Eggplant Fricassée

I love eggplant. L-O-V-E.  (I hated it as a child)  So I got a little giddy when I found one in good shape on the discount rack at Stop and Shop today for 75 cents!  That meaty specimen was definitely priced close to $4 yesterday. Since I got it discount though I wanted to cook it today since throwing away food is the saddest thing ever. 


Since Italians really know what to do with an eggplant, I flipped through The Silver Spoon for a yummy looking, paleo friendly dish, and found this!  I was very pleasantly surprised, learned a new cooking technique, and have a happy belly. The recipe below is slightly modified from the book as it called for 5 eggplants, and I don't think any of us are eating that much eggplant anytime soon.


Eggplant Fricassée

The picture in the book:
 
Ingredients: 
* 1 large eggplant, sliced thickly (~1/2in)
* 2 tbsp butter
* 3 tbsp oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 can peeled plum tomatoes, drained & chopped
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 tbsp parsley
* salt and pepper
* 2 eggs
* juice of 1 lemon (or equivalent from bottle)

It is important to remember that eggplant must be well salted and allowed to 'sweat' for 30 minutes, then rinsed and patted dry before using. This takes the bitterness out. I've skipped this step if I'm in a real hurry but it does make a real difference. I like to slice mine, layer it in a colander (salting each layer well), then place a bowl full of water on top to help press them a bit. 

Meanwhile - melt the oil and butter together in your skillet (I use my cast iron, but an enamel casserole like le creuset would be great). Add the onion and sauté over medium for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until translucent. 



 


Add your patted dry eggplant slices, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, and pepper. (Save the salt for the end and add only if it needs it since the canned tomato will likely have enough). 
Stir this around to coat the slices (it's a little awkward unless you have an enormous pan). Let cook for about 15 minutes or until the eggplant is tender enough for you. Flip them over every few minutes to make sure they cook evenly and get coated in the seasonings. 
When they're done, remove from the heat. 
Scramble the eggs together with the lemon juice - it will be very liquidy. ( You'll probably get the best flavor from juicing a fresh lemon)

Pour this over the eggplant in the pan and stir right away so the egg doesn't scramble. It should coat the eggplant like a cream sauce! (I was totally fascinated by this)

I am still fascinated by this dish - it was so simple, with basic ingredients, and seriously came out tasting 5 star restaurant quality. I will definitely make this again (an incredible compliment coming from someone who's only made like 3 things more than once), and I am going to try it with chicken too! I bet it'll be killer.

Kombucha Madness!

Kombucha! My new home science experiment. Why stop at yogurt?  ...I think I'm tackling wild yeast sourdough bread when the weather gets warmer. I know - bread isn't Paleo - but I'm a believer in 'everything in moderation'. Seriously. Yeah - I WOD like a crossfit junkie, but I'm also getting my downward dog on today, and enjoy a good walk to the grocery store -- either Whole Foods or ALDI. 

I try to keep my heart and mind open and my palate expansive. 

So... may I present my Kombucha Mama!

Kombucha is a fermented tea, and the "mama" or "SCOBY" (the white-ish thing floating on the top) is a "symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast". It kind of has the texture of...well...I don't really know haha. Really thick jello? Anyway - this first batch will be done in 1 week. Which is great because I just made a half gallon for the price of one 16 oz bottle from the store. :) 

I will continue to post about my progress! I might even tackle the secondary fermentation (a day or two) so I can get the carbonation which is my favorite part! And if this works, then I'm going to attempt ginger flavor for the next batch. <3

Pumpkin Curry

Fall is absolutely my favorite season. Not least because pumpkins are in such abundance!

My love for coconut, spice, and pumpkin prompted this yummy recipe....

Pumpkin Curry
- Put the juice of one orange, or 1/4c concentrate, into a saucepot on medium high
- Add diced/chopped vegetables of your choice - I used 1 yellow onion, bell pepper strips, and mushrooms. Saute until onions are translucent and veggies are softened to your liking.
- Add 1 cup of cooked chopped pumpkin or butternut squash, 1 cup chopped cooked tofu or chicken breast, and 1 can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained) and heat until warmed through.      **option: you can use uncooked chicken and cook with the veggies
- Add either 1 can of light coconut milk, or 1/3 can of coconut milk plus some water, and 2 tablespoons of curry seasoning powder. Add a few handfuls of fresh spinach. Simmer a few minutes until flavors are well combined and spinach is wilted.
- Turn the heat off. Add a splash of low sodium soy sauce or tamari. 
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves and enjoy!!!


*May be served over rice or pasta, but is excellent alone

The Yellow Rose of Texas

I made up a smoothie this morning for breakfast. It's delicious. 


Into the blender:
1/2c milk - any variety (I used coconut)
1 banana
1 mango (or pineapple)
a splash of rose water
some ice


blend to smoothie perfection.

Pollock and Spinach Salad

Post-workout lunch:

4oz pollock, thawed for 2 minutes under cold running water

Heat cast iron skillet to medium high, add a tablespoon of olive oil and the pollock. 
Sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning or other spices of choice. 
Add piece of bacon if desired. 
Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until desired "done-ness". 
Put over a bed of baby spinach. 

Mmmmm


Also ate an apple. 


Still going strong on Fitocracy.com - awesome. Did 50 each pushups, squats, crunches and bicycle crunches after BJJ today to get more points - that's some serious motivation!


PS - I've lost 5 pounds since starting this project. And Drew says I'm getting abs!  ^_^

Coconut Peach Smoothie

Celebrating 1 full week of healthy eating, healthy living, and a happy heart. Fitocracy.com is definitely helping motivate me to keep exercising...to the tune of I ran THREE MILES today! Only been able to do that one other time in my life, over two years ago. Amazing.

It's been fairly easy this time around to avoid temptations...lesson learned from prior attempts? Eat enough! and eat food that is delicious! No need to ever starve yourself. 

I read someone's web page the other day - he is a medical doctor no less - who's brilliant approach to health was, and I quote, "Remove anything from your diet that you enjoy."  What...   Absolutely ludicrous. I pity the man and his subconscious hatred for food and happiness. 


My breakfasts have been looking something like this  - 
Eggs over easy, sauteed mushrooms and banana peppers, and bacon, with a little salsa on the side.

mmmmm....

 

Today being a special Sunday with my man at home - I made a brunch spread of pepper/broccoli/spinach egg frittata,  fried plantains, turnip home fries, and bacons. Yay!


Dinner was leftover chicken with marinara sauce.



Signing off with a quick yummy smoothie I made for dessert today:

1/4c coconut milk
3/4c almond milk (Silk, unsweetened)
1/2c frozen fruit mix: peach, pineapple, mango, strawberry

blend. enjoy.   :)

Roast Beef Hash

A spin on the Turnip Home Fries

I put a package of stew beef in the crockpot last night on low with a little olive oil and completely forgot about it until this morning when I woke up to the smell of beef (maybe better than coffee...) Anyway - I had forgotten to add onions or carrots or seasonings or anything, but I had a bag of turnips in the freezer so I decided to eat it for breakfast and make some Roast Beef Hash!

Roast Beef Hash


1 lb roast beef cooked and shredded
1/2 bag frozen turnips
Thyme, Salt, Pepper


Put the turnips in the skillet on high and stir often, when they begin to brown - instead of adding olive oil like we do for the home fries - add the roast beef with all its liquid and fats. If there is not enough fat also add some olive oil. Cook them together with a few pinches of dried thyme, pepper and salt and viola! Fresh, hot, delicious breakfast. I ate it with an egg over easy :)

(Yes that's how much I eat for breakfast)


Jiujitsu tonight!

Quick Asian Chicken

Day 3 - 10% there!

And doing well, despite the random craving I had today for an oatmeal cream pie/nutella/peanut butter sandwich. (Thanks love for putting the idea in my head).

I made this very quick chicken for lunch today and it came out MUCH better than expected- really delicious actually!

Quick Asian Chicken


Put chicken breast (already cooked) in tupperware/glass to-go container.
Sprinkle with sesame oil, and add 1-2 tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce.
Sprinkle with powdered ginger.
Add vegetable of choice (I used a banana pepper).


Microwave when ready - 2-3 minutes. 


SO GOOD - the oil/sauce acts as a marinade I guess because the chicken was beyond tender and the flavors, while simple, were elegant. Totally will make again.




Breakfast: 2 eggs + bacon - bacon came out much better today when I let it cook on 3 for 30 minutes instead of 9 for 2 minutes...patience pays off
Snack: banana
Lunch: Quick Asian Chicken + baby carrots
Snack: apple + cashew butter (post workout)
Dinner: smoked salmon + whole milk ricotta.  (I know cheese is not Paleo but it's a good wholesome food and I wasn't about to throw away perfectly good (really really good actually) ricotta when cleaning out my fridge. I won't buy any more though.) (PS - this combo was DELICIOUS)

Turnip Home Fries

I just watched "I, Caveman" - a documentary following a group of people trying to survive 10 days in the Colorado wild with only paleolithic supplies and tools. It was hard - 2 people quit, but the rest really managed to make it work! They built shelter, purified water, hunted small game and even managed to bring down an elk. The whole experience made me both want to try it myself, and really appreciate my stove! In homage, I'm sharing my awesome recipe for turnip home fries - they're super delicious, low cal, and low glycemic index. And...it's quick!

Turnip Home Fries

1/2 bag frozen turnips
A couple tablespoons of olive oil
A pinch of salt and pepper, or Mrs. Dash :)

Put the turnips in a pan and cook on high, stirring often, until melted and beginning to brown. Add the olive oil and the seasoning, turn to medium high, and stir often until golden brown all over! Probably 15 minutes total cook time. 


So yummy with eggs for breakfast, or with steak for dinner! Only thing - they're best hot out of the pan. 




Day 2 of Paleo experiment - going beautifully.


Breakfast: 2 fried eggs + 2 strips bacon
Lunch: chicken breast over salad, with carrots in balsamic vinegar and rosemary
Dinner: rest of the chicken leftover from lunch with almond butter on it, plus rest of Spanish Style Mussels from last night, and some delicious home fry turnips!

Spanish Mussels

A recipe from the Spring 2011 issue of Whole Foods' "Meals for 4 under $10"

Spanish-style Mussels with Spinach

Serves 4 (I halved the recipe)

2 lbs Mussels 
2 jalapeno peppers
1 lime
1.5 c coconut milk (unsweetened)
10 oz frozen spinach
1 bunch cilantro
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
2 tbsp dried oregano
Pinch black pepper


*I used a pinch of cayenne instead of the peppers, 1/2 c fresh collards instead of the spinach, omitted the cilantro, fresh tomatoes, and fresh oregano.


Scrub mussels under cold running water, discard any open or with broken shells.
Wash and slice jalapenos in half, removing seeds. (wear gloves to do this)
Wash and zest the lime, and cut it in half.


In a medium pot, add coconut milk and frozen spinach, cook 3-5 minutes until the spinach thaws and separates. Stir in cilantro, jalapenos, and lime zest. Squeeze the lime juice into the pot and throw the whole lime in (discard the lime after juicing if you want less bitterness). Add the tomatoes, oregano and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add the mussels, stir, and cover the pot. Let cook 4-6 minutes until the mussels have opened - discard any which don't open. 

Viola! Very quick, very delicious, very nutritious!

The Bagged Lunch Dilemma

To bring, or not to bring? The classic question. Why do we feel so much freedom regarding dinner, and so limited regarding lunch? Many workplaces have access to both a refrigerator and a microwave. Even if you have neither - you are not relegated to a PB&J with a bag of doritos!

My happy accident today: I have no food. Well, very little. Literally: old potatoes, lettuce, some tofu, the bottom of the almond butter jar, and frozen fish, plus random pantry items. So I sadly decided I would have plain oatmeal for lunch. But wait - are those unsweetened coconut flakes? 
::brain wheels turning...::


I ended up with a tupperware with the following dumped into it: piece of frozen salmon. 2 tbsp almond butter. 1/4c unsweetened coconut flakes. A dash of garlic powder. A dash of sriracha chili sauce. A dash of soy sauce. A splash of water. ::fingers crossed::  ...microwave x4 minutes. 
Viola.  Thai Coconut Salmon.
Delicious, wholesome, nutritious, very fast, lunch. That was not plain oatmeal. And took less time to do than a pb&j. 


Bottom line - get creative with your lunches. There is no excuse to eat pre-packaged garbages that do nothing for your body and eat away your soul! I'll write more on this topic later and try to come up with some quick delicious bagged lunch meal ideas. 


"When you already know you're on the right track, all you have to do is keep walking."