Lunch for Days

This morning I dubbed myself "Cooking Genius" and while that may be a gross exaggeration, this morning I really meant it.  There are two lunchtime dishes that I have become obsessed over: Sonoma Chicken and Broccoli Salad.  Both are carried at Whole Foods and Big Johns and while I LOVE them, they can be a bit heavy on the mayo, which I'm not big on to begin with, and they substitute ingredients for ones with sugar in them sometimes, which I'm also not big on.  BUT, the great thing about both of these places is that they list the ingredients on their packages so all I had to do was break them down and make them better...which I have!

The ingredients for these two salads will make 2-5 meals depending on who you are and how much you eat.  They are easy to make, require no real cooking, and will only get better as they marinate.

Ingredient:

1 whole cooked chicken. note: you can be cool and make your own if you want.  I only make a whole chicken when I'm making chicken soup.  Buy a cooked chicken, preferably one without much seasoning.  I used a BBQ flavor.
5 celery stalks, sliced down the middle and chopped
1/2 a bag of red grapes, cut in half
1 handful of parsley
1 container of olive oil mayo, make your own from my recipe (see "I gave crabs to Lance and Emily"), or buy it, but be sure to get the olive oil with no sugar and ingredients whose names you can pronounce.
2 large heads of broccoli, chopped into small florets
4 thick cutes of bacon, scut into small bits
2 small boxes of raisons, the kind you put in the kids lunches
1/2 to 3/4 cup nuts, I like almonds, but cashews also work really well
1/3 red onion, sliced and separated into strings
Salt and pepper

Sonoma Chicken/Broccoli Salad
Separate chicken meat from the carcass.  Be sure to remove all the fat, don't use the skin and don't forget the dark meat, it's very good for you.  Chop the chicken up and put onto a plate.  If the chicken is still warm, put it in the fridge while you prep everything else.

Heat a pan and toss in the chopped bacon.  This is the only cooking you do...woohooo!  On a plate place a couple layers of paper towel and put the bacon on there to cook when done.

Get TWO large bowls.
In Bowl 1: Add sliced grapes, chopped celery and parsley.  The toss the chicken on top
In Bowl 2: Add broccoli florets, sliced onion, nuts, and raisons.  Once the bacon is cooled add that.

In Bowl 1: Add 3 tbs. of mayo and mix thoroughly
In Bowl 2: Add 4 tbs. of may and mix thoroughly

TaDa!  It is done.  Dish out your lunch servings and leave the rest covered in the fridge for future use.

NOTE on Salt and Pepper: While they were one of my favorite groups back in the day, I find that for this recipe they are not needed.  Since I am a big fan of both, and usually heavy on salt, please take this into consideration and taste your finished product before adding Salt and Pepper

Dead Mice!

Bacon makes everything better.  It's called dead mice because when you put them in your cast iron and they start to bubble they look just like...dead mice.  Its so beautiful.

Ingredients
1/2 lb of bacon
Radicchio
2 Pears or 10-12 Figs, sliced lengthwise

Side Note: Ever cut a fig in half and looked at its insides?  It looks like a VJJ.  It's Mother Earths' VJJ.  So totally weird, or cool depending on your feelings about VJJ.  But, in any case it looks like VJJ.  Next time there is fig on my menu, remember that its' new name is "Mother Earth's VJJ".

Tools
Sharp Knife
Pan, preferably cast iron...(Heather this one is for you!)
Toothpicks

Take the bacon and slice it lengthwise in half.  Break apart the Radicchio and cut the larger leaves in half.  Slice your pear or fig lengthwise.  Set-up your manufacturing line...
1. Radicchio leaf
2. Place fruit of choice into the leaf
3. Wrap radicchio around said fruit
4. Holding this in one hand take bacon slice and wrap bacon around leaf, this is your MOUSE.
5. STAB the mouse with a toothpick to make sure it's dead and well secured
6. Heat pan to medium low, place mice in pan and cook until you like the way the bacon looks.

EAT DEAD MICE!!!

Boris and Natasha go to Morocco with Me

Moroccan Chicken with Cauliflower Rice (ingredients listed at the bottom)

This recipe is soooo good; there are no words to properly describe its deliciousness.  The idea came from the Primal Blueprint cookbook, but I have simplified the recipe.  If I could have an affair with a recipe, this would be the one.  Now, I know you are waiting to hear about Boris and Natasha... yes, they loved it, yes, those are their real names, and yes, they are really from Russia... no, they are not KGB.

Ready?  This is soooooo easy!  First, get your ingredients prepared.  This goes so much faster if you think through and prepare what you need first.  So, wash the chicken and leave it paper towels to dry, dice the bacon and put it aside, and open the can of tomatoes.  Now, in one of the three bowls measure out all the spices listed and put them all in the bowl together.  Chop the shallot and garlic and put them in another bowl together, then slice the lemon and put that in the third bowl.

Once you are surrounded by well-prepared ingredients, place your pot on the stove and turn it on medium heat; once it is well-heated toss in your bacon.  I like it crisp, but you cook it as much or as little as you want.  Once the bacon is cooked through add the garlic and shallot bowl.  Stir things up and DO NOT allow the garlic to burn, it will be very bitter.  Best bet is to let the shallot turn translucent and pretty!  (Turn down the heat if necessary)

Add your cabbage.  Allow the cabbage to soak up the bacon fat, mix it well.  Then the spice bowl that you have carefully measured out for perfection.  Again stir it up and let it cook for a couple of minutes before adding the tomatoes.  Once the tomatoes are in there, grab your chicken thighs and strategically place them in the pot.  Cover the chicken with the thinly sliced and oh so fabulous lemon slices and pour the entire box of chicken broth.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.  30 minutes will cook the chicken all the way through, but 45 minutes will put the lemon slices at a delicious place. 

The Cauliflower

About 15 minutes before the chicken is ready….

Heat oven to 350.

Over the cookie sheet, take your large-holed cheese grater, place the top of the cauliflower head down onto the grater and shred it like a piece of cheese.  It will create small rice-like chunks.  Once you have done both heads, spread it out, garnish with a bit of salt and pop it in the over for 5-10 minutes.  You may want it more or less crispy.

Back to the chicken…

Turn off the stove

Chop your handful of cilantro and throw it into the pot

Get your plates out!!!

Dish out a load of cauliflower rice and cover it with a gorgeous piece of chicken and a load of sauce and the goodness of the cabbage, tomatoes and the BEST PART… the lemon slice rind and all!!!!

Ingredients

4-6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs washed and set aside for the moment (you can also choose any other part of the chicken your prefer)

1/3 lb. bacon diced into half-inch chunks

2 bags of shredded cabbage

1 14oz can of dice tomatoes

2 shallots finely shopped

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 large lemons, thinly slice 1 ½ of the lemons and leave ½ for squeezing over the finished product.

1 carton of chicken broth

1 tbs paprika

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp turmeric

1 handful of cilantro

2 heads of cauliflower

Tools of the Trade

1 VERY large pot, preferably steel or enameled cast iron, I used an 8 or 10 quart.

1 cookie sheet with a lip

3 small bowls

Teaspoon and Tablespoon measurements

Cheese grater with large holes

And all the normal things, large cooking spoon, maybe some tongs and if your not throwing alcohol out of your diet a really nice glass of wine or champagne.

The Morning After I had Crabs...I had Crabs.

Too much food for me the night before.  I had 1 1/2 cakes left over, so what did I do?  I fried and egg, plopped it on top and had it for breakfast.  It was AWESOME!!!!

Thats the recipe for today folks.  Its all about how to make the best out of the morning after.  Even when its messy.

I gave Lance & Emily crabs...

CAKES!  I gave Lance and Emily crab cakes last night...

After seeing my mayonnaise on Facebook, Emily requested crab cakes with mayonnaise made into an aioli sauce.  Of coarse I had to comply and I have to say these turned out pretty bloody fantastic!

Get ready to take the rare opportunity to give your friends a positive crabs experience!

If you don't own a hand blender go get one...now!  It is the best $40 I have spent in a very long time.  I use it everyday to make my protein shakes, puree soups etc etc, and make the most fabulous mayo you have ever had. (I don't like mayo)

Ingredients:

Mayo Aioli
1 egg
3 tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
pinch of salt
3/4 - 1 cup olive oil

Crab Cake (for three people)
1lb cooked lump crab (its the same price at Big Johns or Whole Foods)
4 tbs Mayo Aioli
2 tbs finley chopped shallot
1 egg yoke

2 tsp + 3/4 cup cocnut flour

Salad
Your choice of lettuce mix, 1 bag
1 large tomato diced

OK!  So this sounds like its going to take a long time and its going to be hard...NOT!  

Start with the mayo.  Get a narrow bowl or large measuring cup and throw in the all the ingredients listed EXCEPT the olive oil.  Measure out the olive oil in a measuring cup, or other vessel that will be easy to pour.  Stick your hand blender in the bowl and turn it on.  Once the ingredients are fully mixed begin pouring the olive oil in about a pencil led thickness... not too fast.  It will start to turn white and begin to thicken; this is not the problem it can be in other situations, you're doing good.  Keep blending until you reach preferred thickness, then turn off the blender.  It's done.  This took you about 5 minutes TOPS!  You can add salt or paprika to taste if necessary.

Now, bring your Mayo to your crab cake production table.  In a large bowl mix everything EXCEPT the 3/4 cup of cocnut flour, but don't forget that you need to add the 2 tsp of coconut flour to the bowl.  mix well with your hands or a fork.  Be sure to eat some while doing this, you are the taste tester.

Grab a plate and spread out your extra coconut flour.  Grab another clean plate to put the cakes on.  Now, you can do these suckers any size you want.  This recipe serves three people, so you want to make at least three, but I made nine small ones and it was a lovely presentation.  So, with a tablespoon, scoop a large helping into your hand and role it into a ball, shmoosh it down a bit so its flat and put onto the coconut flour.  With a fork or spoon cover the top half, or just flip it over for a light covering of flour.  Place on the clean place.  Continue until you are done.

Cover plate with plastic and put in the fridge until you are 10 minutes away from dinner; hopefully this is at least 20 minutes.  If its not, plan better next time.

In a non-stick pan, drizzle some olive oil, heat to medium-high and place crab cakes into the pan.  I like to cook them until I get a dark brown crisp.  You may prefer lighter.  Remember: the crab is cooked already so you don't need to go crazy on the cooking, about 3 minutes per side.

On three fabulous plates, place the lettuce and tomato, divide evenly unless you have someone who just eats a whole lot more, then you may or may not want to be more generous depending on the reason they are eating more...Place the crab cakes on top of the salad, and fill little individual cups with the mayo aioli and place on the plate for a pretty presentation.

If you're not Paleo strict, go get a bottle of Rocioli Pinot to drink with it.  We had a white too, but I don't remember the name; it's Italian.

...Wait until you see what happened to the crabs the morning after...

Committing to Paleo | The Scramble

My friends who don't do Crossfit have listened to me talk about Paleo like it's the new religion.  Needless to say I appreciate them listening to my rants.  For my Crossfit buddies, "Crossfiters" discussing Paleo is like "God fearing" people discussing the finer points of Genesis; it's where you begin.  Thursday marks the beginning of my Paleo challenge (hopefully I won't be alone).  For 30 days I am committing to Paleo.  This blog is part of my motivation.  "Committing to Paleo" will focus on great recipes in the Paleo style (and a few exceptions).   I have enjoyed Paleo cook books, but I love to find my own recipes or modify others'.  This blog will have recipes that I'm excited about and want to share.  I encourage people to give me their recipes to add to this in the hopes that it will become a "Go To" place to great recipe ideas.

This leads me to my first recipe...

The Scramble

I realized after reading the Paleo book that we weren't getting enough protein by just eating eggs in the morning.  Just adding bacon can be too high in fat, so I had to get creative.  My cultural norm does not include a slice of meat or fish on my breakfast plate, so here is what I did...

Ingredients:

1 chicken or turkey sausage removed from the casing (whole foods or big johns has great flavors)

1 slice of bacon diced

1 tomato diced

1/2 avocado sliced

1 handful of spinach

1 egg scrambled

Turn stove on medium heat, toss in bacon.  Once bacon is cooked, (you may like it more or less crispy), make sure the bacon oil covers the pan and toss in the sausage meat.  Use a fork to separate the meat.  Once that is cooked through add the tomato and cook for about 1 minute and then pour the scrambled egg into the pan trying to evenly cover the pan.  Once the egg is about 1/2 cooked through toss in the spinach and mix until the egg is fully cooked through.  Transfer to a plate and garnish with the sliced avocado.

*If you prefer cooked avocado you can add it before the spinach

Add a bit of fruit to the plate and you've got one of my favorite morning meals that is fast and easy with minimal clean up.  Depending on your needed calorie intake, you may want to increase portions, but this is enough to feed my husband in the morning pre-protein shake. ( If I only use 1/2 the sausage & 1/4 an avocado its perfect for me)