Jamaican Jerk Salmon and Asparagus

Believe it folks! Carol Anne marinated, grilled and ATE salmon today! I know, it's a Christmas miracle, for this girl, who can't stand fish. I honestly am shocked that I liked it, myself.

I must have truly become primal, because lately pictures of salmon have been really enticing to me. I have grown somewhat tired of my limited choices, when it comes to protein sources, and have wanted to add new things into my diet. It seemed that salmon was calling my name. So, I bit the bullet, bought the prettiest piece of sockeye wild caught salmon from Sprouts and gave it a go!

I used this awesome marinade http://www.primal-palate.com/2011/04/jamaican-jerk-salmon.html from Hayley and Bill's cookbook http://makeitpaleo.com/ .

I have to say, even while grilling it, I still wasn't sure if I'd be able to stomach it, but I forged on!

One bite and I was hooked. I cannot believe that I liked it! I have NEVER liked fish....ever! Even tuna fish would make my stomach turn. I've tried different types of fish several times, but honestly, to me, it all tastes exactly like it smells. This salmon had an awesome flavor, with the jamaican jerk marinade. It had a slight, and I do mean slight fishy flavor, but it was not overwhelming at all. I have always been told that if fish is fresh, it doesn't have that fishy flavor, that I cannot stand.....I must have gotten a very fresh piece of salmon, because it was yummy!

I steamed up some asparagus, slathered it in kerrygold butter and sprinkled it with some sea salt. Great meal, if I do say so myself!

Pumpkin Pie Mousse

I am tickled pink over this little concoction! I LOVE sweets! It's no secret that sugar is my gateway drug. I know that about myself. I avoid desserts like the plague now, because I have learned that it will send me into a tailspin. A path I do not want to go down, to say the least.

This invention saved me on Thanksgiving day! For the first time, EVER, I was able to eat to satiety and not touch anything on the dessert bar.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Canned Pumpkin (100% Pumpkin, only)

1 Tbsp Nutiva Organic Coconut Butter

1 Tbsp Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil

1/2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

2 Packets Pure Stevia

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and nuke for 30 seconds. Stir and heat for another 30 seconds.

Enjoy!

If you can tolerate dairy, you can whip up some heavy whipping cream for a topping. (I am currently dairy free, so I left the HWC off, but I am positive it would make this dessert even more heavenly!)

Macroingredients, if you are interested are:

Calories: 262

Carbs: 15

Fat: 24

Protein: 3

Sugar: 5

Sodium: 10

This was so yummy, that I rinsed and repeated for breakfast today :)

My Post-Thanksgiving/Black Friday Paleo breakfast.......

Steak and Eggs...and a new kitchen gadget

Lately, I have been following a certain protocol for eating, in hopes of stabilizing at my current weight, and to also get rid of my life long snacking habit. I've been following the Leptin Reset protocol, and I am really enjoying it. It fits right into my Paleo lifestyle. I basically have what is called a Big @ss Breakfast (BAB) within 3o minutes of rising. This BAB should contain 50 grams or more of protein. I've been following this protocol for a little over 2 weeks and it has helped me tremendously with cravings and snacking. I get up, eat my BAB, and I am not hungry for HOURS, and I truly mean hours. Today I ate at 4:45am, and I didn't eat again, until 4:00pm. I wasn't even really hungry then, but knew I needed to eat, to get my calories in. I rarely have any hunger pains. It's amazing.

So tonight (or this afternoon. I've been eating my dinner around 3:30pm - 4:00pm), I had a meal of Steak and Eggs. This shows you how primal I have truly become, because I have never been one to eat fried eggs. I never liked the runny yoke and quite honestly, it would make me nauseous. I've come a long way, baby!!! This meal was delicious and oh, so easy to make.

Take a look at my new egg gadget! Isn't it cute!?

I sliced up some onions and mushrooms, and sauteed them in butter (real butter, NOT margarine). Then threw some left over steak in the skillet with the onions and mushrooms. I used my new egg gadget and fried up an egg, in coconut oil, to top off my meal, then garnished my plate with half an avocado.

Best dinner EVER! A lot of my meals consist of using left overs, because I am the only Paleo person in this house. I've learned to use left over meats to make up my meals. I guess one could list me as the left over disposal. :)

I know I am hard core about my healthy ways, but even I was starting to believe that I had gone off the deep end, when I was so thrilled to get my supplements in the mail on Wednesday! I've worked REALLY hard over the past 2.5 months at losing my stress weight (and I have! Check out my weight loss ticker. 13 pounds down!), getting my hormones in order, and also getting my circadian rhythm in sync, so I can sleep well at night. Below are just a few of the supplements I take daily.

Since following the Leptin Reset, I've eliminated snacking, have no cravings, and I am calmer, and fall asleep with ease at night.

One more pic, to make your mouth water.......my breakfast Saturday morning (11/12/2011). YUMMAY!!

Paleo Pumpkin Bread? Yes Please!

In the spirit of Fall, I've been in the mood for all things pumpkin lately. I've made paleo pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes, and pumpkin pancakes. My favorite, by far has been the pumpkin bread. It's delicious, all warm and soft, with Kerrygold butter slathered all over it. Makes you all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn't it?

I found this recipe on one of my favorite sites: Elana's Pantry

Chopped Salad

I threw this together tonight, after my workout and it was THE BOMB! I was starving and wanted something quick. So simple, yet so yummy. I even made the dressing from scratch *insert pat on the back here* I will be making this for my lunch tomorrow!

*This is a single serving salad. If you are making it for more than one person, you'll have to adjust accordingly.

Salad Ingredients

Romaine Lettuce

Red Pepper

Red Onion

Pitted Kalamata Olives

Nitrate Free Turkey Deli Meat

Nitrate Free Genoa Salami

Dressing Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp organic dijon mustard

1/2 tsp greek seasoning

Mix dressing ingredients in small bowl and set aside. Chop lettuce and salad toppings. Chop up the meat and set aside. Mix lettuce, red onions, red peppers and olives, then toss in the dressing. Top with chopped meat and enjoy!

Chicken Chili Soup

This recipe was delicious! Another paleo recipe discovered, that my family will eat. They did, of course, add tortilla chips and cheese to their bowls, but at least the majority of the meal was all natural. Mine was anyway. :)

I found this on everydaypaleo.com. View the recipe here.

It's been a while since I've posted a new recipe, or one borrowed. Lately, most are borrowed, due to lack of time. Here are a few easy, paleo meals that I've enjoyed.....

Smokey Roast (recipe here) and green beans.

Grilled chicken, greens beans with bacon, and home-grown tomatoes.

Grilled turkey burger and fried sweet potatoes (recipe below).

Uncured bacon, scrambled eggs, pears, and blueberries.

Fried Sweet Potatoes

Yes, I did it. I put bacon in my sweet potatoes and it was AMAZING! These were a side dish for my grilled turkey burger, and honestly, they were better than the burger.

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato

2 slices unprocessed/nitrate free bacon, chopped

pinch of sea salt

dash of cinnamon

Peel and slice sweet potato. Chop bacon and fry in skillet, until almost brown, add sweet potatoes (without draining bacon) add salt and cinnamon to taste. Cover and cook to desired tenderness, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and serve.

Enjoy!

Warm Spinach and Sweet Potato Salad

I've been eyeing this recipe for some time. I finally made up a list of items needed (most of which, I already had), and headed to the store. I absolutely LOVE sweet potatoes. Ironic, since I hated them as a kid. The bacon pieces, almonds and diced apples are the icing on the cake, as I love a bit of crunch in a salad.

Since I am the only one in my house, who will eat spinach and sweet potatoes, I cut my recipe down to one third the original. I also substituted green onions for the leeks, because I'm too cheap to spend three bucks on a bunch of leeks. :)

Warm Spinach and Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 apple diced

8 strips of bacon, diced

2 leeks, thinly sliced

6 oz of fresh baby spinach

Handful of sliced almonds for garnish

Dressing

¼ cup olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp spicy brown mustard (natural ingredients)

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 tbsp of dried basil

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat your oven to 400. Toss the diced sweet potatoes with the coconut oil and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake in your preheated oven for 20 minutes. While the sweet potatoes are baking, cook the diced bacon in a large skillet. Once the bacon is crispy, add the sliced leeks in with the bacon and saute for another 4-5 minutes. Put your spinach in a large salad bowl and add the bacon and leek mixture. Toss well, letting the warm bacon wilt the spinach. Add the apples and sweet potatoes to the salad and toss together. In a separate bowl whisk together the salad dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad, mix well and garnish with the sliced almonds.

Chewy Honey Nut Cookies

Chewy Honey Nut Cookies

Makes eight to twelve cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey (raw, if you can get it)
1/4 teaspoon good-tasting pure stevia extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/16 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

*I also added a handful of dried cranberries.

Preheat oven to 275 (yes, 275) degrees fahrenheit.

Chop pecans, and toast them for 12 minutes. Melt butter. Stir together all ingredients except almond flour and pecans. Mix in almond flour until a smooth dough forms, then fold in nuts until dispersed throughout dough. Shape into flat cookie rounds on parchment paper. Bake for 12-18 minutes, or until slightly browned around the edges. Let cookies cool and harden for a full 10 minutes before removing from parchment.

Primal Blackberry Cobbler

Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredients:

3 cups of fresh blackberries

1 1/2 cups almond meal (finely ground almonds)

1 omega 3 enriched egg

2 tbsp coconut oil

A drizzle of raw organic honey

Cinnamon to taste

“So Delicious” coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350. Pour the blackberries into a pie pan. In a small bowl mix together the egg, almond meal, and coconut oil, and shake in a bunch of cinnamon. Stir well. The mixture will be really thick and clumpy. If you wish, drizzle a bit of raw organic honey on top of the blackberries. By hand, crumble the almond meal mixture on top of the blackberries and bake in your pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. Serve in bowls with cold “So Delicious” brand coconut milk poured over the top. (I used "So Delicious" Coconut Ice Cream instead ;)

Banana Ice Cream

Easy Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 Medium Bananas (frozen)

1/3 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk

6 Drops Liquid Stevia

Frozen No Sugar Added Berries (for topping)

Agave Syrup or Natural Honey (for topping)

Slice frozen bananas into coins. Place bananas, coconut milk, and liquid stevia into food processor. Pulse until desired consistency is reached. Top with frozen berries and Agave Syrup, or honey and enjoy!

Vice Be Gone

Friday, April 22, 2011 marked the 6 year anniversary of my Mother's quadruple bypass. Not only does that day mark changes in her health, but also in mine. That was the day that I made the decision to get healthy, lose the weight that I had put on through four pregnancies, and be an example to my children. I decided, as I stood by my Mom's bedside, in recovery, that I would do everything in my power to fight the heart disease that is so rampant on her side of the family. As soon as I weaned Caleb, I started down the road to health, eventually losing 48 lbs.

One of the things I've never been able to get rid of is Diet Soda. It's been the vice that lingers in my life. It was what I always turned to, when I was hungry. The carbonation would fill my belly and I would be able to make it a bit longer until time to eat. I heard all the news about how bad diet coke is for you, what a poison it is, but I kept drinking it, thinking that at least it was helping me maintain my weight....that if diet coke was the only thing "bad" in my life, when it came to diet, then I was doing good overall.

Now that I am back to work and no longer a stay at home mom, it's very difficult to manage my weight. Long hours, stress, and constant "treats" in the office, have contributed to the 15 pound gain that I have seen in the last year and half. After numerous attempts to "get back on track", with the way of life that got me to my goal several years ago, I realized that I had to make a radical change and diet coke did not fit into that plan.

I dropped the diet coke all together three weeks ago, and I'm happy to say, I don't miss it. The first few days, of course were tough, but now, I no longer want it. I no longer drink 68 oz or more of it everyday.

I'm also happy to say that I've dropped 5 lbs, just by eliminating it. I now see how it would spike my blood sugar and make me hungry. I ate more when I was drinking it. I find that I don't want to eat as much. Not to mention eliminating the chemically engineered, artificial sweetener.

One more step in eliminating bad things from my life!

Below is a reminder of what I never want to go back to. For those who've met me recently and don't understand the journey I have been on, hopefully this will give you a glimpse into who I am and where I've come from...into the WHY behind my desire to live healthy and stay healthy. The me you know now, is not the person in the photo below.

Let me also say, it is NOT easy to put this out there. Cute kids, though, huh?

Easter Carrot Cake

This year I proved to myself, that I CAN make it through a holiday without indulging in horrible things. I decided to give this carrot cake recipe a go this afternoon, and I have to say, it is the best primal dessert I've made so far. The icing is delicious and I could very well just eat it by itself. It's very dense, as most carrot cakes are, but not so rich that it sends your blood sugar sky high and makes you want more and more. It was easy to have one small slice and call it a night. Those easter baskets sitting behind me, on the countertop, taunt me no more.

This recipe is from one of my favorite primal blogs, The Food Lover's Primal Palate

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
• 1 cup melted virgin coconut oil
• 10 omega 3 eggs
• 5 large carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 cup pure maple syrup (reserve 1 tablespoon for date mixture)
  
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 10 medjool dates
• Chopped raw walnuts for garnish
  

Process:

1. In a food processor, using the grating blade, shred carrots.
2. Place carrots in a large ziplock bag. Pour maple syrup over carrots and let marinate in the fridge for an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 325.
4. In a small mixing bowl, add sifted coconut flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
5. In a large mixing bowl, or Kitchen Aid mixer, blend eggs, vanilla, melted coconut oil, and *date mixture.
6. Add dry ingredients to wet and blend.
7. Stir in grated carrots, discarding excess maple syrup that they soaked in.
8. Grease two 9 inch cake pans with coconut oil. (You can also line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper for easier removal)
9. Pour batter into pans.
10. Bake for 35 minutes. Test center with a tooth pick-if the tooth pick comes out clean, then the cakes are done.
11. Remove cakes from oven and cool.
12. Frost cake, garnish with walnuts, and serve!

*Date Mixture:

1. Remove pits from dates and place in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Add one tablespoon water to the dates and microwave for 30 seconds.
3. Mash with a fork, add 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, and mash with a fork again.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 16 oz full fat cream cheese
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger root

Process:

1. Bring cream cheese up to room temperature.
2. Blend all ingredients with a hand mixer or Kitchen Aid Mixer.
3. Use right away, or refrigerate.

Pulled Pork Barbecue

Being one who isn't all that fond of barbecue, I was hesitant to try this recipe at first, but the pictures on Bill and Hayley's site made it look so yummy, that I had to give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did! This recipe, with it's homemade, primal (sugar free/grain free) barbecue sauce is AMAZING! Everyone in my family loved it!

Ingredients

Barbecue Sauce:

• 1 1/4 cup Imagine Chicken Broth (you can also use vegetable broth, or plain water)
• 6 oz can of tomato paste (no salt)
• The juice of 1.5 limes
• 1 tablespoon unrefined virgin coconut oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp organic spicy (or dijon) mustard (always check ingredients, not all dijon mustards have favorable ingredients.)
  
• 1 tsp chipotle seasoning
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp liquid stevia extract (you can also use 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup or raw honey if you choose)

Process:

1. In a sauce pan, heat coconut oil on medium.
2. Add garlic and shallots, and saute until soft and translucent.
3. Add mustard, smoked paprika, chipotle, cumin, and salt, and continue to saute (about 30 seconds).
4. Add chicken broth, lime juice, stevia, and tomato paste.
5. Whisk all ingredients until smooth.
6. Bring to a light boil, reduce to simmer, and slightly cover with a lid.
7. Simmer for 45 minutes, and let cool.

Ingredients
Pulled Pork:

• 3 lb "Boston Butt" Pork Shoulder
• 1 fist of garlic, peeled
• 3 cups Imagine Chicken Broth

Process:

1. Rinse pork under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Cut slits into pork and stuff with cloves of garlic (the more the merrier!).
3. Place pork in crock pot and cover with chicken broth.
4. Cook pork on low for 8 hours.
5. Remove from crock pot, and let cool.
6. Discard thick layers of fat.
7. Shred pork with two forks.
8. Toss pork with barbecue sauce and enjoy!

*If you do not own a crock pot, you can also cook the pork in a covered souffle dish in the oven at 250 for 8 hours, or overnight at 200.

Raspberry Torte with Raspberry Coulis

I found this recipe on what has become one of my favorite grain free sites, The Food Lover's Primal Palate. The recipes on this site are amazing, and even more so, the pictures that Hayley and Bill provide, are stunning.

Everything looks so delicious. I couldn't wait to try this recipe, and I can say, I was not disappointed! Joey and the kids even loved it and ate it up. I love it when my family will devour a healthy, grain free recipe, that was made from scratch, with all natural ingredients.

My pictures don't even do this dessert justice, so if you are interested in the recipe, take a look at Hayley and Bill's site.

The Food Lover's Primal Palate

This is a picture of Savannah, and her friend Delanee's plate....

And Caleb, ever the one to deviate from the plan, didn't want any of the fruit topping. He said it was too sour, and he wanted maple syrup.

Homemade Salsa

Since today is Super Bowl Sunday, I made my homemade salsa for the boys. It's tradition in this household to have chips and homemade salsa to eat, while watching the big game.

Ingredients:

4 Cans Hunts Fired Roasted diced tomatoes (fresh would be best, but in Arizona, you can't really find fresh tomatoes that have a rich tomato taste, unless you have your own garden)

1 Medium Onion

5 -6 Cloves Garlic

2 -3 Jalapeno Peppers

1 -2 Habenero Peppers

1/2 Bunch Fresh Cilantro

Liquid Smoke (to taste)

2 tsp Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

You will need a food processor as well.

Wash peppers and place them under a broiler, to bring the heat out. While the peppers are roasting, place onion, garlic cloves, liquid smoke, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and cilantro leaves (stems removed) in the food processor. Once the skin on the peppers starts turning black, remove from broiler. Remove stem and seeds and place in the food processor.

Pulse processor until the ingredients are desired consistency. I have to mix it up with my family. Joey & Ashley like the salsa chunkier, Joseph prefers it to be a smooth consistency. As you can see, Joseph won today, so the next time I make it, I'll have to make it chunky.

Once you have the desired consistency for the pepper mix, add the tomatoes (drained). If you want a smoother texture, add all the tomatoes to the processor. If you want it to be chunkier, leave 1 -2 cans out, and mix them in later.

Pulse until the tomatoes are blended well with the pepper mixture. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge until ready to serve. I prefer it right out of the processor. Salsa will keep in the fridge for about a week....that is, IF there are is any leftover.

Dessert

One of the hardest things for me to not eat is sweets. I have a sweet tooth that would rival anyone. I have no problem passing up pasta, rice, bread....but if there is cheesecake in the room, I may just break out into a cold sweat! I've learned to substitute fruit for whatever evil treat I may be envisioning at the time.

At the top of my list for favorite fruits are: Cherries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Pears & Bananas

After a pretty intense cardio workout this evening, I really wanted something sweet. This is what I came up with and I must say it was very satisfying.

Ingredients:

1 Small Banana (6 - 7 inches in length)

4 Almonds, chopped

2 tsp Organic Agave Nectar

Slice banana into coins, drizzle with agave nectar, and top with chopped almonds.

Serves 1 - 170 calories

Spinach, Ham & Goat Cheese Pizza

Every now and then, I just need a pizza! Today I had a big time craving for it, so I decided to treat myself and whip one up. I did use a whole wheat tortilla, realizing that this recipe would not be grain free, but I'll count it as my 20% of the Primal Blueprint 80/20 plan. I rarely eat bread, pasta, rice, etc., but once in a great while, I'll give in and indulge.

I used a combination of goat cheese and shredded Asiago cheese, as I prefer the tart taste of these cheeses.

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat tortilla

1/4 cup tomato sauce

dash of Italian seasoning

1 oz. goat cheese

handful of spinach

1 roma tomato, diced

1 Tbsp Red onion, diced

1 large mushroom, diced

1 Tbsp shredded Asiago cheese

2 oz thinly sliced ham, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Build pizza as desired, and bake for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Serves 1 - 330 calories