Paleo with Pizzazz!

Hello!

Before I start this post, I would just like to thank those who have been reading this blog! It means so much to me that you are taking time out of your busy day to take a glance at my journey with the Paleo diet! OBRIGADA ("Thank you" in Portuguese)!

This post is all about adding some PIZZAZZ ( defined by Merriam-Webster as "a quality or style that is exciting and interesting") to my Paleo diet!

In my last post (please read if you haven't yet! It informs you about the philosophy behind the diet), I mentioned that I would create a meal plan for this week. It is now Thursday, and I have no plan to show you :( There is something about creating a meal plan that feels odd to me. If you look at my planner (which I still call a homework organizer!), you will see that I carefully plan out my every move. This, along with constant lesson plans, makes it kind of a chore to also create a meal plan.  Another thing is it is really time-consuming to plan 6 smalls meals a day for 7 days (42 slots!). Lastly, it leaves room for frustration. If I don't follow it to a T, I might beat myself over it!

So, instead, I will offer up some recipes for myself and anyone else who would like to try out a delectable piece of Paleo!

These recipes are a mix of my own and other Paleo enthusiast's ideas. Before listing the ingredients, I will let you know where I got the recipes!

ENJOY!

STUFFED SRIRACHA MUSHROOMS
(First inspired by my cousin Maya's original creation...putting a Paleo twist to it!)



Ingredients:
2 packages of medium-sized mushrooms (you can choose your favorite kind)
A package of fresh baby spinach leaves
1 bulb of garlic
4 tbsp Marinara sauce
2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
1 small package chopped Pancetta (Trader Joe's has the perfect sized package)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup almond meal
A bit of butter (or ghee)

What to Do:
So, this is a favorite recipe of mine! When I went to California senior year of high school, my first cousin Maya created the most amazing stuffed mushrooms ever! She put together goat cheese, Sriracha,  pancetta, and garlic. Since then, I love making them! I made it for my cousin Sheila's Oxford friends, my adorable Indian cousin Danny, and my cousin's graduation party.

From the good ole London days! The mushrooms before they were stuffed with the decadent non-Paleo goat cheese mixture!

To make it Paleo, I eliminated the creamy goat cheese and added in spinach and marinara sauce. First, remove stems from the mushrooms; make sure to save the stems because they will be incorporated in the stuffing. Next, chop some fresh garlic. Then, splash some cooking olive oil to a pan. Saute the baby spinach together with the garlic. After a few minutes, add the pancetta to the sauteed mixture. Set the oven to 350 degrees. While that is coming together, squeeze the Sriracha into Marinara sauce. Mix it and heat it up for a minute it or so in the microwave or on the stove. Finally, mix the sauteed spinach, garlic, and pancetta with the marinara mixture and mushroom stems. Line a cooking tray with foil (for easy clean-up) and stuff mushrooms; add a mixture of almond meal/butter to the tops of the mushrooms. Drizzle a bit more of olive oil over the entire cooking tray and bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

JAMAICAN CHICKEN CURRY

From left to right, my Nana, Mom, and me in 2008--Tahitian style!

(Courtesy of my lovely mom! Note: If you ever want amazing Indian curries or even an occasional Thai green curry, talk to my momma or my nana [or my nana's equally talented sisters]. Thankfully, coconut milk is a welcome ingredient--and often a substitution--in Paleo recipes!)

It is "Throwback Thursday"! So, I thought I would include this picture of me making the Jamaican curry for the first time in London...my mom had emailed me her recipe from New Jersey! P.S. Highly questioning my Spring 2011 fashion-sense.

Ingredients:
2 yellow onions
2 tsp cooking olive oil
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
Touch of hot water
1 package of chicken (any cut you like)
1 can of unsweetened coconut milk
Dash of salt (optional)

What to do:
In a pot on medium heat, fry the onions (sliced fine). Then, add the garlic and ginger paste. Fry on low heat for a few minutes. Next, add the curry powder. Continue to fry and stir on low heat for about 5 minutes. Add a touch of hot water and then add chicken and the coconut milk. Allow flavors to blend and chicken to cook fully; this will take about 20 more minutes. If you are obsessed with salt, feel free to add a little to the mix. Enjoy!

PALEO PESTO SALMON
(I was first inspired to try this recipe after having Uncle Richard's (a family friend) version at a family party. After loading pesto and an Asiago/Parmesan/Pomano shaved blend [from T Joe's] to the top of my version, I decided to make a few adjustments so that a Paleo dieter can eat this!)

Thanks "girlmeetsnourishment.com" for this rather apt photo!

Ingredients:
Fresh salmon filet (or use defrosted salmon for a more affordable option...tastes just as good!)
1 whole lemon
5 thin green chilies 
1 bulb of garlic (more or less depending on your preference)
1 tbsp of cooking olive oil

For the Basil Pesto (courtesy of Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie and Charles Mayfield):
2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt and freshly group black pepper, to taste

What to do:
Saute chopped green chilies with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Remove hot chilies from oil. Line a cooking tray with foil and spread chopped and peeled garlic evenly. Pour chili-infused oil over garlic. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Next, roll lemon (thanks Giada DeLaurentiis for the tip!) and squeeze over the salmon. Using gloves or a spatula, make sure lemon is pressed into the salmon. After that, make your Paleo-approved pesto concoction by putting all ingredients in a food processor (Note: no parmesan included!). Now it's time to put all the components on the filet. First, goes the pesto (since fish is already soaked in lemon juice). Next, goes the roasted garlic. Last, goes the green chili. 
If you absolutely must, and you are not following the Paleo diet religiously, go ahead and scatter some Parmesan shavings on the top or even part-skim mozzarella (if you don't tell, I won't tell!). 

SIMPLE SALAD
Ingredients:
2 tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 red onion
2 avocados (or 1 if you prefer)
2 pieces of grilled chicken (cubed)
1 whole lemon
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped cilantro


What to do: Chop veggies (whichever way you like), add chicken, combine squeezed lemon and EVOO for your dressing, and top with fresh cilantro, salt, and pepper! Fast, easy, and totally Paleo-friendly! Note: I prefer it without lettuce or greens, but if you want to add volume and more greens, go for it! Stay away from iceberg lettuce, as it has very little nutritional value.

LAMB BURGERS
(The absolute first Paleo recipe I ever tried...they are to die for! Courtesy of Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie and Charles Mayfield)

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
Zest of 1 lemon (or freshly squeezed lemon juice)
I tbsp minced fresh mint
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1 tsp minced fresh oregano
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of salt

What to do: Combine egg yolks, onions, garlic, lemon, mint, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Then, add the lamb to the mixture and mix thoroughly. After that, form lamb into about 6 patties. Grill the burgers for approx. 4 minutes on each side (or less if you like your meat medium-rare...like I do!). Enjoy plain or with some lettuce, tomato, and red onion rings.

Again, thanks a million for reading! Share will friends and spread the Paleo love! 

One last thing before I go. I thought I'd have some fun and provide some incentives to expedite (healthily, of course!) the weight-loss process. (Update: 12 pounds down!)

-15 pounds: Manicure (Dark grey nail polish) 
-20 pounds: new Nike Free Run sneakers (courtesy of my Greenberry's cafe paycheck)
-25 pounds: new Zumba leggings (hopefully by then, I will have had killed the audition I have tomorrow and be teaching a class of my own in the area!!)
-30 pounds: a new pair of Lucky jeans (Size 8...or maybe 6!!) 

LEGGOOOOOOOOOOO!

Paleo Persistance: Inspiration from those Wise Hunter Gatherers!

Hello everyone,

I hope this post finds you doing well!

      I have had quite an interesting week, as I have been really sick. Being sick kind of threw me off in terms of maintaining the Paleo diet. While I lost 2 pounds, in addition to the 8 pounds lost through Paleo, I was left empty with no appetite or energy to carefully plan my meal choices. I'm not going to deny it...losing your first 10 pounds is super exciting! However, because of the circumstances, I allowed myself to take a break from Paleo and eat whatever I needed to gain back strength. After 3 days of eating pizza, pasta, and other grains and dairy, I did understandably gain 2 pounds. I am fine with that; I can work with being 8 pounds lighter.

      Enough about the digits, it's time to get back into the primal swing of things! Before discussing some recipes and new ideas, I wanted to provide the philosophy behind the Paleo diet (something I did not do in my "Introduction"). The Paleo lifestyle resembles that of an early hunter gatherer. During the Paleolithic era, also called the Old Stone Age, men and women had to actively obtain meat, fish, berries, plants, and nuts. There was no Mickey D's to drive by or Hungry Man packaged meals to purchase. By having to forage for food, the Paleolithic man needed to be active and even chase after animals every so often. Talk about really earning your food!

      There were absolutely no grains available in fields. In fact, milling stones were only introduced around 10,000 to 15,000 years ago in the Middle East (Crayhon). Rice came into play about 7,000 years ago in India and China.  If you look at life on earth from a distance, the advent of the agricultural revolution occurred at the tail end of human existence. You are looking at two-million-years of no grains versus 15, 000 years of including grains in our diet. At least for me, that is hard to fathom; we live in such a carb-rich world.

     Yes, we as humans have changed through time, but not enough to require a different, grains-based diet. Grains in general have lectins, which are anti-nutrient proteins. Lectins, also found in legumes, provoke antibodies to attack them, as they look like other parts of the body. Antibodies end up attacking your own body, too! This can lead to autoimmune problems. Lectins are also no friend to the walls of your intestines. They can encourage "leaky gut". Lectins can never fully be ostracized as they are stable in heat, and resistant to enzymatic activity (Paleo Plan).

     Then there is phytic acid, another anti-nutrient. Phytic acid binds to key elements in your intestine and cause them to leave the body...this is not good! Anemia is an example of a negative ramification of iron loss due to phytic acid. The big surprise here is that large amounts of phytic acid are found in nuts and seeds...I promise to research this more! Fishy business that nuts and seeds are so welcome in the diet. For now, know that phytates can be removed through soaking, fermenting, and sprouting.

      Add gluten and insoluble fiber that can damage the cells of the GI Tract...and you've got a pretty solid argument against the inclusion of grains in your diet.

     Now that I've beaten poor Mr. Grains to the ground, I should move on to the importance of real foods and thus, the need to stay away from processed foods. Overly processed foods contain preservatives and unnatural additives. Antibiotic-free meat and organic options are always a better pick; the less chemicals involved, the better. The original "Hungry Man" did not use any of this to embellish his meal.

     So, after finding out more about the roots of the Paleo diet and sharing my findings, it is important to adapt these core values to today's environment. There is no way I'm putting on a Tarzan-style dress on and going out into my backyard to chase down an animal way faster than me! Or jumping into a lake to stab a salmon with a sharpened wooden rod. All silliness aside, it's important to be practical and figure out what will work in today's societal landscape. Let's be real--we have food processors, ovens, microwaves, and toaster ovens. These can all aid in expediting the preparation process.  I have no qualms about purchasing raw almonds, pre-cut butternut squash, and chocolate bars from my local Shop and Stop. Everything organic can be super pricey. I will eat apples, strawberries, and bell peppers even if they belong to the "Dirty Dozen," which is a list of twelve produce items that are commonly contaminated with pesticides (Environmental Working Group).

     As it is getting late (ok, more realistically I really want to chillax to some Arrested Development after a long day of work), I will leave you with this information and discuss recipes at another time. I think I will make my next post about my meal plan for next week (week of the 17th of February), once I am fully back on track and slim enough to envision donning a modern day Tarzan-esque dress ;)

Thanks so much for reading!
Arlene

References (taking advantage of this informal format and not going to do this APA-style...college has tired me out!):
http://www.mercola.com/article/carbohydrates/paleolithic_diet.htm
http://www.paleoplan.com/2011/04-27/phytates/
http://www.paleoplan.com/2011/03-30/why-no-grains-and-legumes/