Paleo-Zone

Broccoli Latkes with Baramundi

2012-01-29T09:19:00.000-08:00

I didn't even know what a latke was a month ago, and i probably still don't, but the texture and smell of these is becoming a quick favorite. First though, CROSSFIT OPEN coming down the pipe! Ready? I cranked down on my macronutrients a month ago and quickly dropped about 7 lbs. The least i can do is not give anyone else advantages in the bodyweight exercises. I actually started weighing and measuring again - for a bit. I'm reminded what a fat-fest this paleo stuff has become. Touchy subject i know but look around you. Who's paleo and who's shredded? Why and why not? I'll tell you why - it's a fookin nutbutter fest out there. And that's not all, there's a zillion almond flour recipes that are DAMN good. Like paleo bread and ginger snap cookies. (not joking here - MAKE these) If you have glutton (not gluten) tendencies like me, you need to do a little math on this stuff, or risk getting soft. Don't get me wrong, a 5 lb sack of almond four landed on my porch a couple weeks ago. There's not doubt that eating like a pig is anabolic. You WILL lift more weight but those burpees are gonna SUK. Better to train like a plough horse and eat like a race horse. For those interested, i'm on about 18 blocks but i'm skimping carbs - close to 100 gm per day. For an averaged sized male crossfitter, this is a pretty bullet proof way to lean up - so get on it and good luck during the Open!

Broccoli Latkes with Baramundi (4 blocks, skimpy carbs)

5 oz Baramundi (wild caught frozen at Costco - i spiced it with Old Bay seasoning)
3oz Broccoli florets (steam these)

Latkes
Heaping Cup of shredded broccoli stems
1/2 TBS almond flour (fine ground)
1/2 TBS coconut flour
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp shallot salt (or onion salt)
1 egg
1 tsp coconut oil

Shred the brok stems.
Mix in the egg, flour, and spices and get the coconut oil heating in a pan on med-high. Divide the shredded brok mix and place in pan - flatten out. Start steaming the broccoli florets and get the baramundi going in another pan coated with olive oil spray. Flip the latkes - they should be crispy brown like hash browns. A little smear of butter goes a long way on those latkes! Eat Well! Steve "Paleo"

Buffalo Pumpkin Chili

2011-11-18T17:42:00.000-08:00

Can't post this without talking about evil nightshades - pretty interesting stuff actually, but first, I'd like to thank Front Range Crossfit in Denver for putting on the FRCF Master's Championships last month. Well run, 2 day event that reminds me of the original Games at the Ranch. No need to buy a spectator ticket (for a change) but still quality work-outs, equipment, food, planning, etc. If you're 35+ and want to prove yourself, keep an eye out for this one next year. But don't think it's cake walk! There were some tough muthas there. I landed in 2nd place behind a Games podium finisher - so was pretty happy with that :)
Now, nightshades - pretty intimidating title for a tomato! Nightshades, which include the likes of tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers of ever sort, and even tobacco, contain alkaloids which vary from mildly irritating to fatal - eff!. Seriously, i didn't know salsa had such a DARK side. Hmmm... doesn't SOUND very paleo but maybe we need to think about this. If you google around a little, you'll find the experts tend to bash them pretty hard then back pedal and say that unless you suffer from autoimmune disease, like rheumatoid arthritis, they're not so bad due to beneficial vitamins/nutrients. Apparently, there's only anecdotal evidence of the detrimental effects of nightshades on your health - I could not find one single formal study that condemns them - surprising. Here's a good article by L. Cordain on toxicity in tomatoes and here's one on peppers and here's one on potatoes. Here's my take-away: There is a HUGE range of toxicity depending on the ripeness or type of pepper. Ripe tomatoes and green peppers have almost zilch of the toxins representative of this family. SO, you can shun all nightshades or be a little objective and consider the "safer" ones - meaning try them and see if you grow big knuckles. There's no auto-immune buggers in my family - instead they all die of heart disease, so given the low carb nature of this recipe, i'm GOIN' FOR IT!

Buffalo Pumpkin Chili - just in time for Thanksgiving...

2 lbs ground bison
1 Qt Tomato Juice
28 oz Can of peeled/diced tomatoes
1 large onion - chopped
1 large portobello mushroom - chopped
1 large green pepper - chopped
15 oz canned pumpkin
2.25 oz canned sliced olives
1 TBS pumpkin pie spice
1 TBS hot sauce
1 TBS chili powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Brown the bison in a large pot then add onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add everything else, bring to a boil then back off and simmer for 1 hour. DONE. Makes, ummm... A LOT. Enjoy.. and don't eff-up this Thanksgiving. If you've been on the paleo wagon for awhile, you might just start on the couch because you'll end up comatose there anyway - been there!!
Eat Well! Steve Paleo

Bison Ribs w/Egyptian Walking Onions & Sorrel

2011-05-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

I have a ribs obsession, which i'll talk about more in a bit, but first a little on the Crossfit Open. I tip my hat to them - that format was bold and they took a lot of heat for it. I still would like to bitch. Crossfit HQ bowed to the general populous. Their goal was CLEARLY to not discourage people from crossfit, and show any ninny could do it. That bummed me out a little, but this IS a business after all. Geez i was hoping to feel just a little "F^cking Elite" but there really was none of that in the Open programming. In the end, i think they indeed rounded up the best athletes. Those that barely made it, or barely missed it (me), can argue but realistically their chance of winning THE GAMES are probably on the order of getting raptured to heaven. Looking at the Regional workouts, it seems more in line with what I consider crossfit and i'm happy to see that kind of programming. I'll keep paying my membership dues ;-)

OK, bison ribs. HOLY $HIT THEY SELL THEM AT COSTCO! Good call whoever is buying the meats there. Bison is expensive, after all, they can walk thru fences that keep lesser animals (beef) at bay, so sure, charge a little more. But seriously, the nice cuts are kind of ridiculous. Not ribs though - $20 for a HUGE rack. I have no idea if Costco outside of Boulder sells this stuff. If not, you can go on-line but they won't be nearly as reasonable.
Now about those egyptian walking huh? We have a great Farmer's Market here in Boulder and they caught my eye. Basically HUGE scallions that form a bublet on top. As it gets heavy and falls over, it lands in the dirt and "plants" itself - so essentially "walking" across your garden. I also grabbed some mixed mushrooms while i was there and sorrel - very lemony and tart. To be eaten in small quantities because it contains oxalic acid. As a garnish though, it really adds a unique taste (if you can't find it - just give the dish a squeeze of lemon towards the end). One more note about ribs. I'll say it again, i'm LAZY. I know some people parboil them and do a little dance, blah blah. Heck i'm so lazy I literally threw away ALL my socks and bought just woolie boolies three years ago. Hiking, biking, work, crossfit - whatever - SAME socks. Best thing i ever did. So, I really don't care if the meat falls off the bone, that's what teeth are for and this is WAY less work. Don't get me wrong - they're still pretty tender. Here's the recipe:

Bison Ribs with Egyptian Walking Onions & Sorrel

1 rack of ribs - dry rub with spices. Smoked Paprika is a "must have" spice. Besides that, i use garlic salt, onion salt, pepper, etc. Put on the barbecue - took mine about 1/2 hour or so.

1 plate of mixed mushrooms, garlic, pecans, and "egyptian walking onions" or equivalent (leeks) - chopped.

Get 2 slices of bacon and cook it up. Put bacon to the side and saute ingredients above in the bacon fat. Start with the pecans - then add the rest. Salt and pepper to taste. It doesn't need much more - pretty rich. Just before it's done, add sorrel (just a few leaves chopped) and bacon pieces.
Enjoy! Steve "Paleo"

Paleo Chocolate Pudding

2011-04-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

Paleo Chocolate Pudding?(!) - you betcha! Whoever thought of this (wasn't me..) should get the Nobel Food Prize - it's THAT good. But first, since this is really a crossfit blog wrapped in bacon, i need to vent a bit. Did Crossfit HQ hire programmers based on their Fran time, or perhaps power to weight ratio? Geezus that Games site has been PAINFUL. Don't know what frustrates me more - my inability to instantly just post my scores, or my inability to focus on LIFE not knowing where I stand (21st in Masters after round 2 in case anyone is counting ;-) Oh and just one more thing! Is some Reebok chik programming this stuff? Is there a world-wide bumper plate shortage? Crossfit HQ - please make me regret those statements and program some big weights for crying out loud. OK - on with the recipe...

Paleo Chocolate Pudding - I first saw it at freecoconutrecipes.com and i feel quite brave for trying it ;-) Seriously, you have to trust me, this came straight from heaven - it's the best chocolate pudding you'll ever have - BAR NONE. It only takes 10 minutes to make.

2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Whip it all up in a food processor, spoon into some small bowls (it's very thick - like it should be..), and top with a little coconut whipped cream, berries, and some d-chok shavings. Really, it's fantastic.

Eat Well! Steve "Paleo"

.. and good luck to all my crossfit brethren!!!!!

Ribs, Sweet Potato Fries, and Rhubarb Surprise!

2011-02-21T15:42:00.000-08:00

This is just good comfort food and if you're a rhubarb fan, you're in for a guiltless paleo feast. First a word about spices - don't be cheap. Find a spice shop, virtual or brick 'n mortar, and get the good stuff. I did recently, and man it makes a difference. You'll see I included shallot salt - awesome stuff but you may not find it at your local haunt. Smoked paprika is another one - get it. You might spend a little more but remember, it cost less than open heart surgery so splurge a little - money well spent. This meal is close to 5 blocks (ignore the wine - more about that later). I can't figure exactly how much fat and meat in on a rib - i don't have a calorimeter dang it.

Ribs, Fries, and Rhubarb Surprise

About 6 pork ribs - i buy the stuff from Costco. Get higher quality if you can.
Dry rub them with shallot salt, lemon pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and celery salt. Get the barbecue going.
Now slice 8 oz of sweet potato ( I like the garnet ones). Melt a about a tablespoon or so of coconut oil and coat them with it. Arrange on a baking sheet and sprinkle with shallot salt, cayenne pepper (not too much), and sea salt. Get that oven pre-heated to 425F. The ribs and sweet potatoes took about 30 minutes for me - so i would start them at the same time. When they're nearly done, get about 3 oz of snowpeas, spice 'em up, and saute in a little coconut oil. Now about that wine! I don't normally plug wine. It's debatable (but arguable) paleo food. However, health-wise, few debate that a little red wine is good for you. I paired a 2006 Beauregard Cabernet Sauvignon with this dish - FANTASTIC. I know Ryan Beauregard - he's out in California, not paleo but he LOOKS at bit paleo ;-) Either way, he makes great wine and he ships it Beauregard Vineyards
I know you've been patiently waiting for desert - here it is...

Hot Rhubarb with Coconut Ice Cream!
6 oz chopped rhubarb
1/2 teaspoon orange peel zest
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup coconut ice cream
Don't eat any rhubarb leaves, cuz, ummm, it'll kill ya and someone will have to right a book and postulate where you stubbed your toe on this paleo gig.. So, get a small skillet - add water and rubarb and heat to boiling. Once rhubarb starts to soften and water is nearly gone, add maple syrup, orange zest, and cinnamon.
Keep heating/stirring for another 5 minutes. Place in two small bowls and add 2 tablespoons each coconut ice cream (coconut bliss and purely decadent are good brands - sells at Whole Paycheck here in Boulder). Or you can top with coconut whipped cream per previous post..) It's tart and yummy - enjoy! Steve "Paleo"
PrimitiveFoods.com

Whipped Coconut Cream!

2011-01-08T11:27:00.000-08:00

Wow have i been a posting slacker!! Well, don't want to bore you with variations of the same old $hit but this is pretty good and i'll post a rib recipe shortly that's worthy. I think with the competitive crossfit season just around the corner, i'm regaining a little more inspiration :)

Every once in awhile, something comes along that changes your eating habits - this tip from Alistair Boyd of Singapore, and a GF addicted to whipped cream in her coffee, set me in motion. He told me he was making his own whipped cream from coconut cream using a whip-it! dispenser, so i experimented forwards and backwards with it (like a good little engineer) and settled on a recipe that i've been enjoying daily. Seriously, give this a try and you'll never look back.

Here's what you do:
Get one of these bad boys from Amazon - they're about $45. Comes with NO2 cartridges but buy some extra ones. I bought a "Whip-it!" brand - Swiss made - wohoo. They come in different sizes. I think 1/2L is the best. The 1 Litre is a monster that barely fits in the fridge and takes two NO2 cartridges. Coconut cream is not very easy to find so I would just recommend to buy canned coconut milk - I like Thai Kitchen brand. Also get some vanilla extract and real maple syrup.

Mix all this in a bowl with a whisker.

12-16 oz coconut milk or coconut cream
1 - 1.5 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Put this mixture in your dispenser, gas it up, shake it, and put it in the fridge. Coconut milk gets really thick in the fridge but the maple syrup helps a bit (don't try honey - way too thick). It dispenses a little better if you take it out of the fridge for a bit. This is GREAT with coffee, berries, on key lime pie - geez, let your imagination go wild.
Oh ya, one more thing, if you're wondering how heavy whipping cream might work in the whip-it!, ummm, ya that's what i have in the 1 Liter monster ( 1 quart heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon vanilla). I'm ashamed to say I get busted on a regular basis squeezing the trigger on that one...

Enjoy!
Steve "Paleo"
PrimitiveFoods

Cutting Loose with Bison-Kale and the Norcal Margarita

2010-08-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

I've been eating variations of this meal for awhile - time to share! But first, a little education. People often ask "Where do I get my calcium when eating this paleo scam?" The answer of course, is the same place cows get it - greens - unless you're just jamming them full of grains which is a whole udder topic. So, how much calcium IS in greens? Well, oz for oz, there's more calcium in kale than milk. Ya ya, 8 oz of kale would be impressive, but you see my point. Eat lots of dark greens and you'll be fine.

OK... on to the recipe..This is a completely balanced 5 block meal that cooks in 9 minutes flat.

5 oz bison (I used Great Range sirloin steak)
2 oz kale - chopped
6 oz garnet yams - chopped ( be lazy and don't peel it )
2 mushrooms - sliced
small handful of diced red onion.
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Get a big skillet on the stove - good and hot - put the coconut oil in it. When that's hot, add the yams. Keep flipping and after 4 minutes, add mushrooms and onions. After a couple more minutes, push to the side and add kale and bison. Bison is SO lean, you barely want to cook it. Keep pan covered now but every 45 seconds, uncover and stir. Spices - i like celery salt and lemon pepper. Ready in 9 minutes... enjoy!

Now.. what you've been waiting for.. i've yet to find a paleo nut that doesn't appreciate this margarita and since beer effs me up these days, this IS the beverage of choice.I first heard of the norcal margarita from Robb Wolf's Podcast which I highly recommend. Here's the "recipe"..

ice
juice of 1 lime
2 shots tequila
diet tonic water*

* he prolly didn't call this out but it makes a huge difference to me (ya there's artificial sweetener in that stuff - but hell, it's an alcoholic beverage!) Oh, one last thing, don't be cheap. Get the good stuff for crying out loud - cuz gawd knows you're saving on health care and the recipes are free ;-)
Eat Well! Steve "Paleo"
PrimitiveFoods.com

Coconut Butter Bars

2010-07-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for an excuse to highlight a product called "Artisana Organic Coconut Butter". If you're with the crossfit crowd, you may have noticed a happy face or two walking around with a jar of this and a big spoon - it's yummy - no doubt. Oh and um Ya it's mostly saturated fat, and, umm, Nope, i don't care (read up on medium chain triglycerides - your body would rather use this as fuel than store it). The rest of the ingredients are just naturally hanging out in my pantry - hopefully true at your house too. This recipe was bound to happen. I'd been fooling around making "fudgy" stuff and then a friend of mine, Laura (who has made a LIVING doing stuff like this!), described a date ball she used to make. Game ON!! U can find this coconut butter at Whole Paycheck and on-line. And NO, Artisana doesn't "sponsor" me and YES they should ;-) You might add different kinds of nuts or seeds to these. Pretty sure even cat turds would be good mixed with this stuff...No need to bake 'em - just start stuffing your pie hole :)

Coconut Butter Bars

1/2 Cup pecans
6 pitted dates
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons coconut butter
2 Tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut (in bulk at WF)

Put it all in your food processor. Shape into bars and coat with more coconut. It only makes 7 - U may want to scale it up!

Eat Well!
Steve Paleo
PrimitiveFoods.com

oh heck! almost forgot! If you're competing at The Games in 2 weeks, Good Luck! ..and look for me.. Go team FLATIRONS!!!

Paleo Shitake Spinach Souffle

2010-05-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

WOW - the competitive crossfit season is upon us! So cool to bump into people i've only known briefly or thru the virtual world. This is also causing me to reflect a bit on the past year or so... and i'll make it brief..i look around and i see so many people that are getting stronger and healthier as a result of crossfit and paleo lifestyle. This is NOT like watching gold fish grow - they literally transform before your eyes. Very stoked to be a part of it and a small contributor to the movement (should i be ashamed that the mention of gold fish got me thinking about recipes?? ;-)
Also, a quick shout-out to FrontRange Crossfit who ran the US North-Central Regional Crossfit Games just south of Denver. Great event, frackin AMAZING athletes, and the characteristic camaraderie. Skip Miller and his team did an outstanding job organizing a flawless event. My team, Flatirons Crossfit, qualified for THE GAMES in LA (!!) -Holy $hit! That is still sinking in! The best of the best will be there. I'm VERY excited!.... Well Krap! Better start fueling this hunt!
Spinach souffle has always been a comfort food for me but of course store bought has wheat flour, soybean oil, sugar, blah blah... screw that. This is REALLY good, easy to make, and WAY better than what you'll buy in the store - trust me! I will admit i'm going a little low-carb here... I want to be 100% optimized for the Games and from that carb-cycling thingy I did, I think i can tweak things down just a bit and get good results. It's a VERY fine line to gain muscle while minimizing bodyfat and I encourage everyone to experiment and find what works best for you.

Paleo Shitake Spinach Souffle
5 oz organic baby spinach - finely chopped (basically 2 big handfuls of leaves)
2 slices bacon - chopped
4 shitake mushrooms - chopped
1 Cup grated celery root (can leave it out if you can't find it...)
2 Scallions (green onions) chopped
4 Eggs and 10 egg whites (don't bitch.. they're cheap ;-) *
Celery salt - few shakes
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk (Thai Kitchen if you can find it)
1/4 Avocado - sliced (garnish)
10 Pecan halves - chopped (garnish)
1 tsp coconut oil (garnish)

* Tip.. i buy expensive eggs, high in omega 3, and really cheapo ones. If i'm including the yokes, i use the expensive one. For whites, i use the cheap ones (apologies to my dog Bear who has to eat cheap yokes ;-)

Nutrition: 1/2 this pie is about 4.3 blocks protein, 14 blocks fat, and 1.5 blocks carb for a total of 550 Calories [don't kid yourself - that pic above was for my daughter. I ate 1/2 easily!]. It's basically 3X fat and REAL low on the carbs. If that's too extreme for you, leave out 1 slice of bacon and the coconut oil and you'll be down to 2X fat. Want close to a 4 block PZ meal? Leave out 1 slice of bacon, use 18 egg whites, and skip the pecans and coconut oil.

Chop up the raw bacon and get it cooking in the pan. While it's cooking, grate celery root, chop onions and mushrooms. When the bacon is nearly done, add all that stuff (seriously, it needs to be almost done. Otherwise, it kinda stays too fatty). Let it saute on low heat while you chop the spinach and put it in a big bowl. Add eggs, coconut milk, and finally the saute ingredients. Add a few shakes of celery salt. Mix throughly and pour into a deep 9" glass pie pan (it will barely fit). Now lightly roast chopped pecans in the coconut oil - it's really more about coating them with the oil (umm pause here and take a big whiff - coconut oil in the pan smells better than your first date ;-). Spoon on top of souffle and keep towards the center. Cook 35-40 minutes at 350 - check the center with a knife. Should come out clean. Garnish with sliced avocado. Now don't laugh... if you're looking for about 35 gm protein, eat half of this baby! Serious! Now feel sorry for the poor sap eating microwaved Stouffer's out of a plastic baking dish!

Eat Well! Steve "Paleo"
PrimitiveFoods.com

Kick A$$ Paleo Key Lime Pie

2010-03-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

This recipe seemed criminally obvious when i first thought about it, however, it took a little doin'. BUT, before I go there... Want to give a shout-out to Crossfit Verve - Matt and Cherie (think "6 Million Dollar Man" meets "GI Jane" - and you'll already have a good picture), with the help of many generous volunteers, ran the Mountain Sectionals in Golden, Colorado - it was a fantastic event with clever WODs and camaraderie in abundance. Matt Chan is the kinda guy that, if he's NOT your friend, you WISH he was. Just a solid friendly dude with an easy smile. He gave the Sectionals a family feel, like you were surrounded by brothers and sisters - he's really the epitome of a crossfit athlete. And Cherie, Whooa! Unfortunately i did not see her judging because she is truly amazing. That girl can guaranteed yank a PR out of you, with forceps, rubber boots, and a stiff heel if she has too ;-) She is incredible - seriously. What a dynamic duo they make. I have yet to leave a Crossfit competition with out feeling inspired and encouraged and this one was no exception - so THANK YOU Matt and Cherie - it was memorable.
Macro-Nutrient Cycling - well i better give a quick update on this.. I only lasted 6 weeks :-(. I wasn't getting the results i expected (ie buy new shirts cuz gettin SO massive) and, umm I'm a fruit junky - apparently. Also, the load meals were painful - not something to look forward to. In defense of Faigan, I really couldn't load as he described - mostly starchy carbs. I was just too uncomfortable. I also tend to do some very long duration med-intensity stuff on weekends (backcountry splitboarding) and i just couldn't hang with the super low carbs while humping my pack up to 11,000 ft. I WILL say it leaned me out pretty quick,i felt fine during WODs, and i added 25 lbs to my dead lift. I know i'm just N=1 and some people do better on lower carbs overall and dig chowin macnuts & avocado all day (actually, seems like MANY people) - just not optimum for me. So, i'm back to standard 5 block PZ meals... well, AFTER these key-lime pie trials! Who knows, i may dial back the carbs just a little going forward... OK.... ON with it already...
Key Lime Pie - normally it's made with a graham cracker crust (crushed graham cracker, sugar, and a lotta butta). Which forces me to ask "What the hell IS graham?" That's the first clue you shouldn't be eating it btw. It's "fine ground white flour with coarse ground wheat bran and germ" - according to Wikepedia. Scary - I really had to look it up. Graham crackers have a high glycemic load - right up there with coke and vanilla wafers. Maybe something to be avoided unless you think "metabolic syndrome" sounds like a good time ;-) Another common ingredient in KLP is sweetened condensed milk. Coconut milk to the rescue...

Kick A$$ Paleo Key Lime Pie
1/8 Pie = 21C, 23F, 8 P)

Preheat oven to 350F

Crust:
1.5 cups whole almonds
4 pitted dates
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
(I didn't make up the date part.. here's some paleo crust recipes)
Put it all in a food processor and stop just short of nut-butter
Dump it into a standard pie pan (smear with coconut oil first) and, with your fingers, just mush it flat. Don't bother going all the way up the sides with it - though a visible crust looks good, you have to worry about it burning in the oven - too complex for a lazy caveman. Form the crust so it goes about half way up the sides. Pre-bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes - should be just a tad golden.

Filling:
4 teaspoons lime zest (you know... get the grater out)
1/2 Cup lime juice (fresh of course)
3 Tablespoons agave syrup (can use honey)
2 Tablespoons coconut flour
3 eggs
1 Cup Coconut Milk (Thai Kitchen brand recommended)
Get a whisk and mix it up real good. When pie shell is done, dump filling into shell and put back in oven for another 25-30 minutes (filling should appear to be set up). Hopefully the crust is actually covered. If not, don't let it burn - cover with foil near the end if you have to.
Key limes are these itty bitty limes that are slightly better than real limes but WAY more work. I used 20 to make ONE of the pies - fairly redonkulous. Even then i needed extra limes to get more juice. I swear more seeds than juice came out of some of those little buggers. I would buy 3 as "evidence" but use regular limes instead ;-) I made it both ways -hardly tell the difference. This pie really needs to cool and IS better the next day but i'd be a hypocrite if i told you to wait.
I'm embarrassed to say i've had this every night for the past 4 nights! For a 5 block meal, it's quite reasonable to combine this with a good portion of veggies and some lean meat. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. It kicks A$$!
Eat Well! Steve "Paleo"
PrimitiveFoods.com

Bacon-Shitake Lamb Chops w/Walnut Guacamole

2010-02-06T21:45:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Valentine's Day - This meal will impress your Paleo buddy and it's easy/fast to make. Before we get there though - a little rant...
This is probably insanity, but i'm gonna talk about cholesterol, specifically MY cholesterol. Now hold on, i know you don't give a rat's a$$ about some paleo punk's lipid profile, but hold your water... How often do you find someone with terrible cholesterol, on drugs for many years, who tells his doctor to shove it and goes Paleo, full tilt, for 1.5 yrs, drugless, and lives to tell about it? ;-) So, on the slim chance some of you care about what all this does under the hood, here's a very short glimpse/summary by admittedly a non-doctor, non-nutritionist, non-dietician, paleo-punk.

If you're interested, and thus familiar, with all these numbers, the data is pretty self-evident so i won't jibber jabber along. I will say i'm pissed that i was not given the right information when i asked the doc what to change in my diet. So instead, i stuffed a white pill down my beak for several years. Bottom line, a PZ diet is almost as good as straight Lipitor and if i get my HDL up a little more, it will be equivalent - at least on this sample of one. And here's what really blows.. Doc says cut back on red meat and eggs. What did I do? Ate more! I'm not happy about the HDL (future experiment..) but it is what it is. This is also not an "iso-body-weight" experiment - leaned up on that PZ stuff. Couldn't help it, ain't goin back...BTW, Lipitor is about $1/day. U do the math... OK... enough ranting.

Bacon-Shitake Lamb Chops with Walnut Guacamole
... this is enough for two 35 gm P meals. It's low carb/high fat. Sub it for a standard 5 block PZ meal just for fun.

Enough Lamb Chops to yield 12 oz meat - I buy it at Costco and trim the meat off the bone. It's from down-under - darn good.
1 Full Cup sliced shitake mushrooms
1 green onion - finely chopped
2 slices bacon
1 sprig fresh rosemary - finely chopped
2 tablespoon olive oil - 1 for lamb, one for mushrooms/onions
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
celery salt and pepper to taste

Preparing the lamb and mushrooms:
Trim lamb meat off the bone - lose the fat.
Get Bacon going in the pan - when done, remove, but leave bacon fat
Add 1 Tablespoon (if necessary) olive oil and saute mushrooms and scallions, when almost done, add rosemary. Break up bacon and add to mushrooms. Keep warm.

With really hot pan, add olive oil then 10 oz lamb. Add celery salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce. Saute 'till done. Dish it up and top with mushroom saute. I garnished with some yellow pepper but whatever fresh veggie you have in the fridge will do, just to add some color.

Guacamole - you can buy this pre-made. This is simplified- based on what i had on hand. You should prepare this ahead of the lamb and have it already on the plate.
1 1/2 Avocado
1 scallion - finely chopped
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
Mix well, put on some romaine or other leafy green, top with walnuts.
... U might serve a glass of red dependent upon the occasion ;-) If you haven't had lamb lately, you're in for a real treat.
Last thing is a status on the whole macro-nutrient cycling (MNC) experiment i'm doing. I was inspired by Rob Faigin. Where am I at on it after ~4 weeks? Well, at the risk (probably high) of appearing vain, right about here... Now this is 1.5 yrs of PZ and ~4 weeks of MNC so don't draw conclusions yet. I can say it's not HURTING me but i'm on the fence about how much it's helping me. BTW, i'm not on any sauce, helpers, HGH, or supplements of dubious origin - and never was. On occasion, i will take creatine, glutamine, glucosamine,and fish oil - but it's irregular.

The other night, right after a FRAN workout, i did my carb-up meals. The next day I felt HUGE, like someone turned a switch on. IDK, gotta keep going with it. Will do my post MNC crossfit total in 4 weeks and more blood work. The other reason i posted this vanity shot, and the lipid table, is to hopefully encourage the old (yes i'm 47) and the young to read the books, question the docs, lift heavy $hit, crossfit 'till U puke, eat a PZ diet, and make up your mind. For the first time ever, we're getting good information on fitness and nutrition - and it works. Thank you Crossfit, Audette, Cordain, Wolf, Sears, Taubes, Wiley, and many others. If you don't know what i'm talking about, ask them (they figured it out), or ask me (a practitioner with an eye for detail - i hope).
Eat Well! Steve "Paleo"
PrimitiveFoods.com

Low Carb Coconut Shrimp Curry

2010-01-09T21:43:00.000-08:00

I hope everybody had a great holiday season and ate all the right foods ;-) I swear a paleo diet (shall i say lifestyle?) is the only diet that hits you with a club if you veer too far off the paleolithic path. Can you say tequila over beer? No more micro-brews... a little part of me has died ;-)
The purpose of this blog from day one was to share balanced PZ meals. I'm gonna tweak it a bit. I said last time that i was considering modifying my diet. Well consider it done - for a couple months that is. I'm diving into paleo macronutrient cycling. What is it? It's paleo meals with lower carbs and higher fat (which is actually ALL the rage right now - listen to the Robb Wolf/ Andy D podcasts) punctuated with high carb meals that are low protein, low fat. Why? It's hard to stay lean and gain strength - I'm doing it but i want to see if this will get me there faster.... and i can't turn down a good experiment!
There's a lot of information out there about gaining LBM - gallon of milk/day, cheat meals, cheat days, intermittent fasting, 1gm Pro per lb body weight, macro-nutrient cycling, pharmaceutical "enhancements", tiger nuts (ok i made that up!) etc, etc. Some (Rob Faigan) claim insulin is a double-edged sword - anabolic on one hand, promotes fat storage on the other. Macro-nutrient cycling is supposedly a way to get the good with out the bad. I gotta believe that cavemen MUST have done this too on a seasonal basis at the very least. "Lots" of carbs in the summer, lots of meat/fats in the winter. Another reason why this appeals to me.
My target per meal is 35 gm protein, 35 gm fat, and 10 gm "active" carbs (means carb grams - fiber grams) - 5 meals per day (this is serious eating). BTW, this is about the same total calories as a balanced 5 block PZ meal. So if you are doing 5 block PZ meals and you like something you see here, eat it up. Not gonna hurt you. What about the carb load meals? This is a 7 day cycle, 5 meals/day. Last 2 meals of day 3 and day 7 have 100 gm carbs and less than 20 gm fat and protein.
Curious about my first impressions? I've been at it for a week. The first carb load meals were painful - i felt bloated/sleepy/drunk on frickin yams. I thought to myself - "I've been pinching carbs like a Russian ballerina for THIS! Kaarap!" I began to wonder. The next carb load meals I went for a bowl of fruit with 6 dried dates on top and a small slab of salmon. Believe it or not, i felt great. It's not exactly the prescription (supposed to be low glycemic starch stuff) but it's the best i can do and still feel good. My weight is down a little and my WOD strength feels great - I'm encouraged. Amazingly, even metcons feel just fine on 50 gm C/day - but then i'm probably relatively well adapted to burning dietary fat for fuel. So i'll stick to this for 2 months. Got blood work done, metcon baseline, crossfit total, waist measurement, hokey body-fat measurement ( magic scale) and resting heart rate. After 2 months i'll recheck it all. Will let you know my conclusion when all is said and done. Enuff rambling....

Low Carb Coconut Shrimp Curry - 35gm P, 35gm F, 10 gm AC
.. this is so easy and fast - i love it..And if you haven't figured it out yet, coconut milk is magic! I think you could mix it with gravel and serve. It's THAT good.
5 oz green cabbage - chopped
5 almonds - diced
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
0.25 oz dried mushrooms - reconstituted (Costco baby!)
1/3 Cup Coconut Milk
6 oz frozen cooked prawns (shrimp)
1 Tablespoon Thai curry paste (mixed with equal amount water to thin it out)
dash of cayenne pepper

Saute cabbage in coconut oil with almonds, sesame seeds, and mushrooms. After about 10 minutes, add coconut milk, curry paste, and prawns and keep cooking just long enough to get the prawns hot. Garnish with spinach, serve, and imagine you're off the main drag in Bangkok on a steamy night with cheap fork in hand....

Eat Well! Steve "Paleo"

Cacoa Nib Cookies, Macro-Nutrient Ratios & Holiday Shopping

2009-12-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

My love affair with cacoa nibs continues! This is my favorite cookie recipe. I've been waiting for the holiday's to release it (U knew I wouldn't let you down!) If you've been cursing me cuz U bought that package of cacao nibs for the chops and have been sitting on it ever since, here's your opportunity to turn them into something yummy. But first, a little chatting about macronutrient ratios, then the recipe, then, at the bottom of today's blog, a surefire way to save some time shopping for your paleo friends...

Macro-nutrients and Lean Body Mass: I've been wondering whether or not to adjust my diet. A paleo diet is not contested. The question is, am i eating the most appropriate proportions to optimize lean body mass production. I'm not satisfied, at 47, to be one of those chumps that slowly loses LBM each year until i'm skinny, old, and bent over. Some say at this age, you should be satisfied to keep what you have - SCREW that! Others, like Rob Faigan, propose that thru proper macro-nutrient ratios and cycling, you can effectively reverse aging. That sounds goofy but I believe it. How many times have you seen someone that looks 10 yrs younger than they are or 10 yrs older than they are? Is it just external? I don't think so, and neither does Rob. Read his book Natural Hormonal Enhancement. So within what bounds should we be operating if we are to emulate a paleolithic diet? Where am I now? What does the food pyramid (ver 2005) MyPyramid.gov say? - just for $hits and giggles...
Turns out the US food pyramid site will actually figure for you, based on weight, activity level, etc. how much, and of what, you should eat - so i tried it. BTW, it did say I was over weight and should consider reduced calories but i said nu uh, gimme the whole enchilada - i'm happy where i'm at (chubby nutritionists and their frickin BMI blah blah blah! Good indicator unless you're a crossfitter! ;-) . Here are the macro-nutrient results compared to a standard PZ diet (for me) and a 2X fat PZ diet (what i'm eating right now), and a "Paleo Man" (aka caveman or hunter-gatherer) diet as reported by L. Cordain. I didn't even rig these numbers! My diet (2X fat PZ), from a macro-nutrient level, is right smack in the middle of what Cordain's studies showed to be true of a hunter/gatherer. So, obviously, a 1X Fat PZ diet is not. It's at the edge of the range. As for the new food pyramid - high on fat and carbs, low on protein, as you would expect. But, still an improvement over the 11 servings of grains the old pyramid recommended! Progress is progress! ;-) My conclusion? I'm sticking with my marco-nutrient levels. Now the question is - to Carb cycle or not? More on that later.

Now for the recipe...
Paleo Cacao Nib Cookies

1 C Almond Flour
2/3 C Shredded Coconut
1 1/2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 Cup Almond Butter
1 C Coco Nibs
1/3 Coconut Flour
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 Egg
2 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
1/2 Cup Honey or Agave
* Note - you may be tempted to skip the coconut flour. Don't. It really does something for them. U can buy it at Whole Foods. U can skip the cocoa powder for a less chocolately taste. Either way, the nibs give them a crunchy chocolately taste that's awesome.

Spoon more or less round blobs onto a cookie sheet - round is better than flat cuz the inside stays a little chewy.
Cook for about 9 minutes at 350. Makes about 24 -each with 10gm C, 9 gm F, and 4 gm P. Enjoy!

Now for Holiday Shopping... Wondering what to give your Paleo friends? I've been working on paleo bison jerky for awhile now. I call it "paleo" because it's not sweetened with sugar (I use agave and maple syrup) or salted with soy sauce (I use sea salt to preserve it) and there's no funky preservatives, nitrates, msg, blah blah blah) I eat A LOT of this stuff so it has to be tasty and pure. For paleo meals on the go, it's the most expensive component and the most difficult to make yourself. BTW, in case you didn't know, it's illegal in the US to give bison antibiotics or hormones - so don't worry about that either. So the good news is I found a legit manufacturer that was willing to make free range bison jerky to my requirements. The marinade includes agave, maple syrup, sea salt and various spices. Rob (the maker) doesn't know what agave is or ...fitness across broad time and modal domains... and doesn't care, but "Rob knows jerky"- it's consistent, flavorful, and tender. Check it out here www.primitivefoods.com and get your order in before i run out. U can buy one, $9 + shipping, or paks of 4 ($30+ shipping). Each pack is about 3.5 oz (~55 gm P - starts out as ~8 oz lean bison) and vacuum sealed in a sturdy resealable bag. Now instead of shopping for gifts U can't even eat, go work on ...fitness across broad time and modal domains!

Eat Well! Steve "Paleo"

Paleo Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-16T18:19:00.001-08:00

If you're serious about eating PZ over the holidays, here's a super simple, practically LAZY, recipe that really tastes pretty good. It literally takes 10 minutes of mixing, etc. and 1 hour to cook. But first, a little something on fats. When starting this pumpkin pie, I wanted to prove that I could make it part of a PZ meal - totally balanced. My first thought was I better go lean on the fats and carbs because the pumpkin pie would have a nut "crust"(quite generous calling it a crust btw - don't let your expectations get inflated ;-), egg yolks, and lots of pumpkin. So I bought turkey breast and some summer squash... and well here ya go...
Healthy right? Well actually, by itself, that's a screwed up meal!! 20 minutes from eating it, i'd be looking for that turkey's brother! There's barely any fat in it. We all have gotten so brainwashed into thinking we have to eliminate all fats. Reminds me of an old friend, Al Menna, then and current owner, of Gold's Gym in Santa Cruz, CA. Al, one of the strongest guys I know, used to tease me for picking all the fat off my plate, and I would tease HIM for eating ALL the fat on his plate. He probably knew something I didn't at the time - specifically, if you work out like a mad-man, which he did, and does, then fat is a great (i'll even go so far as to say "preferred") way to get those extra calories. It's so counter intuitive, I just have to keep saying it over and over. BUT, you better be working out like crazy and/or at your optimal body weight. If you're just crossfitting 4 days a week, and your second workout is walking the dog, well, back to 30:40:30. You be the judge. Here's the breakdown on that meal (steamed veggies)
Hard to believe that meal is so lean? Go to the store and buy some plain old turkey breast - it is SUPER lean, as is most white fish. It's very easy to short change yourself on fats. This is my only issue with Zone - the assumption that 1.5 gm fat is buried in each block of protein. It might be true for the "average" protein source, but if you're focused on lean protein sources, it might not be true. Now what if I add 1/6 of the pumpkin pie? hmmm.... almost looks like someone planned that out ;-)

OK enough of the preaching already. Even if you wash lights, darks, and wools all together, like I do, this pumpkin pie STILL won't be too much work for you.

Paleo Pumkin Pie
15 oz can solid pack pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 Cup Agave
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/3 Cup Ground Almonds
8 Pecan Halves

Mix up everything but the nuts in 1 bowl. Spread the ground almonds out into the pie pan. Gently pour mixture into pan and add pecan halves on top. Cook for 45-60 min at 350F (watch it - i put foil on top half way thru to make sure nothing burns). Check by inserting toothpick or butter knife - should come out clean. Now come on, you're not gonna impress Grandma with this recipe, but this is what i'll be eating :D

5 Block Meal:
4 oz turkey
8 oz zuke
1 tsp olive oil (to saute turkey and zuke)
1/6 of the pumpkin pie above

One more thing - if you're gonna let the carbs go a little on Thanksgiving but U still wanna keep it paleo, make this side dish.... Peel some sweet potatoes (we call the orange ones "yams" but apparently that's not really correct), chop them up and saute in olive oil. When well browned, add maple syrup (or agave) and cinnamon and keep the heat on for another 5 or 10 minutes. I eat this all the time and it's really good.

Enjoy the holidays, and if you are in need of a customized PZ eating plan, with balanced meals like the one above, or general guidance, email me: steveparsoneault@gmail.com I'll do what i can to help you out.

Eat Well! Steve "Paleo"

The Ever Elusive "Paleo Raspberry Crepe"

2009-10-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

Funny thing... as i'm sitting here just spoiling myself on these paleo raspberry crepes, watching the snow fall outside, it occurs to me that we've entered into a kind of symbiotic relationship ;-) You all tune in now and then for PZ recipes and I eat like a king (umm... i meant caveman) in my effort to post recipes that are worthy - thank you. This blog turned into more than i thought it ever would. Well anyway, my daughter really enjoys crepes and we've been trying for some time to re-invent them using paleo ingredients - we nearly gave up. They were always kinda crumbly thanks to almond flour that i kept adding. Then i saw a recipe at www.freecoconutrecipes.com. I had to nix the whipped cream (darnit) and I made some other minor tweaks but dang if these aren't some darn good crepes! I can't tell them from the "real" thing. I hadn't heard of coconut flour until a few months ago - it's weird. Don't think you're just gonna substitute it for regular flour and be on your merry way - I think you could patch concrete with this stuff. But, use just a little, and it works magic. Here's that recipe. Fancy breakfast lovers shalt suffer no more....

Paleo Crepes (enough for 3 crepes)

2 eggs 10F 14P
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil - melted - 28F
1 Tsp Agave 5C (kinda optional)
2 Tablespoons Coconut Flour - sifted - 12C 2F (can get at Whole Foods)
3 Tablespoons Coconut Milk - 7F 3C
2 Tablespoons Water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1 Cup raspberries 15C (filling)
1.5 Tablespoons Agave 22C (topping)

Beat the eggs and the rest of the ingredients together. I don't have a sifter so i just put the coconut flour in a little wire gizmo ...... little embarrassed that i even have one of those ;-)
Melt the coconut oil in a nice non-stick pan and, after it's just melted, add it to the ingredients and mix well.
Pour 1/3 Cup of the batter into the hot pan and tilt the pan around so you get about a 6" diameter crepe. Now the hard part - flipping it. Honestly, i stopped trying to use a spatula. I shake the pan around a bit and just wrist flip it. This is very convenient if you're on a 2X or 3X fat plan cuz you get to eat your mistakes ;-) Wrap up 1/3 C of raspberries, sprinkle some coconut flour on top (this is for "looks"), and drizzle with 1/2 Tablespoon agave. Prepare to be impressed! ;-)

This is not quite balanced of course. For me, shooting for a 5 block breakfast, I added 4 oz banana and 9 egg whites to ONE of the crepes above. Believe it or not, this meal is 30:40:30 balanced (I know, hard to believe U can say that and "crepes" in the same breath!)

... now a little off-topic jibberish....on the importance of weighing your food. Recently I noticed i was feeling hungry a lot during the day and was having a hard time waiting for my meals (I try to eat one lunch at 10:00 and one at 2:00. Then i took a close look at my lunch and, SOB!, I was short-changing myself! Traditionally, I've kinda focused on protein and seldom short change myself there. Fats and carbs though, well they're bad right? ;-) I was getting skimpy on both. I got out the scale and started weighing again - now I feel better and can put the scale back for a bit. So, even if you went through the 2 weeks or 4 weeks of measuring your food, break out that scale now and then to make sure your eyeball hasn't gotten a little tweaked. Cuz, if you're doing straight PZ, relative to most people, you're on a low fat, low carb eating plan. Any lower, is not optimum, IMHO.

Eat Well! Steve "Paleo"

Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes

2009-10-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

Who like's pumpkin??? :D I've been working with a number of crossfitters wanting to optimize their diet. A prerequisite for me, when i started this over a year ago, was that this "diet" has to be sustainable for life. My goal was to get off cholesterol medication - forever - so this wasn't a temporary thing. As a result, there were a few "must-haves" in my diet (although some of those must haves are starting to bite ;-). As i work with others, it's one of the first things I ask. So, you guessed it, pancakes are at the top of the list! One of my clients said she would try paleo pancakes (http://www.performancemenu.com/recipes) but *sigh* they couldn't possibly compare to pumpkin pancakes made by a local restaurant located near the birthplace of crossfit. I loved pancakes and i could probably DRINK pumpkin pie filling so the challenge was set!! This recipe, while high in fat, will not give you a carb hang-over. I would eat it on big exercise days when you need more fuel. For a 5 block meal, add about 6 egg whites/person and a little extra fruit. You will be seriously fueled for the "hunt". Enjoy this treat! It's perfect for a cool fall morning.

Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes - (2)5 block meals (approx 35 gm P, 45 gm C, 45 gm F /person)

2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg -change from original post - did it by mistake and liked it more :)
1 tablespoon Agave

2 tablespoons chopped pecans - topping
2 tablespoon real maple syrup - topping

Coconut oil - for the pan

12 extra egg whites to bring the protein up 35 gms/person (ya ya 6 egg whites sounds like more than it is. I do 10 sometimes just by myself! :-)
~ 4 oz of berries to bring the carbs up to ~45 gms/person

Mix everything up real good - sometimes that nut butter is clumpy - and make pancakes as usual (except you're gonna use the coconut oil in the pan) and add the pecans and maple syrup at the end. The recipe above makes 2 good size pancakes. Remember, for you 5 blockers, this is high in fat by ~ 30 gms, which is 270 calories - so, lift something real heavy a whole bunch of times, or go for a good ride, a long run, or a big hike and don't worry about it. If anyone would like help optimizing their diet, e-mail me - i enjoy doing it.
Eat Well! Steve "Paleo"

Cacao Nib Pork Chops

2009-09-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

You may think i've gone off the deep end after you read this but I swear I'm sane. I have a thing for chocolate these days - darker the better. Chocolate doesn't GET darker than cacao nibs - they are just crushed raw cacao beans (which are actually seeds). Just for fun i bought some cacao beans because, geez, just sounded like a great snack food.
So here they are next to a quarter. I wouldn't buy them - they are "barely" edible. I just popped them in my mouth - there's a thin shell which didn't help the taste. If you peel them, they're better. I suppose if you covered them in chocolate like those almonds or coffee beans, they'd be the bomb. But these, um, crunchy bitterness.

BUT, that's just proof that it is possible to have too much of a good thing. So, why cook with this stuff? Well, if you google cacao and read up, you'd think it was a magic drug that hits you with magnesium, suppresses appetite, releases all kinds of feel-good chemicals in the brain (the "Bliss Chemical), blah blah blah - don't know if any of that is true. What i do know is that it imparts a rich, nutty, roasty, flavor to meats. So here's the recipe (I swear i've had these like 10 times now! - feeling so guilty not sharing! ) U can get cacao nibs at whole foods or online. They're pricey but we're not using that much.

Cacao Nib Chops with Butternut - enough for (2) 5 block meals

9 oz (final weight) boneless pork chops - trim all fat. 63gm P, 7gm F
4 tsp raw cacao nibs 8gm F, 4gm C
18 oz butternut squash - cubed 60gm C
2 Table Spoon Agave 32gm C
3 tsp Olive Oil 15gm F
1 egg 7gm P 5gm F
Couple handfuls of spinach - negligible C
Cinnamon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pound the chops out like this if you can.

Whip up an egg in a bowl, coat the chops, then sprinkle 1 tsp of cacao nibs on both sides like so...
I know! Looks funny. Go with me ;-)
Prepare the butternut squash and get 2 tsp of olive oil going in a pan. Get the butternut going first. After 5 minutes, put 1 tsp of olive oil in another pan and, once it's hot, get the chops going. Add the agave to the butternut towards the end and sprinkle with cinnamon (soooo good ). Everything should finish about the same time. Throw some raw spinach on the plate to make your mama proud. Put butternut over the spinach, add the chops and you're ready to chow! Let me say i've made these chops with all kinds of spices - don't do it. The nibs will get lost. Just light salt and pepper work best. Then you will appreciate the roasty chocolate taste.
.......................
Sorry I'm not done :-) If you're just here for the PZ meals, skip the rest. I've been working with some people on "diets" and watching all the new paleo foods come out - which is awesome. There's been so much misinformation in the US about diet - it's hideous really (read "Good Calories, Bad Calories"). Now we've got some brave souls giving us options in the right direction - albeit for a little moolah but this IS America. HOWEVER, I'm not quite happy with some of the statements/direction that seem to imply U just can't go wrong on a paleo diet. Well it depends on your goals. Let's just say you're a crossfitter (might be a few of you out there ;-) You need power:weight - in other words, lean and strong. Will you get there eating strictly paleo with no portion control? Would not work for me. Is it true that you can't get fat eating fat? Not according to my bodyfat tests when i was eating too many nuts (full paleo btw). Granted, you will be better off eating paleo but sorry, paleo tells you what to eat, not how much to eat. Even cavemen were out to gain fat for the winter and the survivors did a good job of it. That skill was passed on to us. So, what do you do? Paleo-Zone of course. Zone tells you how much to eat. Sorry i'm not done ;-) cuz there's a loop-hole in the zone - it's called "double fat, triple fat, you're getting fat" In Barry Sears book, he says "..Truly elite athletes should consume two fat blocks for every protein block. Therefore, their ratio of protein, carbohydrate, and fat blocks would be 1:1:2" He previously states a fat block is 1.5 gm. So, a 1X fat zone meal would be 30.8%P, 39.6%C, and 29.7%F a 2x fat meal meal would be 26.8%P, 34.4%C, and 38.8%F. A 3X fat meal would have 46% fat - who needs 3X fat? Athletes at the top of their game i would guess. So, what are you eating? Check the math - fat is 9 cal/gm, carbs are 4 cal per gram, proteins are 4 cal/gm. There are some marketed "paleo" foods out there with upwards of 56% of their calories from fat. These foods must be for Olympians!! Now i'm not a dietician, nutritionist, or any kind of health specialist and I won't take credit for any Paleo or Zone theories. I'm an engineer that read most of the books out there and knows how to follow instructions and be exact. E-mail me if you need any help perfecting your diet - assuming your goal is a high power:weight ratio. Steve "Paleo"

How to make your own paleo meal-in-a-bag

2009-09-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

Here's how you can make your own Paleo Fast-Food ;-)

Ingredients for a 4 block "meal":
4 oz of Free Range Bison turned into jerky (oh ya that's a Quarter LB of bison!)

Dried Bananas ~ 15 gm - WF sells them with nothing added. Go online too.
Dried Cherries ~ 10 gm - no sugar or sulfites.
Dried Mulberries ~ 10 gm - no sugar or sulfites. They are mild, slightly sweet, high in fiber.
Raw Almonds and Pecans ~ 12 gm (Costco baby!)
Gooseberries ~ 5 gm no sugar or sulfites. They are tart, sweet, and VERY expensive. They are also known as golden berries or incan berries. $24/lb at Whole Foods - not kidding.
Cacao Nibs ~ 5 gm no sugar or preservatives. This may be a debatable paleo food but you can eat it raw (in fact this IS raw), and it is 100% natural. Oh ya, maybe i should explain what it IS - this is what's used to make chocolate. They're broken up cacao "beans" - but BTW, they are technically seeds. I've been adding it to cookies and meats (believe it or not) It's kind of a nutty chocolate taste and is more dense in antioxidants than any other food - blueberries, acai berries, pomegranate - U name it.

Here's what everything looks like spread out.

Where do ya get this stuff? Get together with your buddies, sisters, whatever, and order top-round bison from BuffaloGal.com There's lots of recipes for jerky. Replace the sugars with agave and maple syrup, replace the soy sauce with sea salt - about 1-2 tsp per lb of meat, and ramp the spices up a bit to account for the fact that the soy is gone. You can make it in the oven, lots of internet tips on that, or buy a cheapo dehydrator for ~$60.00. You'll have to pool your resources on the other ingredients too but a good one-stop shop is nutsonline.com. Bounce around the net for a bit and you'll find everything you need. The vacuum sealer is the bummer. The good commercial ones are expensive. But, you can go to Costco and buy the home ones. They work pretty good but you have to fight your way into the bag - no challenge for a caveman though right? Good Luck! Steve

Paleo Shepherd's Pie

2009-08-15T22:46:00.000-07:00

Now that fall is around the corner, it's time for a Shepherd's pie. I decided parsnips would be front and center despite the sometimes bad rap they get. Why? They have a glycemic index of 97 which is 3 pts shy of sugar! Might as well go stand in front of a speeding train loaded with insulin right? A Paleo diet is supposed to be low glycemic but these aren't so what's up? Well, glycemic index is determined by feeding individuals enough of a given food so that 50 g of carbs are ingested - that's a hell of a lot of parsnips! It's also the only food they ingest - no fats or proteins to slow things down. A reasonable sized serving of parsnips is about 80-90 gm, which is in the recipe below and is only 15 gm carbs. That's WAY below what I need to balance a 5 block meal. I had to chow some fruit on the side. The glycemic load (which takes into account normal serving size) is about 12 for that amount of parsnips (eating ONLY parsnips) or 1/2 what you'll typically see in pasta or potatoes. Ahaaa! This is partially due to substantial fiber in parsnips - about 5 gm in a 80 gm serving. This is 3X mashed potatoes. Now we're starting to get the complete picture. Parsnips have a VERY slight carrot taste and make a great potato substitute. My "kids" liked this shepherd's pie - it's mild and yummy. Give it a try - it's a winner and makes good left overs too. BTW - I used turkey for this one but any lean meat will do - ground round, bison, etc.

Paleo Shepherds' Pie - enough for (4) 5 block meals!
[Protein gms, Fat gms, and Carb grams listed at end of each line)
20 oz Ground Turkey 110 P 35 F
12 oz Parsnnips - pealed and grated - 63 C
8 oz Zucchini - sliced - 8 C
3 oz mushrooms (i used shitake) - sliced - 3 C
1/2 C Red Onion - 5 C
1/2 C Cilantro - negligible C
2 Green Onions - chopped - 4 C
1/2 Cup Celery - sliced - negligible C
1 Slice Bacon - 15F 3P
8 egg whites - 24 P
1 Tbl Spoon Olive Oil - 14 F
1 Teaspoon Onion Salt
1 Teaspoon Celery Salt
1 Tablespoon Seasoning (I used Italian Seasoning. Costco Rustic Tuscan Seasoning would also work well)

About 1 lb of fruit - like apples, pears, etc. to have as desert or on the side to balance out the carbs. Remember this is four 5 block meals. If you're a 2 block person (looking for 14 gm protein), you get 1/10th of the "pie" and about 1.5 oz of fruit (2/20*16 oz). Although, this brings up a different subject... In the book Lights Out: Sugar, Sleep, and Survival by T.S. Wiley, it is suggested that when the days shorten, we should cut our carbs back further because "back in the day", that's what happened, and this helped to deplete stores of fat, cholesterol, etc. Interesting concept - i might try it. What's my point? Maybe being a little shy on carbs as we head towards winter is not such a bad thing.

Preheat oven to 450F.
Peal and grate the parsnips with a cheese grater. Add onion salt and olive oil and set aside.
Slowly cook the bacon slice - remove bacon strip and DO NOT throw out the bacon fat - leave it in the pan.
Pan fry the onions, turkey, Italian Seasoning, and onion salt - do not over cook. We're gonna cook it some more. Pepper to taste.
Prep the zucchini, mushrooms, and celery and saute in the bacon fat - do not over cook.
Combine meat and veggies in one pan and mix thoroughly. Let cool down a couple minutes.

Take 4 egg whites and cilantro and mix them into the meat/veggies.
Take other 4 egg whites and mix with parsnips.
Get an 8X8 metal or pyrex pan and spray bottom with olive oil. Add meat and veggies then cover with parsnip mixture.
Don't smooth tops of parsnips too much - browns better if you don't.

Cook in oven at 450F for about 25 minutes or until top start to brown. I like to put my oven on broil for the last minute so the top is nice and crisp. Sprinkle twith chopped bacon. This dish tastes like "comfort food" - you're gonna like it ;-)

Enjoy! Steve "Paleo"

Salmon w/Pineapple & Pantacones

2009-07-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

It was really hot in Boulder today so I wanted to cook all or most of my dinner on the bbq but grilled vegetables are kind of boring. Somehow, pantacones (NOT pantalones - those are pants ;-) came to mind. I had pantacones for the first time in Costa Rica. They are made from plantains. Green plantains are firm and starchy. Yellow ones are somewhat sweet and starchy. I bought yellow ones and i tried eating some raw. Not bad, but a little chalky (or maybe starchy). I'm certain the green ones are not good raw, BUT, I want to note that unlike potatoes, they are not toxic - valid paleo food. I should also say the carb content is pretty high (even higher than bananas if i believe the literature), but i don't concern myself with that. Why? I weighed them out man! I've never had a balanced meal, using whole foods, that gave me a blood sugar spike. Remember, it's the blood sugar spike that triggers the insulin response, fat storage, cholesterol production, blah blah blah. So, no spike, no worry. Traditionally, plantains are sliced, deep fried, mashed, then fried again. I knew this would be too much fat for a balanced meal so i figured a way to make them by putting them first on the bbq and then frying them in coconut oil. YUM! Coconut oil in a hot pan is darn near as good as bacon fat when it comes to filling the kitchen with heavenly smells. If you're the cook, put on your favorite tune and just stand in front of the pan when it starts to sizzle and breathe deep - it's awesome!

Salmon w/Pineapple & Pantacones ... for 1 - 5 block meal

6 oz (raw weight) Wild Salmon (36P 15F)
4 oz sliced plantains (1 large plaintain will be plenty) (35C)
1 slice pineapple (3/4 " x 3-3.5 " dia) (11 C)
1 Table Spoon Coconut Oil (7F) *guessing the other 7 stays in the pan* It's 14F/TblS
Dash Red Cayenne Pepper
Sea Salt
"Old Bay" Spice
Pepper to taste
Cilantro or other greens as garnish.

A paleo friend of mine turned my on to "Old Bay" it's celery salt and various kinda hot spices. It's sold everywhere.

Coconut Oil (from Whole Foods):
The coconut oil does bump the fat content of this meal up above my target - solely because salmon really does have a lot of fat. So the meal is high in fat by about 6 gms. If you want it better balanced, use halibut instead. I lean towards salmon because of the Omega 3's. Plus, i'm not in "lean-up" mode right now so i have to add fats.

Preparation:
Start with the plantains. Slice them like this and wrap 1 layer of them in foil **rub coconut oil on the foil so that NO bare foil contacts the plantains** - or they will stick. I double wrapped mine and put them on the bbq - low heat - 10 minutes/side.

Leave the bbq on and remove the plantains. Take them out of the foil wrap and place them on parchment paper. Fold the parchment paper over so it's underneath and above the slices. Using any flat object, mash them down flat.

Put 1 table spoon of coconut oil in the pan and turn the heat on. Get the salmon and pineapple going on the bbq - pepper the salmon (black and cayenne) and use some of that "Old Bay", then put the plantains in the pan. They cook about as fast as the salmon so it should all be ready about the same time.

They are really good with a little salt and cayenne pepper. Now sit down and feel sorry for your non-paleo friends that are eating salmon and rice for the umpteenth zillionth time. :-)
Steve "Paleo"

Bison Breakfast

2009-07-17T19:56:00.001-07:00

OK, I will get into this meal, but first, if you were at the Crossfit Games in Aromas last week, was that a phenomenal gathering of the world's scrappiest athletes or what? It was tremendously inspiring and motivating for me. No matter how hard i train, or how well i eat, i can always do better or do more and living in that environment for three days is just what i needed to push me to the next level. And for those that stopped me... "Hey, there's Paleo-Steve" ... thanks for chatting. Cool to have paleo friends :-). There's a CO games ("Colorado Open") Sept 12th - 13th at Front Range Crossfit in Denver - if you're nearby, participate or spectate, and prepare to be INSPIRED. I will be there for sure.

... I don't post too many breakfasts because they tend not to be so creative but this particular breakfast goes a long way towards explaining why there's absolutely no sacrifice to eating a paleo diet - I can't see who wouldn't be jealous of a meal like this. I also want to highlight bison - now that you can buy Bison NY Strip Steak at Costco, i'm calling it mainstream and one of the top choices for a caveman being that it's hormone free, antibiotic free, and free ranging. It is expensive at ~ $1/oz but what the hell, Lipitor is ~ $60/month and doesn't taste nearly as good! If you trim the fat, it's surprisingly lean at less than 2 gm fat/3.5 oz - and more than half of that is UN-saturated. This is way less than typical beef (although i'd like to see a side by side cube steak comparison), less than pork, and close or less than chicken - that according to highplainsbison.com. Is it true? Well, the cut i had was pretty darn lean, pretty tender , and had no obvious gristle. I did trim the fat around the edges. Of course, stone age man would have paid extra for that fat but then we are living in an "endless summer" and last i checked, Costco is open all winter so my survival is probably not at risk. Besides, i like my egg yolks! - and as you know, i'm all about a balanced meal. A friend of mine turned me on to parsley too - I especially like italian parsley and i've started to eat it in vast quantities. Try it.

5 Block Bison Breakfast
3.5 oz (post fat trim!) Bison Steak 22 gm P, 2 gm F
2 Eggs - 14 gm P 10gm F
1 lb Melon and Mixed Berries ~ 46 gm C
Italian Parsley

Check back soon - I'm working on a kinda Paleo Shepherd's Pie....

oh whoops, breaking news. I ordered real RAW cashews from TheRawFoodWorld.com - the flavor is no different from Costco "raw" (actually steamed) cashews but the texture is different. They're slightly less crunchy and for some reason, they're 10-20% bigger than any cashews i've seen. Maybe they shrink when they're steamed out of the shells? They're about 50% more expensive than ordinary cashews - not really worth it IMHO.

Cashew Curry Halibut

2009-06-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

1st - let's talk cashews - Not paleo right? Because even when they're labeled raw, they've actually been "cooked" or steamed out of the shell. This is a way of avoiding contaminating the nut with urishol (that NASTY stuff that happens to also bless poison oak). Well i call Bull. 1st, i know of people who SUCK on poison oak leaves to gain immunity (don't try this at home). Second, you can buy them right here: www.therawfoodworld.com and they are ACTUALLY raw. So if someone tells you ALL cashews are cooked or would otherwise be toxic, and therefore NOT paleo, tell them they're full of twinkies because it's just NOT true. No one can prove stone age man ever ate cashews but lots of people don't even get poison oak, so it's imaginable to me that they could have been eaten by stone age people. And NO, I didn't use the REAL raw ones, mine were steamed out of the shell, but hell, I also cooked the halibut - so there! :-)
2nd- this meal will emphasize the zone portion of paleo-zone. Got the Crossfit Games coming up and I want to be just a little leaner. I know from experience that if i exactly zone the meal, the lean will come, and fast. Sadly, this is the 3rd time i've made this meal and the first time I got the scale and calculator out. Ouch! I've been a little lenient on the fat lately - not this time.
3rd - Halibut. I've eaten A LOT of halibut in my day - used to hunt them with a speargun. Only recently did i start buying them again. Do your best to get it from a reputable place. My last purchase was terrible - just as i was trying to impress - so now i'm gonna be really picky. Tonight's was yummy. Halibut is pretty lean - so it allows a coconut sauce splurge. It's also relatively low on the "contaminated fish" list http://www.arhp.org/publications-and-resources/quick-reference-guide-for-clinicians/fish-and-health/evidence. I weighed it out this time and realized given the chance, i probably eat TWICE as much as I should to get 35 gm protein. Again, get the dang scale out, and risk getting heckled by your family. Otherwise, you will not be eating zone proportions. Remember, your body is a drug factory responding to the foods you put in it. Every 4-5 hours there's a drug run. Don't be a victim.

This is a 5 block paleo-zone meal. Scale appropriately.

Cashew Curry Halibut
6 oz Halibut 35 gm P, 4 gm F
1/2 oz "Raw" Chopped Cashews 6 gm F , 4 gm C
1/4 Cup Coconut Milk (organic available at Whole Foods) 8g F, 2 gm C
1-1.5 teaspoon curry paste (red or green)

********************************************
6 oz Organic Cauliflower (prepared like Cauliflower "Rice" - see previous post) 9 gm C
(except - just fry with olive oil spray)
6 oz Organic Broccolini 11 gm C
4 oz Sliced Mango 19 gm C
Chopped Cilantro for garnish

Combine cashews, coconut milk, and curry paste in a small pan - turn heat on low.
Have your favorite person peel and slice the mango - arrange on plates.
Get the "paleo rice" going - I just added curry powder and a little cayenne pepper. Remember - microwave first.
Cook the halibut on the grill or in the oven - no added oil. But i spray the grill with olive oil.
Steam the Broccolini - It's pretty fast so get the water going and when the halibut is 1/2 done, throw the broccolini in.

If you're "lucky", everything will be done about the same time. I added a tablespoon of water to the sauce to thin it out a bit before putting over the halibut and broccolini.

Enjoy the meal - i think it has a nice "Thai" taste to it. Steve "Paleo"

Paleo Cookies - U asked for it!!

2009-06-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

1st I gotta warn ya - it's hard not to be a glutton with these darn things. I came across this recipe last summer and enough people have asked about them (even my Mother!) that i figured I would go ahead and post it and just give credit where credit is due. I think i came across these at this site first http://crossfit-dover.com I would warn you against adding the protein powder (U can buy EGG protein powder BTW - not exactly delectable) that is mentioned as an option in the recipe at that site. I tried it - ack-pooeey! I'd put a chicken breast between two of these cookies before I do that again! I found apple juice sweetened cranberries at Whole Foods for this batch. I tried fresh blueberries too (instead of the cranberries) but the cookies go a little flatter so space them apart real good and don't burn them. In general i'd say dried fruit works best. Apricots would be yummy!

A note about honey and glycemic index... Honey runs between 61-64 compared to table sugar at 65-69. Agave, which probably would be an awesome substitute in this recipe, is just 15-19 - but it's expensive. Of course, this is all about keeping your blood sugar within orbit. I have to tell you though, I swear i ate a good 6 of these cookies tonight and i feel fine. I'm actually really sensitive these days, so it makes me wonder. Perhaps it's because so much protein and fat is also being ingested. I'm a true believer in experiment over propaganda and i just didn't get slammed by all that honey. So try the agave if you want, but i'm not going to lose any sleep over it. http://lifewiththegylcemicindexdiet.wordpress.com/agave-nectar/

.. and now i'm gonna rant about berries for a sec. If you're not chowing berries every day, U should be clubbed. Why? They probably most closely resemble true paleolithic food. Here's some science for ya. Fiber slows digestion down which naturally lowers the glycemic load of foods (remember, we want a steady burn - generally). More than one book i've read, pushes low carbs but they even allow you to substract fiber grams from the carb grams when figuring your allocation. So let's take a look at 2 cups blackberries - 15 gms of fiber! (28 g carbs) Let's see, that's 5 pieces of whole wheat toast! Blackberries even beat out broccoli BTW when it comes to amount of fiber per gram of carbs (broccoli is 4 g fiber per 10 g carb). Currently, I am eating 1-2 cups of berries every day as part of my 5 block breakfast. Most fruit seems to be about 1 g fiber per 10 gm carb. Blackberries and Raspberries stand way above other fruits (other berries even) when it comes to fiber so if you see a good price on them (like I did today at Costco), take them home and chow.

Here's that cookie recipe - but first - this is your chance to buy a food processor and have it pay dividends. Almond flour is super expensive for some reason (especially in Boulder). Raw almonds, ounce for ounce, are easily 1/3 the price around here - that's if you buy them in bulk at Costco in 3 lb bags.

**Paleo Cookies**
4 cups ground almonds (in the food processor if you can)
2 cups ground walnuts (Food Processor or DIY at Health Food Store - i did use a Braun coffee grinder once - messy)
2 cups heated raw organic honey (mixes easier that way)
1 cup chopped dry fruit (cranberries/raisins)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix the dry stuff first, then add the honey. I like to refrigerate it at this point for about an hour so that it's easier to roll balls but it's not critical. Space them out quite a bit on a greased cookie sheet - these cookies do kinda go flat. Parchment paper really helps - use it if you got it because these suckers are stickyeeee! Bake at 15-20 minutes at 350. Really start checking after 15 minutes - cook them too much and you've got dog treats (trust me on this one). On the other hand, cook them just right and they do some frikin vanishing act - even with just me in the house!

Cheers! Steve "Paleo"

"NOT your Moma's Pork Chops!"

2009-05-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

Pork w/pomegranate-apricot sauce & roasted rutabagas ... and you thought paleo food was boring! Pork CAN get boring - you know this if you've bought the "family pack" at Costco. I've eaten this meal 3 times in the last week, dialing it in, and I'm still not tired of it. I'm a little obsessed about combining fruits/nuts/meat and it comes out in this recipe. The key is - not too sweet. Rutabagas - when's the last time you had one? Never? I like buying them at the store - the checker never knows the code. No one eats them. Why? They're too busy gobbling up all that extra corn, and it's byproducts, which fill up most of the supermarket because we had to do SOMETHING with all that corn (Read Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan) . Ounce for ounce, rutabagas have the same amount of potassium as bananas at 1/3 the carbs. "Hey, you should eat a rutabaga before that ride so you don't cramp." The amount of calcium in 10 oz (which is nothing really - 102 calories) is equal to that in 1/2 C milk. Surprised? Where do you think cows get all that calcium that ends up in their milk? From eating plants of course. Not rutabagas, that i know of, but you get the idea. Enough ranting... here's the recipe. It's a little high on fat so if you want to exactly zone it, be skimpy on the walnuts and bacon fat. Also, U might do this on a weekend - the rutabagas roast in the oven for 55 minutes...

Pork w/pomegranate-apricot sauce & Roasted Rutabagas

Your ingredient list for (2) 5 block meals:
~12 oz pork chops - boneless, trimmed of any fat (10 oz) - 70g P, 8g F
2 Tablespoon pomegranate juice - 5g C
4 dried apricots halves (unsulphured, unsweetened, chopped) -8 g C
1/4 cup walnuts - chopped - 20g F
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil - 5g F

2 med rutabagas - peeled ~10 oz each - 44g C
2 med pink lady apples (or substitution) - 36g C
2 slices uncured bacon - 30g F, 6g P
fresh organic spinach - 4g C
spices: celery salt, onion flakes

1st preheat the oven to 450. Next get the bacon slowly cooking in a pan. Now we're going to get the rutabagas in the oven because they take the longest. Slice the ends off so they will "stand up" then score the top as you see in the picture - like you're making one of those potato stamps. Wrap some foil around them leaving the top exposed - put 1 teaspoon of bacon fat on top of each one then add some spices. I like celery salt and onion flakes. Close the top of the foil and put them in the oven. Set timer for 55 minutes. You can easily relax for 15 minutes now before you start the pork/pom sauce/apples.
Put small amount of olive oil in saute pan and toast the walnuts - don't burn them! I do this every time - smells like burnt popcorn... when they're just browned, add the pomegranate juice, water, pepper, and chopped apricots and let simmer.
Next we'll prepare the pork and apples. The apples are fried in any remaining bacon fat - this was in my first post - sounds crazy but apples pan fried in bacon fat are the best!(Remember, within reasonable limits, you're not going to get fat by eating fat. Why? no blood sugar spike, no insulin response, no fat storage trigger - it's hard to accept this after so much brain-washing but get over it. It's been proven) Cook the chops any way you want. When they're about half way done, start the apples. Hopefully the rutabagas are ready about the same time as the pork and apples. Put the apples on top of the spinach. Put the pom sauce on top of the pork. Unwrap the rutabagas - salt and pepper to taste - then add bacon pieces to the rutabaga and spinach/apple salad. Enjoy! Your comments are encouraged :-) Steve "Paleo"

Paleo Tandoori Chicken w/Curry "Rice"

2009-05-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

Wow it's been a long time since i posted! My life was turned upside down and i fell on my feet in Boulder, Co - I love it here! Now for a new recipe....1st, U gotta plan ahead on this one and marinate the chicken overnight. Also, you may be going to the store to pick up seemingly obscure spices - "suck it up Buttercup!" -I saw that on a Crossfit Oakland t-shirt and since they're some badasses over there, i'm gonna start talking like them ;-) Seriously, spices last a long time and chicken gets OLD. It's a good size batch - perfect for some follow-up meals. You WILL enjoy some new flavors...
This recipe was inspired by 6 months in Bangkok, Thailand eating at Indian restaurants every other night. Tandoori chicken is traditionally made with yoghurt and cooked in a clay oven at really high temps - screw that, we're using coconut milk and grandma's oven! [caveman was practical] Simple as that - the rest is well known. The curry "rice" is actually curry cauliflower - but you can be easily fooled. Not my idea - can't take credit for it. If you read up on paleo recipes, you can't NOT discover this clever trick. Lastly, cucumber - don't substitute something else for this or leave it out. This dish is a little hot and the cucumber, taken between bites, just works - cools off your mouth a bit.

*Paleo Tandoori Chicken*
3 lbs of boneless/skinless organic chicken breast (can you say left overs?)
1/2 C Coconut Milk
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped or crushed ginger
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
Olive oil for brushing
Fresh cilantro and red onions for garnish
Cucumber

Poke the chicken with a fork and score the top with a knife
Mix up all the ingredients and combine with chicken in a zip lock bag or shallow dish. Marinate overnight. Preheat oven to 450. Put chicken on a rack within a pan and brush olive oil on top. Cook for about 30 mintues. While it's cooking we'll make the curry "rice"

Curry Rice - this recipe is per person, 5 block meal
1 med head cauliflower - 20 oz (ya, no kiddin, paleo meals are BIG)
1/2 teaspoon ground curry
1 green onion - finely chopped
dash of cayenne pepper, sea salt, ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Finely chop cauliflower, discarding stem pieces. Microwave for about 3 minutes in a covered convenient bowl (i use platic "tuperware"). Mash the cooked cauliflower like there's no tomorrow. I often use a beer bottle or beer glass (I AM taking credit for that) but there's better utensils obviously. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a hot pan and stir-fry the stuff.(Look at that pan - i ate the whole thing MYSELF!)

Slice the cucumbers thinly and chop some red onions and cilantro. Put it all on a plate and chow.
- for a 5 block meal, you're looking for about 5 oz of chicken added to that entire recipe for curry "rice". Oh BTW, confession time. In my other recipes, i keep referring to 7 block meals - wrongo. They're 5 block which means about 35 gm protein and 45 gm carb. The protein/carb content i mentioned is correct. Just had the blocks wrong (i've since gone back and fixed the mistake). To digress a bit, i've been on 1 gm protein per lb of lean body mass for 9 months now - which is about 23 blocks/day. People are a little surprised by that but I lose body fat AND muscle mass at 23 blocks/day if i don't add a fair amount of fat (i know this because i've been getting body comp tests for awhile - full blown dunk tank). In other words, a strict 23 blocks/day won't sustain me. Back to this meal - protein and carb gms are about equal so dice up a little mango (1/2 C) or some other fruit to snack on after dinner. The fat is about right, as is, but some chopped almonds thrown in the cauliflower are kinda tasty.
Enjoy and let me know how you like it. ---> Steve "Paleo"

Chelsea's Paleo Banana-Nut Muffins

2009-03-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

My daughter Chelsea just pulled this idea out of a hat one day and I was amazed how well it worked - you'd swear there was flour in these by the look of them. Talk about making a father proud! Probably the "last good idea" she'll ever come up with ;-) They're amazingly moist and taste like banana bread your mother would have made. They're quite simple - try 'em!

1/2 C Organic Unsweetened Coconut - 25g F, 10 g C
“Finely shredded for baking”
1 tablespoon Ground Almonds - 4 g F, 1 g C
1 Egg – 5g F, 7g P
¼ C chopped walnuts – 20g F
1 teaspoon Walnut Oil – 5g F
(Olive oil works too)
1 teaspoon Almond Butter – 2g F, 1 g C
3 tablespoon Blue Agave Sweetener –48g C
2 Med Bananas – 54g C

Mix thoroughly and put into 6 muffin tins. Bake at 375 for ~25 minutes. Each muffin is 19g C, 10g F, and some negligible protein. If you're looking for a balanced 5 block breakfast, combine this with 1 egg, 4 oz (cooked weight) of very lean meat (like turkey breast), and 1.5 - 2 cups of berries.
Guest Chef on the right....

Steve's Island

2009-03-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I became obsessed with creating a paleo desert and I just started experimenting. I wanted some sort of crust or cookie thing with an original taste. Several experiments later, I came up with Steve's Island - named by my daughter. Chelsea's first comment after trying this desert went something like this - "Dad, this is probably the last really good idea you're going to have." With that, here's the recipe. [Note - this desert uses mangos and banannas - not really considered low glycemic, which is kind of my goal. However, as you'll see below, as part of a lean and low carb main dish, it is still "balanced". After eating paleo for awhile, if you blow it on carbs, you'll feel it. I've had this three times and my energy level after the meal felt rock solid each time - so for me, it passes the test. After you try it, check your own energy level and post to comments - I'd like to know if you agree.]

Coconut “Cookie”
2/3 C Unsweetened Coconut - 35g F, 14 g C
“Finely shredded for baking”
1/3 C Ground Almonds - 20 g F, 7 g C
1 Tbl Spoon Walnut Oil – 14g F
(Olive oil works too)
1 Tbl Spoon Almond Butter – 8g F, 3 g C
2 Tbl Spoon Blue Agave Sweetener – 32g C
Simply mix the ingredients in a bowl, form a ball, and roll out between wax paper or just drop balls onto a cookie sheet and flatten. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. [I baked them on parchment paper]

Topping
2 Cup diced mango – 56g C
1 Cup sliced banana – 34g C
2 Tbl Spoon Blue Agave sweetener – 32 g C
Cinnamon
Saute for a few minutes with just a little olive oil in the pan (U won't taste it). Add agave and cinnamon and saute about another 5 minutes flipping or stirring often. Place hot topping on coconut cookie and serve immediately (the topping alone will convert ANYONE to Paleo eating - I swear!). Makes 4 servings. For a balanced 5 block Paleo-Zone meal, precede this with 5 oz of lean meat and steamed vegetables (my last meal was 5 oz chicken and 7 oz steamed zucchini - total meal fat was high by just a few grams) The main dish needs to be low on carbs and fat for the proportions to work out. So far, we've been unable to NOT eat the extra servings... just saying ;-)

Paleo Pork Chops

2009-03-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

1st I've got to say that I appreciate all the feedback I'm getting on this site and at Crossfit NSC. BTW - don't hesitate to be critical too!
I'm a real fan of pork - it's cheap and pretty lean. Adding nuts gives it a little crunch and balances the fat out (assuming you trim off visible fat). I originally tried this dish with walnuts but they don't really add enough flavor. Pecans have a richness to them that works better. For the carbs I settled on my standard fare - butternut and apples - which I do not usually cook together but it sounded good. Now the cinnamon...I often put cinnamon with butternut and of course it's good on apples so I naturally added it to both. My daughter Chelsea says if you're gonna combine apples and cinnamon, then it better be in a pie - I stopped short of that. She actually thought I cooked the apples with pumpkin (not a bad idea AT ALL) and that I was just trying to heckle her by stopping short of TWO of her favorite pies. Honestly, the apples and butternut DID taste like a desert. Here's the recipe - enough for two 5 block meals. Very paleo and zone balanced (if you use your scale!). As usual, just throw in some extra nuts if you need more fat and scale the portions if you're not a 5 block "porker" like me. Oh BTW, you'll notice I'm including grams of Protein, Carbs, and Fat - That's total. So for example, the meal below is 10 blocks total, or two 5 block "meals". It is very slightly high on the fat - 4 gm/person. If you subtract the 4 gms, you're within 3% of 30/30/40 zone proportions - but geez, MAYBE some of that olive oil stays in the pan?? Oh and I better remind you, I DON'T count any protein in nuts or veggies because they are not sufficiently balanced in essential amino acids - just in case you're out to check my math/blocks/blah-blah-blah ;-).... if that all sounded like gibberish, just read on and EAT.

PALEO PORK CHOPS
12 oz Pork Cutlet – 70g P, 6 g F (Costco - enough for an army)
1/3 Cup Pecan Pieces – 4 g C, 21 gm F (Trader Joe's)
1 egg – 7 gm P, 5 gm F
1 clove (2 tsp) garlic
Sea Salt/Pepper/ whatever
2 Tsp Spool Olive Oil – 10 gm F
¼ Cup finely chopped chives or green onions.
14 oz Cubed Butternut Squash – 46 gm C (sometimes cubed at TJ's)
11 oz apples – 43 gm C (I used Gala from Costco - sOOOO good)
Cinnamon
2 Cups Spinach (greens) – 2 gm C

Preheat the oven to 400F and prepare the butternut (dice it) and apples (coarsely dice 'cause they cook FAST). Now the chops - I took boneless chops and pounded them with a "hammer" - it probably has a better name. I dive for abalone now and then and you gotta have one of these baby's, but if you don't, not a huge deal.(but you can buy one at any local dive shop and it REALLY works well - recommended).
Next combine chives (or green onions), pecan pieces, and garlic and chop it up real fine. See the pic.

Whip the egg in a bowl, dip the pork in, then coat with the pecan mixture.

Get some non-stick spray onto your cookie sheet, spread the butternut out, spray a little on top, and start roasting - about 10 minutes. Add the olive oil to a large pan and start heating it up. Take the pan of butternut out of the oven after 10 minutes, add the apples and cinnamon, turn with a spatula, then put back in the oven. Start pan frying the pork now (assuming the chops are beaten flat - otherwise it's gonna be longer). You should be done in 'bout 5 minutes with everything. Throw some greens on the plate, the pork, the apples and butternut, and hope that you don't instigate and apple pie craving (it happened at my house)... enjoy! Steve

"U Can't Believe It!" Hash Browns & Eggs

2009-03-04T07:32:00.000-08:00

So like me you're all "sucked-up Paleo-addicted-never-gonna-eat-potatoes-again" right? Well, I hope you're sitting down. See the pic? Looks GOOD huh?
When I first started eating paleo, I started loitering in the produce section of the local grocery store and wandering aimlessly thru the farmer's market. I discovered "celery root", or celeriac, and I explicitly remember asking the vendor "What do you DO with this?". His answer was to cut it into slivers and add to salad. OK, not bad. Get's some strange looks from the kids though and it's almost a deal breaker if you don't go thin enough. Later, it occurred to me that maybe I could shred this stuff and make "Hash Browns". Here's the very simple "recipe" - I think they're WAY better than hash browns - they actually have some taste to them. My daughter Chelsea has had them twice now and still thinks they're good - and she doesn't pull any punches when it comes to such things..This is completely paleo-zone 5 blocks but the fat is high by about 8 gm (not even close to 2X fat for you zoners). Lean turkey breast would fix that but i didn't have any.

1 Tbs olive oil – 14 gm F
1 Egg + 1 White – 5 gm Fat, 10 gm P
1 Heaping Cup Grated Celery Root -17 gm C
5 oz Ground Turkey – 27 gm P, 8 gm F
7 oz mix fruit – melon/berries/etc – fruit avg is about 4 gm C/oz ~28 gm C
(use calorie king to figure exactly depending on what fruit you have on hand)
Pepper and Sea Salt to taste
1st the root - it's not much to look at. I coarsely shave the skin off with a butcher knife - like so.

It's pretty obvious how to cook everything. I always prepare the fruit first to get it out of the way. Ground turkey was next then put to the side. The celery root was grated the night before. Get the olive oil nice and hot in a pan and add the root. After that's been goin' several minutes, I start the eggs. After I tried this, I googled it - couldn't imagine I was the first to think of this and sure enough, I wasn't. However, generally, it's suggested to mix it up with real potatoes because it kinda has a strong taste. I really didn't think so, plus I'm too "sucked up" to venture down the potato path. I'm sure this is gonna be a potato replacement for me in many dishes to come. You tell me if it's good just by itself. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Cheers! Steve

Me & my daughter/paleo partner/recipe tester

Rhubarb Pepper Salmon

2009-02-28T12:09:00.000-08:00

This recipe was elusive but I felt very motivated to figure it out because it's so unique and yummy. One day I was preparing salmon, and I had bought some rhubarb to make kind of a fakey crustless rhubarb "surprise". I looked at the salmon, the rhubarb, and a bottle of "cabfandel" and had a vision. I try to eat salmon a couple times/week but how often can you eat pan fried salmon with a squeeze of lemon? Boring! So anyway, 1st time was great, but not totally balanced. It took me a couple times to get the proportions right mostly because I got overzealous with the wine and rhubarb - too much of a good thing. That's why I like doing this blog because I get a recipe that's repeatable and I spend extra time to balance it because I want to be honest with ME and YOU. It's a HUGE 5 block meal(2 actually) - each person eating a pound of veggies alone! Strictly paleo (if you assume the alcohol boils off from the wine) with zone proportions. Here it is.. .

Rhubarb Pepper Salmon

•12 oz salmon (preferably wild) - cubed
•16 oz broccoli – cut up
•16 oz zucchini - sliced
•2 Cups sliced mushrooms
•1 Cup diced leeks or scallions
•2 Tbl olive oil
•1 Cup Cabernet or red zin
•½ Cup diced rhubarb (fresh in Feb!)
•½ tsp ground pepper
•2 Cups strawberries - desert- but I munch them with the meal.. ;-)

•Prepare all the ingredients. The zucchini goes in a steamer by itself. Get that going.
•Next, get the Cabernet, rhubarb, and pepper simmering in a pan. We’ll let this reduce to about ½ original volume. Enjoy the smell!! Don’t let the rhubarb get mushy.

•At the same time, saute the leeks and mushrooms for a bout 5 minutes then add salmon, mix a little, then add broccoli on top and cover. Cook on high another ~ 10 minutes or until broc and salmon is done. Mix occasionally.
•Put rhubarb reduction over salmon/broc. Add zucchini on the side, throw on some fresh ground pepper - chow! Munch the berries with dinner or keep them for desert (or snag some of that left-over wine depending on how strict you are feeling!)
... if you're a 2X or 3X fat type, like me, just throw in a handful of nuts or snack on them while you're cooking (that's what I do).
Oh - one more thing.... broccoli has a lot of protein (how? - I'll never know), almost 7 gm per 8 oz. I DON'T care and I DON'T count it! Broccoli does NOT have all the essential amino acids (essential means you cannot produce them) so you're counting on some other food with the other amino acids to make up the difference. (Kind of like having lots of lumber but being short on nails and hoping you find some along the way somewhere) That's too complicated and too chancy for me. I'll err on the too much protein side - thank you very much.

Steve "Paleo"

Sole w/Apples 'n Bacon

2009-02-25T15:08:00.000-08:00

OK - I have to give credit to Neanderthin for pointing out that you can actually fry apples in bacon fat and not feel guilty about it. First time I did it I was embarrassed - I mean WHO eats like this? I don't do it often, but it's a real treat once in awhile and I love the fact that you can eat this way and still be in control of your cholesterol - who would have known?

This recipe "works" because sole is quite low fat and pig is not. Since the goal is a balanced meal - 30% Protein, 30 % Fat, 40% Carb - the bacon serves to offset the low fat sole. Any other white fish would probably do - Rockfish, Pacific Snapper, even Halibut. The apple balances out the carbs so you don't have to eat a pound of broccoli - daunting.

INGREDIENTS:
•6 oz Wild Caught Dover Sole (I found it at Nob Hill)
•4 oz Sliced Leeks
•4 oz Sliced Mushrooms (shitake if you can)
•5 oz Sliced Apple (I used Gala)
•2 Slices uncured bacon
•5 oz Broccoli
•Celery Salt & Lemon - salt is not paleo but i cheat a little..

PREPERATION:
•Begin to steam the broccoli by itself.
•Fry the bacon and remove from pan. Discard about 1/3 the fat and divide remaining fat into separate pans.
•Combine leeks and mushrooms and saute in bacon fat. Add apples after several minutes (don’t overcook). Chop up the bacon and throw it into this pan near the end.
•Cook sole in other pan. Add celery salt. Squeeze lemon juice over fish and cover to help with cooking.
....combine and serve.

For the Zoners, this is a balanced 5 block meal. Scale it up or down for more people or less blocks. The fat could be a little off but who cares? You don't get fat eating fat. You get fat eating carbohydrates. I hope you like it.

Next Week - Rhubarb Pepper Salmon - you will die for this one. Round two is happening tonight. Had to make adjustments to get the right Pro-Fat-Carb balance.

Paleo-Zone - An Experiment on yours truly

2009-02-23T18:19:00.000-08:00

"There are no bread trees or pasta bushes." T.S. Wiley in Lights Out

I came across the Paleo concept when i first got into Crossfit www.crossfit.com/cf-info/start-diet.html It's all right here, pretty simple. Paleo means to eat only foods a caveman would have access to. So, no beans,rice,wheat (bread/cereal), corn,potatoes,dairy, sugar, alcohol, or "processed" foods. For 4 weeks I ate only meat, fruit, vegetables, raw nuts, and eggs. I cheated a little, beer, coffee (w/milk), protein bars and drinks for convenience. My logic was - this can't be a "diet", it needs to be a lifestyle - something permanent. I would not be infinitely strict (although, with time if find myself getting stricter). Supposedly, this was a cholesterol lowering diet. My father and grandfather both suffered from heart disease, both had open heart surgery. Was I destined? I had my blood checked after 4 weeks. Total Cholesterol/HDL was the lowest it had ever been in 6 yrs of testing. Triglycerides were actually UNDETECTABLE - 1st time in ~ 10 yrs. WTF? I was actually eating eggs, red meat, apple slices fried in bacon fat! Was it so simple? Why didn't my doctor tell me? This needed further investigation. I read all i could - Neanderthin, Enter The Zone, Protein Power, Good Calories Bad Calories, Lights Out and talked to Crossfit NSC trainers - Jason "J-Dogg" Highbarger, Dan Grant, Robin Boose - to learn of their experiences. This was too logical. I had to do an experiment on yours truly.
The Experiment: For 12 weeks i would eat Paleo and exactly control the proportions in order to get 1 gm protein per lb of lean body mass and insure 30-30-40 - % calories from protein, fat, and carbohydrates respectively. AND i would not take my Lipitor!

I made a spreadsheet and looked everything up on calorieking.com If my ratios were not within 3% of target, i adjusted proportions. I did not follow zone blocks because i thought that was too dumbed down - too many approximations/assumptions. My experiment would be "exact".

The results: After 12 weeks of Paleo-Zone and no Lipitor, my Total Cholesterol / HDL was 239/82 = 2.9 About 6% lower than it had been, on average, for 4 years while on Lipitor and 35% lower than my base line before Lipitor while on a "healthy" diet. My HDL, @ 82 mg/dl, was 27% higher than it had been, on average, over the previous 6 yrs - and i've always exercised a lot and "watched" my diet. HDL is the "good" cholesterol. Most shocking, my triglycerides were "undetectable" on 3 separate measurements. My body fat decreased from 13% to 7%. These are the quantifiable differences. Subjectively, i just plain felt GOOD. To be fair, it wasn't a perfect experiment. I started crossfit just before the Paleo Zone diet - most likely a positive influence, but i've always been very active. I adjusted the fat content of my diet mid-stream because I was losing weight too fast and my lean body mass started to suffer. Lastly, because my weight was not held at a constant, I cannot isolate the effects of bodyfat vs diet. However, in total, the results were astounding to me and at the last 6 week checkpoint, I was losing body fat (1.6 lbs) while gaining muscle (2.5 lbs). This brings me to the purpose of this Blog. Paleo foods are plentiful, but not necessarily exciting. There is naturally less variety compared to a standard Western diet. On the bright side, this makes shopping REALLY easy - literally, you avoid 90% of the supermarket. To keep it interesting though, you need to be creative. In addition, you need to pay attention to the "math" if you want to eat in zone proportions. I don't know HOW important the zone proportions are but I believe it's a good starting point. I spent a lot of time balancing my meals and I continuously spend time making them interesting. So, the goal of this blog is to share with you recipes for zone balanced paleo meals. For you Zoners, my meals are about 5 blocks. Scale appropriately. (for non-Zoners, read Barry Sears book Enter the Zone - it's worthwhile reading). I'm a little lazy - I wash all my cloths together, lights darks, cotton, wool. I cook the same way. So these meals will be "easy". Not every meal is an adventure - you'll see some basic stuff but that's just so you can get an appreciation for proportions and see what's been working for me. I've always been comfortable with cooking - I was a cafe cook in the summers while in college, and have cooked for myself my whole life, and I like to experiment with foods - ask my kids. They'll tell you about "Steve's Surprise". I hope you're surprised how tasty Paleo cooking can be..
Feedback - don't let me sit here all by myself ;-) If you follow this blog, try the meals, and post your comments! My goal is to offer a new recipe once/week minimum with a simple prep description and pictures.

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