Category:

Buffalo Chicken Egg Cups a la Leeny

1/7/2015

I was flipping through facebook a while ago and came across Diane Sanfilippo's Balanced Bites site. I love her book Practical Paleo and the thoughtful way she has implemented 30 day plans for almost anyone who is looking for something specific. Her book is a great paleo resource as well as a wonderful cookbook. On her Facebook page, she had a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffins and I was intrigued. I have made veggie egg muffins and sausage egg muffins, but had never embarked on a buffalo chicken egg muffin adventure before. So with her recipe as inspiration, I made the muffins, but with little changes to suit my hot N spicy taste buds. I used ground chicken instead of shredded and added 4 cups of spinach to up the veggie count. I also like a little more hot sauce. These are delicious and when made ahead, an easy breakfast to grab on the go. These are also Whole30 compliant in the event you are doing a 30 day challenge.

Buffalo Chicken Egg Cups a la Leeny
1 lb ground chicken
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 dozen eggs
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. Penzey's California seasoned pepper or plain black pepper
4 T. Kerrygold butter (clarified if doing a Whole30) or ghee
1/3 Cup Frank's Red Hot hot sauce
4 cups spinach (or 4 big handfulls)
1 bunch green onions, sliced

In a frying pan, saute ground chicken with chopped onion and garlic till cooked through. Set aside to slightly cool. In a large bowl, blend together 1 dozen eggs, garlic powder and pepper. Slowly add the chicken mixture stirring into the eggs to temper the egg mixture slightly.

In the frying pan, melt the butter and add the Red Hot. Stir to blend. Add spinach and wilt. It will shrink up considerably. Add spinach mixture to the egg and chicken mixture and stir to blend. Spoon mixture into two muffin pans filling each cup about 3/4 full. You can line cups with non stick parchment cups or use a good non stick pan like Sur la Table's Platinum muffin pan. Nothing sticks to this and you can bake in it unlined. Sprinkle tops of muffins with chopped green onion. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until egg muffins are set. Makes about 18.

Recipe inspiration courtesy of Diane Sanfilippo of Balanced Bites.
www. Balancedbites.com

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Butternut Squash Soup

9/21/2014

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Butternut squash soup is so easy to make and is the perfect menu item for fall. There are lots of variations but I like the simple recipe.

Ingredients
1 Butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 4-5 cups)
1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stick celery, diced
6 cups chicken stock

Saute onion, carrot and celery in butter until soft. Add cubed squash and chicken broth. Cook on medium heat until squash is tender, about 20 minutes or so. If you have a handheld immersion blender, use it to puree the soup. Otherwise, puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. When serving, sprinkle a bit of nutmeg on top.

Be sure and use a sharp knife when cutting up the squash.

This is the Kitchenaid handheld immersion blender that I have and it makes pureeing soups and making homemade mayonnaise a snap.

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Chicken Salad

1/30/2014

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One of my favorite things to eat is homemade chicken salad. I've had lots of versions with a variety of mix ins, but I keep going back to this. The celery and apples give it a nice crunch with a hint of sweetness to offset the onions. I love adding sliced, roasted almonds for another type of crunch. And lemon juice brightens the whole thing. For the chicken, you can boil your own, pick the meat off the bones, and save the delicious broth for a later use. Or you can take a shortcut and buy a roasted chicken from the deli and pick the meat from it. Be sure to boil those bones to create a delicious stock as well. Nothing goes to waste.

Ingredients
6 cups chopped chicken
2 T. chopped parsley
1 C chopped celery
1 Honey Crisp apple, peeled and diced
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup roasted almonds
1 C. paleo mayonnaise
1 t. salt
1/2 t white pepper
juice of one lemon

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, parsley, celery, apple, green onions and almonds and mix to combine. In a smaller bowl, combine mayo, salt white pepper and lemon juice and blend. Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the chicken and mix well. Taste and season with more salt and ground black pepper if needed.

Variation 1: Chimichurri Chicken Salad
Everything is the same, except you add about 1/4-1/2 cup chimichurri sauce to the chicken. Blend well. This gives it a nice flavor twist. Serve with limes over a bed of lettuce.

See recipe here.

Variation 2: Fast and Easy Chicken Salad

Ingredients
2 cans white meat chicken
1/2 cup chopped pickles
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2-1 cup paleo mayo, depending on how creamy you like it
salt and pepper to taste
squeeze of 1/2 lemon

Mix all ingredients together until blended. Finish with a squeeze of half a lemon.

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Weeknight Tex Mex

1/14/2014

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As my new group of paleo challengers embark on their 6-week journey into PaleoLand, I'm always searching for good things to make and share in hopes that taste buds will approve. Inspired by the food I grew up with in south Texas, I know that anything with peppers, cilantro, tomatoes and limes will not disappoint. I also want something that is simple to do and fairly quick. This weeknight Tex-Mex meal does the trick. And the beautiful thing is...it's all Whole30 compliant. The plate is rounded out with Lettuce Wrap Tacos, grilled peppers and onions, Mexican cauliflower "rice" and homemade salsa. Get out your food processor and let the party begin.

Lettuce Wrap Tacos

Ingredients
2 lbs grassfed ground beef
3 cloves garlic - chopped
1 T. chili powder
1 T. paprika
1/2 T. cumin
1 t. salt
1/2 t garlic powder
3/4 C. water
Iceberg lettuce pieces for "cups"
avocado
lime

In a skillet or saucepan on medium heat, saute 2 lb grassfed burger and garlic until meat is cooked through. Add spices and water and stir until evenly mixed. Reduce to low heat and simmer 15 more minutes. Spoon taco filling into lettuce cups. Top with salsa, tomatoes and avocado.

Mexican cauliflower "rice"

Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 jalapeno - seeded
1/2 onion
2 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/4 t. chilipowder
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. cumin
1/4 t. black pepper
3/4 cup water
cilantro
lime

Cut cauliflower up into pieces and place in food processor. Chop until cauliflower resembles "rice". (Be careful not to overprocess.) Set aside. You should have about 4 cups of "rice".

Sautee peppers and onion in 2 T. olive oil until softened. Add cauliflower and toss gently to mix. Saute and stir about 3 more minutes. Add spices and water and stir until combined. Cover and continue to cook until all water has evaporated and cauliflower "rice" is softened, but not mushy. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Sauteed Pepper N Onions

Ingredients
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 onions
1-2 T. olive oil
cilantro for garnish

Cut tops off bell peppers and discard. Remove seeds and slice long ways into 1/2 inch wide pieces. Slice onions in rounds or long ways...however you like it. Saute in olive oil until softened and slightly browned. Add chopped cilantro for garnish. You can use whatever kind of peppers you like in whatever combination. I used the half peppers left over from the cauliflower rice. The more the merrier! Add kosher salt to taste and serve alongside tacos and rice.

Homemade pico de gallo is always a delicious addition to anything Tex Mex. I use the leftovers on scrambled eggs in the morning. I also had leftover jalapenos that I didn't want to go to waste so I made some Jalapeno Green Sauce as well. Why not...the food processor was already out!

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Chimichurri Chicken Salad

11/12/2013

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The other night, I made a wonderful chimichurri sauce (credit to The Refined Chef) to go over flank steak. The sauce had an incredible flavor and did the meat just right. I ate it again the next night and when the meat was gone, I wondered what to do with the leftover chimhicurri sauce. I also happened to have some leftover roasted chicken so I decided to whip up Chimichurri Chicken Salad. It's a twist on traditional chicken salad and the unexpected flavor pairings make this a memorable recipe.

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1 apple (I used honey crisp, but fuji or granny smith would work too), peeled and chopped
1/4 - 1/2 cup sliced, roasted almonds
3/4 cup paleo mayonnaise
1/4 cup chimichurri sauce (see recipe below) or to taste
fresh pea shoots or salad greens
lime wedges

Chimichurri Sauce (From the Refined Chef website)
1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar (I love Vom Fass vinegars)
1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 t. dried crushed red pepper
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and chimichurri sauce and mix well. In a large bowl, add the cooked chicken, chopped apple and roasted almonds. Toss with the mayo/chimichurri sauce until creamy and the consistency you prefer.
Serve atop fresh pea shoots or mixed greens. Garnish with lime wedges to squeeze over the top.

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Roasted Okra

9/17/2013

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Growing up in Texas, my dad always had a garden. We enjoyed all kinds of veggies as kids, but the one that had my interest was okra. It had a weird shape and when cooked, would emit that slime that just wasn't always pleasant. We would always say, "If you think it's okra, it's not (snot)". So we much preferred the fried version which always came out crunchy and delicious.

Last time I was home, my dad picked two large bags of okra fresh from his garden. My mom promptly made up a batch of her roasted okra which was a way I had never tasted it. I thought you could only put it in gumbo or boil it with a lemon until it was slimy. It was amazing and we devoured it like locusts. I loved it because it wasn't battered or fried, or mushy and slimy. It was crunchy, yet tender with a subtle hint of olive oil and a cayenne kick. These will now be a staple in my house during okra season.

Ingredients
4 cups sliced okra
olive oil
sea salt
pepper
cayenne pepper

If okra is whole, slice into pieces leaving caps on. Slice enough okra to make about 4 cups. Put okra in a bowl and add about 2-3 T. olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour okra on top. Convection bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, tossing okra once half way through. Okra is done when it is browned and slightly crispy. For a kick, add a little sprinkle of cayenne pepper or my favorite, Cat 5 Food Polish. But beware, that stuff is HOT!

Wash okra before slicing.

Slicing into pieces.

Chopped and ready to season.

Good olive oil, sea salt, pepper and Cat-5 food polish (or cayenne pepper) to taste.

Ready to go into the oven. If you don't have convection, then bake at 400 for 20 min.

Green Beans and Parsnips work well too!

As a side note, I used this same technique to roast green beans and chopped parsnips and they were incredible.

My daughter Margaret cutting lettuce out of Papa's garden.

I am always inspired when I go home to San Antonio for a visit. I love checking out "Papa's garden" and seeing what's in season. Whatever it is, my mom will know just what to do with it. She's got some pretty mean cooking skills and I'm always watching and learning. We have the same taste buds, so I know whatever she makes, I'll like. Just like that batch of okra she whipped up for us last month. She never ceases to amaze!

Me, the Chef, and the Gardener.

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Vietnamese Chicken Soup

9/15/2013

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One of my favorite places to go to lunch is a Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Long on Olive. Their mein ga is a delicious chicken soup with rice noodles served up with a plate of bean sprouts, thai basil, cilantro, limes and jalapenos. The broth is rich and savory and I've tried to recreate that flavor at home. I make mine without noodles, which just makes more room for all the other goodies I put in the bowl. Part of the trick is simmering the chicken on low for
a few hours which adds richness to the broth. You will love this soup!

Ingredients:
1 Whole Chicken (preferably free range or organic)
10 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 large yellow onions
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions
2-3 cups bamboo shoots
1 bunch thai basil
1 bunch cilantro
sliced jalapeno
1 lime cut up

Place chicken in a large stock pot and add about 4 quarts water. Peel garlic. Set garlic piece on cutting board and place broad side of knife over it. Place your palm on the flat side of the blade and press down on garlic, smashing it. Throw smashed piece into the pot with the chicken and water. Continue with all the garlic pieces. Smashing it releases the flavor. Slice an onion into quarters and add to pot along with 2-3 t. salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer on very low for about 2-3 hours. Simmering on low helps keep the broth clear. When cooked, strain the broth into another container. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones. Return all broth and meat back into stockpot. Slice another onion into thin rounds and add to pot. Slice up green onions into small rounds halfway up to the green part. Add to soup pot. Taste broth and season with more salt and pepper. Simmer on low until onions are soft and clear.

The broth.

Broth with cooked chiken and onions.

The mix ins.

On another plate, arrange bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, jalapeno slices and lime. Serve along side bowls of hot soup. Add herbs, sprouts and jalapenos to your bowl and finish with a squeeze of lime. Delish!
(As an added bonus, this recipe is Whole30 compliant!)

The final product!

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Just another week in Paleoland

7/14/2013

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We are 7 days into this "Paleo Awareness" challenge. Are we having fun yet? Actually, the first week seems to be the hardest. You are adjusting to a whole new way of eating, old habits are being tested, and you're still unsure if you're getting it right.   Let me start by saying "congratulations" for even giving this a go. You are one step ahead of so many others who still believe that the Standard American Diet (SAD) and food pyramid are the only way to health. In fact, I was reading an article yesterday by a nutritionist who, in her infinite nutritional wisdom, chided those who cut "whole food groups" out of their diet. Her concern was that people were missing out on crucial B-vitamins without grains. Wait...I don't think you need fortified inflammatory grains to get your B vitamins. I'm not sure this nutritional genius knew that the best sources of Vitamin B12 come from mussles, clams, oysters, liver, eggs, and beef to name a few. And while many grainitarians choose to believe that whole grains are the supreme food choice for wholesomeness, fiber and vitamins, they are sadly misguided. But who can blame them...rarely can you find a good article in the mainstream that "goes against the grain" so to speak. For a great read on why we exclude grains from our paleo diet, check out the Grain Manifesto by The Whole9.

Now, off the soapbox, I want to give you a few resources for your weekly reading. First, if you haven't gone to The Foodie for help with recipes, you're missing out. There are a ton of great recipes to try...you just have to know what you like.
http://www.thefoodee.com/post/6262/

Here's another link I'd like you to read regarding soybean oil (it's everywhere) and High Fructose Corn Syrup (oh, it's everywhere too.) Cutting these two things out of your diet is a must.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/23/united-states-health-ranking.aspx?e_cid=20130123_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130123

An article on the Whole30 and paleo:
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20130122/LIFE04/301220029

A google chart showing the increased interest in paleo:
http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=paleo%20diet

A Science Bite from Robb Wolf:
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=51021876189adc8125a6a9578&id=a3f7df4c81&e=cbdc0d1ad4
I listened to his podcast featuring John Kiefer from Dangerously Hardcore http://www.dangerouslyhardcore.com/category/nutrition/
and was fascinated with his take on partitioning most of your carbs in the evening. Haven't we always been told to eat the bulk of our carbs early in the day? More conventional wisdom gone awry. I ended up purchasing his book Carb Nite and am finally getting a chance to sit down and read it. I think it was written in about 2002. On the podcast, he said he has changed some of his recommendations (as far as eating better, higher quality carbs as opposed to just junk carbs) since then but the theory is still the same. I am playing around with this on myself to see if I notice any difference. Essentially, I am eating about the same amount of carbs as I would have otherwise, but just saving them for the evening. A sample day FOR ME might look like:
2 eggs, 2 cups spinach, 2 pieces of bacon for breakfast
mixed green salad with olive oil and red wine vinegarette and a piece of salmon for lunch
snack - rolled up ham with 1 T. homemade mayo
Dinner - baked or roasted sweet potatoes, sauteed greens, grilled flank steak, mushrooms and peppers, frozen banana and a few plantain chips.
All carbs are paleo and I will eat more or less depending on my activity that day. So far, my hunger has been pretty contained all day. The protein and fat in my first two meals keep me satiated and the low carb approach during the day allows me to access stored fat easier since insulin secretion is drastically reduced. Sugar highs and lows are diminished. If I get hungry, I grab a protein/fat snack. A hard boiled egg is a perfect example of that. So I am accomplishing a few things at once...I'm becoming more insulin sensitive and more fat adapted as I rely on fat instead of carbs for energy.
I'm really just playing around with all of this for now, but find the science behind it intriguing. We are all little experiments (N=1) of one so tinker with things to see what works for you.

Check out those links, especially the Dangerously Hardcore link. He has some great articles on his blog. I hope I'm not overwhelming you with information, but you gotta learn about this stuff. Can't rely on the the conventional widsom because they are consistently wrong!

Also, here are a couple of links for some great free ebooks. The Flinch is a great one about changing behaviors.   F*** calories is a funny, irreverant view of food with a lot of good quotes.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Flinch-ebook/dp/B0062Q7S3S
http://www.stumptuous.com/fuck-calories

This should keep yall busy for a few days!   Strap your seatbelts on for Week 2. Remember why you're doing this. It takes effort to learn and make change, but it is worth it. You are worth it.

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Whole30 Paleo Challenge

8/18/2012

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I am leading another wonderful group of people from CrossFit St. Louis and CrossFit Xtra Mile through a 30 day Paleo Challenge that started this past Monday, August 13. We kicked it off with a nutrition seminar and then got busy taking pre-pictures and measurements. When the gig is up on Sept. 11th we will take our after pictures and measurements and then bask in the healthy glow we will have developed after the thirty days of clean eatin'.
So far, I think everyone is on the right track. We've had a few people succumb to the "carb flu", feelings of sluggishness that are common in the first few weeks, but usually subside as the month goes on. We are trying to become more "fat adapted" and shift our metabolism away from being a "sugar burner". For more on this, Mark Sisson has a great article and so does Nora Gedgaudas from Primal Body Primal Mind. You can find her article here. I just want people to be reassured that this decrease in performance, tired, sluggish feeling doesn't last forever.

I think the biggest problem people have is trying to figure out what the heck to eat since the grains and dairy have been removed. Wheat is in everything! But with some creativity, some good recipe websites and some planning, you will find that your effort pays off in spades in the way you look, feel and perform. I have to use my sister-in-law as a prime example of how much better you can feel once you ditch the grains, especially wheat gluten.
Natalie (not her real name) and I have been tennis partners for years and I've also encouraged her to join our CrossFit gym to work on strength and endurance. She has complained about her knees bothering her and would find lunging, squatting, and deadlifting painful. It was frustrating as a coach, because I knew she needed to do these movements to strengthen up her quads and hamstrings, but with limited mobility our strength gains were at a standstill. I talked to her about changing over to more of a paleo type diet, but she, like so many other people, didn't really attribute her joint issues to anything else but age.

Finally, after one particularly sugar and flour laden Easter, she woke up the next day in full body pain. She said even the joints that normally didn't bother her were hurting. I told her that she had a choice...cut out the gluten, which is a known gut irritant and plays havoc on your immune system and adds inflammation to the body, and cut out the sugar for just a WEEK, or continue to be in pain all the time. "What have you got to lose?" Long story short, she did as I asked (FINALLY!) and has since sworn off gluten. She is a new person. She is almost pain free. She doesn't even need the knee brace she used to wear to tennis. And I don't have to her her whine! hehe
So now Natalie is my new spokesperson. She isn't completely paleo, but the changes she did make work for her and have allowed her to continue the activities she loves without the joint pain.

So there you have it. You really don't have anything to lose...except maybe that tire around your middle, and the acne on your back, and the joint pain...the list goes on! Here's to all of you challengers brave enough to embark on this nutritional journey and to ask the hard questions about what is really healthy. We don't need no stinkin' food pyramid.

Mark Bittman's Oven Baked Ratatouilli

Ingredients:

10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced in half

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 large eggplants, about 2 pounds total, sliced 1/2-inch thick and salted if time allows

4 red or yellow bell peppers, stemmed, peeled if desired, seeded and sliced into 3 or 4 pieces each

4 ripe red tomatoes, cored, skins and seeds removed and cut into thick slices

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, rosemary or savory leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, basil or chervil leaves for garnish

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

WHAT YOU DO

Make a layer of onion, followed by one of eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, salt, pepper and garlic cloves. Repeat.

Drizzle the ratatouille with oil and place it in the oven. Bake for about an hour, pressing down on the vegetables occasionally, until they are all completely tender.

Garnish and serve, hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

(I also make it with thin slices of zucchini cut length wise as an added layer)

This is a great recipe, especially this time of year when the produce is so wonderful. Fit as much as you can into your baking dish as there is shrinkage when you bake. It is also better the next day!

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Buffalo Chicken Egg Cups a la Leeny

Butternut Squash Soup

Chicken Salad

Weeknight Tex Mex

Lettuce Wrap Tacos

Mexican cauliflower "rice"

Sauteed Pepper N Onions

Chimichurri Chicken Salad

Roasted Okra

Green Beans and Parsnips work well too!

Vietnamese Chicken Soup

Just another week in Paleoland

Whole30 Paleo Challenge

Mark Bittman's Oven Baked Ratatouilli

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