My first day of being Paleo was a few weeks ago, and overall it's been a great experience.  So far I've dedicated the weekdays to being Paleo and allowed myself to be more relaxed on the weekends - like indulging in a small piece of dairy-free chocolate cake!  Aside from ensuring I am aware of consuming adequate carbohydrates during the week (see my previous post), I have found the Paleo diet to be one of the cleanest ways of eating that I have discovered to date, and I feel fantastic!

Today, I just have to share with you simply the best chicken recipe ever, which I've adapted from the book Delicious Detox by Carol Morley, ND.  It relies on heart-healthy almonds for its base, which are known to lower LDL ('bad') cholesterol, increase HDL ('good') cholesterol, and reduce the risk of heart disease.  Almonds are also an excellent non-dairy source of calcium, as well as being rich in vitamin E, magnesium, fibre, protein, and monounsaturated fats (the same health-promoting fats as in olive oil).  This chicken is easy to make, incredibly flavourful, lightly 'breaded' yet moist, and superbly healthy.  If that combination sounds good to you, you're in for a real treat!

Rosemary Almond Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almonds
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 chicken breasts
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 360°F, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with olive oil.
Grind the almonds and spices in a blender or Magic Bullet until they have reached a crumbly consistency, similar to that of breadcrumbs.

Generously coat chicken breasts with almond mixture on both sides, and drizzle generously with olive oil.  Save leftover almond mixture in a glass container in the fridge.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes.  Flip chicken breasts, drizzle with a little more olive oil, and bake for 15 more minutes, or until cooked through.  Enjoy with steamed vegetables of your choice, and use any of the baked almond mixture left on the baking sheet as a sauce for the vegetables!

Bon Appétit!

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Sources:
http://www.deliciousdetoxcookbook.com/
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=20#nutritionalprofile

Although it usually takes an extreme diet to severely affect your metabolism, I have heard of some people feeling unwell while following this diet because they weren't consuming enough carbohydrates.  Remembering my colleague's promise that this is not a low-carb diet if done properly, and also wanting to prevent hypoglycemia, I loaded up on root vegetables at dinner tonight.

The first half of the day's meals weren't too remarkable, aside from adding shredded coconut and sunflower seeds to my mixed fruit at breakfast, and as promised, leftover frittata for lunch - see yesterday's post for the recipe!

Then, working in my office toward the end of a long day, my body was asking for an early dinner (5pm is early for me!).  Although my original goal was to do all this Paleo cooking myself, as a busy clinic intern, you often have to adapt.  So, the special in our delicious CCNM cafeteria today?  'Gourmet Poutine'; which isn't really poutine at all, but rather a hearty and nutritious dish of roasted yams, sweet potatoes and beets, spinach, mushrooms, onions, salsa, homemade hot sauce, vegan gravy and a side of kale salad - I can feel my salivary glands perking up at the sheer memory of it!

This dish is a perfect example of how to follow the Paleo Diet while ensuring you are consuming sufficient carbohydrates.  Root vegetables such as the ones featured in this dish are rich in complex (slow-digesting) carbohydrates as well as high quality fibre.  Yams and sweet potatoes have the added bonus of being rich sources of beta-carotene (plant source of vitamin A), while beets earn their nutritional stars from pigments called betalains, which give them their deep red colour.  Betalains are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and liver detoxification properties.  Turnip, rutabaga, parsnips, radishes, celeriac and all varieties of squash are additional sources of paleo-friendly carbohydrates.

I had to share this picture because it made me laugh - the compostable to-go container is nearly the same size and shape as my MacBook.  Yes, I admit that I was multitasking over dinner; not the best habit, but at least I had carbohydrates to fuel my brain!

Until next time, stay tuned for the next chapter in my cavewoman adventure!

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Sources:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=49
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP00221/roasted-root-vegetables.html

Today was the first day of my ‘Cavewoman Adventure’, so to speak.  In my previous post, I discussed the potential benefits of following a Paleo Diet, and while I have been mindful of the diet’s principles, I’ve decided it’s time to go for it 100% and see what happens!  A large part of my motivation comes from the fact that several of my colleagues are doing it as well – and what better kind of motivation to keep on track than having others for support?  Our group’s goal is 4 days, and depending how it goes, I’m hoping to last longer than that!  As I snack on plantain chips and trail mix, let me tell you about my first day as a pseudo-cavewoman!

Breakfast

Breakfast wasn’t too out of the ordinary.  In my usual bowl of mixed fruit, nuts and almond milk, I replaced my homemade granola with – you guessed it – more nuts and more fruit.  Not a bad start!  Together with a cup of green tea, I was well fueled for my morning class and dance rehearsal, and wasn’t hungry until lunchtime.

Lunch

This was my big protein-dense meal – chicken breast (skin on!) with mixed greens, chopped avocado and tomatoes, and flax oil dressing.  Mmm, mmm.  If you’ve ever had the organic chicken from Hearty Catering (the cafeteria at CCNM), then you know what I’m talking about!

Afternoon Snack

I attended a MediHerb lecture this afternoon, and lucky for me I was able to navigate the food offerings to make a substantial Paleo-friendly plate of snacks.  A mandarin orange, mixed berries, and a handful of cashews were enough to keep my energy up throughout the afternoon.

Dinner

For dinner, I made one of my favourite dishes which I make all the time – Fritatta!  This recipe is so good, I just have to share – see below!  You can think of this as basically a crust-less quiche (and in my case, cheese-less also!).  I pack it full of veggies and healthy fats, and hold it all together with free range omega-3 eggs.  I made it in my large stainless steel pan, so I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  Trust me, this is one of those things that tastes so good the next day, you’ll be happy to eat it cold!


Evening Snack

Tonight I’m babysitting my two-year-old ‘niece’ (my friend’s daughter), and while she’s sleeping, I’m catching up on work and enjoying the snacks her parents left for me.  Somehow, all these snacks are paleo-friendly – how did they know?!  There’s a sizeable bowl of almonds, pistachios, and plantain chips, with dried prunes on the side.  Together with my peppermint tea, I’m feeling pretty content at the end of Day 1 of my Cavewoman Adventure.  I’m excited to see – and taste – what tomorrow will bring to my plate!

Scarlett’s Frittata

½ tablespoon coconut oil
½ onion
3 large collard leaves
1 roma tomato
1 ½ cups zucchini, chopped
A dozen black olives (optional)
5 eggs
Dash of salt
Generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
As much cayenne as your spice tolerance will allow!
Drizzle of olive oil or flax oil

Preheat the oven to 400°F on broil setting. 
Chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces. 
Melt coconut oil in a large stainless steel frying pan over medium heat.  Add vegetables, and lightly sauté. 
Add eggs and spices, and mix well to combine.  Allow to cook without stirring on low-medium heat until mostly done; then put pan in the oven to allow the top to cook.
Once the top is firm (no uncooked egg visible), your frittata is ready!  Cut into slices and serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil or flax oil on top, and save the leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.
Enjoy!

To put theory to practice, here's my straightforward and delicious recipe for dahl.  It features red lentils, a small quick-cooking legume that softens and forms a thick stew-like mixture when combined with vegetables and spices.  Red lentils are a rich source of protein, fibre, B vitamins such as folate and thiamin, and minerals such as iron, molybdenum, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and copper.  When combined with a grain such as quinoa or rice, this combination forms a complete protein source.

This recipe also features turmeric (Curcuma longa), a relative of ginger that is widely recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties. 

Turmeric is associated with a myriad of health benefits, including protection against liver damage, anti-cancer effects, and reduction of inflammation in arthritis.  Dr Andrew Weil, MD, founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, is a proponent of using turmeric abundantly in cooking.  He also points out the research showing that turmeric is much better absorbed when combined with black pepper.  For the recipe below, at least 1-2 tsp of turmeric and 1-2 tsp of freshly ground pepper is recommended.  The rest of the spices can be added to taste.  Enjoy!

Scarlett's Spicy Dahl

Bring to a boil 1 cup red lentils and 3 cups water, then reduce heat to simmer.  Stir occasionally – they’ll thicken up as they cook. In a separate pot, bring to a boil 1 cup quinoa and 2 ½ cups water, then reduce heat to simmer.

In a frying pan, sauté a variety of vegetables in olive oil or coconut oil: Onions, red pepper, green pepper, leeks (the green and white parts!), zucchini, green peas, celery, garlic

Then add spices to taste:
Turmeric (1-2 tsp)
Cayenne
Coriander
Chili pepper flakes
Cumin (ground and whole seeds)
Salt
Pepper (1-2 tsp; freshly ground is best)

Once the lentils have thickened up, add the veggies to the lentils and see how it tastes.  At this point, you can definitely add more spices – I also like to add a little more olive oil at the end for more flavour.
Serve dahl over a bed of quinoa (or rice!)

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Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/turmeric-health-have-a-happy-new-year_b_798328.html
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=52
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoosvanrobin/3825527595/

As promised, in an effort to decrease consumption of canned foods (see my previous post on BPA in Canned Food), this week I'll give some guidance on how to cook beans from scratch!

The First Step - Measuring
Dried beans yield approximately 3 times the amount once cooked.  So, 1 cup of dried beans = 3 cups cooked beans.

The Next Step - Soaking
After rinsing, soak beans overnight in a glass jar containing 3 times their volume of cold water.  In the morning, drain the beans and put them in your favourite cooking pot with the same amount of fresh water.

The Next Next Step - Cooking
Choose your favourite bean from the chart below to determine their cooking time.  Bring water and beans to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Allow to cook until soft and easily mashed, then drain the beans.

The Final Step - Eating
From hearty chili to summer bean salad, there are countless ways to enjoy cooked beans!  In my next post, I'll share with you one of my favourite original recipes using red lentils:  Scarlett's Spicy Dahl

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Sources:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/driedbeantip.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sifu_renka/3982690279/