Arugula kick

I have been on an arugula kick for quite a while now. I love the peppery taste. This morning for breakfast I had a bed of arugula with a poached egg, ham, olive oil, and hot sauce. It was so delicious ... and paleo,!

What are your food obsessions lately?

xoxo, Sarah

Happy New Year!

It is 2013... wow!  2012 was a pretty great year at the Collins house.  We got married in June! Had an amazing trip to the Virgin Islands in August.  I started crossfit and paleo in the Spring and feel more fit and healthy than I ever have. Also, my husband loved his job and took on a lot of responsibility in 2012.

I think 2013 will be pretty great too! I plan to run a lot more. I am scheduled for a 10 mile trail run this month and plan to run a half marathon in the Spring.  Before law school I ran lots of long distance races and I am excited to get back into it.  Also, I graduate from law school in 2013, which is really exciting and kind of terrifying all at the same time.

We stayed in on new year's eve. We had been in PA visiting my husband's family and driven the 7 hour drive back that morning and didn't really feel like leaving the house.  We decided to cook a nice big dinner, drink red wine and champagne, snuggle with our dogs on the couch, watch the acorn drop on tv (it is Raleigh's version of the "ball drop"), and dance to Ray Charles in our living room. It was perfect!

For dinner we had a paleo-ish meal: Filet Mignon with Cabernet reduction, arugula salad, and roasted sweet potatoes.  The wine used in cooking the steak and the cheese on the arugula salad were the only non-paleo parts. Also, all the alcohol we drank was not really paleo either. Oh well!

With the start of 2013, we had a traditional meal on new year's day.  I made collards (paleo friendly) and cornbread (not at all paleo friendly), while my husband made a ham hock bean soup (also not paleo friendly).  I also made him a pecan pie that I have successfully stayed away from.

My goals for 2012 was to focus more on my health and fitness, which I think I was pretty successful at. I continue that goal for 2013 with the new hopes of finding a job, spending more time with friends, and taking more time to reflect. 

I wish you all a healthy and happy 2013!

xoxo, Sarah

An easy quick paleo dinner

Well, December flew past without any blogging. With my final exams, coming down with the flu, and the holidays I couldn't get much of anything done.

On busy nights or nights you don't feel like cooking much, it is great to have some go to meals that are super easy. Here is a favorite at our house:

Rotisserie chicken with sweet potatoes and asparagus. We pick up a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and cook some easy sides. Rotisserie chickens are usually half price on Sunday and you can usually get at least a couple of meals.

Our favorite side for many paleo meals is sweet potatoes and thanks to Pinterest I have found my favorite easy way to cook them. The recipe is from edible prospective.




Sweet potato: Preheat oven to 350* Slice sweet potatoes ~1/2” thick Lightly coat with olive oil + a sprinkling of salt Bake for 20min [turning once] Turn heat to 400* Bake for ~15-20min more [turning once]. So easy and perfect

We then sauté asparagus in either coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil with salt and pepper.

I usually use the rotisserie chicken on my salads the rest of the week!

What are your go to fast and easy meals?

xoxo,

Sarah

Paleo staple lunch

My standard paleo lunch - salad greens, hard boiled egg, avocado, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tuna.

I like tuna packed in olive oil, and i get mine from Trader Joes because I have heard their tuna has lower levels of mercury. Not sure if it is true.

However, I often leave the tuna off if I am bringing it to work/school because I fear being the smelly eater :).

Week 2 was great! (Great Pot Roast)

It has started to feel like fall in Raleigh, so on Thursday (day 9) I cooked a pot roast! I only had to make a couple of modifications to my normal recipe to make it paleo! Instead of the potatoes it called for, we used turnips that we had received in our CSA last week (recipe is below).

Over the weekend we flew to Pennsylvania to visit my husband's family. It was a great trip, but I was worried about keeping strict paleo. I went to the grocery store once we got to town, and it wasn't that bad!

Paleo Pot Roast:
(This is basically "Emeril's Pot Roast" recipe that has been changed a little to make it "paleo")

- large cast iron enameled pot with lid
-  3.5 lb boneless chuck roast
- 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1.5 teaspoons of salt
- 3/4 teaspoons of pepper
- 4 tablespoons of coconut oil
- spice mix (1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder)
- 1.5 cups of chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 cup of carrots
- 1 cup of turnips
- 2.5 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves

- Preheat the oven to 300'F
- With a small, sharp knife, make 1.5 inch deep slits all over roast on all sides.  Insert the cloves of garlic into the slits.  Rub the roast with the salt and pepper on all sides.
- heat the large cast iron enameled pot over medium high heat.
- add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. and when hot, add the roast and sear on all sides, about 4 minutes per side.
- Remove the roast from the pan and sprinkle with spice mix on all sides.
- Reduce heat to medium, add remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, stir oil constantly - scraping the drippings from the bottom for about 5 minutes.
- Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, carrots, and turnips and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add the beef broth, tomato paste, and bay leaves, and stir it to blend.
- bring to boil, return roast to the pan, cover, and bake in the oven for 1.5 hours
- Remove Roast from oven, turn meat over to expose the other side, recover, and return to oven to cook for 1.5-2 hours longer.
- remove from oven
- remove bay leaves
- enjoy!

Day 8 - Wednesday

Breakfast: smoothie (banana, blueberries, almonds, ice, whey protein)

Lunch: salad (greens, onion, evoo, red wine vinegar); water

Dinner: shredded pork (carnitas) with jalapeños, avocado and tomatillo salsa; water

 

Day 9 - Thursday

Breakfast: pear and homemade lara bar
Lunch: Salad (greens, hardboiled egg, grilled chicken, onion, tomato, evoo, red wine vinegar), and water
Snack: homemade Lara Bar
Dinner: Pot Roast, salad, water

 Day 10 - Friday
Breakfast: apple, mango smoothie (no added sweetener/dairy), 16 oz of water
Lunch: grilled chicken nuggets and a side of fruit (chick-fil-a on our trip), water
Dinner: steamed shrimp, broccoli, vegetable soup (ate around the potatoes), water
Snack: pear
 
Day 11 - Saturday
Breakfast: mexican eggs (eggs scrambled with salsa), bacon, water
Lunch: two hotdogs (no bun), water
Dinner: slow cooked pork bbq, brussel sprouts, baked sweet potato fries
Snack: apple and almond butter

Day 12 - Sunday
Breakfast: fruit salad
Lunch: Salad (greens, hard boil egg, mushrooms, tomato, evoo, red wine vinegar)
Dinner: left over pot roast, water
 
Day 13 – Monday
Breakfast: two egg omelet, with wilted arugula, onions, red pepper, avocado; water
Lunch: sweet potato fries, salad (w/ tuna, greens, onion, red wine vinegar, evoo); water
Dinner: chicken (pan seared) with cauliflower and brussel sprouts, kale chips; water
Snack: homemade lara bar

Day 14 – Tuesday
Breakfast: poached egg over sautéed arugula, onions, and peppers, with sliced avocado; water
Lunch: salad (greens, hardboiled egg, avocado, onion, evoo, red wine vinegar); water
Dinner: Salad (greens, tuna, avocado, onion, evoo, red wine vinegar); water

Day 15 – Wednesday
Breakfast – 2 eggs scrambled with sautéed veggies (swiss chard, onions, and peppers), and avocado; water
Lunch: salad (greens, arugula, onion, hardboiled egg, evoo, red wine vinegar); water
Dinner: left over pot roast; water
Snack: apple, almond butter

Over-half way through the challange! - xoxo, Sarah

Tailgating and Day 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7

Sorry for the lapse in posts! I really doubt I will post every day.

This weekend was the first NCSU home game of the year! We are big wolfpack fans at our house, so we were excited to tailgate.  However, being on the 30 day challenge meant I had to prepare paleo friendly food. 

I knew there were plenty of meat options, but I didn't want to eat just meat. After a few "paleo tailgate" searches on google I had lots of great ideas! We had: Paleo deviled eggs (recipe below), prosciutto wrapped asparagus, grilled sausage, paleo chicken wings, olives and pickled veggies, and celery dipped in guacamole!

Paleo Deviled Eggs - I modified my recipe from one I found on CavemanForum
Deviled Egg Ingredients
• 7 hard boiled eggs
• 1/4 cup of paleo mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
•   salt and pepper to taste
•   pickle relish (not sweetened) (Trader Joes has a great dill version that does no have added sweetener)
•   paprika for garnish

Paleo Mayonnaise Ingredients
•   2 egg yolks
•   3 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste.
Directions for Mayo:
Place the egg yolk and 1/2 tsp lemon juice in a bowl and start whisking furiously. Begin to add the oil very slowly. Start with just a drop or two at a time. when the mixture begins to thicken you can pour the oil in at a faster pace. Once the mayo is thick and the oil is added pour the rest of the lemon juice in.

Directions for deviled eggs:
Cut eggs in half along the vertical and remove the yolks and set aside in a small bowl.
Use a fork to mash the yolk.
Add Paleo Mayonnaise, mustard, relish, salt and pepper, mix well.
Distribute the yolk mixture evenly into the egg halves.
Sprinkle with paprika!

These were a delicious hit! My brother said they tasted just like regular deviled eggs! The game was a lot of fun, we even won! GO PACK!

Day 3 - Friday
Breakfast: prosciutto wrapped egg/veggie muffin, 16 oz of water
Lunch: salad - arugula, spinich, onion, leftover chicken, hard boiled egg, evoo, red wine vinegar; 16 oz of water
Dinner: blueberry with mint and greens salad; chorizo and shrimp over zucchini and squash; 16 oz of water

Day 4 - Saturday
Breakfast: prosciutto wrapped egg/ veggie muffin, 16 oz of water
Lunch: I think I skipped lunch b/c we were preparing for the tailgate (oops)
Dinner: Tail gate - Paleo deviled eggs (above), prosciutto wrapped asparagus, grilled sausage, paleo chicken wings, olives and pickled veggies, and celery dipped in guacamole; lots of water.

Day 5 - Sunday
Breakfast - banana, V8, lara bar
Lunch - protein shake, apples and almond butter; 16 oz of water
Dinner - cauliflower (fried rice style, w/ bacon and egg), zucchini and chicken stir fry (will post recipe later); 16 oz of water

Day 6- Monday
Breakfast - Smoothie w/blueberries, banana, almonds, whey protein, ice/water
Lunch: Roast beef, lettuce, tomato; 16 oz of water (I was at a lunch meeting and sandwiches were provided, so I ate it without the bread)
Dinner: Salad - greens, bacon, hard boiled egg, avocado, grilled chicken, evoo, and vinegar; 16 oz of water

Day 7 - Tuesday
non-paleo :(, I had a lunch meeting again and thought there would be a paleo friendly option and there was not.

I hope if you are doing a challenge your first week went well!

xoxo - Sarah

Day 2 - time to grocery shop!

Always good to start a challenge with a good trip to the grocery store to motivate! Here are some of my paleo pantry necessities!

Coconut oil - Any recipe that calls for vegetable oil or butter, I use Coconut oil instead.

 

Almond Butter (w/out any added sweeteners) - This is a great source of protein. I eat it with apples for a sweet snack or dessert, or by the spoonful, and it is a key ingredient in my homemade lara bars (a staple to my challenge).

 

Veggies of your choice - I am lucky in the fact that I love veggies! To eat strict paleo, you should really be getting at least 3 servings of veggies a day.  My favorites are brussell sprouts, beets, arugula, cauliflower.


Spaghetti Squash - Cut in half and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Scrape out the flesh of the squash with a fork and you will get strands of squash that resemble spaghetti (hints the name)! It is sweet and delicious.  I serve with the same toppings I use when I eat pasta (no cheese)!

 

Avocado - Packed full of protein! - I add to a salad and will eat with my eggs

 

Eggs! - I cook all sorts of ways, but I usually eat at least one a day. I usually hard boil some on Monday to have the rest of the week.

 

 

I also buy meat depending on what we are cooking that week. I try to get grass fed, antibiotic free.

 

Here is what I ate today:

 

Breakfast: 2 prosciutto egg/veggie muffins, pineapple, blueberries, and 16 oz of water

 

Lunch: turkey, lettuce, and tomato (I was at a catered lunch at school where sandwiches were pre-made. Not the best for paleo, so I just ate the sandwich with out the bread). 16 oz of water

 

Snack: homemade lara bar, and 16 oz of water

 

Dinner: spaghetti squash with paleo meatballs (will post recipe later).

 

Headed to Thursday night yoga!

 

xoxo - Sarah