Karen

For those of you that are not familiar with CrossFit, I thought that I should clarify something. On the sidebar I have indicated that my least favorite workout is "Karen". This does not refer to a specific person but rather a specific workout. "Karen" is a CrossFit workout that consists of 150 wall balls at 20 lbs for time.

You may ask but "Why are CrossFit work outs named after girls?" Well I have the answer for you! Coach Glassman, the founder and President of CrossFit explained it best: “I want to explain the workout once and then give it a name. I thought that anything that left you flat on your back, looking up at the sky asking ‘what just happened to me?’ deserved a female name.  Workouts are just like storms, they wreak havoc on towns.”  

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

I personally have fond memories associated with meatloaf., it definitely was and is still a comfort food for me. This, however, is not your mother's meatloaf. Chiefly, because it is wrapped in bacon and as we all know bacon makes everything better!!

1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef 
1 egg
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
4 tbsp of tomato paste
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
Salt and pepper
4-6 slices of bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine pork and beef. Add chopped vegetables and mix by hand. Add egg, 2 tbsps of tomato paste and spices. Mix thoroughly. 

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Form the mixture into 2 meatloaf logs. Combine the remaining tomato paste with 1/2 tsp of cumin and spread over each meatloaf. Top the meatloafs with bacon. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Then turn on broiler and cook for 10 - 15 minutes longer until bacon is crispy. 

The bacon on top cooks into the meatloaf and makes it absolutely wonderful!

Almond Meal Breakfast Porridge

I typically begin each morning with bacon and eggs however those mornings that I am not running on time or just feel like something a little different, I turn to this recipe. It's quick, easy and there are many different variations.

1/4 cup almond meal 

1 tbs. ground flaxseed
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of cloves
1 egg
1/4 cup of blueberries/strawberries/blackberries
raw sunflower seeds/walnuts/pecans 

Heat almond meal, flax, almond milk, coconut, cinnamon and cloves in a microwave-safe container; heat for one minute. Stir to mix in egg, then add berries and sprinkle with nuts. Heat for another 60 seconds until set to your liking. 

You can mix it up with different fruits, spices and nuts. 

Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms and Chicken

1 spaghetti squash 
2 tablespoons coconut oil 
1 tbsp olive oil 
3 cloves garlic 
2 chicken breasts 
8 ounces crimini and button mushrooms 
Oregano, basil, salt and pepper (I don't measure) 
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional) 

Slice a spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, place cut side down on plate and in the microwave it goes. About 8 - 12 minutes depending on your microwave. Cook until the squash flesh separates easily into strands with a fork. 

In a skillet over medium, sauté coconut oil with the chopped garlic, mushrooms and cut up chicken. Cook until the mushrooms begin to brown and release most of their liquid and the chicken is cooked through. Season with spices. Add the squash to the pan and continue cooking until heated through. Drizzle with olive oil 

Remove from the heat and toss in the parsley and parmesan (leave out if going strict paleo). 

From fridge to table in under 30 minutes.  

Sweet Potato Frittata

8 eggs

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into thin slices

1 sliced zucchini

1 small onion, chopped

5 – 6 rashers of bacon

Cumin

Salt and pepper

Fresh dill

Turn on broiler. Heat an oven safe frying pan over a medium-low heat; cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and reserve fat. Add the sweet potato slices and onion to the bacon fat, and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Season with cumin. Add the zucchini and cook for another 4 minutes.

While it cooks, whisk the eggs in a bowl, making sure to incorporate a lot of air in the mixture. Season the egg mixture with salt and pepper.

Add bacon to the veggies followed by the egg mixture. Top with dill. Cook on low heat until just set, about 10 minutes. You do not want the bottom to be too brown. You can move the mixture around the pan to assist with cooking. 

Finish the frittata until golden under a heated broiler. Cut the finished frittata into wedges and serve with a fresh garden salad.

This recipe can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It stores well in the fridge. Simply heat in the microwave before eating and you have yourself and quick and easy breakfast. 

Adapted from paleodietlifestyle.com. 

So what is this Paleo Diet?

Courtesy of Paleohacks.com

The Paleolithic (paleo) diet is an effort to eat like the hunter-gathered caveman and women that existed during the Paleolithic era.  If a caveman couldn’t eat it, than neither can you.

The Paleolithic era, was a period of about 2.5 million years which ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture and grain-based diets. As such the paleo diet includes food items that were available prior to the development of agriculture. 

Below is a summary of the Paleolithic diet from the Paleo Plan (http://www.paleoplan.com/2011/09-19/paleo-nutshell) 

• For 2.5 million years we evolved as hunter-gatherers eating meat, fish, eggs, veggies, fruits and nuts until 10,000 years ago when agriculture came along and gave us grains, beans, dairy, vegetable oils and refined sugars.
• Those foods cause digestive problems and chronic inflammation, and they lead to obesity, diabetes and heart disease, among other things.
• With a few exceptions, we still have the same genetic make-up as those hunter-gatherers. Our bodies don’t handle the agricultural foods well.
• By not eating the agricultural foods, you get to go back to your roots, eating the foods you’re designed to eat. People on this diet see major improvements in their health. They lose weight, gain muscle, feel more energetic and stop taking all kinds of medications because their blood pressure improves, blood sugar normalizes and inflammation of all kinds subsides.
• Humans have the ability to subsist on foods that aren’t optimal for health, which is what we’ve been doing for the last 10,000 years. If we want to actually thrive, the Paleolithic diet is the way to eat.
• And no, hunter-gatherers didn’t just live until they were 30 and die brutal deaths. They’ve been known to live for a hundred years or more, free of the modern, chronic diseases we die of now.

So what can and can’t you eat?

• Foods to eat: Lean meats, seafood, nuts and seeds, vegetables, fruit, healthy fats
• Foods to avoid: dairy, processed food and sugars, legumes, starches, alcohol

I do not claim to be an expert on the Paleo Diet just another means of providing information. For more information please see this video put together by Slim is Simple .org:

Paleo + Me

My journey with Paleo began in January 2012, after joining CrossFit Brio in November.  The box challenged the members to a 10 week Paleo Challenge starting in January. Not one for backing down from a challenge, I accepted this new 10 week lifestyle, little did I realize that this would soon become a permanent lifestyle change. Most of my family, friends and co-workers thought I had gone off the deep end into crazy town but I was convinced that I would prove them all wrong!

I cleaned out my cupboards, fridge and pantry from all processed and packaged foods, all sugar, dairy and grain related items. I remember looking at my cupboards and thinking what have I got myself into? There is nothing left to eat! But, I was going to give this a go and see what happened. I stocked up on meat, vegetables, eggs, fruit and nuts and went to town. Day one was no problem however by day two I found myself going through massive sugar withdrawal, emotional outbursts and irritability. I thought my body was rejecting itself! Luckily these symptoms only lasted a few days. After which I began to notice significant changes, I had more energy, less stomach trouble, and generally just felt great. Halfway through the 10 week challenge I had decided that this was not going to be a temporary lifestyle change but a new way of living. I was going to be a modern day caveman.

I had always loved cooking and baking and now I was presented with a new dietary challenge: finding and creating recipes that were not only Paleo but tasty, interesting and different. This was initially challenging but once I started to look outside the box the recipes just began to flow.

Today, I still lead a Paleo lifestyle the majority of the time with my occasional cheat days. After all,  everyone is entitled to their occasional cheat days. I hope you find this collections of recipes both paleo and non-paleo helpful. Most of the recipes I use I have found and made modifications. These are my versions of some classic and new recipes.