Culinary wizardry. That’s what happened in my kitchen the other night. I don’t mean to brag, folks, but I rocked the sh*t out of a cauliflower and transformed it into a pizza. Here it is prepped and ready to go in the oven.
Read moreMini Apple-Bacon Paleo Pies (Yes, Bacon!)
First, let me just say, holy shit these are goooooood! Pardon my language, but the expletive was warranted. I've been craving pie lately because fall, duh, but I needed something that was paleo and that wasn't a totally pain in the ass to make (paleo pie crusts and all pie crusts = pain in the ass). So I decided on mini single-serve pies with a crumb topping because crumb toppings are magical. Also, bacon is magical, and this pie also has that. YES, THIS PIE HAS BACON. It adds just right touch of smokiness, and the saltiness actually enhances the sweetness of the apples. YOU'RE WELCOME! Anyway, enough blabbering, onto the recipe....
Read morePaleo Pumpkin Spice Latte
So, I've never paid money for a Starbucks PSL because 1) that shit's expensive, 2) they're more than likely going to contribute to me getting type 2 diabetes, and 3) these uber trendy drinks remind me of UGG boots and Syracuse sorority girl laughter...haunting. Oh, and they're not remotely paleo. So I decided to create my own. I skimmed over some recipes that were already out there, combined the best of all worlds while eliminating unnecessary fluff, and this is the result. Pure, just-sweet-enough deliciousness with a hint of fall.
Read moreGrain-Free Cauliflower Bread
This super rad "bread" is my secret weapon to not going totally frigin crazy while doing Paleo (sometimes you just need a god damn sandwich, amiright?). As long as you have a food processor, it's pretty simple, containing just few ingredients: cauliflower, almond flour, eggs, and flax seed meal.
Read moreThis Smoothie is Bananas...
Banana & Almond Butter Smoothie (works even better with PB): 1 chopped frozen banana, 2 tbsp AB or PB, 1 - 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk, cinnamon. I also added 2 tbsp egg white protein (to stay full!) and 2 tbsp collagen (for my achy knees). Total protein is around 27 g 👍
How to Craft the Perfect Paleo Snack (Plus 8 to Get You Started)
Today I got a question on Twitter: What are some healthy, convenient Paleo snacks? And it's a good freakin question, since most of our classic snack options are devoid of any substantial nutrition, and certainly not compatible with Paleo's rules of no grains, dairy, legumes/soy, and refined sugars. So what's a Paleo newbie to do? Read this blog post, that's what.
Read morePaleo Challenge Day 7 & 8 Recap
We're a week in, folks. For those of you following along, give yourself a high five, or a pat on the ass, or back, or whatever you people do to acknowledge your greatness.
If you're someone who was eating relatively crappy before, well, you may be feeling pretty crappy now since you're body is in a major adjustment period (i.e. refined carb withdrawal). It's normal, promise! But if you can get through the next week without caving, you're golden. That's when many people who do a challenge like this start to notice the mental, emotional, physical perks of Paleo.
Anywho, want to know what I ate? Too bad, I'm going to tell you anyway. Labor Day was weird, so I'm not going to break it down and show you pictures. There weren't really whole meals consumed. It was more like a nice bacon and egg breakfast followed by a steady stream of snacks. The boyfriend and I headed to a party where I stuck to baby carrots, gauc, olives, and a burger sans bun. I was pretty darn proud of myself since there was a plate with four different glorious kinds of cheese mere inches from my face.
Today, I did a bit better in the whole eating and picture-taking department....
Breakfast
Today's lazy breakfast was lacking in protein (I'm trying to aim for about 20-30 g in the morning), but I had no time to make eggs. It was still delicious though and loads of healthy fats to help keep me full: Macadamia nuts, almonds, raisins, and unsweetened coconut flakes, plus a nectarine. And coffee, because duh.
Lunch
Lunch was my leftover curry slurry. Except it wasn't gross this time. I added more curry powder, chicken, and salt, which seemed to fix things up nicely. Plus an apple. Later in the afternoon, I had a kombucha to help keep my mid-afternoon energy slump at bay, but after a while I resorted to having a few spoonfuls of sunflower seed butter.
Dinner
Dinner came after our semi-traumatic training session with Milo (for such a cute pup, he really can be a disruptive little ass sometimes), so I needed something easy and quick. These romaine lettuce tacos were perfect. Meat is simply cooked in olive oil with onions and seasoned with chili powder, cumin, and salt. Dollop on some mashed avocado and a little hot sauce and you're good to go. I definitely don't miss the taco shells. These work surprisingly well. Followed this up with another nectarine.
So day 8 is a wrap. Some goals for the coming 22 days: Eat more protein at breakfast, eat more leafy greens in general, and cut back on the fruit a little bit. Don't get me wrong, fruit is great, but I tend to reach for it when I should instead be loading up on more veggies. Plus, too much fruit makes me bloated, and that's no good.
Peace, Love & Tacos,
Steph
P.S. This guy...
Paleo Challenge Day 4, 5, & 6 Recap
Playing a little catch up here. THREE days of food! Yikes. Weekends are always busy, so I never feel like blogging. Anywho, here's what I ate...for the most part. And if you're just here for the cute dog pic (and really, who could blame you?) scroll to the bottom. Milo is waiting.
Friday: Breakfast
De-freakin-licious sweet potato and onion frittata. Made in my mini 6" cast iron skillet. Just saute some shaved sweet potato (shave with veggie peeler) and chopped onions in coconut oil, then add two whisked eggs, and cook on stove until it starts to bubble. Finish off under the broiler until it begins to puff and brown.
Lunch (sort of)
So, I'd snacked on some nuts before this, but for the most part, this was lunch because it was hot as hell. I knew I needed to get in some calories though, so I used 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk, 1/4 cup water, and then probably 1 1/2 cups frozen fruit (tropical blend is great). I think it could have been just as delicious with 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup water if you want to make it lighter. Tasted like a virgin pina colada. Could have used more protein (next time I might add egg white protein powder), but still delicious.
Also, fun fact: Light coconut milk is just watered down coconut milk. So for your most economical pick, get the full-fat stuff and water it down yourself.
Dinner
This is one of my favorite dinners ever and it's incredibly simple. Pan seared salmon with salt and pepper, and roasted brussels sprouts and sweet potato (sometimes I'll add cauliflower or beets to the mix, too). To roast the veggies, I toss them in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast at 350 F for about a half hour. Oh, and wine, my weekend treat :) Before this I think I snacked on an apple with almond butter.
Saturday: Breakfast
So, Saturday was pretty great. Why?! Because I went tubing down a river with some lovely people. Had to run out the door because I slept late, so breakfast was a banana with almond butter and a tall iced coffee from Starbucks. Probably could have used more protein and food in general, but this was all I could manage. I didn't die or pass out though, so it's all good. While on the river I had a pack of trail mix with nuts and dried fruit and a piece of questionable-quality beef jerky. But I think I did pretty good considering the other snack options were pretzels, chips, and Wawa hoagies.
Lunch
When I got home from tubing around 4pm, I was starving, so I decided I needed to make myself a legit lunch: Tuna with mayo, carrots, raisins, onion, and curry powder served over romaine lettuce. Bam! Pretty darn tasty.
Dinner
Dinner was a pan seared organic lemon-garlic chicken breast (not sure if any of you live near Wegman's, but they have awesome pre-marinated organic meats) with roasted sweet potato and cauliflower. Boom shaka laka. Simple and delicious. I think there was also some fruit for dessert.
Sunday: Breakfast
How pretty is that? Sunday was just 3 scrambled eggs, some fruit salad, and coffee. I don't think I could ever get sick of eggs. They're frigin spectacular.
Snack
The rest of the day my boyfriend (Evan) and I were out and about doing errands and grocery shopping Before we headed out, I grabbed an apple with almond butter, then when we got home, I created this healthy booze-free version of sangria: Clearly Kombucha strawberry hibiscus + frozen tropical fruit blend = delicious. I think I also ate some rotisserie chicken whilst hovering over the kitchen sink, but no one wants a picture of that.
Oh, almost forgot to mention we made a pitstop to B&N where I made Evan take a picture of me...and me. I still can't believe I had to wear a freakin canvas apron in my national magazine debut, but whatever. Burlap sacks are the new little black dress, or at least that's what Prevention magazine is forecasting for 2016.
Dinner
Alright, dinner was supposed to be awesome, but it was a bit of a flop. I wanted to make a paleo chicken curry over cauliflower rice, but I veered from the original recipe a bit with not-so-delicious consequences. It was OK, but not amazing, and I wanted amazing goddammit. Can't win 'em all. My sister has kick-ass recipe, so I'll be trying (and sharing) that soon. This was obviously followed by wine, so I wouldn't cry over the fact that I lost so many ingredients to my curry slurry.
That's all.
Peace, Love & Stay Classy (like Milo),
Steph
Paleo Challenge Day 3 Recap (Plus, A Cheesy Avocado Joke!)
Happy Thursday!
Want to know what sucks? Living across the street from the Great Allentown Fair (the "great" is debatable) and smelling fried dough. I literally got chills thinking about biting into a deliciously greasy-crispy-sugary mass of diabetes in the making. I'm all about all things in moderation if your body can tolerate them and if they don't make you totally go off the clean eating rails....for me, fried dough is no such food.
Anyway, here's what I ate today.
Breakfast
Baked apple pancake! Sauteed the apples in coconut oil. Whisked up 2 eggs, 2 Tbsp almond flour, cinnamon, vanilla, and a bit of salt and added to the pan. Let it set a bit then put under the broiler til it puffed a bit.
Lunch
Arugula salad with leftover grass-fed ground beef, carrots, cashews, and raisins. Plus kombucha. Oh, and a bite of paleo berry crisp my kick-ass friend Siobhan (a.k.a. the baked good fairy) made. Double oh, I also ate some sunflower seed butter by the spoonful when I was stuck in my office on a conference call.
Dinner
Ugh, too damn hot to cook, so this was my lame dinner. Then I got hungry and cooked myself up an Italian chicken sausage and ate it while standing in my kitchen, hovering over the sink because I didn't want to dirty a plate. I'm weird. It's fine.
And now I'm chilling with Milo who is wondering why I'm staring at a screen instead of giving him a belly rub. He's perfected the pathetic pup stare.
Peace, love & paleo pancakes,
Steph
P.S. This...
