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Paleo Challenge 2017

1/6/2017

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Well, it's that time of year again.  Holidays are over and I had my way with them, and I enjoyed myself immensley.   Now it's time to get back to this lifestyle thing and I am energized and ready to go.  I don't know what it is that feels so good about letting loose during the holidays, but I do know that once it's over, I feel cruddy and sluggish.  So here we go with a Whole30 kickstart and then a transition back into a more practical, sustainable way of eating and living.  A Whole30 can be challenging, but when you are fueled by endless post holiday motivation, it seems to go by pretty fast.  
I am leading a group from my gym, CrossFit St. Louis through a 6 week nutrition challenge and thought this post would be helpful when people ask, "What should I cook".  Here are a few things I did this week to make the first 4 days go as smoothly as possible. 

SUNDAY - New Year's Day.  After cleaning up all the Christmas stuff and putting away our attic firs, I cleaned out the fridge and the pantry.  Tossed all things that tempted me or were expired.  Apparently that weird chutney that I had on my pantry shelf expired in May of 2008.  Cleaned out the fruit and veggie drawer and readied my shopping list.

MONDAY
Prep day.  I went to the store and stocked up on Whole30 approved items and lots of fresh veggies.  I wanted to make an easy grab and go breakfast for those mornings when I had to be at the gym early to teach my rowing class.  Here's how it all panned out.   

Mexican Breakfast Muffins
9 eggs
1 lb chorizo from Lucky's Market (no sugar or bad ingredients added)
3-4 large handfulls of spinach
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 onion chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Saute chorizo and set aside reserving a small amount of grease for the veggies.  Sautee onions and mushrooms till soft and add spinach. Saute until greens are wilted.
In a non stick muffin pan, layer chorizo and sauteed veggies in 12 cups. Meanwhile, whisk the 9 eggs together until blended.  To the eggs, add about 1/2 t. salt and pepper (or to taste.)  It's hard to know how much because sometimes the chorizo can be salty.  Pour the eggs evenly over the sausage/veggie mixture.  I fill until it almost reaches the top.
Bake at 350 about 20 min or until firm and set in the middle.  They will come out nice and fluffy, but tend to deflate a little while they cool.
After I made these, I realized that adding about 1/2 cup rotel to the egg mixture would make them taste even better.  I'll do that next time.
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Here is a video of how I put everything together:  https://youtu.be/IxaCrcxs4wMyoutu.be/IxaCrcxs4wM

While those were cooking, I made a batch of tuna salad.  Used two large cans, 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped celery and onion, celery seed, and some homemade paleo mayonaise.  I like to have that in the fridge and ready to go.
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Once the egg cups were cooling and the tuna was made, I also cooked up some plain breakfast sausage from Lucky's meat counter.  After inquiring, they said there was no added sugars, fillers or wheat products so the ingredients looked pretty clean.  I like to have that on hand for quick egg scrambles.  Makes the morning go quick.  Below is a video summary of my food prep.
Dinner on Monday night was a new recipe I found from Zenbelly.  I have their cookbook too and it is amazing.  The recipe was called "INSTANTPOT CRISPY MOJO PORK SHOULDER WITH SPICY SLAW and it was delicious.  I made the pork and the slaw to go with and it was good for leftovers as well.  I used my Instantpot which I LOVE.  If you don't have one, you can order one on amazon.  It's part electric pressure cooker, part slow cooker and part saute pan all in one.  For more on an Instantpot, go here.
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Tuesday
Breakfast was my easy egg cups that I made on Monday.  I had two with my coffee.  Lunch was some rolled up turkey with paleo mayo and mixed greens.  For Dinner, we had "Salad Surprise" which was basically your choice of egg salad, tuna salad or ham salad (all made ahead) along with a green salad.  The ham salad was easy.  I bought a half of a Boar's Head tavern ham and chopped about 3/4ths of it in my food processor.  I added whole ground mustard and the rest of the paleo mayo I made the day before.  I chopped some dill pickle and some onion and mixed it all in.  It went fast.

Wednesday  We went to see Arrival at the movies at 7:45 that evening so I knew I needed something quick.  I went to my old reliable favorite Sweet Potato and Kale Chicken Patties from this blog in recipes.  These have it all...kale, sweet potato and white and dark meat chicken fried up in a little ghee.  They are wonderful and I love them for breakfast as well. 
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This Dijon mustard made by Annie's is Whole 30 approved as it is not made with wine or other alcohol.
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Thursday - Egg cups for breakfast, leftover tuna salad and mojo pork for lunch.  
Dinner was a pleasant surprise.  I had a pack of 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I bought on sale at Lucky's the day before.  I didn't know what to do with them so I simply googled "boneless skinless chicken thighs paleo recipe" and the first thing that popped up looked so tasty that I made it.  It was called Mustard Balsamic Chicken Thighs by PaleoHacks and it was a keeper.  I roasted some sweet potato, multi colored carrots and turnups in olive oil and salt and pepper to go along with it.  
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I've found that if you prepare well a Whole30 can go very smoothly.   Have a breakfast made ahead of time or something easy enough to prepare quickly in the morning.  Outline a few dinner recipes and use a crockpot or instantpot.  And have some snacks ready to go like avocados, coconut chips, jerkey, boiled eggs or veggie sticks.  You won't go hungry and you'll enjoy all the goodness that whole foods have to offer.  Weekend, here we come!
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts

8/25/2016

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I've found that roasting can make almost any vegetable taste amazing and it's no different with brussels sprouts.  This recipe is a cinch and I've added pancetta for extra flavor and richness.  

INGREDIENTS
1 lb brussels sprouts (about 475 g)
4 oz diced pancetta (I used Citterio brand)
3 T extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Wash, trim and cut brussels sprouts in half and place in a bowl.  Toss with 3T olive oil.  Add pancetta and toss.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.  I love Penzey's California Pepper.  Bake at 350 for about 30-35 min or until browned.  (I convection baked at 300 for 30 min.)  Makes 5, 3/4 cup (about 75g) servings.

Nutrition Facts per 3/4 cup (75g)
Calories:  175
Fat:  14
Fiber:  3.6
Carbohydrate:  8.6
Protein:  6.8

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

9/11/2014

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There's nothing quite so lovely as homemade whipped cream.  Pure and simple, it adds elegance to every dessert and elevates its status from meh to WOOO HOOOOO!  And who says whipped cream only goes on dessert?  My favorite is berries sitting on top a fluffy layer of rich cream.  Decadent.   While heavy cream is a dairy product, many people find that they tolerate it much better than milk or half and half.  The fat content is high and there is minimal lactose in heavy cream making it much less problematic.  Also, because it is so rich, a little goes a long way. 

There are a few ways you can make whipped cream  "paleo style".   The first step is finding a good, grass fed/pastured cream with minimal ingredients.  Two that I like are Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream and Kalona Super Natural.  Next, you need a flavoring like vanilla or almond extract to add to the cream which gives it just enough extra flavor without having to add any sugar.  At this point, you can add about 1 cup of cream and 2 t. vanilla extract or 1 t. almond extract (or a combo of both) to a bowl and whip it with a mixer until stiff peaks form.  Be careful not to overbeat or it will be a big oily mess and you will have butter on your hands.  These days, I prefer to use my favorite kitchen gadget to make perfect whipped cream and it's called the Mini Whip.
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ISI Mini Whip from Williams Sonoma
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All you do is pour the cream into the container, add the vanilla, screw the top on, and screw in the small "cream charger" which is a nitrous oxide cartridge.  Shake gently and then press the handle.   VOILA...you have delicious, easy to dispense whipped cream ready to go.  It keeps nicely in the fridge for about a week.  But it won't last that long because you will be putting it on everything!

Isi Mini Whip on Amazon
Isi Mini Whip at Williams Sonoma
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Olin's Meat Marinade

8/24/2014

4 Comments

 
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If you are looking for a delicious, all purpose marinade for meat, I've got it.  This is a recipe I grew up with and we always knew there was going to be something good on the grill when we smelled the marinade heating up on the stove.  This is what my dad would marinate his cut up venison in for shishkebobs.  It has such a great flavor that we would sneak cubes of raw meat out of the marinade just to get a taste of it.  Yeah, we weren't right growing up.

While this works great for venison shishkebobs, it also works on any cut of meat.  I've been using it with flank steak lately.  I just throw the whole thing into a bag and let it sit in the fridge for at least four hours and up to overnight if I'm on my game.  This marinade can be salty so you won't have to add extra seasoning to your meat once it's done. 


Olin's Meat Marinade

For 2 lbs of sirloin, venison, flank steak, or meat of your choice

3/4 t oregano leaves
3/4 t powdered mustard
1/3 C light olive oil
2 T. vinegar
1 t onion salt
1 t celery salt
3/4 t garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Heat all ingredients to boiling point.  Let cool.  Pour marinade over meat.  Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. Cook meat on grill to your preference.
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Roasted Italian Cauliflower

8/24/2014

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I love roasted cauliflower with olive oil, salt and pepper, but sometimes I'm in the mood for something a little more.  This recipe from Peace, Love and Low Carb fits the bill and the cauliflower comes out crunchy and delicious, almost tasting like pizza. I've renamed the recipe because you can leave out the parmesan cheese if you are going strict paleo.  If you tolerate a little dairy, the parmesan cheese adds great flavor.  I used a hard, Parmigiano Regiano and grated it myself.  For more great recipes, be sure and visit

Roasted Italian Cauliflower
(credit to Peace, Love and Low Carb)

1 large head cauliflower, washed, trimed, and cut into florets
¼ Cup Dijon mustard
 ¼ Cup Paleo Mayo
 ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese – Grated (optional...omit if going strict paleo)
 ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
½ tsp. Onion Powder
½ tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. Italian seasoning
 ¼ tsp. Oregano
¼ tsp. sea salt


DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400° Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.    In a large mixing bowl, combine Dijon, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, Italian seasoning, oregano and sea salt.  Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.   Add cauliflower florets to bowl and toss in Dijon mixture until all pieces are evenly coated.   Spread cauliflower in a single layer on the parchment paper.  Bake on middle rack for 45 minutes.


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This is what it looks like all mixed up before you spread on the parchment lined baking sheet.
Serve immediately.  Makes a great side dish with almost any meat.  Enjoy!
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Ceviche

6/7/2014

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One of my favorite things to eat when I'm visiting my parents at their place in Rockport, Texas is my mom's ceviche.  It is so fresh and delicious and reminds me of everything that is good about the Texas gulf coast.  She and my dad will cruise over to the harbor where the shrimp boats come in and buy the shrimp right off the boat, and she uses the fresh speckled trout we catch off the pier.  It don't get any fresher than
this, folks.  So I guess you could say I'm a little "spoilt" when it comes to my seafood. 

Now that I live in Missouri, the landlocked capitol of the world, I have to rely on Whole Foods or Bob's seafood to get fresh fish for my ceviche.  While it's not the same as getting it fresh out of the water, it still gets the job done.  Making ceviche is easy and is such a delicious summer meal.  Just be sure and look for the freshest options for your seafood.

Ingredients

1 lb fresh white fish (speckled trout, red snapper, halibut, swordfish, etc,)
1 lb fresh large shrimp, peeled
1 bunch green onions
1-2 jalapeno peppers
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
3 tomatoes, chopped (or a small container of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half)
2 avocado
8 limes, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
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Peel shrimp if not already done.  Cut each one up into 3-4 smaller sections.  Cut up fish into small bite size pieces.  Put in glass casserole dish and set aside. 
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Juice the limes.  (In this photo, I used key limes, but large, conventional limes work better and yield more juice.)
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Pour juice from limes over cut seafood and let marinate and "cook" for about 6 hours covered in the fridge.  Seafood will begin to look opaque and shrimp may turn pinkish around the edges.
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When seafood is done, drain off liquid  and return to a serving bowl.  Add chopped tomatoes, chopped jalapenos (veins and seeds removed), green onions, cilantro, and cubed avocado.  (If you don't like it too spicy, only add one jalapeno!).  Squeeze one more fresh lime over the top and season  with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with tortilla chips or plantain chips if not doing corn.  Or eat it on its own...it is that delicious!
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This bait stand has been in Rockport forever. We bought our shrimp here when there was no shrimp boats to buy from.
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The lady weighs out my scrimps.
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The finished product. It doesn't last long. Serve with a cold Mexican beer or a tasty dry white wine.
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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

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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"

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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
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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".
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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

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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.
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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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Herbes de Provence Paillard of Amish Chicken (Vin de Set)

11/11/2013

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Here is another delicious course we had at our cooking class courtesy of Paul Hamilton, owner of Vin de Set.  This was amazing and the flavor comes from simple but quality ingredients.  Don't be discouraged by the steps involved.  The broth is rich, nourishing and delicious and worth the extra effort.  This is a wonderful dish to serve family or to impress guests!  Serves 6-8.


Chicken Broth
1 whole free range chicken
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
3 quarts water
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 T. herbes de provence seasoning

Directions
Butcher whole chicken by removing both breasts,  tenderloins, and skin.  Remove thighs and separate from legs. De-bone thighs. Place breasts, tenderloins and thigh meat in the refrigerator.  (Another option would be to boil the whole chicken, and when it is finished, pick cooked chicken meat off bones to save for chicken salad or to make Tex Mex Green Chicken.)

Place remaining parts of the chicken including the body, legs, neck, gizzard and heart in a stock pot with all remaining ingredients and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook on low 3-4 hours.
Strain broth through a metal sieve removing all bones and solids which can be discarded.  Chill broth in refrigerator.  Skim off fat layer from the top.  (You can save this fat or "schmaltz" for use in sauteeing or adding flavor to veggies.  Store in fridge).

Chicken Paillard
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 carrot, peeled, julienned lengthwise 4" long
1 parsnip, peeled, julienned lenthwise 4" long
1/4 rutabega or turnip, peeled julienned lenthwise 4'' long
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 sprigs fresh parsley

Heat chilled broth mixture up to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Taste broth and season to taste or continue to reduce liquid until desired taste is achieved.  (If you did not make your own broth, you can sub store bought broth.)

Cut breasts crosswise into 6 or 8 equal portions.  Pound out into 1/2" thick medallions.   Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper and saute with oil (olive oil, clarified butter, or even the leftover chicken fat will work) over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
While chicken is cooking, blanch the julienned veggies in the broth for 3-5 minutes.  Remove veggies with a strainer and place evenly in a mound on the bottom of 6-8 large soup bowls.  Place sauteed chicken on top of the vegetables with a sprig of fresh parsley.  Pour 6-8 oz of hot broth over each bowl and serve immediately.
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Our "chef" and restaurant owner, Paul Hamilton, cooked up some tasty treats for us at our paleo cooking class at Vin de Set.
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Banana Pecan Muffins

11/4/2013

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Stop the presses! You don't ever have to search for a good Banana Nut Muffin recipe again.  Ever.  It's right here and it's the last one you'll  need...I'm that confident.  My daughter walked in from school today and the conversation went something like this... "What's that smell...are you making muffins?"  I was like, "Yes, banana nut!".  As I predicted, she responded, "Are they paleo?"  And much to her dismay, my answer was "Yes".  In her mind, any baked paleo treat is crumbly, tasteless and bland and definitely not worth her time.  But these smelled so wonderful and came out hot and fresh.  To no one in particular, she said,  "OK, fine, I'll try it."  After her first bite, she asked if they were really paleo.  "They're really good Mom!"  And it was then I knew that I found the perfect recipe.  Believe me, I've made my fair share of muffin recipes and have a whole folder of paleo banana nut breads, muffins, cookies, and pancakes.  I feel like the Bubba Gump of bananas.  But this one is so much better than the rest.  The combo of almond flour AND coconut flour, along with a few added dates and ripe bananas give these a good texture and the right amount of sweetness.  You must try. 

RECIPE

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Ingredients
2 cups almond flour
1/3 cup coconut flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup dates (or raisins if you prefer)
3 ripe bananas
1 T. vanilla (I prefer Mexican vanilla)
3 eggs
1/4 cup honey
3 T. coconut oil melted
2 T. almond butter

How to:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  (In a non stick pan, roast pecans on medium heat until fragrant tossing gently as they roast.  This step is not a must but it adds another level of flavor and complexity to the muffin.)  Set aside.
Mash bananas with a whisk or fork, and add honey and almond butter.  Beat eggs and add to banana mixture.  Add oil and vanilla and blend well.  In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients, including pecans.  Mix wet with dry ingredients.  Spoon batter into lined muffin cups or a non stick muffin pan.  (I love my non stick muffin pan from Sur la Table.  NOTHING sticks to this and it's so easy to clean.)  Bake 15-20 minutes.  Makes 12-15 muffins.
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    My name is Leeny Hoffmann and I am paleo curious. Come out of the "Standard Diet" closet with me and let's find out what the paleo lifestyle is all about.

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