We're back to Full Circle delivery this week and I'm so glad. I love to be able to pick out what I'm making for dinner instead of getting a box full of veg that I may or may not like.
Monday
Greek Pork Chops
3 thick cut pork loin chops
1 cucumber
2 tomatoes
1 red onion
1 lemon
olive oil
oregano
greek yogurt
Marinate the chop (overnight preferrably) in the juice of one lemon, olive oil, salt and oregano. Dice the cucumber, tomatoes and red onion. MIx with salt, pepper, oregano and a touch of olive oil. Grill the chops, garnish with the salad and some greek yogurt.
Tuesday
Chicken with Mushrooms
3 chicken breasts (skin on, bone in)
1 package sliced creminis
1 onion, sliced
thyme
balsamic
In a dutch oven, heat 2T butter and 1T olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken skin side down into the oil to brown. Turn and brown the other side, remove into a glass pyrex. But into a 375 oven to finish cooking (appx. 15-20 minutes). In the same dutch oven, add the sliced onion and stir until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are softened. Add the thyme and stir until fragrant. Add approximately 3T of balsamic and turn the heat down. Serve over cooked chicken.
Wednesday
Grilled brats and zucchini
4 brats
3 small zucchini
olive oil
salt and pepper
Slice the zucchini lengthwise into wedges. In a large ziploc, mix the oil oil, salt and pepper and zucchini. Grill the brats and zucchini.
Thursday
Grilled Filets
3 filet mignon (or other steaks)
3 baking potatoes
1 package cremini mushrooms
1 onion, sliced
bacon/sour cream/green onions
carrots
Set the meat out to bring to room temp. Season with salt and pepper. Prick the potatoes and put in a 350 oven to bake. Drink a glass of wine. Slice the carrots and onion. Make the sauted onions and mushrooms for the steak (see above for the balsamic mushrooms/onions). At the same time, add the carrots to 1T melted butter and satue for five minutes. Season with salt, pepper and dried thyme. In the microwave, heat 3T of maple syrup with 3T water, stir to dissolve. Add to carrots to create a glaze. While the carrots and mushrooms are cooking, add the steaks to a hot grill and cook to desired doneness.
Grocery List
3 thick cut pork loin chops
1 cucumber
2 tomatoes
1 red onion
1 lemon
3 chicken breasts (skin on, bone in)
2 packages sliced creminis
2 yellow onions
4 brats
3 zucchini
3 filet mignon (or other steaks)
3 baking potatoes
bacon/sour cream/green onions--topping for baked potates
3 carrots
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Beef Stroganoff
What I'm making tonight. I love beef stroganoff. It might be one of my favorite foods ever. When we were in Wales last year, Tyler and I had the best stroganoff I think I've ever eaten. I still dream about that bowl of goodness.
Beef Stroganoff
4T butter
1 lb top sirloin or tenderloin, cut thin into 1 inch wide strips
½ c sliced onion (or shallots)
½ lb sliced cremini mushrooms
¼ c sherry vinegar or red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t dry thyme or tarragon
1 c sour cream at room temp
Mashed potatoes (if you want something to soak up the goodness)
Melt 2T of butter in a hot dutch oven or skillet. Add the beef, cooking in batches, until brown. Set aside. Add the onion and 2T of wine/vinegar to deglaze. Cook the onion until translucent and brown. Add onions to beef, setting aside. Add remaining 2T of butter and the mushrooms and dried herbs. Cook until brown. Add remaining wine/vinegar to deglaze. Make sure you cook it for a minute or two or your stroganoff could take on a purplish hue (not that there's anything wrong with that--not enough purple foods in the world, if you ask me). Add beef and onions back to pan and stir around. Add salt/pepper and sour cream. Adjust seasonings to taste. Pour over mashed potatoes, or eat as is.
Beef Stroganoff
4T butter
1 lb top sirloin or tenderloin, cut thin into 1 inch wide strips
½ c sliced onion (or shallots)
½ lb sliced cremini mushrooms
¼ c sherry vinegar or red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t dry thyme or tarragon
1 c sour cream at room temp
Mashed potatoes (if you want something to soak up the goodness)
Melt 2T of butter in a hot dutch oven or skillet. Add the beef, cooking in batches, until brown. Set aside. Add the onion and 2T of wine/vinegar to deglaze. Cook the onion until translucent and brown. Add onions to beef, setting aside. Add remaining 2T of butter and the mushrooms and dried herbs. Cook until brown. Add remaining wine/vinegar to deglaze. Make sure you cook it for a minute or two or your stroganoff could take on a purplish hue (not that there's anything wrong with that--not enough purple foods in the world, if you ask me). Add beef and onions back to pan and stir around. Add salt/pepper and sour cream. Adjust seasonings to taste. Pour over mashed potatoes, or eat as is.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Hiatus
Well, the holiday season has proved to be very difficult in keeping up with a regular meal plan. I also think the CSA we've been using for the past six weeks has also made it challenging. We usually use Full Circle and the deliveries are on Fridays, which is perfect for a start of the week and meal planning. However, the CSA we've been using lately, is delivered on Wednesdays and the contents of the delivery are pre-determined...and we don't necessarily like/use everything in it...so I usually just wing it for dinner.
Full Circle resumes next Friday, December 16, so I'll see if that makes it easier for me to continue meal planning. For sure, I'll start regular posts again after the new year as schedules will become more routine. In the meantime, I plan to post some of my original recipes that I make up...last night, we had Paleo Chicken Parmesan. Yum! So, to start that off, here is my recipe for chicken parmesan:
2-4 thinly cut, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 c potato flour
1/4 c almond meal/flour
1-2 T Italian seasoning
1 t salt
1/4 c grated raw cheese (any kind really)
1-2 eggs
olive oil
1 jar sugar free marinara (I buy the Costco Kirkland signature brand--it's perfect and sugar free)
Mix all ingredients from potato flour through cheese and put in a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs and put in a shallow dish. Pre-heat oven to 350. Bread the chicken by dipping in the egg, then flour, then egg and flour again. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and brown the chicken--no need to cook through. Put the browned chicken on a cookie sheet that has a cookie rack on it (so that the chicken doesn't get soggy). Make sure to brown the chicken in batches to avoid crowding. Once the chicken is done, pop it in th oven for about 10 minutes. For really simple sauce, just heat the marinara in a saucepan while the chicken is in the oven then pour over chicken. If you want to add more veg to the sauce, make sure you quickly saute the veg while the chicken is browning, then add the marinara to the sauted veg.
Yum! It was so good and made great lunch the next day.
Full Circle resumes next Friday, December 16, so I'll see if that makes it easier for me to continue meal planning. For sure, I'll start regular posts again after the new year as schedules will become more routine. In the meantime, I plan to post some of my original recipes that I make up...last night, we had Paleo Chicken Parmesan. Yum! So, to start that off, here is my recipe for chicken parmesan:
2-4 thinly cut, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 c potato flour
1/4 c almond meal/flour
1-2 T Italian seasoning
1 t salt
1/4 c grated raw cheese (any kind really)
1-2 eggs
olive oil
1 jar sugar free marinara (I buy the Costco Kirkland signature brand--it's perfect and sugar free)
Mix all ingredients from potato flour through cheese and put in a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs and put in a shallow dish. Pre-heat oven to 350. Bread the chicken by dipping in the egg, then flour, then egg and flour again. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and brown the chicken--no need to cook through. Put the browned chicken on a cookie sheet that has a cookie rack on it (so that the chicken doesn't get soggy). Make sure to brown the chicken in batches to avoid crowding. Once the chicken is done, pop it in th oven for about 10 minutes. For really simple sauce, just heat the marinara in a saucepan while the chicken is in the oven then pour over chicken. If you want to add more veg to the sauce, make sure you quickly saute the veg while the chicken is browning, then add the marinara to the sauted veg.
Yum! It was so good and made great lunch the next day.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
After-Thanksgiving Week
Raise your hand if you ate too much this weekend. (mine's raised). Going very light this week!
Sunday
Rotisserie Chicken and Vegetable Soup
1 rotisserie chicken
4 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 container of mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 c chicken stock
2-3 thyme sprigs
Shred the thigh, leg and wing meat from the chicken. Reserve the whole breasts for tomorrow. Into a dutch oven, add a teaspoon of olive oil and the onion. Saute for 2 minutes, then add the rest of the veg. Cook, stiring often, the veg for 5 minutes or so. Add the stock, chicken and thyme. Cook for 10-20 minutes until flavors develop. Add any accumulated juices from the chicken.
Monday
Chicken breasts with roasted brussel sprouts and fried potatoes
wrap retained rotisserie chicken breasts in foil. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Clean and cut brussel sprouts in half. Toss the sprouts in olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Put the chicken and sprouts in the oven to roast.
Slice the potatoes, skin on, thinly. Slice an onion into rings. Add 1T butter to a saute pan. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add potatoes, salt and pepper. Make sure the pan is hot. Cook until golden.
Tuesday
Chicken Asada with peppers
pre-marinated chicken or carne asada
3 bell peppers, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
Saute peppers and onions, set aside. Slice chicken and flash stir fry until cooked. Add peppers and onion to the chicken and stir together. Add salt and pepper if needed.
Wednesday
Breakfast
pork sausage
6 eggs
4 medium potatoes cut into cubes
1/2 onion, diced
Brown sausage, set aside. Scramble eggs with 2T milk, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook eggs, mix in sausage. In a separate pan, mix onion and potatoes with 1T butter, salt and pepper. Make sure the pan is very hot. Keep stiring to a minium to get the potatoes nice and brown.
Tonight: marinate chicken, see below
Thursday
Grilled chicken breasts and broccoli
4 chicken breasts
1 lemon
1/2 onion, sliced
thyme
broccoli
Marinate the chicken in the juice of one lemon, thyme, olive oil, onion, salt and pepper. Grill outside or in an indoor grill pan. In the mean time, steam the broccoli, add salt and pepper.
Grocery List
1 rotisserie chicken
4 carrots
5 celery stalks
1 container of mushrooms
4 onions
chicken stock
thyme
brussel sprouts
6-7 medium potatoes
pre-marinated chicken or carne asada
3 bell peppers
eggs
pork sausage (nitrate and dextrose free--you can buy ground pork and add your own spices)
4 chicken breasts
1 lemon
broccoli
Sunday
Rotisserie Chicken and Vegetable Soup
1 rotisserie chicken
4 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 container of mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 c chicken stock
2-3 thyme sprigs
Shred the thigh, leg and wing meat from the chicken. Reserve the whole breasts for tomorrow. Into a dutch oven, add a teaspoon of olive oil and the onion. Saute for 2 minutes, then add the rest of the veg. Cook, stiring often, the veg for 5 minutes or so. Add the stock, chicken and thyme. Cook for 10-20 minutes until flavors develop. Add any accumulated juices from the chicken.
Monday
Chicken breasts with roasted brussel sprouts and fried potatoes
wrap retained rotisserie chicken breasts in foil. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Clean and cut brussel sprouts in half. Toss the sprouts in olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Put the chicken and sprouts in the oven to roast.
Slice the potatoes, skin on, thinly. Slice an onion into rings. Add 1T butter to a saute pan. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add potatoes, salt and pepper. Make sure the pan is hot. Cook until golden.
Tuesday
Chicken Asada with peppers
pre-marinated chicken or carne asada
3 bell peppers, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
Saute peppers and onions, set aside. Slice chicken and flash stir fry until cooked. Add peppers and onion to the chicken and stir together. Add salt and pepper if needed.
Wednesday
Breakfast
pork sausage
6 eggs
4 medium potatoes cut into cubes
1/2 onion, diced
Brown sausage, set aside. Scramble eggs with 2T milk, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook eggs, mix in sausage. In a separate pan, mix onion and potatoes with 1T butter, salt and pepper. Make sure the pan is very hot. Keep stiring to a minium to get the potatoes nice and brown.
Tonight: marinate chicken, see below
Thursday
Grilled chicken breasts and broccoli
4 chicken breasts
1 lemon
1/2 onion, sliced
thyme
broccoli
Marinate the chicken in the juice of one lemon, thyme, olive oil, onion, salt and pepper. Grill outside or in an indoor grill pan. In the mean time, steam the broccoli, add salt and pepper.
Grocery List
1 rotisserie chicken
4 carrots
5 celery stalks
1 container of mushrooms
4 onions
chicken stock
thyme
brussel sprouts
6-7 medium potatoes
pre-marinated chicken or carne asada
3 bell peppers
eggs
pork sausage (nitrate and dextrose free--you can buy ground pork and add your own spices)
4 chicken breasts
1 lemon
broccoli
Monday, November 21, 2011
Spacy Week
I completely forgot to post this weekend! I didn't even blow it off or shrug and say, oh well. Just forgot. I think that is because the week of Thanksgiving isn't even a real week. I take Wednesday off to have Thanksgiving with my family, so I have just a two day week. So, what am I really going to cook for two days? Is it even worth going to the grocery store? Actually, yes, it is worth going to the grocery store. Here's what I'm making on Monday and Tuesday nights:
Monday:
Brats with cabbage! Yes! again! I like it. And we received yet another head of cabbage in our CSA this past week--so now I have two heads of cabbage in my fridge. I don't really know what else to do with cabbage besides make cabbage rolls (really a St. Patrick's meal) or sauerkraut, but I don't want to make that in my house--stinky.
I'm lazy, and this recipe is in prior week plans...so, I'm not going to repost. Sorry.
Tuesday:
I tried to think of the farthest thing from Thanksgiving for the day before I eat turkey for five days in a row. So, fajita spiced skirt steak and sauted greens!
Create a wet rub for your steak by combining fajita or taco seasoning with some olive oil. It should be very dark and not runny--only like a 1/4 c in total. Drop your meat in and rub it all around. If you can marinate overnight, that's best. Grill to desired doneness.
For the greens: I don't really think that grilled skirt steak goes with greens, but again, they were in my CSA. So, use whatever veg for a side dish that you have on hand. But, here's what I like to do with my greens: roughly chop (kale, chard, spinach, anything) and set aside. Crisp up 2-3 pieces of bacon that are cut into lardons. Set aside and leave about 1T of bacon fat in the pan. Add 1/2 chopped onion and cook until translucent or slightly brown. Add the greens to the pan, salt and pepper generously. Saute until the greens are coated in the fat and have started to wilt slightly. Pour in about 1/4 - 1/3 c of white wine and stir vigorously. Continue to cook the greens for about 5 minutes more until they really start to shrink. Put the bacon back in the pan and add about 2t of freshly grated lemon zest. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Heaven. Seriously.
Happy Thanksgiving! Next week will be back to normal and I'll try to remember to take some photos of my Paleo Thanksgiving to post!
Monday:
Brats with cabbage! Yes! again! I like it. And we received yet another head of cabbage in our CSA this past week--so now I have two heads of cabbage in my fridge. I don't really know what else to do with cabbage besides make cabbage rolls (really a St. Patrick's meal) or sauerkraut, but I don't want to make that in my house--stinky.
I'm lazy, and this recipe is in prior week plans...so, I'm not going to repost. Sorry.
Tuesday:
I tried to think of the farthest thing from Thanksgiving for the day before I eat turkey for five days in a row. So, fajita spiced skirt steak and sauted greens!
Create a wet rub for your steak by combining fajita or taco seasoning with some olive oil. It should be very dark and not runny--only like a 1/4 c in total. Drop your meat in and rub it all around. If you can marinate overnight, that's best. Grill to desired doneness.
For the greens: I don't really think that grilled skirt steak goes with greens, but again, they were in my CSA. So, use whatever veg for a side dish that you have on hand. But, here's what I like to do with my greens: roughly chop (kale, chard, spinach, anything) and set aside. Crisp up 2-3 pieces of bacon that are cut into lardons. Set aside and leave about 1T of bacon fat in the pan. Add 1/2 chopped onion and cook until translucent or slightly brown. Add the greens to the pan, salt and pepper generously. Saute until the greens are coated in the fat and have started to wilt slightly. Pour in about 1/4 - 1/3 c of white wine and stir vigorously. Continue to cook the greens for about 5 minutes more until they really start to shrink. Put the bacon back in the pan and add about 2t of freshly grated lemon zest. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Heaven. Seriously.
Happy Thanksgiving! Next week will be back to normal and I'll try to remember to take some photos of my Paleo Thanksgiving to post!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Thoughts on Thanksgiving
Instead of creating a new meal plan this week, I'm just going to go back through some of my favorites that I've already posted. This week, we're having brats and cabbage, pork loins with greens, meatball marinara, and maybe butternut squash soup. So, instead of the usual post this week, I'm going to share my Thanksgiving plan!
I am so lucky that I get three Thanksgivings every year--one in July, and two in November (my family and in-laws). Thanksgiving is my favorite meal. I dream about Thanksgiving. But Paleo Thanksgiving? I don't know...do I want to mess with the meal of my life? Tyler's mom prepares a more traditional Thanksgiving and we already had an amazing summer Thanksgiving, so I think this year, an experiment wouldn't be too bad. So, here's how my family is doing Thanksgiving Paleo-style this year:
1. Turkey. A proper brine is essential. So is a free-range, grain/hormone/antibiotic free bird. I highly recommend the Williams Sonoma brine. It's the best and we use it every year. We follow traditional cooking instructions as far as oven temps and time, but here's what my sister and I do to the bird: stuff it with an apple sliced in half, a garlic bulb sliced in half, a lemon sliced in half, fresh thyme sprigs, an onion sliced in quarters and salt and pepper. We melt butter and paint it on the bird then salt and pepper it. We baste the bird with one bottle of white wine and when that runs out but more basting liquid is needed, we use chicken stock. This makes the most flavorful, juicy, amazing turkey (and gravy) ever.
2. Mashed potatoes. Can't have a Thanksgiving meal without potatoes. Just can't. This year, we'll mash our potatoes with a generous helping of grass-fed butter, whole milk, and full fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. And salt, pepper and garlic powder, of course.
3. Roasted Brussel sprouts with bacon. These can be roasted the night before, or in the morning, and then finished before serving. Step 1 (roasting): rinse and cut off the ends of the sprouts. In a glass pyrex, mix the sprouts, salt, pepper and enough olive oil to coat. Roast at 400 for 30 minutes or until the outer leaves start to brown. Step 2 (mix-ins and finishing): in a large skillet, crisp up 4-5 slices of bacon that is cut into lardons. Transfer the bacon to a plate and remove all but 2T or so of bacon fat. Saute one diced onion until translucent. Add the sprouts back in and saute until the sprouts are warm. Add the bacon back in and saute until sprouts are hot.
4. Roasted root vegetables. Cut up any root veg you like in 1 inch cubes. I personally love parsnips, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Put all the cubes into a big Ziploc and pour in salt, pepper, dried thyme and some olive oil to coat. Shake it up. Spread onto a sheet pan and roast at 400 degrees until the veg are soft and slightly brown. Again, these are great because they can be made the night before. Then to serve, spoon into an oven-proof baking dish and cut up some butter slices and dot the top. Put in an oven until heated through, then mix and serve. Yum.
5. Paleo dressing. My mom makes the most sensational dressing ever. EVER. The thought of no dressing literally makes me sad. SAD. It must be had. I found this great web site that sells Paleo baking mixes. I'm going to buy a couple of the Classic Bread Mix for the dressing. Honestly, I have no idea what is in her dressing recipe. But, I do know there is sausage (heaven), onions, and mushrooms...there must be more...I'll find out and update.
6. Paleo dinner rolls. Again, mom makes AMAZING ROLLS. But, White Lion Baking also makes a Paleo roll mix. That's what we're serving up this year.
7. Paleo gravy. Must. Have. Gravy. And the turkey makes the best gravy. But, gravy has flour. Fear not! Paleo gravy!
drippings from turkey
1/2 c white wine
1/4 c almond flour
1/4 c arrowroot powder, mixed with 1/4 c water
3-4 c chicken stock
salt and pepper
skim the excess fat from the drippings, put back into roasting pan, deglaze with the wine--whisk to get all the good stuff off the bottom. combine the almond flour, arrowroot powder and 1 c of stock in a tupperware--shake until well combined and no lumps remain, making a slurry. Slowly whisk the slurry into the stock. Whisk in remaining stock. Once it starts to thicken, turn the heat off. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Paleo cranberry sauce. Traditional cranberry sauce is loaded with refined sugar. Ick. A paleo friendly version is sweetened with maple syrup and seasoned with cinnamon. Boil it down until you reach the desired consistency.
9. Paleo pumpkin pie. The piece de resistance. It can be Paleo and heavenly. I made this for the summer Thanksgiving and honestly think I like it better than traditional pumkin pie. It's so light and fluffy.
This can and will work. I'm so excited for our experiment this year! Only one and a half weeks to go!
I am so lucky that I get three Thanksgivings every year--one in July, and two in November (my family and in-laws). Thanksgiving is my favorite meal. I dream about Thanksgiving. But Paleo Thanksgiving? I don't know...do I want to mess with the meal of my life? Tyler's mom prepares a more traditional Thanksgiving and we already had an amazing summer Thanksgiving, so I think this year, an experiment wouldn't be too bad. So, here's how my family is doing Thanksgiving Paleo-style this year:
1. Turkey. A proper brine is essential. So is a free-range, grain/hormone/antibiotic free bird. I highly recommend the Williams Sonoma brine. It's the best and we use it every year. We follow traditional cooking instructions as far as oven temps and time, but here's what my sister and I do to the bird: stuff it with an apple sliced in half, a garlic bulb sliced in half, a lemon sliced in half, fresh thyme sprigs, an onion sliced in quarters and salt and pepper. We melt butter and paint it on the bird then salt and pepper it. We baste the bird with one bottle of white wine and when that runs out but more basting liquid is needed, we use chicken stock. This makes the most flavorful, juicy, amazing turkey (and gravy) ever.
2. Mashed potatoes. Can't have a Thanksgiving meal without potatoes. Just can't. This year, we'll mash our potatoes with a generous helping of grass-fed butter, whole milk, and full fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. And salt, pepper and garlic powder, of course.
3. Roasted Brussel sprouts with bacon. These can be roasted the night before, or in the morning, and then finished before serving. Step 1 (roasting): rinse and cut off the ends of the sprouts. In a glass pyrex, mix the sprouts, salt, pepper and enough olive oil to coat. Roast at 400 for 30 minutes or until the outer leaves start to brown. Step 2 (mix-ins and finishing): in a large skillet, crisp up 4-5 slices of bacon that is cut into lardons. Transfer the bacon to a plate and remove all but 2T or so of bacon fat. Saute one diced onion until translucent. Add the sprouts back in and saute until the sprouts are warm. Add the bacon back in and saute until sprouts are hot.
4. Roasted root vegetables. Cut up any root veg you like in 1 inch cubes. I personally love parsnips, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Put all the cubes into a big Ziploc and pour in salt, pepper, dried thyme and some olive oil to coat. Shake it up. Spread onto a sheet pan and roast at 400 degrees until the veg are soft and slightly brown. Again, these are great because they can be made the night before. Then to serve, spoon into an oven-proof baking dish and cut up some butter slices and dot the top. Put in an oven until heated through, then mix and serve. Yum.
5. Paleo dressing. My mom makes the most sensational dressing ever. EVER. The thought of no dressing literally makes me sad. SAD. It must be had. I found this great web site that sells Paleo baking mixes. I'm going to buy a couple of the Classic Bread Mix for the dressing. Honestly, I have no idea what is in her dressing recipe. But, I do know there is sausage (heaven), onions, and mushrooms...there must be more...I'll find out and update.
6. Paleo dinner rolls. Again, mom makes AMAZING ROLLS. But, White Lion Baking also makes a Paleo roll mix. That's what we're serving up this year.
7. Paleo gravy. Must. Have. Gravy. And the turkey makes the best gravy. But, gravy has flour. Fear not! Paleo gravy!
drippings from turkey
1/2 c white wine
1/4 c almond flour
1/4 c arrowroot powder, mixed with 1/4 c water
3-4 c chicken stock
salt and pepper
skim the excess fat from the drippings, put back into roasting pan, deglaze with the wine--whisk to get all the good stuff off the bottom. combine the almond flour, arrowroot powder and 1 c of stock in a tupperware--shake until well combined and no lumps remain, making a slurry. Slowly whisk the slurry into the stock. Whisk in remaining stock. Once it starts to thicken, turn the heat off. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Paleo cranberry sauce. Traditional cranberry sauce is loaded with refined sugar. Ick. A paleo friendly version is sweetened with maple syrup and seasoned with cinnamon. Boil it down until you reach the desired consistency.
9. Paleo pumpkin pie. The piece de resistance. It can be Paleo and heavenly. I made this for the summer Thanksgiving and honestly think I like it better than traditional pumkin pie. It's so light and fluffy.
This can and will work. I'm so excited for our experiment this year! Only one and a half weeks to go!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Soup Week
And we're back to our regularly scheduled programming...we've received some very interesting items in our CSA this week and every recipe I started to come up with was SOUP. I don't know why...all the ingredients just screamed soup to me. So, that's what we're going to eat this week...lots of soup. Soup is great because it can be really quick and make great lunch left-overs. To avoid feeling like we're eating food with only one texture, I'm throwing in a couple variables, but I know the Smiths are looking forward to lots of cozy soup.
I'm starting with Saturday this week. We're going to the Husky game tonight and starting the night at Northlake tavern...that means pizza and sick tummies...so I'm going to eat first.
Also, I'm going to post a Paleo Thanksgiving this week. I'm just finishing up the recipes and menu plan. I'm so excited about this meal and can't wait to indulge without having to worry about getting sick!
Saturday
Kale and Beef Skillet
1 lb ground beef
1 bunch kale
1 sliced onion
lemon zest
salt and pepper
Brown the beef with the onion and season generously with salt, pepper and whatever other spices you like. I think a steak seasoning might be really tasty here. Add the chopped up kale and cook until wilted. Add lemon zest and more salt and pepper.
Sunday
Chicken Chili Verde
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (10-11)
5 garlic cloves, not peeled
2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles
1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned and chopped
3 bone in chicken breast
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 Tbsp of dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Pinch of ground cloves
Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down, along with 5 unpeeled garlic cloves, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin. Remove from oven, let cool enough to handle.
Roast the poblano or anaheim chilis over a gas flame or under the broiler until blackened all around. Let cool in a bag, remove the skin, seeds, and stem.
Place tomatillos, skins included, into blender. Remove the now roasted garlic cloves from their skins, add them to the blender. Add chopped Jalapeño peppers, other chilies, and cilantro to the blender. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed dutch oven over medium high heat and brown chicken well on all sides. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, lift chicken out of pan and place in bowl, set aside.
Pour off excess fat, anything beyond a tablespoon, and place the onions and garlic in the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until limp, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan. Add the oregano to the pan. Add the tomatillo chile verde sauce to the chicken and onions. Add the chicken stock (enough to cover the meat). Add a pinch of ground cloves. Add a little salt and pepper. (Not too much as the chile verde will continue to cook down and concentrate a bit.)
Bring to a boil and reduce to a slight simmer. Cook for 1 hour or so uncovered or until the chicken is cooked through.
Monday
Pork chops with delicata squash
4 boneless pork chops
2 delicata squash, cut into rings with the center (seeds) cut out
salt and pepper
Heatoven to 400. Scrub the squash, sut off ends of squash and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Remove the center seeds so they look like rings--leave the skin on. Lay onto a cookie sheet in a single layer. Paint both sides liberally wih olive oil and salt and pepper generously. Pop into the oven and set timer for 20 minutes. Flip the rings and in they go for about 20 minutes more.
Now it's time to heat 2 T of olive oil in a really hot oven proof skillet. Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper and maybe some dried thyme. Brown both sides quickly and put the chops in the oven to finish. The squash should be brown and the chops cooked through at about the same time.
Tonight: make the butternut carrot soup (below) for Tuesday's dinner--or just get your carrots and squash cut up and put into an AIRTIGHT ziploc or tupperware
Tuesday
Butternut squash and carrot soup
1 butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
4-5 carrots cut into 1 inch chunks
1 diced onion
2 celery stalks cut into 1 inch chunks
2 minced garlic cloves
4-5 cups of chicken stock
1 T dried sage
1/2 c cream
Heat 2 T of olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add carrots, celery and squash. Cook for 1-2 minutes until coated with the olive oil. Add enough broth to cover--start with 4 cups and add more if needed. Add sage and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25 minutes or so until squash is tender. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender and puree until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add 1/2 c of stock. Stir in cream and serve.
Tonight: cut and lightly steam the broccoli for tomorrow.
Wednesday
Cream of Broccoli Soup
3 strips of bacon cut into lardons
1 small onion, diced
1 minced garlic clove
1 quart chicken stock
1 head of broccoli, or two crowns cut into florets
1 carrot, sclied with a vegetable peeler so very thin
1 c cream
Cook the bacon in a large soup pot. Remove once crispy but leave the fat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add broth and carrot and bring to a boil. Add the steamed broccoli. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until all the veg is tender. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree until smooth-ish. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with bacon.
Thursday
Potato Leek Soup (yes, here it is again)
4 c thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
4 c chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ t white pepper
3 strips bacon cut into lardons
¼ c whole milk, half and half or cream
In a dutch oven, sauté bacon until crispy, remove cooked bacon and set aside. Leave all but 2T of bacon fat in the pan. Add the leeks, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add in milk and bacon. Test for seasonings and add accordingly.
Grocery List
1 lb ground beef
1 bunch kale
lemon
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (10-11)
2 garlic blubs
2 jalapenos
2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles
1 bunch cilantro
3 bone in chicken breast
4 yellow onions
4 cartons chicken stock
4 boneless pork chops
2 delicata squash
1 butternut squash
6 carrots
2 celery stalks
cream
bacon
1 head or 2 florets of broccoli
2 leeks
2 large or 4 medium potatoes
I'm starting with Saturday this week. We're going to the Husky game tonight and starting the night at Northlake tavern...that means pizza and sick tummies...so I'm going to eat first.
Also, I'm going to post a Paleo Thanksgiving this week. I'm just finishing up the recipes and menu plan. I'm so excited about this meal and can't wait to indulge without having to worry about getting sick!
Saturday
Kale and Beef Skillet
1 lb ground beef
1 bunch kale
1 sliced onion
lemon zest
salt and pepper
Brown the beef with the onion and season generously with salt, pepper and whatever other spices you like. I think a steak seasoning might be really tasty here. Add the chopped up kale and cook until wilted. Add lemon zest and more salt and pepper.
Sunday
Chicken Chili Verde
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (10-11)
5 garlic cloves, not peeled
2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles
1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned and chopped
3 bone in chicken breast
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 Tbsp of dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Pinch of ground cloves
Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down, along with 5 unpeeled garlic cloves, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin. Remove from oven, let cool enough to handle.
Roast the poblano or anaheim chilis over a gas flame or under the broiler until blackened all around. Let cool in a bag, remove the skin, seeds, and stem.
Place tomatillos, skins included, into blender. Remove the now roasted garlic cloves from their skins, add them to the blender. Add chopped Jalapeño peppers, other chilies, and cilantro to the blender. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed dutch oven over medium high heat and brown chicken well on all sides. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, lift chicken out of pan and place in bowl, set aside.
Pour off excess fat, anything beyond a tablespoon, and place the onions and garlic in the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until limp, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan. Add the oregano to the pan. Add the tomatillo chile verde sauce to the chicken and onions. Add the chicken stock (enough to cover the meat). Add a pinch of ground cloves. Add a little salt and pepper. (Not too much as the chile verde will continue to cook down and concentrate a bit.)
Bring to a boil and reduce to a slight simmer. Cook for 1 hour or so uncovered or until the chicken is cooked through.
Monday
Pork chops with delicata squash
4 boneless pork chops
2 delicata squash, cut into rings with the center (seeds) cut out
salt and pepper
Heatoven to 400. Scrub the squash, sut off ends of squash and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Remove the center seeds so they look like rings--leave the skin on. Lay onto a cookie sheet in a single layer. Paint both sides liberally wih olive oil and salt and pepper generously. Pop into the oven and set timer for 20 minutes. Flip the rings and in they go for about 20 minutes more.
Now it's time to heat 2 T of olive oil in a really hot oven proof skillet. Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper and maybe some dried thyme. Brown both sides quickly and put the chops in the oven to finish. The squash should be brown and the chops cooked through at about the same time.
Tonight: make the butternut carrot soup (below) for Tuesday's dinner--or just get your carrots and squash cut up and put into an AIRTIGHT ziploc or tupperware
Tuesday
Butternut squash and carrot soup
1 butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
4-5 carrots cut into 1 inch chunks
1 diced onion
2 celery stalks cut into 1 inch chunks
2 minced garlic cloves
4-5 cups of chicken stock
1 T dried sage
1/2 c cream
Heat 2 T of olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add carrots, celery and squash. Cook for 1-2 minutes until coated with the olive oil. Add enough broth to cover--start with 4 cups and add more if needed. Add sage and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25 minutes or so until squash is tender. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender and puree until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add 1/2 c of stock. Stir in cream and serve.
Tonight: cut and lightly steam the broccoli for tomorrow.
Wednesday
Cream of Broccoli Soup
3 strips of bacon cut into lardons
1 small onion, diced
1 minced garlic clove
1 quart chicken stock
1 head of broccoli, or two crowns cut into florets
1 carrot, sclied with a vegetable peeler so very thin
1 c cream
Cook the bacon in a large soup pot. Remove once crispy but leave the fat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add broth and carrot and bring to a boil. Add the steamed broccoli. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until all the veg is tender. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree until smooth-ish. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with bacon.
Thursday
Potato Leek Soup (yes, here it is again)
4 c thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
4 c chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ t white pepper
3 strips bacon cut into lardons
¼ c whole milk, half and half or cream
In a dutch oven, sauté bacon until crispy, remove cooked bacon and set aside. Leave all but 2T of bacon fat in the pan. Add the leeks, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add in milk and bacon. Test for seasonings and add accordingly.
Grocery List
1 lb ground beef
1 bunch kale
lemon
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (10-11)
2 garlic blubs
2 jalapenos
2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles
1 bunch cilantro
3 bone in chicken breast
4 yellow onions
4 cartons chicken stock
4 boneless pork chops
2 delicata squash
1 butternut squash
6 carrots
2 celery stalks
cream
bacon
1 head or 2 florets of broccoli
2 leeks
2 large or 4 medium potatoes
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Update-Sweet and Sour Meatballs
So, in the last post, I thought I would try to make sweet and sour meatballs...I don't know why, but I was craving my Aunt Janet's meatballs and tried to come up with a substitute. I made them last night and they were too good not to share asap.
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 eggs
2T butter
1 diced red onion
2 chopped green bell peppers
1 medium sized can of pineapple tidbits, with juice
1.5 small cans of 100% pineapple juice
1 regular can of tomato puree
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 small can of tomato paste
¼ c white vinegar
2T worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425. mix meat, eggs and about 2t salt/pepper. Form 1 inch diameter meatballs and place on oiled baking sheet (covered in foil for easy clean up). Put in oven for 20-25 minutes. In the mean time, make the sauce. Saute onion in butter until translucent. Dump the rest of the ingredients in the pot and season to taste. When meatballs are done, transfer to the sauce (scrape away any accumulated fat). Cook for about 5 minutes then eat!
From start to finish, this took me about a half hour. So easy and you'll never miss the sugar that most meatball recipes require.
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 eggs
2T butter
1 diced red onion
2 chopped green bell peppers
1 medium sized can of pineapple tidbits, with juice
1.5 small cans of 100% pineapple juice
1 regular can of tomato puree
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 small can of tomato paste
¼ c white vinegar
2T worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425. mix meat, eggs and about 2t salt/pepper. Form 1 inch diameter meatballs and place on oiled baking sheet (covered in foil for easy clean up). Put in oven for 20-25 minutes. In the mean time, make the sauce. Saute onion in butter until translucent. Dump the rest of the ingredients in the pot and season to taste. When meatballs are done, transfer to the sauce (scrape away any accumulated fat). Cook for about 5 minutes then eat!
From start to finish, this took me about a half hour. So easy and you'll never miss the sugar that most meatball recipes require.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Detox Week-Updated
Ugh. I ate wheat this weekend. Too much. I'm so bloated and it feels awful. However, we had such a good time with our friends from Cincinnati this weekend. I don't have a meal plan ready this week, but got both potatoes and leeks in our CSA this week, so I whipped up some potato leek soup for dinner tomorrow night. I'll get back on track starting tomorrow. Check back!
I have no plan for the week. But, instead of letting this derail my efforts, I'm going to take it as a challenge: how will I respond to spontaneity on paleo? What are my go-to easy meals?
I still received my CSA delivery and have tons of ingredients and have to come up with interesting ways to make sure we don't resort to take-out or frozen pizza (which I ate this weekend!!! horrible). I think this is an appropriate challenge for me this week...and should be for you too. What's in my fridge (and yours)? In the pre-paleo days, weeks like this would include multiple servings of Hamburger Helper...so, let's see:
1. Potato leek soup. This meal appears so often on my weekly meal plans that you'd think we'd be sick of it. But, no. I love it. This is probably my number 1 go-to. Not only is it delicious, but also super easy. It does have potatoes, however, and those are supposed to be used minimally...but, I made it last night, and it's tonight's dinner.
2. Ground meat. It's so easy to brown some ground meat (pork, beef, turkey, whatever), add some veg and seasonings, and call it a meal. I have some ground pork and beef this week...I wonder if I can make some meatballs and make some kind of sweet and sour sauce from a small can of pineapple juice, can of tomato paste, some white vinegar, 2T worchestershire sauce and some honey to taste...I think the sauce can be thinned out with some tomato sauce or chicken stock if needed...I can pick up a couple of bell peppers to mix in there too. Sure. That's Tuesday.
3. Stir fry strips. Incredibly versitile. I have some broccoli from the CSA and wheat-free tamari. Add some pepper flakes, rice wine vinegar, mirin, a touch of honey and chicken stock = instant asian stir fry. Done. That's Wednesday.
4. Chicken breasts. I order these every week even if I don't know what I'm going to do with them. I still don't know what I'm going to do with them...saute, pour a jar of marinara over them and call it a meal? Yup! I can! And I have some kale to saute and put on the side. That's Thursday.
There! I think that's entirely do-able. Why the heck not?
I have no plan for the week. But, instead of letting this derail my efforts, I'm going to take it as a challenge: how will I respond to spontaneity on paleo? What are my go-to easy meals?
I still received my CSA delivery and have tons of ingredients and have to come up with interesting ways to make sure we don't resort to take-out or frozen pizza (which I ate this weekend!!! horrible). I think this is an appropriate challenge for me this week...and should be for you too. What's in my fridge (and yours)? In the pre-paleo days, weeks like this would include multiple servings of Hamburger Helper...so, let's see:
1. Potato leek soup. This meal appears so often on my weekly meal plans that you'd think we'd be sick of it. But, no. I love it. This is probably my number 1 go-to. Not only is it delicious, but also super easy. It does have potatoes, however, and those are supposed to be used minimally...but, I made it last night, and it's tonight's dinner.
2. Ground meat. It's so easy to brown some ground meat (pork, beef, turkey, whatever), add some veg and seasonings, and call it a meal. I have some ground pork and beef this week...I wonder if I can make some meatballs and make some kind of sweet and sour sauce from a small can of pineapple juice, can of tomato paste, some white vinegar, 2T worchestershire sauce and some honey to taste...I think the sauce can be thinned out with some tomato sauce or chicken stock if needed...I can pick up a couple of bell peppers to mix in there too. Sure. That's Tuesday.
3. Stir fry strips. Incredibly versitile. I have some broccoli from the CSA and wheat-free tamari. Add some pepper flakes, rice wine vinegar, mirin, a touch of honey and chicken stock = instant asian stir fry. Done. That's Wednesday.
4. Chicken breasts. I order these every week even if I don't know what I'm going to do with them. I still don't know what I'm going to do with them...saute, pour a jar of marinara over them and call it a meal? Yup! I can! And I have some kale to saute and put on the side. That's Thursday.
There! I think that's entirely do-able. Why the heck not?
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Company Week
We're having guests in town this week. So, the trick will be to stay on track without making them feel like "something" (grains) is missing from the food I make. Let's see how it goes...
Sunday
Lemon garlic roast chicken
1 roasting chicken
1 lemon
1 head of garlic cut in half horizontally
salt and pepper
2 T butter
carrots, onions or other root veg
Rinse and pat dry the chicken carcass. Sprinkle salt and pepper and dried thyme into the cavity. Cut the lemon in quarters and stuff the lemon and garlic into the cavity. Tie the legs together and tuck the wings under. Place chicken in a roasting dish. Melt the butter and paint onto the chicken. Sprinkle more salt, pepper and thyme onto the chicken. Spread carrots, onion quarters or other root vegetables around the chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the veg. Roast for an hour and a half or so at 425 degrees.
Tonight: make the Potato Leek soup for easy heat up dinner on Monday
Monday
Potato Leek Soup
4 c thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
4 c chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ t white pepper
3 strips bacon cut into lardons
¼ c whole milk, half and half or cream
3 T chopped dill
In a dutch oven, sauté bacon until crispy, remove cooked bacon and set aside. Leave all but 2T of bacon fat in the pan. Add the leeks, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add in milk and bacon. Test for seasonings and add accordingly. Garnish with dill.
Tuesday
Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce
1.5 lbs chicken breasts (2-3)
1/2 c almond flour
1/2 t tarragon
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 c mushrooms (any kind) destemmed and sliced
1/3 c dry sherry
1 c chicken stock
1 bunch of kale, roughly chopped
Preheat oven to 350. In a large ziploc, combine almond flour with tarragon through black pepper. Shake chicken in flour mixture. Preheat olive oil in dutch oven over medium high heat. Once hot, add chicken and brown on both sides. Place chicken in a roasting pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. In the meantime, reduce skillet to medium, add butter and scrape brown bits. Stir in garlic and staute for 30 seconds, add mushrooms and kale and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add sherry and chicken broth, bring to a simmer. Let simmer until vegetables are cooked. Spoon over cooked chicken.
Wednesday
Steak and Chorizo Fajitas
1 lb beef stir fry strips
1 lb chorizo
3 peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1/4 c taco seasoning
In a hot skillet, sear the beef strips, in batches if necessary. Remove from pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-high and add chorizo. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add sliced veg and saute until al dente. Add steak and accumulated juices back into skillet. Add taco seasoning plus 1/3 c of water. Simmer until most of liquid is gone. Serve over shredded lettuce if desired.
Thursday
Leek and Mushroom Frittata
1 leek, sliced thin
1 c sliced mushrooms
2 T butter
8 eggs
4 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled
Chevre
Preheat oven to 350. In an ovenproof skillet, melt 1T butter. Saute veg until tender, set aside. Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl. Mix veg into the eggs with salt and pepper. Melt remaining T of butter in skillet. Pour egg/veg mixture into skillet. Transfer to oven and cook for approximately 12 minutes. In the meantime, cook bacon and crumble. Sprinkle bacon and chevre over fritatta.
Friday: free night out!
Grocery List
1 roasting chicken
1 lemon
2 heads of garlic
carrots or other root veg
2 leeks
5 c chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes
nitrate free bacon
whole milk, half and half or cream
fresh dill
1.5 lbs chicken breasts (2-3)
almond flour
2 c mushrooms (any kind)
dry sherry
1 bunch of kale
1 lb beef stir fry strips
1 lb chorizo
3 peppers
2 onions
taco seasoning
1 leek
butter
eggs
Chevre
Yogurt
fruit
Sunday
Lemon garlic roast chicken
1 roasting chicken
1 lemon
1 head of garlic cut in half horizontally
salt and pepper
2 T butter
carrots, onions or other root veg
Rinse and pat dry the chicken carcass. Sprinkle salt and pepper and dried thyme into the cavity. Cut the lemon in quarters and stuff the lemon and garlic into the cavity. Tie the legs together and tuck the wings under. Place chicken in a roasting dish. Melt the butter and paint onto the chicken. Sprinkle more salt, pepper and thyme onto the chicken. Spread carrots, onion quarters or other root vegetables around the chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the veg. Roast for an hour and a half or so at 425 degrees.
Tonight: make the Potato Leek soup for easy heat up dinner on Monday
Monday
Potato Leek Soup
4 c thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
4 c chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ t white pepper
3 strips bacon cut into lardons
¼ c whole milk, half and half or cream
3 T chopped dill
In a dutch oven, sauté bacon until crispy, remove cooked bacon and set aside. Leave all but 2T of bacon fat in the pan. Add the leeks, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add in milk and bacon. Test for seasonings and add accordingly. Garnish with dill.
Tuesday
Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce
1.5 lbs chicken breasts (2-3)
1/2 c almond flour
1/2 t tarragon
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 c mushrooms (any kind) destemmed and sliced
1/3 c dry sherry
1 c chicken stock
1 bunch of kale, roughly chopped
Preheat oven to 350. In a large ziploc, combine almond flour with tarragon through black pepper. Shake chicken in flour mixture. Preheat olive oil in dutch oven over medium high heat. Once hot, add chicken and brown on both sides. Place chicken in a roasting pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. In the meantime, reduce skillet to medium, add butter and scrape brown bits. Stir in garlic and staute for 30 seconds, add mushrooms and kale and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add sherry and chicken broth, bring to a simmer. Let simmer until vegetables are cooked. Spoon over cooked chicken.
Wednesday
Steak and Chorizo Fajitas
1 lb beef stir fry strips
1 lb chorizo
3 peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1/4 c taco seasoning
In a hot skillet, sear the beef strips, in batches if necessary. Remove from pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-high and add chorizo. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add sliced veg and saute until al dente. Add steak and accumulated juices back into skillet. Add taco seasoning plus 1/3 c of water. Simmer until most of liquid is gone. Serve over shredded lettuce if desired.
Thursday
Leek and Mushroom Frittata
1 leek, sliced thin
1 c sliced mushrooms
2 T butter
8 eggs
4 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled
Chevre
Preheat oven to 350. In an ovenproof skillet, melt 1T butter. Saute veg until tender, set aside. Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl. Mix veg into the eggs with salt and pepper. Melt remaining T of butter in skillet. Pour egg/veg mixture into skillet. Transfer to oven and cook for approximately 12 minutes. In the meantime, cook bacon and crumble. Sprinkle bacon and chevre over fritatta.
Friday: free night out!
Grocery List
1 roasting chicken
1 lemon
2 heads of garlic
carrots or other root veg
2 leeks
5 c chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes
nitrate free bacon
whole milk, half and half or cream
fresh dill
1.5 lbs chicken breasts (2-3)
almond flour
2 c mushrooms (any kind)
dry sherry
1 bunch of kale
1 lb beef stir fry strips
1 lb chorizo
3 peppers
2 onions
taco seasoning
1 leek
butter
eggs
Chevre
Yogurt
fruit
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Hangover Week
Not literally, but after the weekend we had filled with celebrities and glamour in L.A., it's going to be very challenging to get back to the real world. I am looking forward to home cooked food, however. Sorry, there's no Sunday dinner! (We just got home)
Monday
Brats and cabbage (i just really loved this, so here it is again)
4 brats
2T butter
1 onion sliced
1 head of cabbage, quartered and thinly sliced (core removed)
1 tart apple, peeled and grated
1T honey
¼ c red wine
¼ c apple cider vinegar, plus a splash
¼ c water
Salt and pepper
In a medium pot or Dutch oven, cook the onions in the butter over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple, brown sugar, wine, vinegar, and water, and bring up to a simmer, stirring. Cover and braise for 30 minutes, stirring once and checking on the texture. Cook a little less for a firmer cabbage; a little more for softer cabbage.
Add a small splash of cider vinegar just before serving.
In the meantime, grill the brats, or brown in a separate skillet or grill pan
Tuesday
Homemade pork sausage with kale and leeks
1 lb ground pork
1 bunch kale
1 leek
1/2 t dried sage
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried rosemary
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 t kosher salt
Mix herbs and salt with ground pork. Brown pork in a dutch oven. add sliced leek and saute until translucent. Add kale andd saute until wilted. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Wednesday
Seared Chicken Breasts with roasted vegetables
2-3 chicken breasts
carrots
1 turnip
mushrooms
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c diced onion
Cut turnip into cubes, cut carrots into 1 inch pieces. Add mushrooms, turnips and carrots to a lightly buttered baking dish. Put into a 400 degree oven. Season chicken breasts with dried thyme, salt and pepper. Melt 1 T butter in a dutch oven. Add chicken and brown both sides. Remove and set on a plate. Add onion to dutch oven and saute until translucent. Add white wine and scrape bits off bottom of pan. Add chicken broth and put chicken back into pan. Reduce heat and cover. Cook until cooked through and vegetables are roasted through.
Thursday
Grilled sirloin steaks with greens and maple glazed carrots
3 sirloins
1 bunch of any kind of greens
1T lemon zest
baby carrots
2T maple syrup
Cut carrots lengthwise. Melt 1-2T butter in a skillet. Add carrots and saute for 10 minutes. Add maple syrup and appx 3T water. Seaon with salt and pepper. Turn heat on low and saute until cooked through.
Melt 1 T of butter in a dutch oven. Add cut up greens and stir until wilted. Add salt, pepper and zest. Cook until desired doneness.
Season steaks with salt and pepper. Grill until desired doneness.
Friday
Free night out!
Grocery List
4 brats
2 onions
1 head of cabbage
1 tart apple
honey
red wine
apple cider vinegar, plus a splash
1 lb ground pork
1 bunch kale
1 leek
2-3 chicken breasts
carrots
1 turnip
mushrooms
white wine
chicken broth
3 sirloins
1 lemon
baby carrots
maple syrup
8-10 2% fage yogurt
apples
pears
plums
Monday
Brats and cabbage (i just really loved this, so here it is again)
4 brats
2T butter
1 onion sliced
1 head of cabbage, quartered and thinly sliced (core removed)
1 tart apple, peeled and grated
1T honey
¼ c red wine
¼ c apple cider vinegar, plus a splash
¼ c water
Salt and pepper
In a medium pot or Dutch oven, cook the onions in the butter over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple, brown sugar, wine, vinegar, and water, and bring up to a simmer, stirring. Cover and braise for 30 minutes, stirring once and checking on the texture. Cook a little less for a firmer cabbage; a little more for softer cabbage.
Add a small splash of cider vinegar just before serving.
In the meantime, grill the brats, or brown in a separate skillet or grill pan
Tuesday
Homemade pork sausage with kale and leeks
1 lb ground pork
1 bunch kale
1 leek
1/2 t dried sage
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried rosemary
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 t kosher salt
Mix herbs and salt with ground pork. Brown pork in a dutch oven. add sliced leek and saute until translucent. Add kale andd saute until wilted. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Wednesday
Seared Chicken Breasts with roasted vegetables
2-3 chicken breasts
carrots
1 turnip
mushrooms
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c diced onion
Cut turnip into cubes, cut carrots into 1 inch pieces. Add mushrooms, turnips and carrots to a lightly buttered baking dish. Put into a 400 degree oven. Season chicken breasts with dried thyme, salt and pepper. Melt 1 T butter in a dutch oven. Add chicken and brown both sides. Remove and set on a plate. Add onion to dutch oven and saute until translucent. Add white wine and scrape bits off bottom of pan. Add chicken broth and put chicken back into pan. Reduce heat and cover. Cook until cooked through and vegetables are roasted through.
Thursday
Grilled sirloin steaks with greens and maple glazed carrots
3 sirloins
1 bunch of any kind of greens
1T lemon zest
baby carrots
2T maple syrup
Cut carrots lengthwise. Melt 1-2T butter in a skillet. Add carrots and saute for 10 minutes. Add maple syrup and appx 3T water. Seaon with salt and pepper. Turn heat on low and saute until cooked through.
Melt 1 T of butter in a dutch oven. Add cut up greens and stir until wilted. Add salt, pepper and zest. Cook until desired doneness.
Season steaks with salt and pepper. Grill until desired doneness.
Friday
Free night out!
Grocery List
4 brats
2 onions
1 head of cabbage
1 tart apple
honey
red wine
apple cider vinegar, plus a splash
1 lb ground pork
1 bunch kale
1 leek
2-3 chicken breasts
carrots
1 turnip
mushrooms
white wine
chicken broth
3 sirloins
1 lemon
baby carrots
maple syrup
8-10 2% fage yogurt
apples
pears
plums
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Further Proof
Analysis by a non-paleo doctor citing the dangers of grains to our bodies:
8 reasons wheat is making you gain
How this information is not included on a mass health advisory is beyond me.
8 reasons wheat is making you gain
How this information is not included on a mass health advisory is beyond me.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
L.A. Week
Tyler and I leave for Los Angeles on Thursday night, so it's a short week for us. But, a full week of Paleo! (Let's hope) It's also supposed to be 80+ degrees on Friday, so that means bikini weather, which equals a very light meal plan this week! Can't have any bloat!
Sunday
Rotisserie chicken
roasted root vegetables
homemade chunky applesauce
Roasted root veg:
turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, whatever cut into relateively equal sizes
dried thyme
olive oil
salt and pepper
Shake everything together in a ziploc. Lay the veg out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so until veg is slightly brown and cooked through.
Homemade applesauce:
2-3 apples, peeled and diced
1/2 c water
2t cinnamon
Pour everything into a sauce pan and cook on medium-low until reduced and apples are very soft. Stir periodically so that the apples start to disintegrate, adding more liquid if necessary. If your apples are really tart and some sweetness is needed, add a little honey.
Tonight: marinate the chicken pieces for lemon chicken, see below
Monday
Baked lemon chicken
2 chicken leg halves
1 chicken breast
juice of 1 lemon
1/2c white wine
dried thyme
1/4c minced shallot
salt and pepper
Shake marinade in a big ziploc. Add chicken pieces. If not done the night before, let sit for 15-20 minutes. Melt 2T of butter in an oven proof skillet or dutch oven. Save the bag of marinade. When just starting to brown, put chicken, skin side down, into pan to brown. Flip and let brown for another 1-2 minutes. With chicken still in the pan, add the marinade and wait for the steam to clear. If more liquid is needed to have a thin layer on the bottom, add some wine or chicken broth. Put the whole pan into a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
Sauted zucchini and peppers
1 zucchini
1 red bell pepper
salt and pepper
Melt 1T butter and 1T olive oil. Once hot, add sliced zucchini and pepper. Saute until al dente. Season with salt and pepper.
Tuesday
Grilled Tri-tip
2 thinly cut tri-tip steaks
salt and pepper
Pretty self explanatory--grill until reached desired doneness
Sauteed mushrooms and onions
1 package presliced mushrooms
1 sliced onion
dried thyme
1T balsamic vinegar
Start this before putting the steaks on the grill. Melt 1-2T butter in a skillet. Add mushrooms and onions and saute over medium low heat until softened. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Once mushrooms start to brown a little, add the balsamic and stir to combine. Leave on low until steaks are ready
Maple glazed carrots
15-20 baby carrots cut in half, lengthwise
2T pure maple syrup
salt and pepper
Start the carrots after the mushrooms/onions are in the pan but before putting the steaks on the grill. Melt 1T butter and add carrots. Saute until softened. Add maple syrup and 1T water. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking on low until cooked to desired doneness.
Wednesday
Salmon en Papillote
2 fish filets
1 pepper sliced
1 lemon, sliced
fresh dill
Preheat oven to 400. Cut two parchment paper hearts. Salt and pepper the fish, lay on the bottom half of the heart on top of two lemon slices. Place peppers around fish. Lay dill fronds on fish. Slice a little butter and put on top of dill, place lemon slices on top. Splash a little wine on peppers. Fold edges of parchment paper and put fish on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
Thursday
Portobello mushrooms with spinach and goat cheese
4-6 portobellos, stems removed
Baby spinach
Grated raw goat cheese
2 T olive oil
Salt/pepper
Brush mushrooms with olive oil, place spinach on cap, top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Grocery List
rotisserie chicken
bag of baby carrots
turnip/sweet potatos/rutabega/other root veg
4-5 apples
2 chicken leg halves
1 chicken breast
2 lemons
white wine
shallot
1-2 small zucchini
2 red bell peppers
1 sweet onion
1 package pre-sliced mushrooms
2 tri-tip steaks
pure maple syrup
fresh dill
2 salmon filets
4-6 portobello mushrooms
baby spinach
raw goat cheese
1 bag salad (for lunches of left over salmon and mushrooms)
8-10 2% fage greek yogurt
pears
pluots
any other seasonal fruit for lunches
mixed nuts
Sunday
Rotisserie chicken
roasted root vegetables
homemade chunky applesauce
Roasted root veg:
turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, whatever cut into relateively equal sizes
dried thyme
olive oil
salt and pepper
Shake everything together in a ziploc. Lay the veg out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so until veg is slightly brown and cooked through.
Homemade applesauce:
2-3 apples, peeled and diced
1/2 c water
2t cinnamon
Pour everything into a sauce pan and cook on medium-low until reduced and apples are very soft. Stir periodically so that the apples start to disintegrate, adding more liquid if necessary. If your apples are really tart and some sweetness is needed, add a little honey.
Tonight: marinate the chicken pieces for lemon chicken, see below
Monday
Baked lemon chicken
2 chicken leg halves
1 chicken breast
juice of 1 lemon
1/2c white wine
dried thyme
1/4c minced shallot
salt and pepper
Shake marinade in a big ziploc. Add chicken pieces. If not done the night before, let sit for 15-20 minutes. Melt 2T of butter in an oven proof skillet or dutch oven. Save the bag of marinade. When just starting to brown, put chicken, skin side down, into pan to brown. Flip and let brown for another 1-2 minutes. With chicken still in the pan, add the marinade and wait for the steam to clear. If more liquid is needed to have a thin layer on the bottom, add some wine or chicken broth. Put the whole pan into a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
Sauted zucchini and peppers
1 zucchini
1 red bell pepper
salt and pepper
Melt 1T butter and 1T olive oil. Once hot, add sliced zucchini and pepper. Saute until al dente. Season with salt and pepper.
Tuesday
Grilled Tri-tip
2 thinly cut tri-tip steaks
salt and pepper
Pretty self explanatory--grill until reached desired doneness
Sauteed mushrooms and onions
1 package presliced mushrooms
1 sliced onion
dried thyme
1T balsamic vinegar
Start this before putting the steaks on the grill. Melt 1-2T butter in a skillet. Add mushrooms and onions and saute over medium low heat until softened. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Once mushrooms start to brown a little, add the balsamic and stir to combine. Leave on low until steaks are ready
Maple glazed carrots
15-20 baby carrots cut in half, lengthwise
2T pure maple syrup
salt and pepper
Start the carrots after the mushrooms/onions are in the pan but before putting the steaks on the grill. Melt 1T butter and add carrots. Saute until softened. Add maple syrup and 1T water. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking on low until cooked to desired doneness.
Wednesday
Salmon en Papillote
2 fish filets
1 pepper sliced
1 lemon, sliced
fresh dill
Preheat oven to 400. Cut two parchment paper hearts. Salt and pepper the fish, lay on the bottom half of the heart on top of two lemon slices. Place peppers around fish. Lay dill fronds on fish. Slice a little butter and put on top of dill, place lemon slices on top. Splash a little wine on peppers. Fold edges of parchment paper and put fish on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
Thursday
Portobello mushrooms with spinach and goat cheese
4-6 portobellos, stems removed
Baby spinach
Grated raw goat cheese
2 T olive oil
Salt/pepper
Brush mushrooms with olive oil, place spinach on cap, top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Grocery List
rotisserie chicken
bag of baby carrots
turnip/sweet potatos/rutabega/other root veg
4-5 apples
2 chicken leg halves
1 chicken breast
2 lemons
white wine
shallot
1-2 small zucchini
2 red bell peppers
1 sweet onion
1 package pre-sliced mushrooms
2 tri-tip steaks
pure maple syrup
fresh dill
2 salmon filets
4-6 portobello mushrooms
baby spinach
raw goat cheese
1 bag salad (for lunches of left over salmon and mushrooms)
8-10 2% fage greek yogurt
pears
pluots
any other seasonal fruit for lunches
mixed nuts
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Sunnyside Week
Tyler and I leave for Sunnyside after work on Friday to hang with the in-laws and drink lots of wine. So, the Friday challenge will be to have a paleo approved lunch on Friday because a typical "Friday dinner" (seafood)where leftovers probably won't work, is scheduled for Thursday. So, this is a good test or one of those 10 percent times when there's room for a treat. As usual, Friday dinner is a free night out--I love my Friday date nights. Although, this Friday date night dinner will be courtesy of my mother-in-law.
Anyway, it's supposed to be rainy this week, so more comfort food. I think the point has been made as far as breakfasts, snacks and leftovers for lunch. So, I've just put the dinners on the weekly plan.
Sunday
potato leek soup
4 c thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
4 c chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ t white pepper
3 strips bacon cut into lardons
¼ c whole milk, half and half or cream
3 T chopped dill
In a dutch oven, sauté bacon until crispy, remove cooked bacon and set aside. Leave all but 2T of bacon fat in the pan. Add the leeks, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add in milk and bacon. Test for seasonings and add accordingly. Garnish with dill.
Monday
pork with chard
4 pork loin chops
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup golden raisins or dried currants
1 bunch chard, tough stem centers removed (if any) and discarded, greens chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Roughly 1/2 cup dry white wine or water
Salt and pepper to taste
Add the olive oil to the pan and swirl it around. Brown the pork on both sides. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm. To the pan, Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds; the pan should already be hot, so it won't take long for the garlic to begin to brown. Add back the pine nuts, add the currants or raisins and the greens and mix well. Sauté, stirring often, until the greens wilt and begin to give up some of their water, 4-5 minutes.
Sprinkle a little salt and red pepper flakes on the greens. Add the white wine (can substitute water) and add the pork (and all accumulated juices) back to the pan. Toss to combine and let the liquid boil away. Once the liquid boils off, remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Tuesday
brats with braised cabbage
4 brats
2T butter
1 onion sliced
1 head of cabbage, quartered and thinly sliced (core removed)
1 tart apple, peeled and grated
1T honey
¼ c red wine
¼ c apple cider vinegar, plus a splash
¼ c water
Salt and pepper
In a medium pot or Dutch oven, cook the onions in the butter over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple, honey, wine, vinegar, and water, and bring up to a simmer, stirring. Cover and braise for 30 minutes, stirring once and checking on the texture. Cook a little less for a firmer cabbage; a little more for softer cabbage.
Add a small splash of cider vinegar just before serving.
In the meantime, grill the brats, or brown in a separate skillet or grill pan
Wednesday
chicken with squash/carrots
1 whole chicken cut into pieces (you can buy it this way at the store)
2 zucchini cut into ¼ inch slices
4 carrots cut into ¼ inch slices
2T melted butter
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400. Melt butter in a dutch oven. Salt and pepper the chicken then brown chicken in dutch oven working batches—don’t clean out! Put into a baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. In the meantime, cut the veg and put into the dutch oven and sauté until cooked. Season with salt and pepper
Thursday
scallops and bok choy
Ginger Butter Sauce (make first)
2T minced shallot
4t minced fresh ginger
¼ c dry white wine
4T cold butter cut into pieces
½ t salt
Pinch of cayenne
In a medium saute pan, combine the shallots, ginger, wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced in by 1/2, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, adding each piece before the previous piece has been completely incorporated. Continue until all the butter is incorporated and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, removing the pan from the heat periodically to prevent the sauce from getting too hot and breaking. Whisk in the salt, and cayenne. If you want a smooth sauce, strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pan. Cover to keep warm while cooking the scallops.
10 diver scallops
4 heads baby bok choy
1 shallot
2t minced garlic
1t minced ginger
6 oz sliced mushrooms (shitake, cremini, white, whatever)
½ c chicken stock or water
Salt and pepper
In a large saute pan, heat 1t olive oil and 1t of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the bok choy stems and mushrooms and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the bok choy leaves, stock and salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until wilted and the liquid is nearly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
In a large clean saute pan or skillet, heat the remaining 2T butter over medium-high heat. Add the scallops in batches and sear on the first side for about 2 minutes, then turn and cook for about 1 minute on the second side.
Arrange the bok choy mixture in the center of plates. Arrange the scallops on top and drizzle with the ginger butter sauce. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.
Grocery List:
2 large leeks
2 cartons chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes
bacon
whole milk, half and half or cream
dill
4 pork loin chops
1 bulb garlic
golden raisins or dried currants (unless you have some from last week)
1 bunch chard
1 bottle dry white wine
4 brats
butter
1 onion
1 head of cabbage
1 tart apple
honey
1 bottle red wine
apple cider vinegar
1 whole chicken cut into pieces (you can buy it this way at the store)
2 zucchini
4 carrots
2 shallots
2 pieces ginger
10 diver scallops
4 heads baby bok choy
6 oz mushrooms (shitake, cremini, white, whatever)
Apples
Pears
Nuts
Pluots or plums
8 fage 2% greek yogurts
Anyway, it's supposed to be rainy this week, so more comfort food. I think the point has been made as far as breakfasts, snacks and leftovers for lunch. So, I've just put the dinners on the weekly plan.
Sunday
potato leek soup
4 c thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
4 c chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ t white pepper
3 strips bacon cut into lardons
¼ c whole milk, half and half or cream
3 T chopped dill
In a dutch oven, sauté bacon until crispy, remove cooked bacon and set aside. Leave all but 2T of bacon fat in the pan. Add the leeks, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add in milk and bacon. Test for seasonings and add accordingly. Garnish with dill.
Monday
pork with chard
4 pork loin chops
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup golden raisins or dried currants
1 bunch chard, tough stem centers removed (if any) and discarded, greens chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Roughly 1/2 cup dry white wine or water
Salt and pepper to taste
Add the olive oil to the pan and swirl it around. Brown the pork on both sides. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm. To the pan, Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds; the pan should already be hot, so it won't take long for the garlic to begin to brown. Add back the pine nuts, add the currants or raisins and the greens and mix well. Sauté, stirring often, until the greens wilt and begin to give up some of their water, 4-5 minutes.
Sprinkle a little salt and red pepper flakes on the greens. Add the white wine (can substitute water) and add the pork (and all accumulated juices) back to the pan. Toss to combine and let the liquid boil away. Once the liquid boils off, remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Tuesday
brats with braised cabbage
4 brats
2T butter
1 onion sliced
1 head of cabbage, quartered and thinly sliced (core removed)
1 tart apple, peeled and grated
1T honey
¼ c red wine
¼ c apple cider vinegar, plus a splash
¼ c water
Salt and pepper
In a medium pot or Dutch oven, cook the onions in the butter over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple, honey, wine, vinegar, and water, and bring up to a simmer, stirring. Cover and braise for 30 minutes, stirring once and checking on the texture. Cook a little less for a firmer cabbage; a little more for softer cabbage.
Add a small splash of cider vinegar just before serving.
In the meantime, grill the brats, or brown in a separate skillet or grill pan
Wednesday
chicken with squash/carrots
1 whole chicken cut into pieces (you can buy it this way at the store)
2 zucchini cut into ¼ inch slices
4 carrots cut into ¼ inch slices
2T melted butter
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400. Melt butter in a dutch oven. Salt and pepper the chicken then brown chicken in dutch oven working batches—don’t clean out! Put into a baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. In the meantime, cut the veg and put into the dutch oven and sauté until cooked. Season with salt and pepper
Thursday
scallops and bok choy
Ginger Butter Sauce (make first)
2T minced shallot
4t minced fresh ginger
¼ c dry white wine
4T cold butter cut into pieces
½ t salt
Pinch of cayenne
In a medium saute pan, combine the shallots, ginger, wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced in by 1/2, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, adding each piece before the previous piece has been completely incorporated. Continue until all the butter is incorporated and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, removing the pan from the heat periodically to prevent the sauce from getting too hot and breaking. Whisk in the salt, and cayenne. If you want a smooth sauce, strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pan. Cover to keep warm while cooking the scallops.
10 diver scallops
4 heads baby bok choy
1 shallot
2t minced garlic
1t minced ginger
6 oz sliced mushrooms (shitake, cremini, white, whatever)
½ c chicken stock or water
Salt and pepper
In a large saute pan, heat 1t olive oil and 1t of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the bok choy stems and mushrooms and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the bok choy leaves, stock and salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until wilted and the liquid is nearly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
In a large clean saute pan or skillet, heat the remaining 2T butter over medium-high heat. Add the scallops in batches and sear on the first side for about 2 minutes, then turn and cook for about 1 minute on the second side.
Arrange the bok choy mixture in the center of plates. Arrange the scallops on top and drizzle with the ginger butter sauce. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.
Grocery List:
2 large leeks
2 cartons chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes
bacon
whole milk, half and half or cream
dill
4 pork loin chops
1 bulb garlic
golden raisins or dried currants (unless you have some from last week)
1 bunch chard
1 bottle dry white wine
4 brats
butter
1 onion
1 head of cabbage
1 tart apple
honey
1 bottle red wine
apple cider vinegar
1 whole chicken cut into pieces (you can buy it this way at the store)
2 zucchini
4 carrots
2 shallots
2 pieces ginger
10 diver scallops
4 heads baby bok choy
6 oz mushrooms (shitake, cremini, white, whatever)
Apples
Pears
Nuts
Pluots or plums
8 fage 2% greek yogurts
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Easy Week
Who loved last week's stir fry? Oh man, it was good and will definitely make a future appearance. This week is all about simplicity. Easy, easy, easy. And, time to break out that crock pot!
Sunday Dinner
Chicken Chili Verde
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (10-11)
5 garlic cloves, not peeled
2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles
1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned and chopped
2 chicken leg halves and 1 bone in chicken breast
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 Tbsp of dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Pinch of ground cloves
Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down, along with 5 unpeeled garlic cloves, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin. Remove from oven, let cool enough to handle.
Roast the poblano or anaheim chilis over a gas flame or under the broiler until blackened all around. Let cool in a bag, remove the skin, seeds, and stem.
Place tomatillos, skins included, into blender. Remove the now roasted garlic cloves from their skins, add them to the blender. Add chopped Jalapeño peppers, other chilies, and cilantro to the blender. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed dutch oven over medium high heat and brown chicken well on all sides. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, lift chicken out of pan and place in bowl, set aside.
Pour off excess fat, anything beyond a tablespoon, and place the onions and garlic in the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until limp, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan. Add the oregano to the pan. Add the tomatillo chile verde sauce to the chicken and onions. Add the chicken stock (enough to cover the meat). Add a pinch of ground cloves. Add a little salt and pepper. (Not too much as the chile verde will continue to cook down and concentrate a bit.)
Bring to a boil and reduce to a slight simmer. Cook for 1 hour or so uncovered or until the chicken is cooked through.
Prep tonight: pre-chop the veg for the pot roast and pre-brown the meat. I put my browned roast in my crock pot and put that in the fridge. That way, I just pull out the crock pot, dump in the veg and stock and push start before running out the door to work.
Monday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over chili verde
Snack: radishes
Dinner:
Italian pot roast
3-4 lb pot roast
1-2 turnips cut into cubes
10-12 cremini mushrooms
1-2 yams or sweet potatoes cut into cubes
1-2 cups of baby carrots
1 onion cut into chunks
1T dried thyme
Salt and pepper
1 large can San Marzano tomatoes (or other organic tomatoes)
2-3 cups beef stock
Season the roast generously with salt and pepper. Brown the roast on all sides in a little olive oil. Put the roast, thyme and all the veg (including tomatoes—undrained!) into a crock pot. Add enough stock to where the roast is almost covered. Set the crock pot on low and cook for 8 hours.
Tuesday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over pot roast
Snack: radishes
Dinner:
Seared pork loins with kale
4 pork loin chops
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup golden raisins or dried currants
1 bunch kale, tough stem centers removed (if any) and discarded, greens chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Roughly 1/2 cup dry white wine or water
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a large sauté pan hot on medium-high heat and add the pine nuts. Toast them until they are fragrant and begin to brown. Pay attention as pine nuts burn easily. Stir or toss the nuts frequently. Once they are toasted, remove from pan and set aside.
Add the olive oil to the pan and swirl it around. Brown the pork on both sides. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm. To the pan, Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds; the pan should already be hot, so it won't take long for the garlic to begin to brown. Add back the pine nuts, add the currants or raisins and the greens and mix well. Sauté, stirring often, until the greens wilt and begin to give up some of their water, 4-5 minutes.
Sprinkle a little salt and red pepper flakes on the greens. Add the white wine (can substitute water) and add the pork (and all accumulated juices) back to the pan. Toss to combine and let the liquid boil away. Once the liquid boils off, remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Wednesday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over pork with kale
Dinner:
Salmon en papillote with zucchini
3 salmon filets
1-2 lemons sliced (zest one of the lemons and reserve for Thursday dinner)
½ onion sliced
Fresh dill fronds
Salt and peper
Preheat oven to 400. Cut two (or three) parchment paper hearts. Salt and pepper the fish, lay two slices of lemon on one half of the heart and put the fish on top, place onions around fish. Lay some fresh dill fronds on top of the fish. Slice a little butter and put on top of the dill, place lemon slices on top. Splash a little wine on onions. Fold edges of parchment paper and put fish on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
In the meantime, slice the zucchini into half moons and sauté with some butter, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Thursday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over salmon salad
Snack: fruit
Grilled sirloin steaks with spinach
3-4 sirloin steaks
1 bunch spinach
1T lemon zest
Dried currants or golden raisins
¼ c white wine
Season steaks with salt and pepper, then brush with olive oil. Grill for approximately 4 minutes each side, or to desired doneness.
While steak is grilling, put spinach in hot pan, wilt briefly, add wine and raisins/currants. Once wilted and water has cooked out, add lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Friday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over steak salad
Snack: fruit
Dinner: free night out!
Grocery List
1 ½ lbs tomatillos
Garlic bulb
2 jalepenos
5 anaheim or poblano chilis
Cilantro
2 chicken leg halves
1 bone in chicken breast
4 onions
Chicken stock
3-4 lb pot roast
1-2 turnips
10-12 cremini mushrooms
1-2 yams or sweet potatoes
1 bag baby carrots
1 large can San Marzano tomatoes
Beef stock
4 pork loins chops
Pine nuts
Golden raisins or dried currants
1 bunch kale
3 salmon filets
2 lemons
Fresh dill
2 zucchini
1 bunch spinach
3-4 sirloin steaks
Bag salad
Peaches
8-10 yogurts
Plums
1 bunch radishes
Sunday Dinner
Chicken Chili Verde
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (10-11)
5 garlic cloves, not peeled
2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles
1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned and chopped
2 chicken leg halves and 1 bone in chicken breast
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 Tbsp of dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Pinch of ground cloves
Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down, along with 5 unpeeled garlic cloves, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin. Remove from oven, let cool enough to handle.
Roast the poblano or anaheim chilis over a gas flame or under the broiler until blackened all around. Let cool in a bag, remove the skin, seeds, and stem.
Place tomatillos, skins included, into blender. Remove the now roasted garlic cloves from their skins, add them to the blender. Add chopped Jalapeño peppers, other chilies, and cilantro to the blender. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed dutch oven over medium high heat and brown chicken well on all sides. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, lift chicken out of pan and place in bowl, set aside.
Pour off excess fat, anything beyond a tablespoon, and place the onions and garlic in the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until limp, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan. Add the oregano to the pan. Add the tomatillo chile verde sauce to the chicken and onions. Add the chicken stock (enough to cover the meat). Add a pinch of ground cloves. Add a little salt and pepper. (Not too much as the chile verde will continue to cook down and concentrate a bit.)
Bring to a boil and reduce to a slight simmer. Cook for 1 hour or so uncovered or until the chicken is cooked through.
Prep tonight: pre-chop the veg for the pot roast and pre-brown the meat. I put my browned roast in my crock pot and put that in the fridge. That way, I just pull out the crock pot, dump in the veg and stock and push start before running out the door to work.
Monday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over chili verde
Snack: radishes
Dinner:
Italian pot roast
3-4 lb pot roast
1-2 turnips cut into cubes
10-12 cremini mushrooms
1-2 yams or sweet potatoes cut into cubes
1-2 cups of baby carrots
1 onion cut into chunks
1T dried thyme
Salt and pepper
1 large can San Marzano tomatoes (or other organic tomatoes)
2-3 cups beef stock
Season the roast generously with salt and pepper. Brown the roast on all sides in a little olive oil. Put the roast, thyme and all the veg (including tomatoes—undrained!) into a crock pot. Add enough stock to where the roast is almost covered. Set the crock pot on low and cook for 8 hours.
Tuesday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over pot roast
Snack: radishes
Dinner:
Seared pork loins with kale
4 pork loin chops
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup golden raisins or dried currants
1 bunch kale, tough stem centers removed (if any) and discarded, greens chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Roughly 1/2 cup dry white wine or water
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a large sauté pan hot on medium-high heat and add the pine nuts. Toast them until they are fragrant and begin to brown. Pay attention as pine nuts burn easily. Stir or toss the nuts frequently. Once they are toasted, remove from pan and set aside.
Add the olive oil to the pan and swirl it around. Brown the pork on both sides. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm. To the pan, Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds; the pan should already be hot, so it won't take long for the garlic to begin to brown. Add back the pine nuts, add the currants or raisins and the greens and mix well. Sauté, stirring often, until the greens wilt and begin to give up some of their water, 4-5 minutes.
Sprinkle a little salt and red pepper flakes on the greens. Add the white wine (can substitute water) and add the pork (and all accumulated juices) back to the pan. Toss to combine and let the liquid boil away. Once the liquid boils off, remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Wednesday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over pork with kale
Dinner:
Salmon en papillote with zucchini
3 salmon filets
1-2 lemons sliced (zest one of the lemons and reserve for Thursday dinner)
½ onion sliced
Fresh dill fronds
Salt and peper
Preheat oven to 400. Cut two (or three) parchment paper hearts. Salt and pepper the fish, lay two slices of lemon on one half of the heart and put the fish on top, place onions around fish. Lay some fresh dill fronds on top of the fish. Slice a little butter and put on top of the dill, place lemon slices on top. Splash a little wine on onions. Fold edges of parchment paper and put fish on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
In the meantime, slice the zucchini into half moons and sauté with some butter, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Thursday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over salmon salad
Snack: fruit
Grilled sirloin steaks with spinach
3-4 sirloin steaks
1 bunch spinach
1T lemon zest
Dried currants or golden raisins
¼ c white wine
Season steaks with salt and pepper, then brush with olive oil. Grill for approximately 4 minutes each side, or to desired doneness.
While steak is grilling, put spinach in hot pan, wilt briefly, add wine and raisins/currants. Once wilted and water has cooked out, add lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Friday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over steak salad
Snack: fruit
Dinner: free night out!
Grocery List
1 ½ lbs tomatillos
Garlic bulb
2 jalepenos
5 anaheim or poblano chilis
Cilantro
2 chicken leg halves
1 bone in chicken breast
4 onions
Chicken stock
3-4 lb pot roast
1-2 turnips
10-12 cremini mushrooms
1-2 yams or sweet potatoes
1 bag baby carrots
1 large can San Marzano tomatoes
Beef stock
4 pork loins chops
Pine nuts
Golden raisins or dried currants
1 bunch kale
3 salmon filets
2 lemons
Fresh dill
2 zucchini
1 bunch spinach
3-4 sirloin steaks
Bag salad
Peaches
8-10 yogurts
Plums
1 bunch radishes
Saturday, September 17, 2011
First Week of Fall
I don't know if it's officially fall, but it sure feels like it's here. Lots of hearty food this week but incorporating the end-of-summer produce.
Sunday Dinner: Paleo Lasagne
1 diced onion
4 cloves minced garlic
½ lb lean ground beef
1 lb Italian sausage
1 lb ground veal
2 T dried oregano
1 T Italian seasoning
1 t cayenne pepper
1t sea salt
1t pepper
1 14 oz can diced san marzano tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
5-6 zucchini thinly sliced lengthwise with a mandolin
1 can sliced olives
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
In a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan, sauté onions and garlic in 1T olive oil until translucent. Add meat and brown. Drain fat from meat. Add seasoning and stir. Add olives, drained diced tomatoes and tomato paste. In a lasagna pan (9x13 sprayed with pam) ladle some sauce and layer with tomato mixture. Add a layer of zucchini. Repeat layers ending with meat mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle some shredded parm on top. Broil until brown.
Monday
Breakfast: Yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over lasagne
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Chicken Piccata with sautéed zucchini
Chicken Piccata
(courtesy of Everyday Paleo)
4 butterflied boneless skinless chicken breasts
2T butter
Salt and pepper
6 minced garlic cloves
3 diced green onions
¼ c white wine
½ cup chicken stock or broth
Juice from 1 lemon
3 T capers
Pound out butterflied chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise and season both sides with salt/pepper. Heat butter over medium-high heat. Cook chicken on both sides for 3-5 minutes each side. Put on a plate and cover to keep warm. To the same pan, add a teaspoon of olive oil, garlic and onions. Sauté for two minutes, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the wine, chicken stock, lemon juice and capers. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until reduced. Put chicken back into pan for about a minute to reheat. Serve with sauce.
While chicken is browning, sauté 2-3 sliced zucchinis in a separate pan with 1T butter and 1T olive oil, salt and pepper.
Prep tonight: if you didn’t buy pre-sliced stir fry beef, slice your beef very thinly and put into marinade (see recipe below). Pre-chop broccoli into florets
Tuesday:
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over chicken piccata
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Five Spice Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry (courtesy of Primal Blueprint)
1 lb stir fry beef
3T wheat free tamari
1 T sesame oil
2t ginger paste
1 minced garlic clove
1 head broccoli in florets and steamed
6 oz bean sprouts
1 red pepper sliced
Red pepper flakes or Thai chili paste
Mix together a marinade of tamari, oil, five spice powder, ginger and garlic. Marinate the beef for at least 15 minutes. Heat up a sauté pan or wok. Add meat and marinade and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add pre-steamed broccoli and red peppers. Sauté for a couple more minutes. Add the sprouts and remove from heat and serve.
Prep tonight: butterfly your chicken breasts for tomorrow night. Make homemade mayo
Homemade mayo (courtesy of Primal Blueprint)
2 egg yolks
1t mustard
1T lemon juice
1c oil
Salt to taste
Whisk (or use an immersion blender with the whisk attachment) yolks, mustard and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in the oil until it has a thick consistency. Season with salt. Will keep for a week in the fridge.
Wednesday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over stir fry
Snack: fruit
Dinner: BLTA Chicken Breast Sandwich (courtesy of Primal Blueprint) with sweet potato fries
2 chicken breasts butterflied (skin on or off)—seasoned with salt and pepper
2 T mayo
4 slices cooked nitrate free bacon
Mixed baby lettuce
1 tomato thinly sliced
1 avocado thinly sliced
First, cook your bacon and set aside. Heat 1t olive oil and 1t butter and sear chicken on both sides. Cover and cook through. In the mean time, slice the tomato and avocado. Place mayo, avocado, tomato and bacon into the butterflied chicken and fold over to make a sandwich.
Sweet Potato Fries
1 large sweet potato cut into thin wedges
1T olive oil
Thyme
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss wedges with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 10 minutes then toss and bake until browned.
Prep tonight: Cranberry Tuna (or Chicken) Salad (courtesy of Primal Blueprint)
12 oz canned tuna (or chicken), drained
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
¼ c finely chopped red onion
¼ c mayo
½ c dried cranberries.
Mix all ingredients together
Make short-rib marinade and marinate short ribs (see below)
Thursday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: Cranberry tuna salad
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Korean-Style Blackberry Short ribs
½ c sesame oil
1c blackberries (fresh or frozen)
¼ c tamari
¼ c ginger slices
1 garlic clove
2T rice wine vinegar
2 lbs beef short ribs
1 bunch scallions
2 red peppers cut into wedges and skewered
Combine ¼ c of sesame oil plus next five ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until a smoothie like consistency. Put ribs into marinade (unless done the night before). Toss scallions in remaining sesame oil. Cook pepper skewers, ribs and scallions on grill 4-6 minutes each side.
Friday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over short ribs
Snack: fruit
Dinner: free night out!
Grocery List
Nitrate free bacon
Eggs
Kerrygold butter
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 lemons
Jar of capers
1 sweet yellow onion
½ lb ground beef
1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 14 oz diced San Marzano tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
5-6 zucchini
1 can sliced olives
Parmesan
1 lb stir fry beef
Wheat free tamari
Sesame oil
Ginger paste
1 large head broccoli
6 oz bean sprouts
3 red bell peppers
1 avocado
8 2% Fage Greek yogurt
Almonds
Macadamia nuts
Jar minced garlic
Bunch green onions
Chicken stock
Mixed greens
1 tomato
1 large sweet potato or yam
1 12 oz can tuna or chicken
Celery
1 red onion
Dried cranberries
Blackberries
Rice wine vinegar
1 large piece of ginger
2 lbs short ribs
Sunday Dinner: Paleo Lasagne
1 diced onion
4 cloves minced garlic
½ lb lean ground beef
1 lb Italian sausage
1 lb ground veal
2 T dried oregano
1 T Italian seasoning
1 t cayenne pepper
1t sea salt
1t pepper
1 14 oz can diced san marzano tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
5-6 zucchini thinly sliced lengthwise with a mandolin
1 can sliced olives
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
In a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan, sauté onions and garlic in 1T olive oil until translucent. Add meat and brown. Drain fat from meat. Add seasoning and stir. Add olives, drained diced tomatoes and tomato paste. In a lasagna pan (9x13 sprayed with pam) ladle some sauce and layer with tomato mixture. Add a layer of zucchini. Repeat layers ending with meat mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle some shredded parm on top. Broil until brown.
Monday
Breakfast: Yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over lasagne
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Chicken Piccata with sautéed zucchini
Chicken Piccata
(courtesy of Everyday Paleo)
4 butterflied boneless skinless chicken breasts
2T butter
Salt and pepper
6 minced garlic cloves
3 diced green onions
¼ c white wine
½ cup chicken stock or broth
Juice from 1 lemon
3 T capers
Pound out butterflied chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise and season both sides with salt/pepper. Heat butter over medium-high heat. Cook chicken on both sides for 3-5 minutes each side. Put on a plate and cover to keep warm. To the same pan, add a teaspoon of olive oil, garlic and onions. Sauté for two minutes, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the wine, chicken stock, lemon juice and capers. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until reduced. Put chicken back into pan for about a minute to reheat. Serve with sauce.
While chicken is browning, sauté 2-3 sliced zucchinis in a separate pan with 1T butter and 1T olive oil, salt and pepper.
Prep tonight: if you didn’t buy pre-sliced stir fry beef, slice your beef very thinly and put into marinade (see recipe below). Pre-chop broccoli into florets
Tuesday:
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over chicken piccata
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Five Spice Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry (courtesy of Primal Blueprint)
1 lb stir fry beef
3T wheat free tamari
1 T sesame oil
2t ginger paste
1 minced garlic clove
1 head broccoli in florets and steamed
6 oz bean sprouts
1 red pepper sliced
Red pepper flakes or Thai chili paste
Mix together a marinade of tamari, oil, five spice powder, ginger and garlic. Marinate the beef for at least 15 minutes. Heat up a sauté pan or wok. Add meat and marinade and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add pre-steamed broccoli and red peppers. Sauté for a couple more minutes. Add the sprouts and remove from heat and serve.
Prep tonight: butterfly your chicken breasts for tomorrow night. Make homemade mayo
Homemade mayo (courtesy of Primal Blueprint)
2 egg yolks
1t mustard
1T lemon juice
1c oil
Salt to taste
Whisk (or use an immersion blender with the whisk attachment) yolks, mustard and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in the oil until it has a thick consistency. Season with salt. Will keep for a week in the fridge.
Wednesday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over stir fry
Snack: fruit
Dinner: BLTA Chicken Breast Sandwich (courtesy of Primal Blueprint) with sweet potato fries
2 chicken breasts butterflied (skin on or off)—seasoned with salt and pepper
2 T mayo
4 slices cooked nitrate free bacon
Mixed baby lettuce
1 tomato thinly sliced
1 avocado thinly sliced
First, cook your bacon and set aside. Heat 1t olive oil and 1t butter and sear chicken on both sides. Cover and cook through. In the mean time, slice the tomato and avocado. Place mayo, avocado, tomato and bacon into the butterflied chicken and fold over to make a sandwich.
Sweet Potato Fries
1 large sweet potato cut into thin wedges
1T olive oil
Thyme
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss wedges with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 10 minutes then toss and bake until browned.
Prep tonight: Cranberry Tuna (or Chicken) Salad (courtesy of Primal Blueprint)
12 oz canned tuna (or chicken), drained
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
¼ c finely chopped red onion
¼ c mayo
½ c dried cranberries.
Mix all ingredients together
Make short-rib marinade and marinate short ribs (see below)
Thursday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: Cranberry tuna salad
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Korean-Style Blackberry Short ribs
½ c sesame oil
1c blackberries (fresh or frozen)
¼ c tamari
¼ c ginger slices
1 garlic clove
2T rice wine vinegar
2 lbs beef short ribs
1 bunch scallions
2 red peppers cut into wedges and skewered
Combine ¼ c of sesame oil plus next five ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until a smoothie like consistency. Put ribs into marinade (unless done the night before). Toss scallions in remaining sesame oil. Cook pepper skewers, ribs and scallions on grill 4-6 minutes each side.
Friday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over short ribs
Snack: fruit
Dinner: free night out!
Grocery List
Nitrate free bacon
Eggs
Kerrygold butter
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 lemons
Jar of capers
1 sweet yellow onion
½ lb ground beef
1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 14 oz diced San Marzano tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
5-6 zucchini
1 can sliced olives
Parmesan
1 lb stir fry beef
Wheat free tamari
Sesame oil
Ginger paste
1 large head broccoli
6 oz bean sprouts
3 red bell peppers
1 avocado
8 2% Fage Greek yogurt
Almonds
Macadamia nuts
Jar minced garlic
Bunch green onions
Chicken stock
Mixed greens
1 tomato
1 large sweet potato or yam
1 12 oz can tuna or chicken
Celery
1 red onion
Dried cranberries
Blackberries
Rice wine vinegar
1 large piece of ginger
2 lbs short ribs
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Indian Summer Week
It's going to be wonderfully sunny and warm this week (at least the first part). So, this week I picked nice bright flavors.
Sunday
Dinner: Flank steak with romesco sauce and side of sautéed mushrooms and onions
Flank steak with romesco sauce
(courtesy of Primal Blueprint)
1 flank steak
1 c cherry tomatoes
¼ c sliced almonds
2 garlic cloves
1 roasted red pepper (from a jar)
¼ c olive oil
1 T red wine or sherry vinegar
½ t red pepper flakes
Put the flank steak on the grill. In the mean time, toast tomatoes almonds and garlic in a pan for about 5 minutes. Put all three in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Pour over steak.
Sauteed mushrooms and onions
2 onions sliced
2 package of pre-sliced mushrooms
2T butter
2T balsamic vinegar or red wine
Salt/pepper
1t dried thyme
Melt the butter in a pan, add mushrooms and onions and a little salt and pepper. Once the onions and mushrooms are softened, add 1T of balsamic vinegar and some thyme. Save half for dinner tomorrow.
Tonight: make the tzaziki sauce, protein fruit balls
Tzaziki sauce:
Dice an English cucumber into small cubes (1/4 inch or smaller). Mix with 1t of salt and set in a sieve to drain for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water. Mix one 16 oz 2% Greek yogurt with the cucumber, 1-2 T dried dill, 1T red wine vinegar, 1T olive oil, and 1T garlic mash (use minced garlic from a jar, smear with the side of a chef’s knife until paste-like).
Protein fruit balls
(courtesy of Primal Blueprint)
4 dates, pits removed
1 cup walnuts
½ cup macadamia nuts
2 T coconut oil, melted
½ fresh berries
½ c unsweetened shredded coconut
Pulverize dates in food processor until a paste—about 40 seconds. Add nuts and blend until very finely chopped. With processor still running, drizzle in coconut oil and sop as soon as the oil is blended. Turn out into a bowl, add berries and ¼ c coconut. Roll into 12 balls and roll in remaining coconut.
Monday
Breakfast: two protein fruit balls
Snack: cucumbers with tzaziki sauce
Lunch: flank steak salad
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Turkey Burgers and sautéed mushrooms and onions
Turkey burgers
1T olive oil
1T butter
2 cloves minced garlic
1.5 lbs ground turkey
¼ c light soy sauce
1T sambal oelek or other Asian chili paste (siracha would work too)
1t ginger paste (look for it by the fresh herbs at the store)
1 8oz can of water chestnuts drained and diced
½ c of fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped
¼ c chopped scallions
Large butter lettuce leaves
Avocado slices
For the burgers: Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and butter. Add the onions, season with salt and bring to a medium-high heat. Cook the onions until they are soft and very aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, soy sauce, sambal oelek, ginger, water chestnuts, cilantro, scallions and the cooked onions and garlic. (Reserve the onion pan to cook the sautéed mushrooms and onions in later.) Add one-quarter to one-half cup water; this will help the burgers stay nice and moist. Using your hands, squish everything together until they are really well combined. Form the mix into 4 equal size patties. Grill for approximately 15-20 minutes, turning once, until cooked through. Wrap in lettuce leaves and top with avocado slices.
Sauteed mushrooms and onions (left over from last night)
Tuesday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: one protein ball
Lunch: Turkey burgers
Snack: cucumbers with tzaziki sauce
Dinner: Halibut crusted with chorizo and almonds
(courtesy of Primal Blueprint)
3 skinned halibut filets
1/3 cup blanched almonds with no skin
1 ½ T roughly chopped parsley
1/3 c (appx. 2.5 ounces) of chopped chorizo salami
Preheat oven to 400. In a food processor, chop chorizo, almonds and parsley until almonds are in small pieces. Drizzle some olive oil in a pan and set the fish on top. Spoon the chorizo mixture on top patting it down to stick. Roast in the oven for 12 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork. Turn the oven on broil and boil for 2-4 minutes until the nuts are brown.
Wednesday
Breakfast: two protein balls
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over halibut salad with balsamic and olive oil dressing and ½ avocado
Snack: fruit or any remaining cucumbers and tzaziki
Dinner: chicken fajitas
4 chicken breasts cut into strips
1 onion
2-3 peppers
Mushrooms
Sear chicken in a hot skillet with a little butter and olive oil. Remove and set aside. Saute veg until just crisp/tender. Add steak back in with accumulated juice, add taco seasoning and sauté until done
Thursday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: one protein ball
Lunch:
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Sauteed pork loins with apple compote and steamed broccoli
(courtesy of Pioneer Woman)
6 boneless pork loins about ½ inch thick
1T olive oil
1T butter
2 diced apples
1 diced sweet onion
½ c dry white wine
2t apple cider vinegar
¾ c pure maple syrup
1t dried thyme
Salt and pepper
Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter and heat until butter in melted.
Salt and pepper both sides of pork chops. Brown them on both sides until nice and golden. Remove pork chops from the skillet and set on a separate plate.
Reduce heat to medium. Add apples, onion and thyme, and stir to combine them with the oil, and butter that remains in the pan. Pour in wine and vinegar, then whisk along the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour in the maple syrup, then add a dash of salt and pepper. Stir, then return pork chops to the pan. Cover the pan and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.
Friday
Breakfast: Yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over pork and broccoli
Snack: fruit
Dinner: free night out!
Grocery List
1 flank steak
cherry tomatoes
sliced almonds
garlic cloves
jarred roasted red pepper
sherry vinegar
4 onions
3 package of pre-sliced mushrooms
2 English cucumbers
16 oz Greek yogurt
Medjool dates
walnuts
macadamia nuts
coconut oil
fresh berries
unsweetened shredded coconut
1.5 lbs ground turkey
light soy sauce
sambal oelek or other Asian chili paste (siracha would work too)
ginger paste (look for it by the fresh herbs at the store)
1 8oz can of water chestnuts drained and diced
cilantro
scallions
butter lettuce leaves
2 avocados
3 skinned halibut filets
blanched almonds with no skin
chorizo salami
4 chicken breasts
2-3 peppers
6 boneless pork loins about ½ inch thick
2 apples
dry white wine
apple cider vinegar
pure maple syrup
melon
peaches
6 2% fage Greek yogurt
Sunday
Dinner: Flank steak with romesco sauce and side of sautéed mushrooms and onions
Flank steak with romesco sauce
(courtesy of Primal Blueprint)
1 flank steak
1 c cherry tomatoes
¼ c sliced almonds
2 garlic cloves
1 roasted red pepper (from a jar)
¼ c olive oil
1 T red wine or sherry vinegar
½ t red pepper flakes
Put the flank steak on the grill. In the mean time, toast tomatoes almonds and garlic in a pan for about 5 minutes. Put all three in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Pour over steak.
Sauteed mushrooms and onions
2 onions sliced
2 package of pre-sliced mushrooms
2T butter
2T balsamic vinegar or red wine
Salt/pepper
1t dried thyme
Melt the butter in a pan, add mushrooms and onions and a little salt and pepper. Once the onions and mushrooms are softened, add 1T of balsamic vinegar and some thyme. Save half for dinner tomorrow.
Tonight: make the tzaziki sauce, protein fruit balls
Tzaziki sauce:
Dice an English cucumber into small cubes (1/4 inch or smaller). Mix with 1t of salt and set in a sieve to drain for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water. Mix one 16 oz 2% Greek yogurt with the cucumber, 1-2 T dried dill, 1T red wine vinegar, 1T olive oil, and 1T garlic mash (use minced garlic from a jar, smear with the side of a chef’s knife until paste-like).
Protein fruit balls
(courtesy of Primal Blueprint)
4 dates, pits removed
1 cup walnuts
½ cup macadamia nuts
2 T coconut oil, melted
½ fresh berries
½ c unsweetened shredded coconut
Pulverize dates in food processor until a paste—about 40 seconds. Add nuts and blend until very finely chopped. With processor still running, drizzle in coconut oil and sop as soon as the oil is blended. Turn out into a bowl, add berries and ¼ c coconut. Roll into 12 balls and roll in remaining coconut.
Monday
Breakfast: two protein fruit balls
Snack: cucumbers with tzaziki sauce
Lunch: flank steak salad
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Turkey Burgers and sautéed mushrooms and onions
Turkey burgers
1T olive oil
1T butter
2 cloves minced garlic
1.5 lbs ground turkey
¼ c light soy sauce
1T sambal oelek or other Asian chili paste (siracha would work too)
1t ginger paste (look for it by the fresh herbs at the store)
1 8oz can of water chestnuts drained and diced
½ c of fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped
¼ c chopped scallions
Large butter lettuce leaves
Avocado slices
For the burgers: Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and butter. Add the onions, season with salt and bring to a medium-high heat. Cook the onions until they are soft and very aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, soy sauce, sambal oelek, ginger, water chestnuts, cilantro, scallions and the cooked onions and garlic. (Reserve the onion pan to cook the sautéed mushrooms and onions in later.) Add one-quarter to one-half cup water; this will help the burgers stay nice and moist. Using your hands, squish everything together until they are really well combined. Form the mix into 4 equal size patties. Grill for approximately 15-20 minutes, turning once, until cooked through. Wrap in lettuce leaves and top with avocado slices.
Sauteed mushrooms and onions (left over from last night)
Tuesday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: one protein ball
Lunch: Turkey burgers
Snack: cucumbers with tzaziki sauce
Dinner: Halibut crusted with chorizo and almonds
(courtesy of Primal Blueprint)
3 skinned halibut filets
1/3 cup blanched almonds with no skin
1 ½ T roughly chopped parsley
1/3 c (appx. 2.5 ounces) of chopped chorizo salami
Preheat oven to 400. In a food processor, chop chorizo, almonds and parsley until almonds are in small pieces. Drizzle some olive oil in a pan and set the fish on top. Spoon the chorizo mixture on top patting it down to stick. Roast in the oven for 12 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork. Turn the oven on broil and boil for 2-4 minutes until the nuts are brown.
Wednesday
Breakfast: two protein balls
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over halibut salad with balsamic and olive oil dressing and ½ avocado
Snack: fruit or any remaining cucumbers and tzaziki
Dinner: chicken fajitas
4 chicken breasts cut into strips
1 onion
2-3 peppers
Mushrooms
Sear chicken in a hot skillet with a little butter and olive oil. Remove and set aside. Saute veg until just crisp/tender. Add steak back in with accumulated juice, add taco seasoning and sauté until done
Thursday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: one protein ball
Lunch:
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Sauteed pork loins with apple compote and steamed broccoli
(courtesy of Pioneer Woman)
6 boneless pork loins about ½ inch thick
1T olive oil
1T butter
2 diced apples
1 diced sweet onion
½ c dry white wine
2t apple cider vinegar
¾ c pure maple syrup
1t dried thyme
Salt and pepper
Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter and heat until butter in melted.
Salt and pepper both sides of pork chops. Brown them on both sides until nice and golden. Remove pork chops from the skillet and set on a separate plate.
Reduce heat to medium. Add apples, onion and thyme, and stir to combine them with the oil, and butter that remains in the pan. Pour in wine and vinegar, then whisk along the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour in the maple syrup, then add a dash of salt and pepper. Stir, then return pork chops to the pan. Cover the pan and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.
Friday
Breakfast: Yogurt with fruit
Snack: nuts
Lunch: left over pork and broccoli
Snack: fruit
Dinner: free night out!
Grocery List
1 flank steak
cherry tomatoes
sliced almonds
garlic cloves
jarred roasted red pepper
sherry vinegar
4 onions
3 package of pre-sliced mushrooms
2 English cucumbers
16 oz Greek yogurt
Medjool dates
walnuts
macadamia nuts
coconut oil
fresh berries
unsweetened shredded coconut
1.5 lbs ground turkey
light soy sauce
sambal oelek or other Asian chili paste (siracha would work too)
ginger paste (look for it by the fresh herbs at the store)
1 8oz can of water chestnuts drained and diced
cilantro
scallions
butter lettuce leaves
2 avocados
3 skinned halibut filets
blanched almonds with no skin
chorizo salami
4 chicken breasts
2-3 peppers
6 boneless pork loins about ½ inch thick
2 apples
dry white wine
apple cider vinegar
pure maple syrup
melon
peaches
6 2% fage Greek yogurt
Monday, September 5, 2011
Labor Day Week
I'm out of town this weekend and this will present unique challenges. First, relying on the husband to do my grocery shopping. Second, after a weekend of traveling, I need to make sure my weekly menu is easy enough to mesh with the business of getting back into a routine after being out of town. So, there's no lunch plan for Tuesday...Blue Water Taco salad will have to work in a pinch.
Tuesday
Dinner: Pork tenderloin fajita stir-fry
4-5 pork loins
Bell peppers
Onion
Sliced mushrooms
Fajita seasoning
Slice all veg and set aside. Melt 1T of butter and 1T of olive oil. Season both sides of the pork with some fajita seasoning. Brown both sides of the pork loins—put on a plate, cover with foil. Add another teaspoon of olive oil and sauté the vegetables for about 6 minutes until barely cooked. Add about 3 T of taco or fajita seasoning to the veg and mix around. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until crisp tender. Add the pork back into the pan and cover. Cook until pork is cooked through—may only be a minute or two.
Tonight: pre-chop all veg for Wednesday's meatballs
Wednesday
Breakfast: greek yogurt with fruit
Snack: mixed nuts
Lunch: pork fajitas
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Meatball marinara and spinach greens
Garden Fresh Meatballs
(courtesy of www.everydaypaleo.com)
1.5 lbs ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
2 zucchinis
1 yam
2 big handfuls of spinach
1 12 ounce jar of roasted red peppers
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
½ to ¾ cup of almond meal
1 jar marinara sauce (sans sugar!!)
Grate zucchini and sweet potato. In a food processor, finely mince spinach, roasted red peppers, and garlic. Hand mix all ingredients and form into meatballs (I made mine a little bigger then golf ball size). Bake at 375 in a large baking dish tightly covered with foil for 40-45 minutes. Or melt 1T of butter and 1T of olive oil and brown the meatballs then bake for about 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Makes 20-25 meatballs. Pour warmed up marinara over meatballs.
Sauteed Spinach
Melt 1T butter. Add ½ diced onion and cook until translucent. Add 2 slices of bacon chopped into lardons—cook until almost crispy. Add 1 to 2 big handfuls of spinach in the pan. Cook until wilted. Add 2 t lemon zest, salt and pepper
Thursday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: mixed nuts
Lunch: meatball marinara
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Grilled chicken breasts with chive lemon butter and grilled zucchini
Season the chicken breasts with salt/pepper, brush with olive oil—grill. Mix 2T of softened Kerrygold butter with minced chives and 1t lemon zest. After chicken is cooked, transfer to a plate. Smear some of the butter on top and tent with foil until melted
Friday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: mixed nuts
Lunch: grilled chicken with zucchini
Dinner: Cod en papillote (or a free night, or save it for Saturday night)
2 cod filets (or other firm fish—halibut, salmon, mahi mahi, etc)
1 pepper
1 lemon
Fresh dill
White wine
1 bell pepper sliced into 1/4 inch strips
Cut two hearts out of parchment paper, big enough to fit a filet of fish (just like a kindergarten valentine project). Season the fish with salt and pepper. Place two lemon slices in the middle of one heart half to serve as the "tray" for the fish. Set fish on top of lemon slices. Arrange sliced peppers (about ¼ - ½ a pepper depending on how big your parchment is) on the bottom half of the heart. Lay a frond of fresh dill on top, put a small amount of butter on top of the dill, top with lemon slices. Pour a touch of white wine in the packet before wrapping. Take a long drink from the wine bottle. Fold the other end of the heart over the top. Starting with the round end of the heart, start folding the ends together working your way to the top of the heart. Put on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes or so until the paper starts to brown. Transfer the entire packet to a plate and open to enjoy--clean up is super simple if you eat right out of the packet!
Shopping List
4-5 pork loins
4 bell peppers
2 onions
1 package sliced mushrooms
Fajita seasoning
8 2% fage plain greek yogurt
1.5 lbs ground turkey
1 lb lean ground beef
4 zucchini
1 yam or sweet potato
1 bag pre-washed spinach
1 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers
Cage free eggs
Almond meal
1 jar marinara (sugar free!)
Nitrate free bacon
2 lemons
Fresh chives
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Kerrygold grass-fed Irish butter
2 fish filets (cod, halibut, mahi mahi, etc)
Fresh dill
Berries
Melon
peaches
Tuesday
Dinner: Pork tenderloin fajita stir-fry
4-5 pork loins
Bell peppers
Onion
Sliced mushrooms
Fajita seasoning
Slice all veg and set aside. Melt 1T of butter and 1T of olive oil. Season both sides of the pork with some fajita seasoning. Brown both sides of the pork loins—put on a plate, cover with foil. Add another teaspoon of olive oil and sauté the vegetables for about 6 minutes until barely cooked. Add about 3 T of taco or fajita seasoning to the veg and mix around. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until crisp tender. Add the pork back into the pan and cover. Cook until pork is cooked through—may only be a minute or two.
Tonight: pre-chop all veg for Wednesday's meatballs
Wednesday
Breakfast: greek yogurt with fruit
Snack: mixed nuts
Lunch: pork fajitas
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Meatball marinara and spinach greens
Garden Fresh Meatballs
(courtesy of www.everydaypaleo.com)
1.5 lbs ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
2 zucchinis
1 yam
2 big handfuls of spinach
1 12 ounce jar of roasted red peppers
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
½ to ¾ cup of almond meal
1 jar marinara sauce (sans sugar!!)
Grate zucchini and sweet potato. In a food processor, finely mince spinach, roasted red peppers, and garlic. Hand mix all ingredients and form into meatballs (I made mine a little bigger then golf ball size). Bake at 375 in a large baking dish tightly covered with foil for 40-45 minutes. Or melt 1T of butter and 1T of olive oil and brown the meatballs then bake for about 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Makes 20-25 meatballs. Pour warmed up marinara over meatballs.
Sauteed Spinach
Melt 1T butter. Add ½ diced onion and cook until translucent. Add 2 slices of bacon chopped into lardons—cook until almost crispy. Add 1 to 2 big handfuls of spinach in the pan. Cook until wilted. Add 2 t lemon zest, salt and pepper
Thursday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: mixed nuts
Lunch: meatball marinara
Snack: fruit
Dinner: Grilled chicken breasts with chive lemon butter and grilled zucchini
Season the chicken breasts with salt/pepper, brush with olive oil—grill. Mix 2T of softened Kerrygold butter with minced chives and 1t lemon zest. After chicken is cooked, transfer to a plate. Smear some of the butter on top and tent with foil until melted
Friday
Breakfast: yogurt with fruit
Snack: mixed nuts
Lunch: grilled chicken with zucchini
Dinner: Cod en papillote (or a free night, or save it for Saturday night)
2 cod filets (or other firm fish—halibut, salmon, mahi mahi, etc)
1 pepper
1 lemon
Fresh dill
White wine
1 bell pepper sliced into 1/4 inch strips
Cut two hearts out of parchment paper, big enough to fit a filet of fish (just like a kindergarten valentine project). Season the fish with salt and pepper. Place two lemon slices in the middle of one heart half to serve as the "tray" for the fish. Set fish on top of lemon slices. Arrange sliced peppers (about ¼ - ½ a pepper depending on how big your parchment is) on the bottom half of the heart. Lay a frond of fresh dill on top, put a small amount of butter on top of the dill, top with lemon slices. Pour a touch of white wine in the packet before wrapping. Take a long drink from the wine bottle. Fold the other end of the heart over the top. Starting with the round end of the heart, start folding the ends together working your way to the top of the heart. Put on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes or so until the paper starts to brown. Transfer the entire packet to a plate and open to enjoy--clean up is super simple if you eat right out of the packet!
Shopping List
4-5 pork loins
4 bell peppers
2 onions
1 package sliced mushrooms
Fajita seasoning
8 2% fage plain greek yogurt
1.5 lbs ground turkey
1 lb lean ground beef
4 zucchini
1 yam or sweet potato
1 bag pre-washed spinach
1 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers
Cage free eggs
Almond meal
1 jar marinara (sugar free!)
Nitrate free bacon
2 lemons
Fresh chives
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Kerrygold grass-fed Irish butter
2 fish filets (cod, halibut, mahi mahi, etc)
Fresh dill
Berries
Melon
peaches
Saturday, September 3, 2011
What To Expect
I'm new to the Paleo Diet and recommend reading The Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain. If I didn't have a full time job, it might be easier for me to stick to the principes Dr. Cordain outlines--but, I do, so I can't. And there's just some things that make life more fun and easier. Based on my research, all of the add-ons that Dr. Cordain wouldn't approve of are still within the Paleo parameters. Most importantly, my add-ons are still non-processed. So, here are the principles I follow:
No grains--none, this means no beer too
No processed food
No legumes
No soy*
No dairy*
No refined sugar*
Here are the caveats:
Whole milk. I use a little whole milk in cooking and my coffee. I buy the local milk sold at Metropolitan Market that is produced by a local Washington farmer. It's delicious.
Full fat plain Greek yogurt. Some Greek yogurt is allowed on the Paleo diet. I found that I got used to the whole milk variety--but it took some time. Usually, I only have it for breakfast two to three days a week, just so I don't get completely sick of eggs.
Grass-fed Kerrygold butter. Just for cooking. It's Irish and heavenly.
Raw goat or sheep milk cheese. Very, very rarely only in a dish that must have cheese.
Low sodium wheat-free tamari sauce (like soy sauce). Only if I'm making Asian food and it just has to be in there
Honey and pure maple syrup. Again, very rarely and only in baking if I must have a sweet treat.
Dark chocolate. 72% dark or higher. Actually, the 86% goes very nicely with red wine. Also delicious melted and drizzled over nuts. Sometimes, I just need some chocolate.
A note about snacks: figuring out what to snack on was the hardest part. I found that if I made myself eat fruit or mixed nuts in between breakfast/lunch and lunch/dinner, my need to snack virtually vanished. But, I still keep mixed nuts around, some deli meat and lots of Lara Bars (which are also great for a meal on the go).
A note about the meal plans: They start on Sunday night so that there is left-overs for lunch on Monday. This is how every day works--dinner becomes lunch the next day. So, if you're modifying portions, keep this in mind. I'll also put plan-ahead tips at the end of each day's plan. So, if you should prep something the night before to make the next day easier, it'll be there.
Weekend eating. So far, weekend eating hasn't been to hard to stick to the principles. On Saturdays and Sundays, I make a brunch with eggs, some kind of breakfast meat, and fruit. And we usually have a ton going on the rest of the time, so I just eat around things and haven't had a problem yet. Going out to eat and ordering Paleo is much easier than I thought. And avoiding the bread basket has been a sinch. At this point, the thought of putting bread in my mouth sounds icky. Plus, I'm going easy on myself and sticking to a 90/10 ratio of 90% on Paleo and 10% cheats--it's ok and I'm happy with my accomplishments.
Everything posted here is what I'm personally making and eating for the week. Many recipes I haven't tested--just found along the way. So, if there's a way to improve anything, if instructions didn't work, or any other suggestions, please let me know! I also regularly recycle some meals, so you'll see some things reappear (i.e. we love tacos in my house, so they make regular appearances).
Look, I'm no expert and have no formal nutrition training. But, what I do know, is that I feel better and am eating healthier than I ever have. This will be fun! I can't believe the change I've already experienced in my energy level, confidence, and love handles (they're slowly disappearing)! It's awesome. I can't believe I haven't been eating like this for forever.
No grains--none, this means no beer too
No processed food
No legumes
No soy*
No dairy*
No refined sugar*
Here are the caveats:
Whole milk. I use a little whole milk in cooking and my coffee. I buy the local milk sold at Metropolitan Market that is produced by a local Washington farmer. It's delicious.
Full fat plain Greek yogurt. Some Greek yogurt is allowed on the Paleo diet. I found that I got used to the whole milk variety--but it took some time. Usually, I only have it for breakfast two to three days a week, just so I don't get completely sick of eggs.
Grass-fed Kerrygold butter. Just for cooking. It's Irish and heavenly.
Raw goat or sheep milk cheese. Very, very rarely only in a dish that must have cheese.
Low sodium wheat-free tamari sauce (like soy sauce). Only if I'm making Asian food and it just has to be in there
Honey and pure maple syrup. Again, very rarely and only in baking if I must have a sweet treat.
Dark chocolate. 72% dark or higher. Actually, the 86% goes very nicely with red wine. Also delicious melted and drizzled over nuts. Sometimes, I just need some chocolate.
A note about snacks: figuring out what to snack on was the hardest part. I found that if I made myself eat fruit or mixed nuts in between breakfast/lunch and lunch/dinner, my need to snack virtually vanished. But, I still keep mixed nuts around, some deli meat and lots of Lara Bars (which are also great for a meal on the go).
A note about the meal plans: They start on Sunday night so that there is left-overs for lunch on Monday. This is how every day works--dinner becomes lunch the next day. So, if you're modifying portions, keep this in mind. I'll also put plan-ahead tips at the end of each day's plan. So, if you should prep something the night before to make the next day easier, it'll be there.
Weekend eating. So far, weekend eating hasn't been to hard to stick to the principles. On Saturdays and Sundays, I make a brunch with eggs, some kind of breakfast meat, and fruit. And we usually have a ton going on the rest of the time, so I just eat around things and haven't had a problem yet. Going out to eat and ordering Paleo is much easier than I thought. And avoiding the bread basket has been a sinch. At this point, the thought of putting bread in my mouth sounds icky. Plus, I'm going easy on myself and sticking to a 90/10 ratio of 90% on Paleo and 10% cheats--it's ok and I'm happy with my accomplishments.
Everything posted here is what I'm personally making and eating for the week. Many recipes I haven't tested--just found along the way. So, if there's a way to improve anything, if instructions didn't work, or any other suggestions, please let me know! I also regularly recycle some meals, so you'll see some things reappear (i.e. we love tacos in my house, so they make regular appearances).
Look, I'm no expert and have no formal nutrition training. But, what I do know, is that I feel better and am eating healthier than I ever have. This will be fun! I can't believe the change I've already experienced in my energy level, confidence, and love handles (they're slowly disappearing)! It's awesome. I can't believe I haven't been eating like this for forever.
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