DIY BBQ-Flavor Kale Chips - Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Paleo, Primal

True confessions time: I have been having a really hard time with this nutrition challenge. You'd think a challenge vet like myself would not have difficulties with a challenge - I've done 3 on my own and this challenge makes the 5th with my Crossfit box. And it is true - the more challenges I've done, the better I've gotten with economies of scale, sourcing my food, planning ahead, and honing the recipes that really work for me and my family.

For me, this time the difficulty is boiling down to a) motivation - it is so hard to keep it going when I am not able to work out the same way that I did in past challenges (due to rehabbing an injury), and b) boredom/monotony, because I haven't been proactive about mixing it up with different foods, instead falling back frequently on my usual stand-by recipes. Also, during this challenge I am trying something new and combining the J.J. Virgin recommendations with the paleo challenge portion, so I am not eating eggs, which has proven far more difficult than I'd have guessed - eggs are my breakfast go-to, after all!

The monotony thing has really gotten to me, because even a good 12 days into the challenge, I am finding myself drawn to taste-bud-hijacking junk foods (sweet and salty both) and prepaleo comfort foods. I have managed to not slip up, but these cravings tell me that I need to get some new challenge-legal snacks in my life!

Speaking of challenge-legal snacks, I'm already thinking ahead to a classic comfort food occasion: the Super Bowl. I don't even care about football, but boy, do I love football-watching food. We are hosting some friends, and I'm planning ahead this year to have challenge-friendly fare at the ready: Some slow-cooked shredded carnitas in a crock-pot, maybe some hot wings (if it's not too cold for grilling), veggies and guacamole, Clementines, and so on. Perhaps I will also make kale chips! After all, nothing says, game food like something crispy and savory.

Today, I tried out my first go at kale chips - I've had them store-bought before from the company Brad's, which does a marvelous job - but I was hoping to get similar results at home for a fraction of the price. The cashew butter combined with the apple cider vinegar and seasonings lends a rich umami "cheesy" flavor, to these, as well. This is what resulted, and my daughters and I enjoyed the chips so much that I couldn't resist sharing!

Barbecue Flavor Kale Chips
Makes about 2 cups of chips

Ingredients

• Bunch of fresh kale, about the size of two fists, with stems removed and chopped into roughly chip-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons cashew butter (can sub nut butter of choice, or tahini, or sunbutter - though I don't recommend the final toasting at 450 with these due to oxidation concerns)
• 1 tablespoon bacon fat
• 1 tablespoon oil of choice (I used macadamia oil, which has a higher smoke point)
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (raw organic apple cider vinegar is usually cheapest found in stores, around $3/bottle)
• 4 drops organic stevia extract (optional, adds to the BBQ flavor, could also sub honey or maple syrup depending on your goals)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 4 drops fish sauce (optional; I used Red Boat, which is free of junk - made of just anchovies and salt)
• Sea salt to taste (I used 30 cranks from my sea salt grinder)

Directions

After washing the kale pieces, use a paper towel to get as much moisture as possible off of the kale. Put the kale pieces in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag.

In a blender or mini food processor, blend the remaining ingredients until smooth. Mixture will be thick unless bacon fat was already warm/liquid.

Spoon the blended seasoning mix into the Ziploc bag with the kale pieces. Close the bag and "massage" it for a couple of minutes to get the seasoning mix into as many crannies of the kale as possible. The mix will warm just a bit from the massage action and probably become a little less thick, so this will help your task.

Spread the kale chips in a cake pan or cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, gently stirring the chips around the pan every 10 minutes or so. The kale will get a little limp before it starts to dry and crisp up during this process. Finish the chips with 1 minute of the broiler set on 425 just crisp the chips just a little more. Enjoy hot, fresh, and crispy, straight out of the oven!

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The Best Cupcake Wrappers for Paleo Recipes

I'm in Day 2 of this 28 day sugar detox. There's nothing like a nutrition challenge to make me realize how mindlessly I can sometimes eat...like bites I steal of my girls' apple chips when packing their lunches.

I've done a lot of nutrition and paleo challenges, both by myself and with my Crossfit box, but this is the first time I've actively avoided fruit. It does sound kind of extreme, but I still get some carbs from nonfruit sources like butternut squash. I'm also planning on taking in some coconut water (I dilute it half and half with filtered water) during and after hot yoga sessions. If I were Crossfitting or otherwise tackling intense exercise, I'd be following the sugar detox for athletes protocol, which involves strategically adding a little more carbs in the form of fruit or starchy veggies.

Day 2 of a challenge can be brutal - I'm wading through serious headache territory, but thankfully I know enough that by this time next week I should be doing much better. In the meantime I'm keeping myself going with continuous meats, eggs, veggies, and healthy fats.

One of my favorite "to-go" low carb breakfasts involves using preservative free ham as a cupcake liner, cracking an egg inside the ham "cup", and baking. The ham is out for me at the moment during this challenge, though, since it does have some trace amounts turbinado sugar.

This brings me to my favorite paleo baking tool: unbleached paper cupcake liners (and parchment paper, and pie pans, and mini muffin liners) by If You Care. Besides being available in bulk on  Amazon and in single packages from Vitacost, they are also available in Wegmans, Giant, and many other major grocery store chains. I was thrilled when their unbleached paper pie pans helped me to make my first successful GAPS and gluten free pumpkin pie crusts - because for the first time in 3 years of paleo pie-baking the crusts didn't stick or burn to the pan!

No matter what texture is going on, I can always count on If You Care liners to break away from my baked item cleanly without tearing apart and destroying the end product. Yes, even in the case of just eggs! When I want to make something extra pretty - like for a birthday party - I sometimes add a brightly colored conventional cupcake wrapper on the outside of these modest beige ones, after the treats have cooled.

This morning's project:

• Set oven to 425 to preheat.
• Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Crack one egg into each liner.
• Sprinkle eggs with a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt.
• Add a slice or two of mushrooms, and a couple of 1/2" pieces of asparagus.
• Optional and delicious, if you have it: crumbled bacon.
• Change oven setting to broil at 425F.
• Broil 15 minutes (or 3 minutes less if you want your egg/yolk a little runny).

Luckily, these are GAPS diet friendly, too, so my 2 year old had some with a GAPS-OK liverwurst and guacamole for her second breakfast!

What low carb breakfasts have you tried out lately?

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Midwestern Red Beef Rutabaga Curry

I have a real attachment to red curry. It is so super savory - my favorite comfort food taste in the cold weather. This time, I paired it with beef, rutabaga, and fresh baby spinach and very much enjoyed the collision of midwestern staples with the rich fragrant sauce.

Midwestern Red Beef Rutabaga Curry
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 rutabaga, peeled and diced into 1"x 1/2" chunks
2-3 lb. thinly sliced strips of beef
1/2 onion, diced (optional)
3 cups fresh baby spinach
2+ tablespoons coconut oil, ghee, or butter (or other high heat cooking fat of your choice)
1 can coconut milk
4 tablespoons red curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon ginger powder (optional)
Salt, to taste

Directions:
In a large pot on medium high heat, combine the cooking fat, the rutabagas, and the onions. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, and ginger powder and stir to combine. Mix in the red curry paste. Allow the rutabagas to cook for at least 15 minutes, adding cooking fat if necessary.

Toss the beef strips into the pot with the rutabaga and stir continuously as it cooks for 3-5 minutes. Just as most of the pink is gone from the beef, pour in the coconut milk and mix well. Taste the broth and salt to taste. Just before serving, throw a handful of baby spinach in each person's bowl, and ladle the curry over the spinach. (The spinach will wilt to "just right" consistency within 2 minutes.) Serve while piping hot.

Everything But the Oink

Earlier this week we committed to join two other families in splitting up a pig raised at a Nourishing Traditions leaning farm. Great price, no soy feed, no GMO feed. How could I resist an opportunity like that? :)

Since we are blowing through the half grassfed cow that we bought last fall, we actually have enough loose freezer space for the pork. I'm geeking out at all that we're going to learn. I'm teaming up with the two other traditional foodie mamas from these families - we'll be doing our first attempt curing and slicing our own bacon and ham! Fortunately for us there are a myriad of tutorials and videos showing how to do this, and one of these mamas already has her own smoker. I'll probably be on the hunt for a value-priced meat slicer for us, which we'll be sure to use a lot anyway for slicing up roast beef and other meats.

I'm excited that we'll also be receiving some pork jowl. I need to be on the lookout for some good pork jowl recipes, so if anybody has any ideas or links to post in the comments, I'd be so grateful!

Besides meat geekery, I've gone through a "try new produce" kick lately. I've made turnips, jicama, and rutabaga lately, and I am finding myself surprised at how much I enjoy these root veggies, even more than potatoes, sometimes. Earlier this week I did up a nice midwestern red curry with rutabaga and beef that I will post, probably later tonight. Savory and very sating!

Meanwhile, I type this sipping the last bit of heavy cream from our fridge in my coffee. Our Crossfit box's challenge officially starts February 1. It's a good thing that I've been experimenting with these lower carb veggies! There are four top prizes, two per gender. Best body recomposition (fat loss/muscle gain) - Male/Female, and best WOD improvement (Male/Female). Our box has given participants three options: classic balanced diet, Zone portions, or paleo eating.

Exactly how eager am I to tackle this challenge? Well, for one example, I'm giving up my beloved dairy for the six weeks, so you might see a few more dairy free recipes around here. (My family's not giving up dairy, just me. I'm the only one doing the challenge, after all.) I'm also going to be very, very strategic about when I eat the limited amount of carbs that I consume - post workout, as a rule.

Wish me luck!

The Pastromelette

Yes, I had grand menu plans for a quiche today, but they didn't quite get off the ground. I still involved eggs, fresh peppers, and meat in an egg dish though! It has a little bit of a cordon-bleu vibe. I split mine with my girls.

I hereby dub this The Pastromelette.

The Pastromelette
Serves one hungry adult or one adult and two small children.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Kerrygold salted butter
2 mini peppers, or 1/2 one regular pepper, sliced thinly
4 eggs, thoroughly beaten
2 slices pastrami (or more, as desired - you can usually get decent quality lunch meats at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's)
1/2 oz. cheese of choice, grated finely (I used Kerrygold Dubliner)

Directions:
In a large pan on medium-high heat, melt the butter. Tilt the pan so that the butter coats the entire bottom of the pan, and add peppers. Saute the peppers at least 2 minutes, then pour on the beaten eggs. Spread the two slices of pastrami over all of the egg, then add grated cheese on top. Allow to cook for about 3 minutes; make sure that the pastrami has adhered to the eggs and that the cheese has melted a bit. Use a spatula to fold the omelette in half - and cook 2 more minutes so that the omelette is sealed with the pastrami and cheese folded together inside. Serve warm.

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This post is a part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.

Beef and Broccoli Sesame Slaw

This is a very quick recipe that comes together easily with leftover steak. A great cold meal alternative as the weather warms - and a nice option for picnics. Monitor the taste of the dressing as you add the tamari - it is very salty and so your preference for it may vary.

Beef and Brocolli Sesame Slaw
Serves 4 as a main dish

Ingredients
1 ten-ounce bag of brocolli slaw
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro (omit if you're one of those folks who doesn't "do" cilantro...or substitute fresh diced basil leaves)
20 oz. steak, cooked medium, chilled, and sliced very thin (I use kitchen shears to shortcut this!)
1/4 c. cold-pressed extra virgin sesame oil
1/4 c. vinegar of choice (apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar are good options)
Tamari, to taste

Directions
Combine first three ingredients in a gallon zip bag. Add sesame oil and vinegar, zip bag, and toss to coat. Add tamari to zip bag a spoonful or two at a time, shaking in between added spoonfuls to combine, until desired taste is achieved.

Strawberries with Mascarpone and Cacao Nibs

Om nom nom.

That is all. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. :)



P.S. - Doesn't everything look a little more special and taste a little more delicious when served in cut glass or crystal? I think so.















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Reconciling with the Reality of Owning a Very Low Carb Body

The holiday season really threw my weight loss for a loop. I made way too many allowances for technically primal stuff - carby stuff - that shouldn't be a part of my diet as long as I'm working on losing weight (honey comes to mind). The proof is in the pudding - this past week I returned to very low carb (also known as VLC - less than 20 or 30 grams per day) and suddenly that old feeling returned: I felt back in control. My appetite wasn't in the driver's seat. I wasn't irritable. I had steady energy throughout the day. It was wonderful! And by yesterday morning I weighed 6 pounds less than the beginning of the week (some is probably water weight, but even losing the water weight makes your pants fit better, amirite?).

Eating primal (aka lacto-paleo) is not necessarily low carb. There are plenty of primal and paleo folks who eat moderate carb or (for very active people) high carb real foods as a regular part of their diet and do splendidly. That said, I've been reading a lot more about fructose being obesogenic. While the verdict's still out for me, this much I know: when I avoid fruit (and honey, which has fructose), the weight falls off. When fruit and honey are a big part of my daily meals, I stall or gain. The occasional nonfructose carby food - starchy tubers like sweet potatoes or potatoes, for example - won't derail me as much.

It's hard for me to make peace with this, and I think it will be an ongoing process. After all, in our culture fruit is widely seen as an exceedingly healthy and responsible - nay! - integral part of a weight loss program. But refined carbs or natural carbs, my body just doesn't like carbs! And when they get to be a big enough part of my diet, they make me gain weight and activate a sweet tooth addiction that is hard for me to shake.

So I'm back at blunting my carb cravings with VLC foods and have eliminated honey and very much restricted fruit for now. Eggs, nitrate free bacon, macadamia nuts, Kerrygold butter, heavy cream, brussels sprouts, carrots dipped in guacamole, Kerrygold cheeses, coconut milk, coconut oil, and so on. Doing it this way, I lose weight, and eventually things that weren't sweet before (like those carrots) suddenly take on a wonderfully sweet taste.