Jamaican Jerk Salmon!

I know you are all being super diligent with taking your fish oil to get those extra points for the challenge... right? Well, go that extra mile this week and cook up your own omega-3s and season it with this delicious Jamaican Jerk Rub, courtesy of Primal Palate.

Jamaican Jerk Salmon

Ingredients:

1 pound wild caught salmon, cut into 4-6 oz portions
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
The juice of 1.5 limes

Process:

1. Rinse salmon under water and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Cut salmon into 4-6 oz portions, and place in a gallon ziplock bag.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together spices, olive oil, and lime juice.
4. Pour marinade over salmon, seal bag, and make sure the salmon is evenly coated in the marinade.
5. Marinate salmon for 2-4 hours before grilling.
6. Preheat grill to 400.
7. Place salmon on a fish plate, skin side down first, and grill for 4 minutes a side, flipping once.
8. You can also bake this in the oven, 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, broil for about 8 minutes per side, or fry in a skillet.  This rub will taste delicious no matter how you cook the salmon, so do what you are comfortable with.

Crock Pot Roast

I am horrible at writing recipes. I'm true free spirit in the kitchen and hate to be bound by measurement and instruction. This recipe will be more conversational.

7-9# Roast- can be chuck, round, sirloin... The only thing I would say no to put in a crock pot would be a rib roast, which is better suited for a dry cooking method.

Stab the chunk of meat a bunch of times to make slits in the flesh. Insert slivers of a garlic into slits. Season very liberally with salt/pepper/garlic powder.

In a heavy bottomed pan (like cast iron!!) heated with a nice layer of grape seed oil or bacon fat or ghee (the shit should smoking!) brown the roast on all sides. You will need to stay near the pan and turn once a nice crispy crust has formed. Once that is done, place roast into crock pot.

With the hot pan on medium heat, add large dice of an onion, a leek, 2 celery, 2 carrot and 2 tomatoes. Stir constantly, scraping up all the good bits on the bottom of pan.

Turn heat on high. Deglaze pan with a 1/2 bottle of red wine or 12oz of a good stout beer. Scrap up the bottom pan for all the tasty bits. Once boiling, dump into the crock pot.

Add these final ingredients:

2 bay leaf
2 teaspoon peppercorn
1 whole head of garlic, peel and all
1 bunch parsley with stems
3 sprigs of thyme

Add enough water to cover a little more than half way up the roast. Cover and set crock pot to "Long Cook" or 10 hours or "Low" what ever the longest setting is on your dial is. Do not set to "High."

Come home from work/crossfit, take the roast out of the crock pot- let it be sexy for a minute.

Strain the cooking liquid, discarding everything, EVEN THE VEGGIES.

Bring cooking liquid to a boil and let simmer on med-low while you roast fresh veggies in the oven. The sauce should thicken slightly, making it an aus jus. 


Stuff the hungry hole in the middle of the thing you call your face.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

3 Avocados
1/2c. Dutch Cocoa Powder
1/2c. Raw Honey or Agave
2Tbs. Vanilla extract (no added sugar or alcohol)
Pinch of Salt


Beat until smooth with mixer... or with your beat it by hand, cause you have the guns to!

Put in fridge to "set" for about 2 hours. Or if you're impatient like me, just pop in the freezer for 15 mins :)

Then gorge like a crazy bulimic :)

Farmer's Pie

I know what you are thinking. "The list of ingredients for this recipe looks ridiculous and I don't have the time." Well, guess what... you're wrong! The list is ridiculously short. You don't have to use 2 different kinds of meat and the vegetables can always be changed. If you have carrots, use those. Throw some beets in there. Celery is always delicious but so is cabbage. Anyway, point of this recipe is that it is a massive dish of random deliciousness (most things that come in your market order) that will last you almost the entire week. Only thing I will have to go buy is Worcestershire sauce (gluten free, of course). The rest... spices, vinegar and oil... I already have in my kitchen. They are essential and you should have them as well. Time to stock up! If you haven't gotten that spice rack, now is the perfect time. JUST DO IT!

Anyway, these types of dishes are my favorite. I find them easy because I can throw it all in a pirex (my favorite baking dish) and leave it for 30-45 minutes, go take a shower and come back to some delicious home-style cooking. This recipe is compliments of "Paleo Comfort Foods". If you haven't checked out their book, I highly suggest you do. Their recipes will save your life and comfort your heart. Plus, this pie freezes REALLY well and it's enough food to last all week. ENJOY!

Farmers Pie

1 tbs. coconut or avocado oil
4-6   cloves fresh garlic, chopped
2  pounds  ground lamb
1  pound  ground grassfed beef
2  cups onions chopped
2  cups carrots, peeled and sliced (I most likely WON'T peel them, I'm lazy.)
2  stalks celery, chopped
1  tbs. fresh rosemary, chopped fine
2  teaspoons dried thyme
1  small can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2  tbs. balsamic vinegar
2  tbs. Worcestershire sauce**
6  cups (1½ L) Mashed Cauliflower 

Directions

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Heat a large skillet over medium/medium-high heat. Add the 1 tablespoon of the oil and once hot, stir in the garlic, being careful not to burn.
3. Add in the lamb and stir, combining with the garlic. Cook until the meat is browned.
4. Remove the lamb/garlic mixture from the pan, then add in the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and thyme.
5. Cook until onions are translucent and carrots and celery softened.
6. Add the meat mixture back into the pan, and stir in the tomato paste, balsamic, and Worcestershire and bring to a simmer. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated off (especially if your tomatoes are really juicy).
7. Pour meat/vegetable mixture into a 9″ x 13″ (23 cm x 33 cm) baking pan, and with a rubber spatula spread a layer of the Mashed Cauliflower over the top, forming a solid layer of the mash.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until the mashed cauliflower is slightly browned on top.

Kitchen Tools

And now... what you've all been waiting for. Our first video tutorial! We decided that since this whole cooking thing is new for MOST of you, our first episode would be a little rundown of all the kitchen items that will make this experience easier. Assassin, being the experienced chef that she is, showcases some of the important kitchen utensils and dishes, while giving a brief description on how to use them.

We hope you enjoy. Remember, this is our first experiment with the camera. Give us some feedback! We'd love to hear about what you guys want to see.

Produce!

Second day of the challenge is dwindling down. Are you starting to feel flustered yet? Tired, cranky, starving? Let us know and we'll do our best to give you tips on how to avoid all of those nasty things. Assassin and I have done this challenge before so cravings and withdrawals aren't new to us. We know just what kind of snack to make this easier for you.

Tomorrow is Wednesday which means... PRODUCE! I found this nifty little article with helpful tips on how to store your produce in order to keep it fresh and tasty. Click HERE to read. Also, if you have questions about the items we got this week, let us know. I'll post in the comments a list of the items once I pick up my order so you can google away, if necessary. Remember what Assassin said at the symposium... due to the organic nature of the food, be sure to eat the leafy greens and fruit first, as they won't last as long as the root vegetables.

If you aren't quite sure where to start my suggestion would be to chop up your broccoli, carrots and beets and roast them at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. I use a pirex but a regular baking sheet works just fine, too. I coat them with a little bit of olive oil and BAM... deliciousness for 2 or 3 dinners.

My new favorite thing to do with the cauliflower is make "mashed cauliflower". It's SUPER easy. Break the cauliflower off it's stock and throw it into a pot. Add about 1 cup of chicken broth, 1/2 a tablespoon of rosemary and boil on high for 20 minutes. Blend until creamy and enjoy! (Go here for more detailed directions).

Typically, I use the kale for breakfast. I chop it up and saute it with onions and peppers for my egg scramble. I use the rest of the leafy greens for salads or as a bed for my meat. If it's a lettuce that is a bit on the bitter side, I saute with garlic until tasty unless I find a recipe that specifically calls for it. Cabbage you can roast, saute or use for enchiladas.

Please refer to the link above to see how to store all of these things. And if this is your first time ordering produce, don't get discouraged if you can't cook or eat it all before it goes bad. It will take a couple rounds before you get used to it. Trust me, it's no big deal.

Let us know if you have any questions!

Nom, nom, nom!

Let the games begin!!



Day 1 of the challenge and I couldn't be more excited! I hope everyone is prepared for what will be an amazing experience. As you can see, the nutrition blog is undergoing somewhat of a transformation as well. Being that today is the start of a new chapter in most of your lives, nutritionally, I thought it would be the most appropriate time to vamp up the site and make it more user friendly. Keep in mind that I'm not a computer nerd so you may see some F-ups with the layout from time to time. No worries though, things can be fixed.

In addition to the sexy new look of the blog, Assassin and I will be posting paleo recipes in addition to NEW zone-specific recipes for those of you out there who have chosen that path for this challenge. Assigned reading will be posted to further your education about nutrition and health and all things that we believe are worth knowing in order to obtain optimal performance (mentally, nutritionally and physically).

We will be posting a series of "How To" videos covering topics such as:

• What you'll need in your kitchen to cook better than Gordon Ramsay
• How to sear a steak
• How to properly cut veggies, etc... safety first kids. : /
• Whatever else the ninja and I think are important and helpful to you!

Please refer to the "Resource" tab for more information on how to take advantage of the meat, produce, fish oil and Brian's Bowls services that we offer through the gym. They are fantastic and will help you get the most out of this challenge.

If you need a "fresher-upper" on the guidelines for paleo and zone, please refer to the appropriate tabs. As the week progresses there will be more additions and changes made to the blog, so don't freak out and stab your steak if you see something missing. It will take a couple tries to make the blog perfect.

As always... if you have questions, please ask!

Your's in the kitchen,

Assassin and Jamie

Pumpkin Muffins!

I love fall! I love pumpkins and I love anything that tastes like a pumpkin. That pretty much sums it up. Enjoy this delicious recipe compliments of Diane at balancedbites.com. I used butter instead of coconut oil because I wanted to make sure the pumpkin was the strongest flavor. NOT saying the coconut oil version is bad, it's not. It's still delicious. I also added walnuts because walnuts are the shit. But I understand some peeps are allergic. These muffins are also delicious with or without nuts. :)

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:


1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, melted (I used Kerrygold grassfed butter)
6 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (can be canned or fresh, if fresh, cook, cook and strain excess water from your pumpkin before using it in this recipe)
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup (I used maple syrup)
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 & 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice/nutmeg (I used 1/4 teaspoon of each)
pinch salt

How to:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease a standard muffin tray or use paper liners (paper is probably ideal).
Combine wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl together until well beaten: butter, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin and honey/maple syrup.
Measure dry ingredients (coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice/nutmeg) into a sifter and slowly sift into the wet ingredients, whisking as you do so that you don’t have lumps in the batter.
Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tins and bake for approximately 15-18 minutes or until slightly golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

Variations:
Add chopped walnuts and/or Enjoy Life gluten/dairy/soy free chocolate chips to the mixture before baking or place some on top.

Sweet Potato, Bacon and Egg Salad

Here it is! Finally got around to posting a recipe for the epic bacon sweet potato salad I made for the MOTHAF$%&#@ BOAT! It was discovered by my friend on livingpaleo.com and it is equally delicious served warm or cold. I made it twice so far, both times with homemade paleo mayo which I think is a must. :) Enjoy! Mama Diso

Ingredients

1 small to medium sweet potato, diced
2 eggs
8 slices of bacon, diced
1 Tbs coconut oil
4 Tbs dill, finely chopped
2 Tbs mayonnaise
2 Tbs lemon juice

Instructions

Place eggs in small sauce pan, cover with cold water, cover pan and place over high heat until just before boiling.
Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 13 minutes.
Immediately rinse in cold water, peel eggs, dice and set aside.
Meanwhile, dice sweet potato.
Heat skillet over medium-high. When hot, add bacon and cook for 5 minutes. Add diced sweet potato and continue to cook until potato is tender and bacon is fully cooked.
In a small bowl, mix dill, mayonnaise and lemon juice.
Add eggs, sweet potato and bacon, and mix. Serve warm or cold.