Well Fed Options

I mention the cookbook Well Fed by Meliisa Joulwan in just about every post on this blog.  If you don't have a copy yet, and are thinking about buying one, you might want to consider buying a PDF copy directly from Melissa's website.  Once upon a time, I had the paperback copy (it's now moved on to friends), but the PDF copy is the one I use in my kitchen.  I actually prefer the PDF because, once printed and placed in a binder, it will lay flat.  There have been some complaints that the paperback's binding doesn't hold up very well, so the PDF option solves that problem.  It also makes me feel better about scribling notes all over the pages.  Here's my copy:

Another cool thing about buying the PDF is this note on Melissa's blog:

Neato news! For every PDF we sell, we’re donating $1 to Common Threads, a non-profit organization that teaches low-income children how to cook wholesome, real food with a free 10-week, hands-on cooking class. Learn more about Common Threads.

Another tip: Melissa posted a list of corrections to the cookbook here.  So, if the directions in any of the recipes seem a little fuzzy, there's a good chance she's added some clarification via an errata sheet.

A final picture of Well Fed shows the proper use for a toaster oven!  Yes, that's right, now that I am eating Paleo, the only use I have for a toaster oven is to hold recipes while I'm cooking.



Cumin Roasted Carrots

I've been on a huge Cumin Roasted Carrots kick lately.  I have always loved these, but just recently discovered that they are good for breakfast also!  I will typically make a batch at night and then save the leftovers to be reheated quickly in the morning.  I pair them with a slice of ham or some Canadian bacon, and absolutely love it!  You can find the recipe in Well Fed by Melicious.

Chicken Satay Salad

There are so many things that signal the arrival of summer for me.  The warmer weather, the longer days, my neighbors who leave the front door of their apartment open to save on A/C (I wouldn't mind except for the noise of their screaming toddler reverberating down the hall!  hint hint).

One thing I am loving about summer is the change in appetite I've experienced lately.  Gone is my hunger for crock pot stews and Shepherd's Pie.  Now it's grilled meats, veggies and salads!  This is coming from someone who didn't touch a single piece of lettuce until my mid-twenties!  So, I am thrilled to have developed a taste for salads.  It's still fairly selective and it will take me some time to branch out in more directions.  For now, it normally has to be some kind of Asian-inspired dressing.  One great option I've discovered is to use Melicious' recipe for "Sunshine Sauce" as a salad dressing.  It tastes a little bit like peanut sauce at a Thai restaurant.  I throw some spinach in a bowl, top it with leftover cold grilled chicken, drizzle some Sunshine Sauce over top, and it's good to go!

I realize this is not the height of culinary sophistication, but sometimes simple is good.  Besides, Paleo can be quite overwhelming when you come from a food background like mine, and it's nice to have some incredibly easy recipes on hand.

Tough Transition Days!

I have been back from Tucson for over a week.  It took me several days to get completely back on track with a strict Paleo diet.  Seems like once I am off-plan for a few days, I inevitably have to face withdrawal all over again. 

This time was especially hard because we celebrated Father's Day at P.F. Changs (gluten-free, of course!).  After that sugar and cornstarch-loaded meal, my body put up quite a fight at the idea of going 100% back to Paleo.  So, I gave myself some wiggle room for a few days, to include a few "cheats."  None of them were huge - a Flavia mocha at the office one day.  A trip to Golden Spoon the next.  I allowed myself 2 or 3 days of breathing room before cutting myself off.  At that point, a major battle ensued and I forced myself to just deal with it.  I chewed some sugar free gum and got some extra sleep. 

And now?  Well, I'm back on track.  It's amazing how much easier it is to be compliant with a good diet once you are several days into it.  The cravings subside to something much more reasonable.  It's those first few clean days days that make it so hard.  For me, the lesson doesn't amount to never having cheat days.  For me, the take-away is this: Be very, very selective about how often and how intensely I go off track.  I personally want to rack up several weeks in a row before I go off plan.  It's more of a once-a-month thing for me as opposed to once-a-week.  I just can't seem to come up with a better way to do it.  What's your strategy?

Gluten Free Travel Snacks

I'm flying to Tucson tomorrow for a business trip and just packed some snacks! 

Aside from the dark chocolate, they are not Paleo, and not part of my daily diet.  However, I feel the need to have some emergency supplies in Tucson in case testing goes a little long and I'm stuck on-site.  Also, I am staying at a hotel right next to the airport and most of the gluten free restaurants are about 30-40 minutes away.  With that said, I can guarantee that I will be munching on a few of these goodies in the next three days.  I could probably figure out a way to keep it Paleo, but that would honestly create more stress for me than it's worth for a few days.  What kinds of gluten-free and/or Paleo snacks do you take on the road?  I'm going to have to work hard at restraining myself tonight - I'm not used to having anything salty and crunchy besides nuts.  The Terra chips and the Nut-Thins are seriously calling my name!

Paleo Shepherd's Pie

Last night, I made Shepherd's Pie.  My favorite recipe comes from the popular gluten free blog, Elena's Pantry.  It's a little bit labor-intensive, but during the winter, I was making this about once a week.  Now that summer is here, I only make it once every month or two.  It's a fantastic recipe if you are doing any kind of autoimmune or gut healing protocol. 

Here's my set-up:

I took this shot right after crumbling the grass-fed ground beef into the mixture:

I hadn't made this in such a long time that I nearly forgot to steam the cauliflower before pureeing it in the food processor:

Prepping the casserole dish before baking in the oven:



Cauliflower puree added to the top:

Out of the oven and ready to eat: