The Paleo Diet Archives - Page 10 of 17

Paleo and The City: Greensquare Tavern

06.25.1205.26.12 by G

Greetings, everyone! “G,” here, filling in for Lea to write a glowing review of Greensquare Tavern, a very Paleo-friendly, “farm to table” restaurant in New York City.

Lea and I really enjoy dining out – probably too much, if my wallet has anything to say about it – but her celiac disease adds an extra dimension of difficulty to finding a suitable restaurant. On more than a few occasions we’ve found great restaurants unfortunately using ingredients that make it virtually impossible to dine safely, so we have been forced to cross them off our list. Therefore, it was a genuine pleasure to come across the Greensquare Tavern.

Located at 5 West 21st Street in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, Greensquare Tavern is spacious, airy, and inviting. A picture window in the front by the bar and a large, overhead skylight flood the dining area with soft, bright light even on a gray rainy day like the day of our visit.

We arrived just before the lunch rush and were greeted by Renee Typaldos, one of the managing partners. There were still plenty of seats, but that didn’t last long. Within 10 minutes, most of the tables were full of hungry office workers and assorted cube mice looking for a healthy, delicious lunch.

I started off as I usually do, by checking the beer list, and was pleased to inform Lea that Estrella Damm DAURA, a gluten-free ale from Spain, was available! She clapped her hands with delight and promptly ordered one in a large, frosty glass. There aren’t many gluten-free beers, and seemingly fewer restaurants that serve them, so a nice, tasty bottle of DAURA was an unexpected treat.

After delivering the gluten-free beer, our waiter returned to tell us about the daily specials. Lea and I both started off with the Chilled Beet Soup.

Paleo Shortbread Tea Cookies

10.09.2305.13.12 by Lea

Today I am sharing my recipe for Paleo Shortbread Tea Cookies along with instructions for creating them in the shape of a tea bag. Perfect for tea time!

What Does Mozart Have to Do with Cookies?

Have you ever seen the movie Amadeus? It’s my favorite movie of all time. There is a scene where the composer Antonio Salieri, looking at the impeccable first drafts of Mozart’s compositions, marvels at the perfection of the work. He recognizes the hand of God.

“He had simply written down music already finished in his head. Page after page of it as if he were just taking dictation.”

I have to agree with Salieri that God was clearly involved in Mozart’s musical genius and used him to grant us amazing beauty in the form of his compositions. I could write a thesis on how God has provided mankind with many blessings of beauty and how those things point us back to Him. But this is a recipe post and right about now you are probably wondering what in the world this has to do with Paleo shortbread cookies! Well…..you see, I can relate to poor old Salieri. At one point in the movie he laments how, in his view, God has not granted him genius but has, instead, cursed him with the ability to recognize genius when he encounters it. This frustrates Salieri and causes him to hatch a plot against Mozart.

While I am not hatching any plots against others who happen to be more artistically talented, I do find myself at times feeling a bit envious of their abilities. When I see works of great artists, or hear amazing music or read brilliant poetry I long for a similar talent. This is also true when it comes to crafts. I can appreciate the crafts of others but have never been blessed with the crafting gene. HOWEVER, today I feel as though I have finally overcome my deficit in a small way with the following paleo shortbread tea cookies!

This recipe falls into the category of dessert/treat AND craft. (Look out, Martha Stewart!) It would work really well at a tea or a wedding or baby shower. The paleo tea cookies could even be used as party favors. They are grain free, gluten free, nut free and sweetened only with maple syrup and a small amount of sugar in the dark chocolate coating.

Gluten Free Shortbread Tea Cookies

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Wild Rice with Pistachios and Cilantro

06.26.1804.30.12 by Lea

Last week my son Benjamin posted his review of the book “The Hunger Games” followed by a recipe for Hunger Games Lamb Stew with Dried Plums. In the book, the dish is described as being served with wild rice. Now, ordinarily I would not advocate eating a lot of rice. Rice is a grain (some argue wild rice is a grass, but still) so it is not officially part of the Paleo Diet which encourages elimination of grains. Grains are the source of certain anti-nutrients (lectins, phytates, gluten, etc…) that can interfere with the absorption of vitamins and minerals. They are also not as nutrient dense as meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. Additionally, grains are high in calories and carbohydrates which is not necessarily what you need when trying to lose weight or maintain your weight.

That having been said, I DO eat rice now and then. The small amount of rice in my diet is usually found underneath a big slab of raw tuna at a sushi restaurant. But when I read about the wild rice dish served with the fictional Lamb Stew with Dried Plums I figured there was little harm in creating a wild rice recipe. My boys are very active and can use energy from starchy carbs. They also think it is super cool to be eating a Hunger Games dish. Even though wild rice still has some of the anti-nutrients found in other grains, it does not contain gluten like wheat, rye or barley. So if you have room in your diet for some starchy carbs now and then, especially if you or your family are very active, then you might consider having wild rice as a side dish.

Hunger Games Lamb Stew with Dried Plums

06.26.1804.23.12 by Ben

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET THE 74th ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES BEGIN! AND MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR… Hi, my name is Ben. I am an enormously, epically, hugely, giantly, largely-big fan of THE HUNGER GAMES! I am here to do a quick book review before Paleo Spirit (aka my mom) shares a Hunger … Read more

How to Poach an Egg

10.25.2304.17.12 by Lea

Favorite Way to Eat Poached Eggs

How do you feel about Eggs Benedict? Personally, it’s a favorite dish that was a consistent restaurant brunch selection prior to my going gluten-free. There’s the rare restaurant that carries a gluten-free English muffin to go with the poached eggs, but most times I have to pass. The best way to have the dish is to make it at home and that means learning to poach eggs. Through some experimentation and practice I finally mastered the technique.

Quality Eggs

Eggs have been on my mind lately and I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe it has something to do with the arrival of Spring and the colorful eggs of Easter traditions. It could be my admiration for the beautiful Ameraucanas chickens belonging to a neighbor. Or perhaps my preoccupation with eggs is a direct result of a recent trip to a garden center that displayed very fancy chicken coops. That got me dreaming of the day when I can have my own chickens. I found myself longing for one of those little dwellings outfitted with automatic feeders and waterers and boasting such luxuries as copper gutters. Never mind the $5,000 (well, $4,999) price tag because it comes with FOUR chickens! What a deal! Unfortunately, my husband quickly nixed my fantasy of a luxury chicken coop. And it remains to be seen if he’s volunteering to build one for us this year. So for now I will have to settle for enjoying the farm fresh eggs offered by a couple of my neighbors.

Eggs from “Easter Egger” chickens are gorgeous and they have been the subjects of many a private photo shoot at our house. The photo below is enhanced via Instagram but these are actual eggs that have not been colored or dyed. Amazing. Beautiful.

So far I have mastered (I think) the scrambled egg, the fried egg “over-easy” and “over-medium”, and hard-boiled eggs. Next up on the agenda is poached eggs. When I was in Austin, TX recently for Paleo FX, I was able to meet up with a friend of mine for lunch at a restaurant called Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar. We ordered from the brunch menu which boasted a number of creative and paleo-friendly (with a little tweaking) dishes. We both chose the Crab Florentine Eggs Benedict – without the English Muffin, of course. It was delicious and ever since then I have been on a mission to recreate this dish at home. The problem is it requires the skill to successfully poach eggs and this is something I had yet to master.

Basic Mayonnaise Recipe for Your Paleo Diet

10.06.2304.11.12 by Lea

My husband abhors mayonnaise with a passion. Despite this, both of our boys ended up being fans of mayonnaise just like their mom. If you find yourself on the pro-mayonnaise side, and want to avoid inflammatory oils, this recipe for Basic Paleo Mayonnaise is for you.

Why Make Your Own Paleo Mayonnaise at Home?

One of the main reasons I like to make my own mayo is it is almost impossible to find a brand in the grocery store that is not made with soybean oil (yuck!). And any food made with soybean oil is, by definition, a low quality food. And it’s not just soybean oil we should try to avoid, it’s any highly (high temperature and pressure) processed vegetable or seed oil. Sadly, these oils are in virtually all commercial mayonnaise and salad dressing products.

What Type of Oil Should Be Used in Paleo Mayonnaise?

Rather than soybean, canola or grapeseed, using extra virgin olive oil is a much more healthful choice. The challenge with olive oil (besides making sure it really IS olive oil!) is the flavor can sometimes be too strong to work well in mayonnaise. My recipe recommends you use regular olive oil, sometimes called “light” or “extra light” olive oil, instead of the usual Extra Virgin Olive Oils.

Here’s the one I used this time.

Another option is to use something like avocado oil which has a mild to neutral flavor but, unfortunately, without the same level of health benefits as good olive oil.

What are Some of the Challenges with Making Mayo at Home?

One of the fears people have in making their own mayo is the use of raw eggs*. In reality, the risk of getting salmonella is fairly low. The risk is even lower if you use farm fresh eggs and, as it says on the carton, you CAN taste the difference.

Check out these beautiful, farm fresh eggs from one of my neighbors.

Baked Eggs in Prosciutto Cups

06.26.1804.07.12 by Lea

Baked Eggs in Prosciutto Cups is an easy recipe that qualifies, in my humble opinion, as “good enough for company”. Both my boys loves these – even my son who does not especially like to eat eggs. I have made a similar recipe using a muffin tin but find it easier and with better results when using ramekins. Muffin tins must to be greased in order to keep the prosciutto and eggs from sticking. And they never seemed to come out clean unless I spent a lot of time carefully lining the tin with the prosciutto so the egg could not seep through. With the ramekin it does not matter because you are eating the egg cups right out of the dish. That being said, you can still use a muffin tin for this recipe. Just be sure that you grease the tins well.

Besides being super easy and delicious, one of my favorite things about this recipe is the use of prosciutto. Unlike many other cured pork products, prosciutto does not (normally) contain nitrates/nitrites because it is cured with salt. In fact, salt is generally the only ingredient, besides pork, you will see listed on the label. This is great news for me, and others like me, who have a reaction to nitrates/nitrites and other preservatives.

Paleo and the City: Peking Duck House

04.04.1204.04.12 by Lea

This week is Spring Break for my two boys. While we may not be going on a big vacation, we are determined to find a few fun things to do in the nice weather. We kept our eyes on the forecast and picked the perfect day for a jaunt into New York City. I initially dragged Nathaniel (aka Sweet Pea) and Benjamin (aka Big Boy) to B&H Photo/Video Superstore where I did a little shopping. (That place is absolutely mind-blowing. But I’ll save that post for another day….) Our primary destination was Chinatown, which is my boys’ favorite part of the City for a few reasons. Our first stop was Peking Duck House at 28 Mott Street for lunch. The three of us were able to enjoy the full Peking Duck experience with a little twist in the appetizer department.

The boys ordered soup to start the meal but I was drawn to the cold appetizer menu which boasted such things as Spicy White Cabbage.
And…drum roll please….Boneless Duck Feet.

Ordering duck feet was more for the culinary adventure than a strong desire to dine on feet. Let’s be honest, eating duck feet does not sound especially awesome. But I have to say they were not half bad. The waiter seemed a little surprised I ordered it and I suspect the dish is enjoyed more by locals than the tourist crowd. The duck feet were mildly flavored like broth and soft enough to be cut with a fork. As nutrition goes, duck feet are full of cartilage which is a really great food for joint health -assuming you can get past the texture.

Benjamin was unconcerned with his joint health. Even though he was initially willing to give it a try, once he realized the duck feet are served cold, he changed his mind. Imagine that! But Nathaniel decided he wanted to go for it and I am completely impressed by his courage and adventurous spirit. Here are a few shots of Nathaniel on his culinary adventure.

In love with LOVEBEAN Fudge

02.05.1503.19.12 by Lea

While back in my home state of Texas for the Paleo FX Symposium – Theory to Practice in Austin, March 14-17, I encountered LoveBean Fudge.

It was a magical meeting. (The symposium was good too….)

The husband and wife team behind LoveBean are huge believers in high-density super foods. Together they have created some chocolate products that are really nutritious and absolutely delicious! One thing that caught my attention about LoveBean Fudge is the fact it is made with organic coconut nectar instead of evaporated cane juice. I have used coconut nectar or coconut crystals in several recipes, such as Paleo Coconut Cream Pie and Paleo/Primal Chocolate Cheesecake. I even use it in my popular Paleo Pancakes recipe. Coconut nectar/sap is very low glycemic (GI of only 35), is an abundant source of minerals, 17 amino acids, vitamin C, broad-spectrum B vitamins, and has a nearly neutral pH. Some may argue there is not much difference between cane syrup and coconut nectar. But even if the insulin response to either form of sugar is largely the same, I would choose coconut nectar for the added nutrition and the unique and delicious flavor.

Here’s Sweat Pea eating some LoveBean Fudge. Hmm. Funny but he doesn’t seem to notice the insulin response! (And BTW Austin DOES rock.)

Paleo Chipotle Chili

07.17.1803.14.12 by Lea

Posting a recipe for Paleo Chipotle Chili today seems especially appropriate. I am traveling back to my home state of Texas for the Paleo FX Symposium 2012 in Austin. It was an early morning for me today, beginning with my 3:30 a.m. alarm, but made better by the pink sunrise highlighting the dark Manhattan skyline … Read more