LUNCH o'CABBAGE WRAPS & CAULIFLOWER RICE

FOR WRAPS:
4 napa cabbage leaves
1-2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced thin
1 bunch radishes, sauteed in olive oil and pepper
1 tomato thinly sliced, or chopped
hot sauce

1. place chicken, tomato, cooked radish, hot sauce on the stalk part of cabbage and fold the leaf over like a tortilla, Or just eat like a taco.
FOR CAULIFLOWER RICE:
1 head of cauliflower, thinly chopped like rice
1/4 onion diced
garlic, if you like
pepper, spices you like

1. cook cauliflower, onion, spices in olive oil in a skillet, until cauliflower is crisped, cooked and tender.

Enjoy!

DELICIOUS CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

1/4C coconut flour

1/2tsp baking soda

scant cinnamon (to liking)

1/4C Agave Nectar

1/4C Coconut Oil (melted)

juice of 1 lemon

2 eggs

apples/pears for garnish (or whatever fruit you have)

HOW TO:

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl

2. mix wet ingredients

3. mix together

4. the batter will be thicker, you can scoop into mini muffin tins, regular ones, or I spread into a loaf pan. You choose your baking dish. (this recipe is intended for mini muffins)

Bake at 350 for 8-10min. Make sure you check on it because the flour will burn if it goes too long.

ENJOY~~

EGG IN A NEST

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium spaghetti squash
2 eggs
2 slices of bacon, cooked (you know, only the good kind)

1. Cut squash lengthwish, remove seeds/guts and bake in pan of water at 400 degrees until squash is easily pricked with a fork
2. remove and let cool, the scrape out squash with a fork.
3. Heat a skillet with olive oil and place a heaping scoop of squash in pan and create an opening in the middle. * Make sure the squash has formed a proper barrier around the hole you make, no leaks
4. Repeat step 3.
5. Crack an egg into each hole in the center of the squash and slowly release the egg into the hole so it does not leak out of its "nest"
6. sprinkle with spices to your liking and cover the pan and let cook until desired egg consistency.
and EAT!!

Obviously if you are eating with others, just repeat the steps to make more nests.

Paleo Quiche

I am walking home from town on this beautiful snowy morning, drinking coffee and wondering what to make with my yummy local eggs I just bought!! Trying to keep the egg making interesting, I was thinking french today and decided to make a Quiche!! I hope you love it as much as I did!

Makes 1 Loaf Pan, 6 wedges (double or triple for regular size baking dish)

CRUST.

1 C Almond Meal

3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Add enough water until it makes a paste

1. Spread Paste evenly on bottom of loaf pan

2. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees

while crust is baking, get egg mixture together.

EGG MIX.

8 eggs 

1/4C Almond milk (plain, unsweetened)

1/4C Chicken broth (optional, use water instead)

5 slices cooked bacon, chopped (No nitrates, org, low sodium if possible)

1/2 head broccoli, about a cup

1 tomato diced

1/2 an apple, diced

pepper

garlic powder

fresh basil chopped

1. beat eggs until creamy colored 

2. add the rest of ingredients

3. pour into loaf pan

4. bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees

5. reduce to 350 degrees and continue to bake until middle is not runny.

6. Remove, cool for a bit and serve!! 

YUMMMM!!!

Salmon and Pesto Spaghetti Squash

Paleo Spaghetti Squash Noodles
-Take 1 Spaghetti Squash - I used one that was almost 3 lbs & I think I have "noodles" for a week. Lol. This reminded me of a cylinder yellow pumpkin.
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees (or whatever that translates to at your altitude).
-Cut the Spaghetti Squash in half length wise. This is the hardest part of the recipe!
-Scoop out seeds.
-Place both halves of Spaghetti Squash face down on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
-Bake for about 30-35 minutes
-Take out & let cool & then take a fork & scrape the insides out & you get 'noodles'
-Or, if you are too impatient to let cool first, hold with a paper towel or something, as the squash w/be hot & then scrape out the insides. :)

Add any Paleo sauce you'd like. This is what I did (recipe below), but use whatever you'd like. Next time, I think I will puree homemade spaghetti sauce w/meat balls. :)

I got this recipe from 24 hour fitness years ago & love it! However, it's not online anymore :( So I'm telling you from memory. I don't measure, I just guess & then adjust to taste. You can do the same. Use as a spread or pasta sauce.

Spinach Pesto Sauce
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
3 garlic cloves (I use like 5-6 because I love garlic)
1-2 tbsp of olive oil (I use less)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (I substituted almond mill here to make it Paleo & it came out just fine)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (I use about 1/2 cup because I really like basil too)
2 tbsp parsley leaves (I use fresh flat leave parsley leaves & just add as much as I want)
Pinch of Sea Salt (optional)
Water
*Put all in a blender/food processor & puree. Add in small amounts of water until you have the consistency you want. Use as a spread or put on warm paleo 'pasta'.

In the picture I sautéed some red onions & button mushrooms & then added in grape tomato halves at the end & mixed the pesto sauce, sauteed veggies & "pasta" all together & added some pine nuts on top.

For the Salmon Filet
I just used wild caught Soho salmon. Rubbed some olive oil on it, added a pinch of sea salt & fresh ground pepper, sprinkled with some garlic powder & onion powder & paprika & baked at 350 for about 25 minutes with sliced lemon on top for flavor. I am in Seattle, so ya'll will likely have to adjust baking temp/time for high altitude.

Fun Fact: Try to make sure your diet is 51% raw foods or more a day. Any less & your body starts to view the food we are putting in it for nourishment, as a foreign object & attacking it causing all sorts of bad things from fatigue to inflammation. Even if we lightly steam our food, we loose about 15% of it's nutrients. Ever hear, 'our garage dispenser eats better than us'? In most American households, this is, unfortunately, a true fact. So while this meal obviously isn't part of your 51% raw food intake, try to make sure the rest of your daily intake is. :)

Happy eating! :)

Love, Melynda

Asian Turkey Salad

Thanks Sue!


Dressing:
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (normally rice vinegar)
1/4 cup vegi broth
1TBSP gluten free Tamari (normally soy sauce)
2 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp fresh ground ginger
1 tsp fresh ground garlic
1 tsp walnut oil (normally peanut oil)
1 tsp seseme oil
1/2 tsp salt
(normally 1/2 tsp sugar)

Salad:
4 cups Napa Cabbage chopped
3 cups cubbed Turkey
1 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup red onion
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup green onions
1/4 cup cashews (normally peanuts)

put it all together and WaLAA!!!!

ps.  I cooked a whole turkey breast (on sale at city market two for one) and it was just enough to double this recipe... like we were saying, a necessity!

Paleo Beef Tacos

 Purple Cabbage Slaw

3 cups purple cabbage, chopped

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1/3 cup purple onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup green mango, diced

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Cracked black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Taco Meat

1 lb grass fed ground beef

1 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

1/4 cup green salsa

Brown meat, add seasoning and salsa, stir and eat on a lettuce leaf topped with the purple cabbage slaw, avocado, and fresh cilantro.

PALEO CRACKERS

Here is a link to these yummy and easy Paleo Crackers that give the average Paleo diet a little crunch! It is nice to have something to eat guacamole and salsas with. Check it out:

http://cavemanfood.blogspot.com/2009/04/grain-free-almond-crackers.html

It came from Teresa's sister Melynda! Thanks Mely.

I would definitely make sure you have parchment because it will save you from turning your crackers into crumbs. And don't forget to score the dough before you put it in the oven. The rest of the recipe is simple. I added sunflower seeds and pepper to mine. You can spice it up as you like, sweeter or more savory.

Enjoy.

PALEO BROWNIES

DELICIOUS!

12TBSP COCONUT OIL (I would split it between another oil. like canola... unless you like lots of cocount taste)
2 EGGS
1/2 C HONEY (not totally encouraged, but it is better then white sugar)
1 C ALMOND MEAL
1/2 C UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER
1/2 t VANILLA
1t BAKING POWDER*
1/4C UNSWEETENED APPLESAUCE*

Mix and bake in 9x9 pan at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until middle is done~

* optional.
You can add walnuts or coconut flakes to shake it up a little.

INTENTIONS

It is day 2 of CrossFit Telluride Paleo Challenge and I am hearing hemming and hawing around the gym about how long one can actually eat Paleo and if it is worth it. Science has already proved Paleo has helped many lose weight, alleviate autoimmune disorders, increase performance, and on and on, but why it is worth is to you? Why go six weeks eating this way? Why restrict yourself from the abundant cheeses, breads, sweets and libations the world tempts you with everyday?

I have asked myself these questions and because I cook for a living, I now have wedges of imported cheeses and bottles of wine and challah breads haunting my dreams. Then again, being a science nerd, studying the human body when placed under nutritional, fitness challenges, amazes me because of what a change in body can do to the mind and spirit.

So, I ask you this challengers, what is your intention? Why are you putting yourself up to this challenge? It is still early, you can jump ship, give up, go eat a bagel and wash it down with a beer. Or, you can take 6 weeks out of your food routine, set a positive intention and stick it out.

If you find yourself without an intention or think you look, feel and perform your best eating the way you have been, step out of your comfort zone and really get in touch with how your feel after what you put in your mouth and how you perform in your daily routine. Trust me, you may actually learn something about yourself!

Until then, think positive and use these next six weeks as an experiment on yourself.

Now, go kill your dinner:)

It starts with a P and ends with an A-L-E-O.

The Paleo Challenge begins. Day 1. It looks  like it is going to be a long 6 weeks, but we are taking it one day at a time. So far, the creativity is flowing for meal planning. In the next 6 weeks, I hope to acquire a slew of recipes from myself as well as the other challengers taking part.
Now, drop that bread and get cooking!

MY FIRST BREAKFAST REVELATION:

 Egg & Rainbow Chard Stuffed Poblanos with Sweet Potato Hash & Avocado

For Hash:
2 T EVOO
2 Small Sweet Potatoes/Yams, quartered then chopped
1/4 Red Onion, thinly sliced
pepper and cayenne to taste


1. Heat EVOO in skillet on high
2. Add POTATOES and ONION 
3. Season with PEPPER
4. cook until potatoes are tender and onions are caramelized, reduce to med/low
5. Add CAYENNE to liking




For Poblanos:
2 T EVOO
2 Medium poblanos
3 eggs
3 large rainbow chard leaves, chopped, minus the stalk
1/4C chopped tomato(optional)
Pepper, garlic powder and cayenne, to taste


1. EVOO in Medium Skillet on high
2. add POBLANO and cook until tender... not charred (you can cook this in the pan with the potatoes too)
3. Once Poblano is tender,remove and place CHARD in skillet to cook down a bit.
4. mix EGGS in bowl and add to CHARD (make sure the poblano is removed from skillet)
5. Add PEPPER and GARLIC POWDER.
6. Reduce to medium and cover, let puff up a bit, then scramble until eggs are done.Sprinkle with tomato if using
7. Once done, stuff eggs into tender poblanos.
8. Plate it with Hash, and place 1/2 AVOCADO on each plate.


SERVES 2.