Outrigger Ohana

Chicken Liver!

 find it interesting when I speak to people who are ABSOLUTELY carnivores, who say they don't fancy eating any of the 'bits' (like organ meat or skin); only skeletal muscle and what was once subcutaneous or intramuscular fat.

Or course, preparation technique is HUGE.  While I quite enjoy the crisped skin of a beautiful wild salmon fillet, grilled to perfection, I do NOT love the wiggly skin of an ill prepared Coq Au Vin.

Paleolithic man ate ALL of an animal, and, in keeping with The Paleo Diet, so, too should we... at least sometimes!

I'm not implying you should go from exclusively eating skinless/boneless chicken breast to gnawing on raw bison marrow in one fell swoop; but, at least be adventurous and give some other meats a try!

If the idea of it turns you off for some reason, think back to your pre-Paleo days when you'd eat hot dogs, bologna or sausage.  What do you think might have been in those?  You get the idea!

While one of my personal faves has GOT to be beef bone marrow, perhaps you'll find it easier to start with something more 'approachable' like chicken liver!

 

From a nutritional standpoint, it's high in:

• Vitamin B12
• Iron
• Selenium
• Vitamin A
• Folate

Throw 'em in a cast iron skillet with garlic & oil, then serve on top of a bed of kale with some strawberries scattered on top.  Perfectly Paleo!

 

How To Eat Your Greens

Yes, i recognize that I'm a bit of a extremist, when it comes to kale, chard or most any other green; it's not the least bit uncommon to find me snacking away on a bunch of leaves at any given time (except during training!).  Rinse them, spin them dry and take them to go with you in a safe plastic container or wrapped up in some turkey...

 

Not so much?

OK- I get it...

Following are three easy ways to prep your greens, none of which are time consuming, and all of which are PALEO and TASTY!

• STEAM - enough said.  A quick steam leaves some of the tougher to digest raw (like broccoli) veggies ready to eat as is, or drizzled with lemon and olive oil.
• STIR FRY- GREAT for ALL cabbages in particular.  Slice leaves thinly and give a quick stir fry in olive oil & garlic and perhaps some fresh ginger.
• SAUTE - excellent for leaves!  Throw them in with some garlic, shallots, olive oil and mushrooms- add some red pepper flakes for a little heat. 

Of course, you can also braise BUT cooking for prolonged periods of times really zaps much of the nutrients, so this method is NOT my personal fave...Rather, i prefer to throw the leaves on top, right before serving!  If I've done BIson Stew, for example, I throw some raw spinach in each bowl as I plate, and it wilts so quickly, it's already cooked by the time it reaches the table!

 

Giving Away Your Mixer Since You're Paleo? THINK AGAIN!

WAIT!

Just because you're no longer mixing cake batter or bread dough is no reason to give away the Kitchen Aid!

I nearly did exactly that- my husband and I received the ubiquitous Kitchen Aid Mixer as a wedding gift.

However, fortunately, I was having a wander around Williams Sonoma (my Disneyland- as you know! ) and I saw several very useful, and very Paleo attachments for my mixer:

• Meat grinder
• Sausage stuffer (if you make your own, you can keep it Paleo!)
• 'Ice cream' maker (you don't HAVE to use dairy- opt for fresh fruit and make sorbet; no you do NOT need to add anything extra to 'sweeten' it- just fresh, local, in-season fruit will is brilliant!

Definitely a fun kitchen extra- so if you have one- keep it!

 

GOOD FAT - FAT IS GOOD

In food, that is! 

 

Eating extra virgin olive oil & avocado,    
along with some coconut each day is a GOOD THING!  

This has to be one of the most difficult concepts for people to get their heads around.  We're in a culture that has been so brainwashed by all that awful low-fat hype of the early 1990's, that to this day, I get many inquiries from clients who are trying to lose weight, trying to be Paleo, but afraid of fat.  

Scared to eat any part of a chicken other than boneless/skinless breast and not comfortable eating anything but the leanest sirloin tip steak if they're going on a red- meat route.

I recently gave a paleo nutrition lecture during which one of the audience members, a retired, uber-distinguished judge who looked quite slim and fit, approached me afterwards and asked, "Do you really mean I can have a steak?  I haven't had steak in years!". When I asked why, his only reply was that he thought it was bad for him.  He went straight to the butcher on the way home and had himself a filet!

Remember, eating healthy fat is NOT what makes people fat, in and of itself.  Think about it.  Do you really surmise that the country's obesity problem occurred because people are eating too much olive oil with their broccoli, or an abundance of avocado with their salmon?

It's a combination of eating rancid, oxidized fat, ultra processed carbohydrates, next to no fresh fruit or veg., not moving and an overall sloth-like lifestyle that is the path to obesity and the antithesis of health.

So- go paleo, eat your good fat, enjoy it and be lean!

 

COLOUR Brightens Simple Paleo Meals

THINK RAINBOW!
(Remember my rule of thumb- nothing white except cauliflower & onions!)

From top- yellow Heirloom tomatoes, Mache salad with fresh figs, fennel & avocado, and fresh (ALWAYS ORGANIC) strawberries- the foundation for any meal- just add your favorite wild fish, grass fed meat or game and you've got an easy, lovely Paleo balanced meal.

 

Ensalata Crescione, Cuori di Palma, Avocado & Olio d'Oliva

Watercress, Hearts of Palm, Avocado & Olive Oil Salad- totally easy to prepare and totally Paleo!

Combine freshly washed and spun-dry Watercress with some sliced hearts of palm, avocado and olive oil- feel free to use black truffle oil instead or in addition to!  Press into small  bowls, cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temp for 10 -15 minutes to allow the flavors to seep into the delicate leaves, and for the mixture to be pressed into the shape of the bowl.

Remove plastic, place a salad plate on top of the bowl and turn upside down.  Then choose to either serve as is:

Or flatten out to display all the other lovely ingredients:

 

Ensalata Caprese Deconstructed

Inspired by one of the offerings on the menu at one of our new fave Italian eateries in Venice, CA...Their version came topped with a dollop of Burrata and accompanied by Focaccia- but who needs that?!

Those of you who have the cookbook I coauthored with Dr. Cordain may have already tried the Paleo version (pretty easy to do -just skip the mozzarella!).

Here's yet another take on an avant garde presentation of a similar starter!

Puree a large, ripe (LOCAL AND ORGANIC!: ) Heirloom or Beefsteak Tomato, then portion out into serving vessels. (I used Martini glass for effect!). Then, after giving your food processor a quick rinse, puree fresh basil leaves with a touch of lemon zest, a splash of olive oil, a dash of garlic and a few raw walnuts (think along the lines of pesto, again, without the Pecorino or Parm). Top the tomato puree with the basil mixture and garnish with a basil leaf.   Serve right away and offer freshly ground pepper. 

 

 

 

Powdered Beef Protein Isolate- Is It Paleo?

I'm afraid not.

I must admit that when I saw the subject line of an email advert this morning, I was thrilled!  The idea of a powdered beef product (if it were JUST beef), was fantastic- finally a Paleo option that I could suggest for my clients who are following an Auto Immune Paleo Diet (which excludes egg- the one readily available protein powder on the market), who want to have the option to make smoothies or pre/post workout meals.

Alas, I jumped the gun prematurely.

A quick look at the ingredient panel showed it was NOT just beef protein:

 

Ingredients:

Carnivor-BPI [Hydrolyzed Beef Protein Isolate, Creatine monohydrate, BCAAs (Leucine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine), Anabolic Nitrogen Retention Technology Intermediates: GKG (Glutamine-alpha-ketoglutarate), OKG (Ornithin-alpha-ketoglutarate), AKG (alpha-ketoglutarate) and KIC (alpha-ketoisocaproate)], Hydrolyzed Gelatin, Maltodextrin, Cocoa, Medium Chain Triglycerides (from nonfat dry dairy milk), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Salt, Silica, Acesulfame Potassium, and Sucralose.

As always, if you are using something like egg powder or the rare packaged item, be sure and READ THE LABEL!

 

Deciphering Labels - Paleo or Not?

Dear Nell,

I can't tell if some of the foods I'm buying are Paleo because I don't recognize some of the ingredients on the label.  For example, I'm not sure what guar gum and sorbitol are. Are they Paleo?

Thanks,

Debbie, Kansas City

Excellent question, Debbie!  

Easy answer- first off- in a true Paleo Diet, you're not really going to be eating anything that comes in a package, with few exceptions, so that makes it really easy!  

Those few exceptions are the one-off items that you might have on hand for what I call a 'Plan B' snack- something to keep in your desk or car in the event of an emergency, like a non-peanut flavor LARABAR.  (Have a look at that ingredient panel- it will say something like: "cashews, coconut".  That's it.  FOOD that you can identify!)

Neither guar gum nor sorbitol are paleo. Guar is a thickening agent derived from a bean and sorbitol is a binding agent, and low calorie sweetener which is also indicated for use as a laxative.  (Nice, considering it's not only in many chewing gums and mints, but also many sports nutrition products!).

As much as you can- buy FRESH, and, if you do find yourself in a situation where you do need to purchase something packaged, make sure you can identify ALL the ingredients as foods (paleo foods!) that you know!

 

Broccolini, Baby!

Like broccoli?  Try broccolini, which is a green veg like broccoli but with smaller florets and longer, thin stalks. It's a cross between broccoli and kai-lan, Chinese broccoli.

The flavor is a bit more mild and because it's also more delicate, it cooks more quickly.  

Mince (A LOT!) of garlic and heat with olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium, stirring and making sure not to singe.  Add some red pepper flakes if you'd like some heat, and then the broccolini.  Saute for just a few minutes, then turn off heat and cover, while you're plating your salads and proteins.  Add some freshly ground black pepper to taste if desired and enjoy!  

Save the leftovers for tomorrow's lunch as this dish is great cold, as well!

 

Paleo Doner Kebabs

*Must say first off- yes, it LOOKS like dairy on top of the meat, but what you're seeing is a coconut tzatziki I've made to top off the lamb dish we ate for dinner the other night...

I often ask my husband for requests for dinner, and the more challenging, the better!  I never turn down a suggestion to attempt to Paleo-ize any recipe or type of cuisine!

Last week, he said, "How about making Doner Kebabs"?  I will admit, that initially, I thought of "Donder, the reindeer", but alas, I was mistaken. 

It's actually  Turkish dish, made of ground, seasoned lamb, then roasted on a spit, and served traditionally on pita and/or rice, with yogurt-based dressing, feta, tomato and onions.

While I do not actually have a spit, I still made my version of this dish similar to the way one might bake a meatloaf.

I combined minced lamb with a puree of onion, rosemary, black pepper, yellow onion, garlic and marjoram and pressed it into a loaf pan, then baked for about an hour at 400F.  

I served it on Romaine lettuce, topped with a sauce made of coconut yogurt (notice how it curdled from the addition of some lemon juice), cucumber, olive oil and pepper.

On the side, of course, was a heaping serving of raw kale along with some of my baked yam 'fries' since we both had a huge training day the next day on our bikes!

 

Pseudo Paleo "Spaghetti" - Zucchini!

Got a mandoline?  Not the instrument, the kitchen tool?  (I LOVE my de Buyer Mandoline from Williams- Sonoma...)

If so, you can do this:

Simply julienne fresh, organic zucchini, then give it a VERY quick saute in the cast iron skillet in which you've already sauted olive oil & garlic.  Serve hot, with freshly ground black pepper, swirled into a little bundle as above.

By far, my favourite presentation for this lovely little fruit (yes, technically it's not a veg..)

 

More on School Lunches... and it's NOT Good!

Following is a notice (this is not a joke) that was sent home with a blog reader's kids from school, asking for parent participation in donating 'healthy' snacks....

Note the McDonald's 'free breakfast- great way to start the day' mention at the bottom.....

All Paleo aside, how can animal crackers, gold fish crackers and fruit roll ups be remotely considered healthy?

Oh.  My.  Gosh.

 

Paleo Breakfast (or Snack!) on the Go... Berry Smoothie

Whiz fresh strawberries, blueberries, raw almond butter or coconut oil, egg protein powder (or raw, fresh eggs, if you have access to them!) and some water or chilled, brewed herbal tea in a blender.  I like to add some spices, too- ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, for example.  Drink then, or take it to go!

The low glycemic berries, balanced with the protein and fat make for a perfectly Paleo meal.