Prep Days are not just for Restaurants

 

 I think the most common reason people struggle with the transition to a Paleo lifestyle boils down to convenience.  The average American family is busy!  We work long hours and deal with a stressful commute.  Then our children have swimming lessons, choir practice, etc...  Somewhere in all that chaos we are expected to feed our family nutritious food, encourage quality exercise, and get plenty of sleep?  Seems a fruitless ambition doomed for failure.  I am here to tell you that it won't be easy at first, but with a little persistence it will get easier.  There will come a day when this whole lifestyle feels natural and you won't know how you used to live any other way.

If you are new to the Paleo lifestyle this is the most important lesson I can share with you!  Set aside a day of the week to plan your meals and prepare your kitchen.  Restaurants call this "Prep Day."  So turn up the radio and get cooking!   Start with sitting down (together as a family when possible) to plan meals.  Keep in mind upcoming events and plan accordingly.  If I am scheduled to work a few days I plan a large meal ahead of time that can easily be reheated.  Always have staple items prepped in your kitchen.  We like to have hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken, and some chopped up veggies available at all times for those on the go moments.  Try to involve the family and make a day of it.  The more involved you can get the family, the more excited they get for real food, the more likely they are to succeed with the Paleo diet. 

Yesterday was prep day in our house. Here is a list of the foods we prepped: zuchinni spaghetti, cole slaw, sauteed cabbage, hard boiled eggs, steamed carrots, mashed sweet potatoes, grilled chicken sausage, Scottish eggs with Wild Boar Sausage, fruit salad, chopped veggies, lemon cherry fruit bars, and almond flour chocolate chip cookies.  My husband isn't always available to do these prep days with me but he was yesterday and it was a lot of fun to cook together again.  Try to have one person keeping up with washing as you go so you don't feel overwhelmed by a big mess.  This is an opportunity for your family to spend time together so try to make it fun and upbeat.  My kids love helping even if it is just banging on the pot lids with a spoon.

Pic of me during our prep day yesterday

If you take the time to commit to this I guarantee you will not find yourself so easily tempted that week.  Instead of ordering a pizza when practice runs late you will have healthy snacks and a delicious meal at your disposal.   Preparation is key to success! If you find meal planning to be difficult I highly recommend buying Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso.  Her cookbook includes meal plans and advice for transitioning the whole family to a Paleo lifestyle. 

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

― Benjamen Franklin

Corned beef brisket on butternut squash and leek puree

Saint Patrick's Day is just around the corner and I prepared a healthy feast just in time.  My friends that don't understand my choice of diet always sigh with pity for me when they discuss holiday meals.  What they don't realize is I have never enjoyed holiday meals as much as I do now! Let me share this years pastured corned beef recipe with you for your family to enjoy too.
Ingredients:
-1 corned beef brisket  (pastured if available)
-32 oz. natural beef broth
-small bag of pearl onions, peeled
-1 large carrot
-1/2 head of green cabbage
-1/4 head of red cabbage
-1 large leek
-2 medium sized butternut squash
-1 Tbs. minced garlic
-granulated garlic (to taste)
-cayenne red pepper (to taste)
Instructions:
1. Remove brisket from brine and rinse meat thoroughly.
2. Rub minced garlic into meat.
3. Place meat into crock pot on high  with warmed beef broth.
4. Add pearl onions and large carrot chopped.
5. Wash leek and prepare (see youtube link Preparing a leek)
       Chop off dark green leaves and place in crock pot.  Finely chop the rest of the leek and set aside for later.
6. Cook covered on high the first 30 minutes, then reduce heat to low.  Cooking time will depend on the size of your brisket.  Our 2.5 pound brisket cooked for about 8 hours.

7. When you have about an hour left, add the chopped cabbage to the crock pot and bake the butternut squash in oven at 375 degrees.

        Slice squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place upside down on baking sheet with thin layer of water. This will steam the squash and soften it faster. Set aside to cool.

8. Turn crock pot down to keep warm setting when brisket is done and prepare puree.

9. Saute the chopped leek you set aside earlier at medium high heat in extra virgin olive oil for 3 minutes or until soft, adding granulated garlic to taste.

10. Add 1/2 cup of stock from crock pot to pan and saute another minute.

11. Place leek saute in food processor and blend to puree.

12. Scoop out butternut squash into food processor and continue to blend puree.

13. Plate your food by placing puree on plate first. (I added a touch of cayenne red pepper on top of the puree) Then place sliced corned beef on top of puree base.  Garnish the corned beef with some pearl onions. Plate some cabbage on the side. We also served our meal with some organic baby carrots with freshly grated ginger, parsley, and pure maple glaze.

Bon Appetite!

Free Range Eggs: What's the big deal?

Above is a picture of some free range eggs I picked up at the Farmer's Market last week.  There is an undeniable difference between caged eggs and free range eggs.  Just look at these eggs!  Aren't they beautiful?  The pretty outside is not as interesting as what's inside these eggs.  The regular caged eggs most of us buy are unnaturally rich in arachidonic acid, and unnaturally low in omega-3. Their diet is rich in grains and soybeans.  Buyer beware!  These eggs are cheaper for a reason.  The hens are fed a diet that makes them fat and unhealthy and you in turn are eating an unnatural balance of fats higher in unhealthy omega 6 fats.  So what's the big deal?  A diet rich in this unnatural ratio leads to inflammation and is linked to the development of Heart disease.

A study done by the Penn State University found that "eggs from pastured hens had twice as much vitamin E and long-chain omega-3 fats, more than double the total omega-3 fatty acids, and less than half the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids."  In layman's terms pastured eggs are rich in a nutrient that has been linked to reducing the incidence of a variety of health maladies including: heart disease, hypertension, Alzheimer disease, depression, and cancer to name a few.

Check out a website called LocalHarvest.org to search for pastured eggs in your area.

Egg salad with bacon and kale

Turmeric and garlic olive oil mayonnaise

Making your own mayonnaise at home is easier than you might think.  The key is patience!  You must let your eggs warm on the counter for about 4 hours first.  Then when you are making the mayo you must, ever so slowly, add your olive oil to the blender.  The devil really is in the details when it comes to this recipe.
I specifically chose turmeric for this recipe for two reasons.  The first was that turmeric adds a very unique flavor and fun yellow color.  The second, and perhaps most important reason, was that turmeric is associated with healing. Scientist believe the healing power of turmeric is due to its anti-inflammatory properties.  It has been correlated with a wide range of health benefits ranging from the immune system to Alzheimer disease.  Many health problems that plague us today boil down to inflammation.  Do yourselves a favor and add this tasty spice to your diets.

Ingredients:
-2 free range eggs (room temp)
-1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
-2 cups non-virgin olive oil (virgin will be strong of a taste)
- Granulated garlic powder (to taste)
- Turmeric (to taste)

Directions:
1. Place vinegar, eggs, and about 1/4 cup olive oil in blender.
2. Cover blender and turn on to lowest setting.
3. Partially remove cover and slowly add the rest of the olive oil. (So the stream almost comes out in drops)
IF YOU ADD THE OLIVE OIL TOO FAST THE MAYO WILL NOT EMULSIFY)
-This step takes patience (around 10 minutes when I do it)
4. Add garlic and turmeric to taste.
5. Place Mayo in fridge to set. (We save old jars)

The mayo expires 5 days past the date on your eggs.  The vinegar kills any bacteria so don't stress about the raw eggs.
I hope you enjoy this mayonnaise!  We use it on lettuce wrapped burgers and salads.

Getting Excited for Real Food

My son at the Farmer's Market

Buying food at our local farmer's market has become a weekly custom in our household.  It has so many benefits. The most fascinating thing to me has been how much passion for real food it has created in each family member.  Many parents can relate to me when I say it is hard to get your kids to eat healthy some days.  Our weekly outings to the farmer's market has given us the opportunity to educate our kids about nutrition in a fun atmosphere.  The kids look forward to going to the farmers market as much as they do a trip to the zoo.  There are all kinds of fun activities and people to meet. Farmer's markets promote a sense of community that many of us didn't realize we were missing. I encourage you to find your passion for real food and share that passion with your friends and family.  Get creative with your cooking.  Let the kids pick out colorful vegetables and then help them create a masterpiece in the kitchen.

If a farmer's market is not available year round to you don't let that discourage you.  Stick to the outside perimeter at your local grocery store and challenge yourself to only buy food that is real.  When I say real I mean completely natural from this Earth, not processed in any form!  Grass fed meat that came straight from the farm, wild caught fish, and fresh organically grown vegetables. Can't hurt you to try it, right? Join the 30 day Paleo challenge and it will transform your life. I highly suggest you check out this article on Mark's Daily Apple if you're interested in learning more about eating real food the way your body was designed to eat.  It could change your life!

It’s Time to “Get Real”  by Mark's Daily Apple

Snack time on the go

People often ask me what is the most important tip I can give them for getting started with a Paleo diet.  I always resoundingly answer, "being  prepared!"  I can't stress this enough.  You must have snacks and quick to cook meals in your arsenal or you will most assuredly fail.  The modern world has taught us to be relient on convenient foods which lack nutrients and are down right harmful to your body. 
Here is a quick snack that is perfect for afternoon munchies or when you're on the go. Best of all, even your pickiest eater will love this snack!
Cashew fruit bars
Ingredients:
-3 cups raw cashews
-6-8 oz pitted dates
-8 oz unsweetened dried fruit
  (I used cherries)
-1 Tbs. unsweetened applesauce
Instructions:
1. Blend cashews to finely chopped in food processor or blender and set aside.
2. Blend dates and dried fruit to a paste.
3. Mix all ingredients together in bowl including applesauce.
(let the kids help, it's fun and messy)
4. Spread mixture on a flat surface, I use parchment paper to keep it from getting to messy.
5. Pack mixture down and shape it into a rectangle and cut out bars at desired size and thickness.
6. Set bars in fridge to set
7. Ready to eat immediately, it's a sticky treat so be ready for smiling kids!
I hope you enjoy!  This yielded 24 bite size snack bars. These never last more than 2 days in my house.

Lamb roast recipe

For tonights meal I had a beautiful piece of meat that was pastured.  It was about 3 pounds.  I paired it with mashed cauliflower and sauteed kale.
List of ingredients:
-1 lamb roast (3-4 pounds)
-1 small package fresh mint leaves finely chopped. (food processor optional)
-1tablespoon minced garlic
-6 peeled cloves of garlic
-Black pepper (to taste)
-Sea salt (to taste)
-2 cups beef broth (I made my own from a beef roast I did a few days ago)
-4 tomatoes
Cooking instructions:
1. Heat beef broth in crock pot while you prepare the lamb.
2. Stab lamb roast with slender knife and insert garlic cloves.
3. Rub in mint, minced garlic, salt, and pepper covering entire roast.
4. Place roast in crockpot on low covered.
5. Dice up the tomatoes and add to broth.
6. Cook roast for 8-10 hours (until tender)
This roast should be so tender it will fall apart when you pull it out.  I used some of the tomatoes as topping.  Pair with seasonal veggies for a nutritious meal!  Enjoy!