Work & Travel While Desperately Seeking Paleo Foods

Malai Kitchen, Midtown Dallas

Determination:the process of something typically by calculation or research. 


First & foremost always travel with a plan. When we lived in Mexico if travel plans weren't in place, wild adventures could occur! It is not so different here in the states. On a personal note there is also less self recrimination when you planned for something if it doesn't work out. I for one try and attempt some self restraint & sticking to a schedule, a diet or plan of some type.  Second, if things don't work out then go to Plan B & Carry  On.  (ie: Get back into the swing & keep plowing ahead.)  I had to travel to Dallas last week for work. While traveling with a fellow Crossfit/paleo eating co-worker we thought we would keep each other on track.  We actually did help each other out in many aspects.  It always helps to have someone in your corner who understands why you don't want bread, dairy, rice is a grain, etc..... The first night in Dallas I met two friends I hadn't seen since living in Monterrey, N.L.  We dined at a wonderful Asian restaurant Malai Kitchen in Midtown Dallas. The restaurant is a fusion of Thai & Vietnamese cuisines with several variations similar to other Asian  cuisines. Finding Paleo eats was no problem there and my friend was a dedicated vegetarian of many years therefore; she too had great choices.  The staff was great at accommodating all of our  different dietary needs.  With a menu full vegetable & protein choices it worked for each of us. I had a wonderful Tom Yum Gung with Black Tiger Shrimp which was sheer heaven. There was an eggplant house appetizer which was so good I am still trying to find a recipe for it. 
 The first morning of our trip however was another story entirely.  We are always fed very well at these events so we assumed that breakfast was served  at our destination the first morning. Seriously don't ever assume when it comes to food & travel.  Take control of specific food requirements. After a few days of semi off the grid eating & drinking I was glad to get back into the swing of things at home. Poor food choices on the road make me more determined to eat healthy & plan better the next time around.

Leftover meat, egg & veggies make a quick meal.

This past weekend I was determined to cook our Paleo foods & feel great (*Did I mention I managed to sit next to 2 folks fighting the late Winter Flu in a stuffy conference room the entire trip?) With throbbing head, scratchy throat & my packs of Emergen-C, I carried on.  Wanting to cook, yet spare shoppers my germs;  I sent Mister Tx2Mx to the store for a couple of essentials. One of the dishes I made was reminiscent of the Korean meals a friend of mine used to make in South Florida.  The use of protein & eggs in Korean food is incredible. I always admired her way of cooking  eggs crepe thin & then slicing it up into delicate bits adding such flavor to the meals. I am a very long way from her skill set however I did try & replicate Bi Bim Bap. The very name is meant to imply leftovers or mixed with rice/rice noodles however the Paleo version certainly doesn't rely on rice or noddles. I opted out of rice & doubled up on the veggies. The efforts yielded a very nice protein packed meal using leftover venison loin, cooked egg along with  multiple vegetables. Cooking the dish in a stainless wok made the process super fast. If I'd had a bowl of this for breakfast in the Big D, I'd have been one happy camper.  Next time Plan B may include where to find the Korean food trailer & will certainly include a return visit to Malai Kitchen.

A bowl of  Paleo Bi Bim Bap is a quick fix for dinner.

Paleo Bi Bim Bap


8 oz. Sliced Leftover meat: tenderloin, roast, steak, chicken, etc.
Egg, I used 1 egg
8- 10 oz. of each Vegetable; I used Carrots, Chard, Cabbage & Bell Peppers
Korean Spicy Sauce or chili flakes to taste
1 tsp. garlic
rice vinegar or lemon juice to taste
coconut or grapeseed oil (with a splash of sesame oil for good measure)
dash of sea salt
sesame seeds
Cucumber sliced or grated; used for garnish
*Kimchi is often served with this dish


Slice up all veggies, meats & then scramble egg. Coat the wok or skillet with as few tablespoons of oil as you need, a well seasoned wok won't require much. Cook egg(s) quickly over med high heat, turning to coat the bottom of the wok or skillet. Slice the egg into thin strips & cover to keep warm while preparing the rest of the meat & vegetables. Quickly cook vegetables & garlic adding in the more dense vegetables first to cook them a little longer & finally ending with the chard or leafy vegetables & then adding the meat which is pre-cooked & only needs to be reheated with the rest of the dish. Toss in dash of salt & sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place this in serving dish with eggs over top of meats & vegetables then garnish cucumber and Korean Spicy Sauce* Kimchi or Siracha Sauce. This dish can be expanded easily to accomplish feeding many with very few ingredients. Multiplying the egg or veggies can expand this meal quite easily. There are so many versions of this dish, be creative & add what you have on hand.  This recipe yields 2 large adult portions for more just multiply ingredients. 


*For true Korean Kimchi check at the local Asian Market
**Korean Spicy Sauce can be easily made at home:
5 Tbsp Kochujang (Korean chili pepper paste)
2 Tbsp agave nectar or honey
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sesame oil
Mix all ingredients thinning out with water if it is too thick, store remaining sauce in refrigerator.

Granola: a Lovin Spoonful for Heart Health Month

February is American Heart Health month. It’s true that heart disease can be genetic, but often it is not. Cigarette smoking, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and hyperlipidemia are other factors that contribute significantly to heart disease risk.

With the many choices we make food wise during the day the best way to start a healthy day is with a good foundation at breakfast.  Along with the regular breakfast items we eat at our house I recently added a Paleo Granola recipe. Bytes from Texas tried a granola recipe that she was raving about & let me know that Mexican vanilla is the deal breaker, basically. With a good quality vanilla very little is missed out of the "old school granolas" which when bought at a store in the prepackaged boxes (on that long cereal aisle) contain large amounts of sugars, grains & extra preservatives none of us need.  There is no risk of high fructose corn syrup when you take a small amount of time to make your own granola. I have made 3 batches of this recently & in fact have seen the Mister eating a handful of my granola now versus some of his previous less healthy alternatives.  I made mixed up my first granola & tossed in pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) & put in dried bits of apricot.  Logically you may say it is easier to pick up a box but this recipe is healthier, easy & seriously cheaper when you buy small amounts of nuts & fruits in the bulk foods area of your local grocer.  Enjoy this recipe, it's a small joy to make your first recipe of homemade Granola & realize it's been that easy all along.  Buen Provecho, my friends! 

For a Heart Healthy  start to the day try this with coconut or almond milk.

Paleo Granola
2 cups toasted coconut (unsweetened)
1/2 cup pumpkin seed kernels
1/2 cup sliced raw almonds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
3/4 cup agave syrup*
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tsp Mexican vanilla (or very good quality vanilla)
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried apple, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pecans or nuts of choice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Combine oats, pumpkin seed kernels, chopped almonds, and sunflower seed kernels in a large bowl.
In a saucepan on the stove, melt together the agave, coconut oil and vanilla, stirring occasionally, until combined.
Pour agave mixture over oat mixture and stir to coat.
Spread granola mixture into baking pans (metal pans cook faster than glass). Bake for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. I spread mine on foil on the counter for several hours or overnight so it cools well, then store in airtight container.
Enjoy granola with coconut milk or almond butter or fruit! *I have made this with or without the agave, it is as good without as with the syrup.

Any fruit or nut mixture will work, try new combinations.

A Texas to Mexico Paleo~Style Stuffed Squash

As our family prepares to head to South Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday where quiet relaxing vistas will keep us spellbound for a few days & give us all a certain spiritual nourishment. This fall I've been so enamored with the selection of winter squashes & pumpkins I've seen. I've seen more variety & colorful selection than ever. Not for the first time this season I have cooked with Carnival Squash. It is a mild, squash in the size range of an Acorn Squash.  I enjoy baking Carnival Squash with savory spices however many cooks bake these with a much sweeter result using winter spices such cloves, cinnamon & agave or honey. The colorful skin makes this a nice centerpiece till you are ready to use it regardless of how it is baked. My version of the stuffed squash gives a nod to the hunter-gatherer diet paying attention to exclude grains, legumes, dairy products, salt & refined sugar. *winter squash are:Fat-free and sodium-free, a three-fourths cup serving provides fiber, carbohydrates, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron and thirty calories. Darker colored squashes have the most beta carotene.  

Carnival Squash are a colorful winter squash sometimes labeled acorn squash.

 Creamy mild flesh of the squash makes a nice complement to the spicy chili sauce

Stuffed Carnival Squash with Mushroom & Red Chili Chicken


2 Carnival Squash, halved, seeded, rubbed with 1 tablespoon oil
1/2 lb ground chicken
1/2 lb lean chicken sausage (I found mine at Sprouts, remove casing if it has casing)
1/4 diced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
*1/2 cup Red Chili Sauce made with Guajillo chilis see recipe link

Recipe here from previous blog post on *Lunch Box for One
2 tablespoon chopped flat leave parsley


Bake the 2 Carnival Squash cut into halves @ 375 for 25 minutes or till crispy golden around edge & flesh tests tender.  Set aside &  prepare Mushroom & Chicken stuffing. Saute onion & garlic in skillet till translucent, add the chicken sausage & ground chicken. Cook till chicken is no longer pink & slightly browned.  Add in mushrooms, cook till tender then add the Red Chili Sauce, mix, add parsley & remove from heat.  Spoon into Squash halves & return to 375 oven for 10 minutes till heated throughly.  Serve immediately.  Any leftover stuffing I serve alongside the filled squash halves.

Leftover Mushroom Red Chili Chicken Filling is good alone 

Paleo Wedding Soup & a Devilish Egg Appetizer

When I'm lucky enough to have true farm fresh eggs, I find a variety of ways to fit them into meals at our home. Eggs aren't just for breakfast as anyone in my house can tell you. Eggs are a low cost cost way to add a naturally good source of vitamin D & protein. This past weekend I made both a soup as well as a quick dozen Deviled Eggs using some of my farm fresh eggs my mother brought me from Uvalde County in South Texas.   

This soup gets the name as a "married soup" since it is a marriage of meat & greens. The traditional name is actually Minestra Maritata & the origins are both Italian & Spanish, whatever the origins are the soup is a perfect Fall meal. Many recipes use bread crumbs to make the meat balls but if you have fresh meat, add the egg & chill the meatballs prior to dropping them in the soup they will be fine. I've even baked my meatballs to get them nice & brown when I have time. Many traditional recipes for this soup soup have streaks of egg-and-cheese scrambles borrowed from the Roman egg-drop soup Stracciatella. The egg adds a certain hearty quality which makes this a very nice one dish meal.

Primal Italian Wedding Soup


Meatballs:
1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8 ounces turkey or chicken sausage
8 ounces ground turkey
Freshly ground black pepper
Soup:
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound spinach, coarsely chopped (1 pound of kale is a good substitution)
2 small turnips, diced into 1/4 in pieces
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
To make the meatballs: Stir the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the sausage & turkey. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.


To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and spinach, turnips and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the spinach or kale is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.


Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. *Finish soup with parmesan cheese if desired. We didn't have this but it is traditional garnish for the soup. I am almost certain no one else puts turnips in Wedding Soup but I had some garden fresh turnips & thought they would be a nice addition to the soup.

Devilish Deviled Eggs
6 Eggs, hard boiled
2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
3-4 Tablespoons Jalapeno Mustard* (or any spicy version you prefer)
2 teaspoons diced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon finely minced shallots or white onion
dash of sea salt according to taste


Cut boiled eggs into halves lengthwise, scoop out inside reserving whites on platter. Mash & break up all lumps in the hard boiled egg yolks, then add next 6 ingredients. Garnish tops of eggs with extra oregano leaves or sprinkle with dill or any fresh herbs you may enjoy. *I used Woeber's Jalapeno Mustard 

Finding my Sunny Side Up!

Jello no matter what the flavor gets old in a hurry!

 I had unexpected surgery 2 weeks ago & it has truly made me reinvent my meals so I can tolerate some of my favorite foods.  My doctor told me next to nothing about post surgery diet and I've been on my own with figuring out what works for me right now. I've had oceans of Jello & yards of saltine crackers so I'm just trying to hit my stride on the culinary side. I guess I'm searching for my sunny side up as it were! Still sore & dealing with stitches I'm getting the hang of what works & what still has meal appeal to me as well as my family. I had already pared down my dietary meanderings omitting foods such as bread, all dairy foods, red-meat etc. Having said that I'm sticking pretty close to the straight & narrow when it comes to eating fruits, veggies & lean proteins. I hate people who preach about the new blah, blah, blah diet that they love which really made them who they are, Zzzzz....  Having said that though I'm feeling pretty good about a few new recipes I've added & thanks to a couple of good blogs I'm finding that many of the best things are still in the que for meal preps. I found Sarah Fragroso's Everyday Paleo to be very helpful. I'm not saying I will stick to a strict Paleo diet but she has some great recipes & I think a Texas to Mexico kitchen can only improve with a little Paleo restructure.

Egg Muffins are a good choice for weekend brunches.

Egg Muffins
1lb Ground Turkey or turkey/chicken sausage
3 cups fresh Spinach (packed), cleaned & chopped
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
mushrooms, sliced
32 oz carton Egg Whites*
1 tsp. cayenne
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Cook Turkey, season with cayenne, salt & pepper to taste. Set aside turkey, wilt spinach in skillet. Try not to over cook, I just toss spinach in skillet till barely wilted & remove from heat. Into the bottom of muffin cups (you may use silicon muffin liners or just use a vegetable oil spray in the muffin pan) I spooned a Tbsp of meat into each muffin tin, layer in veggies then pour in egg whites leaving 1/3 inch space at top so egg muffins can rise as they bake. Bake at 375* for 25 min or till they are slightly browned & spring back when touched. Cool slightly & serve. These are good stored & I've even frozen them & heated them in the microwave for a quick breakfast.*I did not use the entire carton of Egg whites & you can also use 12-14 whole eggs in place.  Experiment with different veggies & type of egg product. ie: egg beaters, whites or whole eggs.

Any favorite Veggies can be used. I've used Asparagus & Broccoli

This recipe is easy to bake for the work week ahead.