Continued Culinary Adventures...Dinner with Friends

One of the amazing things about Paleo is how delicious the food is!  I have friends who are trying to avoid sugar and flour so when I saw this post, I told them they had to come over for dinner!  Aside from fabulous company, we had an amazing dinner.  I would perhaps do some things different such as adding a glaze for the pork tenderloin and adding a side of homemade applesauce, but for first time attempts, dinner wasn't bad.  On a side note...as I look at this table that coordinates with our blinds and curtains and is all set nice with pretty flowers I feel like a grownup.  I'm 33...I guess I should be a grownup, but when you work with college students all day and lived on a college campus until you were 31, life can be delayed!

Appetizer!!!

We all want the delicious stuffed mushrooms that are made with breadcrumbs or bruschetta or caprese salad with mozzarella.  But since we gave some of that stuff up, whether by choice or not, we don't want to feel like we're missing out.  So...we get creative!  The appetizer was a modification of a caprese salad.  I sliced up a large heirloom tomato and cut the slices in half.  I then took an avocado and tried to slice them as flat and smooth as possible.  I didn't drizzle with olive oil, but I have some rosemary olive oil that would have added a delish touch!

Here is our dinner :)

The Main Course!!!

To start, I marinated pork tenderloin with a rub.  I bought the tenderloins at Costco.  They're one of the healthier options and it comes with 2 2-packs

The rub (modified from Ellie Krieger) contained the following: 

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp dried thyme

2 twists of a salt grinder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp white pepper

I put the rub on the pork, wrapped it in cling wrap, and put it in the fridge for several hours.  This allowed me to prep in the morning.

Once I was ready to cook it, I turned the oven to 400 degrees, removed the cling wrap, and baked for about an hour.  Depending on the size, check it at 45 minutes. 

The Sides!!

Roasted Artichokes.  So the recipe said to put a garlic in the middle of the artichoke...however, I couldn't taste it.  To make these super yummy...

Preheat oven to 425

Rinse the artichokes

Mix together 1/4 cup olive oil and 4 cloves of  garlic minced

Sprinkle the artichoke with lemon juice (best if freshly squeezed)

drizzle the olive oil mix over the artichokes and twist a salt grinder for a little seasoning

wrap individually in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet

Cooking until sizzling about 1.5 hours

Fruit Salad.  Oh my God....I LOVE fruit and fruit salad is a medley of yumminess!  Buy as much organic fruit as you want...cut it up and mix!  Seriously....that dish of delish is that easy!  We used apples, pears, grapes, bananas, and oranges.  Kiwis are a delicious addition.  Colorful fruits will add to the visual appeal of the fruit salad.   Want to make it dessert?  Grab some coconut cream (1 cup) and add honey (1 TB) and whip it up until it appears like a whipped cream.  

Dessert!

Oh no...I forgot to take a picture!  We made an avocado/chocolate mousse.  

I'm not going to share the recipe because we didn't really modify it and it wouldn't be right to repost someone else's recipe.  We made the moo-less chocolate Mousse from the Practical Paleo cookbook.  Next time I would leave out the banana as we really tasted it.  

I hope this post is helpful.  Seriously though....Paleo is tough but amazing.  We've been doing it since August 11th.  I fell off the wagon from my birthday in September to mid October.  I have tough days, but overall it's been good. So far I've lost 17 lbs and I've now done 2 5Ks.  I managed to jog 3/4 of a 5K trail run last weekend and finish only 2 minutes slower than the flat and paved 5K I did a few weeks ago.

Vacation in Belize - August 4, 2014

Post 5K - November 1, 2014

And just cause I had this pic taken yesterday and it looks great....

"Spaghetti" & Chicken

I am fortunate enough to work at home on Tuesdays and Thursdays which allows me the opportunity to cook dinner.  Other days I work 25 miles from home and I have class so I don't get home until 10pm - needless to say, cooking rarely happens those days!

So what did we eat tonight?  Mmmmmm....it was so good!

"Spaghetti" & Chicken

"Spaghetti" & Chicken with cheese

I will give a disclaimer - after your first 30 days, you may reintroduce some dairy if your body tolerates it.  We really missed cheese, so on occasion we indulge in organic raw cheese from grass-fed or pasture-raised cows.

Recipe for tonight:

Spaghetti:

Cut a spaghetti squash in half

Clean out the seeds

Lightly brush open side of each squash half with olive oil (we use an olive oil sprayer)

Place open side down on a baking sheet

Bake at 425 for 30 minutes

Let cool until just warm then take a fork and shred it into spaghetti

Sauce:

2 cans of organic tomato sauce

1/2 can of organic tomato paste

1 tbsp of minced garlic

1/8 cup minced onions

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp oregano

1 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of basil
2 turns of a black pepper mill
2 tbsp dried parsley
Simmer for about 10 minutes covered on medium low

Chicken:
We used both chicken thighs and breasts
Lay flat on a broiling pan or baking sheet
Turn the salt grinder a half turn on each piece of chicken
Do the same with the pepper grinder
Use 1/2 tsp of oregano on each breast
Broil for 10 minutes & turn over
Repeat seasoning on other side
Broil for 15 minutes

To assemble - put the "spaghetti" on a plate, place the chicken, and then drizzle the sauce over.  If using cheese, add the freshly grated cheese to the top.  Enjoy!

Getting Started

I told you my story of what led me to eat Paleo.  Now, it's time to get into the nitty gritty.  I'd been doing gluten free on and off for a while so I was used to avoiding things with wheat.  However, not being able to indulge in gluten free goodies was another transition!

We have made some delicious food, but I'll be honest...most of it is at home.  Prepare yourself to spend some significant money in the first month.  Also, make sure you're ready to cook at home.  I work full-time (with a 1.25 hour commute each way) and am in two doctorate classes (a full load).  It's really tough some weeks, but we're making it work.

Here are some tips to help you be successful:

• Buy some cookbooks (and follow my blog) for delicious recipes
• Make sure you have coconut flour, tapioca starch, and almond flour (if you're allergic to tree nuts, this eating style will be difficult)
• Find a grocery store that meets your needs
• For grass fed beef and organic chicken, I love Costco.  We buy in bulk.  Finding grass fed beef that isn't ground is much harder.  I'm very excited for the half beef we bought direct from a farmer is set to be delivered in November.  We found a  farm that grass feeds and finishes their beef and its all organic.  I sure hope it's as tasty as it sounds!  
• We make special trips to Whole Foods for our organic fruits and veggies because there is so much more selection and for those items, prices are reasonable
• Start buying organic spices as well
• Do a cleanse of your house - what are you avoiding?
• Get rid of it or pack it away.  All my gluten free flours that have rice, corn, soy, garbanzo beans, etc. in them are packed away in our pantry in the garage
• Find somewhere to buy local honey.  
• We found a couple who has hives in their backyard not too far away and they're actually close enough the bees get pollen from flowers in our town too.  This is great for seasonal allergies as well
• Plan out your recipes for the week, make a shopping list, and go shopping.  Then cook a couple things for a few days.  Freeze extras if needed
• Make sure you have the following items as you will use them all the time (in addition to what's listed above):

"Must Have" Items

• organic maple syrup
• organic toasted sesame oil
• organic coconut oil
• organic coconut aminos
• organic olive oil
• organic avocado (if available to you)
• organic sweet potatoes
• organic cauliflower (we love this for a rice substitute)
• organic garlic (we love to buy it pre-minced in the jar...time saver)
• You'll figure out what you cook all the time and therefore what you need
• Organic cage free eggs are a staple for breakfast.  They're fast, easy, and delicious.  Pairing with some nitrite-free bacon is great too.

As I read this list, it makes me go...."woah, this seems tough."  I'm not going to sugar coat it, it's not easy.  I hate eating out now because it's just too hard.  In contrast though, my cooking has improved (and I was pretty good before), Michelle (my girlfriend) has learned how to cook some things...like a mean sweet potato baked wedge and marinated chicken, and our food is delicious and healthy.  I had gluten free pizza over my birthday weekend (it was a cheat..yes) and it was so gross.  I turned to Michelle and said this is so gross, what's wrong with it?  She said, it's always tasted like that, you just got used to your own delicious cooking.  Wow...what a revelation!

If you have questions, I want to help you!  I don't have a degree in anything physical health related, but I'm passionate, a researcher, and like to be well-informed.  Plus, I just want to feel good, look good, and feel good about myself!

My story & why you should journey with me

Why should you read my blog?  That's a great question!  I ask that every time I look at someone else's recipes!  I'm a home taught, midwestern cook, though I live in California now.  I love the organic and local veggies I can get year-round in California.  I'm actually about to head to a farmer's market in Oakland.  Yes...I'm a little "granola" or maybe a lot.  I'm a bit of a germaphobe though too so I'll never be too granola (I'm addicted to my hand sanitizer).

I've always been overweight.  I look at pictures from high school and stand out as a fat kid.  Honestly, I can't even blame it on my parents.  I was lucky enough to have a stay-at-home mom who always had a meal on the table and it wasn't usually hot dogs and mac n' cheese.  It might be lasagna or some other casserole, but I didn't even know you could buy frozen lasagna until I went to someone else's house.  My mom loved to bake and so do I.  Wow, did I ever have a sweet tooth.  Cookies, Ice Cream, you name it.  

Thankfully in high school I was never bullied, something for which I am forever grateful.  However, I did struggle with low self-esteem and self-consciousness because of my size.  I'm 5'3" and my license at 16 said 215 lbs.  I don't know what I weighed when I graduated, but I just continued to gain weight.  Below is a picture of me from my high school senior photos.  

March 2000

Throughout college my weight went up and down due to friends who dragged me to the gym so when I went to graduate school at the age of 24, I weighed 291 pounds.  That's a lot of weight for such a small frame and I felt it!  

In 2004, I decided to have gastric bypass surgery.  I was super determined and lost 20 lbs. prior to surgery so I could have laparoscopy instead of them cutting open my abdomen from chest to belly button.  Post surgery, I was initially hugely successful.  I got down to 199 lbs. from December '04 to June '06, but that's where the success stopped.  I graduated grad school, lost my support network, and moved across the country to a job I ended up hating.   

October 2006

Since that time (2006), my weight has been a rollercoaster.  I’m incredibly active, but my downfall is food.  How do I get on course?  How can I be healthier?

Fast-forward to 2012 and I realized gluten didn’t agree with me.  No, I don’t have celiac’s as I asked my doctor to test me.  However, I get constantly lethargic, cranky and have chronic headaches with gluten.  I changed my diet and lost some weight, but I still wasn’t feeling good.  This led me to try Paleo.  A friend of mine knew my health and wellness struggles (trouble sleeping, lack of energy) and my weight loss struggles and recommended I try Paleo.  I’m so glad she did!

The weight is slow to come off, but the scale is slowly going down.  My value is not in the number, but in how I feel.  For the first time in my life, I have energy without caffeine.  I gave it up a few months ago because I don’t need it anymore.  I am sleeping better and I rarely get headaches.  Additionally, my skin has gotten extremely clear.  My girlfriend has seen changes in her weight, overall feeling of health, as well as her complexion. 

Girlfriend & I hiking with friends September 2014 (2 weeks into eating paleo)

I’m starting this blog now because I feel like I am beginning to make recipes that are my own instead of relying solely on cookbooks.  I also love cooking and want to share my experience with others.  I hope you’ll follow along with me and join me in the journey that has been and will continue to be…a lifelong challenge.