Day 3

Hi All!

This morning I made a couple very easy things I thought I would share. I'm a big supporter of 1)using what I have in my pantry, 2) recycling ingredients so they don't go bad in the fridge and 3) making enough food that I have leftovers. I did all of these things today so I'm pretty pleased.

I made a whole roast chicken with coconut milk, curry paste, and ginger. Roasted broccoli. Prepped salad dressing and salad greens for the week. And now I've got stock going, because, what else would I do with my chicken bones and vegetable scraps?

For the chicken: 
I made a whole spatchcocked (aka butterflied) roast chicken. Spatchcocking a chicken is easy - or at least way easier than spatchcocking a turkey - and has a ton of benefits. You end up with a bird that's evenly cooked (no dry breast!), a bird that only takes 30 minutes to cook rather than an hour, and last but not least, a raw back bone for that stock that you'll make later! 

So, you ask, how does one spatchcock a chicken? Grab your sharpest kitchen shears, cut out the backbone, and then press your chicken flat. Want more info? Check out J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's explanation on serious eats.  He is also the author of an amazing cook book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science which is a great resource.

If you don't want to deal with a whole chicken, buy whatever chicken bits you like best. I always encourage bone-in and skin on chicken. And I encourage making extra for leftovers (chicken on salad, chicken salad, chicken to put in tomorrow's curry, etc...)

Before you spatchcock your chicken, prep everything else:

Preheat your oven to 450° F
Line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil

Mix:
1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat!)
1 tablespoon of curry paste I like Aroy-D green or yellow curry paste) if you don't have curry paste - but do have curry powder, turmeric, and ground chili - use those!
1 garlic clove crushed - or chopped into small pieces
1" worth of fresh grated ginger (sub 1tsp dry ginger if you don't have fresh)
1/2 tsp salt (use 1 tsp if you're using spice powders instead of curry paste)


Chop 1 large yellow onion into chunks - no need to make them pretty. Save the top, bottom, and skin for your future stock.
Place onion chunks and citrus slices on your lined baking sheet.

Once your marinade is ready to go - go ahead and prep your chicken. Save your backbone in a ziplock, label it, and toss it in the freezer for later use. Place your spatchcocked chicken on top of your onion on the baking sheet and rub on your marinade. Use all your marinade, making sure the whole bird is well coated. Now your bird is ready to go into the oven!

Your bird should be removed from the oven when the thickest part of the breast reaches 150°F and the joint between the leg and the body reaches 170°F. Once out of the oven, let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting in to it (I rarely do this, but that's because I'm terribly impatient. If you are patient, wait! Your chicken will be juicier and you will retain the sensation in your finger tips that I have lost after many years of impatiently touching very hot food.)

Don't have a thermometer? Buy one! Really, they are so useful.
But until then, it should take about 45 minutes for a 4-5 pound bird to cook. So at 40 minutes, take it out and check. Remember that cooked chicken should be opaque and that your chicken should not be dry. Odds are you might not eat your whole chicken at once - so slightly under done is better than way over done since when you reheat your bird she'll cook a bit more.

Okay, next:
While my chicken was in the oven, I cut and washed two heads of broccoli. I also quartered a couple red bell peppers, and tossed broccoli and peppers with fresh vegetable oil (I use rice bran oil) grated ginger, salt, chili, and lemon juice. Then I roasted them in the oven with my chicken for 15 minutes. The stems of the broccoli should be just barely fork tender. If they are burning, cover them with foil, this will also make them cook more quickly since they'll be steaming. Dont worry too much about your peppers burning though, they will taste delicious with a little char.

I also washed and chopped a bunch of kale for salads. If you are over kale, use spinach, or literally any other salad green. Store it in ziplocks - if it's moist, add in a dry paper towel. If it's dry, add in a damp paper towel - these will help your greens last in the fridge.

Lastly,
I made the following dressing:
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup water - add more if you like a thiner dressing
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced

I doubled the recipe because I put this on everything - and it will stay good in your fridge for at least a week.

For lunch, I had chicken with some of the roasted veggies. I'll slice and save some of the breast meat to put on top of my salads for the rest of the week. And I'll save some for a curry that I'll make tomorrow, so I can use up the rest of my coconut milk!

Bonus:

Once you've collected enough veggie scraps (carrot tops, onion peels, celery tops and bottoms, leek bits are all great) and chicken bones, toss them all in a large pot, cover with water, and boil for at least an hour, ideally 2-3. If you have a pressure cooker - use it! It'll only take you 30 minutes! I tend to keep a bag (or three...) of veg scraps and meat bones in the freezer, making stock each time I've collected enough. 

Okay, that's all.

Happy Wednesday!

Day 2

Hi all!

As requested by Kenz, here is a recipe for a celery salad that I adapted from Bon Appetite magazine. I intended to make it last Saturday after the workout to illustrate the elements of taste - but then it was Saturday after the workout. So, here it is - I promise, it's much better than it sounds.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (rice bran or avocado is my preference)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons coconut aminos or fish sauce
1 head of celery, thinly sliced on a diagonal
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1-2 fresh red chili depending on your heat preference - red cherry chilis work well
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, picked from the stem
¼ cup toasted and salted cashews (I tossed mine with a little vegetable oil and cayenne and toasted them gently in a pan).
Salt, to taste

Toss everything except the cashews into a large bowl, mix! Top with cashews and serve. This salad keeps for 3-4 days, so make extra!

Need a protein? Grab some fish or  shrimp. Heat up 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a pan, add 1 clove chopped or pressed garlic. Sauté until just golden brown - add in fish or shrimp, season with salt and cayenne (if you like a little heat). Finish with lemon or lime juice. Easy peasy.

I think I'll make this for dinner tonight:
http://nomnompaleo.com/post/2579868716/curried-ground-pork-and-broccoli-slaw-frittata
It's delicious and keeps well - and if you make it in a muffin tin it's also adorable and transportable.

Enjoy!

Day 1

Hi all!

A few people asked me to share recipe ideas - and since I'm all about easy - I thought this might be a good platform to do so! 

First things first - I am terrible at recipes. I'm much more interested in creating interesting flavor combinations and hoping for the best than I am following a recipe perfectly. This is because I am lazy, and measuring things requires that I use more dishes, and therefor have to wash more dishes... For those of you who need perfect recipes, this may not be a useful source for you. Although, I do encourage you to get in the kitchen and try things! Make mistakes! Learn! Cooking is a skill like any other, it takes some practice, a lot of patience, but when it goes well you have a delicious meal as a reward.

OKAY! So here is what I'm thinking. As I go through the month I'll try and post recipe ideas, flavor combinations, etc. This will keep me accountable and force me to keep things interesting, and hopefully provide some inspiration for anyone who is struggling to come up with paleo meal ideas.

I will not provide perfect recipes on most occasions, so I encourage you to apply some of your own critical thought and to ask questions! Don't like a spice I'm using? Use less of it or sub it for something else! Or, just try it and maybe, just maybe, you'll like it! 

"CANDIED" SPICED NUTS:
egg white (roughly 1 egg white/2 cups of nuts)

2 cups raw nuts (hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, and cashews are my favorites)

3tbsp honey

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper (trust me!) 

Whip your egg white until stiff peaks form when you remove the whisk from the bowl

Add spices and honey together - taste! It should be sweet and spicy! Adjust spices accordingly.

Gently mix in the nuts to the whipped egg white - you don't want the egg white to collapse

Gently add in the the honey/spice mix

Mix until evenly incorporated.

Spread them out on parchment paper and bake at 325 for roughly 20 min. After 20 min, remove and taste test - remember that the nuts coming out of the oven will be HOT and softer than they will be when they cool down. 

BREAKFAST DAY 1:

In a pan, heat up olive oil, add chopped kale + sliced mushrooms + curry powder (roughly 1/4 tsp/1 cup raw veggies), turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper - cover with a lid, cook until mushrooms are soft. Squeeze in some tomato paste (roughly 1 tsp/cup veggies) and mix. TASTE! (Not enough spices? Add more! Not enough salt? Add more! Too much spice? Toss in some more kale and cook for another minute!)

Set aside. Fry up a couple eggs, plate veggies, put eggs on top. Eat!

Tip: I always wash my veggies right before I toss them in the pan, the extra moisture on the leaves helps the veggies steam.

DINNER DAY 1:

Pureed tomato or canned diced, chili flakes, pressed garlic, fresh parsley. In a frying pan, add olive oil, cubed eggplant, and chopped onion. Cook until soft and browning (burning? add some water to steam it. need more oil? add it! Hate eggplant? Use zucchini, or just add zucchini!). Once soft, toss your eggplant in with your sauce, add some capers for punch. Pairs well with grilled chicken, sausage, or a nice white fish like sole. 

That's all! If you have questions, feel free to ask. If this is useful, great! If not, never look at it again! I will not be offended, promise.

Ari

A very very brief Introduction to Taste (and making things tasty)

Understanding Flavor:

Flavor = taste + mouthfeel + aroma + “the x factor”

The best dishes will include all the elements of taste, spectacular dishes will also consider mouthfeel, aroma, and the “x-factor.”

The breakdown:

TASTE - perceived by the taste buds

MOUTHFEEL - perceived by the rest of the mouth (temperature, texture)

AROMA - perceived by the nose

THE “X-FACTOR” - perceived by other senses + plus memories, history, emotion, moment

Elements of TASTE:

1.  Salt - flavor enhancer

2.  Sugar - Flavor enhancer, can lend roundness to savory dishes. Fruit, sugar, honey, beets, caramelization are natural sources of sweetness.

3.  Acid - Flavor enhancer, following salt in savory food and sugar in sweet food. Brightens, adds lift, excitement, stimulates the palate (wine, citrus, vinegar).

4.  Umami - for adding roundness, depth, complexity, body, a savory quality, meatiness and overall deliciousness. Think about anchovies, fish sauce, cured meats, preserved foods such as soy sauce, tomato sauce, mushrooms, seaweed, aged cheeses (especially parmigiano reggiano or blue cheese).

5.  Bitter - Balances sweetness, can cut the richness of a dish. Bitterness has a ‘palate cleansing’ effect, which is why it pairs well with fats. Dandelion, radicchio, some spices, tea, hops, coffee, chocolate.

6.  Fat - From seeds, nuts, meats, dairy, etc. Adds roundness.

7.  Aromatics - for adding interest, complexity, brightness (herbs, spices, vegetal or floral notes, nuttiness, smokiness).

Elements of MOUTHFEEL:

1. Texture - creamy (soft cheeses, cream soups, avocado), crunchy (toasted nuts, croutons, raw veggies,), tender (slow cooked meats, perfectly cooked broccoli), soft (ice cream, overcooked broccoli), gummy, slimy (mushrooms), firm (steak)

2. Temperature - hot, room temp, cold, freezing

3. Piquancy - for adding sharpness and/or spiciness to a dish - chiles, garlic, ginger, black peppercorn - can give the (false) impression of heat.

4. Astringency - drying sensation that makes our mouths “pucker” (tannic red wine,  strong tea, unripe persimmons, coffee, beer.

Elements of AROMA:

Scents are volatile compounds - the warmer something gets, the better we can smell it. The smell of a food, whether good or bad has a significant effect on its flavor.

1. Pungency - the unpleasant aroma associated with hot/spicy foods: mustard, wasabi, horseradish (in smaller, pleasant quantities, the term is piquancy)

2. Chemesthesis - A sensation that results from chemical compounds activating particular receptors: Sensations that tickle, like carbonation. Sensations that cool, like mint, menthol. Sensations that heat, chili peppers.

Elements of “THE X FACTOR”:

Everything else! Where are you eating? Who are you sharing your meal with? Are you eating a dish that reminds you of a special person or moment? What does it look like? What color or colors is it?

Terrible food can be spectacular in the right circumstance! And the best meal in the world will be a disappointment in the wrong one.

(Information on taste comes from: The Flavor Bible)

Balancing a dish:

- Is there too much acid? Add a sweet or high fat ingredient. For example, adding sugar to lemonade.

- Too fatty? Add an acidic ingredient. For example, adding vinegar or lemon juice to salad dressing. Adding sauerkraut or mustard to sausage.

- Too much spice? Add a sweet, or high fat ingredient (think dairy or coconut milk). Bulking up the other ingredients can help.

- Too much salt? Add a sweet or acidic ingredient. Or add more bulk.

- Too bitter? Add a sweet or acidic ingredient (sugar in coffee, lemon on bitter greens). Or add more bulk.

- Too sweet? Add acid, salt, or experiment with small amounts of bittering agents

Well balanced (add paleo!) snacks:

• Avocado + lime
• crunchy lettuce/cabbage leaves with salmon/tuna/chicken salad
• salt and honey roasted nuts
• apple slices with salty nut butter
• vegetable slices (peppers, cucumbers, cabbage leaves, whatever!) with chunky pesto (sub walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts for a cheaper + more interesting pine nut alternative)
• deviled eggs
• celery with almond butter and raisins
  
  

PALEO substitutes:

1.  Salt - salt! Most “umami” ingredients below, celery

2.  Sugar - fruits, honey, maple syrup, caramelized onions and fennel, squash, pumpkin, carrots.

add fresh apples or pears to your creamy soups, salads, and sandwiches for sweetness and a touch  of acidity

pomegranate seeds, strawberries, and mango chunks to salads

add balsamic vinegar to salad dressings, soups, glazes

add honey to coffee, dressings, marinades

3.  Acid - lemon, lime, or grapefruit juice, vinegar (balsamic, apple cider, red wine vinegar, and white wine vinegar, to name a few), citrus zest

4.  Umami - Anchovies, fish sauce, coconut aminos, cured meats, tomato sauce + paste, mushrooms, seaweed, bacon, capers

5.  Bitter - Dandelion, radicchio, escarole, coffee, cocoa nibs

6.  Fat - Seeds, nuts, nut butter, meats, olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, egg yolks

7.  Aromatics - Herbs, smoked salt

(see, it’s not so bad!)

Consider ingredients that cover a few elements of taste at once:

Capers are salty AND acidic AND umami

bacon, tomato paste, anchovies are all salty AND umami

Apples, pears, pomegranates, oranges, grapefruits are all sweet AND acidic

Now consider their textures:

Capers (soft or crunchy - fried capes, anyone?), bacon (crispy), tomato paste (smooth, creamy), anchovies (soft) are all salty AND umami

Apples (crisp), pears (soft or hard), pomegranate seeds (crunchy), oranges (soft), grapefruits (soft and firm)are all sweet AND acidic

A couple things to have in your paleo pantry:

Ghee

Coconut aminos (soy sauce/tamari substitute)

Extra virgin olive oil

Vinegars

Honey

Coconut milk

spice mixtures

Fermented things (sauerkraut, kimchi)

lemons

And, a couple things make (or buy) to have in the fridge:

pesto

guacamole

salsa

spiced nuts

sweet nuts

homemade mayo

tuna salad

paleo sriracha

pickled red onions (sub honey for sugar)

hard boiled eggs