i've been gonnnnnne. i'm sorry.
last weekend i made the mistake of eating/imbibing something that didn't agree with me. seriously took me almost three days to recover. oi.
also. busy trying my skills in organization and handling high-stress situations by packing up and moving us literally across the country.
in two weeks.
actually, LESS than two weeks.
so, i've not been spending too much time in the kitchen, more in front of the computer frantically searching for a home in Seattle. FRANTICALLY.
BUT, i HAVE made a few things in the way of delicious.
Recipe: Meatloaf
now, i know what you're thinking "what? that's not special!" if you're from the midwest, you are rather familiar with the loaf of meat, seasoning, eggs and breadcrumbs.
i actually prided myself on my awesome meatloaf. but this recipe blows it away. if you have a picky eater at home, i suggest mincing/pureeing all the veggies, mushrooms, etc together, then mixing it in the meat; the gentleman can't tell there's mushrooms in there, let alone onions when i do this.
go check out Paleo Effect's meatloaf recipe here, and you'll never want another meatloaf ever again!
one thing that goes well with this staple? mashed no-tatoes...same texture as mashed potatoes, except its cauliflower!
i don't really follow a recipe for this, i let my inner creativity loose instead. but, here's a guideline:
Recipe: No-tatoes
steam one head of cauliflower (make sure you cut the florets off, don't just throw the whole head in a pan, silly)
when you can put a fork through the stem without resistance, take the cauliflower out and mash the heck out of it. I put mine through the food processor; but it depends on your palate and its capability of liking different textures.
while mashing, add some coconut/almond/animal (if you do dairy) milk; here's where you can add your favorite herbs and such. have fun!
before we hit the drive to the land of grunge, i will try and post some more recipes, especially JERKY recipes, as i am going to make half a metric ton of it for the road trip. self-serve bags of jerky, flackers, and raw nuts really make it easy to stick to the lifestyle when you're out and about, or stuck at a function with no access to the right foods. emergency packs, if you will :)
Friday, August 31, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
that day in the middle of that week.
so. wednesday. you're officially here.
since i still work today, but the closing shift, and then an open the next (we here call it a clopen. witty, i know), i'll spew a few things up here now.
if you're like me, you've spent lots of time searching for that perfect recipe that takes a hold of your craving and slaughters it without blinking. since converting to paleo, i've found LOTS. however, i've also found plenty of preaching.
it seems, to me, that plenty of these people posting these recipes either have unlimited cash flow, or have access to ridiculously amazing resources that most of us average schmoes do not. i am of neither company, and i am going to assume you are with me.
yes, buying organic, grain-free, free range, garden fresh, no added hormones, farm market, home grown sometimes (most times) has a higher price point. sure, those items are THE best (tasting and for you), but my bank account says so otherwise.
y'know what i do? i'm choosey when i'm at the grocery store. i make sure i go to a reputable chain (there's a REASON why meats at discount stores are...discount), and i pick the cuts that are the best. you can get chicken that is fed a vegetarian diet, and that is free range (it's illegal for any poultry to have added hormones now) for just pennies more a pound. for red meat, i find the least fatty, best cuts (sirloin tip, ny strip, etc) available. and...if you happen to be so lucky that there's a sale? BUY MORE. what you spend now, you won't have to spend later.
for vegetables, i stay away from canned. i prefer to make a visit at least twice a week to get the fresh stuff, but to save time and $$, buying the frozen is absolutely the best; just be sure to look at the contents, sometimes there's added salt, or milk (casein, whey) products, and even in the mixed veggies, we know that beans are a no-no! a lot of times the store brand goes on sale for 10 for $10, and i make sure i pile up on those. you can never have enough broccoli!
now, i find that our grocery bill is indeed higher, but our daily money spent on food has lowered; all due to us not eating out, etc. if for a special occaision, or if i'm making beef jerky, i'll splurge. cannot have mediocre meat turn into amazing jerky. just can't. believe me...i've tried.
anyhow.
what i do, to keep myself from going crazy by spending every free minute in the kitchen, is to come up with some semblance of a plan. on days like today, i'll make myself a big breakfast, and big lunch, so that my dinner at work is quick...which is almost always leftovers. on days like yesterday, i'll have something super quick for breakfast (breakfast is seriously a must), and pack leftovers for lunch...then, of course, a big dinner. if i don't follow through...i fail and end up all miserable.
this morning i cooked us lotsa bacon, and demolished half of the delicious delicious bread for french toast. obviously, used REAL maple syrup as a decadent addition, not that maple-flavored poison.
for lunch, i'm going to pile some leftover rotisserie chicken on some flackers (flax crackers), and have a monster spinach salad.
dinner? leftover Mongolian BBQ.
and now...recipe time!
Recipe: Kale Chips
this one, i don't even follow the recipe anymore, and i use my dehydrator instead of any oven; it keeps them green...but the brown edges you get when you use the oven doesn't detract from the taste. biggest problem with these? they go so quick! with the crunch and the flavor, you don't even realize you're basically eating a toasted leaf. i've tried other recipes for kale chips, but i keep going back to this one.
you can find an excellent starter recipe at The Paleo Effect...i've kicked up their seasoning by adding less of the adobo seasoning, and more of the onion and cayenne pepper. less salt, more kick. also, i made a larger batch of the seasonings and put them in an empty spice container...and just sprinkle it over the kale leaves when they're on my dehydrator screens. also, i HIGHLY SUGGEST not using the bagged kale...the pieces are small, the stems are big, and it just isn't as delicious (or cheap) as buying fresh kale. just take the big leaf, fold it in half, cut the stem off, and then cut the remaining leaf into halves or thirds. easy-peasy.
i keep mine in a glass cookie-jar-type jar and keep it out on the counter. in fact, i'm going to go and chow down on some right now!
since i still work today, but the closing shift, and then an open the next (we here call it a clopen. witty, i know), i'll spew a few things up here now.
if you're like me, you've spent lots of time searching for that perfect recipe that takes a hold of your craving and slaughters it without blinking. since converting to paleo, i've found LOTS. however, i've also found plenty of preaching.
it seems, to me, that plenty of these people posting these recipes either have unlimited cash flow, or have access to ridiculously amazing resources that most of us average schmoes do not. i am of neither company, and i am going to assume you are with me.
yes, buying organic, grain-free, free range, garden fresh, no added hormones, farm market, home grown sometimes (most times) has a higher price point. sure, those items are THE best (tasting and for you), but my bank account says so otherwise.
y'know what i do? i'm choosey when i'm at the grocery store. i make sure i go to a reputable chain (there's a REASON why meats at discount stores are...discount), and i pick the cuts that are the best. you can get chicken that is fed a vegetarian diet, and that is free range (it's illegal for any poultry to have added hormones now) for just pennies more a pound. for red meat, i find the least fatty, best cuts (sirloin tip, ny strip, etc) available. and...if you happen to be so lucky that there's a sale? BUY MORE. what you spend now, you won't have to spend later.
for vegetables, i stay away from canned. i prefer to make a visit at least twice a week to get the fresh stuff, but to save time and $$, buying the frozen is absolutely the best; just be sure to look at the contents, sometimes there's added salt, or milk (casein, whey) products, and even in the mixed veggies, we know that beans are a no-no! a lot of times the store brand goes on sale for 10 for $10, and i make sure i pile up on those. you can never have enough broccoli!
now, i find that our grocery bill is indeed higher, but our daily money spent on food has lowered; all due to us not eating out, etc. if for a special occaision, or if i'm making beef jerky, i'll splurge. cannot have mediocre meat turn into amazing jerky. just can't. believe me...i've tried.
anyhow.
what i do, to keep myself from going crazy by spending every free minute in the kitchen, is to come up with some semblance of a plan. on days like today, i'll make myself a big breakfast, and big lunch, so that my dinner at work is quick...which is almost always leftovers. on days like yesterday, i'll have something super quick for breakfast (breakfast is seriously a must), and pack leftovers for lunch...then, of course, a big dinner. if i don't follow through...i fail and end up all miserable.
this morning i cooked us lotsa bacon, and demolished half of the delicious delicious bread for french toast. obviously, used REAL maple syrup as a decadent addition, not that maple-flavored poison.
for lunch, i'm going to pile some leftover rotisserie chicken on some flackers (flax crackers), and have a monster spinach salad.
dinner? leftover Mongolian BBQ.
and now...recipe time!
Recipe: Kale Chips
this one, i don't even follow the recipe anymore, and i use my dehydrator instead of any oven; it keeps them green...but the brown edges you get when you use the oven doesn't detract from the taste. biggest problem with these? they go so quick! with the crunch and the flavor, you don't even realize you're basically eating a toasted leaf. i've tried other recipes for kale chips, but i keep going back to this one.
you can find an excellent starter recipe at The Paleo Effect...i've kicked up their seasoning by adding less of the adobo seasoning, and more of the onion and cayenne pepper. less salt, more kick. also, i made a larger batch of the seasonings and put them in an empty spice container...and just sprinkle it over the kale leaves when they're on my dehydrator screens. also, i HIGHLY SUGGEST not using the bagged kale...the pieces are small, the stems are big, and it just isn't as delicious (or cheap) as buying fresh kale. just take the big leaf, fold it in half, cut the stem off, and then cut the remaining leaf into halves or thirds. easy-peasy.
i keep mine in a glass cookie-jar-type jar and keep it out on the counter. in fact, i'm going to go and chow down on some right now!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
...oops
i forgot i wanted to explain the name.
i came up with the name while reminiscing about the early stages of cooking with this paleo lifestyle.
the gentleman, while he loves food, has the palate of a picky eight year old. so, i found myself making these delicious paleo recipes, and being rather naughty and deceitful about what it actually was, or what ingredients were present.
case in point: squash hater, meet spaghetti squash...spaghetti.
"what's this?" him
"spaghetti." me
"i thought spaghetti wasn't paleo?" him
"erm, this one is..." me
"ZOMG THIS IS DELICIOUS." him
"you're eating squash covered in spaghetti sauce and meat." me, after he devours a plate.
*blank stare* "f*#@!" him.
win!
sometimes, you just gotta ninja in the good, to get them away from the bad.
i came up with the name while reminiscing about the early stages of cooking with this paleo lifestyle.
the gentleman, while he loves food, has the palate of a picky eight year old. so, i found myself making these delicious paleo recipes, and being rather naughty and deceitful about what it actually was, or what ingredients were present.
case in point: squash hater, meet spaghetti squash...spaghetti.
"what's this?" him
"spaghetti." me
"i thought spaghetti wasn't paleo?" him
"erm, this one is..." me
"ZOMG THIS IS DELICIOUS." him
"you're eating squash covered in spaghetti sauce and meat." me, after he devours a plate.
*blank stare* "f*#@!" him.
win!
sometimes, you just gotta ninja in the good, to get them away from the bad.
why hello thar!
i hope everyone out there in the wonderful wide world of web has enjoyed their tuesday. i certainly did.
what i plan to do for every update, is to outline the meals i created for that day, and any struggles, wins, or nuggets of wisdom. however, this one, being the inaugural one, will perhaps be longest.
the past few meals i've concocted, i have attempted to take pictures of the finished product. however, i have not had a good enough handle on my self-control, and have devoured the meal almost immediately. so, to you, fair readers, i give you my pledge:
i, the paleo ninja, pledge to you, the reader, to take moderately focused, almost entirely well-lit picture of mostly intact food.
anyhow.
we have a two-person household, with only one of us having any (and i mean ANY) aptitude for cooking. i love my gentleman dearly, but a food savant he is not...not to mention he has the palate of a picky eight-year-old.
today, cooked us breakfast of some scrambled eggs, i worked, had leftovers and flax crackers for lunch, went shopping for a suit for the gentleman, and instead of me cooking dinner, we went out to Mongolian BBQ...which really, around here, is the only place that easily (and perhaps unknowingly) caters to us paleolithic mimickers...
anyhow, if you're new to the paleo game, here's some words of advice: it is easier to stick with the life change when you find delicious things to make and eat. also, don't mourn the loss of things like BREAD, like CHEESE...there is seriously amazing paleo replacements to ALL your comfort foods. some taste exactly like it, so taste BETTER than it...and some are acceptable replacements.
that being said, here are a few recipes i discovered that are on frequent rotations in the house. only problem being that they're SO DELICIOUS they never last for long :)
Recipe: Italian Flax Crackers
craving some snacky things? how about potato chips? these are not only delicious, healthy and crispy, they're great for your pooper! you can actually have lots of fun coming up with your own concoction of flavors; i've done apple cinnamon, plain, and spicy pepper. I like to add chia seeds to some, being since they're so awesome for you and all :) also, you do not need a food processor or dehydrator (but i HIGHLY suggest you invest in both...either never seem to stop running), you can use an oven or hand mixer.
* 2 cups flax seeds
* 3 cups water
* 1 red bell pepper
* 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
* 2 cups fresh tomatoes
* Juice of 1 lemon
* 1 clove of fresh garlic +/or 1/2 large onion, chopped
1. mix flax seeds (and chia seeds) and water in container. let sit for 30 minutes, or until it reaches a gelatinous globular texture.
2. blend all ingredients together in a food processor.
3. press mixture flat onto parchment paper into a large square or rectangle, making sure that the mixture stands only a few millimeters tall. (The thicker the cracker the harder to eat and the longer to dry).
4. score the size of crackers you'd like with a knife or spatula before dehydrating. (I usually score the large square 3 x 3 or 4 x 4 depending on what I want to use them for).
5. dehydrate around 115°F - 125°F overnight and flip over once one side is dry. Dry to completion.
***if you're using an oven, go as low as you can, and prop the door open just a leeeeeetle bit, so the steam can escape
now, the next two recipes are for paleo-friendly bread. the biggest differences between these breads, and store bought (besides the grain stuffs), is that they don't rise very tall, and are more dense. now, when i saw more dense, i'm not talking dry and heavy; i'm talking moist and filling!
Recipe: Delicious Delicious Bread
in need of some dinner bread, or wanting to make brinner? this paleo recipe i found on Against All Grain, this awesome website that has some amazing takes on traditional foods. this bread i would suggest more for sweeter things, since its super moist and sweet...PERFECT for homemade preserves or french toast :) you can link to this specific recipe here. they actually explain the process perfectly there, so have at it :) also, as a note, they use cashew butter in the recipe; it can be rather pricy, but i've substituted other nut butters (besides peanut butter, shame on you!) for a less cost, and it still came out wonderful.
Recipe: Paleo Fluffy Bread
this recipe comes from a website that was the first of its kind i stumbled upon and we LOVED everything i've made from it. The couple from Paleo Effect have so many recipes on here that are flavored from different cultures around the world. make visiting their site a habit! this recipe is so close to regular sandwich bread, you can't really tell the difference. promise! so go here and get to cooking!
i hope you enjoy those, and i promise i'll have more for you next time!
what i plan to do for every update, is to outline the meals i created for that day, and any struggles, wins, or nuggets of wisdom. however, this one, being the inaugural one, will perhaps be longest.
the past few meals i've concocted, i have attempted to take pictures of the finished product. however, i have not had a good enough handle on my self-control, and have devoured the meal almost immediately. so, to you, fair readers, i give you my pledge:
i, the paleo ninja, pledge to you, the reader, to take moderately focused, almost entirely well-lit picture of mostly intact food.
anyhow.
we have a two-person household, with only one of us having any (and i mean ANY) aptitude for cooking. i love my gentleman dearly, but a food savant he is not...not to mention he has the palate of a picky eight-year-old.
today, cooked us breakfast of some scrambled eggs, i worked, had leftovers and flax crackers for lunch, went shopping for a suit for the gentleman, and instead of me cooking dinner, we went out to Mongolian BBQ...which really, around here, is the only place that easily (and perhaps unknowingly) caters to us paleolithic mimickers...
anyhow, if you're new to the paleo game, here's some words of advice: it is easier to stick with the life change when you find delicious things to make and eat. also, don't mourn the loss of things like BREAD, like CHEESE...there is seriously amazing paleo replacements to ALL your comfort foods. some taste exactly like it, so taste BETTER than it...and some are acceptable replacements.
that being said, here are a few recipes i discovered that are on frequent rotations in the house. only problem being that they're SO DELICIOUS they never last for long :)
Recipe: Italian Flax Crackers
craving some snacky things? how about potato chips? these are not only delicious, healthy and crispy, they're great for your pooper! you can actually have lots of fun coming up with your own concoction of flavors; i've done apple cinnamon, plain, and spicy pepper. I like to add chia seeds to some, being since they're so awesome for you and all :) also, you do not need a food processor or dehydrator (but i HIGHLY suggest you invest in both...either never seem to stop running), you can use an oven or hand mixer.
* 2 cups flax seeds
* 3 cups water
* 1 red bell pepper
* 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
* 2 cups fresh tomatoes
* Juice of 1 lemon
* 1 clove of fresh garlic +/or 1/2 large onion, chopped
1. mix flax seeds (and chia seeds) and water in container. let sit for 30 minutes, or until it reaches a gelatinous globular texture.
2. blend all ingredients together in a food processor.
3. press mixture flat onto parchment paper into a large square or rectangle, making sure that the mixture stands only a few millimeters tall. (The thicker the cracker the harder to eat and the longer to dry).
4. score the size of crackers you'd like with a knife or spatula before dehydrating. (I usually score the large square 3 x 3 or 4 x 4 depending on what I want to use them for).
5. dehydrate around 115°F - 125°F overnight and flip over once one side is dry. Dry to completion.
***if you're using an oven, go as low as you can, and prop the door open just a leeeeeetle bit, so the steam can escape
now, the next two recipes are for paleo-friendly bread. the biggest differences between these breads, and store bought (besides the grain stuffs), is that they don't rise very tall, and are more dense. now, when i saw more dense, i'm not talking dry and heavy; i'm talking moist and filling!
Recipe: Delicious Delicious Bread
in need of some dinner bread, or wanting to make brinner? this paleo recipe i found on Against All Grain, this awesome website that has some amazing takes on traditional foods. this bread i would suggest more for sweeter things, since its super moist and sweet...PERFECT for homemade preserves or french toast :) you can link to this specific recipe here. they actually explain the process perfectly there, so have at it :) also, as a note, they use cashew butter in the recipe; it can be rather pricy, but i've substituted other nut butters (besides peanut butter, shame on you!) for a less cost, and it still came out wonderful.
Recipe: Paleo Fluffy Bread
this recipe comes from a website that was the first of its kind i stumbled upon and we LOVED everything i've made from it. The couple from Paleo Effect have so many recipes on here that are flavored from different cultures around the world. make visiting their site a habit! this recipe is so close to regular sandwich bread, you can't really tell the difference. promise! so go here and get to cooking!
i hope you enjoy those, and i promise i'll have more for you next time!
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