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 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 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!