We're moving!

I have not fallen off the face of the Earth, but I am getting ready to launch my own .com in the next month, so please be patient! As always, feel free to leave me any questions!

Julia

LAMB TIBS

One of my favorite restaurants in Saint Louis is a family owned Ethiopian restaurant. I love the combination of buttery, rich spices which pairs with so many of their meat and vegetable dishes. 

The cold weather always brings me to want hearty ethnic dishes, and so I decided to recreate one of my favorites!

Ingredients:

1 lb lamb, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped or minced
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 cardamom pods, crushed with the side of a knife
1/4 - 1/2 tsp minced jalapeno or serrano pepper (you can always add more!)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ginger

#1: Place all of the ingredients except for the lamb into a gallon sized plastic bag and mix thoroughly.

#2: Put your raw lamb pieces into the bag, get out the excess air (so that your meat is nicely covered) and seal. Place in the fridge for at least two hours.

#3: Take the meat from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and place it in a saute pan with a teaspoon of ghee (clarified butter). Brown on all sides. (Shake off the excess INTO the bag, don't throw it out!)

#4: After you lamb is cooked, add in the marinade and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Recommendation:  This is a great dish to serve with green beans and carrots. The natural sweetness of carrots pairs very well with these spices.

**TIP: Put your lamb and marinade in a bag, in the fridge before work. When you get home, all you have to do is toss it in a pan. You can cook your veggies while the lamb is cooking! Have an awesome dinner in as little as 20-30 minutes!

Servings: 3

Paleo + Fitness = Big Results

Obviously this is not the food pyramid we were all taught in middle school. In fact, half of what is on the federally suggested food pyramid isn't even here! The meat section is to remind you there are other options besides chicken and steak.

I would like to bring your attention to the biggest box. These two things are often overlooked, and yet they are the biggest contributors to weight loss, prevention of over-eating, and overall health! 

Those who work out regularly will have better muscle tone. Good muscle tone will make you stand up taller (increasing confidence and giving you a thinner appearance), and it will help support your spine (which can prevent and eliminate lower back pain). When your spine is properly supported and your body is in a healthy alignment, it will take stress off your hip, knee, and ankle joints, too!

Working out can lead to a lower pulse rate and lower blood pressure, thus reducing the amount of stress on your body. Hooray!

The Beta run of my 100 DAY PALEO CHALLENGE Facebook page is up and running. I haven't found many Paleo support networks where a group can get together, ask questions and share their mishaps and successes. That is what we do! 

Real people. New ideas. Real support!
 
Going Paleo is an amazing decision, but don't miss out on big results. Combining Paleo with exercise does something amazing. Eating this way is great. You've taken away all of those fast burn carbs, but what next? Exercising, especially cardio, will produce tremendous results because you body will need lots of energy to keep up with you and guess what??? IT STARTS BREAKING DOWN YOUR FAT INTO SUGAR TO BURN AS ENERGY! This is where you can lose all of those inches you've never been able to shed! If you're already where you want to be size-wise, this is where you can really tone up and sculpt your body. 

Don't miss out.

LASAGNA WITH EGGPLANT "NOODLES"

Good, I got your attention! Yes, this is paleo, but it is also very good. It's a hot, hearty meal, that with a little preparation is very simple to put together. Meatsauce, veggies, nutcheese!

I just lost a few of you, didn't I?

I've been eating Paleo since last April, and one thing I have avoided several times was: "nutcheese? that's not cheese!" And I was right. It isn't cheese, but it does have a mild flavor and the exact same texture as ricotta. Since I'm launching my 100 Day Paleo Challenge I figured I needed to man, er, woman-up, and try it out.

I was pleasantly surprised! My lasagna had the same wonderful, familiar texture, and it was delicious. If you want to go (Mostly) on this dish, try the nutcheese (really! - you can put it inbetween layers), but top your lasagna with 1/4-1/2 cup of fresh whole milk fat mozzerella or sliced tomatoes and goatcheese.

If you don't know my opinion already, I stay away from dairy unless it really makes the dish. Cheese is certainally expected when you hear the word "lasagna", but I would eat this dish without it because the cheese would melt in with the other ingredients and I feel it would get lost. Now, a tomato and mozzerella salad? I'm all for that! (Once in a rare while. Avoid dairy where you can!)

Ingredients: 
1 medium eggplant (You can also use slices of zucchini, if you do, skip the steps for preparing the eggplant.)
1 medium tomato or 2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
6-10 white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 small or medium white or yellow onion, sliced
1 cup bell pepper of choice, sliced
2-3 cups meat sauce, prepared (use my recipe or your own)
1-1 1/2 cups nutcheese
Fresh basil
Oregano, fresh or dried.



This recipe uses a 9"x5" loaf pan. YIELD: 4 Servings

LASAGNA PREP WORK:

- Take a  medium eggplant (or however much you need) and slice your lasagna "noodles" lengthwise, laying them out on paper towels. Sprinkle them lightly with salt, wait about 20 minutes, turn them over and do the same thing.

[The salt breaks down the membranes of the eggplant (it will be tough if you don't do this) and draws the water out.]

- Take your slices of tomatoes and set them on paper towels to soak up excess moisture.

Pre-cook your mushrooms, peppers and onions, and drain off any excess liquid. Let cool.

*These steps are important so that you do not end up with a watery lasagna*

Chiffonade fresh basil and set aside.


ASSEMBLY:      (Preheat oven to 350)

#1: I like to put a couple of tablespoons of sauce on the bottom of my pan to keep it from sticking. Then lay out your first layer of eggplant or zucchini noodles, being sure to cover the bottom of the pan.

#2: Add layers of sliced tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, basil, nutcheese, and meatsauce, repeating to make two or three layers of everything as desired. The nutcheese will work just like ricotta in this recipe. You can crumble it up and sprinkle it around or spread it as a thin layer with a spatula or wooden spoon.

#3: Top your lasagna with your nutcheese and sprinkle with oregano.

#4: Cover your lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese on top has browned.


Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing. 

Tip: I found that gently using a serrated knife worked well for cutting through the eggplant without disturbing the dish!

NUTCHEESE

This is not my recipe, but one from Danielle Walker's book, Against All Grain.

This "cheese" is a great substitute for ricotta! It has a mild flavor and an identical texture.

Ingredients:
1 cup blanched raw macadamias
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus pinch for soaking
3 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 teaspoons lemon juice

Preparation:
#1. Place nuts in bowl and cover with filtered water, add in a pinch of salt. Soak for 6 hours.
#2. Drain the nuts and rinse thoroughly.
#3. Place the nuts in a food processor on high-speed with remaining ingredients.
#4. Process until smooth and the mixture resembles ricotta cheese.

You can store for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Tip from me: You can cut the soaking process in half by pouring boiling water over the nuts, rather than using cold or room temperature water.

SPAGETTI SQUASH

For those of you who are looking for a pasta substitute or just another vegetable to add to your repertoire, spaghetti squash is an excellent choice. Just like pasta it can be cooked "al dente" or anywhere on either side. It is long enough to twirl on a fork if that is your thing, and it's taste is naturally buttery with a hint of sweetness.

A very important thing to remember is: it's squash. Not a box of Barilla. "This doesn't taste like pasta!" Well... it's a squash. A squash that is very tasty with meatballs and a marinara sauce!

Here I am preparing a medium spaghetti squash. (You will find these by your acorn and butternut squash. For me that's near the potatoes and onions, it may be different at your local store.) There is a deceitfully large amount of squash in one of these! So if you're just cooking for one or two, you do not need to buy a large one unless you want LOTS of leftovers. On the plus side, it freezes well. Simply portion it out with your meat sauce or whatever you are serving it with, put it in a plastic container with a lid and toss it in the freezer! Voila! TV Dinner without the added chemicals, preservatives and things that make you feel bloated and miserable! Who knew?

Preheat your oven to 375.

#1: With a sharp knife, slice off the end where the stem is so that you can set the squash upright without it tipping over.

#2: Carefully slice the squash longways. You can take the seeds out now, or wait until it's cooked. I find that it's easier after it's cooked.

#3: Place face down on ungreased parchment on a cookie sheet.

#4: Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes or until the squash gives a little when you press on it.

#5: Set squash in fridge and let cool for approximately 20 minutes, or until it's not too hot to hold.

#6: Using a fork, rake the squash lengthwise. The spaghetti strips will come right off!