Tag Archives: Paleo

Roasted Heirlooms and Egg Muffins!

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I found these beautiful Orange OxHeart Heirloom tomatoes hidden on Sunday when I was picking my garden, and I wanted to use all of them before they spoiled, so I decided to bake them. My only inspiration for what to do with them was adding another striking color to the orange, so I added red (looks purple) onion.

Heirloom Tomato Bake

  • 6 Heirloom tomatoes
  • 1 red onion (although it looks purple)
  • Whole garlic cloves, sliced
  • Fresh squeezed lemon
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Kosher salt/pepp/thyme

I simply sliced the tomatoes and onion, and layered them in a glass 8×8 baking dish. Then I placed the sliced garlic cloves throughout, drizzled with a bit of olive oil (I’m out of macadamia), and sprinkled with kosher salt/pepp and dried thyme. I popped the dish in the oven around 400 degrees, and let them cook down until they were sizzling. I took the dish out, and squirted the juice of a fresh lemon, and a small drizzle of balsamic and put back in the oven to warm. Voila, roasted heirloom tomato bake!

 

 

 

 

I was also craving protein, but wanted something easy, so I went to eggs and ended up with egg muffins. Fun, easy, and the potential to make a million different ways, makes them even better.

Egg Muffins

  • 10 eggs, beat in a dish
  • Diced red bell pepper
  • Diced red onion
  • Diced jalapeno (I used 2 small from the garden)
  • Diced garlic
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Kosher salt/pepp

Mix everything together and pour into lightly greased/buttered/oiled muffin cups.

 

 

 

 

 

I cooked them for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees, and I think next time, they’d take even less time. They puff up really well, but cook fast. The texture was a little dry (not even dry, maybe just eggy?), so next time I think I’d add raw organic heavy cream, or butter to make them a bit more creamy. Either way, so easy 🙂

Paleo ABC’s…or 123’s…

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Here are a couple easy to read Paleo charts and links, that make the Paleo Lifestyle seem a little less overwhelming 🙂

A simple (yet sarcastic) flow chart you can follow with yes or no answers, and interesting insight into the lifestyle: http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/three-simple-steps-to-surviving-the-paleo-diet/

Of course the “whole grain” free pyramid and Sara’s take on the Paleo Lifestyle (look at those fabulous food photos!):http://nourish-and-flourish.net/2012/03/penpals-and-the-paleo-diet/

And a simple graphic of what our plates should look like:It really is not tough, and one thing that I’ve learned through experience is the fewer the ingredients (which makes it easy-peasy!), the more flavorful the dish.

 

Bacon Apple Salad

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I was really busy last Saturday and by the time I finally got home from hiking, errands, etc…I was starving. I wanted something fulfilling, meaty, but easy. I looked around, and ended up with an awesome new salad.

Bacon Apple Salad

  • Organic baby butter lettuce
  • 1 larger sized organic apple (I used Gala)
  • White onion
  • Walnuts
  • Cooked uncured bacon (I used TJ’s)
  • Raw organic sharp cheddar (Organic Valley, as the cows are pastured)
  • Kosher Salt/Pepper (to taste)
  • Drizzle olive oil

I cut the apple pieces into cubes, diced the white onion, hand crushed the walnuts (awesome replacement for croutons), cooked and loosely chopped the bacon. I tossed all ingredients in a bowl, and drizzled just a little olive oil on the salad for moisture. Last, I topped it with fresh shredded raw organic sharp cheddar.

So. Good. I might have a new fave salad, that is easy, and has a great balance of vegetable, fruit and fat!

Perfectly Balanced Meal, in every way!

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I suggested we make bacon turkey burgers the other night, mixing diced uncured bacon in with formed turkey patties, Seth had an even better suggestion, turkey burgers, with bacon patties. OKAY! This meal ended up turning into one of the most fantastic dinners with a perfect balance in fat, fruit, vegetable and flavor we’ve had in a long time.

Turkey Burgers

  • Organicville ground turkey
  • Mini bell peppers
  • Red onion
  • Garlic
  • Kosher Salt/Pepper (however much you prefer)

Dice all veggies and garlic into small pieces, and hand mix all ingredients with the turkey. Form into whatever size patties you prefer, and pan fry, in organic, raw butter.

Bacon Patties

  • Uncured bacon

Dice a package of uncured bacon into pieces, and form into patties. Not as easy as it might look because there is nothing to bind them together, but do your best. Again, making as many patties as you prefer, to sit on top of your turkey burger (or, just to eat). Gently place them in a pan on top of the stove to cook, and carefully turn with a spatula when one side starts to brown. Seth drained some of the bacon grease, so they would continue to crisp as they cook.

Not going for presentation, we needed some fruit and vegetable to add to the mix, so we piled some organic baby butter lettuces on a plate, and centered the turkey burger in the middle. Then we placed the bacon patty directly on top of the turkey burger. Peach, was the perfect flavor addition to the bacon, and tomatoes added a freshness to the salad and turkey burger (who needs bread here, I mean really?).

A spur of the moment, now favorite meal, added to our rotation.

What do I eat?

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Almost daily, I receive some sort of inquiry into what I eat, what I don’t eat, why I eat what I eat or don’t, recipe and cooking questions, how it affects my type 1 diabetes, etc. so, here is the simplified version for you:

I do eat:

  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Eggs
  • Nuts
  • Oils
  • Meat
  • Seafood
  • Dark chocolate
  • Almond/coconut milk
  • Almond butter
  • Almond/coconut flour
  • Coffee
  • Raw butter/Ghee
  • Fresh herbs
  • Spices
  • Agave/Stevia in the Raw/Raw Turbinado

I don’t eat:

  • Peanuts
  • Corn
  • Beans
  • Rice
  • Soy
  • Pasta
  • Canola/corn/rapeseed oils
  • Yogurt/Cottage Cheese
  • Grain (no wheat, bulgur, rye, oats, etc.)
  • Candy
  • Sweeteners
  • Refined flours/sugars
  • Nothing in a box or with an ingredient list

Simply put, I live the paleo lifestyle. It has been a very slow progression of change over the last year or so, so as not to feel deprived when I remove/eliminate/substitute food. I do not diet. It is a lifestyle. My sister shared this link with me and it is an excellent resource in easily understanding the Paleo lifestyle: http://greatist.com/health/the-ultimate-guide-to-eating-paleo-022012/

What have I learned? What food does to my body, my skin, my hair, my digestive system, my weight, my type 1 diabetes, on and on. It has been fascinating and I’m really passionate about it. I read A LOT, and am always trying to educate myself on how I can be healthier and feel better.

I eat more food than I ever have in my life, I’m constantly eating, and I am the leanest and most fulfilled I have ever been, but more important I feel the best I ever have. I am in no way starving, and while I eat a pretty “small” group of food, the options are endless. A lot of the comments and questions I’ve gotten have been, “wow, that’s an awful lot of food you’ve removed,” or, “what DO you eat?” Individuals seem to get overwhelmed by what I don’t eat, but I try to focus on what I do, and have taken it one step at a time. The first thing I eliminated was black beans-which I ate a lot of before. Then I moved on to corn, dairy, etc. Much to my surprise, the foods I thought would be most difficult, weren’t, and ones I thought wouldn’t be, were. Another learning experience!

Do I splurge? Absolutely. What I splurge on now is a little different than what I splurged on before. Are there times when I cave and eat something I don’t normally, of course! Am I 100% Paleo, 100% of the time? No.  But I sure try and I think that counts for a lot.

Real calories are different.