Paleo and the City: Bareburger (New York City)

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When the boys are out of school in the summer we like to take a few trips into nearby New York City. We always have fun adventures. Recently, we trekked to Bareburger, a restaurant I have been interested in trying ever since hearing about it from a friend at Paleo FX in Austin. We journeyed to the heart of Midtown Manhattan to find this Paleo-friendly burger joint.

It was well worth the trip.

Benjamin was excited. He gave me his best suave look.

B at Bareburger

Bareburger’s Food

Bareburger offers organic, all natural, free-range, grass-fed meats; organic and all-natural cheeses; and organic vegetables. They partner with local artisans and sustainable farmers and emphasize old-fashioned quality.

Here’s a description of some of the ingredients they use:

Meats:
Beef: 100% organic, grass-fed, 85% lean
Bison: 100% organic, grass-fed, 91% lean
Turkey: 100% organic, free-range, 94% lean
Elk: 100% all-natural, pasture raised, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, 92% lean
Wild Boar: 100% all-natural, pasture raised, hormone-free, antibiotic-free
Ostrich: 100% all-natural, pasture raised, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, 95% lean
Lamb: 100% all-natural, pasture raised, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, 90% lean
Chicken: 100% all-natural, free-range, hormone-free, antibiotic-free
Portabella Cap: 100% organic
Veggie Burger: Made with organic grains and local vegetables
Bacons: 100% all-natural, hormone-free and nitrate free
Sausage: 100% organic

Cheeses: 100% all-natural, made from pasture raised cows, rbgh-free (growth hormone)

Vegetables and Fruits: 100% organic, pesticide, herbicide and ammonia free

Dairy and Eggs: 100% organic, made from grass-fed cows

Pretty impressive.

Gluten-Free Options at Bareburger

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Roasted Beet and Cucumber Salad with Yogurt Dressing

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roasted beet and cucumber salad with yogurt dressing

roasted beet and cucumber salad with yogurt dressing

We planted some chiogga beets this year. Ordinarily I buy vegetable plant seedlings and transplant them into our raised garden beds. But because these are heirloom beets we ordered the seeds online and that meant planting them ourselves. So we’re kind of proud of these beets. It was fun for the boys to see what comes from a little seed they planted themselves. Here’s Nathaniel with a few of our crop.

Chiogga beets

We may have let them grow a little bigger than what is best for flavor. Smaller beets tend to be tastier.

Here’s what chiogga beets look like when you slice them. They are kind of mesmerizing if you stare too long.

chiogga beet slice

Even though chiogga beets would have worked perfectly well in this roasted beet and cucumber salad, the ones I used this time were “regular” beets. Still delicious, still beautiful and nutritious – cancer-fighting, actually. I remember my aunt Norma making a beet and cucumber salad when I was a kid. I have no idea what was in it other than beets and cucumbers and some sort of creamy sauce. But I do remember it was really tasty so you might say this recipe is an homage to Aunt Norma!

The yogurt dressing in this version is close to a tzatziki sauce with garlic and mint. I just love the combination of cool cucumbers, sweet roasted beets with a garlicky yogurt sauce. It’s a perfect (primal) summer side dish.

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Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream (Paleo & Dairy-Free)

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Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream @PaleoSpirit

Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream @PaleoSpirit

This post should probably be titled “Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream and Perfectionism.” It’s been a while since my last post and I’ve been pondering why I have been so slack. It IS summer and we DO have a lot going on. But I realize the other major reason is I am letting my tendency to perfectionism take over. This is not a good thing.

Perfectionism does not mean everything one does is perfect. Far from it!  Having a streak of “perfectionism” means, among other things, the tendency to be highly critical of oneself and to set standards impossibly high. I want my posts to be relevant and useful in some way. But recently I have gotten into a mode of avoiding making a post if I not able to do it “perfectly”.

It can become a crippling habit!

Take this recipe of Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream for example.

Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream @PaleoSpirit

I have tested it a few times and each time it has turned out delicious – as verified by my ice cream connoisseur husband, G. I have wanted to share the recipe with all of you because it is a great dairy-free, lower sugar alternative to “normal” ice cream. But I have delayed in posting it. Why? Because I have been doubting my ability to photograph it properly!

How silly is that?!

I could lay some of the blame at the feet of Pinterest with all its amazing food photography. But the truth is it is my own issue born out of a tendency to be perfectionistic when I have high expectations of myself.

Making recipes is fun and so is taking photos and I want to keep it that way. I plan to continue working on my photography and let my perfectionism drive me to improve. But I am resolving to chill out a bit more, stop comparing myself to others and be happy with the best I am able to do right now.

Enough with my personal angst. Now on with the recipe. 🙂

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Book Review and Giveaway: “Eat Like A Dinosaur”

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(The Giveaway is over now. We have a lucky winner! See below)

The recipe and guidebook for gluten-free kids called “Eat Like a Dinosaur” by Paleo Parents has been our kitchen companion for a few months now. Our family has been following a paleo way of eating for quite a while. I buy and prepare the food and pack the school lunches so Benjamin and Nathaniel have not had much choice in the matter. We work hard to make sure eating this way is fun, tasty, and not a constant battle. And while they may put up a fuss about certain dishes now and then, for the most part, the boys have been on board. But Eat Like A Dinosaur has made getting my kids to enjoy eating whole, healthful foods even easier. Reading about and seeing photos of Stacy and Matt’s kids, Cole, Finian and Wesley has helped my boys understand they are not the only kids eating a paleo diet. It has given them more confidence when talking to their friends about their food choices. Nathaniel especially liked the illustrated children’s story that makes up chapter two and has read it several times. Most of all, my boys have enjoyed the recipes in the book. They have fun going through Eat Like a Dinosaur on their own, letting me know what they want to make and then helping me make it.

I think girls as well as boys would enjoy and benefit from this book. But one reason it has gone over especially well with our family is the general love of all things dinosaur. Here are my guys at the newly opened Field Station Dinosaurs in Secaucus, New Jersey just last week. The 30 animatronic dinosaurs were super cool and, not surprisingly, the T-Rex (with the Empire State Building in the background) was the favorite. (We enjoyed ourselves there in spite of the 95 degree temperature!)T-Rex with Empire State BuildingBack to the book….

Here is a summary of the key features of “Eat Like A Dinosaur”

  • 288 pages – more than recipes, includes a “how to” chapter for parents and “projects” to get the family spending time together
  • illustrated kids story aims to get kids excited and thinking positively about embracing food changes
  • over 100 recipes and projects which are grain-, dairy-, legume- and refined sugar-free, but not lacking in flavor or fun!
  • all recipes have full color, bright, fun layout with corresponding photo – enticing to kids
  • allergy-friendly book has top 8 allergens on each page and easy index in the back
  • written & photographed by normal suburban family who turned their health around with switching to a “real foods” diet (lost over 200lbs, kids no longer have asthma, eczema, allergies, behavioral issues, etc.)
  • All recipes are Paleo, but it’s not a Paleo specific book – it’s for all kinds of families with a wide range of food habits – including those with allergies, WAPF, GFCF or simply trying to eat better.

 

 A few of our favorite recipes from Eat Like a Dinosaur:

  • 50/50 Bacon Burgers
  • Apple Bacon Slaw
  • Deviled Bacony Eggs
  • Baconnaise
  • Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

 

Notice a pattern?

Well, the Banana Bread doesn’t have bacon in it….although I’m sure we could find a way to work it in somehow…

Just yesterday we made Deviled Bacony Eggs. Here’s what they looked like.

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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Garlic Scape and Kale Dressing

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heirloom tomatoes by window

If I were a better gardener and lived a little farther (further?) south I MIGHT have grown these heirloom tomatoes myself.

But I’m not and I don’t and I didn’t.

So, instead, what we have here are heirlooms I found at a standard grocery store and Costco. But let’s not turn up our noses shall we? Look how gorgeous.

heirloom tomatoes by window

The whole time I was taking these photographs I was pondering what to do with the heirloom tomatoes. We needed a side dish to go with our roasted chicken dinner. Tomato, cucumber and avocado salads are always a big hit around our house so I thought that might be nice.

heirloom tomatoes bowl

But these tomatoes seemed to cry out for something a little different.

heirloom tomatoes

After all, they are special…and beautiful and, well, heirloomy.

heirloom tomatoes vertical

Then I remembered I was in possession of another, rather unique, ingredient.

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Paleo 4th of July Recipes + Spicy Cilantro Lime Slaw

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Paleo 4th of July

The 4th of July (Independence Day) celebration is coming up in a couple of days. For the last several years our church congregation has held a big barbecue dinner for members, family and friends. It is always a great time of fellowship and fun. The church provides the meat (barbecue ribs, burgers, hot dogs and sausages) and the members bring side dishes and desserts.

Paleo 4th of July Recipes!

In case you have been looking for some paleo 4th of July menu ideas, I thought it would be nice to highlight some of my personal favorites for summertime celebrations.

Paleo 4th of Julypaleo 4th of July salads

Paleo Dry-Rubbed Barbecue Ribs and Sauce

Chimichurri Sauce and Marinade

Kale and Avocado Salad

Spicy Cilantro Lime Slaw

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fireball Margarita

This year I will be taking a Kale and Avocado Salad just as I did last year. It was a big hit even with people who said they had never enjoyed kale. Avocado does that. It makes almost anything better IMHO. I will also be taking a Spicy Cilantro Lime Slaw. It is really colorful and has great crunch and just enough spice to give it a nice kick. It will go great with those ribs our minister will be cooking up!

Spicy Cilantro Lime Slaw Recipe

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Paleo Chocolate Birthday Cake

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Paleo Chocolate Cake with Bacon Frosting

For my husband’s birthday a few weeks ago I made him a Coconut Flour Paleo Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Bacon Frosting. Paleo Chocolate Cake with Bacon FrostingIt was a big hit. (You could easily leave the bacon out of the Chocolate Ganache Frosting if you are less than thrilled about trying that seemingly crazy scheme.) Here’s a closer look at the cake after it was sliced. Sorry, but I can’t resist showing off my blue hydrangeas. I love hydrangeas!slice of paleo chocolate birthday cakeBack to the chocolate cake. Don’t you just want to dig in?!PaleoSpirit:: Slice of Paleo Chocolate Cake

In the chocolate ganache frosting post I promised to provide the recipe for the cake itself in the next entry. But I lost my notes! (Can you say ADHD?) I was about 90% sure of the ingredients but needed to make it again to validate the recipe.

Poor me.

This time I chose to make the coconut flour cake with a Coconut Honey Frosting. (Hydrangeas again)coconut flour paleo cake with coconut honey frostingAnd because the layers were quite thick, I cut each one in half and made a four-layer paleo chocolate cake. The cake cooked up and tasted just like the other one so now I feel comfortable sharing the recipe. Whew!

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Paleo in Maryland: Steamed Crabs

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Maryland steamed crab

I’m a very crabby guy.

But when I say crabby, I don’t mean curmudgeonly or cantankerous, although I’ve occasionally been accused of both.

I mean I love to eat crabs. Steamed crabs.

Maryland steamed crabServe’em up with some ice-cold beer on a picnic table covered with old newspaper and in my humble opinion, you’ve pretty much achieved Nirvana.

But that’s because I’m from Maryland, where steamed crabs are more than food – they’re a way of life. Marylanders have been gorging themselves on steamed crabs since the first settlers paddled up the Chesapeake Bay in 1634, and even before that if you consider Native American tribes like the Nanticoke and the Powhatan.

There was a time when hardly anyone outside of the Delmarva Peninsula – that’s where Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia all collide on the eastern side of the Chesapeake – ate much crabs, but that’s changed in recent years. It’s not hard to get a decent crab cake in most American cities nowadays, but steamed crabs? That’s a different story!

So whenever Lea and I visit my Mom & Dad on Maryland’s eastern shore, we make a point to have steamed crabs. Lea, a native Texan, had never had steamed crabs before she met me, but after 15 years of marriage she can tear into them with gusto! She also likes that eating steamed crabs fits in well with her lower-carb, paleo diet.

Now…a little bit about the crabs, themselves. The ones that we eat in Maryland are called Callinectes sappidus, which means “tasty beautiful swimmer” in Latin. But that’s a mouthful for a Marylander, so we just call them “Blue crabs,” which makes sense because before they get tossed in the pot they actually are…blue.

(Photo of Blue Crab previously posted is Copyright  John T. Consoli)

We like to think of blue crabs as our own, but the truth is they’re found all the way from Nova Scotia down into the Gulf of Mexico and even as far south as Argentina! Good thing, too, because due to over-fishing, most of the crabs we eat are imported from Louisiana! No matter, they’re still blue crabs, and nobody does them like they’re done in Maryland…sorry, Virginia!

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Souvlaki for the Soul: Food and Travel Blog

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A few weeks ago I was contacted by Peter from the food and travel blog, Souvlaki for the Soul, about my recipe for Chocolate Paleo Snack Cake. He has a gluten-intolerant friend who had been craving chocolate cake. How many of us can relate to the chocolate cake craving?! Peter had done an internet search for … Read more

Endive, Watercress and Radish Salad With Walnuts and Goat Cheese

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When I was a kid I remember my father taking our family out to dinner at a “fancy” restaurant in Dallas for a special occasion. The nature of the special occasion eludes me all these many years later but, oddly enough, I still remember the salad. Perhaps that is one mark of a true food lover. We reckon everything in terms of what we were eating at the time. The memorable salad marking that particular experience was dominated by Belgian style endive. (Pronounced “on-deeve”*) It is a vegetable I had not encountered prior to that day and it struck me as very exotic. Even though endive is not a food I have eaten regularly over the years I still associate it with high-caliber restaurants and recipes.

Knowing my husband is a fan of the more bitter flavors, I decided to use endive to create a unique salad for him on Father’s Day. This salad combines crunchy, slightly bitter endive with refreshing watercress and spicy radishes. It’s topped with toasted walnuts and creamy goat cheese and dressed with an extra virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinaigrette. The sweetness of the white balsamic vinegar is a nice contrast to the bitter and spicy flavors of the vegetables.

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