PC Day 20: Keep It Simple, Stupid

Yesterday's workout was a doozy! That's the thing about CrossFit, you never know what you're really getting into until you start doing the work.

WOD:
4 rounds
45 sec. HandStand hold
rest 45 sec.
Hollow Rocks 45-50 reps
rest 45 sec.12-15
Ring push outs
rest 45 sec.
45 sec. Straddle hold
rest 45 sec.

Phew! After that WOD, me and the Caveman were just ready to eat dinner and pass out.. thus, I opted for a Super Easy Stir Fry. Quality meat and fresh produce makes this meal stand out so much more than your average paleo fare. Again, the Holy Grail of supermarkets (the Asian market) came to the rescue. The meat we used was thinly sliced, top sirloin.. about 8 dollars for a pound and a half of good meat. Not too shabby I think. Trust me, once you try this type of meat for your stir frys, you won't want to substitute it if you don't absolutely have to.
Recipe:
1-1.5 pounds thinly sliced sirloin
1 half of a red, yellow or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
4-5 stalks of asparagus, chopped into 2 inch pieces
1 cup sliced mushrooms/
1 large handful of spinach
salt & pepper
4-5 cloves freshly chopped garlic
olive oil as needed

Method:
Heat up large sautee pan with olive oil. Separate the slices of sirloin (this is a lot easier if they are still slightly frozen, they thaw quickly in the pan since they are so thin.. just like in Korean BBQ!) Season with salt and pepper and place in your pan, in a single layer. You'll need to cook the meat in batches but it doesn't take long at all. Once the meat is all cooked set aside in a bowl. In the same pan, add additional olive oil, bring to heat and toss in your garlic. Sautee till fragrant and add in your vegetables in order of cooking time. For instance I added the asparagus first, let that cook for a minute or two, then the bell peppers, mushroom. Spinach went in last along with our cooked meat. Heat through until all ingredients are blended and spinach has wilted. Serve hot!

The Caveman loves this dish, specifically because of the meat choice. The veggies you can always mix-up, based on what you have at home. You can also mix up the spices, maybe adding crushed red pepper or onion powder.. super easy, right? It's like a CF workout, you'll rarely be eating the same exact stir fry each time. ;)  Live well, be well!

PC Day 19: Daddy Cakes

My dad was always the main cook of the house, making my old favorites like spaghetti with meat sauce or concocting new dishes from whatever we had just lying around our refrigerator or freezer. I guess you could say I gained my food-experimenting tendencies from him.. and to that, my taste buds say thank you (at least most of the time). In honor of Father's Day today I thought I'd recreate a childhood favorite and a my-father original: a combination, almost omelet, almost frittata, pancake-sized, meaty creation I hereby dub Daddy 'Cakes'.

Recipe: (Makes 4-5 large 'cakes')
1 lb ground beef
8 eggs
1tsp salt
1/4 of a large onion, chopped
green onions, chopped (for garnish, optional)

Method:
Heat a large pan and 1 Tbsp olive oil (or any paleo-friendly cooking fat). When oil becomes hot, toss in your onions and stir till almost translucent. Add the meat into your pan with your onions and sprinkle with salt (pepper would be good here too but I ran out.. *tear). Cook all the meat until done, remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan heat up a tsp of oil or cooking fat. In a bowl, beat exactly 2 eggs and add in 1/4 (or 1/5 depending on how big your pan is) of the meat & onion mixture. Mix thoroughly into the beaten egg and place mixture in pan. Shake the pan horizontally, so that it spreads out flat and even. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on one side (until ready to flip). Flip, and cook for another minute or so. Repeat same steps for remaining mixture/ eggs.

It literally takes only 4 ingredients to make, but they're addicting, paleo-friendly and can serve as a side dish, grab-n-go breakfast or mid-day snack. Enjoy and Happy Father's Day!

PC Day 14: No Thai-m to Waste!

So sometimes cooking paleo can get a little tedious, not gonna lie. There are days when I get home late from work, haven't defrosted anything and am starving! But luckily there are a lot of quick recipes out there that can get dinner on the table in little to no time flat!

This last Tuesday was one of those days. With nothing defrosted before hand, I peered into my freezer hoping for a miracle.. YES! A pound of shell-on frozen shrimp. Now if you don't know, raw shrimp is one of those things that can defrost in about 10 minutes in a luke warm water bath. Also, buying it shell-on opens up soo many flavor possibilities! But I'll discuss that later.. Again I borrowed a little somethin' from the tried and true Everyday Paleo blog. I usually adapt recipes to what I have on hand because I prefer not to sweat the small stuff.

Recipe for Green Thai Curry Shrimp Soup:
1 lb shell on raw shrimp
1 4 oz jar of Thai Kitchen green curry paste
1 can (400ml) coconut milk
1 red or yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
4-5 stalks of asparagus (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1/4 of an onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3-4 baby bok choy, washed and leaves separated
large handful of spinach
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder
lemon wedges (optional)

Method:
First peel and de-vein the shrimp, be sure to SAVE the heads of the shrimp. Take the heads and put them in a small pot along with 1.5 cups of water, 2 tsps salt, and sprinkles of pepper and garlic powder. Let shrimp-head broth come to a boil (shrimp heads will turn bright pink.. turn heat to medium low and set aside).

In the mean time, open your can of coconut milk, DO NOT SHAKE IT BEFORE HAND, scoop out the thick cream on top and into your large, hot pan. Watch out for the sizzle! (More tips/ info about this part on EP). Once the coconut oil has broken from the water, and has reduced, add in your onions and garlic and stir till fragrant. Then add in the entire jar of Thai green curry paste and stir to combine. After, add in the asparagus and bell pepper. Stir in the rest of your coconut milk and let simmer, uncovered for 2-3 minutes. Next add in the shrimp and season generously with salt and pepper. Shrimp cooks rather fast, so stir to combine.. about 4-5 minutes. Next add in 1- 1.5 cup(s) of shrimp-head broth (leave out the heads) then add in the baby bok choy. Don't forget to stir! Layer the spinach on top and cover. Bring to a simmer until greens have wilted. Serve with lemon wedges.

It may sound like a lot of work but it cooks up in no time, I promise! The shrimp-head broth was a great way to add in more shrimp-flavor as well as liquid to make it into a filling soup.This meal was sooo GOOD! I'll definitely be cooking it again soon! I love adapting recipes and making them my own, so feel free to take my recipe and add in or take out whatever you want!

Happy Eating, friends!

PC Day 13: The Holy Grail

So it's Day 13 of this Paleo Challenge and we're staying strong! Minus yesterday when we celebrated the Caveman's college graduation by going to Disneyland! (You don't even want to know what we gorged on! Eek!) Well at least we quickly got back on the horse today.. but before I post about our dinner tonight, I'm gonna post about my recent trip to the Holy Grail of grocery stores... the asian market!

So why exactly do I consider asian super markets the "Holy Grail"?:
1) Produce is at least 40% cheaper than typical grocery stores. I'm not even kidding. Fruits and vegetables, including the exotic and not-in-season are seriously inexpensive!
2) Many products are without additives or are minimally processed. IE. paleo-friendly coconut milk!
3) Sea food is plentiful! Which brings me to the golden nugget of this post...

Crab Soup - (Filipino Style)
Recipe:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
3-4 cloves garlic
6 small blue crabs
4-5 baby bok choy
2-3 cups chicken broth (liquid amounts dependent on how much broth you want)
2 cups water
2-3 bay leaves
3 green onions, cut into 2-inch long pieces

1 tbsp salt or 2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp fresh cracked pepper
pinch of paprika for heat

Method:
Clean your crabs under cool, running water VERY WELL! (I used a scrubbing brush to get into the crevices. Seafood carries all types of bacteria and nothing ruins a good meal like an upset stomach.) Saute onions and chopped garlic in olive oil till fragrant. Add in broth, water, paprika and bay leaves. This is where salt and peppering to your individual taste comes in (or use the fish sauce). Bring broth to a simmer or almost-boil then place the cleaned crabs in the pot. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes until done. You'll know they're done when the shells turn bright orange-red! Lastly, add in green onions and place baby bok choy (leaves separated) over the top of the crabs. Cover pot and let simmer until greens have wilted. Serve immediately!

If I was at my parents house I would probably nom one crab with a whole mess of rice. (The soup is similar in taste to the filipino dish sinigang) But since I'm not at my mom's, and because of the PC challenge, I cooked and ate it more as a soup. But I managed to truly enjoy the crab meat of two crabs instead of one.. along with the simple, yet delicious broth. Yum!

Until next time feeding time.. Happy Eating!

PC Day 8: Slow Cookin' to Glory

Last night the Caveman suggested we use my crock pot over night so that we had brunch waiting for us in the morning. GENIUS. We had just bought some pork chops from the grocery store, so it was Slow Cooked Apple & Onion Pork Chops on the menu for the next day.

Recipe:
2 Bone-in pork chops
1/2 of an apple (doesn't matter what kind, quartered)
1 cup of chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 tsp thyme
1.5 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Method:
Throw apple pieces into crock pot. Sear pork chops for one minute on each side in non-stick pan. Place pork chops in crock pot. Combine chicken broth, water and spices into same sauce pan used to brown chops. Throw in onions and bring to a simmer. Pour broth and onions into crock pot. Set on low for 8 hours. Voila!

The next morning for brunch, I served my chops with a side of caramelized brussel sprouts and two sunny-side up eggs. nomnomnom. The Caveman had his eggs scrambled.. *sigh...it's a shame he's never appreciated the goodness of runny, golden yolk perfection. Fried egg should seriously be considered as a condiment. Ketchup, Mustard, Relish, Mayo, and Fried Egg. It's only a matter of time...

Hasta Luego!

PC Day 7: Paleo for Dummies

If there ever was a "Paleo Diet for Dummies", this blog would be it. Nabbed myself a quick recipe for Chicken Fajitas for an easy-peasy dinner!

Recipe:
2 lbs chicken breast, cut in thin strips (I used chicken thighs)
2 bell peppers, sliced (red, green or yellow)
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp oregano, chili powder, cumin and coriander
4-6 chopped garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
salt/ pepper to taste
4 tbsp cooking fat (coconut oil, tallow or ghee are excellent here)
Butter lettuce to serve (I used iceberg)
You choice of toppings: diced tomatoes, fermented pickles, sauerkraut, sliced avocados, salsa, guacamole, mayonnaise and/or salsa verde)

Method:
Mix all the spices into the chicken, along with the lemon juice. If you have time, marinade for an hour or more. If not, just throw it in a hot pan with some olive oil and brown till done! Set chicken aside. Next, hit the pan with a little water or chicken broth to deglaze the the flavor nuggets from the pan. Throw in the onions and peppers and sautee till desired crispness.

I served mine on iceberg lettuce with guacamole and chopped tomatoes. I also had bought extra, pre-seasoned beef fajita steak meat at the grocery store for variety.. and because the Caveman insisted on it. Both tasted wonderful and took almost no time to prepare!

Happy Eating!

PC Day 6: Playing Ketchup

For lunch we had Paleo burgers (nice& easy). Instead of boring you with the details of this Googable meal, the true shining light of this foodventure is the Paleo Ketchup that the Caveman made for our burgers. To be honest, I'm not a huge ketchup fan at all, but the Caveman was literally dying without his favorite condiment. Thus, he set out to find a Paleo Ketchup recipe.. turns out I enjoy Paleo ketchup a heck of a lot more than regular ketchup. Who'd a thunk it?

Here's the Recipe:
‎1 small can (12 oz) of plain, sugar-free tomato sauce
1 small can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 tsp vinegar (he used apple cider)
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
a pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tsp allspice

Later I bought a condiment bottle for it, to prevent it from looking like elementary school mystery meat sauce. *shudders*

I was in a rush to go to work that day so it was definitely Iron Chef time in my kitchen. While I was preparing the burgers I also prepped my ingredients for Crockpot Beef Stew. Borrowed this little gem from definedwellness. (Recipe and directions are in the link) I left out the tarragon and rutabaga because I didn't have any on hand. I also tweaked the recipe to fit my size crock pot.

Nothing's better than coming home after a long day to your house smelling like deliciousness. The beef stew turned out pretty darn good but I would suggest a few things for next time:
- Sear the meat in batches before placing it in your crock pot. (It helps seal in the juices and adds to flavor)
- I would probably add a tsp of salt to season the veggies and meat.
- Also, pepper.

The soup itself was very savory and the meat was perfectly tender. Gotta love slow cookers!

PC Day 5: BBQ

Day 5 and me and the Caveman are holding out strong. This has to be my favorite Paleo meal so far.. Beef Ribs with Paleo BBQ sauce. Commence drooling.

This is the first video I did for hungryneedfood. The actual length of the video is about 40 minutes long... I have yet to master the fine art of video editing. It will take some time for me to put it up, so for now i'll provide the recipe and prep! Patience is a virtue!

Recipe:
1.5-2lbs beef ribs
2 tsps salt
2 tsps pepper
2 tsps garlic powder

Method: Rinse ribs under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place ribs in a large, flat pan. Season with salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder on both sides. Cover with foil and roast in oven at 375°F for about 1 hour. Drain any grease that has accumulated. Cover the roasted ribs with sauce and bake for an additional 45 minutes (still covered) or until the ribs are tender, basting occasionally as needed. Remove ribs and slather on more sauce then place back in the oven to broil for about 5 minutes.

Paleo BBQ Sauce:
1-1.5 cups of beef broth
6 oz. tomato paste
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp honey (optional)
1tsp pepper

Method: Heat olive oil up in medium stock pot. Stir in onions and garlic until onions are transluscent and garlic is fragrant. Stir in all the other ingredients (no specific order). Cover and let simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Sesame Cucumber Salad:
1 cucumber
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 green onion
salt & pepper
sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Method:
Peel cucumber and cut into desired shape and size. Chop green onion, medium sized. Pour in sesame oil and apple cider vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Cauliflower Mash Recipe courtesy of nomnompaleo.

Needless to say this meal turned out great! My only regret is not cooking a second rack of ribs!
Until next time.. live well, be well!

PC Day 4: Can't Win'em All

The thing with paleo food is you have to be willing to experiment, otherwise you'll grow bored of merely seasoning the heck out of meat and veggies.

For dinner on Day 4 I decided to reinvent the chicken thigh (and yes, I have a whole freezer bag full of these so I'll be using them quite often). I attempted to make Almond-Crusted Chicken Stuffed with Kale and Ham, a hybrid of two non-paleo recipes I found through foodgawker. 

Recipe:

4 chicken thighs (pounded out)

Stuffing

1/2 a bunch of kale

4 cloves of garlic

3 pieces of ham

1/4 of an onion

1 tsp toasted pine nuts

salt & pepper

Crust

1 cup of almonds

1/2 tsp thyme

salt & pepper

1 egg

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop the ham into small pieces and sautee in pan with olive oil. Add in your chopped up kale and the onions and sautee until slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper and toss in pine nuts near the end. To prepare crust, grind almonds along with the seasonings in blender until fine. Spoon small amount of kale-ham mixture into each chicken thigh. Roll chicken thigh tightly and secure with toothpicks if needed. Dip in egg wash before dipping into the almond mixture. Coat well and place on lined, flat, baking pan. Cook in oven for 25-30 minutes or until done.

I served it with a side of sauteed zucchini and a steamed artichoke drizzled with olive oil and garlic powder (steamed in the microwave!) I'd have to admit the chicken didn't turn out as well as I would have liked. I think next time i'll leave out the pine nuts and use paleo-friendly bacon instead of ham. Oh well! You can't win'em all!

Happy Eating!

PC Day 3: Just Ask

We decided to treat ourselves to a meal out.

*Gasp!* You mean there are paleo options at restaurants? You bet! Me and my boyfriend, whom I will now refer to as the Caveman, went out for Korean BBQ! Of course we skipped most the sides and went straight for the meat but we did munch on some broccoli and radish "banchan". Mmmm. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

More restaurants today have diet friendly, and even paleo-friendly options. All you have to do is ask! They would rather keep your business than refuse to give you a substituted serving of vegetables. Even places like Chipotle and Wendy's have healthier options. Paleohacks is a bible for beginners such as myself and gives you tips on how to choose well while eating out.

Until next time, Happy Eating!

PC Day 2: New Favorite

For Day 2 of the Paleo Challenge I thought I'd break out the crock pot I received this past Christmas (thank you SantaMom!) So our local grocery store often has BOGO deals on meat. Yes, meat on sale may sound a little sketch.. but if you use your meat right away then I think you should be fine. We had some pork loin chops laying around so I decided to experiment with a pork carnitas recipes from Paleo Eats. I left out the chipotle peppers and orange juice because I didn't have any on hand (and cinnamon because I'm not a huge fan) but the meat still turned out quite NOMtastic!

I served it with iceberg lettuce in place of tortillas or taco shells and topped it off with some fresh pico de gallo and guacamole! Ole!

This will definitely be a repeat recipe. Maybe next time I'll be brave enough to throw in the OJ.

Paleo Challenge (PC) Day 1:

Sorry, but you'll have to excuse the quality of photos for the time being, I don't have a fancy schmancy DSLR camera (Nikon D3100 please! If anyone's feeling a little generous). Instead I currently shoot my pictures with the ever so classy Blackberry Torch and the always convenient, my boyfriend's iPhone. Definition of: For The Win! When i'm feeling extra foodie, I'll snap a photo with my legitimate Sony digital camera.. but I digress.

Anyways, here's what I cooked up for our first PC meal:

If you're like me and you LOVE your potato chips nomnomnom... then you will absolutely love kale chips! They taste amazing and kale is full of vitamin A, C and K, it is anti-oxidant rich, low calorie, AND fights cancer! I'm surprised crime fighting isn't in its repertoire. There are dozens of recipes online, but here's the one  I followed from smittenkitchen. Lay's better look out, Kale is all the rage.

For the main meal, I dished up some oven-roasted chicken thighs. I find that chicken thighs have better flavor, but I'm not hating on the tried and true chicken breast. Seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and a dash of rosemary. Accompanied by a zucchini, asparagus and mushroom stir fry. (Seasoned with salt, pepper and thyme). I threw in some fresh tomato slices for good measure.

I thought I'd keep our first PC meal nice and easy. Most paleo meals shouldn't take 3 hours in the kitchen.

Happy Eating!

Big Bang Theory

Firstly, let me give you some background info about yours truly.

I've always had the yo-yo body type, where I would have a really good summer or really good 3-week vacation from school but as soon as finals or the holidays rolled around, it was like exercise who? Diet, huh? Well last summer I lost a good 20 pounds with good old diet and daily (yes, DAILY) exercise. I had never felt more proud about myself and my new habits. Thus, I promised myself to keep the weight off for good. No more yo-yo BS. My boyfriend is the one who got me hooked onto CrossFit and for the first time ever in life, I was not only able to keep the weight off, but I've truly come to know what it means to "live well, be well".

So I'm starting this blog off with a BANG in the name of a 30-Day Paleo Crossfit Challenge! (insert epic trumpet blaring here) I'll be sharing personal and borrowed recipes, tried and true lifehacks and even my own failures, because life isn't perfect and neither am I.

Hope I can count you in for the ride!