Paleo Lasagna

Just put a "Follow me by Email" tab on the right hand side - so any of you that don't have the time or inclination to stalk this very random blog can be sent an email when new info is posted. It will be much easier to communicate this way with our fellow paleo challenge comrades as well.

Day 3 and it looks like we have officially 29 participants that have committed to clean eating, deer antlers, crazy wods and locking up the liquor cabinet for 8 weeks. Best of luck to all!


I was contacted by Alex Born of www.rebornhealth.com about his Paleo Coaching business.  He offers grocery store field trips for anyone interested in learning how to navigate the grocery store. He will be hitting Schnucks, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods and all the details can be found on the website.

Have you done any food prep yet for the rest of the week?  Nicki and Erin got together and made Paleo Lasagna among other things - here is a link to their recipe at an AWESOME paleo blog - check it out:
Bigeatstinykitchen.com

Thought you all would appreciate this one as well:)

Breakfast Favorites

Day 1 starts tomorrow so I thought I would list our go-to favorite breakfast ideas for those of you that will be mourning the loss of toast, cereal, and cream in your coffee.

 BARx Breakfast Favorites:

Yes, It is Christmas in September

11. Kristina's Spaghetti Squash Quiche Pinterest
10. Tim's favorite - bullet proof coffee - Coffee with a spoonful of grassfed butter and coconut oil
9. Sweet Potato Muffins
8. Lauren's Quiche
7. Banana and Sunflower butter (no recipe needed) - Preworkout tried and true standby
6. Paleo Pancakes
5. Easy Egg Frittata
4. Paleo Oatmeal
3. Sausage and Sweet Potato Hash
2. Fried Egg and Brussel Sprout Skillet
1. Steph's All time favorite - Scrambled eggs with tomato, salmon, and avocado.

Lauren's Quiche

Lauren's Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust

Ingredients:
Sweet potato
8 eggs
half a can of coconut milk
chicken sausage
spinach
onion
garlic powder
pepper

Cut a sweet potato into discs and line the bottom of a pan. Mix the rest and bake at 375 for 55ish minutes

Sadly it has been months since I have posted on this Paleo blog as life has gotten busy and I have gotten lazy in my Paleo ways.  But now I have no more excuses, BARx CrossFit will be participating in the Lurong Paleo Challenge starting September 16th and I am ready to dust off my Paleo Recipe book and start practicing what I preach.  There are some great resources out there and I am not going to take the time to go into detail on why you should give this challenge a try, except - what do you have to lose?  8 weeks of eating healthy and  seeing what good food can do for your body composition, energy, athletic performance, and recovery.

I will in my best effort try to post all of the recipes I experiment with over the next two months.  I will not be reinventing the wheel, so there will be links to the places I find these recipes as well as reposting some of the tried and true recipes that I have used in the past.  This morning starts off with Crispy Pork Egg Squares.

Crispy Pork Egg Squares

Ingredients:
Left over Pulled Pork tenderloin*
eggs
salt and pepper
Avacado

I filled the bottom of a mini loaf pan with pork but you could use a muffin pan as well. Crack an egg on top and bake at 375 for 20-25 min.  There was enough meat for 4 squares today and I wrapped up the leftovers to get me through the rest of the week.  Everything is better with avacado so I topped it with 1/2 an avacado and sprinkled a little Franks Red Hot on top.  Voila!

Chicken Bowl

Chicken Bowl - Great recipe from Alicia H.  Keep those recipes coming!!

 

Ingredients

• ½ sweet potato
• 1 chicken thigh, excess fat removed
• 2 slices of bacon
• baby spinach
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Cook whole sweet potatoe in microwave (4-8 min depending on watts).
2. Add your two slices of bacon to frying pan.
3. Salt and pepper both sides of your chicken thigh.
4. As soon as some of the fat begins to render in your pan, push the bacon to one side and place your chicken thigh into the bacon fat.
5. Cook chicken and bacon on one side for about 4-5 minutes, then flip.
6. Your bacon will cook a bit faster, so once it is done, place your sweet potato in a bowl and top it with bacon.
7. To finish the chicken thigh through, add a tablespoon of water and cover for about 3-5 minutes or until cooked through. Do what I do, check before you much.
8. In the last minute or so, add a handful of baby spinach leaves
9. Add chicken thigh to your bowl.
10. Last but not least, grab a fork and knife and cut it all up. Mix it all together.
11. Top with a pinch of salt and pepper.

I (personally) scoop my sweet potato out of the skin before putting it in the bowl.  I love this recipe because I can make it for myself for a quick meal but it would  be easy to quadruple and make for the family.  The picture (and original recipe) doesn't include cooked spinach.  I added it to get my greens in and thought it was delicious.

Stupid Easy Paleo Spaghetti and Meatballs

This one popped up on facebook today from Paleo Pot and I always stop and investigate when a recipe looks easy and involves a crockpot.  Check out full recipe at http://paleopot.com/2013/03/stupid-easy-paleo-spaghetti-squash-meatballs/

The blog will be back in action this month because we have a new Whole 30 challenge ramping up and now have two gyms cleaning up their diets.  For those of you looking for the information to get started here is a summary of the plan.  Email me at stephanie@barxcrossfit.com if you want to jump in the challenge.

Spring Paleo Challenge

In January we had over 20 members at CFVP dive into a Whole 30 contest and had some amazing results.  These people made the commitment to eat clean for 30 days and while we ended up picking one champion, everyone was a winner. Everyone lost inches, pounds, gained energy, and showed measurable improvement in athletic performance.

Several of you have asked for another challenge, so here it is, our Spring Whole 30 Challenge.  We are putting this out there for CFVP and BARx members – a great chance to share recipes, struggles, helpful tips and support.

The Whole 30 Challenge - Step by Step:
1. Research the plan to decide if you are two feet in ready to commit.  For the Whole 30 to be effective there is no dabbling, you need to be prepared to follow the program to the letter for 30 days, no cheating!
Go to The Whole 30 January Challenge
for all the specifics on the Whole 30 plan and the fantastic resources that are available to us including :

• The Whole 30 Program Rules
• Free PDF guide with meal planning, shopping lists, etc
• Free Whole 30 Forum - Connect with others doing the program, get support and advice, ask all the questions you want, and allow our awesome members and moderators to give you some much-needed accountability.
• The Whole 30 Daily Newsletter - Receive an email for every day of your program, packed with helpful information, motivation, and fun little “rewards” for making it through another day.

2.      Contact me to get  weighed in and get body measurements, before pictures, and performance numbers.  This time around we will be measuring a couple of movements of your choice – examples - one minute AMRAP: Row for meters, strict pullups, pushups, ring dips, hspu, back squats @ 50-60% , etc.  You choose what you want to see improvement in. Start talking this up with the other members and lets get a big group on board.  The more people we have going through this journey together, the more support we will have to keep us all in check, share tips, help each other in moments of weakness, and create a positive vibe. 

3.      Pick a start date -  You can start any day between April 1^st and April 15th. 

4.      We will plan a dinner at Hot Pot Smoothie on Manchester for all participants and guests - stay tuned for dates.

No Bake Chocolate Paleo Cookies

I feel a little sinful posting yet another cookie recipe so soon after ending whole 30, but a girl needs her chocolate! A friend of Chocolate no bake paleo cookie this weekend and I am really hoping this is the recipe. Will test it out today!

No Bake Chocolate Paleo Cookies

http://www.unrefinedkitchen.com/2012/03/03/no-bake-cookies/ 

 

Fried Egg and Brussel Sprout Skillet Breakfast

I am a creature of habit, and my new go-to easy breakfast is a Fried Egg Brussel Sprout Skillet creation.  YES, I eat brussel sprouts for breakfast and I love them - just try it!! This takes about 10 minutes to whip up and it provides my protein vegis and fat and fills me up.

Fried Egg Brussel Sprout Skillet Breakfast

Ingredients:
about 8 brussel sprouts - end cut off and chopped
2 slices bacon (try to use good quality since you are leaving in the fat)
salt and pepper
2 eggs
1/2 avacado

Cut up bacon into bite size pieces and cook in skillet until about half way done.  Add brussel sprouts, salt and pepper and cover, stirring occasionally for about 5 min. When bacon looks done and sprouts are soft crack two eggs on top and recover.  Turn off heat after 1-2 min and leave covered until eggs are set to your liking. I serve with avacado on top.

Dare I tempt you with a couple of Paleoish yet non-whole 30 recipes to get back into a little more relaxed eating?  Maggie passed a great chocolate chip cookie recipe to me that I just whipped up and it is super easy.  Yes, chocolate chip cookies are on my "Worth It" list because they make me happy, so I thought it would be best to find a recipe that is somewhat paleo and makes a relatively small batch so I am not tempted to scarf down large quantities.

GAPS Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ almond flour
• ¼ cup vanilla honey or (¼ honey + 1 tsp vanilla)
• ¾ cup chocolate chips 
• ¼ cup clarified butter or coconut oil (softened)
• ¼ tsp unrefined sea salt 
• ¼ tsp baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line cookie sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
3. Mix all ingredients together in one bowl (except chocolate chips).
4. Add in chocolate chips.
5. Scoop out 1 tablespoon cookie dough with a spoon (I use a measuring spoon) and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Keep 3 inches of space between each cookie. Press down slightly to flatten the cookie.
6. Bake for 6-10 minutes. The cookie should just be a little golden brown on the bottom. Do not over cook!
7. Cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet (or else they will be too soft to pick up). These cookies should stay soft when cool.
8. Eat with a smile! Yum 

Another great recipe that was passed along by Karen is a Spaghetti Squash Lasagna.  This one has cheese, but spaghetti squash takes the place of the pasta.  If dairy is what you plan to reintroduce first this sounds like an excellent choice.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

  http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2012/09/21/seasonal-fall-recipe-spaghetti-squash-lasagna-paleo-grain-free/

For some of you that are wrapping up Whole 30 you are probably wondering where do you go from here?  Hopefully this has been a great experience and you have gotten rid of a lot of poor food habits as well as picked up many new good ones.  The Whole 30 website has some great advice on their wrap up page as well as in the "It Starts With Food" book about how to reintroduce foods to your diet gradually so you can figure out what foods are making you feel cruddy and which ones are can be put back on the table so to speak in moderation without too much distress.  In looking through their website I stumbled upon the forum topic of  the Worth it and Not Worth it List.  Brian just finished his Whole 30 journey and sent me a wrap up summary that he said I could share.  Take some time and write up your own summary and send it to me!
**Brian is restesting soon and I will make sure to post his weight, inches, and performance stats.

Brian's Wrap Up

Worth It:

Ice Cream

Martinis

Oreos

Vanilla Lattes (but only from Kaldis)

Ghirardelli carmel squares (only candy worth it)

Apple or Blueberry Pie

Not Worth It:

Cheese

Chips

Fries

White Potatoes

Café Mochas

Candy

Vending machine Items

Hamburger buns

Cheesecake

Soda (regular and diet)

Any pie that’s not apple or blueberry

And for the Good, the Bad, and the Amazing:

Good:

Don’t ever really feel bloated.

Don’t feel guilty about having seconds or thirds of broccoli soup.

Snacking tendencies have dropped off to only what I bring to work.

I know how to cook turnips successfully.

Kombucha is a reasonable drink alternative.

Bad:

Sex with your pants on credo is stupid.

Found out TJs discontinued my favorite Pico de Gallo.  So much for “fast quacamole”!

Meat is expensive.

Amazing:

Watching people freak out about a bowl of peas as if it’s a bowl of macaroni and cheese.

Discovering the Local Harvest store.

Catching grief from my “larger” co-workers about what I eat.

Didn’t cheat ONCE!

Recipe thoughts:

Favorite Recipes

Seafood Chowder

Sweet Potato/Turnip Casserole

Salsa Italiano

Smoky Bacon Chili

Butternut Squash Soup

Least Favorite Recipes

Parsnip Fries – never turn our right

Egg Casserole – sorry Steph, your only miss J

 

Hamburger and Butternut Squash Curry

When life gets busy I go back to crockpot mode and look for easy dump recipes.  This one was a quick creation that turned out really good so I am sharing.  When you have some time cook up some ground beef and place it in quart size ziploc bags and freeze it. Then you have ready meat for whenever you need to make something in a pinch. I am a big fan of curry and if you like curry you will love this. If you don't like curry - your loss! I have to put the leftovers in smaller containers so I don't eat it all in one sitting!

Hamburger and Butternut Squash Curry

2 ziploc baggies of frozen cooked ground hamburger
(about a pound)
1 jar Trader Joe's Curry Sauce
1 butternut squash cubed (can buy this precut at Dierbergs or Trader Joes)
1 can organic butternut squash
1/2 can coconut milk

Dump frozen meat and everything else in crockpot in the morning.  When you come home stir in the coconut milk and serve.

Just finished making the fish dish with the grapefruit salsa (which turned out good except my fish fell apart) and decided to try a recipe for sweet potato and parsnip bake that I saw on nomnompaleo.  Instead of parsnips I used the golden turnips I got in my Local Weekly Harvest Box and it was OUTSTANDING! I am sitting here very uncomfortably full from eating WAY too much of it, but good news is I do have some left for dinner (probably breakfast because I wont be able to wait) tomorrow.

Baked Sweet Potato and Turnip Casserole

 

• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 1 tsp garlic powder)
• 1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
• 2 large  sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 pound turnips (I used golden turnips), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• 1 tablespoon ghee, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the almond flour with the 1 tablespoon of melted ghee until the mixture is”crumbly” and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, cook the onions and garlic in the ghee or olive oil over low heat until the onions are soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, parsnips, chicken stock, coconut milk, thyme, and salt and pepper; bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Taste; add more salt and pepper if necessary.
3. Transfer the mixture to a shallow casserole or gratin dish in which the vegetables fit in just one layer. Sprinkle the almond meal mixture evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake the casserole for 20 to 30 minutes or until all the remaining liquid has been absorbed and the topping is nice and brown.

Seared Halibut with Grapefruit Avocado Salsa

Time for more recipe recommendations.  This first one is from Katie B and I am definitely making this tomorrow since I have a grapefruit, avacado, and red onion that are feeling neglected in my fridge.

Seared Halibut with Grapefruit Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:
1 ruby red grapefruit segmented and cut in pieces
1 avocado diced
2 tsp diced red onion
2 tbspn chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno seeded and chopped
1 tbspn lime juice

Make salsa, sear halibut (or mahi mahi) and toss over shredded cabbage.  Easy!!



Have I posted this yet? Alicia gave me this little treat which gets me by when I need something fast and easy and can't think of eating another egg:

Paleo Oatmeal

This is a staple in our house! The measurements are a guesstimate  because we never measure this out : )

Unsweetened applesauce (about a cup)
1-2 tbsp almond butter ( or more or less depending on your personal preference)
Coconut milk- enough to reach desired consistency
1 tsp vanilla
Sprinkle with cinnamon,  nutmeg,  and a bit of sea salt

You can cook on the stove top or throw in the microwave for a minute.

Brian likes to add a mashed banana. I prefer plain or sometimes I  add blueberries.

Here is a great Roasted Chicken idea courtesy of Giada:

Garlic and Citrus Chicken

And finally for today


Mama's Infamous Paleo Chili and several other Paleo Chili recipes at this link. 

Happy Eating!!

Sorry guys, its been a crazy weekend at the Teague house and I haven't had much time to get recipes up.  I am back however and have a TON of great recipes to share.  Thanks to all of you who have embraced cooking and experimenting the Whole 30 way I have some great recommendations.  I am also hoping to get some of the recipes from our Whole 30 Challenge Dinner last Friday night at Local Harvest.  What a great turnout!! Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did, I love hearing everyone's stories, sounds like you all are over the hump and settling in to a nice food routine.  Ok - here it goes, this first one came in from Julie Johnson and has already been tested and given two thumbs up by Brian.

Smoky Bacon Chili

http://www.thefoodee.com/recipe/1049/

 

 

Next up, a couple of good ones from Randall. 

ANCHO CHILE PORK BBQ - SLOW COOKER

http://paleospirit.com/2011/ancho-chile-pulled-pork-barbecue/

1. Before you ever put the rub on, make sure this fits in the slow cooker. I have my second one cooking right now, and both had to be trimmed to fit in there. It doesn't have to have much space to move around, just so you can get the whole thing in and the lid on.

2. One of the more important things involves the fat. When you purchase a pork but, one side will be the fat side. This will have a thick, approx 1/2 inch layer of fat on it. Its important to cook the pork with this fat on. However, you'll want to trim it back almost until its off, like a flap. When putting on the rub, pull back the layer of fat, put in your rub, and then close it. Cook the pork but with the FAT SIDE UP. Once its finished you would be able to remove this with a quick swipe of the knife and throw it away. I've made a short video of this to help explain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri1QEdvqF4s  (let me know if this doesn't work)

3. The sauce thickens up quite a bit after a day or so in the fridge, but initially will be very runny which is fine. I found the recipe made enough sauce for several batches of the pork so I didn't make any sauce the 2nd time around. 

PALEO FRIENDLY SALMON CAKES

http://www.jensnaturalkitchen.com/paleo-salmon-cakes/

A few changes we made here in a note from my wife:

"My twists: I forgot green onion so I used dried chives. I also used homemade Paleo-specific mayo that Randall made earlier this week instead of store mayo. Used half of a large sweet potato in place of white potato (and mashed up the rest for a small side). I also cut back on the coconut oil for frying because I don't like a ton of oil. Warning: I used two spatulas to turn them as they are quite delicate until the egg cooks through after flipping.

Here is a fun recipe for the delicata squash that came in my local harvest box this week. Had them last night with some leftover pork. I think this is slowly starting to grow on my family too.  No one has asked me where the rice or potatoes is lately and I don't even think they have noticed they are getting two vegis or a fruit and vegi instead! Made a salad with lettuce, blueberries and walnuts with oil and balsamic vinegar and that was not as successful, but they did eat about half .  Ahh there is hope for a healthier family.

Baked Delicata Squash Fries

http://paleoinpdx.com/2013/01/15/baked-delicata-squash-fries/

Quite possibly the BEST thing I have made so far.  You have to like salmon and shrimp, but this roasted Salmon and shrimp chowder is fantastic!! I made this with leftover salmon I had baked two nights before, and some cooked shrimp that I picked up at the shrimp bar.  If you are a chowder lover you must try it.

Salmon and Shrimp Chowder
15 shrimp (I got cooked and chilled from the shrimp bar at schnucks)
3 slices of bacon
1 shallot chopped
1 tbspn fresh dill
2 turnips chopped into bite size pieces
2 cups chicken stock
1 salmon fillet (I baked salmon for dinner the night before and had it leftover)
1 can full fat coconut milk
sea salt and pepper

Heat oven to 385. Toss turnips, shallots, dill, salt and pepper and lay in single layer on pan with bacon on top cut in bite size pieces.Roast for 20-25 min and stir occasionally. Heat chicken stock on stove and add roasted vegis and bacon, cook on med heat until boiling. Stir in 1 can coconut milk and 1 tspn arrow root powder. Continue stirring and add in shrimp and salmon at end until heated through.

With it being so cold I think soup has been on our mind. Bhairavi sent a great Cream of Broccoli soup recipe from nom nom paleo

Cream of Broccoli Soup

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/2345953636/curried-cream-of-broccoli-soup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last soup recipe for today is from Ann and is a Beef Vegetable Soup

 

VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP
1.5 lbs extra lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 cup chopped onions
1 jar (24-26oz.) organic spaghetti sauce. I used Schnuck's "Full Circle" Portabella
2 cans Del Monte diced tomatoes with zesty green chilies
2 cans of beef broth
1 lb. frozen mixed vegetables (I used the Asian mix with asparagus, green beans, carrots, yellow squash, celery and mushrooms)
1 tsp. pepper
1 cup water

In a large pot, cook the beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain grease. Dump in all ingredients except for the veggies and bring to a boil. Stir in the frozen vegetables and lower the heat to low to medium. Cook for an hour (covered) stirring occassionally. NOTE: I usually make this with turkey and can't tell the difference.

Thanks for the great recipes and tips being thrown my way from our fantastic Whole 30 challenge participants.  It sounds like everyone is embracing good food and have gotten very creative.  Here are a couple more that sound delish.

First is Brian's Fast and Slow Guacamole options: (and yes, I am quoting Brian verbatim because his commentary makes the recipes!)

Fast Guacamole

I created this because chopping tomatoes, chiles, and onion is lame when you want the guacamole NOW.

One big avocado – I get these from Dierberg’s because they have the best ones.  Big and always ripe.  That’s what she said.

As much or as little pre-made pico de gallo from Trader Joe’s.  The pico is freshly made and is in their veggie/fruit/meat/cheese section.  There are various degrees of spice so you decide which is best for you!  Other stores like Schnucks and Dierberg’s have their own version of this, but I prefer Trader Joe’s because I feel like I’m saving the rain forest or something when I shop there.  Or maybe because I just think it tastes better.  But probably because the containers are easiest to open.  If you ever have dealt with those flimsy plastic containers they put their premade stuff in at Schnucks or Dierberg’s then you know what I’m talking about.

Mash the avocado and add the salsa and stir.  Done.  Good for breakfast, lunch, snack time, or dinner.  Or as topping…on bacon, perhaps.  This recipe is so fast that it takes less time to make it than it does to read this recipe.

Slow Guacamole

1 10-12 ounce cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced (not a diny dice, maybe ¼-1/2 inch)

½ cup finely diced red onion

2 fresh serrano or jalapeno chiles.  Minced, including seeds (if you want) or more to taste

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

¾ tsp. fine salt or 1 ½  tsp. coarse salt

2 large or 3 small ripe avocados, halved and pitted.  As if you were going to leave the pit in.

½ pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced (1/4 to ½ inch dice)

Fresh cilantro is optional

Stir together the cucumber, onion, chiles, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl.  Score the avocados in a cross-hatch pattern while they’re still in the skin, and scoop them out, right into the bowl.  You an also scoop it out onto a cutting board then cut it into chunks.  Whichever way you choose.  The trick is not to mash them. Stir.

 Next, add the pineapple so the fresh acidity is a distinct counterpart to the avocado.  Whatever that means!

 Finally, season to taste with additional chile, lime juice, and salt.  Sprinkle cilantro on top.

 Sweet, delicious goodness.  Almost make me forget about ice cream.  Emphasize “almost”.

Stuffed Red Peppers (Courtesy of Sara B)

2 red peppers cut in half and take out seeds
1lb ground turkey
1 1/2 frozen spinach thawed and drained.
1 onion diced
1 egg
Garlic salt
Salt
Pepper
1 large can crushed tomatoes

Sauté onions in olive oil and set aside in large bowl with turkey, egg, spinach, and spices. Mix well. Microwave pepper halves for 3 minutes or to desired softness. Stuff peppers with meat mixture and spoon tomatoes on top in baking dish. Pour the rest of tomatoes in dish and bake at 350 degrees for 40 min.
 

Chunky Salsa Italiano
(Courtesy of Ann M)

20 Roma tomatoes (chopped)
2 Tbl. Extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh basil (chopped)
1 lb. mushrooms (sliced)
1 large white onion (chopped)
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
2 cups water
3/4 cup of sliced kalamata olives (optional)

  Saute the onions, garlic, basil and red pepper in the olive oil in a large pot (10 minutes). Add chopped tomatoes, black pepper and water and bring to a slow boil. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sliced mushrooms (and optional olives) and cook on low heat (covered) for an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can increase the garlic and red pepper for more kick.
 

My Daily Whole 30 newsletter directed me to this recipe from theclothesmakethegirl.com and it is touted as the Best Chicken Ever!  I am totally going to give it a try and I will let you know the verdict.  Here is the recipe http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2009/06/09/the-best-chicken-you-will-ever-eat-ever/

Verdict: Juicy and flavorful and super easy. - Daughters gave it a thumbs up!

Some other tried and liked recipes by you all:

http://blog.stuffimakemyhusband.com/2011/01/souvlaki-platter.html - leave out the tzatziki sauce and feta cheese. 

http://beta.primal-palate.com/recipe/butternut-squash-soup/

Now, to my weekly Local Harvest box.  This is my second week picking up a box of localish goodies from Local Harvest Grocery and Cafe, and I am excited about what is in store.  Last week I had so much fun experimenting with new vegis, turnips, shallots, collard greens - will this week be as interesting? Well, today's box has the following:

• grass fed ground beef
• pasture raised eggs
• chives
• braising kale
• delicata squash
• lettuce
• almonds
• Paleo ready made meal (pork tenderloin mashed sweet potatoes and squash)
• grapefruit, tangerines
• Trout

Dinner tonight was already planned but I was able to use the lettuce for my beet, apple, and dried cherry salad.  Here is what was on the menu at our house tonight

Salmon, fried eggplant, roasted turnips and shallots, and beet, apple, and dried cherry salad.
For the salmon I simply bought a good piece of fresh salmon at Dierbergs and brushed with olive oil then sprinkled with lemon pepper. Bake at 450 for 15 min.

ABC Salad (Apple Beet Cherry)
4 small beets (bought them cooked and packaged by organic vegis)
2 apples
1/4 cup dried cherries
bunch of lettuce
olive oil
apple cider vinegar

chop beets apple and cherries. Toss with lettuce and drizzle with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Nice refreshing salad.

The Boys like it Saucy!

Ive been getting great feedback from everyone - Keep it coming!! Just so you know we have around 40 people who are getting their Whole 30 on this month and the energy in the gym is fantastic.  I am so proud of everyone giving this a shot. 

Brian sent me in a recipe for Paleo Mayo, and I can't resist posting his email verbatim. Thanks for the recipe Brian!

Not sure if this falls into that crappy “sex with your pants on” category, but I don’t think it does.  Basically what we have here is mayo without the high fructose corn syrup and other preservatives.  It’s really good…just remember that when you pour in the olive oil, do it SLOWLY.  So slowly that you think “damn, this is pretty slow.”

http://paleospirit.com/2012/basic-mayonnaise-recipe-for-your-paleo-diet/

Steve H. is raving about his ranch dressing, so here is the Ranch recipe that is keeping him in line this month:

Paleo Ranch Dressing http://www.paleoeffect.com/recipes/paleo-ranch-dressing-paleo-effect/

 

Couple of thoughts on sausage.  Several of my recipes I have been trying lately have sausage, and I am not feeling good about the quality of sausage out in my supermarket.  One alternative I have tried is some bison sausage  that I picked up at Local Harvest.  It comes in sausage casings, but I removed the casing and cooked it up to go into my heavenly hash and it is soooo good.  The flavor is fantastic and no sugar or funky ingredients.  Sara B forwarded me this email on homemade sausage, so I thought I might give this one a try as well.
http://www.foodrenegade.com/homemade-breakfast-sausage-patties/

Speaking of sausage, I spent the afternoon with two of my partners in crime and we had a food prep afternoon.  Lisa picked 4 recipes, sent us the shopping list and supplied all the spices and we prepped some great dinners to keep us eating Whole 30 the rest of the week!  The Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms are addictive and a great app to bring anywhere.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 lb mushrooms (pull out stem)
1 lb sausage (pork or bison or beef)
6 slices bacon (half cooked)
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp creole
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup almond meal
mix sausage and all spices and almond meal with hands and stuff mushrooms with sausage mixture. put a small 1 inch piece of bacon on top of each cap and bake at 375 12-15 min or until meat slightly separates from mushroom.

The recipes are coming in so I am going to share a couple.  This one is from Eric Peters who is about a week into his whole 30 challenge and doing good so far. He has informed me that one of his goals is 100 unbroken pushups - I am planning on videoing that and putting it on the blog if he does it!

Chicken Cauliflower Stew (He didn't send a name but this sounded good!)

1-1/2 lb Chicken (I used breasts and cut into 2" pieces
1 Tbs Olive oil
1 head of cauliflower cut into pieces
Recipe calls for bell pepper, I prefer asparagus pieces
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
Tomato sauce (recipe calls for 8 oz, I prefer 16 oz)

   (I added Pepper to taste)

Large skillet or sauce pan
Brown chicken on all sides in olive oil over medium heat
Add all other ingredients, reduce heat to medium low.

  Cover and cOok for about 45 minutes stirring occasionally 
Alt use crockpot cooking for 4-5 hours
Recipe says 5 servings, I got 4 out of it.

Last night I made some roasted turnips and shallots from my local harvest box and they were delish!  I had never had turnips before, so I had no idea what to expect.  Very easy to prepare, just like peeling a potato. Here is the recipe

Roasted Turnips and Shallots with Rosemary
Ingredients:
2 turnips, peeled and cubed
1 shallot end sliced off and sliced
1 tbspn clarified butter
fresh rosemary
salt and pepper

Mix together and lay out in one layer on baking sheet.  Roast at 375 for 20-25 min.

Some other great recipes - Gnat sent me a beautiful looking burrito that she and Herb made the other night with their collard greens. They experimented a little and Gnat had salmon and Herb feasted on pork. Here is a the recipe and a picture:

 

http://houseofskip.blogspot.com/2012/01/paleo-burritos-aka-stuff-collard-greens.html

Tomorrow I am off to Lisa M's house to have a food prep party.  We have stuffed mushrooms, Creamy Tarragon Chicken, and Mustard Tarragon Unpotato and tomato salad that all sound interesting. I will post pics of our creations soon.

Picked up my first box of localish food from Local Harvest and am hit with some vegi's that I have never cooked before.  So, I gladly accept the challenge!  Here is a picture and a full list of what was in this week's paleo box in case you are interested. 
Contents:
pumpkin (yes, a whole pumpkin)
turnips
shitake mushrooms
shallots
ground pork
duck eggs
avacado
pecans
cider
carrots
onion
collard greens
rosemary

For dinner I decided to use the collard greens, shitake mushrooms, onion, and rosemary. My dinner for one since the rest of my family is having a cheesy lasagna and garlic bread (no, of course Im not bitter!!) was a Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breast and Sauteed Collard Greens. The chicken was outstanding and the collard greens were a nice switch from sauteed spinach.  If anyone else gets the basket this week I would love to hear what you do with everything!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts with Apple, Figs, and Rosemary
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 apple
4 dried figs
4 slices bacon
fresh rosemary
salt and pepper

Pound breasts thin and line with rosemary, sliced apple and sliced fig. roll up and wrap each breast with two slices of bacon.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 min .

Collard Greens
Ingredients:
1 bunch of collard green leaves torn
1/4 onion chopped
1 slice bacon
4 shitake mushrooms
6 cherry tomatoes
1 tbspn olive oil
salt and pepper

Cut up bacon in bite size pieces and cook in pan. Add onions and saute, add mushrooms tomatoes and collard greens and continue to saute for 5 min Covered. Turn off heat and stir with olive oil. Leave covered 5 addl minutes.

Heavenly Hash

Nicki posted a mouthwatering pic of a recipe for Sunny Side Up Egg and Sweet Potato Hash that she got from amazingpaleo.com. This recipe is followed by a great article on storing extras and food prep for the week.  Take the time on one of your least busy days (Sunday perhaps?) and cook up your meat for the week, prep vegis, and fill your fridge with ziploc bags and containers of easy to grab foods that will last you through the craziness of your week.

So, I started to make it this morning, but the thought of shredding the potato with my grater (because I have yet to buy a food processor) made me start thinking of creative alternatives. I ended up creating my own little heavenly hash and its super easy - see recipe below, it was OUTSTANDING! I'm going to hide this one so my familly doesn't find it!

Steph's Heavenly Hash
Ingredients:
1 lb italian sausage
2 sweet potatos (pierce and microwave for 6 min )
1 apple chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 tsp apple pie spice
salt and pepper

brown sausage and drain in paper towel. Add chopped apple to pan with apple pie spice and saute for 3-5 min. Spoon sweet potato out of skin and add to pan along with sausage and mix well.

Website of the day - nomnompaleo.com.  This site is posting recipes everyday for the whole30 challenge and has some great info.  Check it out!

So, I am posting my food journal again on the food log tab above for anyone who is curious as to what I am eating throughout this venture.  I have found that if I have a set of go-to meals that I can whip up pretty easily then I do not get too freaked out when I am hungry.  One of my favorite lunch options is what I am going to call "Steph's ColeSlaw Dump Salad". I eat this probably three lunches a week and it fills me up and is easy to whip together.

Ingredients:

Tri-color bagged coleslaw (shredded cabbage)
1/2 avacado
chicken breast, pork chop, steak - whatever meat I have left over
sliced mushrooms
cherry tomatoes
walnuts
kalamata olives if I have them
olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Play around with this and dump what you want.  I will frequently throw in any leftover roasted butternut squash or vegis that I have had from the night before.  Leftovers are so important!  Make plenty of everything and get friendly with the tupperware containers!!

Looking for a super easy way to meal plan and create your shopping list?  Visit http://www.thefoodee.com/

They have a section of specific Whole 30 recipes and you simply register for the site for free to use all of its features.  You can save recipes to your favorites, create shopping lists, and it even tells your portions and serving sizes. Coming Soon.... Daily recipe from thefoodee.com on our blog!!

Getting some great recipes from you guys - keep em coming!  Here is a Braised Brisket from Primal Palate that I put in the crockpot yesterday - super easy and delish!!

Quick Video on how to make Clarified Butter, because YES it is Whole 30 approved as an acceptable fat, and who doesn't love butter!!



Here is the written recipe:
To make ghee or toop: use unsalted butter. heat it on LOW heat for  a while, generally 10 mins or longer, till it starts smelling good and looking slightly light yellow or at times amber colored (if overdone), it also starts showing some solid particulates in the liquid. While it is hot/warm, filter it into a bottle using fine mesh small strainer or a cheese cloth and save for use. It can stay on shelf for 2 weeks or one can refrigerate it longer. 

Happy New Year!!  If you have been waffling back and forth on whether to jump into this Whole 30 adventure, stop and think about how you feel right now at this very moment and then ask yourself "could I feel better?" If the answer is no - congratulations! If you answered yes, then what do you have to lose?  Its 30 days.. 30 days to make some positive changes, Cmon!

Ok, enough of my soap box.  For those of you that are in, I am going to review some of things that need to happen during the next week and how we are going to keep the information flow moving through this challenge.

1.  Read up on all the Whole 30 links listed in the last post and get your head wrapped around what this diet is all about.
2. Clean out your pantry and fridge and figure out what you want to eat for first 3 or 4 days.  Make a shopping list
3. Figure out your goals S.M.A.R.T. - specific, measurable, attainable, relevent, timely. Here is a list of one of our members (she posted it on facebook so I hope its ok to share)

Here are my top 10 fitness goals for 2013.

1. Deadlift my body weight by 3.1.2013
2. Complete an unassisted pull-up by 5.1.2013
3. Run a sub-4 marathon by 12.31.2013
4. Back squat my body weight by 3.1.2013
5. Improve tightness in hips, upper body and ankles via MobilityWod daily.
6. Navigate to 115 lbs while following the Paleo diet by 6.1.2013
7. Get my double-unders by 4.1.2013
8. Improve core strength to support muscle-ups by 12.31.2013
9. Perform workouts at the prescribed weight by 6.1.2013
10. Perform in a CrossFit competition by 12.31.2013

They are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely!

4. Come in to CFVP to get weighed, measured and baseline performance numbers.  Wear something that shows your figure (sports bra ladies, we dont have to show the pics to anyone) - you will appreciate seeing the difference when you have awesome results.

5. Pick a start date, a buddy, and GO!

I will be subscribing to the whole 30 daily newsletter and forwarding it on to all participants that join the challenge. Along with this I will shoot out any recipes, tips, etc that you all want to share, so email me recipe links, pictures, questions, and tips and I will make sure the info gets out. 

Here is breaksfast for me Day 1 - Crockpot Breakfast Casserole from Paleomg.com

I cooked it on low for 5 hours and it was amazing! Will try this again with other meats and adding more vegis. Definitely an easy way to have breaksfast ready for the family in the morning - especially if you all are eating at different times.