Part Deux: Acquiring More Traditional Food Skills

Fall 2011 is apparently setting up to be the fall when I learn a zillion new-to-me traditional food methods. Though I had no real planned-well-in-advance agenda to do this some of these, impromptu tutorials are just falling into my path, sometimes so spontaneously that all I can use to capture the moments is my Droid. Cases in point:

• 

  You know it's good bone broth when it stays perfectly
  gelled, even when held upside down.
  All that collagen, wahoo!

  Homemade Bone Broth - from Chicken Feet! I received a HUGE zip bag of chicken feet from my farmer - for FREE. I couldn't believe my luck - there were probably at least 60 feet from recently slaughtered/scalded chickens. Having read A Slim Winter's chicken feet broth post just before this, I knew that I could possibly make some decent broth. After a couple of batches I really got the hang of it, even going so far the second round as to add apple cider vinegar to help extract more nutrients from the bones and cartilage - and I used my kitchen shears to trim off the talons so that more of the bone marrow could be exposed and thus extracted during the simmering. I was rewarded with a super rich broth that was thick and gelatinous when chilled, and comforting all the way down when warmed in a mug. If you find yourself on the receiving end of some inexpensive or free chicken feet, GO for it! You will love the broth that results.
  
  
• Mad kefir makin' skillz. I met another primal / paleo person IN THE FLESH. First nononline paleo person I've ever met! I was ridiculously excited; we happened to be buying the same creamline whole milk from our farmer when we ran into each other. It turns out that she has a couple of traditional foodie friends as well, one of whom has a way with homemade kefir. We are going to get a kefir making/storage tutorial from said expert later next week. Wahoo! (Meanwhile, this week I found out another superstrong gal at my Crossfit box eats paleo, too...so that makes two in-the-flesh folks I know. Maybe enough momentum for a pot luck at some point! ;-p )
  
  
  

  

  Zee half cow, deconstructed.

• Half cow freezin', with plans for tallow renderin'. Our household's first ever local, bulk bought beef purchase came home with us on Monday. We were totally bewildered by the quantity of meat from our order of half a cow. I was giddy because beside the usual offerings of ground beef, roasts, stew meat, and steaks, the butcher had made sure at my request that we received every possible scrap - soup bones, heart, liver, tongue, and (drumroll!) a huge pack of beef fat (note to self, look up tallow rendering, apparently my next on the skillz-to-learn docket...). Normally I avoid beef fat in conventionally raised animals, but the beef AND fat of a carefully raised pastured-only cow is super valuable nutritionally and a wonderfully healthy fuel.  I was keen on getting my money's worth and not letting go of any of that offal, bone, and fat nutrition (all of which, according to my farmer, is often left behind by his customers).
  
  



Homemade ranch dip. Delicious.
Make it in a jar to make mixing easy!

• Mark's Daily Apple's Creamy Ranch Dressing. We had assigned snack duty for my daughter's preschool last week, and the requested items were carrots and celery sticks and ranch dip. I was so glad to find out from Paleo Periodical on Twitter (thanks, Karen!!) that MDA had this dip - after tasting it I realized how much I had missed the flavor of ranch. Balsamic vinegar and olive oil can dress only so many salads, apparently. I'm looking forward to having this recipe in my regular rotation to drizzle on steak salads and scrambled eggs.

What new recipes and traditional food skills are you learning right now?

A Month of New Things

Something about the paleo lifestyle just forces me to try new things. It's wonderful! As an at-home mom and an introverted, homebody creature of habit I am very rut-prone, but transitioning our family to a paleo way of life a year and a half ago has drug me into more fresh experiences that I'd ever have anticipated.

Here are some new things that I have done for the first time - in the last few weeks alone!

• Crossfit. Oh yes, this is by far the biggest immediate overhaul. I'm still getting to bed early, still rising well before dawn. Every workout is shocking my body - but thankfully, the extreme soreness from last week is slowly starting to dissipate. And...dare I say? Even though every exercise makes me well aware of my current physical limitations, I am having fun. Today was my first day using a weighted bar instead of a PVC pipe, and though it was still relatively light, it was satisfying. I'm also grateful to have a set of very patient and attentive instructors who have helped me to scale some exercises appropriately around a lingering preexisting injury.

• Half a cow. We did it! We have committed to buying half a grass-fed cow from a local farm. It will take a certain amount of budget accommodation on our parts -- which is making me glad that I've already thought through some of our budget and options for making or acquiring Christmas gifts. Meanwhile, I need to start clearing out our freezers a bit to make room!
  
• Beef tongue. AND beef liver. TOGETHER. My first stab at making offal was in today's batch of chili. I had picked up the tongue and liver at the same local farm this past weekend. I was very suprised to see how well the tongue cooked - overnight last night on low in the crock pot, then the outer rough skin came right off this morning, revealing a very tender pot roast type meat (I used the recipe at Primal Palate as inspiration for how to approach cooking the tongue). I took the advice of Lindsay over at Wildness and Wonder and pulsed our pastured beef liver in the mini food processor until it was super fine, and then added it to the chili in the crock pot. The result was very savory, definitely reminiscent a bit of liverwurst, and tasty with sour cream and shredded cheese. I enjoyed it, and my girls definitely enjoyed it (my four year old asked for seconds!) - but next time I may add even more muscle meat in a bid to tone the robust liver taste down.

• A touch of bourbon in whipped cream with vanilla seeds. I don't think this requires much of an explanation. :)
  
  

What new things have you been trying lately?

Broadening Snacking Palates: Yours and Your Kids'

It is a common puzzle for parents: how to break their kids of the iron grip that refined carbs has on their palates. Since refined carbohydrates like white sugar and wheat flour (even whole wheat flour) have documented properties of addiction in terms of how they affect the brain, it's no small wonder that food manufacturers try to hit the sweet spot with added refined carbs at every turn.

The long term solution to this is to get these kinds of carbs out of regular rotation - and one way to do this is by broadening your kids' palates. By offering and introducing tasty alternatives, your kids can come to view whole foods as treats in their own right.

Here are some ideas for kid-friendly tastes that can satisfy without promoting the manufactured taste or effects of refined carbohydrates. Be sure to indulge yourself - not only because they taste good, but because when your kids see you snacking on real food instead of processed junk, they'll follow suit.

Cheese
If your family tolerates dairy well, go for the good stuff: full-fat, and organic, pastured, and/or raw where you can afford it. If your kids don't go for one type of cheese, don't be afraid other types; you might have one kid who's a Roquefort hound, and another who's all about Gouda. Hard and soft; stinky or mild; cow's, sheep's, or goat's. Mix it up and discover what cheese tastes your kids enjoy.

Guacamole
This savory dip of mashed avocados is a classic favorite for adults and kids alike - and the smooth, fatty texture is irresistable. Serve it up with fresh cut veggies like carrot and celery sticks.

Fresh Fruit and Veggies
This goes beyond apples and bananas, carrots and celery. Introduce your kids to as wide a variety of produce as you can manage - including palate-awakening items like tart grapefruits, starchy plantains, earthy beets, and crisp, peppery radishes. Asian grocery stores and farmers' markets are great places to seek variety - invite your kids to pick out whatever new fruits and vegetables they'd like to try, and bring them home. You might even Wikipedia the new picks together on your smartphone or PC to see where they originate and some of the best ways to prepare them - which is a fun learning experience by itself. And if your kids don't go for something new? That's fine! In your next shopping trip, move on to the next intriguing item at the produce stand, and you are sure to eventually find something that you all enjoy.

Nuts
I don't mean a bowl of dusty cottonseed oil and corn starch dusted peanuts (yuck!). Try simply salted nuts - or even combine them in trail mixes with raisins and other dried fruits as a summer outing snack. Remember to read the ingredient labels of all of the nuts that you buy to ensure that there is nothing added - just nuts, perhaps with added salt. Nut butters (again, be sure to select them without added sugars or industrial oils like canola or soybean oil) can be delicious spread on apple slices.

Plain Whole Fat Yoghurt

Traderspoint Creamery Grass Fed
Whole Creamline Yogurt is one
we've tried recently and really enjoyed!

Did you know that GoGurt has 5.78 grams of sugar per ounce of product? Coca-Cola has 3.2 grams of sugar per ounce of soda. Yup, sweetened yoghurts frequently have more sugar per ounce than soda, and both are laden with high-fructose corn syrup and other coloring agents and additives that you and your kids don't need. It's time to ditch sweetened yoghurts and get acquainted with the creamy, deliciously tart taste of plain whole fat yoghurt. If you're feeling adventuresome you could try to make your own, or simply buy the highest quality (organic, grass-fed, etc.) that you can afford. Since it's a big shift from the industrially-sweetened taste, you could sweeten with something natural, like a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup - or by adding fresh fruit, but also don't be afraid to try the plain yogurt by itself to wean a sweet tooth off of depending on yoghurt as a sweet snack.

Chicken Salad or Egg Salad
Make yourself some delicious homemade mayo (it's very simple, promise!), and then toss it with leftover chunks of chicken, or with diced boiled eggs. You can eat this right out of a bowl with a fork, or wrapped in lettuce leaves. It's a great hearty snack that is bound to keep you and your kids satisfied because of the high protein and fat content.

Getting your kids to try new tastes while you transition to a real food lifestyle can be challenging at times for sure. The important mindsets for you to exhibit during the experience of broadening your palates are patience, persistence, and openmindedness.

What new-to-your-tastebuds real food snacks have you and your family been trying out lately?

Menu Plan

Yesterday morning: Sliced mango and leftover chicken,
whole milk on the side.

Wow, we made it through March! It was a very rainy March for us - and it's still rainy today, hence the playlist.

I was shocked at how much money we saved on groceries last month with my husband being the primary grocery shopper -- enough to have him involved in grocery shopping a lot more often from here on out.

Also? My preschooler is more or less geared now toward the idea of whole foods for breakfast; I can't remember the last time that she asked about breakfast cereal, and I consider that a milestone of some sort.

Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday:

Leftover beef brisket soup, absolutely
loaded with leeks and mushrooms.

Breakfast - Hot tea for me, bananas and leftover chicken with mango for my girls
Lunch - Liverwurst, smoky autumn beef brisket soup using leftover beef roast
Dinner - Flank steaks on the grill - it's grillin' weather, baby, YEA! :)

Tuesday:
Breakfast - Hot tea for me, milk and fruit for my girls (I meant to get some protein in for them, too, but the morning got ahead of me!)
Lunch - Leftover beef brisket soup, Dubliner cheese
Dinner - Chebe Pizza!*

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Onion and cheese omelette
Lunch - Fasting for me, probably
Dinner - Chuck steaks under the broiler, baked Brussels sprouts with butter

Thursday:
Breakfast - Frozen blueberries, warmed with cinnamon, served with cottage cheese
Lunch - Lamb shoulder simmered in tamari and butter
Dinner - Salmon filets, coconut oil veggie stir fry

Friday:
Breakfast - Whole milk yoghurt with liquid whole leaf stevia and vanilla extract
Lunch - We're visiting with a friend and her daughter! She's providing the chicken for grillin', I'm supplying a loaded salad and maybe some Green & Black's as a special treat :)
Dinner - Bacon and eggs

Tonight's Chebe crust pizza, which I made using the
very simple and low-carb Victoria tomato basil sauce.
It is, quite simply, delicious.
I would be proud to serve it to company.

*Look away if you are dogmatic -- I saw Chebe Bread Pizza Crust Mix as somebody had mixed and baked it up on another paleo blog (it's tapioca flour based, very short ingredient list, came highly rated). Drumroll...this means that yes, our household will have the occasional pizza night! (I haven't been contacted by Chebe with any review requests; I discovered and bought Chebe of my own initiative, and am glad that I did!) I did some Googling, and discovered that Chebe also sells frozen pizza crusts with the same ingredients as the dry mix ... but unfortunately the wet ingredients added in the frozen crust include (ick! so bad for you) canola oil.

Definitely some leftovers going with my husband
and daughter in their lunches tomorrow.

But now that I know that the tapioca flour crust won't "die" while waiting in a freezer, I hold out some hope that I could make the dry mix (as I did tonight) fresh at home with Kerrygold, but then press it flat and and add some toppings, and finally freeze it for when unexpected dinner company drops in, or those nights when we arrive at home after some long trip with nothing in our fridge, or in case of nausea/illness/recovery when something simple and fast is needed. Hmmm, maybe that is a case where a vacuum sealing appliance comes in handy -- as it did for Joyful Abode when she cracked open some frozen vaccum sealed twice baked potato skins that she had made with her postpartum recovery time in mind.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Thanks for supporting Primal Kitchen at no additional cost to you! All opinions expressed here are honest and my own.

Lamb Chops with Red Wine Reduction

I had other plans for last night's dinner on my menu plan - that is, until I saw already discounted sale lamb chops with the extra "today's the last sell by day" discount sticker applied at Giant. Super cheap Australian lamb? Count me in.

Here's what I did (You'll notice some parallels with yesterday's miso salmon - let's just say that I was on a shallot kick since my mother-in-law gave me a huge bag of shallots that she didn't use over the holidays. Also, pickle juice a great addition just about anywhere, and my Bubbies were almost gone.):

• Marinated 1 lb. (5 palm-sized chops in my case) in a gallon size zip bag in about 2 tablespoons Pompeii pomegranate-infused red wine vinegar and 1/2 c. tamari. (For what it's worth I'm sure regular red wine vinegar is a perfectly fine substitute.)
• In the meantime, set 1.5-2 c. red wine (also Australian, in my case!) and 1/2 c. pickle juice (yea, you read that rightly, from my Bubbies in my case) with 4 bay leaves in a saucepan on the stove on medium-low heat to reduce until thickened and closer to syrup, over about half an hour.
• After half hour of lamb chops marinating and sauce reducing, poured excess of chops' tamari-vinegar marinade into reducing red wine sauce.
• Put 2 tbsp. bacon grease in a large pan with 3 thinly-sliced shallots, and sauted on medium-high for just a couple of minutes.
• In the pan with the bacon grease, seared the lamb chops on both sides, about 2 minutes each (this is if you - as I do - like your lamb quite rare; my husband was quite freaked out by the rawness and ended up microwaving his into submission after the fact).
• Poured red wine reduction from the saucepan into the large pan with the lamb chops and cook another 2 minutes while continuously turning the chops to ensure that they get lots of exposure to the sauce. Also scraped any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and stirred back into the red wine sauce as I flipped the chops.
• Added the lamb chops to serving plate and allowed sauce to reduce on medium-high another minute or two, then drizzled over chops.

Incidentally, the strong, savory flavor of these chops and their sauce were very nicely accompanied by the mildness of a baked sweet potato with some grass fed butter to top.

Menu Plan, and First Time Roasting Duck!

I didn't have plans to go to Whole Foods on Monday, but it happened - because I made an unexpected trip about 45 minutes away for another errand, and why pass up the chance when Whole Foods is right there and there isn't one near home?

I was perusing the meats and poultry when I came across fresh duck! Remembering a recent Mark's Daily Apple post on roasting duck with a honey tamari sauce, I picked one up on the fly. Turns out, this was a very simple process, one I'll definitely repeat.

First, I Googled, "How to Roast a Duck", and the very first results, a detail and picture-filled tutorial from The Amateur Gourmet, were a good starting point for me. I scored the fat on the duck on each side (used a basic steak knife to cut cross-shaped marks in the fat). Then, I used my mini food chopper (~$10 at WalMart) to blend honey, tamari, and a bit of juice from a Clementine. (I didn't copy the MDA recipe but I liked the general flavor profile so it was good inspiration.) I poured about 1/3 of the sauce over the duck on a roasting pan, roasted it for an hour at 300 F, flipped the duck, poured another 1/3 of the sauce, roasted another hour, flipped and added the rest of the sauce, roasted another half hour, and then broiled at 450 for 5 minutes to get the skin dark and crispy.

So in all: 2.5 hours total roasting time, flipping and saucing the duck every hour, plus 5 minutes broiling at the end. A very hands-off dish, and for a dark meat poultry lover like me, absolutely terrific final results. I used some of the duck drippings to roast some home fries that went into my husband's lunch today, and he pronounced them delicious when I happened to call while he was eating.

Here's the rest of the scoop on this week's menu plan. I'm trying to get the carbs lower because it feels like Thanksgiving has sent me on a bit carb craving roller coaster lately, and I'd like get more of a handle on the cravings.

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Fried eggs, bananas for the girls
Lunch - Leftover grass fed ground beef with Trader Joe's organic vodka sauce
Dinner - Baked chicken, sweet potatoes (I may skip the sweet potatoes)

Thursday:
Breakfast - Almond butter cinnamon smoothie
Lunch - Maybe intermittent fast?
Dinner - Creamy tarragon asparagus soup, bacon on the side

Friday:
Breakfast - Mashed boiled eggs, "egg nog" (this is really just a shot of heavy cream with some nutmeg sprinkled on top)
Lunch - Veggie soup with bacon
Dinner - Beef in the crock pot

Bleu Double Moo

I seem to be on a bit of a beef and cheese theme here lately, but for good reason. On Sunday night I braised some steaks in tamari (350 F for a couple of hours in the oven until very tender), and topped them with triple cream bleu cheese out of the oven. If you've never tried a roast or steak (or any beef for that matter) topped with a blue-veined cheese like bleu, Roquefort, or gorgonzola, then you should definitely give it a go. Your taste buds will sing with delight!

Shrimp Po' Boys

OK, I gave it the college try:

Looks tasty, right? The problem is, the coconut bread recipe, while delicious, is like a dense pound cake, so it didn't really hold up consistency-wise to the required "sandwichyness" needed for a po' boy. But my husband said that he would be just as delighted to eat the same coconut crusted fried shrimp over a bed of salad greens, with a couple of mini slices of the coconut bread on the side. So: note to future self.

Since the coconut bread turned out so much like a dense cake, it got my wheels turning for the possibility of using it as a birthday cake. More on this later - when one of us actually has a birthday to celebrate.

Also, the shrimp was more or less off-the-cuff (when I was cooking, I didn't pull up the MDA recipe that I originally meant to use as a reference point), and since I would gladly repeat - I'll record what I did here for future reference.

Coconut Crusted Shrimp
Serves 4 generously

Ingredients
1.5 lb. raw shrimp - peeled, deveined, tails off
All-purpose seasoning in the tradition of Old Bay - without sugar, MSG, etc. (Salt, paprika, and other seasonings, generally.)
3 eggs, scrambled
2 cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut (I used Let's Do Organic)
3/4 c. coconut flour (I used Tropical Traditions)
1 c. coconut oil

Directions
Put shrimp in a large bowl, and season a bit. Add a bit of seasoning to the egg wash as well, then pour it over the seasoned shrimp, and stir to coat.

To a shallow dish, add shredded coconut, coconut flour, and another shake of seasoning, and toss to combine.

Add large spoonful of coconut oil to a medium-to-large pan on medium-high heat. Once the oil has melted, pull an "egged" shrimp from the large bowl and toss it in the shallow dish of coconut crust until it's coated. Place the shrimp in the hot pan, and work quickly around the pan, adding shrimp. (I start at the "12 o'clock" position in the pan and work clockwise.) Once the pan is full, the first shrimp to go in will have cooked on one side, so being flipping each shrimp - they should be golden brown once the underside is flipped side up. Cook an additional 2 minutes, then place in a shallow dish on a paper towel. Scrape old oil and debris from pan, add more fresh coconut oil, and start again, frying the shrimp this way in batches until all are fried. Serve immediately.

Lunchbox #10

Pomegranates are great primal finger food. I was struck by a huge urge to snack last night, and them remembered the pomegranate loitering in the fridge. My first try opening a pomegranate (last year), I sat and took out the arils (seeds) one by one. Took for-ev-ah. (Yes, you Sandlot fans, you can envision: "For-eh-ver! For-eh-ver!")

Then I read up on the quickest way to access the poms' delicious contents, and it turns out that doing so over a bowl of water is the most common shortcut; the membranes have just enough pockets of air that they float over the water, while the juicy seeds sink to the bottom.

For those who've never tried fresh pomegranate arils, they are a tasty treat. Sweet, but just a hint of sour, juicy on the outside with a crunchy sunflower-seed-like center.

Floating membranes - seeds at the bottom.

Drained the water from the bowl and
skimmed off the membranes at the same time:

Packed some in my daughter's lunch:

Today my preschooler's lunch featured (clockwise):

• Sliced tomatoes
• A slice of sharp cheddar
• Pomegranate arils
• Leftover baked salmon
• Leftover garlic roasted cauliflower
• Fresh cut slices of yellow squash and green peppers

Spaghetti Squash with Meaty Marinara

We did our first go-around on spaghetti squash as a stand-in for spaghetti on Sunday night. (Yes, this had been the plan for later this week, but when I saw little mouldy spots developing on the outside of the squash's rind, I figured better last night than later!) I'll admit that I'm usually reluctant to deal in "substitutes" for carby grain-based fare, as normally I'd prefer to focus on what tastes better from the myriad choices of meats, poultry, seafood, veg, fruits, etc. - on their own merits. But I was willing to give spaghetti squash a go because my preschooler had been such a pasta fan in our past preprimal life - and it pleasantly surprised me!

After reading a few renditions on how to go about cooking the squash, I did sort of an amalgam - basically halved the squash at the equator, then drizzled the 1-inch rim of the squash meat with butter melted with garlic powder. (I used 4 halves, aka 2 squashes for our family, which was also enough for one leftover Pyrex container for my husband's lunch, pictured above.) I then placed the squash halves cut-side-down in two baking pans, and baked for one hour at 400. After removing from the oven, the seeds and inner pulp removed quite easily. I used a fork to gently separate the squash meat from the inside of the rind, using a "fluffing" motion.

The squash was tender, but not too tender, and with a delicate flavor, and just a bit sweet. A great combination with a meaty marinara sauce! My preschooler announced her approval more than once during dinner, and my husband said that it stood on its own as a very tasty dish - rather than evaluate it as a pasta concept. Hey, what do you know? Some stand-ins, it seems, are worthwhile. And at 10 g carbohydrates in a 1 cup serving along with Vitamin C and other nutrients, spaghetti squash far bests standard spaghetti (43 g of carbohydrates per cup cooked!) in terms of nutritional value. Bonus: My 9-month-old loved eating the squash by the handful - perfect texture for a finger food.

The only thing that I might try to change for future renditions is that it was a bit "soggy", and I think, based on what I have read, that this could be easily solved by salting it before baking and allowing it to sit cut-side-down to drain much of the juices for half an hour or more. I'd also remove the cooked spaghetti strands into a strainer and allow to drain as long as possible before they cooled too much for serving.

As for the sauce, here we go:

Meaty Marinara
Serves 4 adults, along with the "spaghetti" of two squash, or in a large pan of eggplant lasagna

Ingredients:
1 large can (~28 oz.) crushed tomatoes (I picked a variety with basil)*
1 standard-sized jar pasta sauce with no added sugar, corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, etc.(I used Amy's this time)
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 large white onion, sliced into thin 1" strips or smaller
2 standard tomatoes, diced into 1/2" cubes
2 tablespoons butter
Mixed dried Italian spices (My mix had rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, etc.)
Salt, to taste
2 lb. grass fed ground beef

Directions:
If serving with spaghetti squash, place spaghetti squash in the oven to bake first. If serving as part of eggplant lasagna, brown eggplant and layer the eggplant with cheese first.

Open can of crushed tomatoes and pour into crockpot or deep pot on stove on low setting to warm.

Place onions, mushrooms, and butter in large pan, and sautee for 5 minutes on high, or until onions begin to brown. Add diced tomatoes and stir, cooking an additional 2 minutes. Add this veggie mix to the pot with the crushed tomatoes. Using the same large pan, brown ground beef until almost cooked through, add salt and Italian spices to taste, then add the almost-cooked beef to the veggie/sauce mix in the pot (it will finish cooking here, and since it is easy to over-cook grass-fed beef the beef should still be pink in some places when added). Add in jar of selected pasta sauce to the pot, and stir to combine. Serve piping hot, and garnish with freshly-grated parmesan if desired.

===========

*Yes, I'm aware of the concerns over toxic BPA in can linings. For that reason, I rarely involve canned products in my cooking. I'm working on getting a good source for tomato products (crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, etc.) sold in glass jars.

Parsnip Hashbrowns

Wow. These just checked off so many boxes for me: Salty, slightly sweet, savory, fried, buttery, crispy, soft. So many textures and flavors fused into one delicious package. Would totally serve to overnight company. This version has a sweet take - if you are vehemently opposed to the idea of a sweet-ish hashbrown, season with onion powder and garlic powder instead of the warming spices listed below.

Breakfast is calling! Or dinner - whatever.

Parsnip Hashbrowns
Serves 3 as a side

Ingredients
3 peeled parsnips
4 tablespoons butter, or more to taste (I used salted Kerrygold)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Using a vegetable peeler, shred the parsnips until the core is reached. Melt butter in a pan on medium-high heat, then add seasonings. Toss parsnip shreds into pan, and stir and turn frequently with a spaghetti serving utensil (they are still good for something after all!). While stirring, parsnips will cook, beginning to brown and clump. Use a spatula to shape the clumps into three hashbrown "cakes" about the size of the palm of your hand. Continue turning another couple of minutes, until golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside. Serve immediately.

Serving suggestion: With scrambled or boiled and mashed eggs.

09/01/2010: By the way, adding this note ex post facto to say that I just saw this potato/parsnip hashbrowns recipe on the BBC food site indicating that you can freeze homemade hashbrowns! I will definitely try this with my own parsnip hashbrowns recipe. -AO

Tahini Dressing, and Lamb Kebabs with Yoghurt Sauce and Lambrusco

On our vacation, my sister-in-law (a nonpaleo/nonprimal) kindly sought a meal that I could also consume with relish...or more like...consume with taragon greek yoghurt. :) She made these honey-lime lamb kebabs, which were so tasty, especially with a little Lambrusco - bought by my parents at Trader Joe's - served on the side. (If I make the kebabs in the future, I'll probably cut the honey by half or more to make it less carby.) Our offering was a kale salad (still using our friends' kale!) with tahini dressing and cucumbers and tomatoes.

Quick Tahini Dressing

Dresses one large salad

Ingredients

1/3 c. sesame tahini

1/3 c. tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)

1/3 c. apple cider vinegar

1/3 c. balsamic vinegar

Olive oil, to desired consistency

Directions

Blend all ingredients except olive oil in a mini food processor. Add olive oil slowly, until desired consistency is achieved.

Parsnippin'

Today: My first parsnip experience.

I was a little apprehensive - but soon my worries vanished. As I peeled the first parsnip, the sweet smell of carrots emerged, followed by a pleasant peppery note. Because you have to peel them and then remove a large, stringy inner core, four parsnips (the amount per package sold by Giant) amounted to just barely enough to cover the bottom of a 9"x13" pan. I kind of panicked here because I thought that I would be getting a sizeable bowl, whereas the amount I was roasting was just barely enough to make a standard American-sized serving of mashed potatoes (read: about a third of a dinner plate).

But, after pureeing them in my mini food processor, I was delighted to taste them - slightly sweet, velvety, a little peppery, perfectly complemented with a hit of nutmeg. Would totally consume this aside some Thanksgiving turkey. This is a sampling of Irish pub food at its finest - and would make a terrific base for a primal shepherd's pie, which I will definitely be making the next time I can hit up Trader Joe's for some organic grass fed ground beef (the only retail source I know of around me).

And the dish was so very rich, so filling, that the amount made from four parsnips would easily satisfy two people. I could also easily see myself pureeing it with expressed breast milk for a perfect baby's first food.

After reading through a couple of parsnip recipes, I adapted this for my own purposes.

Mashed Parsnips
Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 parsnips, washed, peeled, stringy core removed, and cubed in 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 stick butter (or 4 tablespoons roasting oil of choice)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
~1 c. half'n'half (could possibly substitute coconut milk if you do not do dairy)

Directions:
Spread cubed parsnips in the bottom of a 9"x13" dish. Melt butter and nutmeg in microwave, then drizzle over parsnip cubs and stir to combine. Roast at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until just golden brown. Use slotted spoon to remove parsnips from dish, place in mini food processor or food processor, and puree, adding half'n'half bit by bit until desired texture is achieved.

Menu Plan

Up this week for a new taste: Parsnips!

Monday:
Breakfast - Strawberries and cream dusted with cocoa powder
Lunch - Salads with chicken, walnuts, papaya, raspberry vinaigrette
Dinner - Scrambled eggs, sauteed squash and scallions

Tuesday:
Breakfast - Nutmeg ginger banana pudding, almond butter smoothies
Lunch - Spinach gorgonzola omelets, sauteed mushrooms and onions
Dinner - Baked chicken, brussels sprouts, salads

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Cottage cheese, fresh berries
Lunch - Nectarine slices broiled with cheddar cheese
Dinner - Roast beef with carrots, mashed parsnips

Thursday:
Breakfast - Fried eggs
Lunch - Pork and vegetable soup
Dinner - Broiled fish, sweet potato fries

Friday:
Breakfast - Papaya coconut smoothies
Lunch - Scrambled eggs, guacamole
Dinner - Grilled brats, salad, watermelon

Make Like a Drum

*Ahem* : Beets aren't that much to look at. I tried to do a couple of artsy shots, one of me holding them, another still life in my prettiest blue bowl, and they still looked like earthy lumps. But, this was my day to overcome my childhood-acquired revulsion to beets, so I was going to sally forth. I wrapped them in foil and baked them in a pan next to the chicken cooking for dinner.

*

Then, according to the instructions of the very highly rated AllRecipes.com recipe, I whipped up what turned out to be a fabulous vinaigrette (I will definitely be copying in the future just for salads or avocado!) to dress, and sprinkled liberally with feta.

And what do you know? Beets aren't bad at all. They're definitely still an acquired taste, but this time the tangy dressing and tart feta were good chaperones onto my tastebuds. And such pretty ruby tones:

My husband and daughter, sadly, were not impressed with the flavor itself, and since beets are not exactly a commonly-served company dish (and sold in bunches of three at my grocery store), I have no idea when I'll make these for myself or anybody else again. But at least I know that I can make them! And I did get an exceptional vinaigrette dressing out of the deal which will be put to future use.

The Versatile Sister Slaw

Hie thee to AllRecipes.com for the Sister Slaw recipe. (Note: I have made it with and without the maple syrup and noticed no difference, ergo I forego the syrup.)

I first discovered this about a month ago while searching for a dressing to go with kale - something that up to that point I had never prepared. Now kale is part of my rotation regularly since the Sister Slaw dressing complements it so well. The original recipe writer is correct - if you give this salad a couple of good massages by hand, the dressing will distribute better and soften the kale more efficiently.

I have made it many different ways; you don't need to always have the cabbages or specific combination of veggies it mentions. I just usually cut up the kale and add whatever heartier salad-y fresh veggies I have with the dressing (good examples: cabbage, carrots, onions, peppers, cucumbers, etc.). I love the "make-ahead" convenience of it, and I really love it with a generous dose of leftover roast chicken included. It lasts in the fridge for a couple of days without wilting. Perfect fast lunch!

I call this "Dinosaur Chicken Salad" because the original recipe called for dinosaur kale, even though my local supermarket carries only curly kale. I call it "Dinosaur Chicken Salad" and make my three-year-old say, "Rawr!" like a T-Rex when we eat it. (Figuring a little extra fun can't hurt in the game to encourage veggie consumption.)

Hoping she learns to drop the rawring and keep the kale-eating by the time she goes to college.

First Ever Meatloaf

I've never made meatloaf. I'm not exactly sure what it's supposed to taste like.
I suppose this was an advantage?

I made the meatloaf recipe from Mark's Daily Apple in my mini loaf pans (one recipe made three miniloafs for me), then finished it with leftover vodka sauce, cheese, and fresh basil. Not bad, but it's still a little bit of a meat bricklet. I'm guessing I could find tastier applications for ground beef, but this is sure one of the most hands-off recipes out there.

Note to self: must start searching out ground beef recipes for variety.

Menu Plan

I am really excited to try a new eggplant recipe I just received via email from a friend who is also eating to manage insulin. You fry up slices of eggplant French Toast style. Just for fun, I think I'll try some leftover portabello mushrooms this way, too, while I'm at it. Yum!

Monday:
Breakfast - Fried eggs, milk, strawberries
Lunch - Leftover salmon from Sunday, spinach salad with tahini dressing, fruit salad
Dinner - Crispy Nut and Herb Fried Chicken with avocado, mixed greens salad, blueberries

Tuesday:
Breakfast - Banana custards (made the night before), topped with blueberries and walnuts
Lunch - Eggplant slices and portabello slices French Toast style, strawberries, cheese
Dinner - Scrambled eggs, bacon, baked brussels sprouts

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Whole milk yoghurt, blueberries
Lunch - Curried egg salad in cabbage leaves, peaches
Dinner - Chicken breasts with Korean Short Ribs sauce in the slow cooker, shredded cabbage and carrot salad with sesame tahini vinaigrette, basil, and cilantro

Thursday:
Breakfast - Veggie omelettes, milk
Lunch - Banana almond butter smoothies, sliced peaches
Dinner - "Kitchen Sink" salads - with whatever is around and/or leftover!

Friday:
Breakfast - Cottage cheese, fruit
Lunch - Turkey veggie soup
Dinner - Roasted chickens, salads

Menu Plan

Whee - we have a lot of leftovers from Sunday to use up!

Tuesday:
Breakfast - Whole milk yoghurt, blueberries
Lunch - Leftover fried plantains mixed with creamy Mexican squash and tomatoes, and leftover grilled pineapple
Dinner - Shredded leftover chicken on spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette, roasted asparagus

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Bacon asparagus crustless quiche (made the night before), sliced kumatos
Lunch - Salad with walnuts, cubed papaya, and lime ginger vinaigrette
Dinner - Butter and garlic broiled tuna steaks, salads with sesame vinaigrette, watermelon

Thursday:
Breakfast - Fried eggs, cream/milk
Lunch - Apples with almond butter, organic string cheese, fresh snow peas
Dinner - Crab legs (my first try at cooking these!) with lemon butter dipping sauce, salads with walnut vinaigrette

Friday:
Breakfast - Mango banana custards with whipped cream
Lunch - Roast beef (no nitrates, etc.) wrapped around avocado with a bit of horseradish, roasted curry cauliflower
Dinner - Oven-roasted chickens, salads, blueberry smoothies

Paradigm Shift

Think you don't like Brussels sprouts? Think again.

It may simply be the case that you just don't like Brussels sprouts that haven't been slow roasted in bacon fat until they are slightly crispy on the outside, and mild, buttery, and yielding in the middle.