Category Archives: Paleo

Papaya Smoothie

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I spent this past Thanksgiving break in Costa Rica, hiking through the rainforests, relaxing on the beach, and eating an abundance of tropical fruit .  Costa Rica honestly isn’t known for its haute cuisine, but it sure has delicious fruit.  I can’t tell you how many pineapples, watermelons, and papayas I ate over there.  Everything was so sweet and flavorful, unlike most of the fruit here.  Whenever we stopped somewhere to eat, I usually asked for a papaya batido (Spanish for milkshake).  I told them to exclude the milk and just add ice and water, no sugar.  It was seriously the most delicious thing ever.

ImageDuring my weekly run to Produce Junction this week, I found a beautiful Mexican papaya that I had to buy.  It was yellow and soft to the touch and basically begging for me to buy it at $1.50/piece.  I should’ve gotten another one!

Below you can find step by step instructions on how to make an easy and delicious papaya smoothie.

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Cut the papaya in half and scoop out the seeds

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Scoop the contents of the papaya into a bowl, including the juice!

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Blend the papaya with a handful of ice, water if needed, and a sweetener if you need it

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Pour into a glass

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Enjoy!

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Coconut maple salmon

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You ever have one of those days where you want to eat something delicious, but don’t really want to put forward much effort?  Then this is the perfect recipe for you.  I made this recipe up about a year ago when I was tired of making salmon the way I always do…with olive oil and some salt and pepper.  The combination of sweetness of the coconut oil and maple syrup combined with the tartness of the lemon is perfection.  Plus, this recipe is so simple a 5 year old could make it.

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I <3 my lemon squeezer…a must have kitchen tool

For the coconut maple salmon, you will need

- 1 lb of salmon, cut into two pieces
- 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup of organic maple syrup
- 2 lemons (1 for juicing, 1 for decoration)
- sea salt and pepper to taste

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Salmon before being put into the oven. Note how the coconut oil solidifies on top of the salmon.

To make the coconut maple salmon:

Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Rinse the salmon under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.  Cut the salmon into two pieces and place in a deep pyrex dish lined with aluminum foil (it’s makes cleanup easier).  It’s very important that you don’t put the salmon on a baking sheet because it’s flat and you want the salmon to absorb the liquids. Pour the maple syrup and melted coconut oil on top of the salmon…don’t worry if the coconut oil solidifies, it’s normal.  Next squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the salmon.  Add sea salt and pepper to taste.  Cut thin slices of the other lemon and place on top of the pieces of salmon.  Place the dish in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.  The salmon will be done once it’s flaky and a nice light pink color.

I recommend eating this with something green, like broccoli or sauteed spinach prepared your favorite way.

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The salmon right out of the oven

Another typical week of paleo and traveling

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I recently purchased two great paleo books off of Amazon: Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat and Make it Paleo, which I devoured this past weekend.  They both have great introductions, incredible recipes, and written by some of my favorite bloggers, The Clothes Make The Girl and The Food Lovers’ Primal Palate, respectively,

I sat down with the boy on Sunday morning and we figured out what food we would make for the week.  We chose some great recipes from the new paleo cookbooks, ranging from paleo pad thai, coconut almond green beans, and pulled pork, to lamb meat balls with mint pesto, baba ghanoush with veggies, and zucchini noodles.  I can’t tell you how much better it makes me feel to know I’m traveling for work with delicious food to last me through the work week.  I miss my kitchen and having home cooked meals on the go makes everything so much better…my WÜSTHOF chef’s knife and Staub Dutch oven get very lonely when they’re not being used, so I have to take advantage of them on the weekends!

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Isn’t my Dutch oven sexy?? I prefer Staub over Le Creuset because of its black matte enamel interior vs the smooth, glossy interior of a Le Creuset. It sears better and becomes more non stick with time. And I love the handle :)

After a visit to Cannuli’s Meats at Philly’s Italian Market, Iovine Brothers in Reading Terminal Market, and Whole “Paycheck”, we were prepped for a cooking fest.  The results were incredible and I was thrilled with all the food we produced.  Sadly, it’s Tuesday night and I think I only have enough food to last me through lunch tomorrow.  It’s crazy how fast the food goes!  I made an extra effort to incorporate more veggies in my diet this week as I felt like I wasn’t eating enough.  Bring on the carrots, radishes, and bell peppers dunked in some fresh baba ghanoush!

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2.5 days worth of food for both 2 people

When I got to Baltimore, I left half of the food in the office fridge for lunch and the other half in my hotel room.  Sure, it can be a hassle traveling with a huge bag of food and prepping for a travel week’s worth of food (it takes most of my Sunday!), but there are very few things that make me happier than producing delicious dishes from local fresh produce and meat.  I’m sure I’ll get more efficient at this process as the weeks go by.  It also helps avoiding having to eat like crap on the road.  See picture below:

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Appetizers ordered by my coworkers on Monday night. Tater tots covered in cheese and fried pickles and chips! Eeek

My coworkers decided on a beer bar on Monday night.  I had a delicious Crispin cider and said no to the fried goods.  I got a hamburger no bun, no cheese and a side salad.  I mean, after I’ve been spoiled with things like lamb meat balls and almond coconut milk green beans, fried food does nothing for me.  And the lactard in me died just looking at that cheese.  In those situations, you just have to not draw attention to your different eating habits and not make a big deal about it.

A little less homesick on the road

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Adjusting to the traveling lifestyle has been somewhat rough for me.  It really hit me last week that I’m going to be “living” in a hotel every Monday through Wednesday night for at least the next year.  This means I have 2 lives, one on the road and one when I’m at home.  I’ve been trying to figure how to balance the two and make my time away from home feel more…comfortable.  I’m finally settling into a good workout routine and found a way to use my CrossFit gym’s programming while I’m away and have been starting to eat better.

For the first time since I’ve been on the road for my job, I actually cooked food to bring with me for the week!  It’s such a relief to know that I don’t have to worry about what’s in my food, especially when trying to stay mostly paleo.  I also feel significantly less homesick knowing I brought a taste of home with me.  I visited my local butcher on Sunday afternoon, Cannuli’s Meats, in the Italian Market and got some stewing beef, lamb shoulder, and ox tail.  I made my Bœuf Bourguignon, an Indian lamb dish, and put some ox tail into a crockpot.  And voilà, I have tons of food for the week!

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Bœuf Bourguignon and boiled potatoes in my hotel room

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Got a microwave and fridge personally delivered to my door. It pays to be a Platinum member sometimes :)

Dragonfruit

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I went to a Vietnamese grocery store the other day and stumbled upon these unusual looking fruit.  Because I had never seen something like that before, I was drawn to the pink and green colors.  I held one in my hand and smelled it.  I wasn’t sure what else to do to determine what this could taste like.  At the same time, a kind Asian woman came up to me and said, “These are dragonfruit, they taste kind of like kiwis.  You should try one!”  Because I have quite the adventurous palate, I took her advice and bought a dragonfruit.When I got home, I immediately unloaded my groceries and took out a cutting board, eager to see what was inside.  The fruit was surprisingly easy to cut through.  I discovered white flesh with dark seeds on the inside.  I scooped out a spoonful and tasted it.  Mmm.  It does kind of taste like kiwi, but less tart.  I will definitely be buying more of these.Stay tuned for a dragonfruit recipe!

Bacon-wrapped chicken

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One of my go to recipes when I’m craving something savory and quick is bacon wrapped chicken.  I mean, come on, who doesn’t like bacon??  I usually stuff the bacon with whatever I have available in my fridge at the time, but my favorite stuffing is definitely goat cheese and dates.  This recipe is paleo/primal friendly, depending on your views on goat cheese :)

Bacon-wrapped chicken stuffed with goat cheese and dates, ready to be put in the oven.

 

For the Bacon-wrapped chicken, you will need

- 4 chicken breasts
- 8 slices of bacon
- 4 dates
- 1 large goat cheese log
- sea salt and pepper to taste

To make the Bacon-wrapped chicken:

Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Rinse the chicken breasts under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.  Cut off any excess fat and butterfly the chicken breast in half (make sure the two halves are still attached to each other).  In the center of the butterflied chicken breast, add 2-3 heaping tablespoons of goat cheese.  Cut a date in half, remove the seed from the middle, cut the date into small pieces, and put on top of the goat cheese.  Close the chicken breast and add sea salt and pepper to taste.  Then wrap 2 slices of bacon around the chicken breast, making sure the bacon doesn’t overlap on itself.  Place the bacon wrapped chicken on an aluminum covered glass dish or baking tray.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Then broil for 4-5 minutes to make the bacon crispy.

Orange Medley

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I couldn’t quite decide what to make as a side dish for my baked chicken tonight, so I experimented with what I had.  I had some orange veggies laying around (butternut squash and sweet potatoes) that I wanted cook and an apple that needed to be eaten.  I was also craving something sweet, so this is what I came up with!

My man friend ravaged the side dish before he even touched the chicken and asked for seconds, so I’ll assume it was tasty :)

For the Orange Medley, you will need:

- 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and diced
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 apple (any kind), peeled and diced
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- sea salt and pepper to taste

To make the Orange Medley:

Peel and dice the butternut squash, sweet potato, and onion.  Peel and dice the apple, but set aside from the other veggies.  Heat a large pan on medium-high heat and melt the coconut oil and butter.  Add the butternut squash, sweet potato, and onion to the pan and top with maple syrup, cinnamon, sea salt, and pepper.  Sauté the veggies for about 10 minutes.  Add 1 tablespoon of water and cover the veggies with a lid.  Let them cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  Once the veggies are soft, add the apples and sauté for about 3 minutes.

I recommend serving this with baked chicken.

Carrot fries

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I’ve really been falling off the paleo bandwagon lately…and it’s starting to show.  I don’t feel as energetic as I used to, my “skinny” pants were hard to button up this morning, and I felt lethargic during today’s workout.  I think my biggest downfall with eating healthy is lack of planning.  If I don’t plan my meals for the next day, I end up munching on whatever crap is available.  My apartment itself doesn’t contain any junk food (aside from dark chocolate and coconut milk ice cream), but with all the travel I do for my job, I eat what’s convenient and readily available.  The lack of “quick” foods that are paleo is seriously lacking in this world.  I wish all cafeterias and 7/11′s sold Larabars, beef jerky, nuts, veggies, fruit, eggs, un-breaded chicken, and other healthy proteins.  Instead, a bagel for breakfast or a sandwich for lunch is almost too easy not to consume.  So, when I got home this evening, I decided I’d stop making excuses and plan my meal for tomorrow.

I had a big bag of carrots in my fridge and decided carrot fries would be the side dish for tonight/tomorrow’s lunch. I know how much of my readers loved my sweet potato fries, so I figured I’d put yet another twist on fries.

For the carrot fries, you will need:

- 6-8 carrots, peeled
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like things spicy)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- sea salt and pepper to taste

To make the fries:

Preheat your oven to 425°F.  Cut the carrots in thick, long chunks.  Over medium heat, melt the coconut oil.  Once the oil has melted, add in the honey and mix until fully blended.  Add the carrots in a bowl and pour the coconut oil/honey mixture on top.  Soak the fries in the mixture for a minute and add the cayenne pepper, cinnamon, sea salt, and pepper.  Drain the fries in a strainer and put on a baking sheet lined with aluminum.  Bake for about 40 minutes or until crispy.

Curry Carrot Soup

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This soup tastes great served hot or cold!

For curry carrot soup, you will need:

- 1 tablespoon grass-fed butter
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 orange, juiced and zest on the side
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 3 pounds carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup coconut milk
-  sea salt and pepper to your liking

To make the curry carrot soup:

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes.  Add the curry powder and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for about 20 seconds.  Add the orange juice and cook for about 1 minute.  Add the chicken stock and chopped carrots and bring the mixture to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer until the carrots are soft, about 20-30 minutes.

Once the carrots are cooked, stir in the coconut milk and let cool for 5 minutes.  Using a blender, blend the soup in small batches and add the soup back into the pot.  Season the soup with sea salt and pepper to your liking.

Serve the soup with a sprig of curly parsley (as pictured) or cilantro.

Reflection on 6 weeks of paleo

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Today marks the end of my 6 week paleo challenge and I’m proud to share the results: I’ve lost 4 lbs and 5 inches around my body (3.5 of those around my waist), I can fit into size 4 pants for the first time in years, and significantly improved on my baseline workouts.  I have to admit that I feel pretty amazing and don’t think I’ll ever fully go back to my old ways of eating bagels, muffins, pasta, etc.  Eating paleo has made me significantly more creative in the kitchen and I love eating healthy, wholesome food!  However, I did allow myself one big cheat for the day.  I’m drinking a Victory Golden Monkey Tripel and it’s glorious :)

My favorite beer

Paleo Meatloaf

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Grass-fed ground beef from the Philadelphia CowShare

I’ve been using a lot of ground beef in my recipes lately.  It’s just one of those ingredients that you can make virtually anything with from hamburgers to meatballs, stuffed veggies, meat sauces, casseroles, and much more.  And I have to admit, there’s something incredibly satisfying about mixing all the ingredients by hand and creating something out of your mixture. For today’s recipe, I adapted a traditional meatloaf recipe to make it paleo.

For the paleo meatloaf, you will need:

- 3 lbs ground beef
- 1 cup almond meal
- 3 eggs
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 large onion, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- sea salt and pepper to your liking
- optional: 1 finely chopped carrot or celery rib

Before the meatloaf went in the oven

To make the paleo meatloaf:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a bowl, mix together all ingredients with your hands.  Place the meat mixture into a large, glass baking dish and form your mixture into a loaf or whatever shape you would like.  Bake for 1 hour or until the meatloaf is cooked through the center.

The finished product

Stuffed Peppers

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Stuffed peppers make a great meal that’s appropriate for any time of the year.  This recipe is different than most of it’s kind because it doesn’t include bread crumbs or rice.  But trust me, it’s equally as delicious.

For the stuffed peppers, you will need:

- 4-5 bell peppers (any color)
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- sea salt and pepper to your liking
- olive oil

To make the stuffed peppers:

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cut the top off of every pepper, take out the seeds, and cut in half lengthwise.  In a bowl, mix together all ingredients with your hands (except for the peppers).  Stuff the pepper halves with a generous handful of the meat mixture and drizzle about a half tablespoon of olive oil on top of each one. Place the stuffed peppers in a large pan and cook for 40 mins (or until the peppers get fairly soft). 

Stuffed peppers before being put in the oven

The Farmer’s Cabinet

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The Farmer’s Cabinet
1113 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

The next two weeks are Restaurant Week in Philly, which means I have the perfect excuse to go out and try new places.  The first place on my list was The Farmer’s Cabinet.  I have been there in the past for drinks, but I’ve never tried their food.

As you walk in, you feel like you’ve entered the Prohibition Era.  The decor is dark and rustic, yet oddly intimate despite the picnic table style seating and “farm-y” decor.  My date and I were lucky enough to get a table in the back of the restaurant.  As we sat down, the hostess grabbed our coats and we were greeted by a very enthusiastic waiter.  He handed us an overwhelming drink menu, along with the restaurant week menu and glasses of water served in mason jars.  While perusing the drink menu, I was impressed by the huge beer selection and Shakespearean inspired cocktails.  However, I settled on a glass of 2010 Purato Nero d’Avola, an organic Italian red.  It was so delicious that I ordered 2 glasses throughout the course of the meal.  It was fruity, with aromas of wild berries, cherry, and cocoa.

New York Duck Breast Japanese served with sweet potato purée, baby carrots, chocolate coffee salt, crispy duck prosciutto, natural jus

As this was my first week dining out during my 6-week paleo challenge, I was very impressed by how accommodating the waiter was.  To simplify things, I told him I had a gluten and lactose intolerance :)  With that being said, I started out with a Duck Rillette(similar to pâté), served with a pear and parsley salad.  It was beautifully presented on a piece of slate.  For dinner, I ordered the New York Duck Breast (medium rare) with Japanese sweet potato purée, baby carrots, and chocolate coffee salt.  The dish was simple, yet incredibly satisfying.  I enjoyed dipping the duck in the chocolate coffee salt.

And for dessert, the restaurant was nice enough to make me something gluten and dairy free!  They arranged a small fruit plate with clover honey.  The waiter and restaurant got major brownie points from me for going out of their way.

Fruit plate with pineapple, strawberries, kiwi served with clover honey

After we finished the meal, we received the check in a vintage cigar box.  Definitely a change from the regular black sleeves at most restaurants.

Overall, we had a very pleasant experience.  We’ll absolutely be back for more!

Sweet Potato Bliss

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If you’re looking for something to curb your sweet tooth and your fried food cravings while still eating healthy, I’ve got a recipe for you.  These fries are super easy to make and incredibly tasty.  Enjoy!

For the sweet potato fries, you will need:

- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- dried rosemary
- powdered cumin
- sea salt
- pepper
To make the fries:

Preheat your oven to 425°F.  Cut the potatoes in thick, long chunks.  Peeling the skin is optional…I kept it on.  In a bowl,mix together the melted coconut oil and olive oil.  Soak the fries in the mixture for a minute and mix in as much dried rosemary and cumin as you would like.  Drain the fries in a strainer and put on a baking sheet lined with aluminum.  Add sea salt and pepper to your liking.  Bake for about 40 minutes or until crispy.

Pretty Lights and Paleo Pancakes

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I woke up this morning to a beautiful snow fall and was inspired to stay in and make breakfast.  I blasted some Pretty Lights and got to work!Since I’ve been eating a lot of eggs, bacon, and fruit for breakfast lately, I had a craving for something different.  Pancakes!   Now that I’m eating 100% paleo, I had to get creative and cook something without all-purpose flour.  I searched the internet and found this pretty awesome recipe that I slightly modified.  These will keep you more satiated than regular pancakes because it contains more eggs and coconut flour (high in fiber and protein).  Om nom nom.

For the pancakes, you will need:
Yields about 6 pancakes

- 4 eggs
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon organic maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- coconut oil for frying

To make the pancakes:

Beat the eggs with a stand alone mixer or hand held mixer on medium until frothy.  Add coconut milk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, baking soda, sea salt, and cinnamon.  Pour over wet ingredients and mix until ingredients are fully incorporated.  Heat a pan on medium to high height and add a tablespoon of coconut oil.  Once the oil melts, add a heaping teaspoon of the mixture on the pan.  As soon as bubbles form around the edges of the pancake, turn over and cook for another 3-5 minutes.  Serve with maple syrup or fruit!

These pancakes taste almost like the real thing!  They’re super light and fluffy and surprisingly moist.

Enjoy the pancakes with a side of Pretty Lights.

Check out my other blog posts for Zucchini pancakes and Vanilla almond milk pancakes.