Sometime after switching to a Paleo diet it will happen.  You will develop a desire for something crunchy.  Maybe it will happen in your second week, while your body is still wrestling with its bread and carb addiction.  Maybe it will be several months down the road, and you will suddenly realize that there just hasnt been a lot of “crunch” factor in your life lately.  Well, whenever it occurs, be ready to combat it with this extremely easy and healthy alternative.

These crunchy crisp Paleo kale chips will not stand up to a generous dip into salsa, pico de gallo or guacamole, but on their own, they will help satiate that need for your teeth to crunch.

NOTE: For a clever dip delivery system I recommend sliced cucumber for salsa or guacamole.  It has a neutral flavor like tortilla chips, and if fresh, provides a wonderful crunchy “snap” sound that helps your brain calm down at your favorite Mexican joint while waiting for your NorCal Margarita to arrive.  Ask for a side of sliced cucumber the next time you are out to eat at a Mexican Restaurant – and enjoy watching the server’s face get all bunched up!

Crispy Paleo Kale Chips

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 Bunches Fresh Kale (Green or Red Variety)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Garlic Powder (additional dried ground spices to your taste)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Olive Oil Mister, Salad Spinner

PROCEDURE: Heat oven to 325 F. Separate Kale leaves. Cut leafy part away from the tough stem. Cut leafy parts into tortilla chip sized pieces.  Wash and dry kale in a Salad Spinner. Pat away any remaining water with a paper towel.  Lay Kale pieces on cookie sheet pan. Lightly mist the leaves with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and garlic powder (or your favorite ground spice flavors – chipotle, sage, cayenne, onion, pepper, etc) With tongs, carefully flip leaves over on sheet pan and repeat misting and spice procedure.  Place sheet pan in oven for 9-13 minutes depending on thickness of leaves and desired degree of doneness.  Flip leaves with tongs once at the midway point. Remove sheet pan from oven, and place leaves on serving plate.  Serve and Enjoy!

NUTRITION INFO: Serving size 1/4 batch, Calories 139, Total Fat 12.8g, Sat. Fat 1.6g, Cholest. 0mg, Sodium 149mg, Carb 6.9g, Fiber 1.4g, Sugar 0g, Protein 2.2g

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As summer is approaching, our thoughts turn to cool and refreshing desserts, which are often the nemesis of the Paleo eater as they often feel limited to simple items like Fruit and Nuts or just a piece of Dark Chocolate.  At other times, the paleo cook may attempt to create a complex “cheater item” with only mixed results like banana muffins using only almond flour.  Then along comes a dessert idea so simple that it knocks everyone’s socks off – both Paleo and non-paleo alike.

This simple dessert recipe has only 3-4 ingredients and will take only 3-4 minutes to prepare – it’s that easy!  If your paleo palette craves a chocolatey treat colder than the mousse on a hot summer day, simply add in your favorite ice cream mix-ins and place the finished mousse in a freezer.  In a matter of time you will have a rich ice cream dessert that will rival any dairy laden treat your paleo palette has been craving.

Paleo Chocolate Mousse

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 Large (8″) FROZEN Bananas (with skins on still)
• 1 Cup Coconut Milk
• 3-4 TBS of Organic Cocoa Powder
• Paleo Garnishes to taste (whole raw nuts, mint leaves, fruit and berries, coconut, etc)

PROCEDURE: Remove frozen bananas from freezer and peel (Hint: run under warm water for a few seconds to help loosen the skins) Place banana chunks in large sturdy mixing bowl.  With hand blender, cream the bananas on high until pulpy.  Add coconut milk and cocoa powder and with hand blender continue to mix ingredients.  Once blended, using a rubber spatula, fold in any desired toppings and then remove mousse mixture to bowls. Garnish and enjoy!

FOR MORE ICE CREAM LIKE CONSISTENCY: Place mixture in individual bowls, then freeze to desired thickness.

NUTRITION INFO: Serving Size: 1/4 batch, Calories 295, Total Fat 14.5g, Sat Fat. 8.6g, Cholest. 0mg, Sodium 14.3mg, Carb. 37.7g, Fiber 6.8g, Sugars 16.8g, Protein 5.7g

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Acknowledgements: Thank you to Rosa Coelho (@rocofit - more...

Just a quick post to show you something that is super tasty.  Tonight I was making another batch of Ground Buffalo Jerky.  When all the trays were full, I had this little four ounce piece of ground meat left over.  That is for breakfast now!

I have found that pan fried ground buffalo and jerky spices closely resembles chorizo sausage, due mainly to the cumin and paprika ingredients.  And when I am in Mexico, I always have chorizo sausage and scrambled eggs for breakfast!  Tomorrow morning I will crumble and fry this little tasty patty in a skillet.  Then, when it is just about done, I will add two or three scrambled Omega 3 enriched eggs and cook them until light and fluffy.  Mixed with the sausage and served with hot sauce, it is a delicious start to the day.

The next time you make Ground Buffalo jerky, reserve yourself a bit of the meat for a tasty breakfast surprise!

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I Love Steak!  Do YOU Love Steak?

Well, if you love steak, AND are on Facebook, then “ATTEND”  The Great Steak Game, being played now on a Profile near you.  Click the link, then do the following:

Support EATING MEAT by changing your profile picture to Steak and play the Great Steak Game!

Follow Step 1 and 2– The most creative wins!

Step 1: Change your profile picture to the steak in the picture in honor of your love of steak, especially if you’re Paleo/Primal! (Right click on the above “I love Steak”  image, then save it to your desktop, then upload it to your Facebook Profile Picture Folder

Step 2: Change your status to how you eat your steak, and finish it with where where you eat it.

FIRST HALF EXAMPLES:

• I eat it RAW
• I eat it PINK
• I eat it BLOODY
• I eat it WELL DONE
• I eat it with CONDIMENTS

SECOND HALF EXAMPLES:

• On the Table
• In Bed
• On the Grill
• At my Work Desk
• At my Neighbors House
• At Work Parties
• In front of Strangers
• In the Car
• In broad Daylight
• While everyone watches
• And invite my friends to join.

So your finished status update may be: “I eat it BLOODY at my Neighbors House.” Or, ” I eat it with Condiments in Bed”

Show your love of Paleo and Primal eating, by showing off your “I Love Steak Badge” today!

Incidentally, “I eat it Chicago Blue with fresh horseradish off a plate.”

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An Awesome Quick Paleo Dessert

Sometimes its as easy as finding 3 foods that blend perfectly together.

Dark 72% Belgian chocolate, an Anejo or Reposado 100% Agave tequila and a ripe mandarin orange.

Simple, elegant and and a perfect blending of 3 different and unique flavors that complement each other well.

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Posole is an ancient traditional pre-Columbian soup or stew from Mexico often found in the regions of Sinaloa, Michoacán, Guerrero, Jalisco, Morelos, México and the Distrito Federal.  It is traditionally made with pork or chicken and always includes hominy or maize, a large corn type grain.  As the hominy cooks in the stew it begins to thicken the sauce.  But, since  corn products are a Paleo no-no, a substitution for hominy is necessary.  A perfect substitute for this corn product is acorn or butternut squash.  As the squash cooks in the stew, it begins to break down and thicken the sauce.  This hearty dish is full flavored, and if spiciness or eat is a concern, be sure to reduce the amount of spice and pepper that you add.  To further enhance and concentrate the flavors, be sure to make this dish at least 24 hours in advance of when you want to serve it.

Paleo Posole with Braised Pork Shoulder, Cumin and Squash

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 6)

• 2.5 lbs Boneless Pork Shoulder – tied
• 4 TBS. Olive Oil
• 1 Large or 2 Small Yellow Onions – Chopped
• 8 ea. Garlic Cloves – Crushed
• 2 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 6 cups water
• 1 ea. Jalapeno pepper – chopped. NOTE: for milder flavor, carefully remove seeds and veins
• 4 cups Acorn or Butternut Squash – Peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1″ cubes
• 1 bunch Fresh Cilantro – leaves removed from stems

PROCEDURE: In large Stock pot heat 1/2 of oil on medium high heat.  Sear pork shoulder on all sides for aprox 5-7 minutes.  Remove pork to platter and add onion, garlic, cumin, oregano and red pepper flakes to stock pot and saute for 5 minutes until browned.  Increase heat to medium high and add 1 cup of water to deglaze bottom of stock pot.  While bubbling, use a metal spoon or whisk to scrape browned bits from bottom of pot.  When loosened, add remainder of water and pork to stock pot.  Bring water to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Braise pork on top of stove for one hour, turning meat over in the broth every 15 minutes or so.  Near end of the hour, heat remainder of oil in large non stick skillet and saute the squash and jalapeno pieces for 5 minutes.  Add the sauteed squash and jalapenos pieces to the stock pot.  Bring stock pot to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low and simmer contents for 1 hour turning the meat over in broth every 15-20 minutes.  After 1 hour, remove tied pork shoulder, cut it into 1″ cubes and add it back to the pot.  Stir in 6 TBS. (1 large handful) of Cilantro leaves.  Serve each bowl garnished with additional cilantro leaves.

NUTRITION INFO: (Per Serving) Calories 427, Total Fat 20.8g, Sat Fat 5.7g, Cholest. 120.4mg, Sodium 87.6mg, Carb. 15.5g, Fiber 2.9g, Sugars 4.1g, Protein 43.5g

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A quick cooking and healthy dish.  The majority f the work comes at the beginning when you prep all the vegetables.  The potential combinations of vegetables to use are almost endless.  Let what is fresh or on special at  your local store or farmer’s market dictate what you will be tossing into your stir fry.  This particular version was made with baby bok choy, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, green and red bell peppers, green and yellow onions and garlic, and everything was garnished with black sesame seeds.  The prawns were “colossal” sized (aprox12 per lb.) white prawns which were wild harvested.  Again, it was what was on special at the fish market and what was available wild that dictated my choice.  A note on the ENOKI Mushrooms (long white thin mushrooms shown in lower left of prep picture): These are very delicate in both flavor and texture and can be used as garnish or fresh side garnish.  When adding them to a cooking dish, make sure the dish is just about finished before adding them, or toss them in after the dish is removed from the heat.  In this particular dish, I kept them in the bowl and just served them at the table for diners to sprinkle on top as they pleased.

Paleo Thai Chili Stir Fry With Prawns & Shiitake Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4):

FOR THE MAIN DISH AND SAUCE:

• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs of wild prawns – Shells and legs removed and de-veined
• 2 TBS Olive Oil
• 4 ea. Garlic Cloves – Crushed
• 1 ea. Shallot – Crushed
• 1 cup Grape Tomatoes – Cut in halves
• 1 Small Dried Red Thai Chili Pepper – (Similar to Emperor Thai Dragon) Chopped fine
• 8 oz Canned Coconut Milk
• 2 TBS Fresh Cilantro – Chopped
• 4 oz. Shiitake Mushrooms – Quartered
• 3-4 oz. Enoki Mushrooms – Cleaned and base removed
• 1 TBS Black or White sesame Seeds

FOR THE VEGETABLE GARNISH: An assortment of 1.5 to 2 lbs of fresh vegetables including but not limited to:

• Asparagus – Chopped into 1.5″ pieces
• Yellow Onion -Chopped
• Green Onion – Chopped
• Green, Red and Yellow Bell Pepper – Chopped
• Baby Bok Choy – Head pulled apart into individual leaves & washed well.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Wok

PROCEDURE: Heat 1/2 of olive oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add 1/2 garlic and 1/2 shallot and saute for 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and chili pepper and saute for 3 minutes until they begin to break down.  Add prawns and Shiitake mushrooms and saute till prawns are done aprox 4-5 minutes.  Prawns will turn pinkish when done.  Turn heat to lowest setting and add  coconut milk and cilantro.  Stir all contents of pan well to combine.  When coconut milk sauce is hot, turn off heat and reserve pan until vegetable cooking portion is complete.

In wok over medium high to high flame, heat remainder of oil.  Add remainder of garlic and shallot and stirfry for 1 minute.  Add vegetables to wok and stirfry until just tender. Turn off heat.  Add prawns and sauce to wok and stir to combine.  Place contents in decorative serving bowl and garnish with Enoki mushrooms and sesame seeds.

NUTRITION INFO: (Per Serving as listed above) 384 Calories, Total Fat 20.8g, Sat. Fat 16.4g, Cholest. 80.2mg, Sodium 124.7mg, Carb. 36.9g, Fiber 9.3g, Sugars 12.6g, Protein 17.6g

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Earlier this week I made it out to The Meat Shop of Tacoma.  Aside from the two (not one!) flat tires I got somewhere along the journey, the rest of the trip was a success!  I was already familiar with their products from perusing their website numerous times, but until now had not had the opportunity to get out there to purchase healthy Paleo friendly meats.  I wasn’t sure what to expect upon arrival.  Would it be a huge store, or someone’s house, or a mix in between?  It turned out to be in between.  Just outside the city limits of Tacoma, down a long country road, sits a small farm that sells some of the best tasting healthy meats you will ever have!

The Meat Shop of Tacoma offers an assortment of high quality certified organic meat and poultry that combines good taste with good nutrition. Their yearling cattle are pastured on certified organic fields year round and supplemented with a small amount of certified organic seed grains; barley and oats, to make high quality meat without excessive fat.  In order to be certified organic animals cannot be fed any animal by products at anytime!

The Meat Shop is the oldest Certified Organic Meat Shop in the US, offering the largest complete selection of Certified Organic Beef, Poultry, Pork, Cheeses, Pastured Bison, Lamb, and Chemical Free Cured Meats including Sausages, Lunch Meats, Beef Jerky, and Pepperoni.  Their farm and meat shop are certified organic according to NOP standards through Washington State Department of Agriculture, and they have always been committed to sustainable agriculture as a way of life and have been proudly certified in the organic food program since its inception.

Certified Organic Beef

At the Meat Shop, yearling cattle are pastured on certified organic fields year round and supplemented with a small amount of certified organic seed grains; barley and oats, to make high quality meat without excessive fat. The beef are dry aged two to three weeks. BSE or Mad Cow Disease is not a factor in their certified organic cattle, because animal byproducts have always been prohibited. They raise their cattle without hormones, antibiotics, appetite stimulants, animal byproducts, sewage sludge, GMOs or synthetic additives and they use no coloring agents, preservatives, fillers or additives of any kind in processing the meat.

Certified Organic Chicken

The Meat Shop purchases chickens raised on certified organic feed without antibiotics, arsenicals, or other medications common in most fryer programs. To compensate for not using drugs, great attention is paid to the daily comfort of the birds. They are free ranged with plenty of room to move around, and cleanliness is extremely important. The fryers grow more slowly, reaching market weight at eight weeks, rather than the usual five to six weeks for birds in the supermarket. The fryers take a bit longer to cook, but the more mature texture of the meat and richer chicken flavor are well worth the extra time.

Certified Organic Pork

The Meat Shop purchases their locally grown certified organic pork from the Klingeman family farm located in Ephrata, Washington. Pure Country Pork is fed a vegetarian certified organic diet, raised without confinement, hormones, antibiotics, animal byproducts, and GMOs. For more information on Pure Country Pork and the Klingeman family farm, please go to http://www.purecountrypork.com. Pork is available by the whole or half, cut to your specifications, or sold by the individual cut.

Natural and Certified Organic Diestel Turkey

The Meat Shop purchases whole turkeys and turkey products from Diestel Turkey Ranch. Diestel turkeys enjoy the freedom to roam the clean Sierra Foothills in Northern California. The turkeys are given extra time to grow and develop flavor naturally – an extra two months with no growth stimulants and absolutely no animal by-products. They are fed a low fat vegetarian diet of corn and soybeans. Diestel turkeys were voted #1 Best Tasting Turkey by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Chemical Free Cured Meat

There has been so much prejudice against curing meat without sodium nitrite that “meat experts” assured the Meat Shop that it could not be done. Now, they have pioneered natural meat curing processes in the Puget Sound area. They use NO nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, sugar, MSG or other coloring agents including celery or beet juice in their cured meats. Therefore, the cured meats retain their natural color.  For those customers who are allergic to wheat or gluten, they use certified organic uncut spices and certified organic wheat free tamari.  They also use pure kosher sea salt and substitute certified organic honey for sugar or dextrose in all recipes. Their ham and bacon come from young lean pigs and their regular high quality meat is used in all cured products. In addition to ham and bacon they have a full line of lunch meats and various other cured meats as well as sausages, pepperoni, and beef jerky.

Plan Ahead!

The majority of the Meat Shop items are blast frozen, so plan ahead!  You most likely wont be able to get tonight’s dinner out there.  But after planning your menu, make a trip out there to pick up what you need for the week.  Or better yet, have it come to you!  If you live neat the Proctor Farmer’s Market, place and pay for your order online at the Meat Shop Website by Thursday, and they will send your order to the Saturday market with Cheryl, the Pig Lady, where you can pick it up at her booth.  I will write about Cheryl at a later date.  For those of you outside the Tacoma area, the Meat shop specializes in online sales, so place an order and they will carefully ship it to you packed on ice.

What did you buy?

For my first trip out, I purchased a Peking white duck for later this week, some wonderful fresh skirt steak for a quick cooking breakfast meat with eggs, a grass fed brisket and chuck roast for my next batch of Corned Beef, a boneless pork shoulder for my upcoming Posole’ recipe, and a boneless pork loin that I will roast some time down the road.  The larder is full, and I am excited about the healthy Paleo friendly meats I have acquired.

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Acknowledgements: Certain definitions and text taken fr more...

One of the easiest meat dishes to prepare is the pork tenderloin. They are very lean and their skinny tubular shape allows them to cook quickly on a busy weeknight and slice and portion easily. It is readily available and no more expensive than some average cuts of beef. The tenderloin has less fat than other red meats and more protein than chicken breasts. Of all the pork products, the tenderloin is the healthiest choice and it pairs well with fruit flavors such as apricots or apples and woody spices such as sage or rosemary. NOTE 1: White wine may be substituted for Marsala. If you wish to avoid wine altogether then you may substitute homemade paleo chicken stock. NOTE 2: Filling can be made up to 24 hours in advance (Reheat before stuffing tenderloins.)

Sage And Apricot Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4):

• 2 ea Natural Pork Tenderloins (aprox 1 lb. ea) – silver skin removed.
• 10 ea. Dried Unsulphered Apricots – Chopped and soaked in the Marsala for 3o minutes
• 6 oz. Marsala wine
• 1 TBS Olive Oil
• 1 ea. Medium yellow onion – chopped
• 2 ea. Garlic Cloves – Crushed
• 2 ea. Shallots – Sliced Thin
• 4 TBS. Fresh sage leaves – chopped + 6-8 ea whole leaves reserved for garnish

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Cuisinart/Food Processor

PROCEDURE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove tenderloins from fridge 30 minutes before cooking. On stove, heat oil in skillet. Add onion and saute for 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and shallots and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add sage and saute for 1 minute. Add apricots and Marsala liquid to pan and bring to quick boil. Simmer until moisture is evaporated, then remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Add cooled mixture to Cuisinart and puree until smooth. Slit tenderloins from end to end to form a pocket and evenly spoon aprox 1/2 of the filling into pockets. Place tenderloins on baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Carefully flip tenderloins over and coat top of them with remainder of apricot mixture. Bake for 15 -20 more minutes until done. Remove from oven, tent with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carefully slice tenderloins to preserve topping and filling and garnish platter with remainder of sage leaves.

NUTRITION INFO (Per Serving): 454 Calories, Total Fat 10.5g, Sat. Fat 2.9g, Cholest. 165.4mg, Sodium 135.8mg, Carb. 18.1g, Fiber 1.6g, Sugars 2.3g, Protein 60.7g

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An easy dish to prepare for when you are looking for a dish similar to roasted potatoes.  Winter root vegetables such as turnips and parsnips have a delectable flavor and are rich in vitamins and minerals.  They pair well with roasted meats and accept herb and spice flavors well.  When you’re craving a starchy side dish, reach for a rutabega to fit the bill.

Oven Roasted Root Vegetables

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4):

• 1 Large Rutabega – peeled and chopped
• 1 Large Turnip – peeled and chopped
• 2 ea. Parsnips – peeled and chopped
• 2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 6 ea cloves garlic – crushed
• 1-2 TBS dried Thyme
• 1 tsp. Fresh ground black pepper
• 1-2 TBS Italian flat leaf parsley – chopped

PROCEDURE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine root vegetables in medium bowl and toss with olive oil, garlic, thyme and pepper until all are coated well.  Spread mixture evenly on sheet pan and bake 30-40 minutes until done. Garnish with chopped parsley.

NUTRITION INFO: (Per Serving) Calories 141, Total Fat 7.4g, Sat. Fat 1g, Cholest. 0mg, Sodium 45.2mg, Carb. 18g, Fiber 5.1g, Sugars 8.2g, Protein 2.3g

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