What are You Eating For Breakfast?

(The breakfast in this photo is two fried eggs with smoked seat salt and pepper along with a side of my Paleo Mashed Sweet Potatoes)

This morning I had McCain's quick oatmeal with blueberries, a few pecans, two eggs, and coffee. (McCain's Quick Oatmeal is already cooked, so it's fast, but it's still got some heft to it. It's Irish and healthy and a notch better than our old-fashioned oats.) It sounds like a lot of food, but it's what I like to run on.

 Many paleo people don't eat any grain at all and this is the ONLY grain I eat - and I don't do it often - but it doesn't spike my blood sugar and it keeps me going. I don't need sugar in those oats. I eat this breakfast some days with a scoop of protein powder in it if I don't have time to make eggs, or I eat leftovers from dinner on other days.  If I'm in a big hurry, I have a protein shake instead of the eggs. Ger sometimes eats dinner leftovers for breakfast - I got it from him.  (it doesn't have to be a "breakfast" food, right? Who made that rule?)

If I have my Pumpkin Paleo Crunch made up, or my Paleo Apple Pecan Crunch, I can just grab a bag of that and go. A lot of people miss having cereal, so this recipe works for that. It's AMAZING in a bowl with coconut or almond milk. (or grass fed organic cow milk...)

Also, uncured bacon. The best breakfast days are going to have to include bacon, right?  Have you made my Paleo Bacon Breakfast Casserole? That feeds us more than one morning!

All my protein ball recipes are great to make ahead for breakfast too. I bag two at a time in little snack bags and keep them in the freezer. That way, if I need to get out the door in a hurry, I make coffee and grab that.

 SO, what are you eating for breakfast, CrossFit friends?

Paleo Roasted Beets with Bison Burgers

Beets have big nutritional value - the June issue of Shape magazine says a recent Dutch study shows that they have a compound that reduces the amount of oxygen your muscles need - and most people who don't like them have only eaten them out of a can. So, I hope you branch out and try these!

I bought 2  bunches of beets (mine were organic) and cut off the leaves, leaving about an inch of the stems. I cut off the root part on the bottom end also. I laid a piece of Reynold's Wrap on a cookie pan and rubbed it with olive oil. I placed the beets on there and rubbed them with olive oil. I placed another piece of Reynold's Wrap on top of them and folded all the sides together, all the way around, making them a nice tight tent.

I put them into a 350 degree oven for 90 minutes. If yours are smaller, you could go for maybe an hour, or cut them into pieces, but I like them whole because they are red and messy when you cut them up! Stick a paring knife into them to see if they're soft and done.

I took them out and let them cool off for a little while. Then I peeled them. I sliced them up and sloshed a little balsamic vinaigrette on them - this gives them an interesting kick!

I had them with bison burgers, sprinkled with smoked paprika, turmeric, pepper, and sea salt. Yum! I topped them with uncured bacon.

This is what they looked like before they went into the oven to roast. I apologize for the top photo. I made this again, and forgot to shot another photo. Next time....

Fresh Fruit on Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Now, doesn't that look refreshing and delicious? Who says when you eat paleo, you have to do without dessert? It's summertime and if it's too hot to bake a paleo cake, then I just filled a big bowl with cut-up kiwi and strawberries. Then I added blueberries, too.

I got a bowl from my oldest china and added some coconut milk ice cream ( vanilla bean) and lots of the chilled fruit. The coconut milk ice cream was just the stuff you can buy in the grocery - I know it has some thickener in it that I wouldn't eat more than a couple of times a year, but it's hot and I am trying to take it easy once in a while. I make my own stuff most of the time. I got a spoon and sat myself down!

Anyway, that hit the spot and there was no guilt. I'd meant to sprinkle cinnamon on it, but I forgot. It was perfect after turkey burgers and steamed broccoli. ( We needed good fuel for our Memorial Day Murph 2012, tomorrow at CrossFit Countdown.)

I guess there would have been some guilt with Ger.  He just ate fruit! 

Sausage in Spaghetti Squash and Tomatoes

It has come to my attention that the banger pork sausage that loved so much at Whole foods has....grain in it! So, we are making this recipe with different sausage now. Choose your sausage wisely.

This post is brought to you by Jess Sasser:

  First of all, I drove 2 hours to Whole Foods in Lexington with a dual purpose: to get banger pork sausage and to see the "hot butcher".  To my dismay, neither were there... so, I improvised.  I got garlic, sun dried tomato, and basil pork sausage.  Also, the generic butcher removed the casings from the sausage. (I've found that the sausage browns and crisps easier without the casing.) After visiting my friend, Jamie, I returned ready to cook a meal.

I put a tablespoon of coconut oil into a pan.  Once that melted, I halved the sausages and placed them in the pan.  I cooked one side until it was brown and then flipped it over.  Once the other side cooked, I let them brown enough to get a good crunch on the outside.

Meanwhile, I pierced a spaghetti squash with a knife, several times around the squash.  Then, I placed the squash in a square baking dish.  This went into the microwave for 10 minutes.  I turned the squash over and nuked it for another 7 minutes.  (I pierced the squash to allow ventilation...a burst squash is quite a mess!  I also used a leather pot holder to manipulate the squash because it gets steamy...)  After the 17 minutes, I let the squash sit to continue steaming.

Next, I opened a 28 ounce can of organic diced tomatoes and removed the crispy sausage from the pan.  I, then, cut the squash in half, lengthwise.  Using a spoon, I removed the seeds.  Using a fork, I removed the strands of the squash into a large bowl.  I added the tomatoes and stirred.

I decided to incorporate all the ingredients into a bowl.  Added a little bit of cheese to the top...and voila!  A yummy meal!

By the way, I kept wishing for banger pork... Another trip to Lexington is in the future, but this time I will call ahead with my order.  I learned that Whole Foods will make it in house if I call a day ahead and let them know!

Orange Chicken Breasts, Paleo

I rubbed my grill pan with  2 TBSP Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil. I added 1/4 cup orange juice and 2 tsp raw honey. Then I heated up the pan. I added 6 Harvestland chicken breasts. I sprinkled them with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, lemon pepper,  and 1 tsp of McCormick Valencia Orange Peel. ( buy this in the spice aisle) I cooked them til brownish, then turned them over and sprinkled a little more of the dried Valencia Orange Peel. When this side looked done, I turned them way down.

Meanwhile, in another skillet, I added 2 TBSP bacon grease ( If you don't have any, you should make bacon more often!) and 1/4 cup Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock. I added a big head of broccoli, cut up, and a package of  Tri-Color Cole Slaw. (just the shredded green cabbage, carrots, and red cabbage - this saves a lot of time and is great, cooked, as a side.) I sprinkled a little basil on and put a lid on it, stirring now and then. This has a hint of stir-fry and goes very well with the orange hint in the chicken!

That's it. It smells so good and wasn't much trouble at all!

Yellowfin Tuna in a Grill Pan

Yellowfin Tuna from Whole Foods probably shouldn't be placed on a paper plate for a picture, but life around here is a little crazy. (but the food is good!)

So, Jess bought this little splurge for us. Here's what she did:

She coated a Pampered Chef grill pan with Lemon Myrtle Infused Macadamia Nut Oil (from Amazon. Coconut Oil would also be delicious.)
She heated the pan up on medium heat, so she would get a sizzle when she placed the 2 big tuna steaks in the pan. She sprinkled liberally with freshly ground pepper, sea salt, and lemon pepper. She flipped them after about 4 minutes and cooked them another 4 minutes on the other side. ( Adjust here - we like ours still very pink in the center!)

Done. Clean, healthy protein and it's so very healthy. All you have to do is add your favorite fresh veggies on the side, like maybe Paleo Roasted Cauliflower.

Thanks, Jess.

Done.

Paleo Pork Recipes like Paleo Pork Short Ribs for the Crockpot

Meat in a crock pot made from one of our paleo pork recipes

John Rolins challenged me to come up with this one. I love a good paleo challenge!

Cavewoman brings this meat to the Halloween WOD Party.

So, here's what I did:
I rubbed the inside of my slow cooker with coconut oil.
I diced a large white onion and put it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
I laid out 4 lbs of pork short ribs, country style, and sprinkled them with:
    1/4 tsp red pepper
    1 tsp garlic powder
    1 tsp smoked paprika
    1 tsp smoked sea salt
    1/2 tsp tumeric
    freshly ground black pepper
(if you don't have all these things exactly, improvise! Hickory Bacon flavored salt would work well, too, or Liquid Smoke)

Next, I placed the ribs onto the layer of onion. It was a couple of layers.

In a medium bowl, I stirred up:
1 15 oz can of Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce
1 6 oz can of Hunt's Tomato paste with Basil and Garlic (read your labels - you don't want hidden sugar in these cans!)
2 TBSP Colevita Basalmic Vinegar
1/4 cup raw or local honey (agave nectar, if you must...)

I poured this sauce over the ribs and put on the lid. I cooked it on low for 8 hours.
It is beyond the word delicious. It is beyond stupendous. Yes. Now, go make it!