Paleo Recipe - Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower

If you have been following my recipes, you know I am a huge fan of garlic.  I have a lot of it growing in my garden right now and I look forward to harvesting it in June or July! 

Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower cut into florets
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp of dijon mustard
3-4 cloved of garlic chopped but NOT crushed or it will burn
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 tsp chopped parsley

Wisk all incredients except the cauliflower and parsley in a big bowl.  Add the cauliflower and toss until well coated.  Place in roasting pan with florets sitting on their stem, if possible.  Roast for 20-25 minutes.  If tops of florets aren't light brown, broil for 2 minutes.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley (I do this mostly for color because I not only like my meals to taste good, I want them to look good!).

Paleo Recipe - Red Snapper Puttanesca Style

I made this a couple of days ago for dinner but I am posting a bit late due to my busy schedule over the past few days.  It turned out great and the flavors explode in your mouth!  I don't measure ingredients so these are approximate measurements.  Feel free to omit or add ingredients to your liking.  That is what cooking is all about!  I would have added artichoke hearts with a splash of the olive oil they come in but I was out.

Red Snapper Puttanesca

2-3 Red Snapper filets (cod would work well, too)
15-20 organic cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup of chopped calamata olives
3 T capers
1/2 cup diced red onion
4-5 cloves of chopped garlic
1 small zucchini chopped
Juice from 1 lemon ( I NEVER use the bottled lemon juice because it makes a big difference in flavor)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 T cooking sherry (or white wine)
2 T coconut oil

Saute onions and garlic in coconut oil for 3-4 minutes.  Add red pepper flakes, sherry and lemon juice and saute another 2 minutes.  Add fish filets and top with the remainder of the ingredients, cover pan, turn heat to medium and cook until fish is done.  It will take 8-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the filets.

Rats, Rats Every Where!

Fat ones, skinny ones, long ones, short ones.  Gym rats that is!  Yes, I rejoined a gym a few days ago!  As I mentioned in previous posts, I put on a LOT of weight due emotional eating over deaths over the last 4 years of people very close to me, including my best friend, Gloria and my mom. Bone surgery on my foot last year in July didn't help matters as I was unable to even go for a walk for months and months.

It is ironic how being fat can keep you from going to the gym.  I didn't want anyone to see in my sweat pants that stretched too tightly over my flabby ass, my belly protruding over the waist band.  I know all of you other "curvy, buxom" women can relate too that.  Skinny ladies running on the tread mill in tight form fitting jog bras and lycra shorts makes you hyper aware of each bulge around your waist, each dimple on your butt and thighs.  I am still aware of the fact that I have a lot of weight to lose, I am happy to be back at the gym!  Since losing 12 lbs over the past month, my sweat pants are actually a bit baggy!

I head to the Caribbean in 25 days.  Although I won't be strutting my stuff in a bikini around the pool, I am excited about my progress and will continue down this path.  Eventually I will change the name of my blog to Chronicles of a Former Fat Girl.

Paleo Recipe - Asian Shrimp Salad

I bought a few mangos the other day with the intention of using them in a salad dressing.  Today I noticed they were ripe and decided to check my frig to see what kind of a concoction I could come up with.  Hmmm... red cabbage, cilantro, bay shrimp... an idea was coming to mind!  Here is what I came up with and, as my boyfriend said after he ate it "You should open up a restaurant!"  I guess that means he liked it and I hope you do, too!

For those of you who haven't cooked with a fresh mango, there is an easy way to get nice, uniform pieces.  The difficult thing is how to describe how to do this but I will give it a shot! The pit is fairly flat and as you stand the mango up on it's bigger end, you can imagine the pit lying flat in the middle.  Place your knife on top of the mango and cut it almost but not quite in the middle and you will feel the pit.  Carve along side the pit to the bottom and then do the same on the other side. 

Score the mango by cutting through the fruit but not through the skin.  This may take you a few tries before you have perfected this technique.  Here is a photo of 1/2 the mango scored :

Once the mango is scored, you kind of turn it inside out like this:

Once you have it scored and turned it inside out you can easily cut or pull off the chunks!

Paleo Recipe - Asian Shrimp Salad

3 Cups thinly sliced and chopped red cabbage

1 Cup chopped cilantro

1 Carrot grated

1 Red bell pepper

1 Yellow bell pepper

1/8 Cup diced red onion or green onion (scallions)

1/2 Mango cubed

1 lb bay shrimp

1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds

Dressing

1 Half of a ripe mango cubed

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup walnut oil

Juice from 2 limes

1 T red wine vinegar

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp dried basil or 3 T fresh basil

10 drops sesame oil (I use hot sesame oil because I like it spicy!)

1 tsp tamari

1 clove garlic

Toss 5 first ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Place all remaining ingredients, the dressing ingredients, in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  

Measure out about 1/2 cup of dressing and mix into first 5 ingredients of the salad.  Plate the salad and top with the shrimp and then sprinkle with almonds.  I also topped the shrimp with a little more dressing because it is sooo tasty!  Here is a photo of the finished dish:

Left over dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

Wow!  The combination of flavors and textures will have me recreating this salad time and time again!  If you make it, I would appreciate it if you would give me your honest opinion in a comment.





Fell Off The Wagon with a Soft "Thump"

When I began the 30 day challenge 3 weeks ago, I did it knowing I would "cheat" during this past weekend.  8 of us rented a house on the Oregon Coast and attended the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival.  I figured I would go hog wild and throw the whole Paleo thing out the window.  If you are going to indulge, do it whole heartedly, right?

I am happy to report that I stuck pretty strictly to the food part of Paleo with the exception of a small piece of carrot cake and a few delicious chocolates.  I think I could have avoided the carrot cake if the rest of the ladies hadn't been moaning and groaning with each bite and had they not told me the middle layer of frosting had apricot filling in it.  Jeez, it was good and well worth it!  I was surrounded by tortilla chips, bean dip, queso dip, bread and many other non Paleo foods the entire weekend so I am quite pleased that I didn't have more "cheats."

I did drink wine because how the hell can you not when at a wine festival?  It is not that I couldn't resist, I just didn't want to.  I drank in moderation and seems I am the only one that made it through the weekend without a hangover!

Since returning on Sunday night, I am back on board with only a week to go in the challenge.  Some may consider I failed the 30 day due to my slight indulgence this past weekend.  I am considering it a success because I have completely changed the way I eat, I feel great and I have lost 11 lbs and I am also feeling thinner.  Although I have a long way to go on my quest for better health and a new wardrobe of smaller clothing, I know that this past 3 weeks has set me along on a path to a better way of life.  Yes, I fell off the Paleo wagon for a couple of days but I landed with a soft thud, picked myself up, dusted off and climbed back on.  Cheers!

Paleo Recipe - Easy Pan Seared Steelhead with Stir Fried Vegetables

I really thought I would be jonesing for the meals typical of my former diet; brown rice with black beans, hummus with cucs, beer & chips, red wine and cheese, etc.  I am pleasantly surprised that I am not experiencing more cravings!  Wait a minute.  Let's back up a bit.  I do really miss red wine and haven't touched a glass in over 3 weeks now {self pat on back].

I am finding it MUCH more expensive to eat this way.  Scallops, prawns, wild salmon, dungeness crab and free range chicken really add up quickly.  But it is all so tasty so it makes it worth while.

Last night I cooked up some steelhead and veggies.  Feel free to omit or add vegetables to your own liking.  I cook everything from scratch and don't measure so these amounts are approximate. 

Pan Seared Steelhead & Stir Fried Vegetables

Steelhead filets (or salmon)
Salt & Pepper to taste

2 cups cut broccoli
1 Red pepper
1 Green pepper
1 Jalapeno pepper (omit if you don't like spicy food)
1 cupyellow squash
5 mushrooms
3 small organic carrots
1 small onion
3 cloves fresh garlic
2 T tamari sauce
Toasted sesame seeds*

How to cook the fish:

Rinse and pat dry fish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Melt 1 T coconut oil in saute pan, add fish skin side down and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium high.  Turn over and cook for another 3-4 minutes until cooked to desired doneness.  I like my salmon and steelhead a bit pink in the middle and nice and crispy on top.

How to cook the vegetables:

Melt 1 T coconut oil in saute pan.  Saute onions on medium high for 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic, carrots, broccoli and saute for another 2-3 minutes.  Add tamari, squash, mushrooms and peppers and saute for another 3-5 minutes until vegetables are cooked to desired tenderness.  I like mine crisp.

Plate salmon and vegetables and sprinkle vegetables with toasted sesame seeds.

*To toast sesame seeds, place in small saute pan on medium high heat.  Swirl the seeds around the pan until they are lightly browned.  Make sure to watch carefully because they burn easily!!

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

The Little Engine That Could

Wow!  Time flies!  I haven't written in a week.  I don't think I am born to blog but I want to track my progress so I will do my best to keep updated.

Okay, so I am not exactly a little engine.  More of a BIG engine.  But I CAN and I WILL make it through this 30 day challenge and continue eating the Paleo way for the rest of my life because I am seeing the results already!  I feel good, I sleep well and I am losing pounds and inches. 
I am heading to the Caribbean on April 2nd and I think I am on my way to a new wardrobe.  Not one I have to go out and buy but one that already exists in my closet.  I have been on the challenge now for exactly 2 weeks but I worked my way up to it for a week prior to that.  I have lost 10 lbs and I am fitting into clothes that I could not fit into before. 

I think most people can relate to this;  I have cute clothes in my closet that have eluded the "if you haven't worn it in a year, get rid of it" rule.  I can't bear the thought of parting with some things.  Yesterday I tried on a bunch of clothes from my closet and realized that I may soon be able to fit into them without bulging out at the seems.  I set a handful of these aside in a special section of my closet, my "Caribbean Trip" clothes.  My goal is to fit into several of these things before I head out on my Caribbean trip.

I haven't recorded my pedometer steps for the past week but I have worn it religiously.  Here is last Thursday through yesterday:

17th - 4419
18th - 3205
19th - 10667
20th - 6761
21st - 3874
22nd - 3837

My walking goal for the first month was at least 5 miles per week.  Call me an over achiever but I am averaging about 15 miles a week!  It has been tough due to my recent foot surgery but I think the walking is actually helping it heal. 

Life is good and it is only going to get better.