follow the recipe exactly. Later in the week however, I took the opportunity to use the leftover asparagus to test out a paleo version and I dare say while it lacked a tiny bit of richness from the soy sauce (you could use wheat free soy or tamari if you're comfortable with that), it wasn't a huge difference and the dish was still outstanding.
Here's what I did:
First, I prepped my water for poaching an egg (I use a smaller saucepan with about 1/2-1 t of white vinegar per cup of water). Once the water was simmering, I blanched a bunch of trimmed asparagus in boiling water for about 30 sec (the few really thick stalks got dropped in about 45 seconds earlier), then drained them and set them aside.
While the asparagus were blanching, I heated some sunflower oil in my cast iron skillet over nearly high heat (high end of medium high). When it was piping hot, I dropped the asparagus in, shaking them around occasionally until all sides were blistered. At the same time, I dropped my egg into the simmering water to poach and set the timer for 3 minutes (it's easier to avoid breaking the egg if you crack it into a small bowl or cup, then slowly lower the bowl into the water. If you need to, swirl the water with a knife for a few seconds to get the egg white to form around the yolk after dropping it into the water).
When the egg white was firm I used a slotted spoon to pull the egg out of the water and set it aside. Then I added 1 T of coconut aminos to the pan with the asparagus and shook it until the liquid had evaporated. Finally I added about 2 T of ghee and tossed again until a sauce had formed. I plated the asparagus with the sauce, set the poached egg on top and ground fresh black pepper and sea salt over it.
The resulting dish is rich, salty, and full of umami flavor. Even though I've had this twice already in one week, it's going to be made again very soon!
 | |
| Excuse the poorer than usual photography - it was dark and I didn't want to make my friend wait while I took 80 odd photos to get a single one I could edit and post on this blog :P |
In any event, when I made the soy & butter dish originally, I did follow the recipe exactly. Later in the week however, I took the opportunity to use the leftover asparagus to test out a paleo version and I dare say while it lacked a tiny bit of richness from the soy sauce (you could use wheat free soy or tamari if you're comfortable with that), it wasn't a huge difference and the dish was still outstanding.
Here's what I did:
First, I prepped my water for poaching an egg (I use a smaller saucepan with about 1/2-1 t of white vinegar per cup of water). Once the water was simmering, I blanched a bunch of trimmed asparagus in boiling water for about 30 sec (the few really thick stalks got dropped in about 45 seconds earlier), then drained them and set them aside.
While the asparagus were blanching, I heated some sunflower oil in my cast iron skillet over nearly high heat (high end of medium high). When it was piping hot, I dropped the asparagus in, shaking them around occasionally until all sides were blistered. At the same time, I dropped my egg into the simmering water to poach and set the timer for 3 minutes (it's easier to avoid breaking the egg if you crack it into a small bowl or cup, then slowly lower the bowl into the water. If you need to, swirl the water with a knife for a few seconds to get the egg white to form around the yolk after dropping it into the water).
When the egg white was firm I used a slotted spoon to pull the egg out of the water and set it aside. Then I added 1 T of coconut aminos to the pan with the asparagus and shook it until the liquid had evaporated. Finally I added about 2 T of ghee and tossed again until a sauce had formed. I plated the asparagus with the sauce, set the poached egg on top and ground fresh black pepper and sea salt over it.
 | |
| There is very little more satisfying than cutting into your poached egg and seeing the still runny yolk pour out |
The resulting dish is rich, salty, and full of umami flavor. Even though I've had this twice already in one week, it's going to be made again very soon!
Monday, June 3, 2013
Rhubarb-Strawberry Sorbet
I've been taking advantage of the quickly fading spring weather by spending as much time as possible sitting on my deck in the evenings. Often this involves a cocktail, but sometimes a glass of seltzer with some bitters and a stack of cookbooks will do the trick.
As I took this photo, I thought about how well this group of cookbooks actually represents me, especially at this time of year when the seasonal markets and CSAs are starting back up and spring produce is abundant. I certainly feel blessed to live in a place where there is such a diversity of food and great access to organically farmed produce and sustainably raised meat!
In any event, on to today's spring produce turned tasty dish. My mom was in town this weekend and I had offered to make her dinner one night as a belated mother's day present. In preparation, I decided to use the leftover rhubarb and strawberries I had to make sorbet. I had already made a strawberry sorbet for my friend's birthday using the instructions from the Zuni Cafe cookbook (technically not paleo since I used plain old white sugar to make his). This time, I used a recipe from my favorite ice cream & sorbet source, David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop replacing the sugar with a lesser amount of honey.
Here's what I did:
I sliced up about 3/4 of a lb of rhubarb and put the slices into a medium saucepan with 2/3 c of water and 1/3 c of honey and simmered until the rhubarb was tender, then stuck it in the fridge to cool. While the rhubarb mixture cooled, I hulled and sliced about a quart of strawberries and put them in the blender, then added the rhubarb mixture, a pinch of kosher salt, & 1/2 t of lemon juice and pureed. Try tasting the puree both before and after you add the lemon juice if you've never done this before; it's amazing how much it brightens the flavors!
I let the puree chill overnight in the fridge, then put it in my ice cream maker the next day until the sorbet had thickened. One thing to note, your sorbet will still be fairly soft when you pull it out of the ice cream machine so plan to chill it in the freezer for a few hours before serving. Also worth noting that sorbet gets really hard in the freezer so you'll want to pull it out and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before scooping. This makes a fairly tart sorbet that showcases the rhubarb so add a bit more honey in the beginning if you want yours sweeter.
I served scoops of both the strawberry-rhubarb sorbet and the more intensely flavored and sweeter strawberry sorbet alongside paleo coconut macaroons from the baker at my market and my mom was in heaven:
As I took this photo, I thought about how well this group of cookbooks actually represents me, especially at this time of year when the seasonal markets and CSAs are starting back up and spring produce is abundant. I certainly feel blessed to live in a place where there is such a diversity of food and great access to organically farmed produce and sustainably raised meat!
In any event, on to today's spring produce turned tasty dish. My mom was in town this weekend and I had offered to make her dinner one night as a belated mother's day present. In preparation, I decided to use the leftover rhubarb and strawberries I had to make sorbet. I had already made a strawberry sorbet for my friend's birthday using the instructions from the Zuni Cafe cookbook (technically not paleo since I used plain old white sugar to make his). This time, I used a recipe from my favorite ice cream & sorbet source, David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop replacing the sugar with a lesser amount of honey.
Here's what I did:
I sliced up about 3/4 of a lb of rhubarb and put the slices into a medium saucepan with 2/3 c of water and 1/3 c of honey and simmered until the rhubarb was tender, then stuck it in the fridge to cool. While the rhubarb mixture cooled, I hulled and sliced about a quart of strawberries and put them in the blender, then added the rhubarb mixture, a pinch of kosher salt, & 1/2 t of lemon juice and pureed. Try tasting the puree both before and after you add the lemon juice if you've never done this before; it's amazing how much it brightens the flavors!
I let the puree chill overnight in the fridge, then put it in my ice cream maker the next day until the sorbet had thickened. One thing to note, your sorbet will still be fairly soft when you pull it out of the ice cream machine so plan to chill it in the freezer for a few hours before serving. Also worth noting that sorbet gets really hard in the freezer so you'll want to pull it out and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before scooping. This makes a fairly tart sorbet that showcases the rhubarb so add a bit more honey in the beginning if you want yours sweeter.
I served scoops of both the strawberry-rhubarb sorbet and the more intensely flavored and sweeter strawberry sorbet alongside paleo coconut macaroons from the baker at my market and my mom was in heaven:
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Fresh Peas with Lettuce, Spring Onions, & Garlic
Today's dish is a modification of another one of my favorites from Andrea Reusing's Cooking In The Moment cookbook. Fresh peas are another one of springs delights (yes, I said delights) and the shelling can be enjoyable if you sit outside with a cocktail nearby (or in our technological age, you can just do it in front of the TV, which is what I did tonight :P).
Once you've shelled them, make this quick dish and serve it with your favorite protein. For my friend's birthday, I served it alongside grilled Pork Chops with a Rhubarb Cherry Sauce:
Here's what you need:
Once you've shelled them, make this quick dish and serve it with your favorite protein. For my friend's birthday, I served it alongside grilled Pork Chops with a Rhubarb Cherry Sauce:
Here's what you need:
- About 2 cups of shelled fresh peas (you can use frozen if you can't get fresh)
- 1 small head of leaf lettuce washed, dried and torn into pieces
- 2 very large or 4 medium spring onions
- 1-2 medium cloves spring garlic depending on how much you like your garlic
- 2 T ghee
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Grilled Broccoli with Garlic & Anchovies
A friend of mine turned the Big 4-0 this Memorial Day so I offered to open some nice wine and make him dinner. In preparation, I bought up every spring vegetable and fruit that looked the slightest bit appealing at the market the day before figuring I'd sort out the rest of what I was making (asparagus had to be on the menu) once I got home.
I came home with strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, spring onions, peas, leaf lettuce, broccoli, leeks, and mushrooms, many of which were served in some form at dinner. I couldn't cook it all though and one thing that didn't get made until tonight was the broccoli.
One of the first cookbooks I reach for for inspiration when the farmers market is in full swing is Andrea Reusing's Cooking In The Moment: A Year of Seasonal Recipes. Her cookbook epitomizes what I love - a few high quality ingredients cooked simply to make a beautiful dish, and her recipes never fail to produce delicious food.
So tonight I set to making the grilled broccoli with parsley, garlic, & anchovies from her cookbook, minus the parsley since that did not make it on to the gargantuan list of things I brought home. I cut the broccoli into long thin florets, tossed them with olive oil and put them on the grill. While they were grilling, I mixed together some anchovies, mashed garlic, lemon zest, and chile flakes. When the broccoli was done, I tossed it in the sauce and served:
The dish was delicious and packs a real flavor punch. Maybe not something to make for a hot date, but definitely something I'd serve to guests at a dinner party. I had it alongside a grilled ribeye and mushrooms and spring onions with balsamic that I cooked in foil packets on the grill.
Stay tuned, we have a lot more produce to get through and since I haven't blogged in over a week, I feel like I've got to make up for lost time! :)
I came home with strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, spring onions, peas, leaf lettuce, broccoli, leeks, and mushrooms, many of which were served in some form at dinner. I couldn't cook it all though and one thing that didn't get made until tonight was the broccoli.
One of the first cookbooks I reach for for inspiration when the farmers market is in full swing is Andrea Reusing's Cooking In The Moment: A Year of Seasonal Recipes. Her cookbook epitomizes what I love - a few high quality ingredients cooked simply to make a beautiful dish, and her recipes never fail to produce delicious food.
So tonight I set to making the grilled broccoli with parsley, garlic, & anchovies from her cookbook, minus the parsley since that did not make it on to the gargantuan list of things I brought home. I cut the broccoli into long thin florets, tossed them with olive oil and put them on the grill. While they were grilling, I mixed together some anchovies, mashed garlic, lemon zest, and chile flakes. When the broccoli was done, I tossed it in the sauce and served:
Stay tuned, we have a lot more produce to get through and since I haven't blogged in over a week, I feel like I've got to make up for lost time! :)
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Grilled This & That & This &...
Look, let me tell you how it's gonna' be. I bought a grill. I love grilled food. It's the right season for grilling. So I'm going to grill a lot of shit and post pictures of it here. You good with that? Okay then, read on...
I had in my head that I was going to make one of my favorite repeat spring dishes to use the spring onions and asparagus I scored at the farmer's market, but I changed my mind at the last minute and decided it would be a great idea to add a steak and grill it all, so that's what I did! But first, I stopped by my CSA farm earlier today to pick some strawberries and immediately knew that I wanted to have a spinach salad with them. I tossed the spinach and sliced strawberries with some shaved red onion, pecans, black pepper and balsamic vinaigrette:
After the salad, I got to grilling. If there is any one thing that is better than grilled meat, it may be grilled onions. The two together, well heaven:
I'm sure I've said this before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, but if there is one thing I can do properly in the kitchen it's do justice to a good steak by cooking it the perfect medium rare. This particular steak is a ribeye I picked up at a "new" (really it's old, but I've only just discovered it) family owned meat market called Boarman's. The steak isn't local, or completely pastured, but it is from small family owned farms and cut in house and it was delicious.
I had in my head that I was going to make one of my favorite repeat spring dishes to use the spring onions and asparagus I scored at the farmer's market, but I changed my mind at the last minute and decided it would be a great idea to add a steak and grill it all, so that's what I did! But first, I stopped by my CSA farm earlier today to pick some strawberries and immediately knew that I wanted to have a spinach salad with them. I tossed the spinach and sliced strawberries with some shaved red onion, pecans, black pepper and balsamic vinaigrette:
After the salad, I got to grilling. If there is any one thing that is better than grilled meat, it may be grilled onions. The two together, well heaven:
I'm sure I've said this before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, but if there is one thing I can do properly in the kitchen it's do justice to a good steak by cooking it the perfect medium rare. This particular steak is a ribeye I picked up at a "new" (really it's old, but I've only just discovered it) family owned meat market called Boarman's. The steak isn't local, or completely pastured, but it is from small family owned farms and cut in house and it was delicious.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Grilled Tequila Mahi Mahi & Asparagus
My farmer's market opened for the season last weekend, one of the things I look forward to all year, but I was in New Orleans so I wasn't able to attend and as a result, this past week was spent working my way through leftovers in the freezer. Which meant that this weekend, I HAD to get to the market. I was originally slated to pick up a new foster today, which is the day of my market, so I headed into the city yesterday to visit one of my favorite "special occasional" markets, the 14th & U Farmer's Market. And when I learned that I wouldn't be picking up my foster (he has some medical issues that require treatment so he's staying in PA for the time being), I went to my market this morning as well (yep, I'm a bit of a farmer's market junkie). Between the two, I managed to score some great stuff, including 2 spring essentials: asparagus and strawberries.
On my way home, I realized that I wanted nothing more than to grill that asparagus. Unfortunately, I don't (well, didn't) own a grill. That's technically due to the fact that it's against my condo regulations because it's a fire hazard, but I love the convenience and flavor you get from a grill so I stopped at Lowe's on my way home and picked up a new tabletop gas grill (don't judge me - my fire extinguisher was sitting next to the grill the entire time!).
I had some mahi mahi defrosted in my fridge that I had planned to serve with the asparagus and some mango salsa, but the grill changed things. I started searching for a good grilled mahi mahi recipe and came across this one from Alton Brown and knew immediately it was the winner.
For the most part, I followed the recipe for the marinade as outlined, mixing 1/4 cup each of freshly squeezed lime and orange juices and tequila (I used Quervo silver), diced red onion (1/2 c, or about 1/2 of a small onion), & minced jalapeno (1 T, or about 1 small pepper), but I did alter the sugar - using 1/8 c of coconut palm sugar in place of the 1/4 c of brown sugar.
The fish marinated for about 2 1/2 hours, after which I dried it and basted it with olive oil. The cleaned and trimmed asparagus got tossed with evoo and s&p as well and both got grilled. While they were grilling, I reduced the leftover marinade in a pot on the stove. Here are the fruits of my grilling labor:
Yeah, there's a reason the grill I bought was only $36. I'll have to learn to work around the hot spots. But bottom line, my dinner was simple and delicious, my two favorite things. Here's my plate:
My only regret? That there wasn't more of the "chutney" that resulted from reducing the marinade. I had less than 1 1/4 lbs of fish to start with (versus the 2 lbs the recipe calls for) so the liquid was more than sufficient for marinating, but next time I'll double it to have more sauce for the fish.
On my way home, I realized that I wanted nothing more than to grill that asparagus. Unfortunately, I don't (well, didn't) own a grill. That's technically due to the fact that it's against my condo regulations because it's a fire hazard, but I love the convenience and flavor you get from a grill so I stopped at Lowe's on my way home and picked up a new tabletop gas grill (don't judge me - my fire extinguisher was sitting next to the grill the entire time!).
I had some mahi mahi defrosted in my fridge that I had planned to serve with the asparagus and some mango salsa, but the grill changed things. I started searching for a good grilled mahi mahi recipe and came across this one from Alton Brown and knew immediately it was the winner.
For the most part, I followed the recipe for the marinade as outlined, mixing 1/4 cup each of freshly squeezed lime and orange juices and tequila (I used Quervo silver), diced red onion (1/2 c, or about 1/2 of a small onion), & minced jalapeno (1 T, or about 1 small pepper), but I did alter the sugar - using 1/8 c of coconut palm sugar in place of the 1/4 c of brown sugar.
The fish marinated for about 2 1/2 hours, after which I dried it and basted it with olive oil. The cleaned and trimmed asparagus got tossed with evoo and s&p as well and both got grilled. While they were grilling, I reduced the leftover marinade in a pot on the stove. Here are the fruits of my grilling labor:
Yeah, there's a reason the grill I bought was only $36. I'll have to learn to work around the hot spots. But bottom line, my dinner was simple and delicious, my two favorite things. Here's my plate:
My only regret? That there wasn't more of the "chutney" that resulted from reducing the marinade. I had less than 1 1/4 lbs of fish to start with (versus the 2 lbs the recipe calls for) so the liquid was more than sufficient for marinating, but next time I'll double it to have more sauce for the fish.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Placeholder Post
I just realized it's been a week since I posted. And sadly I've got nothing for you tonight except a note to say that I was in New Orleans eating the crap out of some food (and let's be honest, drinking the crap out of some wine and bourbon) and tomorrow I'm headed to the National Zoo for my annual day of volunteering and then attending their big fundraiser, Zoofari. I have some good pictures to share from my trip and will be back to cooking on Friday so stay tuned!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Mexican Beef & Ginger Carrot Slaw
I'm a Nom Nom whore. There, I said it. But, with recipes like her Oven-Braised Mexican Beef how can I not be? This is yet another recipe that is SO simple, but results in seriously delicious food. Have you looked at the recipe? No? Well, go look at it. Beef, a few things those of us with a well stocked kitchen have on hand (stock, fish sauce, garlic, onion, tomato paste), and a jar of salsa. Slice an onion, season the meat, and pretty much dump everything in your pot and then go do something else for 3 hours. You don't even need to brown the meat!! I realize I seem excessively enthusiastic about that, but browning meat is annoying, and messy, and time consuming, and drilled into your head as a necessary step if you read anything about cooking.
Anywho, I served it alongside her Slaw with Tangy Carrot Ginger Dressing (don't skip the slivered almonds unless you can't eat nuts as they really add something) and the result was delicious:
By the way, I did not edit that photo. Yes, there are still harsh shadows from the shit lighting situation in my kitchen, but somehow I did manage a decent exposure and the depth of field I wanted. I realize it's not the prettiest plate and Gourmet won't be calling me anytime soon to offer me a job, but this is progress.
Anywho, I served it alongside her Slaw with Tangy Carrot Ginger Dressing (don't skip the slivered almonds unless you can't eat nuts as they really add something) and the result was delicious:
By the way, I did not edit that photo. Yes, there are still harsh shadows from the shit lighting situation in my kitchen, but somehow I did manage a decent exposure and the depth of field I wanted. I realize it's not the prettiest plate and Gourmet won't be calling me anytime soon to offer me a job, but this is progress.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Weekend Update
A really fun weekend meant not too much time to cook or blog (and still no working out, more on that in a later post). Friday evening was spent listening to live music with a friend and tasting the new releases at the winery where I work.
I loved the Asian Chicken Thigh recipe from Nom Nom so much that I made them again, this time with skin-on, bone-in thighs, which did work a bit better. I also made the Avocado Slaw from PaleOMG. The latter was tasty, but even after amping it up with some extra lime juice and red pepper flakes and adding chopped cilantro, we felt it needed something. Next time I will add some minced jalapeno.
Saturday was spent at my Crossfit Box for the Jason Anthony Santora Memorial WOD. All I will say is that this was an incredibly well run event supporting two great causes and it was a ton of fun to be back at the box with my fellow Crossfitters. After a day of volunteering (and admittedly some drinking) a few of us carried on the fun at a restaurant down the street.
Here I am proudly supporting my new tank (and sunburn) from the fundraiser for PT Monday morning:
Sunday was devoted to giving my dogs some much needed exercise and attention. We hit up one of our favorite local spots, the Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge to hike and play in the water. Skye especially enjoyed her romps in the water chasing sticks with her bestie, Ty. Here she is striking her meerkat pose:
That didn't leave much in the way of time for food prep, plus I was pretty exhausted so I took a nap and ate leftovers. However, on the agenda for this week are Nom Nom's Mexican Beef and Ginger Carrot Slaw and Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa so stay tuned.
I loved the Asian Chicken Thigh recipe from Nom Nom so much that I made them again, this time with skin-on, bone-in thighs, which did work a bit better. I also made the Avocado Slaw from PaleOMG. The latter was tasty, but even after amping it up with some extra lime juice and red pepper flakes and adding chopped cilantro, we felt it needed something. Next time I will add some minced jalapeno.
Saturday was spent at my Crossfit Box for the Jason Anthony Santora Memorial WOD. All I will say is that this was an incredibly well run event supporting two great causes and it was a ton of fun to be back at the box with my fellow Crossfitters. After a day of volunteering (and admittedly some drinking) a few of us carried on the fun at a restaurant down the street.
Here I am proudly supporting my new tank (and sunburn) from the fundraiser for PT Monday morning:
Sunday was devoted to giving my dogs some much needed exercise and attention. We hit up one of our favorite local spots, the Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge to hike and play in the water. Skye especially enjoyed her romps in the water chasing sticks with her bestie, Ty. Here she is striking her meerkat pose:
That didn't leave much in the way of time for food prep, plus I was pretty exhausted so I took a nap and ate leftovers. However, on the agenda for this week are Nom Nom's Mexican Beef and Ginger Carrot Slaw and Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa so stay tuned.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Maple Lard Pecan Scones
Scones. Damn if I don't love 'em, especially with a cup of coffee. So it's totally reasonable that when I came home to eat lunch after PT today, I also decided to "whip up" a batch of scones. The last time I made paleo scones I used almond flour, but I knew this time I wanted to use coconut flour so I went searching for a good recipe. Elana's Pantry is always one of the first places I look for pastry recipes and once again, she did not disappoint as I found this recipe for Paleo Chocolate Chip Scones.
I made a few modifications and bam! Maple lard pecan scones:
You know what I learned today? Coconut flour gives baked goods a very light, airy texture. That's why the magic brownies were so light and cakey. And that's why these are less dense than your usual scone, although not so much to be muffin-like in texture.
So what modifications did I make? I subbed lard for the vegan shortening, 3 T of Grade B maple syrup in place of the honey (you could do 1 T more or less to suit your tastes), and 1/3 c of chopped toasted pecans in place of the chocolate chips. I used a 1/8 c measuring cup to portion out "mini-scones" and baked them for about 16 minutes.
I made a few modifications and bam! Maple lard pecan scones:
You know what I learned today? Coconut flour gives baked goods a very light, airy texture. That's why the magic brownies were so light and cakey. And that's why these are less dense than your usual scone, although not so much to be muffin-like in texture.
So what modifications did I make? I subbed lard for the vegan shortening, 3 T of Grade B maple syrup in place of the honey (you could do 1 T more or less to suit your tastes), and 1/3 c of chopped toasted pecans in place of the chocolate chips. I used a 1/8 c measuring cup to portion out "mini-scones" and baked them for about 16 minutes.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Magic Brownies & Condiments (not at the same time!)
You remember these Magic Brownie Bars I mentioned earlier, right? So I ended up making them for the also aforementioned BBQ at my friend's house. And they were, well, magical. Seriously, putting a layer of macaroon on top of a brownie - pure genius!
This was my first time making a paleofied baked good where the cake was mostly dates. I found the process a little fussy, for lack of a better word, but now that I've done it, I think I can improve the process a bit. Most notably, I read a tip to soak the dates in hot water, then drain before food processing to make creating the paste easier. The surprising thing to me though was the texture. These have a very airy, cake-like texture. I was expecting something much more dense and "wet" and may have overcooked them a little as a result so next time I will shoot for a few minutes less. I will also melt the macaroon ingredients without the coconut first, then mix the coconut in once those are well blended the next time I make these. And, rest assured, there will be a next time!
On a totally separate note, what's a girl to do when she still can't workout and has nothing on the agenda for the evening? Getting caught up on the budget is probably the correct answer, but that didn't sound fun so instead I decided to take advantage of the fact that my blender-hating puppy was having a sleepover with her best bud and make condiments. I had a pound of ground beef that needed to be used up so last night I did everything to make a meatloaf except actually cooking it. I minced some onion and a little green apple in the food processor, then added an egg, s & p, and mixed that all into the meat, formed it into a loaf, wrapped it in saran wrap and stuck it in the fridge. A basic meatloaf like this just screams for Heinz ketchup (hello, Pittsburgh girl here). Unfortunately, even the "simple" Heinz that's made with actual sugar instead of HFCS is very high in sugars so tonight, while the meatloaf was cooking in the oven, I set to making my own paleo ketchup.
I started with a recipe from my Primal Blueprint Healthy Sauces, Dressings, and Toppings cookbook and played with it as I went. In the end, I think I managed to get the zippiness that's characteristic of Heinz, but not much else. Unfortunately unless I want to defeat the purpose and add a ton of sweetener (albeit "natural" sweetener), my ketchup just isn't going to taste as sweet. And using tomato paste was a bad call. It's just a totally different beast than the cooked down tomatoes that go into Heinz. What I created is passable, but don't be surprised when you see a blog post about barbeque sauce in the near future. :P
One condiment I do care more about making myself and am actually successful at is mayo. Store bought mayo is generally made with canola and/or soybean oils, which like commercially raised meats have an unhealthy ratio of omega-6's to omega-3's so while I will occasionally use store bought organic mayo for convenience I prefer to have homemade on hand. The things I think are key for successfully making mayo at home?
1. Mix a little bit of very cold water into your egg yolk and acid before you start adding the oil (a ratio of 1 t of water to 1 egg yolk should work).
2. When you add the oil, go SLOW at first. If you think you can't go any slower, go slower. Like one drop at a time slow.
3. When the emulsion starts to actually look like mayo (you'll see it start to lighten in color as it builds in volume, but it will still be yellow, then just when you think it's never going to happen, it will start to look creamy and lighten in color), you can go faster. I use a hand mixer and just pour a thin stream right in between the 2 beaters. When I start to see streams of oil appearing in the mayo, I'll stop pouring for a second and give the bowl a few good swirls with the beaters then go back to adding the oil.
4. Make a double batch. It doesn't seem to take any longer to get to #3 above whether you use 2 yolks or one so you might as well be efficient and make more rather than less. I use a ratio of 3/4 c of sunflower oil to 1 egg yolk.
So what do you guys think I should do with all of this ketchup & mayo?
This was my first time making a paleofied baked good where the cake was mostly dates. I found the process a little fussy, for lack of a better word, but now that I've done it, I think I can improve the process a bit. Most notably, I read a tip to soak the dates in hot water, then drain before food processing to make creating the paste easier. The surprising thing to me though was the texture. These have a very airy, cake-like texture. I was expecting something much more dense and "wet" and may have overcooked them a little as a result so next time I will shoot for a few minutes less. I will also melt the macaroon ingredients without the coconut first, then mix the coconut in once those are well blended the next time I make these. And, rest assured, there will be a next time!
On a totally separate note, what's a girl to do when she still can't workout and has nothing on the agenda for the evening? Getting caught up on the budget is probably the correct answer, but that didn't sound fun so instead I decided to take advantage of the fact that my blender-hating puppy was having a sleepover with her best bud and make condiments. I had a pound of ground beef that needed to be used up so last night I did everything to make a meatloaf except actually cooking it. I minced some onion and a little green apple in the food processor, then added an egg, s & p, and mixed that all into the meat, formed it into a loaf, wrapped it in saran wrap and stuck it in the fridge. A basic meatloaf like this just screams for Heinz ketchup (hello, Pittsburgh girl here). Unfortunately, even the "simple" Heinz that's made with actual sugar instead of HFCS is very high in sugars so tonight, while the meatloaf was cooking in the oven, I set to making my own paleo ketchup.
I started with a recipe from my Primal Blueprint Healthy Sauces, Dressings, and Toppings cookbook and played with it as I went. In the end, I think I managed to get the zippiness that's characteristic of Heinz, but not much else. Unfortunately unless I want to defeat the purpose and add a ton of sweetener (albeit "natural" sweetener), my ketchup just isn't going to taste as sweet. And using tomato paste was a bad call. It's just a totally different beast than the cooked down tomatoes that go into Heinz. What I created is passable, but don't be surprised when you see a blog post about barbeque sauce in the near future. :P
One condiment I do care more about making myself and am actually successful at is mayo. Store bought mayo is generally made with canola and/or soybean oils, which like commercially raised meats have an unhealthy ratio of omega-6's to omega-3's so while I will occasionally use store bought organic mayo for convenience I prefer to have homemade on hand. The things I think are key for successfully making mayo at home?
1. Mix a little bit of very cold water into your egg yolk and acid before you start adding the oil (a ratio of 1 t of water to 1 egg yolk should work).
2. When you add the oil, go SLOW at first. If you think you can't go any slower, go slower. Like one drop at a time slow.
3. When the emulsion starts to actually look like mayo (you'll see it start to lighten in color as it builds in volume, but it will still be yellow, then just when you think it's never going to happen, it will start to look creamy and lighten in color), you can go faster. I use a hand mixer and just pour a thin stream right in between the 2 beaters. When I start to see streams of oil appearing in the mayo, I'll stop pouring for a second and give the bowl a few good swirls with the beaters then go back to adding the oil.
4. Make a double batch. It doesn't seem to take any longer to get to #3 above whether you use 2 yolks or one so you might as well be efficient and make more rather than less. I use a ratio of 3/4 c of sunflower oil to 1 egg yolk.
So what do you guys think I should do with all of this ketchup & mayo?
Friday, April 26, 2013
Green Curry with Shrimp, Calamari, & Bay Scallops
I made this for dinner tonight:
1. It was so good (really, isn't all curry?), but very hot. Very, very...very hot. I "garnished" with a lot of extra coconut milk, which left it very very hot, but oh so delicious.
2. I am not sober enough to write a real post so it will remain a mystery how I actually made the curry.
3. Off-dry gewurztraminer and spicy thai curry are one of life's great pairings. Hence I had to take a crappy photo of the food and wine together:
Seriously, I need to do something about the lighting in my kitchen. Or quit my job and start cooking my dinner during daylight hours.
Oh, in case you're wondering, that's an Atwater Gewurztraminer from the Finger Lakes in NY. It feels apt that I'm drinking it tonight since I bought it last year during Grapehounds and am headed to GIG (Greyhounds in Gettysburg) tomorrow. Yes, greyhound people are nuts and travel to special events centered around their dogs, but before you judge, know that I have met, gotten drunk with, and become good friends with some of the coolest people at these events.
1. It was so good (really, isn't all curry?), but very hot. Very, very...very hot. I "garnished" with a lot of extra coconut milk, which left it very very hot, but oh so delicious.
2. I am not sober enough to write a real post so it will remain a mystery how I actually made the curry.
3. Off-dry gewurztraminer and spicy thai curry are one of life's great pairings. Hence I had to take a crappy photo of the food and wine together:
Seriously, I need to do something about the lighting in my kitchen. Or quit my job and start cooking my dinner during daylight hours.
Oh, in case you're wondering, that's an Atwater Gewurztraminer from the Finger Lakes in NY. It feels apt that I'm drinking it tonight since I bought it last year during Grapehounds and am headed to GIG (Greyhounds in Gettysburg) tomorrow. Yes, greyhound people are nuts and travel to special events centered around their dogs, but before you judge, know that I have met, gotten drunk with, and become good friends with some of the coolest people at these events.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Asian Chicken Thighs & Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Two posts in one day, what?! If I were smart, I would post this later, but I'm stuffed full of delicious food so I have to share, right now! :P
My original plan was to make a seafood curry tonight, but it's tough to do that without curry paste so instead I set to making these Asian Chicken Thighs that were recently posted on Nom Nom Paleo. You know how much I love a Nom Nom recipe so it was only a matter of time. The marinade was so easy to whip up in the blender so I got the chicken marinating and then threw in a load of laundry and got the dogs walked. When I got back, the chicken went into the oven and I set to making the brussels sprouts to go with them.
I had originally intended to roast them in bacon fat since the oven was already on, but it's such a beautiful spring day that that just felt wrong (not that cooking with bacon fat can ever be wrong). Instead, I trimmed and washed a pound of brussels sprouts, then thinly sliced them into "discs". I heated some macademia nut oil in my cast iron skillet over medium high heat, then tossed the brussels sprouts in it and seasoned them with salt & pepper. I let them caramelize, stirring occasional until there were lots of nice crispy edges:
Then I turned the heat down a bit and added 1 T each of balsamic vinegar and maple syrup and a big handful of toasted pecans and cooked them until the liquid turned into a glaze:
The maple brussels sprouts were a nice change for me and this chicken marinade, like many of the recipes on the Nom Nom site is a total winner. There's no doubt these thighs will go into the regular rotation, but I can't wait to use it on chicken wings next!
My original plan was to make a seafood curry tonight, but it's tough to do that without curry paste so instead I set to making these Asian Chicken Thighs that were recently posted on Nom Nom Paleo. You know how much I love a Nom Nom recipe so it was only a matter of time. The marinade was so easy to whip up in the blender so I got the chicken marinating and then threw in a load of laundry and got the dogs walked. When I got back, the chicken went into the oven and I set to making the brussels sprouts to go with them.
I had originally intended to roast them in bacon fat since the oven was already on, but it's such a beautiful spring day that that just felt wrong (not that cooking with bacon fat can ever be wrong). Instead, I trimmed and washed a pound of brussels sprouts, then thinly sliced them into "discs". I heated some macademia nut oil in my cast iron skillet over medium high heat, then tossed the brussels sprouts in it and seasoned them with salt & pepper. I let them caramelize, stirring occasional until there were lots of nice crispy edges:
Then I turned the heat down a bit and added 1 T each of balsamic vinegar and maple syrup and a big handful of toasted pecans and cooked them until the liquid turned into a glaze:
Since I used boneless, skinless thighs instead of skin on as the recipe called for, the marinade was sticking a bit to the chicken so I moved the rack up and broiled the chicken for a few minutes on each side to crisp them up:
I served the chicken and brussels sprouts with a simple green salad:
21 Day Sugar Detox (FAIL!) & New Shoes!
Not being able to exercise sucks. Being in pain sucks more, but since eating well, drinking water and exercising are tied so closely together for me, not being able to do one makes the others more of a struggle. I told myself I was going to do a 21-day sugar detox while going through PT as a way to ensure my diet didn't go off of the rails and I didn't gain back the weight I lost. Since I'm already pretty strictly paleo, that meant cutting out fruit entirely, except for the occasional green apple or banana (yes, green banana, WTF?!), any chocolate, and any paleo treats that used sweeteners like honey or maple syrup and the biggie, alcohol.
The problem? My heart was never in it. I've eaten a lot less fruit and chocolate, but I've still had the occasional paleo treat and my share of alcohol. In fact, I had offered to make those coconut macaroons for an annual BBQ a friend is hosting this weekend, but I went browsing around Juli's PaleOMG site (BAD idea as she is the queen of paleofying baked goods) and found this recipe for Magic Brownie Bars.
They're basically brownies with macaroons on top, brilliant! But, so not 21-day sugar detox approved. Oh well, f the 21-day sugar detox people. I'm just going to do my best until I'm injury free and then kick ass that much harder once I'm back in the gym.
Speaking of, I may not be Crossfitting at the moment, but that hasn't stopped me from buying Crossfit gear. More specifically, I bought the number one most crucial piece of gear you could buy: SHOES!
Navigating the world of Crossfit shoes can be a bit overwhelming and frankly there aren't many great articles (at least that I could find) online to help. There is a relatively limited list of companies who make shoes specifically for Crossfit - Reebok and Inov-8 are the big ones, although Merrell, New Balance, & Altra also make models - but you can get totally lost in the various different models. Add to that that most of the shoes aren't carried in retail shops so you'll have to try to get an idea of size and fit from online reviews before ordering.
Thankfully I have great coaches to guide me. If you don't yet, this article also gives a decent overview for beginners. And while I think this article is poorly written and does little to help you narrow down your choices, it does at least tell you what to look for in a Crossfit shoe. Probably what you need to know most if you're newer to or thinking about Crossfit is that the Reebok Nano's and the Inov-8 230's are all around solid shoes if you're getting started. If you're strong enough to climb ropes or think you might be before you're ready for another pair of shoes, you should probably consider the Inov-8 240's over the 230's as they have additional rope protection so your shoes don't get shredded.
I actually hadn't been planning on buying shoes right now. I knew I would eventually but it didn't make sense to spend the money when I'm not actually working out, except a fellow Crossfitter posted about a sale on Inov-8's on The Clymb that I couldn't pass up, so I am now the proud owner of this pair of Inov-8 230's:
I can't wait for them to get here so I can start wearing them. Since they're a minimalist shoe (less padding than I'm used to and a much smaller heel "drop") I'm hoping to start wearing them in PT to let my feet get used to them. Sadly the estimated delivery date is May 11-15. Come faster shoes!!
The problem? My heart was never in it. I've eaten a lot less fruit and chocolate, but I've still had the occasional paleo treat and my share of alcohol. In fact, I had offered to make those coconut macaroons for an annual BBQ a friend is hosting this weekend, but I went browsing around Juli's PaleOMG site (BAD idea as she is the queen of paleofying baked goods) and found this recipe for Magic Brownie Bars.
 |
| Photo taken from PaleOMG's site |
They're basically brownies with macaroons on top, brilliant! But, so not 21-day sugar detox approved. Oh well, f the 21-day sugar detox people. I'm just going to do my best until I'm injury free and then kick ass that much harder once I'm back in the gym.
Speaking of, I may not be Crossfitting at the moment, but that hasn't stopped me from buying Crossfit gear. More specifically, I bought the number one most crucial piece of gear you could buy: SHOES!
Navigating the world of Crossfit shoes can be a bit overwhelming and frankly there aren't many great articles (at least that I could find) online to help. There is a relatively limited list of companies who make shoes specifically for Crossfit - Reebok and Inov-8 are the big ones, although Merrell, New Balance, & Altra also make models - but you can get totally lost in the various different models. Add to that that most of the shoes aren't carried in retail shops so you'll have to try to get an idea of size and fit from online reviews before ordering.
Thankfully I have great coaches to guide me. If you don't yet, this article also gives a decent overview for beginners. And while I think this article is poorly written and does little to help you narrow down your choices, it does at least tell you what to look for in a Crossfit shoe. Probably what you need to know most if you're newer to or thinking about Crossfit is that the Reebok Nano's and the Inov-8 230's are all around solid shoes if you're getting started. If you're strong enough to climb ropes or think you might be before you're ready for another pair of shoes, you should probably consider the Inov-8 240's over the 230's as they have additional rope protection so your shoes don't get shredded.
I actually hadn't been planning on buying shoes right now. I knew I would eventually but it didn't make sense to spend the money when I'm not actually working out, except a fellow Crossfitter posted about a sale on Inov-8's on The Clymb that I couldn't pass up, so I am now the proud owner of this pair of Inov-8 230's:
Saturday, April 20, 2013
The Injury Post
I've been holding off on posting this until I was feeling a bit better in the hopes that less pain would make me less bitter and thus, less whiny. :P Being in constant pain, especially when it involves your back and abs, which you use for EVERYTHING is really no fun. I have a new found sympathy for people who live in chronic pain. I was miserable after a week of it, I can only imagine weeks or months or a lifetime.
In any event, here's the rundown. I mentioned that the chiropractor thought I'd strained my QL. Before I went to see him, it was a minor issue that was nearly resolved and like I mentioned in an earlier post, he was confident he'd be able to help me work the rest of it out in a few visits.
Unfortunately what happened was very different. I'll spare you the details; the short version is that after 3 visits I had to admit that he was not helping me in any way, but had in actuality turned a minor injury into something severe. I could not get out of bed in the morning, or sit or stand for any length of time, or walk my dogs without fear of the next time someone would pull on a leash causing a new wave of pain in my back. I didn't do myself any favors by going to Crossfit a couple of times in the midst of this either. Once I realized this, I went to see my doctor, who prescribed painkillers and sent me to my old friend Ian, the physical therapist.
I'm now a week into my PT appointments and while still in pain and on Rx painkillers, I'm much improved from where I was prior to those appointments. I still can't take a deep breath without pain (I really look forward to the day when I can!), but I can do things like open a door, pick up my purse, or change the station on the radio in my car without wincing from the pain. So what's actually wrong with me? An issue with a joint in my spine (inflammation & no mobility causing strain on my muscles), as well as a strained abdominal muscle and a subluxated (partially dislocated) rib. It's actually the latter that's causing me the most pain right now.
So obviously I haven't been to Crossfit for a while, and won't for at least a few more weeks. Right now, we are still focusing primarily on working out the issues and resting/icing so I am not supposed to exercise at all (nor have I wanted to). This feels like a huge setback to me after I worked so hard to get back into shape, but it's mostly frustrating because this shouldn't have happened. So what's the moral of this story? When in doubt, see a physical therapist. I would like nothing more than a redo on the last few weeks so that I could make the decision to see him when my back started bothering me. But, what's done is done and what's important is that I am slowly, but steadily feeling better each day.
If you've hung in this long, thanks for reading. Hopefully my next update will be a really positive one. Feel free to send me some good thoughts for exponential healing so I can get back to beating myself up asap!
In any event, here's the rundown. I mentioned that the chiropractor thought I'd strained my QL. Before I went to see him, it was a minor issue that was nearly resolved and like I mentioned in an earlier post, he was confident he'd be able to help me work the rest of it out in a few visits.
Unfortunately what happened was very different. I'll spare you the details; the short version is that after 3 visits I had to admit that he was not helping me in any way, but had in actuality turned a minor injury into something severe. I could not get out of bed in the morning, or sit or stand for any length of time, or walk my dogs without fear of the next time someone would pull on a leash causing a new wave of pain in my back. I didn't do myself any favors by going to Crossfit a couple of times in the midst of this either. Once I realized this, I went to see my doctor, who prescribed painkillers and sent me to my old friend Ian, the physical therapist.
I'm now a week into my PT appointments and while still in pain and on Rx painkillers, I'm much improved from where I was prior to those appointments. I still can't take a deep breath without pain (I really look forward to the day when I can!), but I can do things like open a door, pick up my purse, or change the station on the radio in my car without wincing from the pain. So what's actually wrong with me? An issue with a joint in my spine (inflammation & no mobility causing strain on my muscles), as well as a strained abdominal muscle and a subluxated (partially dislocated) rib. It's actually the latter that's causing me the most pain right now.
So obviously I haven't been to Crossfit for a while, and won't for at least a few more weeks. Right now, we are still focusing primarily on working out the issues and resting/icing so I am not supposed to exercise at all (nor have I wanted to). This feels like a huge setback to me after I worked so hard to get back into shape, but it's mostly frustrating because this shouldn't have happened. So what's the moral of this story? When in doubt, see a physical therapist. I would like nothing more than a redo on the last few weeks so that I could make the decision to see him when my back started bothering me. But, what's done is done and what's important is that I am slowly, but steadily feeling better each day.
If you've hung in this long, thanks for reading. Hopefully my next update will be a really positive one. Feel free to send me some good thoughts for exponential healing so I can get back to beating myself up asap!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Fajitas!!!
I've been playing catch up with the cooking since between my mom's visit and being in a ton of pain I wasn't able to do much this weekend. Last night, I cooked up some shiitake-broccoli slaw stir fry to have for snacking for the rest of the week and whipped up an easy frittata with smoked bacon, onion, sun-dried tomato, & spinach for dinner:
Tonight I got a batch of chicken jerky going in the dehydrator (unfortunately for the dogs, not me) and a big batch of chicken & sausage cacciatore in the crockpot to have for lunches. Since I knew I'd have a lot to do tonight, I marinated a skirt steak in a mixture of olive oil, lime juice, crushed garlic, cumin, & chipotle chili powder and cut up some peppers and onions for fajitas before I went to bed last night. That meant tonight I just needed to sear the steak, then cook the veggies in the pan with the leftover marinade. Fajitas are one of my absolute favorite quick & easy meals. Just slice up the meat and serve with the veggies, sliced avocado, cilantro, & a lime wedge, yum!
Tonight I got a batch of chicken jerky going in the dehydrator (unfortunately for the dogs, not me) and a big batch of chicken & sausage cacciatore in the crockpot to have for lunches. Since I knew I'd have a lot to do tonight, I marinated a skirt steak in a mixture of olive oil, lime juice, crushed garlic, cumin, & chipotle chili powder and cut up some peppers and onions for fajitas before I went to bed last night. That meant tonight I just needed to sear the steak, then cook the veggies in the pan with the leftover marinade. Fajitas are one of my absolute favorite quick & easy meals. Just slice up the meat and serve with the veggies, sliced avocado, cilantro, & a lime wedge, yum!
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Coconut Lime Macaroons
I've been indulging in a bit too much chocolate lately, and dealing with some sugar cravings as a result. The other day in Wegman's I actually stopped to eyeball the various pastries and cookies (there's just something about food on display that calls to me!), but I forced myself to move on. Then I saw the containers of macaroons and thought, well at least those will be paleo. Not so much, they had flour in them.
What's a girl to do except make her own? Especially when you follow a link to a blog and this Coconut Lime Macaroon recipe from Comfy Belly happens to be the post of the day. So last night at the ridiculous hour of about 10:30 I set to making them. They were incredibly (dangerously?) simple to make and they are so good. I used the whites from 4 very large farm eggs and stuck to the lower 3T of honey and thought the consistency was perfect. Since I was torn about whether or not to dip them in dark chocolate, I decided to do half and half.
Unfortunately sometime today I think I decided to start a 21-day sugar detox tomorrow, which means I will eat what I can tonight, but the rest have to go. Who wants to help me finish off some macaroons? Get here fast! "What I can" may turn out to be a lot. :P
What's a girl to do except make her own? Especially when you follow a link to a blog and this Coconut Lime Macaroon recipe from Comfy Belly happens to be the post of the day. So last night at the ridiculous hour of about 10:30 I set to making them. They were incredibly (dangerously?) simple to make and they are so good. I used the whites from 4 very large farm eggs and stuck to the lower 3T of honey and thought the consistency was perfect. Since I was torn about whether or not to dip them in dark chocolate, I decided to do half and half.
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| (Man, I wish I could take more photos in daylight!) |
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Chicken & Vegetable "Lo Mein"
On the menu tonight, Chicken & Vegetable Lo Mein from The Food Lover's Make It Paleo cookbook. You can find the recipe over here on The Food Lover's Kitchen (formerly The Food Lover's Primal Palate) website, but I recommend picking up a copy of the cookbook if you see it. The recipes are all fairly straightforward and simple, but it's nice to have a few paleo cookbooks to page through for inspiration, and everything I've made from this one has always been tasty. This recipe was no exception.
And, it has water chestnuts. I've loved water chestnuts since I was introduced to them in Chinese food as a kid. If you don't like 'em with their absolute lack of flavor yet satisfying crunch, we may have to stop being friends. In any event, all in all a satisfying, healthy dish, even if the name's a bit misleading (love the addition of the cabbage, but without the noodles there's no way you're convincing anyone this is anything more than a tasty stir-fry, sorry).
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