365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 27: Pepper Stuffed Portabella Burger

Ok I know I initally said this project was going to be 365 in 365, but stuff keeps seeming to arise that prevents me from making a new recipe EVERY day. Therefore, it will still be 365 paleo recipes; it just might take me awhile to get there.

The following recipe, I made a couple of days ago and meant to post it, but then I had to go out of town, so I never got around to it. Well, I'm doing it now!

I was at the grocery store and had the idea of using a portabella mushroom cap as a type of burger bun. I tinkered with it, and this was the result.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef (grass-fed, of course)

3 large portabella mushroom caps

5-6 small sweet peppers, diced

salt and pepper

Divide your ground beef into 1/3 lb patties. Flatten your patties as much as possible and add evenly divide your diced peppers between them, spooning them into the center of the patty. Fold the patty around the peppers to enclose them and pat down.

Heat your grill to med-high. Season both sides of each patty with salt and pepper and place on top of a portabella cap. Lay burger-side down on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for 3-4 more minutes. If the mushroom side of the burger patty is still pink, you may want to remove from the mushroom cap and grill directly for 2-3 minutes before replacing onto the mushroom.

Remove from heat. Allow to rest for 5 minutes and serve, mushroom side down.

 

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Finally, the Day Has Arrived!

I'm super pumped! The cookbook I've been waiting for FOREVER went on sale for preorders today, and as if that weren't awesome news enough, the preorders are almost 50% off!!

WHAT?!!

Needless to say, I picked that up pretty quick-like. Come October, I'll be the proud owner of Michael Symon's new book, "Carnivore"!

365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 26 - Herbed Carrots and Jicama

Back in... um... let's go with 2010, I needed to kickstart a new regimen of eating healthier, so I bought The Biggest Loser: 30-day Jump Start as a way to force myself into new habits. (It worked). One of the snack suggestions in it was a mix of jicama and carrot sticks. I'm not huge on raw carrots as a snack, but I liked the concept behind it. So, I played around after I finished the jumpstart and this is the end recipe that I landed on. If you've never had jicama, it has a starchy texture,similar to a potato but with a slight apple flavor.

Ingredients:

3 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2 jicama root, peeled and diced

1 shallot, sliced thin

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

1/4 cuo fresh sage leaves, chopped

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Add your carrots, shallot and jicama and season liberally with salt. Cook, stiring occasionally for 25-30 minutes. Add your herbs, season liberally again with salt and pepper and continue cooking until herbs have wilted, 5-10 minutes more.

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Salt and the Paleo Diet

My newest article, "Salt and the Paleo Diet" was published yesterday. Here's a blurb, but you can check out the whole thing here. 

 

"Because the long-term effects of high-sodium consumption have been linked to such diseases as stroke, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, edema and stomach cancer, many experts believe that stricter guidelines are need for healthy consumption.

The FDA recommends that the average person consume no more than 2300mg of sodium per day (1500mg for people over 51, African-Americans or people with hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease), but studies show that the average American gets between 3400 and 4700mg per day, and that an "estimated 75 percent of the average consumer's intake comes from packaged foods." (according to Food Navigator-USA )

......

Sodium is a mineral, and an essential one at that. It regulates blood volume and blood pressure and our primary source of sodium is salt. For minimal function, the body requires at least 500mg. Too little sodium in the body can lead to muscle cramps, dizziness, neurological problems, or even death. Increased water consumption with insufficient sodium levels can cause a condition known as hyponatremia, or water intoxication.

In the average diet, eliminating sodium is an unwise decision, but for paleo dieters, a large population of which are athletes, the elimination of sodium from the diet can be life-threatening. When you sweat, you lose sodium deposits in your system, and when you rehydrate on a sodium-deprived system, your risk of water intoxication goes way up."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7059308 

365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 25 - Bacon and Mushroom Brussels Sprouts

A couple years ago, I went to one of Tyler Florence's cooking demos at Macy's. He was promoting his cookbook, "Family Meal", and he made these brussels sprouts that were ridiculously delicious! If you think you don't like brussels sprouts, I challenge you to try this recipe.

Up until then, I had never had brussels sprouts, but I fell in love. I got my book (I collect autographed cookbooks - because I'm a weirdo like that) and I started making them for every holiday. Everyone I know loves them. 

When I first started on the paleo diet, I still wanted to make my brussels sprouts, but the original recipe calls for a ton of heavy cream, and since I obviously can't have cream, I had to tweak the recipe a bit. What you see before you is my paleo version of Tyler's masterpiece. PS - Thank you Tyler Florence for showing me what yummy is. :P

Ingredients:

1 lb brussels sprouts, ends cut off and halved

4 strips of bacon, diced

1 pint of mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp spicy brown mustard

1/2 c chicken stock

salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium and add your bacon. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until fat has rendered out and bacon is crispy. Drain all but 1 tbsp of bacon fat out of the skillet and add your mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms have browned and softened.

While your bacon is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a mixing bowl with water and ice and set aside. When water is at a rolling boil, add your sprouts and blanch (boil for 3-4 minutes). Transfer the sprouts from the boiling pot to the ice water to shock them and stop the cooking process. 

When your mushrooms/bacon is ready, add your mustard and chicken stock, and whisk until well-combined. Add in your sprouts, turn the heat up to med-high, stir and cook until chicken stock has mistly evaporated out. Serve.

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Just a warning, these are crazy addictive. My sister doesn't like mushrooms or mustard, and I've seen her put away two bowls. They also reheat well, though I rarely have leftovers,

365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 24: Dark Chocolate and Blackberry Smoothie

If there's one thing I love, and really it goes without saying because I'm a female, it's chocolate. I don't even trust people who don't like chocolate. I personally wouldn't consider chocolate to be paleo, but some do, and that's to my tastebuds' advantage, so I'm going with it. I mean, rules are made to be broken, right? And besides, this smoothie is totally paleo if you ignore the dark chocolate part. 

If you're like me and you're going to play fast and loose with the rules, make sure you opt for dark chocolate. There's really no excuse for milk chocolate, but dark chocolate is good for the heart.

Ingredients:

1 c ice

1 c fresh organic blackberries

1 c Silk dark chocolate almond milk

Smoothies are pretty self explainatory. Toss your ingredients (ice first) into a blunder and blend until smooth.

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365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 23 - Zucchini Crudo Over Pork Burger

One of my favorite cookbooks (which I'll be reviewing soon at my main site, ePaleoCookbooks.net) is Chef Michael Symon's "Live to Cook", one of my husband's favorite recipes from that book is Chef Symon's Zucchini Crudo. That's really saying something, since my husband doesn't care much for vegetables. 

For the paleo dieter, this is really a great side dish (or sandwich filling or meat topper - as I'm using it here), because it contains both almonds and olive oil, which offer up protein and heart healthy fats. When I make it, I omit the dill, because I'm not a dill fan, but I'm writing the original recipe, so it will be included. I also like to serve mine over a ground pork patty; I find it to be a delicious combination.

To make your pork patties, take 1lb ground pork (or any ground meat) and divide into 1/3s. Roll each third into a ball and pat down to form a patty. Season each side with salt and pepper and cook in a large skillet over med-high heat for 4 minutes per side. 

Michael Symon's Zucchini Crudo - From "Live to Cook"

Ingredients: 

2 zucchini (about 3/4 lb), thinkly sliced

2 yellow summer squash (about 1 1/2 lb), thinly sliced

1 tbsp plus 1/4 tap kosher salt

1 tsp minced garlic

1 shallot, finely sliced

grated zest and juice of 3 lemons, or to taste

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c slivered or sliced almonds, toasted

1/3 c chopped fresh dill

Combine the zucchini and yellow squash in a colander in the sink and sprinkle with 1 tbsp salt. Toss to coat, and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes, no longer. In a large bowl, combine the garlic and shallot, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 tsp of salt and whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Whisk in the olive oil in a steady stream, then the almonds and dill. Taste for seasoning and acidity (it should be nicely acidic). 

Add the zucchini and squash to the dressing, toss and serve as a side or over your pork patties.

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365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 22 - Crazy Tasty Salad

When you're nearing the end of the week and you haven't been grocery shopping yet, one of the best go-to dishes for paleo dieters is a salad.I personally am not a huge fan of salads, so if I'm going to make one, it has to be tasty. It also has to be packed with protein or I'm going to be starving to death in half an hour. Enter today's dish - my Crazy Tasty Salad.

Ingredients:

2 cups baby spinach leaves

2 strips of bacon

2 eggs, fried

1/4 c mixed nuts

1/4 cup mango-jalapeno salsa

Fry up your bacon until crispy and crumble over the bed of spinach. Layer on two fried eggs, yolk still runny. Top with nuts and salsa. To eat, slice into the eggs and toss the salad to coat with the yolks.

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The Skinny on Fats

From: MACRONUTRIENTS - Fats

  "You heard me correctly, fat IS a nutrient, and a necessary one at that. Fat plays a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating organs against shock, regulating body temperature and promoting healthy cell function. There are also several vitamins, vitamins A, D, E and K to be exact, which are fat soluble, meaning they are only absorbed in the presence of fat. If you've ever read the bottle of a multi-vitamin, the directions state to take them WITH FOOD. This is why. You won't gain the benefits of those vitamins without the presence of the fat in the food to break them down. If you choose to take them with a fat free yogurt, you're defeating the purpose. 

Ok, we've established that fat is a necessary evil, but I'm sure you've heard reference to "good fats" and "bad fats". Most of us assume, and our thighs agree, that all fats are bad fats. The truth is, some fats are born bad, while others only become bad when taken in excess, which is why we can't get all of our calories from ice cream. 

Fat comes in many forms, and exists in almost anything good, because fat gives flavor. Oils, like olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, etc., are fat in liquid form. When you unwrap a fresh steak from the supermarket, you'll note the white "marbling" throughout. That's fat. The 2% on your milk carton tells you what percentage of fat is in it. Butter... Mostly fat, the chewy part of bacon - fat, and on and on. You get the point. 

So how do you know which fats are OK and which fats you should stay away from? That all depends on the type of fat in the food. Chemically, fat is broken down into a few different kinds. Saturated fat is the evil villain of the fat world. This is because saturated fats, like those found in animal tallow (the marbling in your steak and the chewy on your bacon) and lard, are typically solid at room temperature. When consumed in large amount, these are the artery clogging fats that your doctor warns you about. 

Unsaturated fats are chemically similar to saturated fats, but remain liquid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats can be turned into saturated fats through a process called "hydrogenization". This is how margarine is made. 

Some unsaturated fats contain essential fatty acids that give added benefits. For example, the fatty acid omega-3, which is prevalent in fish (like salmon and tuna) and flaxseed oil, contains EPA and DHA, which aids in brain development. High consumption of omega-3 has also been shown to reduce triglycerides, heart rate and blood pressure. The monounsaturated fats in olive oil have been shown to lower the risks of coronary heart disease and to protect against certain forms of cancer.

"Trans fats" are fats that rarely exists in nature, but are easily produced in a lab. They make unsaturated fats harder to freeze thus staying liquid at lower temperatures, but studies have shown that they can significantly increase the risks of coronary heart disease."

 

*This is an exerpt from my Kindle ebook "What Does That Even Mean?: A Navagational Guide to Understanding the Health Hype"

365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 21 - Brazil Nut-Crusted Grilled Pineapple

One of the biggest challenges to paleo dieting is dessert. I've tried baking with almond flour, and I'll do some recipes with it later, but my favorite paleo desserts are those that are really simple, but hit the spot. Grilled fruit is a great example. There's something about hot, juicy fruit that makes it just awesome. The heat also helps to caramelized the sugars, making the fruit sweeter than if you served it raw. For this recipe, rather than just grill up some pineapple, I crusted it with ground brazil nuts to give it an added saltiness and some extra protein.

Ingredients:

1 pineapple, peeled and cut into rings, center removed

1 cup raw organic brazil nuts

In a food processor, grind brazil nuts coarsely. Heat your grill to high heat and place your pineapple rings on the grill. Sprinkle the tops of each ring liberally with ground brazil nuts.

Heat until the bottoms of the pineapple rings have nice char marks and the nuts have begun to brown.

Remove from heat and serve.

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If you don't have brazil nuts available to you in your area, or you aren't sure what to look for, you can order organic brazil nuts here.

365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 20: Dilled Peas and Onions

This recipe is from a special edition of Better Homes and Gardens that's out now. It's called "From Garden to Plate" and it's awesome if you're a seasoned gardener or aspiring gardener. If you're wondering why I didn't make it, I'm not a fan of dill.

Ingredients:

2 cups shelled peas

1/4 c sliced onion

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp snipped fresh dill

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 tbsp slivered almonds or broken walnuts, toasted

In a medium saucepan, rbing a small amount of salted water to a boil. Cook peas and onion, covered for 10-12 minutes. Drain and return to saucepan.

Stir in oil, dill, salt and pepper. Heat through, sprinkle in almonds and serve.

365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 19: Kale Chips

Someone asked today on a Nerd Fitness forum what he should do with the 6 heads of baby kale that he picked up at the store. As you may remember, I mentioned a few days ago that I don't care for cooked greens. I recommended this recipe for kale chips. They're basically torn kale leaves that bake up until they're crisp and then crumble in your mouth. Oh and they taste like concentrated broccoli, so if you're a broccoli fan (which I am) you'll dig it. 

Ingredients:

1 head of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 350. Spread your kale leaves on a baking sheet in an even layer and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 10-15 minutes.

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365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 18: Veggie and Sausage Frittata

I had a bummer of a day yesterday, so my adoring little sister decided that she'd come over for breakfast this morning and we'd have a little Mimosa Monday. Since I was feeling a little fancy with my mimosas (yeah - there were multiple) I decided to try my hand at my first ever frittata. 

I pulled out some veggies that I hadn't used last week and the leftover sage sausage from our sausage and egg breakfast "tacos", and got to chopping and dicing. Tricia helped, so you should all be proud, because she's never really cooked. 

Ingredients:

1/2lb ground sausage

1 pint of baby portabello mushrooms, sliced

4 small sweet peppers, diced

1 zucchini, sliced thin

8 eggs, beaten with 1/4 cup water

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook your sausage until browned. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Return the skillet to the heat, lower to medium and using the grease from your sausage, cook your veggies for 10 minutes, or until brown and softened. Add your meat to the veggies and miz thoroughly. Pour the beaten eggs on top and cook until the edges begin to firm up. 

Transfer the skillet to the over and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove, allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

 

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365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 17: Chicken "Tacos" with Raw Mango-Jalapeno Salsa

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I made chicken "tacos" with a delicious raw salsa. Of course, me being me, I rubbed my mouth right after mincing my jalapenos, so some of the joy was taken out of my celebration. NOTE - Never touch your face after touching peppers!! 

Ingredients:

1 c mango, chopped

2 tbsp red onion, minced

2 tbsp scallions, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 lime

1 lb chicken tenders

salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

romaine lettuce leaves

In a medium-sized bowl, mix your mango, onion, scallions and jalapeno. Squeeze the juice of your lime over the bowl and toss, mixing evenly. Set your salsa aside. 

To season your chicken tenders, sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper and cayenne. (Cayenne is pretty spicy, so use sparingly). Grill or pan fry in olive oil. 

To build your "tacos", lay chicken tenders on top of the lettuce leaves and top with mango-jalapeno salsa. Fold the lettuce and have an awesome Cinco de Mayo!

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365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 16: Egg and Kale "Tacos"

This recipe is straight from the 50 Tacos section of Food Network Magazine. You're going to be disappointed to know that I didn't make it, because I can't stand the texture of cooked greens, but I never said I would make all 365 recipes - just that I would supply them. Yep - I'm getting off on a technicality. I still wanted to put this recipe out there, because I thought it sounds good, and people who do like cooked greens might be into it.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale leaves, torn

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 c water

1 tsp salt

3 eggs, scrambled

Romain lettuce leaves

In a medium saucepan, heat water, olive oil, garlic, salt and kale leaves over medium heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until tender. Serve in lettuce leaves with scrambled eggs.

365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 15: Paleo Breakfast Tacos

One of my favorite breakfast foods are breakfast tacos. They're quick, easy, packed with protein and super tasty. So, if you're a beginner to cooking, this recipe is for you. I really really love chorizo in my breakfast tacos, but being stuck up here in the north, I wasn't able to find any. Instead, I had to substitute sage sausage. Still good, but not quite chorizo.

Ingredients:

5 eggs, beaten in a bowl with 1 tbsp water

1/3 lb breakfast sausage (any kind. I used sage)

2 romain lettuce leaves

Brown your sausage in a skillet over med-high heat. When sausage is mostly cooked through, add your eggs. Cook, stirring frequently, until just set. Spoon into lettuce leaves an serve.

 

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365 Paleo Recipe Project: DAY 14: Fried Egg and Mushroom Tacos

If you're following along, you'll know that we're smack-dab in the middle of "Ode to the Taco" week, where we're making paleo-friendly versions of different taco recipes. Most of the recipes are slightly tweaked versions of those featured in this month's "50 Tacos" from Food Network Magazine. Rather than serving our "tacos" in tortillas, we're using lettuce leaves.

Today's was really one of my favorites, because I LOVE mushrooms. Unfortunately, the recipe didn't call for any form of protein, so I had to add some.

Ingredients:

1 lb button mushrooms, sliced

1 shallot, sliced thin

1 tsp saltdiet

juice of one lemon

1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

2 eggs

romaine lettuce leaves

Heat one tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over med heat and add your shallot. If you're unfamiliar with shallots, they're small redish-purple oinions with a mild onion flavor. Saute shallot until they're just beginning to soften and add your mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and softened. 

Toss mushrooms in a bowl with lemon juice and parsley. 

In your skillet, fry your two eggs to your desired "doneness".

To serve, spoon mushroom mixture into lettuce leaves and top with a fried egg.

Season with salt and pepper if desired.

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