Italian Layer Cake

This last weekend was one of my favorites of the year: Couchella!

We love watching live music and for 3 whole days we stream Coachella Music Festival and watch from the comfort of our couch. We saw lots of great bands and got excited for the actual festival we plan on going this year, San Francisco's Outside Lands.

On Sundays I do a lot of cooking to get ready for the week ahead, a wonderful habit that's stuck from my Whole30. This week I decided that I wanted to make a paleo lasagna, but for the sake of not calling everything "paleo" and not lying to you that this is like your grandmother's "lasagna," I've named it Italian Layer Cake. This was a wonderful sunday night supper, my term for meals that take a little longer to prepare and best reserved for weekend cooking.

Italian Layer Cake

14 oz can of  diced tomatoes
1 cup macadamia ricotta (recipe follows)
1/2 pound of ground beef
1 bunch of swiss chard, destemmed
1/2 onion, diced
3 gloves garlic, minced
coconut oil
1 cup chopped basil

First make a batch of Macadamia Ricotta from Nom Nom Paleo:

Photo by Henry Fong

Puree 2 cups of macadamias, 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and half a cup of water together in a food processor. Add water if needed to achieve desired consistency.

Saute the onion for about 5 minutes in medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the ground beef and cook until heated through. Add the tomatoes and mix everything together. 

Mix the ricotta with the basil. 

Place 1/3 of the meat mixture on the bottom layer of a 9x9 pan. Add a few sheets of chard and layer the ricotta. Repeat two more times until you've used up everything. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.

Pair with a big and easy red for dinner perfection! I recommend the Alexander Valley Redemption Zinfandel or Coppola's Diamond Collection Red Blend.

Whole30 Wrap Up

I've lagged on writing this post because I don't actually feel like I've wrapped up anything. In fact, the whole30 went by so quickly that I think of it as more of a jumpstart. We've been keeping it paleo since with few changes. The main thing I wanted back was wine and some kind of bread for breakfast. I made my own paleo bread this week and it was really wonderful not to eat eggs for a change!

One of the greatest changes was an even more careful approach to our food sources. We rejoined our lapsed CSA from Eatwell Farm and also discovered the meat box from Avedano's, a local butcher committed to sustainable and responsibly sourced grass-fed meat:

Our first attack at the meat box consisted of grilling perfect steaks using their dry rub:

Alongside a reinvented Caesar Salad with farm lettuce and radishes, walnut/almond garlic "croutons" and Caveman Bistro's perfect (and eggless) Caesar dressing:

And this very welcome addition to the dinner table (if you are judging the merlot, please watch this excellent video made by the Gundlach Bundschu crew in its defense):

Walnut Frittata

The idea for this recipe came to me as I dreamed of a holiday favorite, Tegliate di Biete. Could I make it whole30 friendly? And most importantly, could it work without cheese? Yes and yes! I've recently discovered that the key to a good frittata is to keep the egg on the down low. Your ingredients are the stars and the egg is there just to keep them all together. What a wonderful addition to my breakfast repertoire! This could also be cut into small pieces for a fancy brunch spread or as an appetizer.

Walnut Frittata
2 tbsps olive oil
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 bunch swiss chard, stalks removed and leaves cut into small pieces
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup walnuts roughly chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs, beaten

Toast the walnuts for a few minutes in the oven.

Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes in medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the chard and mix everything together. Cover for a few minutes until the chard wilts. Remove from heat.

Combine all remaining ingredients except the eggs in a bowl. Add the beaten eggs, mixing gently. It should look pretty thick - remember the eggs are just there to hold these things together. Pour into an oiled 8 inch round cake pan. Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes.

Whole 30 Week 3 Roundup

It takes some time to transition your kitchen and your schedule to accommodate these new habits but there are some great things happening. I love only having to eat 3 meals a day and not worry about snacking in between. At home we are enjoying cooking and eating paleo and we both feel pretty awesome too.  At this point we have nailed down the process of having whole30 foods available and ready to cook. We had a great week filled with unbelievable meals. I have even become the source of lunch envy around the office! Here's what's been on my whole30 plate:

One of my new go-to recipes is Nom Nom Paleo's Kalua Pig. This is one of the easiest things I've ever made, requiring only 4 ingredients. I was doubtful it could be good or work but it really does! We like it over the Asian Slaw from Well Fed 2.

 Baked garlic plantains with spicy ground beef picadillo.

This was another stellar packed lunch. The most amazing thing about this dish was that I baked and mashed a yam and roasted brussels in the morning before work--that's whole30 dedication right there! The meal was completed with a lavender duck leg from Canyon Market. I love going there for local meat and I'm lucky to have it as an excellent resource for prepared food.

And the star of the week was a Cioppino by Giada De Larentiis. Loaded with mussels, clams, shrimp and salmon simmered in a tomato fish broth, this was surprisingly easy to make but with incredible depth of flavor.

Whole 30 Week 2 Roundup

While some things I have totally forgotten exist as part of the human diet, there are other things that have become harder to continue to avoid. I suspect this is different for everyone based on your greatest pleasure. Mine is wine. As the dust collects on our recent wine club shipments, I longingly look at the wine rack and try to get over it. It's totally normal to want a glass of wine after a long day, or because it's friday, or just because. RIGHT?

When I'm not staring down the Gloria Ferrer Brut Rose, I continue to focus on making healthy and delicious food. And doing dishes. The grill is an awesome asset for an easy weeknight meal. And we've had GLORIOUS weather all winter which I am endlessly grateful for! These are 2 of my favorites, garlic mushrooms and bbq chicken thighs. After lots of disappointing chicken breasts we've figured out that thighs are the best, not to mention a lot cheaper!

Just when I thought I couldn't look at eggs anymore, Well Fed's Egg Foo Yong saved breakfast. These lovely fritters were filled with steamed cabbage, chicken, and scallions, served with a dollop of spicy secret sauce. Perhaps a little too much flavor for breakfast for most but it was an awesome break for me.

And finally the star of the week was a reinvented childhood favorite: Beef Stroganoff. I posted the traditional recipe a long time ago but am ready to permanently replace it with this healthier version! This meal was inspired by a recipe in one of my favorite vegan cookbooks: Isa Does It (Yes I read vegan cookbooks too). Visit the Paleo Beef Strogonoff post for the recipe! 

More Seafood

I mentioned in my last post that we went to a seafood market. While the oysters deserved their own post, the bounty did not stop there! We also made Thai Red Curry Mussels, recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay (although we did not make it on the grill).

And then there was this gorgeous Ahi fillet I got to take for lunch!

Without being able to use soy sauce, I kept the seasoning simple with lime juice and citrus salt, and a black sesame seed crust. Then I grilled the steak for 2 minutes on each side.

And this is what a Whole30 packed lunch looks like!

If you're feeling bored of your grocery store routine or just too tired for what the sous chef calls "a full shopping experience," I recommend taking the day off and going to a new market, specialty or otherwise. While the key to Whole30 is planning, I sometimes get overwhelmed with all the cooking ahead and decide to focus only on the next 24 hours. Remember the important things - don't let the plan stress you out and enjoy your food!

Grilled BBQ Oysters

Just when the sun came out to play, I realized how much the warm weather makes me think of patios, parks, cold beer and champagne. Instead of sulking in the "can't have" we ventured to a seafood market, on a mission to grill and spend some time on our porch.

I'll let you in on a secret: Oysters, often dismissed as an at-home treat for the difficulties of shucking, will open up all on their own on a grill. No fuss. No mess. No skills required.

Line them up on a pre-heated grill. Close the lid and wait approximately 10 minutes

When the first oyster opens, remove all of them from the grill with an oven mitt

Gently peel the oyster open, being careful not to spill the delicious juices!

 Top with bbq sauce or lemon and enjoy your oyster feast, at home, in under 20 min!

Whole30 Week One Roundup

I purposefully chose to start at a busy time at work and thankfully my wish to breeze through week 1 came true! The most pleasant surprise was how the Whole30 plan kept my energy leveled through the day, no snacking or grazing through some very long days.

It's hard to plan and cook as much as I want to when I'm getting home late so I stuck to a few go-to dinners like the thai-inspired Larb Salad. An easy one-pot meal, this always delivers fresh flavors and is a friendly "pantry" recipe, meaning you can play with using a different kind of meat or alternate veggies. 

Turkey Larb Salad
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 onion, diced
1 inch knob of ginger, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
1 lime
handful of basil
dash of salt
2 tbsp coconut aminos (if not on Whole30 or off soy, soy sauce works)
hot sauce to taste

In a deep skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add in the onion and cook over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and ginger and cook on low for another 2 minutes. Add the turkey, salt and saute until cooked through. Add the kale and cover or simply allow the heat from the pan steam it gently. When the kale has reduced, season the pan with juice of the lime, coconut aminos/soy sauce and hot sauce. Adjust flavors as needed. Serve in a bowl topped with basil leaves.

The big star this week was the West African Chicken Stew from Well Fed 2, the sequel to the original book of the same name and equal deliciousness. Remember what I said about Melissa Joulwan always knocking my socks off? Just when I needed something seductively delicious, Mel delivered (well Joe did but you know what I mean). This dish was a flavorful blend of ginger, spices, tomato, and is finished with sunflower seed butter. It also made the house smell amazing! You can check out some great pictures (I was so hungry I forgot to document this!) and the full recipe on The Healthy Foodie site.

Whole30

This week I decided to start my Whole30, a plan created by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig in which you commit to eating only the most nutrient dense foods for 30 days: protein, vegetables, fruit and healthy fats. The idea is to clear the body of all inflammation and test for intolerances at the end. If you are interested in learning more, go straight to the source on the Whole30 page. Everyone's reasons are different, I just felt like I needed a dramatic investment in my health. All those happy hours add up!

I started on a Sunday because I love taking a day to relax and cook and prepare for the week ahead. The key to success on this plan is preparation (and lots of dishes). Here's what I made on Day 1:

Sweet Potato Hash
For breakfast I made a batch of Nom Nom Paleo's Sweet Potato Hash with enough leftovers for the next day or two. These came out really well and were a fair match for the fluffy pancakes Joe was eating. I topped them with an egg and a small side of organic bacon. My understanding is bacon is accepted in Whole30 IF it does not have weird ingredients or sugar and IF it is not your main source of protein. I'm not planning on making it a Whole30 staple but I happened to get started when this was waiting to be cooked!

Super Boost Tomato Soup

This is a great way to add some power foods to any meal, as a side or as a base by adding some shrimp or protein of choice to the soup.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 28oz can diced tomato
1/2 of an onion (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 - 4 cloves garlic
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1- 2 cups spinach
1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
1 cup fresh basil
dash of salt and black pepper

In a soup pot, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add in the onion and cook over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and oregano and cook on low for another 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Now add in the tomatoes, salt, pepper, spinach and nutritional yeast.  Bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Finish by adding the basil. You can leave it as a chunky soup or blend it up with an immersion blender as I like to do. Test for salt and seasoning. I divide these in portions so I can grab and go on my way to work!

Photo Credit: theclothesmakethegirl.com

Bora Bora Fireballs

Well Fed was the book that made me realize I could get through a Whole30. Melissa Joulwan creates some magical combinations using all Whole30 approved ingredients. This recipe is one of my favorites! On the side I stir fried zucchini, asparagus, and carrots in a lemon, garlic, cumin marinade.

So far so good!