Oh It's So Delicious... Chocolate Coconut Milk

Have you ever felt like you were denying yourself when you were trying to watch what you eat?  I would always deny, deny, deny and then... OH NO! I would go crazy (and I mean really crazy) and eat something I shouldn't have.  One thing with Paleo is that you do not have to deny yourself of anything.  You are allowed to have treats.  You can have yummy, healthy food and do something good for your body.

One of my favorite treats is So Delicious Chocolate Coconut Milk- and it is oh SO DELICIOUS!  Tonight at the station someone brought in chocolate cake with chocolate fudge filling but instead of reaching for a piece, I had a glass of my chocolate coconut milk and felt satisfied.  It was tasty and gave me that chocolate taste without all the sugar and flour of the cake.  I made a good choice and I feel great about it.  So check out the nutritional benefits of coconut and sit down with a glass of pure pleasure...  The best thing- when I got on the website I noticed they have a mint chocolate flavor... OMGosh, that sounds heavenly...  And there is even a coupon on the website.  (With Paleo, if I would have wanted a piece of cake I could have indulged...  Moderation and eating to your body type are the keys...  But I know that when I eat that much sugar my stomach hurts so I try to stay away from it.  That's what happens when you follow Paleo and stop eating the processed foods, your body does not want them.)

Best Green Beans EVER!

Yes, I know that is quite a title, but this is my favorite side to make with dinner. A few weeks ago I posted about the inconsistencies among Paleo people; there are differing opinions about certain foods and if they are Paleo or not (honey, dried fruit, sweet potatoes). Well this is one of those dishes. Green beans are considered a legume and legumes are NOT Paleo, depending on which school of thought you follow (legumes are bad because they have lecithin and lecithin's are believed to trigger autoimmune diseases. [check out Dr. Cordain's book]).  But as always, moderation (don't make green beans your only food for a week) and eat to your body type (if they don't agree with you or you're not losing weight cut back).   

Bacon Jalapeño Green Beans

Ingredients

3-4 slices of bacon

1/2-3/4 onion (red or yellow, however the mood strikes you)

2 cloves garlic

1 fresh jalapeño (I remove the seeds an ribs but I've heard that if you would like a spicier dish, chop it whole and add it all- even the seeds.  I am also told that this will release the capsaicin in the pepper so make sure you do this in a well ventilated area; again, I have never tried this)

1 pound fresh green beans

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Paprika to taste

Directions

1)  Fry bacon in pan and remove, leaving the fat.

2)  Chop onions, garlic and jalapeño and add to the pan.

3)  Cook about 3-5 minutes. 

4) Wash and snap the ends of the beans and add to the onions, garlic and jalapeño.  Add a small amount of water to the pan to help cook the beans.

5)  Cut bacon into chunks and add to the beans.

6)  Add pepper and paprika.

7)  Cover and cook on med-med low until beans are tender (this may take 30-40 minutes).

Watch pan and make sure beans don't burn. Add a little extra water to the pan if you notice anything sticking to the bottom of the pan (remember that black/brown "stuff" is flavor).

Fruit Leathers

Fruit is a wonderful food.  I really enjoy fresh summer fruits and love that they are a part of Paleo (in moderation).  When we go to the store it's inevitable, we will buy A TON of fruit, because it looks so good and we always say that will eat it before it goes bad.  However, there is always some that ends up thrown away. But not any more. 

One of my favorite snacks has always been fruit roll ups but they contain so many ingredients, so here's my answer.  These fruit leathers are all natural and homemade so you know EVERYTHING that is in them and can play with the taste.  My favorite fruits to use are strawberries, bananas, blueberries, apples, and pears.  I had some left over plums and I tried those too.  Find what you like and try it!  However, I did try orange, pineapple banana and that was NOT good. 

Fruit Leathers

1)Wash your fruit (soak strawberries to get all the dirt off of them) and remove necessary seeds (apples and pears). 

2)Place fruit in blender (I leave the skin on) or food processor and make a puree. I have found that if I place the softer fruits at the bottom- strawberries, bananas, really ripe pears, it is easier to blend and I will not need to add water.  If the fruit is not blending well add a few drops of water, just enough to get the fruit to blend.

3)Pour the puree on a coconut greased fruit leather tray for the dehydrator. 

4)Stack trays (as directed by the dehydrator manual) and follow specific directions for your model.

***You can also make these in an oven but I have never tried this method.

Now that I've said to follow the directions of your specific dehydrator, here's how I do it.  I like to make mine at night.  The first few hours it is running I turn the temp to about 165 (the highest setting on my unit).  After about an hour (or two) I check, and, if possible, remove the fruit leather from the plastic leather tray and place directly on the dehydrator tray.  Then I turn the temp down to the lowest setting and let it "cook" over night. 



Curry Chicken Stir-Fry

A few years ago my mother bought me a food processor for Christmas.  I'm embarrassed to say that I would only pull it out when I made my "Double Chocolate Torte," which was about twice a year.  But once I started cooking healthier I have found so many new ways to use it!  For tonight's dinner, I used it to chop all of my vegetables and garlic.  No more hands-smelling-like-garlic-for-days, WooHoo!


Tonight's recipe was created on the fly.  I knew I wanted to make some kind of chicken dish and while I was walking around the Farmer's Market this morning I decided a stir-fry was the way to go.  I used the food processor for all of the veggies EXCEPT the broccoli.  I used the standard blade for the garlic, onion and cauliflower, the julienne disc for the peppers and the shredding disc for the zucchini and carrots.  IT WAS SO QUICK AND EASY!!!  How is it that I had never thought of this before?!

 

Curry Chicken Stir-Fry

1-2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into chunks
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 zucchini
2 carrots
2 stalks of broccoli
1/2 head of cauliflower (use food processor to create cauliflower rice)
2 teaspoons curry (I use the mild)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Heat pan with oil.  Add chicken, garlic and onions.  Cook chicken until it reaches the appropriate temperature on a meat thermometer.  (If you find that there is excess water in your pan, turn heat to high and cook it down.  This will lessen the chance for soggy veggies, unless you like that)
2.  Add veggies and cook to desired tenderness.
3.  Add curry, cumin and pepper and stir.  Let it cook for a few minutes and serve!

Whole Chicken

One of the most difficult aspects of Paleo is the preparation and planning part of the lifestyle.  It is so easy, when you're following the SAD (standard American diet), to just pick up something to eat or throw something together, but with Paleo, it is necessary to plan so you are not just grabbing anything that's easy (like McDonalds).  It can be really hard to make good food choices when you're REALLY hungry. 

One of the easiest things I like to keep on hand is a whole, cooked chicken.  I make one at least once a week; it is easy to take to work and I can eat it for several meals.  Cooking a whole chicken is SO easy!  I was always afraid that it was complicated and I did NOT want to clean anything out of the bird.  Thank goodness the butcher does it for me!

Here is the recipe for the seasoning I used on the chicken.  I used a mortar and pestle to grind my parsley, sage and sea salt and then to mix everything.  I also make several incisions in the skin and rub the seasoning on the meat.  I then rubbed the rest of the seasoning on the skin and put some in the cavity.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hours or until the appropriate temperature on a meat thermometer.  Enjoy!

 

Chicken Seasoning

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon sage (I used crushed)

1 Tablespoon parsley

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon red pepper

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

Paleo Pancakes

I love pancakes.  When I was growing up my parents would make pancakes every weekend and we would sit together and have breakfast. It's a great memory.  This morning I wanted something other than eggs so I decided to try some Paleo pancakes.  The recipe I found calls for almond butter but I didn't have any so I used almond flour.  I also fried some bacon before I began the pancakes to coat the pan.  This recipe made about 7 pancakes... so... there were not any for my husband (well, I did save him one). 

 

Paleo Pancakes

2 bananas
1 egg
1/4 cup almond flour

1.  Peel and mash the bananas.  (I used a potato masher and that seemed to work best.)

2.  Add egg and almond flour and mix well.  (Use the potato masher and then use a whisk.  It is important to make sure the flour lumps are mixed in)

3.  Heat a skillet on low and add oil or grease  (I prefer using bacon grease so I will make my bacon in the pan first).  Using a 1/4 measuring cup, add the batter to the skillet.

4.  Keep the pan on low/medium and cook the pancakes until the edges are cooked.  Flip the pancakes and they should be a golden color.  Continue cooking until the pancakes are cooked all the away through.

Top with berries, other fruit or maple syrup. 
**Be gentle with these pancakes, they tend to fall apart easily. 
***  It is important to cook these LOW AND SLOW...  Don't be in a rush

Inconsistencies? Just a Few

When I began researching Paleo, I found many inconsistencies among the "experts," which I found confusing.  One said, don't eat dried fruit, another, dried fruit is a good snack. One said, bacon is bad! While another said,  go head and eat bacon!  Why couldn't these leaders in the Paleo field agree on the parameters of this lifestyle?  I found this to be very discouraging and frustrating.  So I decided to explore what worked for me.  The most important thing I learned from all the "experts" disagreeing is that I NEED TO EAT TO MY BODY TYPE.  This means that I need to find the foods that work with my body and allow me to feel good and preform at my top level.  Some people can eat potatoes, some can't.  Some can eat fruit, while others lose more weight when they limit their fruit intake.  I have noticed that when I cut back on the nuts, Larabars, and coconut milk ice cream, I lose weight faster than if I eat those foods regularly.  Now, I don't need to cut them out completely, just use moderation.  So find what works for you.  Explore your food options but most importantly, enjoy your food!

Dinner tonight

Today was a very busy day at work.  I spent the entire day in car seat class and didn't get back to the station until 5:30.  When I got back, I was ready for dinner but didn't want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen.  Every Friday night during the summer, DC Meats, the local butcher shop, has a BBQ that includes chicken, brisket, pulled pork, rib tips and slabs of ribs.  Holy cow it is FANTASTIC!  I am so thankful they are in our district and we could just run over there to grab something quick.  So tonight's dinner was pulled pork...  It was SOOOO good!  And quick.  And easy.  Now, I wouldn't just go anywhere to get food, in fact, I told my mother-in-law the other day that I felt it was a hassle to eat out because I am so concerned with what is added to the food: gluten fillers, monodextrowhateveryacallit...  Food should not contain ingredients that you can't pronounce or that were created in a lab.  I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know the people that work at the places I shop, including my local butcher shop.  I know that they believe the same things I do and that they strive to produce a top quality product that they would feed their family- and that is important to me.

Stuffed Cabbage

This recipe has evolved from "Unstuffed Cabbage" in The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson.  When I cook, I like to have leftovers to take to work so this is perfect for us.

1 head of cauliflower
1/2  yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 head green cabbage
1/2 - 3/4 pound of ground sausage
1 pound ground beef
salt to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
2 tablespoon dried parsley
2 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes



1.   In a large pot, boil water (enough to cover the cabbage)
2.   Using a food processor, grate the cauliflower into rice, add to pan.
3.   Put the onion and the garlic into the food processor and chop.  Add to the cauliflower and turn
heat to medium.  Cook for about 5 minutes,  place in a bowl and set aside.
4.   Place cabbage in the boiling water and boil for about 5 minutes.   Remove from the water.  (Careful! I find this to be the worst part of the meal. I usually get water everywhere and somehow end up burning myself.)  When cabbage has cooled enough to handle, carefully peel leaves.  Once the cabbage becomes difficult to peel, add remaining head to pot and boil again. 
5.   Add beef and sausage to the same pan used for the cauliflower and brown. 
6.   Add salt (to taste), pepper, parsley.
7.   When most of the meat is cooked and there is only a little pink in the meat, add the cauliflower and cook for 5-10 minutes.
8.   Add tomatoes and stir.  Cook another 5 minutes on high heat.
9.  Fill cabbage leaves with mixture and fold/roll.  Place in a 9x13 pan.  When the pan is full, cover with the remaining mixture, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. 

Easy Station Dinner

Hamburgers, sweet potato fries and asparagus!

One of the things I have noticed about following Paleo is that I no longer crave the sweet, sugary treats I did when was was eating a standard American diet (SAD).  No, now I crave MEAT, mostly hamburgers or meatballs but fantastically wonderful, grass fed beef that I buy at the local butcher shop.  So tonight at work I decided to make hamburgers. (On a side note, I never realized how wonderful a burger could be until I ate a grass fed burger without the bun.  The bread really detracts from the full flavor of the meat.)  Tonight I was lucky and made it through prep, cooking, eating and was just washing my last dish when we got a call; I am so thankful for the little things. 

Hamburgers

Burgers are also wonderful because you can change the flavor as much as you want.  Sometimes I will season the meat with taco seasoning and top it with guacamole.  Other times I will just add what I can pull out of the fridge: bell peppers, onions, garlic.  Tonight was easy: garlic powder, cracked pepper, chili powder, sea salt (just a pinch)  and parsley, whatever I could find in the cabinet.   Grilled on the top rack (indirect heat) so they retained the tasty juices and didn't burn.  This takes a little longer but allows for cooking the sides.

Sweet potato fries

While the burgers were cooking, I cut up a sweet potato into "fries," placed on a cookie sheet and drizzled some Light Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top.  Then I seasoned with a little sea salt, cracked pepper and garlic powder.  I baked them for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring and flipping about half way through.  These tasted wonderful!

Asparagus

Before I began eating paleo I would have never thought that I would make and eat asparagus.  However, when I decided to follow this lifestyle, I knew that I would need to be more open to trying a wider variety of foods and asparagus was one of those veggies.  Now it is one of my favorite things to make because it is so easy!  I wash and trim the stalks, then place on tinfoil on the grill (top rack always! unless you are going to babysit the grill - and I do not have time for that).  Drizzle with EVOO and sea salt and pepper to taste.  I love that I can cook the asparagus on the grill and clean up is so easy! 

Bakers Green Acres Pigs and Family Farms

A few days ago I was on the Food Renegade site and saw this video about the fight in Michigan that involves feral pigs and family farms.  April 1, 2012, MI enacted a law that stated that any pig that meets certain qualities will be considered feral and is therefore illegal and must be destroyed.  Furthermore, there will be no compensation for the farmers who kill their animals and the farms will be subject to a surprised inspection from the DNR.  If any pigs are found alive on these farms the farmer will either be fined or placed in jail. 

I was outraged when I heard this story.  These farmers are trying to make an honest living and produce a quality product that is healthier than the hormone/antibiotic fed animals the big companies produce.  I encourage you to visit Bakers Green Acres and sign the petition to tell MI legislation to stop the slaughter of pigs.  According to the video there are 10 other states watching MI because they might also want to pass a similar law.

What is Paleo?

The Paleolithic Diet, or Paleo (a.k.a the caveman diet), is the belief that our food choices should be based on those that were available to our hunter-gatherer ancestors: fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts and seeds.  According to Loren Cordain, Ph.D (also considered the father of this lifestyle):  

"the Paleo Diet is the one and only diet that ideally fits our genetic makeup.  Just 333 generations ago- and for 2.5 million years before that- every human being on Earth ate this way.  It is the diet to which all of us are ideally suited and the lifetime nutritional plan that will normalize your weight and improve your health.  This diet has been built into our genes."  [Cordain, Loren, Ph.D.  The Paleo Diet, (New Jersey: Wiley, 2011),3-4]  **I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning more about paleo**

So what does this mean?

This means that humans are not meant to eat processed foods, preservatives or anything our ancestors would not have had available to them.  It wasn't until the agricultural revolution that cereals and grains became a staple in the human diet and, through archaeological records, we can see that there was a noticeable change in the health of the people.  Once farming and grains were introduced into civilization, there was a decline in height, brain size, bone density and an increase in illness (Cordain, 44). 

But I have been eating the same way for years- the same way my parents and grandparents ate...

True, but haven't you noticed the general decline in health over the past years?  As a population, we have more cancer, heart disease, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and psychological/mood issues than ever before.  Why are girls beginning menstruation so young, some even as young as 8 or 9 years old.  Could this have anything to do with the food we eat?  Added preservatives, hormones, antibiotics- all the "harmless things" that are added to our foods or food sources will eventually effect us.

How do I get started?

There are several ways to get started but the most important thing is finding what works for you.  For me, it was all or nothing and I jumped right in, cleaned out our kitchen and got rid of all non-paleo food.  For someone else, it may take a little time getting used to eating this way, i.e. making better food choices.  So start with a meal: "I'm going to eat a paleo breakfast all this week."  Then take it from there...  Lunches, dinners, snacks...  Whatever works for you.  I knew that for me, if it was in my house, it was going to be eaten so the best route was to get rid of it but find out what works for you.

Give it 30 days

Try it yourself.  Eat Paleo for 30 days, and I mean 30 real days of complete Paleo eating.  What do you have to lose?  If after that time of eating fruits, veggies, meats, nuts and seeds you don't feel better, haven't lost weight, sleep better or have less pain, go back to the standard American diet and eat like you did before.   I challenge you to give it a try, what do you have to lose?

Greetings!

This is one of my favorite pictures of us-
we spent a few days in Gatlinburg, TN,
and this was at the top of the Sky Lift
overlooking the town.

Hello!  My name is Elizabeth and I have been following the paleo lifestyle since February 8, 2012.   After years of dieting and exercising with a yo-yo effect I found paleo, jumped in and haven't looked back.  I LOVE paleo and want to share my success with others. 

I am a full time paramedic for a municipal fire department.  My husband is also a firefighter and we are very fortunate to work the same days.  We work 10, 24 hour shifts a month so we are very thankful that we are able to spend so much time together.

I love to cook and find (and modify) new recipes to fit into our routine.  Enjoy!