Boneless Beef Short Ribs – Asian-Style (Instant Pot Recipe)

Asian-Style Boneless Beef Short Ribs with Cauliflower Rice

Boneless beef short ribs are my new favorite food! Same rich, unctuous flavor and the tenderness of regular beef short ribs without the bones. And anytime fresh ginger, garlic and citrus are involved, you know it’s going to be amazing. My husband spent the entire dinner mmm-ing and remarking about how much he loved this dish. … Read more

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

Many of us started a month of Strict Paleo eating (aka Whole30) recently. This recipe for Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus helped our family get through day one and we hope it will find its way into one of your meals soon. One thing is clear, following a paleo way of eating is not going to mean deprivation. Just look at our breakfast. I mean, really. This is good stuff.

prosciutto-wrapped asparagus

Before getting to the recipe I wanted to mention G’s last post. In it, my husband wrote about his fall off the “paleo wagon”. In order to enter his giveaway he asked that readers include a comment on one of their New Year’s resolutions. It’s been really interesting reading the comments and I know many of you are excited, like we are, to start with a clean slate in the New Year. Several people noted their resistance to making “resolutions” feeling this could be a set-up for failure. Instead, there are lots of people who set “goals” which is probably a better way to look at it. No matter what time of year, it’s always a good idea to strive for health and wellness.

Here are some highlights of comments we’ve seen so far:

  • Loss weight and/or add muscle
  • Complete a month of strict paleo eating (Whole30) without cheating
  • “Run an 8 minute mile”
  • “To believe in myself”
  • “Make our children healthier”
  • Be able to “keep up with” kids and grandkids
  • One random act of kindness once a week
  • and many more…

I’m really glad G posed the question because we have enjoyed reading the responses very much. So thank you to all who have participated.

Now for the recipe for these tasty morsels!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus: Paleospirit.com

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G’s New Year’s Paleo Resolution plus a Giveaway

(G’s New Year’s Paleo Resolution Giveaway is now closed. The three winners are listed at the end of this post.)

About two years ago, my wife Lea started “eating Paleo” in an effort to alleviate some health-related issues which she believed were possibly caused by certain kinds of food, like gluten. Partly to be supportive, and partly because she does most of the shopping and all of the cooking, I went along. I mean, really…what choice did I have?

To my surprise (admittedly, I was skeptical), the new way of eating proved wildly successful for her and for myself. When combined with a regular regimen of Yoga, walking, and occasional sprinting, I shed the pounds quickly! Without much real effort and a lot of tasty meals, I was able to see a “1” followed by a “6” on my bathroom scale for the first time since I was in high school over two decades earlier.

I was very proud of myself; I looked good, and I felt great. I celebrated my discipline at being able to cut out sweets and bread, and to eat well at work as well as at home. My wife applauded my resolve. Things were going great! Until…

The fall off the “paleo wagon”

…Something happened. I don’t know when, but it happened just the same. Slowly but surely, the carbs returned – a little bread here, a slice of pizza there. And of course, there was the beer. As you may have noticed from some of my beer reviews, I love the stuff. So…bread, pizza, beer…and two years later, it’s all back, and then some.

G contemplates his fall off the paleo wagon. (At "Grounds for Sculpture" in New Jersey)
G contemplates his fall off the paleo wagon. (At “Grounds for Sculpture” in New Jersey)

PALEO RESOLUTION

Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m not fat. I don’t think I’m even chubby…but I am overweight, and I don’t like it. So, in an attempt to regain my previously trim physique, I am willfully joining my wife on the Strictly Paleo Plan for the month of January 2013. I’m hoping to not only lose weight and get back in shape, but to re-establish those good food and exercise habits that worked so well when we first “went Paleo” back in 2010.

Wish me luck! I’ll need it…

PALEO GIVEAWAY!!!

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The Strictly Paleo Plan

When I first discovered the Paleo lifestyle in February of 2011 I dove in headfirst and completed a strict Paleo eating plan for the first 30 days. My motivation was to figure out if what I was eating might be contributing to my fibromyalgia, fatigue, chronic respiratory infections and depression. I was already fairly lean but not especially healthy and I was frustrated with doctors who could not explain my symptoms. All my tests were normal and yet I was NOT okay.

During my “experiment” I discovered certain food groups had been negatively impacting my health. The changes I have seen and felt since going Paleo have been pretty dramatic. If you have any unexplained aches and pains, inflammation, allergies, skin or digestive problems, or other ailments, or if you simply cannot manage to lose weight or keep it off you should seriously consider how the food you eat may be impacting your health. A Strictly Paleo elimination diet may be just what you need to change your life.Paleo Word in Food

What is Strictly Paleo©?

Most simply stated, Strictly Paleo means eating real food that excludes certain potentially problematic food groups for an experimental elimination period of at least 30 days.

What you DO eat:

  • Meat
  • Vegetables
  • Fruit
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Fats from nuts, seeds, and fruits

Here’s a handy guide to help with shopping.

What you DO NOT eat:

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Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing

Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing

Kale Salad LR

While the squash and zucchini plants have suffered some damage from the dreaded vine borers, the kale plants are still going strong.  I used to say “I don’t DO kale” but have come around to the dark green side in a major way.  The following recipe came to mind when I realized that one of the benefits of kale is its ability to stand up to heavier sauces in its raw state.  Warm bacon dressing is used with spinach in part because it tastes good and also because spinach is more substantial than lettuce and can tolerate that type of dressing. Kale is even more hearty so I decided to try out a warm andouille sausage dressing that would match up well with the texture and taste of this particular green.

Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing

G and I have been getting very comfortable with the concept of eating “dinner for breakfast” so it no longer seems weird to us to have kale in the morning.  This recipe also calls for fried eggs which is something easy to make in the morning and it really goes well with the salad.  G doesn’t like the egg on top of the salad and just eats it separately.  Personally, I think the egg on top is delicious and the egg yolk adds a nice creaminess to the dressing.

Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing

Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing

Ingredients

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Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

Paleo Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic is a classic French dish. This Paleo version of the recipe stands out in my mind as one of the all time biggest hits with my husband. The first time he tried it he could not stop remarking, in between bites, on how good it was. Even if garlic … Read more