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 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!