Church Party Foods Paleo Style 12-2-12

Church Party Foods Paleo Style

   Tonight was the Adult Sunday School Party at my church, Keystone Church. I took traditional sausage balls (NOT Paleo), and crab-shrimp dip made Paleo style with finely shredded cabbage, shrimp, crab meat, and seasoning. I was afraid I wouldn't have anything to eat except my dip, but I was pleasantly surprised. I filled my plate and only had a little non-Paleo food.

    Vegetables featured cherry tomatoes and broccoli.

     Fruit included apple slices and grapes.

     Guacamole was super, just avocado, onion and tomato, and not spicy. Another dip did not seem to have any dairy (cream cheese or sour cream), but had lots of spice, herbs and flavor. The only dip I didn't like was my crab-shrimp dip, but I ate some anyway!

     Coconut macaroons are generally Paleo-friendly, but these were very sweet. I ate two. I also ate a small piece of peppermint bark which was smooth and delicious. I wanted to try some of the other dozen desserts, but I managed to eat nicely. Hooray for desserts!

     The best way to diet at a party is to take your own food, but I took a chance and it worked out beautifully. Thank you to all the great cooks.

Protein-Packed Breakfast 11-30-12

PROTEIN-PACKED BREAKFAST

2 Fried eggs
Turkey kielbasa with red, yellow, and green peppers-sauteed
Chopped sauteed onion
Grilled pineapple slices
Orange-strawberry juice

   So far, my cholesterol is great and my heart doctor has not limited my meats and eggs. In fact, he continues to encourage me to "eat like a caveman", following the Paleo Diet.  When I make a fruit smoothie, I try to add a raw egg.  Protein is important in my diet, in addition to fruit, vegetables, and nuts. Sometimes I don't want to go to the trouble to add a protein to my breakfast, other than the eggs I eat every other morning. I try to have a variety of meat options available, and I am open to more ideas. I have not gotten the appetite for fish in the morning yet, but I think I might like tuna or salmon patties. This is a list of some of the meats I have tried so far.

Small slices of steak
Hamburger patties
Roast beef au jus
Pork chops
Ham slices and chopped ham
Bacon, crisp
Pork roast
Pork link sausage
Chicken tenders
Cubed chicken (in an omelet)
Chicken livers
Roast turkey slices
Turkey breakfast sausage
Turkey kielbasa sausage
Turkey patties
Turkey bacon
Turkey link sausage

    Eggs are big on the Paleo Diet, and easy to fix for breakfast. My favorite way to prepare them is fried, over medium. I have made my eggs fried sunny side up, scrambled, poached, and boiled. I prepared many types of omelets and frittatas. Fillings for the omelets and frittatas have been: mushrooms, chopped or sliced peppers and onions, chopped spinach and kale, fresh oregano leaves or basil, dried Italian seasoning, steak seasoning, and other herbs and salts. No cheese allowed, but for non-Paleo eaters, cheddar, parmesan, cream cheese, cottage cheese, American slices, and other cheeses would be delicious.

   I usually like a little sweet with my breakfast, especially with salty meats. I grill pineapple slices on the stove, fry apple slices in a little chicken stock, have chopped or sliced fruit (drained, if canned), or add a teaspoon of jelly, jam, preserves, syrup, or honey. Of course, any 100% fruit or tomato juice is great, as well as an orange, tangerine, necterine, peach, apple, grapes, or any berries. Sliced tomatoes or cherry, cherub, grape or other baby tomatoes count as a fruit, too.

   The most important thing to remember is: Don't skip breakfast, keep to good nutrition guidelines, and don't get sidetracked with sweet rolls or donuts, even Krispy Kreme. Happy breakfast!

You're chicken. No, you're chicken. No, you're chicken. 11-29-12

YOU'RE CHICKEN.

     Cooking for several meals at a time can be challenging, but it is often efficient. I bought two pounds of chicken tenders and decided to cook them all at once, but in a variety of ways. I only had about an hour, so I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. (Please forgive the joke.)

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI (for my husband): I boiled a few strips of chicken in water, some mirapoix (onions, celery, bell pepper), and pepper.  Meanwhile I made a white sauce with 2 % milk, cornstarch, salt and pepper, and Worchestershire sauce. I also cooked 4 oz. of spaghetti, drained it, added the sauce and the chicken with the veggies and most of the water (now chicken stock.) Then I added shredded cheddar cheese, some Parmesan, and a little white cheese. This dish will serve Kenny 4 times. (He loves leftovers/cook aheads as much as I do.)

SAUTEED TENDERS: My trusty steak seasoning made these tasty, cooked in a little canola oil. I will chop these up and add to various veggies to make different dishes, or just eat them with sides.

CHICKEN SALAD: (Paleo style) I boiled a few more strips in water and chicken stock, then shredded the chicken. I added raw chopped celery, onion, oregano (a gift from friends!), dried basil, a chopped boiled egg, salt, pepper, and olive-oil based mayonnaise. I eat this as a regular salad with lettuce or spinach, or as a stuffing for a char-grilled bell pepper half or a scooped out tomato.

OVEN "FRIED" CHICKEN: I use almond flour and milled flax seed, cayeene or chili pepper, with salt and pepper, as a coating, spray both the pan and the chicken with Pam, and bake for about 15-20 min. in a hot oven. Since I used tenders, they are small and thin, so they don't need much time. (There are other nut flours, but at $8 a pound, I only buy one at a time so far. Cashew flour sounds great, and I have found it online.)

BBQ CHICKEN:  I pre-boil the chicken just a little, then coat the chicken in BBQ sauce, and bake it for 15-20 minutes. BBQ sauce can be used with Sauteed Chicken, but it can get hard if not eaten soon.

That's a lot of chicken, but I will spread it out over two weeks. Each of my preps will make two or three servings for me or my husband. And I have a steak in the freezer when I need a break!

"Menues" and another Menu 11-28-12

"Menues" and another Menu

     Cleaning out a drawer, I came across a few pages written by my granddaughter Reagen, probably when she was six or seven, who is now a senior in high school. She had written a cafe-type menu, and I almost remember her writing it while I was cooking. A sample:

                                              Menue
sandwithes
egg's and biscuts bacon too $3.00
towst and jelly, Butter, and jam ect.
stake with vegteble's $2.50
liminade
rolls for apatisers
Dresing
Sweet potato with marshmellow

   I love menus, so here is one for appetisers and such: (any misspelling is my mistake!)

Paleo Style Sort-of Cocktail Party

Appetisers and Tapas
Pecan crusted salmon squares
Lettuce wraps w/grilled chicken and hot pepper jelly
Thin-sliced meat rollups w/grilled bell pepper strips
Grilled portabello mushroom caps w/salsa and black olives
Pan-fried green tomatoes w/roumelade sauce
Shredded cabbage, carrot and pineapple coleslaw w/pepitas
Almond butter-stuffed celery sticks
Baked sweet potato chips w/steak seasoning
Garlic kale chips
Avocado halves with olive and onion tampenade

Sweets
Almond flour cookies
Coconut macaroons
Grilled pineapple spears
Baked apples

Drinks
Coffee w/caramel flavoring
Hot apple juice w/cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice (or Red Hots)
Crystal Light slushies

   This coud likely be my menu for a pre-Christmas party, although I have to admit, I would probably add a bunch on non-Paleo items out of habit and indulgence. Perhaps this will inspire you, too! Thanks, Reagen.

Yummy for my tummy -- computer glitch

To finish:

Choose the form your cake will take. This amount will make 2 dozen mini-muffins; 8 full size muffins; 3-4 mini-loaves; 2 small loaves; one 9-inch layer; 2 8-inch layers.  The flexibility of the recipe allows for other ingredients and flavorings to be added. This cake is especially good in slices with soft cream cheese, or a cream cheese-orange icing.

Sometimes even a Paleo Dieter needs a sweet snack, and a mini-muffin is a tiny choice that includes both dates and nuts, which is good, and only a little flour, sugar, and icing. Have a treat!

An Onion a Day (Keeps EVERYONE Away) 11-26-12

An Onion a Day (Keeps EVERYONE Away)

   I bought a three-pound bag of onions, planning to use it over a month's time. Instead, I started cooking a bunch of dishes, and used almost the whole bag. Onions are so full of vitamins and low in calories, and add so much flavor without taking over a dish. Some of my dishes:

Stewed onions, squash, zucchini and carrots: As the veggies were stewing, I let the liquid reduce, added some chicken stock for the fat and flavor, and added only salt and pepper. I eat this as a complete dish, but it would be easy to add meat or other vegetables.

Grilled chopped onions, red and yellow pepper strips, diced green bell pepper: with black pepper and a little soy sauce, I use this as a base for grilled/charred turkey link sausage. I make rice with water and a little chicken stock for my non-Paleo husband. This is not a Chinese stir-fry, but it could easily be made into one.

Roasted onion quarters, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash: I roasted this dish until the veggies were caramelized, adding a little chicken stock when the roasting liquid got low. About any vegetable can be roasted, and the flavor changes the longer they roast.

Stuffed baked onions: I love this, but not using bread crumbs was a challenge. I peeled the onions (leaving the root end), then carved out some of the center, leaving about 4 layers as the outside "cup". I diced the onion from the center, added chopped yellow squash and diced tomatoes, and some milled flax seed and almond flour, with salt and pepper. It doesn't take much to refill the cups. I set the onions in a casserole dish, with some chicken stock in the bottom for moisture. I covered the dish with foil and baked it for 30 minutes, then I removed the foil and baked for 15 minutes more.

Onion and turkey ham omelet: Without cheese, you really taste the other ingredients, and I experiment with lots of combinations. When I use onions, I think this tastes more like a brunch dish than a breakfast dish. For the onion and turkey ham omelet, I chop the ingredients small, almost to a dice. Sometimes, I saute the onions before adding them to the omelet, and sometimes I add them raw.

Onion rings: Not the same as the heavily breaded, deep fried version I love, especially from The Varsity in Atlanta, Ga., but a Paleo version I enjoy. I use almond flour, salt, lots of pepper, and milled flax seed for the breading, with an egg dip first, then the breading. I "fry" the rings in a little canola oil, not enough for deep frying, just enough to reach about half way up on the flat rings. The pan should be hot so the onion rings will crisp quickly, and not let the onions get soft. You may have to experiment with these, but I liked them any way they turned out.

Pico de gallo: I can't take really hot food, but I love to make my own pico de gallo to use as a relish. I combine diced onions, bell peppers, tomatoes with the juice, and the least amount of jalepeno I can get by with.  Sometimes I add diced celery, different colored bell peppers, or canned mild green peppers. To make my homemade salsa, I use chunks of the same vegetables instead of diced. My versions might not please a true Mexican food fan, but it is spicy and delicious to me!

   Of course, I add onions to cornbread dressing, all sorts of casseroles, and many fried meat dishes, but these dishes are not on the Paleo Diet so I can't have them. I still enjoy preparing these dishes for others.

   Onions are one of the "miracle foods", like blueberries, beets, and tomatoes, which can be eaten almost without limit in normal portions, and one of my favorites. Maybe you can use some of my ideas to add to your own menus.

Kale Chip Birthday Cake 11-25-12

Kale Chip Birthday Cake

     This year, my husband and I decided not to send gift cards or money to our sons and daughters-in-law for their birthdays. We weren't giving them much money, anyway, but it was a little something extra in their cards. This has not worked out for me--I have felt like they were not getting the recognition they each deserved for their birthdays. I made it until November (with two birthdays earlier in the year), but Carrie's birthday is tomorrow. No money, but I asked her what little thing she might like. She said, "The only thing I want is your kale chips." What? Not cake, or even brownies or cookies?  Nope, kale chips.  So that is what she is getting. I made her a batch tonight (at her house, while she was gone, so they would not get broken during transport.) I hope she likes them! Here is my usual recipe:

Seasoned Kale Chips

   The biggest hint is, buy a bag of chopped kale (less than $2.00 at Kroger's this week.)  This way, you don't have to cut out the thick stems or chop up the kale. Kale is pretty messy to work with because it is curly, sticky, and needs to be in small pieces.

   Use a big bread or baking pan, but not a cookie sheet. Fill the pan with a thick layer of kale, which was half a bag for this batch. If the kale is damp, use a dishcloth to pat it dry, but don't crush the kale. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive (or canola) oil to the pan, and gently toss the kale to get a little oil on each piece. (You can use cooking spray for even fewer calories.) To season: shake two or more of these seasonings over the kale, which needs to be a little salty:  salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, steak seasoning, paprika, lemon pepper, Italian seasoning, a little red pepper flakes, sea or kosher salt, or some other flavoring you like. Toss a little to make sure the seasoning is even throughout.

   Bake the kale chips in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Take out, toss lightly, and bake for 5 more minutes. Most of the chips should be crisp, but some will be chewy. Some of the kale will probably be almost powder. Kale is not like potatoes--it is tender, so it will vary in texture. Gently move the kale chips to a bowl or plastic container to serve or store. They should stay fresh for 2-3 days in a sealed container, but moisture may affect this. Eat one small piece at a time because each piece may be chewy. This is definitely a delicious change from potato chips, and may require some rethinking of expectations of a snack, but for virtually no calories, kale chips are a good choice.

   Another birthday next month, and I know what that son is getting. And for the two earlier birthdays, we will see that son and d-i-l at Christmas, and they will have an extra treat from my kitchen. Let's just say, each treat will have "sugar and spice, and everything nice." (And one is Paleo-approved, and one treat is not.) Happy birthday, kiddos!