Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Chicken Wrapped in Bacon w/Leeks


Sovita got this from Jamie Oliver, sounds yum!


Ingredients: (for 2)

2 x chick breast
2 x leeks – sliced
Streaky Bacon (enough to wrap both chick breasts)
Thyme
Olive oil
Butter
Salt and pepper
Swig of white wine vinegar

Instruction:


Oven to 200C

Combine leeks, chick breast, couple leaves of thyme, olive oil, knob butter, salt and pepper, small swig white wine vinegar in a bowl.

Transfer everything but chick breast onto tin foil

Wrap chick breast in bacon slices and place on top of leek mixture

Drizzle again with olive oil and place couple of sprigs of thyme on top of the chick breast

Bake middle of oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

*can add brussel sprouts to leek mix to increase vege intake

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Bacon and Leek with Poached Eggs



Ingredients
3 bacon, diced
1 small leek, ends removed and sliced
3 asparagus stalks
2 eggs
1tbs oil
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Poach eggs and cook to reach desired texture.

Meanwhile, place oil and bacon in a frying pan on medium heat and cook until bacon has started to crisp. Add leek and asparagus and stir continuously for a few minutes until leek is tender.

Remove eggs from pan, place on a serving plate. Place bacon and leek mixture along side the eggs.

Serve straight away.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Simple Salmon


Looking for a quick, easy, tasty way to cook salmon?

Just put it in foil, coat it with pesto and add some tomato & onions.
Wrap it up and cook at 160c for 20 minutes. Serve with wilted spinach.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Peach & Pecan Scramble



Scott Hagnas
From Catalyst Athletics


This is a very unusual combination, but it is surprisingly delicious. You can also use apples, blueberries or strawberries.

This recipe is written as a one person snack or light breakfast; increase the quantities if you like.

Time: 5 minutes

• 1/2 peach, diced
• 2 Tbsp chopped pecans
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Dice half of a ripe peach, and chop the pecans. Add the peaches and pecans to the skillet, stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the peaches soften a bit.

Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl, add the applesauce and cinnamon, and beat well. Add to the skillet, mixing often. When the eggs have set, serve and enjoy.

I have made this w/o the applesauce and it is Delicious. If you cook with berries, add them at the last minute and just warm them. Over cooking will make them soggy. I know you may think "fruit in my eggs? grody" but don't knock it til you try it.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Chicken 'Pasta'



Ingredients
2 chicken breast, butterflied for easier and quicker cooking
1 large courgette
1/2 onion
1/4 red capsicum
Handful of button mushrooms
1 tin of Ceres organic chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
Oregano (or basil or Italian mixed herbs)
12 or so black olives. Pitted and sliced.
Salt and pepper

Instructions
Slice the mushrooms, onion and capsicum.
Slice the courgette in half lengthwise, cut with a potato peeler or julienne peeler. (This is your pasta)
Heat 2 frying pans to medium-high heat.
Season the chicken with the herbs and salt and pepper. Put in a hot pan and cover with a lid to steam cook.
Straight away put the sliced veggies and garlic in the other pan. Sauté until cooked then add in chopped tomatoes, herbs and seasoning.
When the chicken starts turning white on the top turn over.
When the chicken is almost cooked add the courgettes to 1 side of the sauce pan. Mix in with some of the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with the courgette 'pasta' on the base the put the veggies on top. Pour a cap of olive oil on top once plated.
Serves 2.

Other option - replace tomatoes with coconut cream add more mushrooms and take out the herbs.

Thanks Jason from CFAuckand for this.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

BACON, EGG, TOMATO AND AVOCADO SALAD

Another Great Recipe from Marks Daily Apple



* 1 ripe avocado, chopped into chunks
* 2 boiled eggs, chopped into chunks
* 1 medium-sized tomato, chopped into chunks
* Juice from one lemon wedge
* 2-4 cooked pieces of bacon, crumbled (optional)
* Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, stirring not too much, but just enough to make some of the avocado and egg into mush.

Lasagna

I don't like to cook every night. I like to make a couple of big dishes and eat left over. Lasagna is one dish that gets better with time. I don't measure things out so here is my best guess recipe.





1 package mushrooms
1 eggplant
1 large courgette
1 onion
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 kilo prime mince beef
1 jar of organic sugar free spaghetti sauce

Cook mince and in a separate pan add olive oil, garlic, onion, mushrooms and courgette. After beef is cooked, add veggies and spaghetti sauce to beef and mix. Slice eggplant thin and layer on bottom of baking dish. (I coat the bottom with some sauce to prevent sticking). If you are still eating dairy, add a layer of ricotta cheese mixed with one egg(regular fat) then add beef mixture. Add another layer of eggplant, ricotta and beef mixture. Then bake at 160 Celsius for 45 minutes.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Slow Cook Garlic Pork w/ Apple



1 boneless pork loin roast(approximately 1.5kg)
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 onion, sliced
1 c. chicken broth
Salt and pepper
2 tart apples, diced
2 Tbsp. red wine (I've substitued balsamic)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage

Put the garlic and onions in the slow cooker. Heat the oil in a skillet. Brown the pork roast on all sides, which should take about 10 minutes. Add the pork to the slow cooker, pour the chicken broth over the roast, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on the low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until pork is tender.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker and let it rest on a cutting board. Meanwhile, sauté the apples in a non-stick skillet for two to three minutes, until they just begin to release their juice. Add the liquid (including the onions and garlic) from the crock-pot. Add the port, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and let the mixture reduce by about half. Add the sage approximately halfway through the reduction.

Slice the pork and serve the apple reduction over the meat.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Briam with Chicken



From Jason Y.Crossfit Auckland


Briam is a Greek dish that is basically the kitchen vegetable off cuts slow roasted in a tomato based sauce. I add chicken because I like it! Here is the one that I used last:

Ingredients:

1 Eggplant, halved and sliced 1cm-ish thick.

3-4 Courgettes, rough cut

3-4 Carrots, peeled and rough cut

2- 3 handfuls of Green Beans, destalked. Cut as needed, if needed.

1 onion, rough cut

2 Tins of whole peeled tomatoes

1 small container of tomato paste

3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed.

5-6 Celery stalks, rough cut (optional)

600ish gm Chicken breast. I cut 1 large breast into 3 pieces.

6 -12 Olives

Olive Oil

Oregano, dried or fresh your choice. If fresh don’t cut.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200-220 degree (Celcius) to either bake or fan bake.

Briefly seal chicken in hot pan.

Add all food ingrediants (minus olive oil and tomato sauces) into a deep baking dish.

Mix tomato paste with whole peeled tomatos in a side dish and add a little water. Heavily season with salt and pepper. If using dried oregano add into the water mix.

Pour the sauce over the food in the dish. Add water as required to approx ¾ cover the food. If using fresh oregano add now. Cover the dish with a lid or foil and cook in the oven for approx 1 ½ hours or as required til food cooked (soft bite). Stir every 15-20 mins after 45 mins.

Once cooked, add olive oil over the top, approx 1 cap per portion.

Should serve 4-5. Depending on how greedy you are J

Chicken should be tender and melt in your mouth, veges should be soft and full of infused flavour. Hot tip…..it’s approx 2.73 times better the 2nd cook!!

Optional: Kumara or potatoes are awesome in this if you are that way inclined. So is dipping bread in the sauce mix, not that I would know about that anymore of course, but my friends tell me it is awesome…

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Paleo Pizza


Matt and I love pizza. We've been using this recipe for a few years. I load the crust with sausage, bacon, nitrate free pepperoni, mushrooms, spinach, tomato, onion etc. I use pesto for a base and maybe some sun dried tomato. Can't seem to make a bad pizza...just throw it all on!

Ingredients:
Crust: From Mark's Daily Apple
2 Cups Almond Meal/Flour
2 Eggs
2 Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp salt

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Roasted pumpkin and bacon salad


Rach left instructions, and Will followed them to a 'T'.

Nice job Will, Looks delish!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Crockpot Chick with Capers and Tomatoes


Thank you Sovita for sending this to post. The pic looks delish!


Ingredients:

4 chick legs (thigh with skin on)
Salt & pepper
Olive Oil
2 x 400g can chopped tom’s - drained
100g capers – drained
½ C balsamic vinegar


Turn crockpot on to high, allow to warm for 20 minutes

Season chick with salt & pepper, heat oil over med/high heat, and brown chicken on both sides.

Remove chick from pan and place in warmed crockpot.

Cover and cook on high for approx 5 hrs.

I served ours with sautéed brussel sprouts and wilted spinach.

NOM!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Where to get Quality food Locally


Wellington, NZ


Courtsey of DietNet - Places to shop NZ

Simply Good Food
~ A Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programme designed to supply people in the Wellington & Wairarapa regions with a regular, year-round supply of quality fruit, vegetables, herbs and other seasonal foods. The Wairarapa Growing Company (WGC), a partnership of growers in the Wairarapa, is bringing New Zealand's first CSA inititaive to the region, supplying fresh, locally produced food to you and your family. All of the produce is grown organically in sustainable ways, using heritage seed varieties where available. The food is unique for its outstanding taste, high nutritional benefits and natural vitality.

Farmers/Produce Markets (# listed with the Farmers Market Assn):
~ Central City - Victoria Street Market, on the corners with Ghuznee and Vivian Streets. Fresh fruit and vegetable market, stocking produce, flowers, herbs, eggs and fish. Sunday 6am - 1.30pm
~ Waterfront - Waitangi Park Market – a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, eggs, herbs and arts and crafts. Sunday, 7am - 12.30pm.
~ Porirua Market, city centre carpark. Weekly market of a close-knit ethnic community selling everything from eggplants and pineapples to colorful clothing to woven basketry and beadwork. If you get hungry, there are lots of food stalls selling curry and roti, chop suey, banana pancakes, and more. Saturday, 53.0am - 10am.
~ # Moore Wilson's Farmers' Fresh Market - 65 Kenepuru Drive, Porirua. Fresh Vegetables, pies, deli foods, cheeses, bakery sweets, olive oils, pickles and chutneys, spices & Artisan breads. Saturday, 8 am - 2 pm
~ # Lindale Farmers' Market - Lindale Complex, Main Rd North, Paraparaumu. 20 stalls including fresh bread, homemade pate, organic fruit, veges, meat, chicken and eggs, traditional pork pies, deli delights, fresh coffee. Saturday, 9am - 2.00pm

**Commonsense Organics, 260 Wakefield Street, Wellington, Ph: 04 384 3314, Fax: 04 385 3383, email: mail@commonsenseorganics.co.nz
& Kilbirnie shop, 7 Bay Road, Kilbirnie, Wellington, Ph: 04 387 1751, Fax: 04 387 1752, email: kilbirnie@commonsenseorganics.co.nz
& Hutt shop, 37 Waterloo Rd, Lower Hutt, Ph: 04 566 4783, Fax: 04 566 4784, email: hutt@commonsenseorganics.co.nz
& Kapiti shop, Shop 7A, Coastlands, Paraparaumu, Ph: 04 298 7205, Fax: 04 298 7215, email: kapiti@commonsenseorganics.co.nz
~ Organic meat, salmon, dairy, free range eggs, fruit, vegetables, beans, grains, dried fruit, nuts, flour, natural organic groceries, gluten free goods and food for people with other allergies, environmentally friendly household products, books and magazines, pet foods and products, seeds, seedlings and organic fertilizers and pest control products. Goods can be ordered online and delivered nationwide.

The Blueberry Farm, 1229 Akatarawa Valley Rd, Upper Hutt, Ph: 04 526 6788, Fax: 04526 6798, email: blueberry@theblueberryfarm.co.nz
~ Certified Organic. Open every day in January from 10:00 to 5:00, weekends during February and March. There are loads of things to do at The Blueberry Farm! - Eating (at the organic bakehouse), Picking, Swimming, Walking, Listening, Watching ... Fresh & frozen blueberries available from Commonsense Organics.

Bluebank Blueberry & Emu Farm
, 1301 Akatarawa Valley, Upper Hutt, Ph: 04 526 9540
~ Buy fresh blueberries fresh from the farm at good prices. Pesticide free.

Dixon Street Deli
, 45 Dixon Street, Wellington. Ph: 04 384 2436, Fax: 04 384 8692, email: colin@brooklyn.co.nz
~ The usual deli products and sometimes has raw cheese

ecoseeds, 13 Awarua Street, Thorndon, Wellington, Ph: 04 976 4448, Fax: 04 475 7385, email: sales@ecoseeds.co.nz
~ Mail-order and retail seed supplier - vegetable seeds, herb seeds and flower seeds. Our Seeds are Non Hybrid and some are Demeter. We are endeavouring to maintain these earth seeds for future generations. Local retail outlets are found throughout New Zealand, or order online.

Homestead Health Food Shop, Cuba Mall, Wellington, Ph: 04 802 4425, Fax: 04 802 4426, email: hshealth@clear.net.nz
~ Homestead Health was established in 1973 to provide Wellington with a selection of natural health products including nutritional supplements, aromatherapy, cosmetics, homeopathics, whole foods (both organic and non organic) and sports nutritionals. Product diversification means that our range now meets the needs of more specalised diets such as the Zone and Aitkin’s. With allergies and intolerances increasing in the population we can also supply foods that are wheat, gluten, dairy, egg and sugar free.

Lifestyle Organics, 220 Jackson St, Petone. Ph: (04) 939 7804, email: lifestyleorganics@actrix.co.nz
~ Organic products at an affordable price to everyone. We have organic fruit & veges, herbals, gluten free products, dairy, bulk foods including grains, nuts & flour, and Himalayan Salt Lamps. If we have not got what you are looking for we will endeavour to find it for you.

Lord of the Isles. Email: customerservice@lordoftheisles.co.nz
~ Wholesaler of pomegranate juice and other goods. Some of their retailers are Moore Wilsons (Greater Wellington), Scheckters On Trays (Petone), Touch of Italy (East Tamaki), Ballantynes Pantry, and Leith Distributors (Dunedin). You can email them for a supplier in your area.

The Mediterranean Food Warehouse, 42 Constable St, Newtown, Wellington, Ph: 04 939 8100, Fax: 04 939 8105, email: gino@medifoods.co.nz Branches also in Nelson and Christchurch.
~ Wide range of wholesale priced foods like tinned tomatoes & beans, olive and other oils, dry legumes, nuts, herbs & spices, frozen berries, cheeses, asian foods. Mostly not organic. Online ordering available.

Moore Wilson Fresh Market, Lorne St, Wellington, Ph: 04 384 9906
~ A giant deli with organics, fish, meat, fruit & vegetables, breads, and other edibles. A good place for imported or hard to find foods.
& Porirua store, Kenepuru Drive, Ph: 04 237 8320
~ Porirua has a Farmers Fresh Market on Saturdays from 8am to 2pm. High quality, regionally grown food: Fresh Vegetables, pies, deli foods, cheeses, bakery sweets, olive oils, pickles and chutneys, spices and Artisan breads

Nature Foods, Kilbirnie. Ph: 04 934 6366. Email: nature@frot.co.nz
~ Sourcing some of those hard-to-find foods for you, in premium quality- Green Pastures products (Blue Ice high vitamin cod liver oil, Butter oil), top quality coconut oil from Tahiland, coconut flour, traditional peanut butter, natural vitamin and minerals, amino acids, books such as Nourishing Traditions and Cooking With Coconut Flour. Mail order or pickup.

Nut Store, 38 Ghuznee St, Wellington City, Wellington, Ph: 04 801 5645
~ Wide range of fresh nuts and nut related products

The Organic Grocer, 15 Kaiwharawhara Road, Kaiwharawhara, Wellington. Ph: 04 499 7208. Fax: 04 499 7209. Email: info@theorganicgrocer.co.nz
~ We are a specialist grocery store and café, with a wide selection of gourmet products and a well stocked cheese fridge. We cater for special dietary requirements and have the best gluten free range in Wellington. If you have children, keep them occupied in our secure play areas. Come and experience what everyone has been talking about. We are your healthy habit. Hours of business: Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm, Sat-Sun 9am-6pm

Welllington Halal Meat Ltd, 155A Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington, Ph: 04 380 0900.
~ Sometimes has goat meat, if you want to vary your meats. It tastes like mutton, and is cheaper. They also stock reasonably priced lamb & chicken.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Beef Moroccan Tagine


Courtesy of Rach:



Diced beef

1tsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1tsp Paprika

1tsp of Cinnamon

Harissa paste – as much as you like

Grind seeds and add all spices to beef. Marinate overnight.

1 Leek

2 Onions

1 large kumara/squash/pumpkin cut into bite-sized pieces

1 handful of each – dried apricots, dates & prunes (or whatever you prefer)

2 bay leaves

1 can crushed tomatoes

2 Tbs tomato paste

Stock to cover

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Sauté leek and onions until soft in a casserole dish. Add the rest of the ingredients and season. Cook in oven for approx 2 hours or until beef is tender.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Treats


FUDGE BABIES from Crossfit KOP



Okay, you've gone Paleo, Primal or Zone...but you still have a little sweet tooth lingering in the back. Right? Or...do you need to attend a function with sugary treats and your "friends" expect you to bring something to accompany the foundation of all social functions...(the evil) SUGAR...what will you bring to help them...and you? Jen S. inspired these little fudge babies and brought them to my attention. We all know my time is limited, so I don't do well with recipes that require more than 5 ingredients. Well get ready, these bad boys require 4...yep, I said it, 4. Dates, Walnuts, Cocoa Powder and Vanilla Extract. Curious???? Have a few minutes and food processor? Here it goes...


Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup Dates
1 cup Walnuts
4 Tbs Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Vanilla

Dump into a food processor, hit the big button that say ON. Process the food...roll with fingers into little "balls" also known as Fudge Babies...chill and serve. I'm a believer are YOU?

I roll mine in organic sugar free coconut.

NZ Venison


We are lucky to have Venison available. Pick up a package for a stir fry. Venison cooks quickly so make sure you don't over cook it. Lean and full of flavor. mmmmm bambi.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Stuffed Chicken Breast


This recipe is from Tasty Paleo. You have to log into this site but it is worth it. Great recipes and pictures. Take the time to create delicious meals.

Basil & Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breast with Prosciutto

* Prep Time: 10 min
* Cook Time: 20 min
* Servings: 2

* Ingredients:
* 2 organic, free-range, boneless & skinless chicken breasts
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
* 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes
* 1/3 cup pine nuts
* 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped very fine
* 2 cloves, minced
* black pepper to taste
* 2 thin slices prosciutto

Directions:
Chop up the basil as finely as possible, and throw into a bowl. Mix in olive oil, pine nuts, cloves, sun dried tomatoes and pepper and mix up. If you want a smooth paste, huck it into the food processor -- but I like it a bit chunky.

Pound out your chicken breasts on a baking sheet. In the middle of each breast place a large scoop of your tomato basil pesto and wrap the chicken around it. Secure with a toothpick if needed.

Once mixture is inside chicken, wrap thin pieces of prosciutto around chicken.

Cook at 350 for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Team Farmer Pancake Brekky


Rach and Will tried paleo pancakes this morning. I think it great that you made the effort to have a treat for Sunday Breakfast and still keep it paleo. Way to go Team Farmer!

"Coconut Pancakes from Mark's Daily Apple with bacon, warmed berries and greek yoghurt. The pancakes went crumbly and kept breaking up but they taste damn good."

Where do I Start?

Anthony White was one of our First members at MaD. He moved to the UK in February and is greatly missed. He had an interest in Nutrition and offered to write a Paleo Summary on how to get started. I hope you find this helpful on your quest to improve your nutrition:




Eat Good Food for Thirty Days


What are you trying to do?
You are working hard in the gym. Presumably, you want to be strong, fit, and healthy.

But you are only in the gym three or four hours a week. What you put in your body the other 164 hours has by far the most significant impact on your health, strength and fitness.

Your body needs good fuel to run at its best. Good fuel is good protein, good fat, and good carbohydrates.

Good proteins are lean meats and eggs.

Good fats are olive oil, avocado oil, nut oils, nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, avocado, olives.

Good carbohydrates are non-starchy vegetables. Some fruit is good, in moderation.

Most starches are poor quality fuel for everyday use. (Once you’re lean, there are some exceptions, but don’t worry about that until you have leaned out.)

Grains and sugar are straight bad fuel.

So here’s the challenge: put only good food in your body for thirty days, and see how you feel and perform. We bet that you’ll look, feel and perform so much better that you’ll want to stick with eating the good food.

So what’s a good meal?
You need each of protein, fat and carbohydrate in each meal.

To plan a meal, start with a good protein. Add some vegetables. Eat as much protein and vegetables as you need to be satisfied. Add some good oils for cooking, or some nuts or seeds. Maybe have a little fruit for dessert.

This isn’t about eating less, it’s about eating food that is the best quality. You shouldn’t be walking around hungry.

I’ve set out a table below. To build a good meal, take a protein from box one, add some vegetables from box two, and some fat from box three. If you like something sweet for desert, have a piece of fruit. Sometimes the oil you add to cook the meat or veges will be enough for a meal.

Protein
Chicken: Breast, Whole
Lamb: Roast, Diced, Minced, Chops, etc
Beef: Steaks, Roast, Minced, Diced, etc
Pork
Ham
Bacon
Sausages (gluten free, and preferably with as little cereal binder as possible)
Venison
Duck
Turkey
Fish
Seafood
Eggs
Any other meat you can find

Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, etc)
Leafs (spinach, Romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, kale, endive, etc)
Greens (mustard, turnip, collard, beet, etc)
Stems (celery, rhubarb, asparagus, bamboo shoots, ginger, etc)
Roots (carrots, parsnips, beets, radishes, turnips, burdocks, etc)
Bulbs (onions, garlic, shallots,etc)
Fruits that are more like veges (tomatoes, aubergine/eggplant, pumpkin, cucumber, capsicum/pepper, squash)

Fruits
Berries
Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes)
Stone fruit (apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines, mangoes etc)
Apples, pears,

Fats
Nuts/Seeds (walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pistachios, Brazil nuts)
Coconut
Avocado
Nut oils
Olive oil
Avocado oil
In New Zealand, grass fed butter is pretty good too.



Ways to make it really easy.

What do I eat for breakfast? For lunch?
Sometimes the change from the way you are currently eating is the biggest challenge. Typically in New Zealand we eat grain and sugar based cereals for breakfast, more grain and sugar for morning tea, grains and a little protein for lunch, grains and more sugar for afternoon tea, and finally some protein and vegetables for dinner. This is all wrong.

A good breakfast at 7am should leave you feeling satisfied through until noon. I eat meat for breakfast, and then have lunch sometime between noon and 1pm. I’m not famished by lunch either.

Eat some meat or eggs for breakfast. Bacon and eggs are good. Throw a tomato on the side.

Colds cuts and nuts, or colds cuts and avocado make a good quick breakfast if you are in a hurry.

Cook extra meat when you are preparing dinner, and have leftover meat for breakfast. This makes it breakfast really quick and easy. If you cook dinner three times as large as you need, it will do for breakfast and lunch as well.

Cook a big casserole of meat and veggies, and then keep it in the fridge. Pull some out for breakfasts or lunches. Take it to work for lunch.

Cook a meat and coconut cream curry, and have some for breakfast or lunch.

Roast a big piece of lamb or beef, or a big chicken. Have some hot for dinner, then eat the rest as cold cuts through the week.

Take a few vegetables to work and throw together a salad to have with your cold meat for lunch.

If you don’t want to eat the same meal three times in a row, you can stagger it – dinner, a serving for breakfast, then the next serving the next breakfast.

Overwhelmed?
Then just start with breakfast. Eat a balanced breakfast with protein, carbs and good fats. Make sure it is all REAL food. See how you feel. Particularly, see how long it takes before you are hungry again.

Commit to two weeks of giving up sugar and the sugar cravings will go away. Your body is addicted to sugar right now, it takes time to break that craving. Two weeks without sugar and processed carbs and the cravings will stop. Don’t swap out sugar for natural or artificial sweeteners. That’s like an alcoholic swapping scotch for wine. Your body will stay addicted to sweet things, and keep craving sugar.

Keep a food diary. Write it down. Be honest, write down everything you eat and we’ll go over it together in class. Hold yourself responsible.

What about cheat meals?
Yes, you can have cheat meals. Not every day, but occasionally.

I recommend you save the cheat meals for when you are out for dinner, or visiting with friends and don’t want to inflict your dietary inconvenience on them.

Don’t keep cheat foods in your house. You will eat them.

Why not grains?
The human body can’t eat grains in their natural form. In order to eat grains, they need to be ground up and highly refined – even wholemeal grains are highly refined compared to a kernel of wheat growing on a stalk. Grains come out of the refining process as a refined starch that will immediately spike glucose in your bloodstream.

Grains also irritate your gut. The purpose of grain for a plant is for the grain to stay healthy until it reaches the right soil conditions to grow. To stay healthy, they need to be protected from bacteria that would otherwise rot the grain. There are chemicals in the grain called lectins that protect it from bacteria. Unfortunately, these chemicals will also try to protect it from your gut, and will result in gut irritation. The gut irritation makes it harder for your body to process the good nutrients it needs to keep you healthy. This is why you need to cut out the gluten.

Why not legumes?
Legumes have similar protective chemicals to grains, and can irritate your gut. Legumes are also starchy carbohydrates (see why not starch), and the protein in legumes are not good quality proteins (only short chain amino acids, no branched chain amino acids, if you’re interested).

Why not starch?
Starch spikes your insulin response. Insulin is an important hormone, but an insulin spike tells your body to store fat around your waist. A starchy meal will spike your insulin and your blood glucose very quickly, telling your body to store fat. But because the starch is so easily digested, an hour later it is all gone and your blood glucose crashes, leaving you hungry again.

When you each starchy, sugary foods, this cycle means that much of the starch and sugar is stored as fat, very little of it is used to fuel your muscle, and you are back to being hungry.

How bad is rice?
Rice isn’t as bad as gluten. It doesn’t irritate your gut. However, it is a refined starch, and as such will go straight into your bloodstream. Three tablespoons of rice has about the same effect on your insulin and blood glucose as two teaspoons of sugar. So, sure, maybe have a half cup of rice once a fortnight on your cheat meal (if you want to waste your cheat meal on rice). But don’t undo all your good work by eating it every day.

Dairy?
If you want to lean out, cut out dairy. That’s the simple answer.

And cut it out for the first thirty days anyway.

Then, after thirty days, and if you are already lean (say, 10 percent bodyfat or less) and want to put on some muscle quickly, then maybe consider using dairy post workout. Dairy is a strong growth promoter, but it promotes growth in every cell in your body. If you are still carrying fat, it will promote fat growth. If you are lean, it only has muscle in which to promote growth. There are trade-offs with diary, so only add it once the rest of your diet meets the prescription.

So what else can’t you eat?

I hate those lists of what you can’t eat. Better to focus on everything you can eat, and think about how to make it work. Once you have it working, it really is delicious.

Still, some people want to know what is on the ‘don’t eat’ list, so here goes:
• No grains. This includes bread, rice, pasta, corn, oatmeal, and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains. No baked goods made from grains.
• No legumes. This includes beans of all kinds, lentils, and peanuts. (No peanut butter. You can swap out peanut butter for cashew or almond butter, which are delicious. Don’t put them on toast though.)
• No sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Truvia, Stevia, etc.
• No processed foods. This includes protein shakes, processed bars, dairy-free creamers, no fat, low fat, no taste anything. Processed foods hit you blood sugar too quickly and spike your insulin.
• No alcohol. And, sorry, beer contains gluten.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Introducing Cobb Salad to New Zealand


I really miss being able to order a cobb salad at a local restaurant. If you've never tried one, they are delicious! Here is how to make a meal out of a salad. For dressing, I use balsamic, but there are so many flavors to taste I don't use much.

* mixed greens
* 2 chicken breasts- shredded (can use rotisserie chicken)
* 2 large avocados- sliced
* 1 package cherry tomatos
* 10 slices streaky bacon- crumbled
* 4 hard-boiled eggs- sliced
* raw walnuts (or any type of nut you like)
* Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese (if you are still eating dairy)

Lay greens on a large plate/platter then make alternating rows of each. Tasty!

Frittata Hash



I make this with whatever veggies I have in the house. This time is was onion, kumara, courgette and mushrooms. I cooked them in bacon grease then added 8 eggs (beaten). Grill in the oven for about 7 minutes until top started to brown. Serve with sliced avocado and bacon.

Coconut Curry Chicken

Coconut Curry Chicken

from PaleoDish


Serves 2-4

Ingredients


  • 2 chicken breasts- cut into pieces
  • coconut/olive oil
  • 1/2 cauliflower- chopped
  • 1/2 large onion- thinly sliced
  • 1 red pepper- chopped
  • 1/2- 3/4 can coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp curry powder (depending on your taste)
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • a few shakes of chili flakes
  • ground fresh pepper to taste
  • 8 bay leaves
  • side- 1 bundle of asparagus

Prep

  • brown the chicken in coconut/olive oil on medium heat (set aside)
  • when done add in the veggies and cook until softened
  • then add in all other ingredients (spices and coconut milk), and the chicken back in as well
  • stir everything together while cooking on low heat for another 20 minutes or so
  • in the meantime, prepare the asparagus and put in oven during last 5 minutes of chicken cooking time
  • serve the coconut chicken curry on the bed of asparagus
  • enjoy!