Dressings Thrice

Salad is a staple in my diet and its not too late in the season just yet to enjoy a nice, crisp and refreshing bowl of veggies. I go to a local fruit stand to get my produce, you can save a bunch and its great to help local economy. Alot of times you can ask if they are long on some items and get some killer deals, I got eggplant for $1.oo each. What a steal!!!

Here are a few of my favorite Paleo friendly salad dressing recipes. I believe these are from Loren Cordain's book.

Spinach Salad Dressing:

1 Tbsp Honey

1/3 C Lemon juice

A few grinds fresh pepper

1 Tsp. Tarragon

1/3 C Olive oil

1/3 C Flax oil

Honey Mustard (my favorite):

1/2 C Water

1/4 C each Flax and olive oil

1 tsp Mustard

Pepper

1/8 tsp Garlic powder

2 Tbsp Honey

Tomato Dressing:

1/3 C Tomato puree

1/2 C Olive oil

1/3 C Lemon juice

1 Clove minced garlic

1 Tbsp Honey

1 Tbsp minced onion

Directions for most dressings are as follows: Mix all ingredients except oil in a blender, food processor or in a bowl and whisk with those strong crossfit arms (channel double under wrist action). Slowly drizzle oil into the rest of the ingredients a few Tbsp at a time and blend until it is emulsified.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Before the recipe I will indulge you in a little story I like to call "The Tail of Two Kitties" get it he he... Once upon a time in land not long ago there lived a girl who took in two stray kittens for a friend (you know who you are). As the kitties grew they became rambunctious and some might say evil. One day the kitties decided to play a prank on the girl and erase the file on her computer named " Paleo Recipe Pictures" The girl was so angry because she had worked hard on her recipes and didn't want to post blog entries without the photos. The girl went in search of the kitties and this is what she saw...



The kitties and the girl made a deal that if she didn't take the kitty out with the trash the kitty would be good from now on. And they lived happily ever after (at least for that day).

In saying that some of the recipes I will be posting will not have pictures but I assure you they are tasty and I have made each one at least once!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 C Chocolate chips - The recipe for Fully Paleo Chocolate is on the blog

1 C Almond flour

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 C Honey

1 Egg

Dash of salt

1 tsp Baking soda

Mix altogether and place by rounded teaspoonful on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 9 minutes.

Who Needs Crust Quiche

This looks like a slice of heaven to me! Eggs, Sausage and veggies you cant go wrong! I had the butcher at my local meat department make sure that the in-store ground sausage didn't have additives in this case it did not, but if your local sausage contains additives just ask for unseasoned ground pork and you can season it to your liking.

1/2 Lb Spicy sausage
Large handful spinach
1/4 C Onions- chopped
1/2 a Bell pepper-chopped
10 Eggs

Cook sausage and drain. Place all your ingredients in a 9 inch pie pan and make sure they are evenly distributed. It'll look something like this:

Crack and use those strong crossfit arms to beat the eggs. Add a few grinds of fresh pepper and sea salt, pour over the sausage and veggies. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until the center is firm to the touch.

Pumpkin Muffins

Fall seems like it has officially began in Idaho. I guess its time for some fall flavors and soup!!! These muffins are so light and tasty you wouldn't know they are not made with traditional flour. The raisins do a good job of sweetening them so there is no need for honey or another sweetener.

1 C Almond flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1 C Pumpkin
1/4 C Applesauce
1 Tbsp Oil
2 Eggs
4 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Almond butter
2 Tbsp Coconut
1 C Raisins

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet and mix only to incorporate the two together. Bake in well greased muffin tins at 375 for 20 minutes.

"Its so easy even a caveman could do it"

There a few new faces at the gym (maybe some reluctant not so new faces.) So I thought I would post some tips for you that may help you make the dive into a Paleo lifestyle. Note that I say life style not diet Diets are always referred to as something temporary; something that will eventually change and a person can resume their way of life presumably with a smaller waistband. Diets fail because they are not permanent. Permanent results require permanent change. Going Paleo you are not going on a diet you are making a life style change prepare yourself your family and your cupboards accordingly. This is not a restrictive, uptight, take time out of your life change its a way to relearn how to take care of your body and the bodies of those dearest to you! Remember I just made this change in March of 2010 It was a challenge at first, but now I cant see going back to grains, dairy and processed foods!

1. Remove anything and everything from your house that does not promote your new way of life. This will include cleaning out your cupboards (think about donating dry packaged goods to your local food bank) Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. If you cant read it don't eat it. This is a rule I live by.90% of ingredients you find in prepared foods are chemicals and additives, what do they do to your body?



2. Give it time. The first day will seem strangely easy,the next several days will be hell, prepare to have craving and even dreams of food, yes ask Jenn it happens! It takes 2 weeks to get rid of all the crap built up in our bodies. After the first few weeks you will start to view food in a whole new way.



3. Slip ups may happen. Tomorrow is always a second chance, if you fail today wake up tomorrow and do better! Feeling defeated wont help you, the goal is to have your moment and get right back up again, with a new sense of purpose.



4. Plan ahead. Having pre-chopped veggies, nuts and fruit easily accessible for snacks will help you when you have a craving or a hunger attack. When I first started I kept a Lara bar or some fruit in my purse for an emergency. I used it on more than one occasion!



5. Think of food as fuel. When reaching for food I think what does my body really need? Usually the answer is either water or protein. I make a rule that between lunch and dinner if I'm hungry I go to a protein source over fruit. In doing this you know its not out of habit or boredom to be eating but a necessity to keep your body going.



6. Replace dessert with fruit. Frozen fruit can be a tasty alternative to dessert while you are still trying to break old habits! Smoothies and coconut milk poured over strawberries or mango's are also simple and healthy choices to replace dessert.



7. Worried about calcium? I don't plan on living my elderly years with cracking bones and a hunch back. Do you ever see pictures of a Caveman living like that? Here is a great article to ease your minds over this subject! http://www.marksdailyapple.com/calcium-for-women/.



8. The 80/20 rule. I tend to jump into things and don't turn back, but for those of you who take a more gradual approach to life the 80/20 rule is something that Mark from MDA promotes. Eat strict Paleo 80% of the time and then other 20% be more relaxed that is 2 out of every 10 meals. I don't necessarily think this is the best way to go about it, but if its where you need to start to be able to convert you and your family great,as long as you eventually make the switch to fully primal.



9. Be creative. Just like all other aspects of like you need a little spice (pun intended). Vary your meals daily if possible,there are so many great recipes and blogs out there to check out, don't get stuck in a rut. Just like with our workouts our bodies do much better with a fluctuating food pattern.



10. If you bite it write it! I started out writing everything that went into my mouth the first 3 months of eating Paleo. This will help you detect patterns in your eating and also foods that your body may not like, or things that you may be lacking. Jenn is a great resource when it comes to changing your diet and going over food journals to make sure you have a good balance.

Good luck on your quest to a healthier happier body, please post question or additional tips and info in the comments.

Primal Pizza

Pizza is one of those comfort foods that as a Paleo eater is hard to give up. Have no fear I have come up with a perfectly clean pizza that is loaded with protein and you can top it however you want! I made mine with sausage, bell peppers, onions, and olives.

Here is another great idea for a topping Taco Pizza, its one of my favorites! Make the crust and sauce the same and top with taco meat bake until warm and top with lettuce, olives, onion, tomatoes, jalapenos and salsa.

To make the crust:

Boil 2 chicken breasts until cooked through, Cut into 1/4's and put in your handy dandy food processor and blend until smooth add 3 eggs while its still blending it will form a thick paste. Add 1 tsp salt and a few pinches pepper. Line a pizza pan with parchment or if you are like me and don't have one a cookie sheet will do. Pour the chicken mixture into the pan and pat out to about 1/4 inch thick. It will look like this:

Pop the crust into a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with Pizza Sauce: 1 small can tomato paste, 3/4 C water, 1 tsp garlic minced, 2 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tsp Olive oil a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the toppings of your choice, mine looked like this:

Put back into the oven for 15 minutes more and enjoy! Here is the finished product!

Athlete Energy Bars

I am thinking about competing in an Ironman triathlon in a few years and was bet that I couldn't run the race Paleo. In a quest to prove some gentlemen WRONG, I came up with a recipe for some bars that are made with nuts and fruit and provide carbs and fat and they are the healthy kind even (no pasta here). I hope these will also be utilized by Andy with is competing in Ironman CDA 2011. GO ANDY!!! They would also be a good snack, good for school lunches and just a bar on the go think Lara bar just more nutty! They are kid tested and approved thanks Brooklyn and Katie!

1 C Almonds

3/4 C each dried apricots and dates

1/4 C Orange juice

dash of sea salt

1/4 C each pumpkin and sunflower seeds

2 Tbsp Ground flax seed- optional but a very healthy addition

In your trusty food processor (did you get one yet? what are you waiting for?) mix the almonds until they are finely chopped add the dried fruit and mix again until it forms together add the O.J. and salt pulse a few times and lastly add the seeds and flax and pulse a few times more just to incorporate. Pat into a foil lined 8x8 inch pan and bake in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cut when still warm. I cut them and wrapped them individually in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for easy snacking.