okra and tomatoes

Yesterday at the grocery store I picked up some fresh okra. I’m familiar with okra, but I’ve never worked with fresh okra before, so I was pleasantly surprised that it was so good and so was the family – it disappeared and I wasn’t able to have leftovers for lunch!

Here in the South, okra goes with tomatoes like peas and carrots, so I took some inspiration from multiple recipes and came up with the following:

Primal Okra and Tomatoes

• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt*
• 1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning*
• 3 tablespoons butter*
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound fresh okra, sliced (1/4 inch)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 medium tomato, chopped

Mix the yogurt and the Greek seasoning in a bowl and set aside.

In a skillet, melt the butter on medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and cook until it softens. Stir in the okra and the seasonings: cumin, ginger, coriander, black pepper, chili powder, and salt. Stir well to ensure the seasonings are incorporated well throughout the okra. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the tomato and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve with a dollop of the spiced yogurt.

This is one of those recipes that you can’t really mess up, so experiment with the spices and amount of tomatoes. If you like it spicier, add more chili powder. If you like it less spicy, remove the black pepper and the chili powder. Add more tomatoes if you want it to be more of a stewed consistency.

*For a paleo version of this dish, ditch the yogurt and exchange the butter for a more preferable oil.

swiss chard

Today was my first day to work with Swiss chard and as I’m sitting digesting a wonderful meal I’m wondering what took me so long? You’ve probably seen it in your local grocery store, but if you’re like me you’ve strolled right past it because, let’s face it, mom never cooked it. If spinach and a beet got together one night, played a little Barry White, had a little wine, and made some sweet music, the fruit of this unlikely (but beautiful) union would be Swiss chard. It’s no surprise, then, that Swiss chard is actually very closely related to both spinach and beets. Creepy.

According to Mark’s Daily Apple, Swiss chard delivers 716% of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin K, 110% RDA of vitamin A, 52% RDA of vitamin C, as well as a healthy dose of magnesium. In addition, he lists Swiss chard as one of his “16 Most Powerful Foods.” With that kind of reputation, how can we not include it in our weekly rotation?

Trolling around the net I found a lot of complicated recipes with Swiss chard that included many other ingredients. I tend to stay simple for my weeknight side dishes, so none of those really jumped out at me. I also saw from several sources that you can use it anywhere you use spinach. While probably true, it didn’t inspire me. So after perusing my pantry, I came up with this dish:

Primal Swiss Chard

• 1 bunch of Swiss chard, soaked and rinsed well
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons bacon grease*
• Crushed garlic, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Crushed red pepper, optional

Trim the ends of the red stalks on the Swiss chard. Then cut the stalks away from the leaves. Cut the stalks into about 1/2 inch pieces. Cut the leaves across about every 2 inches. Set the stalks and the leaves aside separately.

Melt the bacon grease in a skillet (one that has a lid) over medium heat. Throw in the onions and cook them until they are soft. Add the garlic (and peppers if you like spice) and cook for a minute more. Add the stalks and cook for about 5 minutes or until they are soft. Turn the heat down to low and add the leaves. Place the lid on the skillet and let it set for about 3-5 minutes or until the leaves are wilted (not cooked!). Add some salt to taste and give it a stir until the salt is incorporated and the leaves are mixed well with the onions and stalks. Serve warm from the skillet.

Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

*The meaty taste of bacon grease goes well with the hearty flavor of Swiss chard, but honestly, you can use whatever oil you like. This is the only ingredient that makes this a primal recipe instead of paleo.

the grok-arita (caveman margarita)

When I want to cut loose and have more than a glass of red wine, I head to margarita country. The problem with most margaritas that are served in bars or restaurants is that they are loaded with HFCS. In addition, most tequila aficionados will tell you that there’s no need to bury the flavor of the tequila anymore with such strong, sweet ingredients because we have easy access to 100% agave tequila. So here is my favorite margarita recipe from many moons ago – low and behold, it’s very primal in nature (pun intended)!

• 1 1/2 oz. 100% agave tequila
• 1 oz. freshly-squeezed lime juice*
• 3/4 oz. organic agave nectar
• 3/4 oz. water

Whether you’re making 1 drink or an entire pitcher, just stick to this ratio and you can’t go wrong. If you make this drink for others, I promise that you will need to have it on hand, especially the CrossFit/Paleo/Primal crowd.

*Note that 1 average lime yields about 1-1.5 oz. of juice. Be prepared to buy and juice a lot of limes. The Chef’n FreshForce Citrus Juicer is the way to go because it’s double-hinged (trust me, you’ll be thankful after about 5 or 6 limes).

Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments.

Chef’n FreshForce Citrus Juicer

paleo-ish pizza

Sometimes necessity is the mother of invention. For instance, right now we are trying to rid our house of some food items that are not exactly primal in nature. They’re not bad per se, but we’d like to zero in a bit more on our protein sources.  So to review, last night I made a ton of fresh chunky salsa to put on top of some grilled fish. This morning I drained and sauted the leftover chunky salsa and used it to top a nice frittata. Oddly enough I had just a little bit left and I hated to see it go to waste. So I did what I do best – I improvised based on the ingredients I have on hand.

The results? Stunning, if I do say so myself: a paleo-ish pizza!  Now I have to admit that while the ingredients in my creation today are not exactly paleo that with a few modifications they easily could be. Here’s what I had on hand:

• Leftover salsa – the last of it, I promise!
• Turkey bacon – 6 slices
• Sliced ham lunch meat – 2 slices
• Greek cheese
• Fresh baby spinach, wilted

First I fried the turkey bacon until it was nice and crisp. This is the “crunch” of the pizza, so it’s critical to get it crisp. Once that was finished I placed them on a paper towel to drain and become even crispier. They I took the ham and overlapped it slightly in the pan to make a figure 8 shape. I grated the cheese on top of the ham and then placed the bacon on top of the cheese. After heating up the leftover salsa, I placed that on top of the bacon and put a bit more cheese on top. Then I topped everything off with wilted spinach. To recap: ham, cheese, bacon, bit of cheese, chunky salsa, bit of cheese, wilted spinach.

The bacon is a nice substitute for the crunch of the crust and the salsa provides the tomato “sauce”.  I sliced it into 4 rectangular slices and shared with my wife – it was a huge hit

Next time I will have better quality ingredients on hand for the protein: bacon and ham with no nitrates.

Get in your refrigerator and pantry – you might be surprised what you can cook up!

leftover chunky salsa

One of the reasons I go with a chunky salsa to top off meats and such is that I like the texture of the fresh veggies. They add a satisfying crunch to any bit of grilled meat or fish. However, after sitting in their own juices and the acid overnight they will start to go soft very quickly. I usually try to finish off any leftovers within 12-18 hours, no more than 24.  After that you end up with a tasty mush.

A great use for leftovers is to use them to spice up your eggs in the morning: scrambled, omelette, or frittata.  Here’s what I do:

1. Drain the salsa in a strainer. Save the juice to drink if you like.
2. Add the drained salsa to a heated pan with oil. Saute just long enough to heat it through. Remove from the pan.
3. Add some more oil to your pan and prepare your eggs how you like them.
4. Top your eggs with the heated salsa (if it juiced back up feel free to take it for another drain).

You’re going to love how this turns out!

chunky salsa

There are a few key ingredients that we always try to have on hand: tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic, olives, and cilantro. We use each of them quite a bit throughout the day here and there, but when it comes to spicing up a meat dish like grilled fish or even a bun-less burger, a quick homemade salsa is easy and delicious.

Last night we had grilled tilapia from Whole Foods, grilled in coconut oil and topped with lemon. To finish it off, I made this Chunky Salsa recipe, but I warn you, recipe is a very strong word because salsa is meant to be felt, not measured! For a chunky salsa like this, my base is always tomatoes, bell peppers and onions. These three ingredients will make up about 90% of the total dish, so use them in whatever quantity works for you!

• Tomatoes – Try different colors, not just the typical reds. I try to stick with medium tomatoes because they tend to have more meat.
• Bell Peppers – Again, try different colors, although reds are much more nutritious from a paleo perspective.
• Onions – I usually use sweet yellows, but reds also work. If you have a strong onion, after it is chopped, place in a strainer and run under hot water for a few minutes.

The rest of the ingredients all serve to flavor the base. No rules, just taste as you go if you’re not sure!

• Olives – Greeks/kalamatas are the way to go. I always slice my own. Go nuts at the Whole Foods olive bar! Remember that a little goes a long way.
• Cilantro – Start small and add according to your taste.
• Sea Salt – Start small and add according to your taste.
• Freshly Crushed Black Pepper – Start small and add according to your taste.
• Olive Oil – Just a splash.
• Balsamic Vinegar – Just a splash.

I always try to finish off my salsa with a splash of an oil and a splash of some acid.  Olive oil is my staple oil and I use it about 90% of the time. For acid, I’ve used vinegar, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and lime juice – all to great effect.

If you want to add some heat, then fresh peppers are always a good choice. Starting with the lowest intensity: poblano, jalapneo, serrano, and habanero. I also keep dried crushed red pepper around as well and just a sprinkling of that will give it some zing.

Grab some of these fresh ingredients the next time you’re going to grill something – you’ll be surprised at how much it adds to the experience.

paleo birthday “cake”

I had a bit of a dilemma this morning because today is my trainer‘s birthday. Thanks to her, my whole family is now participating in some form of CrossFit, eating better, and in general leading happier, more fulfilling lives! So I wanted to show her how much I appreciate her today when I showed up for our 6:00 AM WOD.  The problem is that she’s competing in tomorrow’s Central Southern Texas Sectional for the CrossFit Games so she’s on a very strict diet for a few more days. So before heading out this morning I whipped up the following recipe for a Paleo Birthday “Cake”:

• 1 egg, hard-boiled
• 1 candle (must be beeswax to be considered paleo)

Crack the top of the egg and remove about a dime’s worth of shell. Insert candle. Light. Enjoy.

Good luck to Coach Heather and everybody competing tomorrow at the sectionals, especially the folks from CrossFit Texas and CrossFit Central!